Clmsttan 2ZUorft tn 3talp. THE FREE ITALIAN CHURCH. OCCASIONAL PAPERS NO. I. EDITED BY JOHN B. THOMPSON, MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL. NEW YORK. American Church Press Co., hi East Ninth Street. 1872. I FREE CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF ITALY. DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES. Adopted unanimously in General Assembly at Milan, June, 1870. 1. God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, has manifested His will in Revelation, which is the Bible, the alone perfect and immutable rule of faith and conduct. 2. God created man perfect in His own image and likeness, but Adam disobeying the Word of God, sinned, and thus by one man sin has entered into the world, and death by sin. On this account, human nature in Adam and by Adam has become cor¬ rupt and sinful; and we are all born in Adam with the inclination to do evil, and the inability of doing well what God has com¬ manded ; wherefore, naturally, we are all sinners under con¬ demnation. 3. God does not desire the death of the sinner, but that he should come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved. 4. Salvation comes from the eternal and gratuitous love of the Father ;—it is obtained through the expiatory sacrifice, re¬ surrection, and intercession of the Son ;—it is communicated by the Holy Spirit, who regenerates the sinner, unites him to Christ by faith, comes and dwells in him, produces peace in his heart, giving him the assurance of the entire remission of his sins, making him free, guiding and consoling him by means of the Word which He Himself has given, sealing and guarding 2 him until the day of the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jes,us Christ. 5. The Christian, redeemed with a great price, ought to glorify God in his soul, body, and spirit, which belong to God, walking in holiness, without which no man can see the Lord. In order to this, he finds strength in communion with Him who says to him, “ My grace is sufficient for thee/' 6. Believers, regenerated in Christ, form the Church, which cannot perish nor apostatize, being the body of the Lord Jesus. 7. In addition to the universal priesthood of believers, God Himself has established in the Church various special ministries, for the perfecting of the saints and the edifying of the body of 'Christ, which ministries ought to be recognized by the Church itself. 8. The Lord Jesus Christ will come from heaven and trans¬ form our body of humiliation into a glorious body. In that day the dead in Christ shall rise first, and the living who are found faithful shall be transformed and thus together shall we be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, to be for¬ ever with the Lord ; and, after His Kingdom, all the rest shall rise to be judged in judgment. These articles are held to suffice as a testimony of a Christianity purely evangelical, without pretending that there are no other doctrines in the Bible to be believed. It is also clearly asserted that this te Declaration of Principles ” does not pretend to infalli¬ bility. The Word of God is alone infallible and immutable. Nor is it looked upon as the cause or title to salvation, but simply as the outward bond of unity in the faith and the banner of the Church. CONSTITUTION. Adopted unanimously in General Assembly, at Florence, November, 1871. TITLE I. THE CHURCH. Art. i. The Free Christian Church of Italy is formed out of the various particular churches which adhere to its Declaration of Principles, and to its Constitution. The act of adhesion becomes valid when accepted by the Evan¬ gelization Committee, and sanctioned by the General Assembly. Art. 2. The PVee Christian Church of Italy is established on the basis of independence ; that is to say, each assembly or particular church, in its local affairs, is independent of all the others, being united with them only in the same faith, the same constitution, and the same work. Art. 3. When in the same town there are different groups of believers, resulting from the preaching of different laborers, these groups shall be free either to form one single local church or to preserve their reciprocal independence, according to Article Second. The request of a group to be independent must be sent to the Evangelization Committee for consideration, according to Article First. TITLE II. THE MINISTRY. Art. 4. Gifts are recognized and acknowledged, according to the Word of God, by each particular church at will ; but these gifts cannot be exercised in the other churches of the Union with¬ out previous recognition and acknowledgment by the General Assembly. Art. 5. If