Which had been published in the Gospel Messenger November 1892.

GOSPEL MESSENGER -- JANUARY, 1893 

DEAR BRO. RESPESS: Since reading the conclusion of Bro. Hassell’s account of his tour in the North, in the MESSENGER of November, I wish to add a postscript to my letter sent you a few days ago. From my own feelings, I judge that our brethren everywhere are comforted when they hear of churches walking in the truth and order of the gospel, and are made sorrowful by reports of error among churches and ministers in any part of the land; for there is no geographical line of division in the church of God. Churches located in different places may have different forms and customs in some respects; but in experience and doctrine, and in all the forms that are essential as scripturally characterizing the church of God, they are one, and the spiritual desire of all the Saints is to have that unity of the Spirit made manifest.

Besides the pleasant and favorable things recounted by Bro. Hassell, he has mentioned some things not favorable. Lest the unfavorable impression which these things will cause in the minds of distant brethren concerning our churches should extend farther than it ought, and than he intended, I will make some comments upon them. This, I am persuaded; will not be considered out of place, as I write from a much longer and more perfect acquaintance with these brethren and churches, and with a desire for the continued peace and mutual confidence of all the churches throughout our country.

Under the head of "New Theories," Bro. Hassell says: "I am very glad to say that I did not hear any anti-trinitarianism, or dualism, or fatalism, or pantheism preached; but one or more of some other extreme and dangerous innovations were either advocated by one or more of the ministers present, or reported to me as being advocated by others of our able ministers." Some of these theories be names, and then says: "These new and brilliant discoveries, and theories, and imaginary revelations, seem to me to be luring on some of our able ministers, and the churches that follow them, to the Niagara of Infidelity." In speaking of these things, and naming the theories he understands to be erroneous, I know that Bro. Hassell intends only the good of all concerned by calling especial attention to what he regards as dangerous. But I am afraid the evil effect of such a course of dealing with those we deem in error will far overbalance the good.

Such a grave and serious charge as that of advocating theories that are dangerous, that are characterized as "brilliant discoveries,'' and are declared to be luring able ministers and churches on to the Niagara of Infidelity, which charge is laid indefinitely against some of our able ministers, who are not designated, but one or more of whom were at each association, is likely to excite inquiries and conjectures as to who were regarded by our visiting brother as such dangerous characters, and to cause suspicions and surmisings which are injurious to the cause of truth, and contrary to the peace of Zion. It would be difficult for any one on whom suspicion might rest to meet such a charge, either to deny holding the error or to defend the theory as truth, for no one is mentioned by name. I cannot exaggerate the serious importance of a report that a number of able ministers in a, certain locality are advocating dangerous innovations, tending to infidelity, and who should therefore be avoided; the more serious because indefinite. So far as I can learn, no one was spoken to and admonished by Bro. Hassell as advocating error.

I have thought that the ministering brethren throughout our wide correspondence have been, and yet are, exceptionally free from promulgating error. In the twenty-eight years that I have been favored to associate intimately with them, and to hear them speak publicly and privately, I have seldom heard anything from any one that was of such an erroneous nature as to disturb my fellowship for him as a true minister of the gospel. Of course I often hear what is new to me, as I expect and wish to whenever I hear one of the Lord's servants preach the Word; not new as being unscriptural, but as newly and freshly presented to my mind, never, perhaps, thought of before, but at once commended to me as the truth of the gospel, as one of those "things new and old," which the servants of God will ever be enabled to bring forth out of the ever-full treasure house of our King for the comfort of his people. Sometimes thoughts are presented with which I cannot agree; but as long as they do not contradict the foundation principles of the gospel my fellowship for the minister is not disturbed, though I like in such a case to speak with him on the subject for our mutual benefit. Should his views appear to me to be dangerous doctrine, and he persists in them, the Scriptures appear to me plainly to point out my duty, and I have tried to follow in the course thus indicated, though on three occasions it has been at a painful sacrifice of present comfort in the geed will of many dear brethren, which was withdrawn for a time.

