The disciples who first received it knew its import and what it would cost them. Look, you Christians of the 19th century, upon these disciples of the cross! See how nobly they discharge the trust confided to them! Earth never witnessed such men before. History has nothing to compare with them. Alexander's phalanx. Caesar's legions. Or Napoleon's guards. Had not men like these. Men with ears that had listened to the preaching of Jesus. With eyes that had gazed upon his sacred form. That saw him on the cross, and followed him as he ascended to the place of his glory. And with hearts filled with his spirit and burning with love. Such were the men in whom Jesus confided. He knew the devotion and fidelity of these men. And made them the honored instruments of carrying out. The great plan of redemption. He entrusted the destiny of a world of souls to them. Made them the medium through which to communicate the blessing of an everlasting Kingdom. Gloriously, did they discharge the high trust? In a few years, they planted the church in many lands. But air they went up to their rest, in obedience to Christ. They committed the unfinished work to faithful men.
To us. The Christians of the 19th century. Has the glorious gospel descended? With the last command of Jesus and the whole world is waiting to receive it. Some of the mighty host of God's Elect feeling a little of the Apostolic spirit and responsibility. Have gone to the work. Have toils and fallen on foreign fields? Others have taken their places or are seeking out the scattered tribes whose ears have never yet heard the Gospel's glad sound. Some of the church, animated by the same spirit, nobly give of their substances to sustain and aid in the conquest of the world.
But is it not painfully evident that the church and the ministry, now are widely different from the church and the Ministry of the primitive time? Where now? Do we see the burning zeal? The more than finite exertion. The holy benevolence that consecrated all. The love of to Christ stronger than death. The untiring toil and suffering to extend the Kingdom of Heaven, preaching Christ from house to house. From the prison, the bleeding rack, the burning fagots, and the bleeding cross of Apostolic times? Is it not too evident that we have greatly degenerated? Do not many of the ministry evade this command or oppose it? While many are, Christians never felt its Import? Would not many. Bearing the sacred name of Christ effaced the high command sooner than attempt to comply with its all merciful demands?
Suppose that Christ should again descend and once more assemble his church. And in view of the tardiness and reluctance manifested by many with reference to this command, addressed them. What, my little children, have you become wearied with my service? Are you indeed reluctant to follow me and the conquest of this ruined, wretched world for which I suffered? I have waited long and witnessed your indifference and cold apathy and preaching my gospel to the destitute nations. And I can endure this state of things no longer. Shall I grant your seeming request? Oh, you ministers of reconciliation? Do you indeed wish to resign your commissions, retire from the work of the world's conversion, and have me appoint a new agency? And you, my church, the purchase of my blood. Wish to be excused. You no longer desire to be the salt of the earth, the light of the world. Your desire is granted. I am not weighed wanting agents. My throne is surrounded by willing spirits. Not one of whom, but delighted to do my pleasure. May we not conclude that every knee would bow, every eye filled with tears, and every lip respond? No, dear savior! Do not so dishonor us! Should its you take this work from us, and leave us to live in sloth and die without expressing in our lives the greatness of our love to you. Heaven would have no place for us. We could not associate with those devoted Saints who loved not their own lives! We have been cold and unfaithful disciples. We have withheld our offerings, restrained prayer, and put forth few or no efforts to win Souls. Yet do not know how to take this work from us. The property with which thou has entrusted us, the talents which thou hast given us, are souls, and our bodies whom thou hast purchased. We present them all to you as our reasonable service. Macedonian.
To find such articles as to foregoing in such papers as the Macedonian, whose business is manifesting to beguile unstable souls, lead captive the silly, and make merchandise of the Gospel of Christ, is by no means surprising or uncommon. But define such abominable perversions of the scripture of truth. Such outrageous and blasphemous reflections upon the wisdom, power, and goodness of God our savior select it and republish in Professedly Baptist periodicals, and promulgated as Baptist doctrine In our view of the subject. Demands from all the people of God a severe rebuke. How evidently, are those who can thus pervert the words of Jesus Christ himself, the men who turned the truth of God into a lie. By making net words seem to say what it never said and mean the very opposite from what it does mean. We have copied the article for the purpose of calling the attention of our readers to the manner of spirits which are now abroad in the world under the guise of pure benevolence and devotedness to the cause of God, scattering the poison of ASPs among those who are left to embrace strong delusions. To believe a lie, etc.