it should appear, after a regular proceeding proposed by a particular church, and made by the Evangelization Commit¬ tee, that one has become unworthy of the Ministry, its exercise shall be interdicted to him by the General Assembly. Art. 6. Every year the General Assembly shall issue a revised 4 catalogue of its Ministers, which shall be regularly noted and registered in all the churches of the Union. TITLE III. THE ASSEMBLY. Art. 7. The General Assembly is composed of Deputies from the united churches. Each church may send one, two, or three representatives. Art. 8 . The prerogatives of the Assembly are : To establish general rules for the work of Evangelization. To elect the Evangelization Committee and examine its acts. To modify the Declaration of Principles and the Constitution. To sanction the act of acceptance of new churches which enter the Union. To judge, as a court of ultimate appeal, in controversies which may arise in the bosom of the said Union. To exercise the sovereign power of the Church. TITLE IV. MEETINGS OF THE ASSEMBLY. Art. 9. The General Assembly shall meet annually, at the time indicated by the Evangelization Committee, and at the place appointed by the preceding Assembly. Art. 10. At the opening of each Assembly the President of the last Assembly, or the President of the Evangelization Committee, shall be the Provisional President, and the Secretary of the last Assembly shall be the Provisional Secretary. Art. 11. The officers of the Assembly are : President, Vice- President, Secretary, and Vice-Secretary. While in the exercise of their offices they may not take part in the discussions. These officers are elected after the recognition of the creden¬ tials of the representatives. Art. 12. Election to office is valid only by obtaining a major¬ ity of the votes. Art. 13. All the representatives of the churches of the Union are electors, and eligible to office. Art. 14. No member of the Assembly shall speak on the same question more than three times, and that within the limits of the 5 utmost brevity, in order not to disregard the right of others to speak. Nevertheless, the Chairman of the Evangelization Com¬ mittee, or of any special committee, is always permitted to make explanations. Art. 15. The decisions of the Assembly in matters of faith shall be unanimous ; in all other matters, by a majority of the votes. Art. 16. The order of the day shall be prepared by a com¬ mittee chosen by the Assembly, and business in course shall obtain precedence. Proposals pertaining to matters of faith shall not be inserted in the order of the day unless supported by the absolutely favorable endorsement of two-thirds of the particular churches previously invited by the proposing church to deliberate on the subject. Art. 1 7. No representative of the churches of the Union may absent himself from the Assembly without permission of the same. TITLE V. THE COMMITTEE. Art. 18. The Evangelization Committee shall consist of not less than five, nor more than seven, members. The Committee shall be elected annually. Its members are re-eligible. Art. 19. The office of the Committee is to superintend the work of Evangelization, without lording it over God's heritage ; to collect the funds necessary for the work ; to help such laborers as are related to it, or received by it to the work ; and to provide the necessary training for the work, properly directing and inspect¬ ing the teaching. Art. 20. The Committee exercises the executive and adminis¬ trative power, and, in the absence of the Assembly, is the legal representative of the Free Christian Church in Italy. Conse¬ quently, all its acts are done in the name of the church. Art. 21. Every year, at the opening of the Assembly, the Com¬ mittee ceases from its functions, and entrusts to the Examining Committee the report of its doings, to be verified, discussed, and approved by the said Assembly. EVANGELIZATION COMMITTEE. Appointed in General Assembly at Florence, November, 1871. A. R. Van Nest, D. D., American Church, Florence, President. Paolo De-Michelis, Evangelist in Pisa, Secretary. John R. McDougall, M.A., Scotch Church, Florence, Treasurer and Foreign Secretary. Francesco Lagomarsino, Evangelist in Milan. Alessandro Gavazzi, Evangelist in Rome. Salvatore Ferretti, Evangelist in Florence. Florence, Italy, April i, i8p2. This is to certify that our beloved and honored brethren, the Rev. Dr. John B. Thompson and the Rev. Alessandro Gavazzi, have been appointed a deputation to the United States, to make known to Christian friends in America the details of the interest¬ ing work of God going on in Rome and throughout the Kingdom of Italy, and to ask their sympathy, prayers, and aid in carrying on the Evangelization of this beautiful country, so long barred against the entrance of the truth as it is in Jesus, but now open from one end to the other for the free proclamation of the ever¬ lasting Gospel. Abm. R. Van Nest, Jr., President of Evangelization Committee of the . Free Italian Church. John R. McDougall, Foreign Secretary. 