Another Triumph of Truth Over Error
To
the Religious Body Known as the “Church of God”:
It
is with a great degree of reluctance that I address these lines to you; but
necessity demands that it shall be done.
After a severe mental struggle extending over many months, I have
reached conclusions upon several questions which forbid that I should continue
in your fellowship. The circumstances which necessitate this course are not of
my own choice or making, and no one can regret more sincerely and more deeply
than I do the occasion for this step. I have been pained to find in nearly
every church with which I have had personal acquaintance a condition of things
which, in my present understanding of matters, is truly deplorable.
1. There
is a vast amount of looseness among the churches in the reception of members.
There are those in various places who have come into the body unlawfully,
having been baptized previous to their reception as members of the "Church
of God" in the belief of the un-scriptural theory of the immortality of
the soul, and the errors and mischief growing out of that view. Then subsequently, upon coming to a correct
understanding of this item, they apply for membership in the "Church of
God" not considering that there cannot be a valid baptism without a
correct faith. I have had occasion,
repeatedly, to observe this condition, much to my sorrow, and have been called
upon, urged, and even demanded, to endorse and participate in the reception of
such who were not legally baptized according to the teaching of the gospel, and
who were therefore not proper persons for fellowship in a body claiming to be
the Church of the living God. On account of this condition I have, at different
times, found myself seriously embarrassed in my efforts to bring persons into the Church,
in the lawful way. In more cases than
one my objections to such unlawful procedure were overruled with the remark
that it had been "done before," thus showing that this condition is
not a recent thing, but of long standing.
Besides
this, there is in many places a strong tendency to recognize and affiliate with
those styled "other churches." Cases are known to me where members
recognized and fellowshipped as "brethren" persons who had no
conception of even the first principles of the doctrine of Christ, and when
moving to localities where the "Church of God" was not represented,
"joined" the "churches" of the apostasy to have a
"church home;” and even ministers "exchanged pulpits” with the
so-called "clergymen" of such apostate bodies—thereby creating the
erroneous and false impression that those "churches” are in every way
entitled to the recognition of those who claim to have learned the truth as it
is in Jesus. This is decidedly wrong, for either the "Church of God"
is right in its understanding of the nature of man, the kingdom of God, and
other matters of revealed truth, or it is not. If it is right, then it follows
that those who take a contrary view are wrong; and if the "Church of
God" is wrong, and others right, there is still no room for
fellowship. As long as you maintain
your separate existence, it must be upon doctrinal grounds. As soon as there is fellowship with others,
you should lay down your warfare against them, and thus remove once and forever
the line of demarcation between them and yourselves. That line is not sharply enough drawn, and in place's has almost
ceased to exist. As a member of your
Church I could not endorse such a course; and since there remains but one thing
to do, and that is to withdraw from a body in which such a condition exists.
2. There is an appalling degree of
looseness with reference to the retention in your fellowship of persons who
have adopted and are promulgating views which are opposed to the teaching of
the Church as set forth in the Declaration of Faith adopted by the Indiana
Conference, Sept. 10, 1886, and to the teaching of the Word of God as
well. With my present understanding of
the Word of God relating to the final disposition of the wicked, I find it
impossible to endorse or countenance the theories known as "fair
chance" and ''larger hope.’’ According to one of these views an
"opportunity'' to be saved will be given to some in another life time
beyond the resurrection, and if the persons so favored submit to the
"opportunity" thus forced upon them, they will live forever. The other not only contends for such an
"opportunity,'' but stoutly maintains that all men, regardless of their
attitude toward God and His Word, will finally be saved without fail. Neither of these views is taught in the Word
of God, and both are opposed to its plain and direct teaching.
First, the resurrection as taught in the Scriptures
brings to view but two classes of persons; just and unjust (Acts 24:15); those
that have done good, and those that have done evil (5:28, 29). See also Rev.
20:11-15. And the destiny of both is determined by what they have done
prior to death. If there are any who
have done neither "good" nor '''evil" according to the rule
governing good and evil, they do not appear, never having come under the law of
the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1, 2), and are therefore not
amendable to the judgment of God as it will be executed at the appearing of
Christ.
