Answer to a Letter, in which a brother was spoken (f as having gone into " spiritual exile."
MY DEAR BROTHER:-The recollections of former days of Christian fellowship never fail to give me joy both by memory and anticipation. Since the day we first met, I have never ceased thinking of you as a servant of our Lord Jesus Christ. I know that you have a heart for Him, and that He would make use of, you for His own glory has time and again been the petition of my heart as I thought of you and the dear Master, Just at this moment I have on my mind your letter, in which you refer at length to the step I have taken. It is a faithful letter, from a faithful friend. I have only thanks to you for it, because know your heart, and appreciate your motives. I know that you will bear with me, as I try to be as faithful to you.
I have not your letter by me, and having heard it read but once, may not get things just as you intended.
Two impressions are upon my mind, as recall the whole letter, viz.:
1. The judgment passed by you upon ray action, is precisely in harmony with that of the world, which have heard so many times, and 2. The absence of any reference to what satisfies the Father's heart, or, as a child of God, what conduct of mine brings joy to Him.
With regard to the first, I need only say this, the verdict of a lost world is quite certain to be out of harmony with God's mind, and if it agrees with my own, I may well stop and consider by the light of the word.
With regard to the second, a little more may be said. Suppose, for the sake of getting at the root of the matter at once, that I admit that my reputation is gone, my usefulness at an end, my foolishness patent to all. Sweep them all aside, and what remains? Simply a child of God, called out from the world, to take his place before Him, in separateness from all that dishonors His name, to worship. This is what the Father asks first, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Work has no place yet. I must respond to the Father's heart first, or I am not a fit vessel for service. My son may do a thousand things, and do them well too, but if he fellow ships with that which dishonors my name, and so fails to respond to my love as his father, the work will only cause me the more sorrow. God is omnipotent. The universe is at His command. He has power to call into His service to do His bidding, any or every created thing.
The material world has been used time and again to lead men to repentance, and He will yet bring all into subjection without human help, but all this is not satisfying to His heart. Service is not the thing He is seeking. Am I so selfish as to be thinking how much work my child (whom I love as my own soul) is doing, or is going to do for me when he grows up to manhood? My Father does not need my services, but He does need my affection. As Father He seeks worshippers (John 4:2323But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (John 4:23)), and no expression of affection from my child meets my heart when I reach home at night, if he has, during the day, willfully joined in that which casts dishonor upon my name. His object may have been good, but if my simple and positive instructions were to stand aloof from iniquity, nothing but obedience is evidence of love. He might stand idly by all day long, and thus quietly bear testimony against evil, I could but say that he had met my heart in the matter.
You may say that all I have said is true, and yet the case is not met. Worship is the first, and work must follow, or be the result of worship, but it must follow, or the worship is defective. Granted, but let me ask, What is service for God? I am sure you will acknowledge that obedience stands at the head. " To obey is better than sacrifice." If obedience is not the first, then what follows is not for Him. No amount of service, be it ever so good in itself, can be for Him, if a positive command is willfully disobeyed. Let us put that principle into practical use. The word of God comes to you and to me, "Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity."
Surely there is no uncertain sound about that. We both know whose voice it is; to whom the words are addressed; what the hearer is commanded to do. There is no room for excuses or arguments. The command is emphatic and peremptory. No questions of reputation or usefulness or influence are to be considered. Obedience is the first and only thing. Is not that true? I think you will admit it. It now is simply a question of what iniquity is. You will of course see that there may be iniquity in a thing, and yet the thing itself not be iniquitous. We ought to guard ourselves against error just there. Well, what of the— church; is it iniquity? You say, no! L say, yes And neither of us know anything about the matter except as the word of God enlightens us. Let us both appeal to that word, and may the Holy Ghost give us the mind of God about it, so that we may have His thoughts to rest upon, and not our own. As to what the principles of the —church are, I quote from Dr. H.:
"A church is the body' as related to Christ, who is the Head' " (pp. 177).
Do the above harmonize? If a church is the body, ' and there is but one body, what becomes of all the other churches? I quote again from Dr. H.:
" In its relation to the maintenance and support of the divine law, and in its proclamation and propogation of the gospel, it is the pillar and ground of the truth.' Each such separate worshipping congregation, so organized and so walking, is a Christian church, independent of all others, and having no ecclesiastical connection with any. The government is administered by the body of the members, where no one possesses a pre-eminence, but each enjoys an equality of rights, and in matters of opinion the majority bears rule. The pastor exercises such control over the body (query, of Christ?) as his official and personal influence, together with his single vote, may give him. His rule is in his teaching and guidance in matters of truth (compare John 16:1313Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. (John 16:13)) and duty, and in his ordering and directing the assemblies, whether for business or worship."
Of course you will recognize Dr. H. as —authority, and we both know that the above principles are fundamental in all churches. If they are according to the word of God, then they are not iniquitous, but if they are contrary to it, then they are iniquitous, and we know the command.
unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours" (1 Cor. 1:22Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: (1 Corinthians 1:2)). " For as the body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body being many, are one body, so al-o is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body. Now ye are the body of Christ "
It seems superfluous to quote more. You know the prayer of the Lord Jesus, recorded in John 17 What was the burden of it? " That they may be one." You know the language of the Holy Ghost in Eph. 4 and 5, and in Colossians. Does it countenance such a thing as a thousand different bodies, each entirely independent of every other? Is that the oneness that our Lord prayed for?
