CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE, SOCIETY OF; The
name of several religious associations of which the most important are. (1) The Society of Christian Doctrine {Societii della dottrina cristiana), founded at Rome in 1562 by Marco de Sadis Cusani, of Milan (d. 1595), to instruct the people in Christian teach-
RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Christian Brothers Christian Science
ings. It consisted of priests and laymen, and spread in Upper Italy, Germany, and Austria. In 1586 the Roman branch was made a spiritual congregation with its seat at the church of St. Agatha in Trastevere (whence they are sometimes called Agathists). The others constituted a brotherhood under secular presidents, connected with the clerical congregation by a common directing body {definitorium). They founded schools and undertook general as well as religious instruction, taught in the churches, and strove to lead the young to a religious life. The number of clerical members had fallen to fifty-four in 1747, for which reason Benedict XIV in that year imited them with a French congregation of like name, (2) the Fathers of Christian Doctrine {Peres de la doctrine chretienne), founded in 1592 by Cesar de Bus (b. at Cavaillon 1544; d. 1607), with the help of a former Calvinist, J. B. Romillon, canon of Isle, and a canon of Avignon, named Pinelli. The object was to instruct in Roman doctrine and to check the spread of Calvinism. Clement VIII. confirmed the constitution in 1597 Most of the members were united with the Somaschians (q.v.), while a minority joined the Oratorians of Berulle in 1616. In 1647, however. Innocent X. again made the Peres doctrinaires an independent body, and Alexander VII. in 1659 allowed them to take the simple vows. At the outbreak of the French Revolution they had twenty-eight houses in France; in 1900 they had one in France (at Cavaillon, diocese of Avignon) and six in Italy. Cardinal Bellarmine wrote his Dottrina cristiana and Dichiaratione piu copiosa della dottrina cristiana for the use of the Italian congregation, and De Bus composed a popular exposition of the catechism for the French congregation (published at Paris, 1666). The only scholar of the congregation worthy of note was the general superior Pierre Annat (d. 1715), author of an Apparatus methodicus ad positivam theologiam (Paris, 1700, and often).
(0. ZoCKLEKf.)
Bibliography: Helyot, Ordres monastiques, iv. 232-252; Heimbucher, Orden und Kongregationen, ii. 338-341; Currier, Religious Orders, pp. 436-438; P. du Mas, La Vie du venerable Cesar de Bus, Paris, 1703; J. J. Chamoux, Vie du venerable Cesar de Bus, Paris, 1864.
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR SOCIETY. See Young People's Societies.
CHRISTIAN LOVE, BROTHERS OF. See Hip-
POLYTUs, Saint, Brothers op.
CHRISTIAN AND MISSIONARY ALLIANCE:
An organization to promote a deeper spiritual life among Christians of all denominations, and a more aggressive missionary work in neglected fields at home and abroad. The work was begun during a convention at Old Orchard, Me., in 1887 by a number of Christian men and women, connected with various Evangelical denominations in the United States and Canada. It is not a sectarian body, but a fraternal imion of Christians. It is incorporated under the laws of the State of New York, and is managed by a board of fifteen directors, elected for a term of three years at the annual meet-
ing of the society. It has about 200 branches in the United States and Canada, and 100 mission stations in foreign countries. There are about 200 oflicial workers in the home land, and 600 foreign laborers in the mission fields abroad, of whom onehalf are natives and the others American and Canadian missionaries. There are about 4,000 communicants in the various- native churches. The fields include western India, southern, central, and western China, Japan, the Kongo and the Sudan in West Africa, Palestine, the West Indies, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Argentina.
The special object in beginning the foreign mission work was to endeavor to reach neglected fields, where other missions had not been established. Tibet was the first objective point of the society, and for many years a successful mission has been established on its borders. In other countries the most destitute fields have always been chosen, and the society endeavors to avoid duplicating the work of other societies. Another object was to employ a class of laborers for whom an open door was not easily found under other organizations. Many of the missionaries of the Alliance are laymen specially trained for this work, and also unmarried women. A large and successful Bible Institute is maintained at South Nyack, N. Y., for the preparation of the laborers, from which over 3,000 students have gone out in the past twenty years. The attendance in the classes of 1906-07 was over 300.
The work of the society is sustained by voluntary contributions. During the past twenty years about $3,000,000 have been contributed in this way, and the annual income at the present time is about a quarter of a million dollars. One aim of the society is to cultivate a spirit of rigid economy and great simplicity and self-denial in the methods of work. The missionaries voluntarily receive no fixed salary, but a sufficient amount to meet their actual expenses on the field, gladly giving their lives in disinterested service and simple faith in God to take care of them through the friends at home. There are no expensive buildings, and most of the home workers and officials receive no salary and give their services freely for Christ's sake. In this way the maximum service is secured at the smallest expense, and the self-denial of those who give finds its response in the self-sacrifice of those who go.
A. B. Simpson.