EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE

This article appears in Volume V09, Page 960 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: EUD-FAT

EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE , an association of individual Christians of different denominations formed in London in August
1846, at a conference of over 900 clergymen and laymen from all parts of the world, and representing upwards of fifty sections of the Protestant church. The idea originated in Scotland in the preceding year, and was intended " to associate and concentrate the strength of an enlightened Protestantism against the encroachments of popery and Puseyism, and to promote the interests of a scriptural Christianity," as well as to combat religious indifference. A preliminary meeting was held at Liverpool in October 1845. The

movement

MOVEMENT

obtained wide support in other countries, more especially in America, and organizations in connexion with it now exist in the different capitals throughout the world. The object of the alliance, according to a resolution of the first conference, is " to enable Christians to realize in themselves and to exhibit to others that a living and everlasting union binds all true believers together in the fellowship of the church." At the same conference the following nine points were adopted as the basis of the alliance:
" Evangelical views in regard to the divine inspiration, authority and sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures; the right and duty of
private judgment in the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures; the unity of the Godhead and the Trinity of persons therein; the utter depravity of human nature in consequence of the fall; the incarnation of the Son of God, His work of atonement for sinners of mankind, and His mediatorial intercession and reign; the

justification

JUSTIFICATION

of the sinner by faith alone; the work of the Holy Spirit in the conversion and sanctification of the sinner; the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the

body

BODY

, the judgment of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, with the eternal blessedness of the righteous and the eternal punishment of the wicked; the divine institution of the Christian ministry, and the obligations and perpetuity of the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper," it being understood, however, (1) that such a summary " is not to be regarded in any formal or ecclesiastical sense as a creed or

confession

CONFESSION (Lat. confessio, from confiteor, acknowledge, confess)

," and (2) that " the selection of certain tenets, with the omission of others, is not to
be held as implying that the former constitute the whole

body

BODY

of important truth, or that the latter are unimportant."
Annual conferences of branches of the alliance are held in England, America and several continental countries; and it is provided that a general conference, including representatives of the whole alliance, be held every seventh year, or oftener if it be deemed necessary. Such conferences have been held in London in 1851; Paris, 1855; Berlin, 1857; Geneva, 1861; Amsterdam, 1867; New

York

, 1873; Basel, 1879; Copenhagen, 1885; Florence, 1891; London, 1896 and 1907. They are occupied with the discussion of the " best methods of counter-acting infidelity, Romanism and ritualism, and the desecration of the Lord's Day," and of furthering the positive objects of the alliance. The latter are sometimes stated as follows: (a) " The world girdled by prayer "; a world-wide

week

WEEK (from A.S. wicu, Germanic *wikon, probably=change, turn)

of prayer is held annually, beginning on the first Sunday in the year. (b) " The maintenance of religious liberty throughout the world." (c) " The relief of persecuted Christians in all parts "; the affiance has agents in many countries to help the persecuted by distributing relief, &c., and in Russia there is a travelling agent who endeavours to help the Stundists. (d) " The manifestation of the unity of all believers and the upholding of the evangelical faith."
The following publications may be mentioned :The Evangelical Alliance Monthly Intelligencer, The Evangelical Alliance Quarterly, both published in London; A. J.

Arnold

, History of the Evangelical Alliance (London, 1897); and the reports of the proceedings of the different conferences. .

End of Article: EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE

If you wish, you can link directly to this article.

<a href="http://jcsm.org/StudyCenter/Encyclopedia/EUD_FAT/EVANGELICAL_ALLIANCE.html">
EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE
</a>

(Previous)
EVANDER (Gr. EvavSpos, " good man ")

(Next)
EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION

JCSM was founded in 1997 and exists to help the community and bring people into a life-changing and productive relationship with Jesus Christ. JCSM offers over 200,000 free web pages, including its weekly inspirational emails that were sent continuously for over a decade.

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries
P.O. Box 9297
San Diego, CA 92169
1-888-887-0417 or Email