Circular Letter of the Spoon River Association, 1834
Circular Letter adopted at the fourth Annual Meeting of the Spoon River Regular Baptist Association, held with the Mill Creek Church, Adams County, Illinois, on the 27th, 28th, and 29th days of September, 1834.
DEAR BRETHREN:- Through the mercy and favor of Almighty God, we have been permitted to have another pleasing interview. You will learn from our Minutes the manner in which the business of the Association has been conducted, and we can express with hearts of gratitude, our thanks to Almighty God, for his blessings in crowning our deliberations with peace and harmony.
You will consequently expect to hear from us through the medium of a circular, and in accordance with our promise last year to answer the request of Bethel Church, in giving our reasons why we declared nonfellowship with the Mission system, we shall confine ourselves to that subject.
We consider the mission system as it is conducted in our day, to be without the authority of the word of God, and as we profess to take the word of God alone as our counsel in religious matters, we feel bound to renounce the inventions of men, which are plainly shown in conducting the present mission plan. In the first formation of the mission society, which they hold forth to be for the very exalted purpose of sending the Gospel to the heathen, they have departed from the word of God in claiming a right that God has reserved to himself; by forming missionary societies for the purposes of collecting and raising funds to pay men to preach, and claiming a right, to call, qualify, and send forth laborers, and appoint the fields of their labor, and the compensation they shall receive for the same - See constitution of the Home Missionary Society, Art. 5., "Shall appoint missionaries, and instruct them as to the field of their labours, and shall dispose of the funds for the object of the society," &c., &c. - See Society of the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions, Art. 4. They claim the authority, and deem it their duty to employ missionaries and take measures if necessary, for their further information and qualification, &c. And fix on the fields of their labors, also the compensation to be allowed them for the same.
Now we find this is in accordance with all other human inventions requiring money as the mainspring and power by which they affect their object. -- See H. M. S. Art. 3. Any person may become a member of this society by contributing annually to its funds; $30 paid at any one time shall constitute a member for life; $100 paid at one time shall constitute a director for life, &c. What a resemblance this title selling and procuring membership into societies of grade and grandeur to that of the Pope selling pardons and indulgences at fixed prices, all for the sake of money.
Now let us notice those kindred institutions of the day, such as the Bible Society, Tract Society and Sunday School Unions, &c. Their agents are traveling, hired for money, sent by the board, forming societies, state conventions, auxiliaries, &c. - All to make money, not one is found without the consideration of money; the poor that have not money or something to support their craft cannot be a member of grade or standing among those money hunting societies, neither could the poor be pardoned nor indulged by the Pope who had not money. Now let us examine the probable effect of those institutions, showing that money is the object, and as streams emanating from the same great fountain, will ultimately contribute to the same grand purpose - now what is it? - is it not to gain the ascendancy over the public mind, and to make money? If so, may we not expect an established Religion to the great disappointment of many of those that have been aiding its progress through pure motives, not viewing the danger that was lurking beneath? Now we know that money will inflame men to preach and has done so in all ages of the world, and when money influences men to preach, we shall have a corrupt Ministry, thence a corrupt Doctrine, corrupt Ordinances, corrupt Discipline, corrupt Members, and corrupt Practices, &c.
Hence money and power, when made use of in religious operations have never failed to have the same effect in any age of the world, for when the true Gospel Church was established by Jesus Christ and upheld and defended by the Apostles, it retained its virgin beauty, and persisted in the truth over the head of every opposition until the year three hundred and twenty three; when Constantine undertook to protect and defend the church of Jesus Christ, and establish it by law, and enjoined the Christian Sabbath and salaries to Ministers, &c. How quick the Church was corrupted when the inventions of men, aided by the law of the land undertook to defend her by worldly powers, - same cause and same effects, - remove the cause and the effect will cease. Take money and popularity away and the church will flourish, for the Lord has appointed every means necessary for the advancement of his Gospel Kingdom in the world, and has plainly expressed the same in his word. What did Christ say to his disciples when he was sending them out? See Matthew, 10th chapter, 9th and 10th verses, - "Provide neither gold nor silver nor brass in your purses nor script for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes nor yet staves, for the workman is worthy of his meat." We find no missionary society formed here to raise funds to educate them and pay them for services. See verse 19, "But when they deliver you up take no thought how or what ye shall speak, for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak." This seems something like the spirit that should govern God's preachers in our day, having an eye single to his glory and the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ, through the truth of his Gospel, believing that God is as good as his word, able to make use of the weak things to confound the mighty and the wise as he did when he made choice of illiterate fishermen and tax gatherers to propagate his Gospel to the artful Greeks, and the wise and self-righteous Jews, upheld by the majestic powers and wisdom of heaven, and not by the perishable things of this world.
Now we can discover in all Christ's commands and directions to his disciples and Apostles as instruments or servants by which he sent forth his Gospel, that it was his purpose to conduct it by the Spirit, upheld by his power, giving unto it a heart opening influence and effect upon the minds of both saint and sinner to beget a reverence in some toward it, and a willingness in them to administer unto the necessities of those that bare it; what does the word say, if we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing that we should be partakers of your carnal things? How did Paul fare when he went to Philippi, that heathen city? We do not find that he waited after the vision to raise funds by a missionary society to support them there; it was the purpose of God to send the Gospel there and he was able to provide for the support of his servants while administering it. The hearts of Lydia and the Jailer were open to receive them, saying "Come into my house if you count me worthy" - Acts 16th chapter. We find again that Paul would not receive any thing from the church at Corinth, notwithstanding he had labored among them in word and doctrine, but that he might cut off occasion from those that wished to charge that church for preaching. So we find that Christ's Gospel was freely given unto them, and that they should freely bestow it unto the people; thus we find that Christ called, qualified, and sent forth his disciples to preach, and instructed them as before stated, and after his ascension they were called and qualified by the Holy Spirit. Acts 13th and 2d., the Holy Ghost saying, "Separate unto me Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them." Here appears to be another call by the Holy Spirit as well as that unto Paul to preach to the people of Macedonia. Hence we find that it was by the power of the Holy Ghost that preachers were called to the ministry in the primitive church, nor do we find at any time since that Christ has withdrawn his Holy Spirit from the church or given the power of calling, qualifying and sending forth preachers to sound the alarm in his holy mountain into the hands of a monied institution, whose directorship and management can be placed in the hands of the wickedest men if they will pay their cash into the Lord's Treasury, as they call it, and be clothed with full power to conduct the Gospel of the Kingdom.
This favors the money changers, the tables of whom Christ overthrew at the temple, and we hope and trust the great head of the church will ere long purge his Gospel temple and not suffer his house of prayer to be made a den of thieves.
We think the reasons we have given, with the evidence to support them, are altogether sufficient for the satisfaction of our brethren why we declare non-fellowship with the mission system, under the present manner of conducting it, and hope they may be duly appreciated by all those who are friendly to truth. Sincerely desiring that we may never be willing to assume any authority in the house of God that is not authorized by his word.
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