Two Letters to a Wesleyan Inquirer - 2nd Letter

Two Letters to a Wesleyan Inquirer

by Richard Holden
 

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Second Letter

December 17th, 1872.

DEAR BROTHER, 

I omitted yesterday to touch on one or two points in your friend's letter that I had purposed alluding to, and felt led this morning to do so. 

He characterises "Brethren" as "microscopic". I am happy to be able most heartily to agree with him. I think, if there is any one thing that does characterise them specially, it is just the closeness with which they examine the Word of God. The microscope is a most precious revealer of facts; and the microscopist by its use discerns beauty, order, and harmony in the tiniest details of the Divine artificer's workmanship, which elevate and expand into greater breadth his understanding of the Divine mind.

Just so the microscopic student of the Divine Word discerns therein an exactness of language, a minuteness of order, a harmony of parts, and a perfection of plan, which are unperceived by the natural eye; and the result is a breadth of view and a comprehension of the Divine mind, as revealed in the Scriptures, which may, indeed, be unintelligible, and take the appearance of "muddleheadedness" to one who has not used the microscope. It was one of the things that first of all arrested my attention when brought into contact with "Brethren", what diligent and close students of the Word they seemed to be. They put me thoroughly to the blush for my own ignorance; and to this day I feel like a complete ignoramus at times in the presence of persons who have not been half so long in the Lord, nor enjoyed half my opportunities and advantages. It is just the prevalent generalising carelessness in the examination of the sacred text, that has brought Christendom into its present state of confusion. What but the most culpable negligence could have induced Christendom to accept and adopt as the most popular expression of its faith, during some seventeen centuries, a creed whose very first article is a glaring contradiction of the Word of God? No "microscopic" student of the Word would ever perpetrate the blunder of ascribing creation to God the Father*.

Your friend thinks "Brethren" narrow. I call to mind that One whom I revere has said, "Narrow is the way that leadeth unto life;" and as "Brethren" are walkers in that way, I am not surprised in the least that "narrowness" should be attributed to them. I believe the true servant of God is at once the narrowest and the broadest of men. He is narrow—uncompromisingly narrow—where God makes narrow, and broad where God gives breadth. He is broad where sectarianism is narrow, and narrow where sectarianism is broad.

*"In the beginning God created," etc. God is the name which designates the deity, or Godhead, as such. Creation was an act of the Godhead. But in the Godhead there is a trinity of persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Of these, not the Father, but the Son and Spirit, were, according to Scripture, the active agents in creation. (Ps. 39:6; John 1:1-3; Col. 1:13-17; Heb. 1:1, 2; Job 26:13; Ps. 104:30).

But your friend accuses "Brethren" of a lack of "scriptural breadth," and there I am constrained to contest him.

1. Brethren, with regard to the "body of Christ," hold that it embraces every truly converted soul in the world who has partaken of the baptism of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. 12:13); in this they are just as broad as the Word of God, and as the broadest of sound evangelical Christians. 2. In the matter of Church order, "Brethren" are immeasurably broader than any sect, because they stand on God's broad ground outside the contracted limits of all human "systems" —the ground, and the only ground, on which all true-hearted children of God can meet.

"Brethren" have been gathered out in great part from among "denominations," and perhaps most, if not all, of these, have contributed to swell their ranks. Each man has simply sifted out the denominational chaff from among the pure wheat of God's prescriptions as to Church order—left all that would not bear the winnowing—and the result has been that only that has been retained in common, which no Christian with a mind subject to the Word can possibly have a conscientious scruple about.

"Brethren" can fearlessly challenge any to point out a single thing in practice among them, the Divine appointment of which is not patent to even the most simple mind that tests it by the Word.

"Brethren" assume and accept no other name than that which God has given to two or three gathered together in the name of Jesus—the Church or assembly of God—they meet as the assembly of God, and as nothing else.

The Lord has instituted baptism; and "Brethren" practise it. (Matt. 28:19). 

The Lord has not limited its ministration to the hands of a class; "Brethren" therefore do not dare to do so.

The Lord has given no command as to its being administered to infants or to believers only; and therefore "Brethren" do not dare prescribe, but leave to "every man to be persuaded in his own mind."  (Rom. 14).

The Lord has instituted the Supper, and "Brethren" observe His ordinance. (Matt. 26:26, 27; 1 Cor. 11).

The Lord has not hinted at the appointment of any special person or class of persons with sole authority to break the bread; and "Brethren" dare not go beyond Him in this.

