The Brethren Card

Around 1871, the Brethren produced a card with the following text:

Be it known to all men,

• That there are a people who, as little children (Luke 18: 17), accept the Word of the New Testament as a message from heaven (Heb. 1: 1, 2), and teach it in full (2 Tim. 4: 1, 2, Matthew 28: 20).
• They baptize believers by trine immersion (Matt. 28: 19), with a forward action (Romans 6: 5), and for the remission of sins (Acts 2: 38), and lay hands on those baptized, asking upon them the gift of God’s Spirit (Acts 19: 5, 6).
• They follow the command and example of washing one another’s feet (John 13: 4, 17). They take the Lord’s Supper at night (John 13: 30), at one and the same time, tarrying one for another (I Cor, 11:33, 34).
• They greet one another with a holy kiss (Acts 20: 37; Rom. 16: 16).
• They take the communion at night, after supper, as did the Lord (Mark 14: 17, 23).
• They teach all the doctrines of Christ, peace (Heb. 12: 14), love (1 Cor. 13) unity (Ephesians 4), both faith and works (James 2: 17, 20).
• They labor for nonconformity to the world in its vain and wicked customs (Romans 12: 2).
• They advocate nonswearing (Matthew 5:34), anti-secretism (2 Cor. 6: 14,17), opposition to war (John 18: 36), doing good unto all men. (Matt 5: 44, 46).
• They anoint and lay hands on the sick (James 5: 14, 15).
• They give the Bread of life, the message of the common salvation unto all men without money or price (Matt. 10: 8).

Dear reader, for the above we contend earnestly, and you, with all men, are entreated to hear, to examine and accept it as the word, which began to be spoken by the Lord, and the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

A revised, expanded edition was published in 1923.