Secondly,
the Scriptures distinctly say that "the Lord preserveth all that love Him;
but all the wicked will he destroy"
(Ps. 145:20). Here the contrast
in the character and destiny of the righteous and the wicked is so clearly and
strongly set forth, that to say that finally all men will be saved is to go in
the face of plain Scripture testimony, and to impugn the wisdom and veracity of
God.
The
Church, as far as known to me, makes no effort, to rid itself of these
erroneous opinions, and manifests no disposition to bring to account those who
hold and propagate them.
In
addition to the above is the fact that in various parts of the country, East
and West, where the "Church of God" is represented, there are persons
who entertain and teach the doctrine that Jesus is the Son of Joseph, that the
communion should be held yearly, that it is necessary to engage in feet washing
as a religious observance, that we must keep the seventh day of the week as the
Sabbath,—all of which is opposed to the Word of God. Men go about teaching these things, and no one brings them to
account. In fact, they are encouraged
by the plea of "charity" when efforts are suggested to clear the
ecclesiastical atmosphere. I have been sorely pained at this condition, but
found myself powerless to remedy it. I cannot remain with the “Church of
God," and thus place the seal of my approval upon these erroneous notions
without violating my highest sense of honor, right, and duty. If the condition here detailed is agreeable
to those who constitute the "Church of God," I have to testify before
God that to me it is distressing, and I shall have to leave them to enjoy it as
best they can.
3. There is a highly unsatisfactory state
of affairs with reference to the relation of members to the powers that
be. Believers of the gospel are
commanded to be not of this world, but to come out from among them and be
separate. But instead of any general
obedience to this command, there are those who take part in politics, hold political
offices, bear arms, and are in every way identified with the powers that
be. As a member of your body I could
not obey the Word of God and remain silent upon those matters, and could not
speak my convictions as I should without offending those who in the aforesaid
ways, and apparently without scruple, participate in the affairs of "the
present evil world." However, it is needful that I should speak of this
matter here.
4. Many times have I felt condemned for
participating in unscriptural means adopted in some congregations to secure
funds for carrying on church enterprises by means employed by the world and the
apostate churches, such as suppers, entertainments, &c.; but for the sake
of keeping peace, and, as I thought, to avoid creating unnecessary offense, I
smothered my convictions and kept silent when, perhaps, I should have spoken
against these un-scriptural practices.
These are in direct violation of the apostolic "order" for
raising funds for use in the body of Christ.
5. I have a conviction, based upon the
study of the Scriptures and observation, that a paid ministry, such as is found
in all the popular “churches," and which is generally creeping into the
“Church of God," is not apostolic in practice and not in keeping with the
fraternal relation which should subsist between those who are members of the
household of faith. It creates a
special class, with special privileges as "ministers" and
"preachers," as in other churches," which' are inimical to the
brotherly feeling that should subsist in the body of Christ. None should be above the rest. All should be on an equality.
The
paid ministry tends to shift the burden and responsibility of the proclamation
of the truth upon the shoulders of a few who "preach” ex officio, while
the bulk of the members feel no constraint to set forth in every legitimate way
and at every opportunity the truth of the gospel. In this way the efforts to
induce aliens to become identified with the commonwealth of Israel through
belief and obedience of the truth, are largely confined to special meetings in
charge of an "evangelist."
The matter of exhibiting the truth of the gospel to aliens should be
considered a duty devolving upon every member of the body, without difference
or distinction. With a paid ministry
this duty disappears from view.
6. While there is not a proposition in the
aforesaid "Declaration of Faith” to which, as a whole, I can not give my
assent, I have come to view the resurrection in a way which is not held by any
in the Church known to me. My study of the Scriptures has caused me to see the
judgment in this way: The members of the body of Christ, whether faithful or
unfaithful, must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ at the same
time, and for the same purpose, viz:
that every one may render his account to the righteous Judge (Rom.