15 fVest $ 6 th Street , New York, May 17, 1872. Somewhat extensive enquiries, while I was in Italy, among those familiar with the religious movements in that country, and constant study of those move¬ ments since my return, fully convince me chat the Free Italian Church opens the best door for efficient and hopeful religious operations among the Italian people. The clearest signs of an Evangelical revival are to be found there : and I sincerely hope that our countrymen who look and pray for a Gospel dawn on that beautiful and most interesting land, will aid, to the full extent of their ability, in carrying out the plans of the Italian Committee, whom Dr. Thompson and Signor Gavazzi represent. THOS. E. VERMILYE. In Rome, a school of the prophets to train evangelical ministers, from out of the native population, to become pastors of the churches, which are now spring¬ ing forth all over Italy, like stars in its long night ! American Christians should vie with each other in promoting Italian evangelization. HENRY WARD BEECHER. 1 approve this work and give it my hearty commendation. HOWARD CROSBY, WM. H. BOOLE, W. ORMISTON, ROBERT CAMERON, E. P. ROGERS, N. W. CONKLING, ROB’T R. BOOTH, GEORGE B. CHEEVER, MORRIS C. SUTPHEN, WM. H. FERRIS, CHARLES F. DEEMS, and others. STATEMENT OF FACTS. The Free Christian Church of Italy consists of thirty-five con¬ gregations, each having its own Evangelist or Pastor, with an aggregate of communicants and hearers larger than that of any other Evangelical organization in Italy. Its Confession of Faith is a Declaration of Principles, held in common by Evangelical Christians. Its Constitution is a system of General Rules for the general good ; each church being, nevertheless, independent in its local affairs. The Deputies of the churches meet in General Assembly, an¬ nually, to deliberate upon matters pertaining to all the churches. THE EVANGELIZATION WORK is under the direction of a Committee of Six, appointed by the General Assembly. The President of this Committee is an American clergyman, and the Treasurer and Foreign Secretary a Scotch clergyman ; all the rest are native Italian Evangelists. These congregations have grown up from the smallest begin¬ nings, since freedom came to Italy, and are composed mostly of the poor, unable, as yet, to support their Evangelists. The Italians are glad to hear the pure Gospel, and to send their children to Evangelical schools. The work of Evangeliza¬ tion among them is limited only by the lack of means for the support of the Evangelists. An Evangelist, with his church and school, can be maintained for $1,000 per annum. Money received for this purpose will be duly acknowledged in the Christian World , the monthly periodical of the American and Foreign Christian Union. The Commissioners of the Free Christian Church of Italy appeal hopefully to Christians of all the churches to aid this work. Alessandro Gavazzi, John B. Thompson. A BIBLICAL COLLEGE as a Training School for Evangelists, is essential to the progress, and even the life, of the Free Christian Church of Italy. An Exegetical Professor of Greek and Hebrew should enter upon his duties during the autumn of 1872, and others should be added year by year. Twenty-five thousand dollars invested in America will yield a sufficient income for such Professor. The buildings necessary for such an institution in Rome will cost seventy-five thousand dollars. The present is a critical moment in the Evangelization of Italy, and what is done should be done quickly. (See page 6.) Moneys contributed for these purposes will be under the com¬ plete control, as to its investment and disbursement, of the fol¬ lowing Committee of gentlemen, who have consented to act as Trustees, viz. : Morris K. Jesup, of New York ; John Taylor Johnston, “ Howard Potter, “ - _ -of Boston ; George H. Stuart, of Philadelphia. Remittances by check should be made payable to the order of THEODORE ROOSEVELT, Treasurer, 94. Maiden Lane , New York. Contributions for any part of the work of the Free Christian Church of Italy, may be sent to Young Men s Christian Association Rooms , 1210 Chestnut St., Philadelphia , Pa. or , 47 Bible House, Ntw York City. American Church Press Co., Ill East Ninth Street, New York. A