The following having received no answer, it is printed for the serious consideration of those who desire to test all things by the Word of God; and la order to this some explanations and proof texts are added which would have been out of place In the letter itself. They are numbered to correspond with it.
BRETHREN:—
We venture to appeal to you, as professed ministers of the 'Word and responsible spiritual guides of many Christian people, in a mutter when directly concerns yourselves and the people among whom you labor. We appeal to you with regard to the name you bear, with regard to the office you assume, with regard to the word you minister; and we trust to your Christian courtesy to give us a hearing, and to your sense of what is due to the Lord and to the souls of those with whom you are connected, to answer us as in the presence of Him with whom we have to do. There are more than ourselves that are looking for the answer, and expecting from the coming together of so many teachers of the Scriptures, that they will get help in difficulties they have begun to feel, and which affect their dearest and most important interests.
We appeal to you as unto brethren. We are not adversaries, nor even strangers, but of the one household of faith, washed in the blood of the one Savior, born of the one Spirit, looking for the same heavenly inheritance. We hold fast by the same word which you have in your hands. Owning it in its entirety as inspired of God and authoritative, we desire to submit ourselves unreservedly to its judgment in all things. We bring you, then, out of this blessed book certain things which it has taught us, and which we are endeavoring, therefore, to teach others. We have no shadow of doubt as to their truth, and we ask you to listen to them; not because we are uncertain, but the reverse. And as Christians, children of the same family, servants of the same blessed Lord, we would deem it a reproach indeed, if we could not come to you and frankly ask you to consider the doctrine we are putting forth, and give us an opportunity of meeting you with the Word in our hands, to confer together as to what is written there. This is what we do ask. Ourselves not shrinking from but inviting the testing by the Scriptures of all we say, we would give you credit for the same honest desire to come to the light.
And why should we despair of coming to unity of judgment, when our Lord says that " that he that willeth to do God's will shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God." We submit to you, therefore, the following statement of some things which are prominent in our teachings, and as to which we would be thankful to be tested by the word of God.
1. And first, as to the gospel; we have learned:— That in order to a real walk with 'God and work for Him, the knowledge of forgiveness and enjoyment of peace with God are necessary conditions. We cannot walk with God until we have been consciously brought to God and His, "the Spirit bearing witness with our spirits that we are the children of God."
2. That in order to justification no work of man is required, but that, on the contrary, "to him that worketh not but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."
3. That a sinner must repent; but repentance is not a work of man, but a conviction of a lost and helpless condition which shuts one up to salvation by the work of another.
4. That as Christ is our Savior, so is He our peace. That peace is found, not by self-examination, internal evidences or feelings of any kind, but by simple faith in the work of Christ for sinners; our title to trust it being our sins.
5. That our love to God springs from the knowledge of His love to us, and not conversely His love to us from ours to Him.
6. We teach Christians also, that their place of acceptance is in Christ before God, His death being the complete putting away of them as sinners, or men in the flesh, from before God forever.
7. That, as we are dead with Christ in His death, we are dead not only to sin, but to the law also, holy, just and good as the law is; that we are not under it, either for justification or as a rule of life. Our rule is as new creatures in Christ Jesus to “walk in Him."
8. That believers are quickened and raised up with Christ, and seated together in Him in heavenly places; that we are therefore heavenly as is the heavenly; citizens of heaven, not earth; not of the world as He is not, but only pilgrims and strangers in it, and to walk as He walked.
9. That He is coming for us to receive us to Himself before ever' He appears to judgment, and that we are not to be mixed up with the world therefore, either in a general resurrection or a general judgment. When He appears we shall (whether dead or living, raised or changed) appear with Him in glory, and with Him judge the world and reign over it. That the world will not be converted by the preaching of the Gospel as so many expect, but go on in evil till the Lord appears and breaks down opposition with a rod of iron; which rod of iron Christians are to share with Him.
10. That the millennium (so-called) will follow the Lord's appearing, and that the resurrection of the wicked dead will not take plane till the close of this period; that they (and not believers) will be "judged according to their works." No one can be judged according to his works without being lost forever.
11. We teach that the Church of God is the body of Christ, and therefore one body, not many bodies; the many bodies are what the Scriptures condemn as "divisions or-heresies;” as it also condemns denominationalism, or saying, "I am of Paul," etc.
12. That all membership is being members of Christ; that there is nothing in Scripture to authorize "joining a church;" the only true church being that to which the Lord joins. "By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body."
13. Water-baptism is not the door into the Church therefore.
14. There is no ordination to teach or preach in Scripture; and no such relationship as a pastor and his flock. Nor is it the part of a minister to lead the worship of the church, nor to administer the Lord's Supper. All this is innovation and against Scripture. In Scripture evangelists, pastors, teachers, are gifts in the body, the church at large; and haying the gift from God gives the only title and responsibility, to use it. All Christians are a “holy priesthood," and able to offer the spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ—one as much as another.
15. The Church has failed from the apostles' days, and increasing departure from God is prophesied of the last days being the perilous times, when men, having a. form of godliness, deny' the power of it. And from such we are expressly commanded to “turn away."
These, brethren, are only a few of the things which the Word of God has taught us, and upon which we are endeavoring to act. If these things are true, they are as binding upon you as upon Us.. Many here are exercised as to them. We are anxious to meet you over the Word, that it may teach us all what is true, and that we may be governed by it. Will you give us such a meeting?
Believe us to be, dear brethren,
Yours in the Lord Jesus,
F. W. GRANT.
J. DUNLOP.
W. GEO. HENRY.