Is the "a church" which Dr. H speaks of as " the body the same body which the Holy Ghost speaks of in the passages quoted, as well as in a hundred others? If it is not, what right has he or any other human being to speak of it as the "pillar and wound of the truth," or to call it anything but a human organization governed by democratic principles? If it is the same body, then it is the body of Christ, and the one body of Christ. All other bodies, whether of the same faith and order or not, are schismatic and carnal, not holding the Head. It is your duty and mine to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," that we may manifest before men and angels what is the mind of God with regard to the body of Christ, the church of the living God.
If the body of which Dr. H. speaks is the same as the one the Holy Ghost speaks of, what authority has it for going outside of itself to find a person to come into it in order to guide them into truth and bear rule over them, when Christ is the Head, the Holy Ghost the ever present ()ne, whom the Head, Jesus Christ our Lord, has, sent down for that very purpose?
In fact, what place is there in the body of which Dr. H. speaks for the Holy Ghost? How is he recognized? Would not the-body be perfect without Him? Is it possible-. for a body to have Christ for its head and Yet be democratic? Suppose that man had determined to ignore the presence and sovereign rights of the Holy Ghost, could he do it more effectually than by adopting just those principles laid down by Dr. H. as being according-to faith and practice?
Contrast the manner in which members are added. You are familiar with the principles of the denomination in this matter.—To use a worldly phrase, entirely appropriate however in this connection, " circumstances alter cases." If a person has been saved, to become a member of that body, relation of experience, vote of the church, water baptism and the right hand of fellowship are essential before full membership is acquired or recognized. If the person is already a member of some -other body of like faith and order, a vote of dismission from the first, of admission from the second, and the. right hand of fellowship are necessary. Before any of -these- steps are taken, the person must satisfy: the body that a work of the Holy Ghost has already been wrought in his or her heart, but that work is not, sufficient to constitute a person a member of this body.
Do the principles harmonize? If the same body is spoken of by both who authorized man to add anything to the Spirit's work in order to constitute a believer a member? Give me the word of God for it. If it is act the same body, what right has Dr. H. to call-the one he is speaking of, the body of Christ, the church of God?
Again, supposing one of these numerous bodies wishes to disband, a simple vote settles the matter, and it vanishes like the morning cloud. Thank God, the body of Christ, of which you and I are members by the work of the Holy Ghost alone, has no such flimsy existence. Its perpetuity and glory are indissolubly linked with God Himself.
Are we responsible to Him to manifest His mind in all this to the world? Eph. 4:3-63Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:3‑6), in the strongest possible manner puts us in this responsible place before heaven and earth. Can you manifest it if you refuse to fellowship with those whom you acknowledge the Lord has added to the body? The essential principle of all meetings for worship must be the unity of the body of Christ. It cannot be the assembly (or church) of God, unless it is gathered according to God.
What does Dr. H. mean by the pastor's ordering or directing the assembly for worship?
When the children of God are gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for worship, who gives any one a right to order or direct anything about it? No brother can presume to act as though he had any rights which every other brother has not equally with himself, without ignoring the presence of the Holy Ghost. You may say that this is merely my assertion, but show me the word of God for Dr. IL's principle. Compare it with 1 Cor. 12' and tell me whether the Holy Ghost is not, by the adoption of such principles, actually forbidden to act, except through the person or persons whom the church has elected. Is this iniquity? If it is not, pray define the word. Iniquity could go no farther, except the presence of the Holy Ghost were to be utterly denied, and the practical effect of it is just that, so that the whole denomination, as a body, knows nothing about, the presence of the Holy Ghost. A prayer meeting can not be held without the presence of the Holy Ghost is asked for. I do not hesitate to say that the whole denomination, from foundation to cap-stone, is built regardless of the Holy Ghost; that a worshipping, assembly is a thing unknown within its limits; (God cannot be worshipped by a sect) that faith is not the underlying principle, but human wisdom and expediency entirely forbid the faith principle from becoming incorporated into it; that numerous bodies, independent of one another, are entirely unknown in the word of God. You might as well talk about numerous Israel’s as numerous bodies. The body of which the Holy Ghost has made me a member, is the only body known to the word of God.
I am conscious that in many things I offend, but I never can thank my God and Father enough for opening my blind eyes to see the iniquity of that with which I was associated, and giving me grace to depart from it. In all sincerity, my dear brother, I pray that you may remain in it until you see the iniquity, but not one moment longer. Christ loves the church, which is His bride, and He will purify and cleanse it (Eph. 5:2626That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (Ephesians 5:26)). But God will spue out of His mouth man's counterfeit.
No one has a right to separate himself from the rest and say, " I believe so-and-so," and invite others who agree with him to go off and build up, something, and call it the church of God, the body of Christ. It is a human thing, from which every one who has named the name of Christ should depart. Because sundry persons believe alike regarding a certain doctrine, they have no authority, therefore, to set up something and claim that it is the body of Christ. That is the position of each denomination to-day. Give me the word of God for it. The thing which binds it together is doctrine. " Whatsoever is not of faith is sin," and the wise and prudent are predisposed to expediency, for reasons which appeal to their human judgment, From such the truth is hid: Most earnestly do I pray that you may have a heart for the truth regardless of man's interpretation, so that it may lead you wheresoever the Master wills.
It is one thing to confess the unity of a denominational body, but quite another thing to confess the unity of the body of Christ. Where your responsibility rests, the word of God reveals.
Yours, in a risen Lord,