Each one who is sent of the Lord to preach must be taught by him alone what to preach; and only the inspired Scriptures can properly be appealed to as the rule by which to judge of what he preaches. If left to himself, as any minister of Jesus Christ would earnestly pray not to be, he will be apt to present his own fancies, or follow the traditions of men.

I will here mention that the remark of an Elder referred to by Bro. Hassell, that whenever a minister baptized a subject of grace he baptized Christ, as John the Baptist did, was made at the Baltimore Association. As soon as I could I spoke privately to the dear brother about it. The thought had come into his mind while speaking, in connection with the expression of Paul, "Christ in you the hope of glory." After a few words he readily saw. and frankly acknowledged, that the thought was not warranted by the Scriptures. It is the only time I ever heard it. I hope no one will be troubled by thinking that, this fancy is held by the churches North as a part of their belief.

Looking over the list of "extreme and dangerous innovations" mentioned by Bro. Hassell, I find some are views of parables, as to the meaning and application of which seine of the most spiritual and faithful of our ministers have held somewhat different views without in the least disturbing their mutual love and confidence. Of the many I could mention I will name only two, whom we remember as fathers in the church, Elds. C B. Hassell and Gilbert Beebe. In that list, also are some things that I have never, so far as I can remember, heard from any one in our fellowship; such as "the apparent denial of any real, fundamental change in regeneration or the new birth," and "that the exhortations of the New Testament are not meant as exhortations, and that it may partake of legalism to enjoin them, as some do, upon Christians." Our brethren generally believe that there is no change of nature in the new birth, but that there is a great change in the man when he is "made a partaker of the divine nature;" that the life of Jesus is manifested in him, which causes a fundamental change in the man; for this new life will henceforth be the controlling power, and by it he will finally be changed, his vile body fashioned like unto Christ's glorious body, and he thus be fully conformed to the image of the Son of God. There are also those who believe that the whole object of preaching is for the comfort of the Lord's people, as well when the reproofs and rebukes and exhortations of the gospel are administered as when the precious promises are proclaimed; and also that the reception of the exhortations and reproofs, as well as the promises are parts of the experience of the child of God. I do not regard these things as "new and brilliant discoveries" and "dangerous innovations," hut as sweet Scriptural truth which I have been taught experimentally. Nothing has been more comforting to me than the loving chastening of the Lord and the faithful smitings of the righteous.

He who calls and qualifies and sends forth his ministers will prepare them to feed his sheep with pure gospel food. He will make the proudest of them humble with true humility, and give them the spirit of submission one to another in a loving, gospel sense, and cause them to receive correction and admonition froth each other thankfully when they err from the truth, as all are so liable to do when left alone I have felt thankful for the faithful ministry which the dear Lord has so graciously given us for so many years, and for the fellowship and mutual confidence which have been so generally felt and manifested among the Lord's servants, and for the peace and the establishment in the truth and order of the gospel that have so generally prevailed throughout our churches as the gracious result of such a faithful and loving ministry.

Knowing how easily one's views on some intricate point may be misunderstood, especially when reported by a third party or when heard once by a strange brother, I have long felt anxious that no one anywhere should be held responsible for views except as expressed by himself in his own language.

In regard to the use of the titles, brother and sister, in addressing each other, while I know that in two or three of our churches in the States, and among our brethren in Canada, it has not been the general custom, as I look back over the time of my precious and valued intercourse with the dear brethren constantly and intimately since 1864, I would have said from my own observation that it has been the almost universal custom, with the exceptions mentioned, to address each other by those endearing titles.

I do not share the fear expressed by a leading minister to Bro. Hassell, that the church in the North is likely to become extinct. But that is with the Lord. I know of some churches that have become extinct since I began my acquaintance with them, but of more that have been raised up. The congregations are smaller in some localities and larger in others than as I remember them in the first years of my ministry. Although I miss so many dear faces wherever I go among the brethren that I could easily regard the congregations as smaller, yet I would have to say that, on the whole, so far as my own observation extends, they are about the same as they were twenty-eight years ago.

