Missouri preacher, theologian, and editor of *Lard's Quarterly* (1863–1868), Moses Lard was a powerful essayist who shaped post–Civil War debates in the Stone-Campbell Movement. He influenced the Churches of Christ through his insistence on strict adherence to apostolic practice.
During the turbulent years following the Civil War, Lard's journal became a forum for rigorous theological debate. He argued forcefully for maintaining the movement's original principles against what he saw as innovations and departures from New Testament patterns. His essays combined classical learning with sharp reasoning, earning him respect even from those who disagreed with his conclusions. Though his journal was short-lived, its influence on the conservative wing of the movement was profound and lasting.
Selected Quotes
“We must learn to distinguish between what is written and what is inferred—between the word of God and the word of man.”
“The church is not a human institution to be molded by popular opinion, but a divine society to be governed by apostolic teaching.”
“Where the Scriptures speak, we speak; where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent—and we will not dare to go beyond what is written.”