OUR ATTITUDE

Now we come to our attitude, which is our declaration.

Our Not Being Either the Roman Catholic Church
nor a Protestant Church, and Our Recognizing
Neither the Roman Catholic Church
nor the Protestant Churches

Just as we do not consider the Roman Catholic Church to be proper, we also do not consider the Protestant churches to be proper. They have both forsaken the proper ground of the church. Hence, we do not want to be in the Roman Catholic Church, nor do we want to be in the Protestant churches. We are neither the Roman Catholic Church nor a Protestant church. Just as we do not recognize the Roman Catholic Church, we also do not recognize the Protestant churches.

Our Not Being the So-called Brethren,
Whether Exclusive or Open

The Brethren were raised up over the past one hundred years. We are not the Brethren. We are neither the exclusive Brethren nor the open Brethren.

Our Not Being the Small Free Groups
That Have Left the Catholic Church or
the Protestant Churches but
Do Not Have a Definite Ground—
Our Meetings Standing on
the Definite Ground of the Church

We believe that it is not adequate to merely depart from the Catholic Church or the Protestant churches yet still not return to the ground of the church. Therefore, we are not small free groups that do not have a definite ground. Our meetings stand on the definite ground of the church, that is, the ground of locality.

Our Not Considering Only Ourselves
to Be the Local Church in a Locality;
Our Being Only a Part of the Local Church,
Standing on the Ground of the Local Church
in Every Place and Bearing the Testimony
of the Church according to
the Principle of the Local Church
and by the Nature of the Local Church

Some brothers have said that only the saints meeting with us are the local church. This kind of speaking is too much. We should say only that the believers meeting with us are a part of the local church. Although according to the ground, principle, and nature there is no question that we are the local church, according to quantity we are only a part of the local church. For example, the local church in Taipei, in principle, includes all the believers in Taipei; however, because of the division of the church, many believers are segregated in denominations. They have departed from the ground of the local church and left us, the minority, to stand on the ground of the local church. Hence, in reality we are only part of the local church in Taipei. If all the believers would return to the local ground, the church in Taipei would include all the believers in the local church.

Our Acknowledging That Those
Who Are Saved in the Denominations and Sects,
Including the Catholic Church,
Are Our Brothers and Sisters in the Lord
and Members of Christ
Even Though They Have Lost
the Ground of the Church

Today there are saved ones in every sect and denomination, including the Catholic Church. We acknowledge that they are our brothers and sisters and are members of the Body of Christ, yet they have lost the ground of the church and no longer stand on the ground of the church. They can be compared to family members who have left home and have gone to other places.