I feel that the church of God is my home wherever I find any of her branches located. "There my best friends, my kindred dwell," and it is my desire to dwell with them and to be counted among them, though always feeling so unworthy of their love and fellowship. I am confident that Bro. Hassell had this feeling while visiting the dear Saints in the North, who so gladly and unreservedly received him among them; and although while writing about us he necessarily uses the third person, "they," yet it was not as a mere critical observer that he was with us, but as one who would wish to be identified with us as well in reproaches as in joys and triumphs, who would desire to be helpful in every effort to restore the erring, uphold the weak, and defend the good name of brethren and churches, and who could thus fully and cordially associate himself with us, and say "we" in the loving, helpful meaning of that little home-like word.

In love and fellowship. SILAS H. DURAND.

 

REPLY TO ELDS. DURAND AND RITTENHOUSE.

In the December number of the GOSPEL MESSENGER Eld. E. Rittenhouse, and in the December and January numbers Eld. S. H. Durand make remarks upon the account of my recent trip North, which I published in the October and November numbers of the MESSENGER. To these remarks I desire to make a kind reply, as brief as is consistent with truth, in a spirit of faithfulness, but also a spirit of meekness and love. I am glad, and I hope thankful, that Elds. Durand and Respess discovered such a spirit in the whole account that I wrote of my Northern trip; that I experienced and recounted pleasant and the favorable things as well as other things that were not so favorable; and that my object in mentioning the latter was not to censure and condemn so much as to lovingly warn and seek to restore and unite and edify I hope not to be considered an enemy of my brethren because I tell them the truth (Gal. iv. 16). The Primitive or Old School Baptists are my people, if I have any, religiously; with them I have been identified both in evil and in good report, both in reproaches and in joys, a few months longer than Bro. Durand; and, as he kindly and truthfully intimates, I would rejoice to be helpful in every effort to do them good and not any evil; and the language of my heart to them is the language of Ruth to Naomi:

"Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people; and thy God my God; where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me."

If the Old Baptists are not the true people of God, I do not know where to find such a people on this earth; but, like the Apostolic Churches, they have errors both of doctrine and practice among them, which the faithful steward who loves God and His people, and who fears God rather than man, and who seeks Divine rather than human applause and reward, will not fail to declare and oppose, though in a spirit of meekness and love; and there can be few stronger proofs of real love than such a course, involving, as it does, the heartfelt pain and sorrow of the faithful servant of God.