14:10-12'), and receive the things in body according to that he hath done,
whether it be good or bad (2 Cor. 5:10).
The receptacle in or through which he shall receive is a body which is
capable of thus receiving: a mortal body which can receive either eternal life,
or reap corruption and end in death. The above mentioned Scriptures, besides a
host of others, are utterly unintelligible upon the assumption that spiritual
bodies come out of the ground. If there is a judgment the household of faith,
as the Scriptures certainly teach with great clearness, none come out of the
ground an incorruptible body or nature; and if any come out of the graves
immortal, the judgment as taught in the Word of God is practically reduced to a
nullity. Between the two positions, my
regard for the testimony set before us in the Word of God, compels me to adopt
the view that all who come out of the graves at the coming of Christ appear as
natural bodies or living souls; and those who shall be found worthy, whether
living or brought from the death state for judicial purposes, are instantly
changed from mortality to immortality afterwards, while the unworthy are
consigned to the second death or everlasting destruction from the presence of
the Lord.
The
foregoing facts, which cannot be successfully contradicted have forced me to
take this step.
I
wish to add, for the information of any who may be interested; that I have
identified myself with a people which have for forty or fifty years, in this
country and elsewhere, earnestly contended for the simplicity of the faith as
taught by Christ and the apostles. I
have assured myself of their attitude toward the truth as it is in Jesus by a
careful perusal of their literature, of which a vast quantity is in
circulation. They are consistent, in the reception of persons into their
fellowship, none being admitted who can not give satisfactory evidence of a
proper understanding and belief of the first principles of the doctrine of
Christ; none who have not been immersed subsequent to their coming to the
knowledge of the truth; and yet, while they do not have any of the
ecclesiastical machinery now in use in the popular "'churches," and
also to some extent in the "Church of God," they have as large a
membership and have additions to their number as frequently as members are
added to the “Church of God." They
consider themselves a people who are called out of the present evil world by
means of the gospel, and hence do not take part in politics, vote, hold office,
make oath, or go to war. Having no
"clergy" or paid ministry, they each and all address themselves to
the task of promulgating the gospel, by lectures, private instruction,
distribution of literature, and in every way possible. They are the people who are styled
"Christadelphians," or Brethren in Christ. Having been received into their fellowship upon a confession of
my faith and subsequent baptism, I shall henceforth regard myself as in every
way a "lay" or private person, with no title or official designation
by which to be distinguished from others, and shall seek to carry out the
apostolic injunction to "work with my hands that which is good,"
endeavoring at the same time and to the best of my ability, to disseminate the
knowledge of the truth among my contemporaries, if in this way I may be
instrumental in saving from sin and death.
As for my labors in the "Church of God,” they
are before you as an open book, and nothing I may here say can in any way add
to or detract from them. I honestly
endeavored to build up the Church of God on Scriptural principles, and to
remedy the evils I was compelled to witness; and for a time sought to stem the
tide off adverse conditions, but they were too much for my strength. They were of too long standing, and had
already become a part of the very fabric of the body. There are many to whom the real condition of things is not known.
They have not been properly instructed, and are satisfied with the
situation. There are also those who
would see a firmer adherence to first principles, but unfortunately they are
hopelessly in the minority, and can do nothing to bring about a change in the
right direction.
The
foregoing lines have been written, not because I harbor malice toward anyone
and am seeking vent, in this way, but because I deem this the best way of
stating my convictions to all concerned, and the sincere desire to call
intention to the dangers lying in the conditions which have forced me to take
this step. I realize that the
obtainment of eternal life is a personal matter requiring all the energies of
my being. I desire the blessing which
God in his great love and kindness has placed before us, and feel a willingness
to make any sacrifice which may be required in order to its obtainment. Let us see that we arein the faith (2 Cor.
13:5), and then run with patience the race set before us, looking away unto
Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand
of the throne of God (Heb. I2:1,2).
A. H. Zilmer,
Plymouth, Ind., Aug. 18,
1906
The Christadelphian
Advocate. September 1906, pgs.
257-262.