A summation of the teachings of Alexander Campbell by Frederick Kershner. Taken from Dean Mills'
Union on the Kings Highway (The Campbell Stone Heritage of Unity Series)
(45-46).
1.That the Church is essentially, intentionally, and constitutionally one, including all who profess faith in Christ and obedience to Him in all things.
2.That although the Church exists in local congregations, each should be charitable towards the others, receiving one another as brethren and walking by the same rule.
3.That nothing can be made conditions of fellowship and obligation except what is expressly taught in the Scriptures.
4.That although the two Testaments form the entire revelation of God and are inseparable, the New Testament is the perfect constitution for worship, discipline, and government of the New Testament Church.
5.That no human authority has power to impose new ordinances and commandments or add anything as a term of fellowship that is not as old as the New Testament.
6.That logical inferences and deductions from Scripture based on human wisdom cannot be made binding upon the consciences of other Christians any further than they understand them.
7.That inferential truths resulting from human logic ought not be made conditions of fellowship since not all Christians attain the same degree of knowledge.
8.That Church membership is conditioned upon profession of faith in Christ and obedience to Him, and not upon attaining particular degree of knowledge of Scripture.
9.That all who make this profession are children of the same Father and should treat one another as brothers.
10.That division among the children of God is anti-Christian, anti-Scriptural, anti-natural, and produces confusion.
11.That all division can be traced to either a partial neglect of the Scriptures or making human innovations conditions of fellowship.
12.That purity of the Church is contingent upon a pure membership and a qualified ministry that follow the example of the primitive church.
13.That any human expedients necessary to this endeavor must make no pretense to sacred origin so that future changes in them will not produce contention or division.
I think we run into problems in deciphering "what is expressly taught in Scripture" and what are "logical inferences and deductions from Scripture." Some of our logical inferences and deductions seem so obvious to us that we think they are expressly taught.