In reference both to the truthfulness of the statements I have made in my account of my Northern trip. and my entire friendliness in making those statements, I feel that I can appeal, not only to hundreds of the dear brethren and sisters who were eye and ear witnesses of the same things, but, what is to me of infinitely more importance, to that Divine Being to whom all things, both in and out of the heart, are naked and open. I have not fabricated one syllable of those statements, but have, to the best of my ability, photographed, in my description, the simple, exact, and uncolored truth. I have not claimed to report what Brethren Rittenhouse, Mitchell or Respess heard on former occasions, but what I myself heard on my recent trip, and what the brethren who were with me and paid proper attention know was said in our hearing. In this most conceited and chaotic of the centuries, a few years make great changes in some minds When persons are present and awake, they may not pay sufficient attention to what is said to remember it; and when not present, or asleep, their testimony in the case is of no direct value. Bro. Rittenhouse was with me only in Delaware; and, if he had been sufficiently attentive, he would have heard one of our able and beloved ministers, Thursday morning of the Delaware Association, just as he recently did in one of our periodicals, explain the elder brother in the Parable of the Prodigal Son as an unforgiving and unloving and pharisaic Christian; and another one of our highly esteemed ministers, Friday morning, declare that it seemed to him that the whole object of preaching is to comfort the people of God. And, if Bro. Durand had been similarly attentive, he would have heard one of our most brilliant ministers say, Thursday afternoon of the Baltimore Association, that the enjoining of the precepts of the gospel upon believers in the way that some preachers do. may partake of legalism; and another declare Friday morning that the only devil he knew anything about was the evil spirit in his own flesh, going to and fro, walking up and down in the earth of his own body; and another Thursday night of the Delaware River Association deny a general judgment; and another that afternoon deny the reference of such passages as John xiv. 2, 3, 2Cor. v. 1, and Rev. xxi. to the heaven of immortal glory reached by the believer after death; and another say Thursday afternoon of the Chemung Association that every passage in the Bible referred to none but the people of God, even those characterizing the unbelieving, the infidel, and the damned, such as the last clause in Mark xvi. 16; and another Friday morning explain Matt. xxv. 31-46 as referring merely to the preaching of the gospel, and the separation in the feelings and spiritual condition of the believing and the unbelieving hearers. And, if these two dear brethren (Elds. Durand and Rittenhouse) had been with me at other times they would have heard an able and beloved brother in Canada maintain that the persons represented in 9 Pet. ii. 20-22 by the dog and the swine are the people of God; and a New York brother say that he had recently heard brethren in Kentucky contend that, there is no change in a sinner when regenerated, and that those brethren proved, by their bad conduct, that there was no change in them; and the information that another New York brother preached some three years ago in Canada that those persons called the lost and the blind in 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4, were the children of God; and they would have heard this same brilliant brother severely contend in Canada that the last part of the first chapter of Romans, presenting, as it does, the blackest inspired picture of the heathen world, and such passages as Psalm ix. 17 ("the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nation that forget God") refer to the children of God in the present world; and the information that at least two of our most intelligent and worthy ministers have seemed to our brethren generally to deny the real resurrection of the body, but have now, as I rejoice to believe, so seemed to modify their views or their expression of their views as to hold the ancient and orthodox Bible doctrine that the same bodies are raised from the dead, but are changed and glorified.

I confess that many of these sentiments were new and startling and distressing to me, as seeming to my weak and shallow mind to contradict the plain meaning of the Scriptures, and as tending to infidelity; and, as a lover of the eternal and unchangeable truths of the Scriptures and of those who love those Truths, I could not conscientiously refrain, when writing an account of my trip, from mentioning those sentiments and speaking of what seemed to me their danger. And, like many of our brethren who have written accounts of their trips, during recent years, in our papers, I did not, and still do not, think it best to mention a name, but only views, as we should contend, not so much against men, as against errors. In the truthful account that I gave, I alleged nothing against any particular minister or church, and nothing in general against any set of ministers or Churches. I said that "some of our able ministers and "many of our brethren seem to me to be going into these extreme and dangerous innovations. I did not admonish any minister in regard to what he preached, because I was so astonished at what I heard, and I felt too unwise to presume to teach brethren that seemed so far in advance of me.

I rejoice to believe the assurance of Bro. Rittenhouse that neither he nor his churches hold these novel and extreme views; and I would be inexpressibly rejoiced to have the same assurance from all our dear brethren, both in and out of the ministry, both North and South. As for any defense of oneself from a supposed insinuation of error, there is no need of that; a simple denial is sufficient.

Nothing that I heard from our ministering or private brethren in the Middle States or Canada broke my fellowship for them. I thought them better and wiser than myself; but I could not receive as orthodox these erratic notions that I heard a few of them express. In the 12th and last section of the account of my trip, I said that, "I believe that those entertaining novel and extreme views are largely in the minority, and that, in all the great essentials of doctrine and practice, the majority are united." I met no brother or sister whom I did not believe to be well-grounded in the great fundamental Scriptural truths of the doctrine of salvation by grace; but I feared the tendency of some ideas that I heard, and therefore against these ideas I have, in faithfulness and love, raised my warning voice, and in a public way because the offense was public and seemed to me serious and to require to be pointed out not only to the speakers, but also to the hearers and to others of our members who may speak or may hear the same things.

