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                          A Scriptural Resolution

   'The Christadelphian' May 1898 carried the following resolution

 

BOURNEMOUTH:     "We have had trouble in our midst, which has resulted in division.  

Bro.H.Fry publicly proclaimed the doctrine  that      Jesus was not in a position  requiring to offer

himself as a sacrifice  to secure his own redemption;       that the sacrifice of Christ  was required

only to effect the salvation of actual transgressors. Jesus being no transgressor, for himself his

sacrifice was not needed.       This teaching strikes at the root of the Scripture teaching of the

condemnation of sin in the flesh,         and also at the doctrinal basis upon which our ecclesia has

                                                             been founded.

 

It was necessary to meet this error in order to maintain the purity of the Truth.      After pri-

vate and collective effort, which proved fruitless,    it was decided to re-affirm and define our

doctrinal basis of faith upon this subject,         and as to those who refuse to acknowledge and

accept it, we feel duty bound from such to stand aside.  The following propositions were sub-

                             mitted to every member of the ecclesia for acceptance.

 

1. That the Scriptures teach:           That Adam was created capable of dying, but free from

the power of death;      and when he disobeyed in Eden,  he was condemned to death for that

disobedience; and that he came under the power of death solely on account of this sin. That

in consequence of this offence, all his descendants have been condemned to death, but with-

out the moral guilt of his transgression attaching to them; and that those who are not actual

          transgressors die under the condemnation they inherit from their first parents.

 

2. That the Scriptures teach:            That Adam was created very good, and was then utter-

ly devoid of that which the Scriptures style 'sin in the flesh';       that from the time of his dis-

obedience, and in consequence thereof, he had sin in his flesh;  that sin in the flesh of his de-

scendants,  although not involving them in the moral guilt of Adam,    has the power of death

in them; that Jesus Christ, who was sinless as to character,     by his sacrificial death and res-

urrection put away his sin nature           (which was the only appointed means for the condem-

nation of sin in the flesh;that is, as a basis upon which it, the flesh, could be redeemed),   and

by which he destroyed the devil and death in relation to himself.    That this destruction of sin

and death by Jesus Christ   has been made    the basis of    their future abolition  in relation to

                                                           all the righteous.

 

3.  That inasmuch as the foregoing scriptural truths    substantially form part of our doctrinal

basis of fellowship,   and are essential to    'the things concerning the Name of Jesus Christ',

we hereby resolve from this time  to discontinue    fellowshipping all who believe that the de-

scendants of Adam were not condemned to death on account of Adam's sin,                 or that

Jesus Christ's sacrificial death was not necessary to      REDEEM HIMSELF     as well as others

from that condemnation,     until such time as they repudiate these anti-scriptural doctrines".

 

It is significant that the one withdrawn from above in sounder days, wrote a book*which set

forth his twisted and heretical views upon the Sacrifice of Christ.    Earlier forms of this her-

esy have been largely rejected,      and current errorists favor the above book because it uses

all the abilities of the serpent-mind to deceive. Its current proponents do not perceive that

their adoption of its serpentine reasoning signals   the  final  victory  of  error  in their midst.

 

*'Echoes of Past Controversies'.The heretical ideas proclaimed therein by Harry Fry were

later taken up by others, notably John Hensley in his own book   'The Relationship of Christ

to His Death on the Cross'. And more recently this damnable error has spread throughout

"Christadelphia",promoted by self-deluded "teachers"-in reality teachers of "clean flesh".

Most prominent is Duncan Heaster who revised 'Bible Basics' to include the error.

Another who now rejects his former belief  and promotes the same heresy is John Martin,

as shown in the book 'Saved by His Life'.And so "a little leaven" has done its ghastly work.

 

Our concern is for those who are taken in by this disaster.       We ask the question: why is it

that this "new"(="old")  heresy cannot harmonise with either the Scriptures or the writings

of Christadelphian Pioneer Brothers John Thomas and Robert Roberts?     Although tortuous

attempts have been made, they are inevitably doomed to failure.     We appeal to those who

are confused by the controversy to go back to "the principles of the doctrine of Christ",

learn prayerfully from the Scriptures anew,    and read the writings of the Pioneer brethren.

Only then will the Truth shine clearly & brightly with the power to save.

 

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