Scriptural Mission Work.
Zion's Advocate, July 1900, Vol. 39, No. 7.
In an editorial last month we gave some statements made by leading missionaries of the modern type, showing the boasted pretensions of those who are climbing up some other way and thus seeking to rob the Saviour of that glory which belongs alone to him. They are actually engaged, according to their own testimony, in trying "to get heaven into men, and men into heaven." Though Dr. Stock said that the civilization of America and Europe will not accomplish the salvation of the "heathens," yet the work of begging money for that avowed purpose will still go on, and deluded people will continue to respond to the call. Small amounts will still be contributed notwithstanding the new declaration that "the Africans must save the Africans, and the Asiatics must save the Asiatics." Small indeed is the amount contributed to this end, compared with the large sums paid out to keep the church work running here, though the givers pretend to believe that souls will be saved in heaven by this means that would otherwise sink to endless torment! We see by the minutes of the Shenandoah (New School) Baptist Association that only $364.70 was contributed last year for "Foreign Missions," while $11,449.00 was raised to run the machinery at home. This was less than 25 cents per member and less than half the salary paid to the pastor of their church at this place. Their practice contradicts their theory, and proves either that they have very little faith in their "Foreign Mission" work, or that their love for the souls of poor heathens is exceedingly weak.We deny that the "Missionaries" are saving the heathens for there is but one Saviour, our blessed Jesus, who will have all the praise of the salvation of every saved sinner. No sinner will ever be saved in heaven through his own obedience, or through the obedience of any other except Christ, neither will any be lost because of the neglect or disobedience of others. Nothing is more certainly true than this.
Every true gospel minister has a mission to fulfill, and is, in that sense, a missionary. To learn what that mission is, and how missionary work is to be carried on, we must study the New Testament. We find there both precepts and examples for every line of christian duty. It is unsafe to follow men, for they make mistakes and go wrong. The scribes and Pharisees were engaged in a missionary work of their own, but it was condemned, for the Saviour said, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him two-fold more the child of hell than yourselves." Matt. xxiii. 15. Thus men, when left to work out their own plans, are sure to go astray. The Saviour and his inspired apostles certainly knew what the church needed, and what was best for the cause of truth. It is safe to follow them, but unsafe to follow men. For this reason we oppose all institutions of men not authorized by our Head and Lawgiver, and refuse to follow the practices of the world in religious affairs. We desire to know what Christ did and commanded, and what his inspired followers practiced, and to follow in the way ordained by him.
When John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, it was declared of him that "he was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light." With becoming modesty and humility he acknowledged himself unworthy to stoop down and unloose the shoes of him whose gospel he was sent to proclaim. What a marked contrast there is between him and the proud boasters who are now claiming to save sinners by getting heaven into them and then getting them into heaven! Jesus himself, in his ministerial work, became an example of disinterested devotion to the cause he came to establish, and when, in the early part of his ministry, he sent his apostles to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel," he instructed them to go depending entirely upon him, assuring them that the very hairs of their heads were numbered, and that they would be more certainly cared for than the sparrows. In a similar way he sent out the seventy disciples. Finally, just before leaving this world, he gave to his servants their extended commission to go into all the world and preach his gospel to every creature. In the Acts of the Apostles is given an account of the course pursued by them in carrying out the instructions of the Saviour. No Boards, or Conventions, or Councils, or Societies of any kind were organized for the promulgation of the gospel. They were directed by the Holy Spirit alone. They depended upon that divine guide to direct their course and qualify them for their work. They were hated, scourged, stoned, and imprisoned by heathens and Jews, yet, driven by persecutions, and counting their lives not dear unto themselves, they fled from city to city, gathering the people of God together and feeding them upon the sincere milk of the word, and the strong, wholesome meat of the doctrine of sovereign and discriminating grace.
Human schools are being conducted for the purpose of teaching the christian religion just as the natural sciences are taught. Theological schools are preparing men to preach just as a doctor is prepared to practice medicine. Societies are formed for the purpose of raising funds to send such preachers to heathen lands in the same worldly manner in which an agent is sent to a foreign country to transact mercantile business. The sacrifice is done away by ample funds being furnished them, and commodious arrangements being made for their comfort in the land of the "heathens." Who could not afford to take a trip to foreign countries under such circumstances? Is there any thing like all this in the New Testament teaching? It cannot be found there, neither did the church practice any thing like this during the first centuries of its existence. We are accused of being opposed to missionary work. If by "missionary work" is meant these humanly devised and humanly operated schemes we plead guilty to the accusation. They are all, not only unauthorized by the word of God, but opposed to the true principles of christianity. Not a single soul will be saved in heaven by them. All that will be saved would have been saved without them. None will be "redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold," but "with the precious blood of Christ."
In contradistinction to these modern, human, anti-scriptural operations, the humble servants of the lowly Nazarene are still going forth, traveling thousands of miles, preaching the old fashioned doctrine of election, predestination, special atonement, spiritual calling, justification by Christ, obedience to the truth, perseverance of the saints, resurrection of the dead, and final glorification of all the elect. They are following the apostles in depending upon the Lord, and obtaining no support except that contributed by the Lord's people where they preach. Every human being not born again is a heathen, and this land abounds with that class. Besides, many here that are born again are enveloped in heathenish religious superstitions, and being misled by false teachers, are practicing idolatrous worship. What a field is here open for the work of true missionaries! We say, without fear of being wrong, that God is carrying on the work of spreading his truth by the same means he himself first established. His wisdom and power was then equal to the task, and he is the same now as then. Wherever his ministers go they find a people ready and willing to receive them and the truth they preach, and to minister to their necessities. They labor, not to regenerate sinners, but to gather together those whom the Lord regenerates. They thus take the oversight of the flock, not for the sake of filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, not as lords over God's heritage, but as ensamples to the flock. In this is seen the plan and purpose of gospel mission work.
J. R. D.
Copyright c. 2005. All rights reserved. The Primitive Baptist Library.