As for the remark that I made--"I am very glad to say that I did not hear any anti-trinitarianism, or dualism, or fatalism, or pantheism preached," I did not make the. remark because I myself expected to hear such errors advanced, but because I knew that some of our members had charged some of our Northern brethren with advocating these errors. Bro. Rittenhouse himself admits that some of our ministering brethren indulge at times in speculative opinions and unadvised utterances; but he thinks that such matters should not be blazed abroad: and so do I, unless the matters are of a serious and dangerous nature. (Several of these new theories have been blazed abroad by their authors and advocates in our periodicals.) And he also admits that, if brethren are drifting towards infidelity, it is proper that they should be warned. May the God of Israel grant, in His infinite mercy and power, than my fears in this regard may not be realized.

Of course the views of brethren in reference to the parables and other portions of the Scriptures may differ in this imperfect state without marring their fellowship in the gospel, and we should exercise towards our brethren that tender and humble and unfailing charity which is the essence of true religion, and which we desire to be exercised towards ourselves; but it would be false and not true charity to encourage them in what seem to us ruinous errors. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are, to be sure, the only infallible standard to which we must appeal in all matters of faith and practice. As for Bro. Durand's views on the vital subject of the New Birth. they are, I think, entirely Scriptural, and in exact accordance with the sentiments of the great majority of both our Northern and Southern brethren. There is indeed no geographical line of division in the Church of God, nor in the errors attaching to the church. As Eld. H. J. Redd remarks in the December MESSENGER, some of the new and dangerous errors that I mentioned in the account of my trip have appeared among our brethren in the South; and to what he says on this subject I am heartily sorry that I can add that I have been reliably informed that an esteemed ministering brother in my own to as Elders, and brethren and sisters as Mr. and Mrs." When addressed in person, I am glad to say that, in the North as well as in the South, the old endearing terms "brother" and "sister" are used. The incident between Elders "A" and "B," described on the 377th and 378th pages of the October MESSENGER, took place in Canada (where Bro. Durand did not go with me) on Saturday afternoon of the quarterly meeting of the Covenanted Church; and the excellent pastor of that church has since written me that my description of the scene is "complete." The matter of Eld. B.’s contention there, and the scripturalness of his position, I hope, if divinely permitted, to investigate in a future number of the MESSENGER.

While one great object of preaching is to comfort the people of God, I do not understand that such is the whole object; though, if received in the right spirit, all gospel preaching will tepid to the comfort of every subject of grace. But, according to my understanding, true preaching has other momentous objects also in view, namely, teaching, saving from doctrinal and practical errors, exhorting, warning, correcting, rebuking, purifying, uniting and edifying in Christian love, and--infinitely above all other objects--the glorification of God.

(Matt. xxviii. 20, 1Cor. i. 2l; Eph. iv. 1-6, 11-16; v. 26; 1Thess v. 14; 1Tim. v. 20; 2Tim. iv. 2: Tit. i. 13; ii. 1-15; Rev. ii. 5, 16; iii. 19; Isa. lviii. 1: xliii. 7:lxi. 3: .John xv 8; xvii. 1-5. 24; 1Pet. iv. 11: Luke ii. 14: Rom. xi. 36; 1Tim. i. 17; Eph. iii. 2l; 2Pet. iii. 18; Rev. i. 5, 6; iv. 11; v. 13: vii. 12; xv. 3, 4; xxi. 23.)

Faithful warning and rebuke are sometimes distressing and exasperating to the disobedient and unruly child of God; but still the honor of God and the good of the offender and the church require that they should bc administered. Gospel reproof and admonition, like the loving and faithful chastening of the Lord, may be for the time not. joyous but grievous; nevertheless they afterwards yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto then, who are exercised thereby" (Heb, xii. 11). If received, however, in a proper spirit, such smitings are esteemed to be "a kindness and an excellent oil", "not fatally wounding the offender, but healing the spiritual sore, and at last, if not at first, rejoicing the heart" (Psalm cxli. 5).