To the first paragraph of the copied article above, we would not object, were it not for the clandestine manner in which the writer has slipped in the word, therefore, so as to imply that Christ's knowledge of the thing stated in the paragraph. Were the reason for his sending out his disciples to preach the gospel. Whereas Christ himself gave to his commissioned apostles a very different reason in these expressive words. And Jesus came and spoke unto them the apostles, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go you therefore, et cetera. It was not because Christ saw the sad condition of the world and needed power to remedy the evil. But because he had received all power in heaven and on Earth, power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as the father had given him. See Matthew 28.18 and John 17.2
What daring presumption, then, for a poor, finite worm of the dust coveting his neighbor's gold and silver? To attempt to alter the things which have gone out of the mouth of the sovereign judge of the quick and the dead, by assigning another and widely different reason for Christ's having given this Commission! The comparison of the apostles in the second paragraph with the soldiers of Alexander, Caesar, and Napoleon. To say the least, it's far-fetched and singular. For it is presumably that Paul, Peter, and John would have figured as poorly in the armies of these worldly generals as their soldiers would have done. In attempting to preach the Gospel of Christ. In both cases, they would have been as far from their legitimate sphere as was the writer of this article when attempting to write on matters of divine import.
The next item of the article under consideration, which shall we shall notice, is the daring falsehood expressed in these words:
The next item of the article under consideration, which shall we shall notice, is the daring falsehood expressed in these words:
He knew the devotion and fidelity of these men. And made them the honored instruments of carrying out the great plan of redemption. He entrusted the destiny of a world of souls to them, and made them the medium through which to communicate the blessings of an everlasting Kingdom.This quotation also abounds with flagrant heresy.
1. The apostles were not chosen to be apostles because of any superior qualifications which they possessed. For they never possessed nor pretended to possess the least qualification for the Gospel Ministry beyond what they received from on high. Christ expressly told him that without him they could do nothing, and Paul reminded his brethren that in their calling. Not many wise or noble, or learn it were called, and he himself, though not inferior to the very chief of the Apostles, could not pray, knew not how to pray as he ought, only as a spirit helped his infirmities. How much fidelity did he see in Peter when left one moment in a presence of an accusing damsel? Or in the pillows of the deep. In the first case, he resolutely denied that he knew Jesus and cursed and swore, and in the other, he could not sustain himself one moment. Thomas gave not the clearest evidence of fidelity when he declared that unless he could thrust his hand into the place of the spear, he would not believe. Philip demanded a sight of the father as a condition of his faith and fidelity. No. Christ did not choose these men because of any superior qualities they possessed over the men of Caesar, Alexander, or Napoleon. But he chose them because he was able, having all power in both worlds, to make them all that he would have them to be. He thanked the father, and rejoiced in that hour that he had hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them unto babes. Because so it had seemed good in the sight of it, the father who always sees things just as they are, and cannot be mistaken.
2. It is equally untrue that the Lord God our savior made the ministers of the Gospel the instruments of carrying out the great plan of redemption. This assertion implies that Christ did not finish and complete the work of redemption in his one person when he gave himself a ransom for his people. Then he left some part of that work incomplete. And depending on the devotion and fidelity of men, whether it should ever be completed or not. It assigns to our adorable Lord. Only a cooperative place in the work of redemption. He is represented as having undertaken the business, done what he could, and entrusted the grand ultimatum of the whole plan to men. If this view of the subject admits to any extent that Christ is the alpha of redemption, it certainly denies that he is the Omega and leaves him at the best but half a Savior. To record with this absurd notion of redemption, the inspired writers should have included ministers with Christ, and instead of saying of him in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, et cetera, they should have said. In Christ and his ministers, we may have redemption. Christ and the preachers are of God made, or rather may be made, unto anybody or nobody, as the case may prove. Wisdom, righteousness, sanctification. Redemption. And instead of so frequently referring to the Redeemer, they should have reference to the Redeemers. Is there any breach of charity to say that all who deny, directly or indirectly, that Jesus Christ is the full, perfect, and complete Redeemer of his people are aliens to God and strangers to the spirit of the Gospel of Christ? But.
