The Churches' Plain Duty
By Elder W. C. Arnold
"If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed;" II. John, 10.
"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them;" Romans xvi., 17.
"A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition reject;" Titus iii, 10.
"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed . As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed;" Gal. I, 8, 9.
The plain duty of the church toward offenders in doctrine is clearly pointed out in the above scriptures. Where these rules have been observed, peace and fellowship have abounded. There have been a great many things said of late in regard to setting up "bars," and taking down "bars." I feel that the church will not gain the disapprobation of Christ so long as she heeds the plain declarations quoted above. How any one, in the face of these scriptures, can ask a church to take down "bars" against a doctrine not taught in the word of God, I can not understand, unless such a one is in love with said doctrine. "If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine [that is, the doctrine of Christ,] receive him not into your house;" deny him the privilege of speaking in your church and of teaching his heresy in your homes to your families and neighbors. In other words, set up a "bar" against him and keep him out.
"Mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them." I have no idea how we could "avoid them," and go right on preaching with them and receiving them into our churches. It matters not how innocent a thing may appear, or how little it may look, if we see it is going to cause division in the minds of the brotherhood and offend the church, the man introducing such should be avoided, as well as the false doctrine.
I am persuaded that the man who truly and sincerely loves the church, from the heart, and has her best interests uppermost in his affections, will leave off things calculated to disturb and mar the peace of Zion; but if he is not willing to do so, after the "first and second admonition" he should be rejected. After he has been thus rejected, it would ill become a true servant of the church to receive him. One thus receiving him would become a partaker of his evil deeds. In the scriptures heading this article I am sure we have good authority for setting up "bars" against any and all false doctrines and practices calculated to make trouble, and for refusing to preach with men who persist in pressing such doctrines and practices. Just because a man is good and a Christian, is no argument in his favor, if he preaches another gospel. "Though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel than that which we have preached, let him be accursed." Wonder how we can "let him be accursed," if we set up no "bar" against him, but continue to take him into our churches and preach with him as though he were a true yoke fellow.
A few years ago, when Pence, Burnam, and others wished to introduce their new theology among the Old School Baptists, they
preached a great deal about "forbearance," "love," and "bearing all things for the elects' sakes," and how ugly it looked to "set up bars," and how "charity endureth all things," etc. These are all good topics to preach about, but we should not preach about them in such a way as to destroy the meaning of other scriptures.
We know too well the results of the Pence and Burnam trouble. History repeats itself. And while we may not today have the same
questions agitated, causing so much distress in the dear old church, I would sound the alarm, and call upon the lovers of Zion to awake to a full sense of duty. Mark the man causing divisions and giving uneasiness, and avoid him. We should bear with no man on account of his greatness, neither should we know any man after the flesh. "A man," - that is, any man, great or small, rich or poor, noble or ignoble, white or black, learned or unlearned - "A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition reject."
An heretic is one who holds to a heresy or false doctrine. I have been taught that it was heresy and a false doctrine to preach that the "commission" was given to the church. Our able debaters have said so in defending our cause, and others equally well-informed have taught us the same. Well do I remember the words of Elder J. W. Richardson, moderator of the Patoka Association, and one of our best informed and oldest ministers, who said: "To say that the great commission was given to the church, is to take down the line of distinction between the old church and the modern missionaries. It is the bedrock of modern missionism." Surely if modern missionaries have been standing on the wrong side of the line, and we have been standing on the right side, it would be an act of an heretic to remove the line. I fully consent to the above statement of Elder Richardson as being true, and in keeping with the faith of Primitive Baptists. Hence, if a brother affirms and teaches that the great commission was given to the church, it becomes the duty of the church, after the first and second admonition, to reject him. After he has thus been rejected, I feel it would be very wrong for any one loving the cause of God and truth to receive him, until he lays down his heresies. Elder Richardson said, also, as seen in the Blue River associational minutes: "The view that it [the commission] was given to the church, is the foundation for a salaried ministry." God knows my poor heart, that I have no ill feeling toward any one; but I trust I love the truth and the cause above everything else, and I am not willing to lay down the teachings of our fathers and see modern missionism introduced for the sake of so-called peace.
I was so glad to see the Patoka Association, at her recent session, declare against the idea of the commission being given to the church, although these good brethren were stigmatized as cowards for so doing. But I know these precious brethren are not cowards, but are as God-honoring and self- sacrificing men as earth affords. They do not believe that the commission is given to the church, and felt that it was time to say so. May God bless them for their steadfastness and faithfulness. And may he, upon whose shoulder rests the kingdom of God, keep us all faithful until death. I would not "split hairs," nor make a brother an offender for a word, but I believe it is high time that we stop and examine our bearings and see if all is well. Old fashioned Baptists are not going to have some things now being preached among them. We can not walk together unless we are agreed. May the Lord help us to see eye to eye and all speak the same things.
- Taken from the Primitive Monitor, November 1905, pp. 509-513.
Copyright c. 2002. All rights reserved. The Primitive Baptist Library.