Saying that everything in the Scriptures is applicable to the 1,eople of God is, as a beloved and venerable brother in Canada writes me, not "rightly dividing the word of truth" (2Tim ii. 15), but oftentimes "putting food suitable only for the dogs and swine upon the table for the children, which a faithful steward will not do." It seems to me an out-cropping of that habit of excessive and false spiritualizing or philosophizing which, if fully carried out, would sublimate or vaporize all the tremendous and eternal truths of the Scriptures into airy nothingness--a pestilent fable an,] a delusive dream. This nineteenth century system of interpretation seems to me to make the Scriptures mean anything or nothing, according to the notion of the interpreter--a nose of wax, to be molded into any shape that suits the fancy of the manipulator.

Unless I am greatly mistaken in reading the signs of these times, we are verging upon the last perilous days of the Christian dispensation foretold in the later writings of the inspired Apostles Paul and Peter and in the General Epistle of Jude, in which times there were to be a departure from the faith once (for all) delivered unto the saints, a falling away from the truth, an unwillingness to endure sound doctrine, a turning unto fables, a revelation of the man of sin and of the mystery of iniquity, to be speedily followed by "the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, to take vengeance oh them that know not God and obey not the gospel, and to be glorified in his saints and admired in all them that believe." The seeds of error have grown and developed rapidly, even in the last few years, and the gigantic Upas-Tree of Unbelief overshadows the world. The waves of infidelity have already engulfed Europe, and swept over the Northern States of the Union, and invaded the more slow and conservative South, and seem to me to be threatening the destruction of even our own dear churches of God's elect in the North and South; and feeling as I do--I say, perish every personal and temporal consideration of my own which forbids me to raise my warning voice, and, seeing dear brethren drifting unconcernedly down the dangerous rapids toward the fatal cataract, to cry, in trumpet and thunder tones so as to arouse them to a sense of their peril if possible, "Beware, beware, continue not in that direction; return, return to the still, safe waters, and the old, restful paths occupied by the humble and spiritual saints of God in, all the by-gone ages of the church, and make not shipwreck o£ your faith" (Isa. lviii. 1; Psalm xxiii. 2; Isa. xxxiii. 20-24; Jer. vi. 16; 1 Tim. i. 19; Jude 3.) And may the God of heaven and earth, the God of the Everlasting Covenant, who alone has the power, reach down his almighty arm, as he did to sinking Peter on the stormy Sea of Galilee. and save us all from temporal and eternal ruin, and to His Ever Blessed Triune Name shall be given all the glory.

SYLVESTER HASSELL

WILLIAMSTON, N C., Dec. 3, 1892. DEAR BRO. RESPESS: I have tonight received a precious letter from one of our best informed Northern brethren, saying: "I believe that the vast majority of our brethren here are free from the views mentioned by you under the head of "New Theories," thus agreeing with the belief that I expressed in the twelfth section of my account of my trip; and another writes me, "Very few of our brethren could be found to accept such views, and none who are committed to them." For these comforting assurances I would heartily exclaim, the Lord be praised.

SYLVESTOR HASSELL.

STATE ROAD, DEL., NOV., 1892. DEAR BRO. RESPESS: If you have an inch or two of space to spare in your next issue, I would like to say to your readers that in my criticisms upon Bro. Hassell's narrative, I had no thought of attributing to him or to you, other than pure and proper motives in all that was said. I regretted afterward that I did not take time to rewrite that part of my letter, and omit, or modify some expressions that are liable to convey impressions that I did not mean nor feel. I trust that Bro. Hassell's explanations will prove satisfactory all around.

Yours in love and truth,

E. RITTENHOUSE.

I am glad of this note of Bro. R.'s, and have no doubt that now all will be pleasant all around, for Bro. Hassell has written in a kindly spirit, and no doubt satisfactorily to all --R.