The assertion of the writer that Christ has entrusted the destiny of the world of souls. To them, the primitive or modern preachers is a falsehood sufficiently base and presumptuous to make the very devils blush. All who know God humbly acknowledged that he alone holds the destiny of all beings, worlds, and events in his own almighty hand, so that not a Sparrow can fall nor a hair of our head come to the ground without him. Christ has assured his people that he gives to his sheep eternal life. And they shall never perish. Neither show any plucked them out of his hand. His father, who gave them him is greater than all, and none can pluck them out of his father's hand, and he and his father are one. But in the article under consideration, the writer has vainly attempted to pick them out of the hand of God. The father and the son, and placed him in the hands of men. However absurd and unscriptural this heresy may sound to those who know and fear the Lord. It is the very principle on which the whole machinery of modern missionary operations are hinged. Nothing has ever been regarded by mission ESTs of our age more than. Antagonistically to their schemes and success, then the doctrine of the finished work of redemption and salvation of all the elect of God by and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor had the powers of darkness ever hit upon anything so well adapted to their purpose in drawing men and money to their aid in building up Antichrist, as the doctrines of men which represent our Lord as being dependent on men to finish the work of redemption and salvation. How would it sadden the heart of every true worshipper of the living God? Could he be made to believe that the carrying out of his plan of redemption depended on men, however good, and that the men mediator instead of securing the destiny of his people? Had returned to heaven and entrusted the destiny of their souls to the fidelity of his disciples.4. It is also untrue that the apostles and primitive disciples, in obedience to Christ, committed the unfinished work of redemption to faithful men. For Christ had never given them any such command, neither did they know anything about an unfinished redemption themselves.
5. We will not dispute. That the wide world is waiting to receive such a gospel as this rider would represent the Gospel of Christ to be. But that there is a Commission from Jesus Christ to the men of this 19th century, either in the church or out of it, to finish the work of redemption, we deny. And we challenged the writer or adopted sire J. L. Waller. Or any other advocate of the doctrine to establish the assertion by anything that God has said in the scriptures.
6. We would thank the writer of this assertion to prove to us that any of the mighty hosts of God's elect have ever dabbled in the modern missionary operations. This charge will regard as a slander on the election of grace. It requires proof more potent than mere assertion than any real Christian has ever been engaged as a modern missionary under direction and pay. of the. President, directors, and company of any of their unscriptural religious organizations. And if there had been any of God's ministers. Thus left to go in the way of Cain, to establish a false system of religion, and to run greedily after the error of Balaam for a reward, it would be harder still to prove that they could, in such a pursuit, been actuated by the spirit which distinguished the apostles of the Lamb of God.
7. The writer inquires. But is it not painfully evident that the church and the ministry are now widely different from the church and Ministry of Primitive times? If by the church he means the den of Antichrist to which he stands connected, and by the ministry, those modern seminary fops. Which are now swarming our country. We admit the contrast is this great as language can express, the extremes of heaven and hell can scarcely be more widely apart. The true church itself is far behind the primitive standard of purity in a doctrine in order observed. But the false church is now, as it ever has been, the very opposite of the Church of God.
8. The vain supposition with which the writer has finished his article is designed to work on the animal passions of the weak and simple. To induce them to give more liberally to support the speculating schemes of the religious stock jobbers of the present age. The article winds up, like all others of the kind, in the language of the two daughters of the horse Leech. Give! Give!!