The Lord has put no limit to the frequency of the Supper, and "Brethren" therefore do not; but finding that apostolic practice points to at least every first day of the week (Acts 20:7), they, by common consent, though without prescription, fall in with that custom; and as the Lord, by His apostle, intimated to the Corinthians the propriety of setting apart on the first day of the week their alms for the poor of the flock, so "Brethren" rejoice to avail themselves of the occasion of their assembling around the Lord's table to have fellowship in this.

The Lord has enjoined on His saints not to forsake the assembling of themselves together (Heb. 10:25); and as He has directed them to search the Scriptures, to make prayers and supplications, and to give thanks, and to teach and admonish one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (1 Tim. 2:1; Eph. 6:19; Col. 3:16), "Brethren" rejoice to assemble, as circumstances admit, for these various purposes.

As the Lord hath given "gifts" to His Church, when these appear in their midst, "Brethren" thankfully accept their ministry (Eph. 4:11), and rejoice when, "having gifts differing according to the grace that is given;" he that hath prophecy, prophesieth according to the proportion of faith, or ministry waiteth on ministering, the teacher on teaching, the exhorter on exhortation, the ruler with diligence exercising God-given rule (Rom. 12:6-8.). They dare not prescribe human rules and limits to the exercise of these gifts, beyond what the Lord has prescribed (1 Cor. 14:31; 1 Peter 4:10, 11; 1 Cor. 14:26, 40), lest, in the face of the Divine warning in 1 Thess. 5:19, they should be found guilty of quenching the Spirit. When, therefore, the Lord is pleased to raise up among them an evangelist to preach the gospel, a teacher to instruct the church, or a pastor to tend the flock of God, they thankfully recognise their gifts and their full liberty, under God, to exercise them, as responsible to Him alone who bestowed them, and delight to have fellowship with them in their ministry, so long as they show themselves approved unto God.

As the Lord has placed authority for discipline in the hands of "two or three" gathered together in His name (Matt. 18:15-20), so "Brethren" seek to keep pure the "house of God" (1 Tim. 3:15) by its godly exercise, putting out from among them a wicked person, a heretic and his abettor; but they welcome to their places at the Lord's table all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, and walk uprightly in Him. They propose no creed nor confession of faith, nor other term of communion than that a person be a Christian, bring with him "the doctrine of Christ," and live a godly life.

While "Brethren" can thus challenge any to convict them of the setting up of aught that is not unmistakably scriptural, they can take the same position of boldness as to any charge of failing to act on anything that the Lord has ordained.

They are sorely blamed by some for not having among them an ordained ministry; but let any man show that God has, in the Word, made provision for the perpetuation of a humanly ordained ministry, and point out the persons divinely authorized to "ordain," and they will at once acquiesce, and accept the ministry as from God; till that be done, they dare not do so, under the penalty of immediately degenerating into a "sect": they would be setting up something that God has not set up, and so would be off God's ground. The first wounded conscience that could not accept this innovation, destitute of Divine warrant, would be entitled, nay, bound, to separate from them, and to adhere to God's simple ground, as the true exponent of God's Church.

This, then, is emphatically "broad" ground. Where no one thing is set up that a simple mind, in due subjection to the Word of God, could scruple to have fellowship with, and nothing left out that such a soul could, on the clear authority of the Word, require, the ground is the very broadest that is possible, consistently with Divine truth— a ground on which every Christian CAN meet, and every Christian is bound to meet, under penalty of the sin of schism.

If it can be shown that previous to "Brethren's" day any souls were found occupying this unsectarian ground, and "Brethren" did not enter into fellowship with them, then "Brethren" are schismatics; but if (as is notoriously true) there were none, then are "Brethren" the only true representatives or exhibition of the "body of Christ”; and all Christians are under obligation before God to forsake their sects and "denominations," in order to meet with them on this ground—the very pathway marked out by the Spirit in 2 Tim. 2:20-22, in anticipation of the ruin and confusion that has come in.

Your friend speaks of divisions among "Brethren." This is simply a misapprehension. A heretic arose among them some years ago. He was separated from fellowship. Others took part with him, and, though not all holding his doctrines, made themselves partakers of his evil deeds by fellowship*. They were also refused intercommunion. The number was large, but it was a simple act of discipline. Others have since taken part with these ("Brethren" under discipline), and among them divisions have, indeed, multiplied —a manifest token that God does not smile on them, but recognises the discipline of His assembly as He had promised. (Matt. 18:18).

*Did any one ever dream of making it an objection to the Apostolic Church, that there were some who went out? (1 John 2:19). 

I pray God that both you and our brother may be led into the clear understanding of His Word, and into the path of godly obedience, and I remain, 

Faithfully yours in Him, 

RICHARD HOLDEN.