2. It is equally untrue that the Lord God our savior made the ministers of the Gospel the instruments of carrying out the great plan of redemption. This assertion implies that Christ did not finish and complete the work of redemption in his one person when he gave himself a ransom for his people. Then he left some part of that work incomplete. And depending on the devotion and fidelity of men, whether it should ever be completed or not. It assigns to our adorable Lord. Only a cooperative place in the work of redemption. He is represented as having undertaken the business, done what he could, and entrusted the grand ultimatum of the whole plan to men. If this view of the subject admits to any extent that Christ is the alpha of redemption, it certainly denies that he is the Omega and leaves him at the best but half a Savior. To record with this absurd notion of redemption, the inspired writers should have included ministers with Christ, and instead of saying of him in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, et cetera, they should have said. In Christ and his ministers, we may have redemption. Christ and the preachers are of God made, or rather may be made, unto anybody or nobody, as the case may prove. Wisdom, righteousness, sanctification. Redemption. And instead of so frequently referring to the Redeemer, they should have reference to the Redeemers. Is there any breach of charity to say that all who deny, directly or indirectly, that Jesus Christ is the full, perfect, and complete Redeemer of his people are aliens to God and strangers to the spirit of the Gospel of Christ? But.
The assertion of the writer that Christ has entrusted the destiny of the world of souls. To them, the primitive or modern preachers is a falsehood sufficiently base and presumptuous to make the very devils blush. All who know God humbly acknowledged that he alone holds the destiny of all beings, worlds, and events in his own almighty hand, so that not a Sparrow can fall nor a hair of our head come to the ground without him. Christ has assured his people that he gives to his sheep eternal life. And they shall never perish. Neither show any plucked them out of his hand. His father, who gave them him is greater than all, and none can pluck them out of his father's hand, and he and his father are one. But in the article under consideration, the writer has vainly attempted to pick them out of the hand of God. The father and the son, and placed him in the hands of men. However absurd and unscriptural this heresy may sound to those who know and fear the Lord. It is the very principle on which the whole machinery of modern missionary operations are hinged. Nothing has ever been regarded by mission ESTs of our age more than. Antagonistically to their schemes and success, then the doctrine of the finished work of redemption and salvation of all the elect of God by and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor had the powers of darkness ever hit upon anything so well adapted to their purpose in drawing men and money to their aid in building up Antichrist, as the doctrines of men which represent our Lord as being dependent on men to finish the work of redemption and salvation. How would it sadden the heart of every true worshipper of the living God? Could he be made to believe that the carrying out of his plan of redemption depended on men, however good, and that the men mediator instead of securing the destiny of his people? Had returned to heaven and entrusted the destiny of their souls to the fidelity of his disciples.4. It is also untrue that the apostles and primitive disciples, in obedience to Christ, committed the unfinished work of redemption to faithful men. For Christ had never given them any such command, neither did they know anything about an unfinished redemption themselves.
5. We will not dispute. That the wide world is waiting to receive such a gospel as this rider would represent the Gospel of Christ to be. But that there is a Commission from Jesus Christ to the men of this 19th century, either in the church or out of it, to finish the work of redemption, we deny. And we challenged the writer or adopted sire J. L. Waller. Or any other advocate of the doctrine to establish the assertion by anything that God has said in the scriptures.
6. We would thank the writer of this assertion to prove to us that any of the mighty hosts of God's elect have ever dabbled in the modern missionary operations. This charge will regard as a slander on the election of grace. It requires proof more potent than mere assertion than any real Christian has ever been engaged as a modern missionary under direction and pay. of the. President, directors, and company of any of their unscriptural religious organizations. And if there had been any of God's ministers. Thus left to go in the way of Cain, to establish a false system of religion, and to run greedily after the error of Balaam for a reward, it would be harder still to prove that they could, in such a pursuit, been actuated by the spirit which distinguished the apostles of the Lamb of God.
7. The writer inquires. But is it not painfully evident that the church and the ministry are now widely different from the church and Ministry of Primitive times? If by the church he means the den of Antichrist to which he stands connected, and by the ministry, those modern seminary fops. Which are now swarming our country. We admit the contrast is this great as language can express, the extremes of heaven and hell can scarcely be more widely apart. The true church itself is far behind the primitive standard of purity in a doctrine in order observed. But the false church is now, as it ever has been, the very opposite of the Church of God.
8. The vain supposition with which the writer has finished his article is designed to work on the animal passions of the weak and simple. To induce them to give more liberally to support the speculating schemes of the religious stock jobbers of the present age. The article winds up, like all others of the kind, in the language of the two daughters of the horse Leech. Give! Give!!
Gilbert Beebe,
January 1, 1851
Signs of the Times
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