THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY OR ELDER ROGER W.E. BROWN

[Here we have the testimony of a pastor, who came to realize the errors of the group he was with, and dared to risk his livelihood to follow the dictates of his heart and mind. We list two excerpts from the Signs of the Times issue of January 1, 1850- ed]

Our Travelling Agent

Brother Roger W.E. Brown, late an ordained minister among the New School Baptists, whose letter of withdrawal from that order is commenced on the first page of this paper, has united with the Old School Baptist Church in New Vernon, on profession of faith; and having made arrangements with us for the purpose, has already set out, by packet for the State of Georgia, to procure subscribers for the Signs of the Times.  He will probably spend a few weeks in Georgia and then pass into some other of the Southern States.  We commend him to the kind regards of our brethren, and the churches, and associations of our order; and earnestly desire that his journey may not only prove beneficial to his health, which is at present imperfect but also edifying and profitable to the dear saints among who he may sojourn.  [Here we include the letter Elder Brown wrote to his church, the then pastor of North Baptist church, which was later renamed First Baptist Church of Randolph Mass. - ed.]

A Copy of the Letter Written by Elder Roger Williams E. Brown to the New School Baptist Church of Which He Was Late A Member and Pastor

It is now more than twenty-one years since I became a member of the Baptist church, and during the last nine years, I have been a minister in that denomination.  At the time of my connection with the church, I believed the faith and practice of this professed body of Christ to be in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Word of God, being founded upon the prophets and apostles, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.  Since which time, however, I have, with many others, been grieved to witness the gradual introduction of error, both in faith and practice, so that I have been, and am now, as a body, what they formerly were, but have widely departed from the faith and simplicity of the gospel of Christ.  My recent experience of more than one year as Pastor of one of the larger and more prominent and wealthy churches of the denomination, together with the scenes of trial and persecution through with the scenes of trial and persecution through which I have been lately called to pass, and which have already well nigh brought my soul and body down to the very confines of the grave, have at last compelled me to believe that the prevailing ministry and churches of the Baptist denomination, popularly so called, are not the servants of Christ or the bodies which are governed by the laws of his kingdom.

In thus declaring non-fellowship with the ministry and churches of the modern Baptist denomination, I would not be understood as expressing the belief that there are not those in the ministry and churches whom the great Head of the church has set apart to the work, or who are subjects of his spiritual kingdom, purchased and redeemed by the precious blood of Christ.  It is believed however that they have become entangled with the yoke of bondage and that they do not truly rejoice in the liberty wherewith Christ makes his people free.  And this they would openly acknowledge if it were not that their character and reputation would be in jeopardy, therefore.  My own personal observation and experience, however, have convinced me, as before observed, that the churches and ministry have departed from the faith and simplicity of the gospel; and such being the honest and sincere conviction of my own mind, after much prayerful and serious examination of the word of God, I must, however painful and self-denying the step, hereby formally withdraw my membership from the church and from the ministry, and inform you that I shall not hereafter consider myself in any wise connected with the Baptist church, ministry, or denomination, as it is now popularly known of understood.  My reasons for this step, among others which might be named, are as follows:

Because men are now set apart to the work of the ministry without even a pretension to a special call from the great Head of the church.

Because ministers who have not enjoyed superior worldly advantages or literary qualifications, but who have nevertheless been greatly blessed of God in the work of the ministry, are now generally but lightly esteemed and crowded aside to make room for those who have not called of God but have merely received the literary honors of a college merely received the literary honors of a college or the diploma of a theological seminary.

Because professed ministers thus uncalled by the Spirit have had no dispensation of the gospel committed to them, but are rather such as teach for doctrines the commandments of men.

Because churches under the influence of such a ministry must and will depart from the gospel of Christ both in faith and practice.

Because many schemes and inventions of merely human origin have been sought out and introduced into the churches which are nowhere authorized by the word of God but are contrary thereto both in nature and spirit.

Because the discipline of the churches has been corrupted and made to subserve a worldly and mercenary spirit, granting undue advantage to the more wealthy and influential, and ruling the poor and more humble members with a rod of iron.

Because under the influence of such a ministry, as now so generally prevails, individuals are received as candidates for believers' baptism and church membership who not only express their dissent from the articles of faith, but who do not relate a Christian experience, or ever so much as pretend to do so.

Because churches have thereby become filled with ungodly members, who are entire strangers to the power of divine grace and are yet dead in trespasses and in since and in the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity, by whom a corrupt influence is exerted in the embarrassment and defeat of the wholesome and salutary administration of church discipline.

Because the distinguishing truths of the gospel are not now plainly and faithfully preached in their fullness and purity, but the more discriminating and prominent are but likely more than obscurely hinted at, thereby designedly and purposely perverting the gospel of Christ, and preaching in its stead what is not the gospel of the grace of God, but another gospel.

Because the article of faith, as a professed summary of doctrine and practice, have within the beginning of the present century, been essentially changed and modified, and are no longer a faithful and impartial declaration of revealed truth.

Because conventions, associations, councils, ministerial conferences, and other professedly religious institutions are of human origin and invention, and, as at present conducted, they greatly interfere with and impair the independence of churches, both in faith and practice.

Because, in fine, the character of the preaching which now so extensively prevails in the churches is Arminian; from which the plain truths of the gospel of the grace of God are designedly withheld and discarded, consisting principally of little more than an apparently practical morality, thereby, in its tendency, encouraging, and cherishing pharisaism and hypocrisy, and building up and festering a religious aristocracy composed of wealth and secular influence, the direct composed of wealth and secular influence, the direct tendency of which is to subvert the gospel of Christ and to substitute instead thereof another gospel more congenial to the depraved state of the unregenerate and to the spirit of worldly popularity - all which is enmity with God and at war with the gospel of his Son.

These, in brief, are some of the reasons, among others of a similar nature, which have convinced me, as before remarked, that the ministry and churches have departed from the faith and simplicity of the gospel; and such departures are allowed and tolerated in the churches, although in the beginning, it was not so.  For years, however, I have been vainly hoping there would ere long be a reform in these respects, but my own recent experience has convinced me that the evil so generally pervaded the entire mass as to preclude all reason for hope - and thus I am compelled to withdraw from the ministry and membership of the Baptist church as is now popularly called.  I shall not however thereby yield my position as a professed believer in the Baptist faith, as such; and would still humbly acknowledge my belief in those sentiments and principles which so eminently distinguished the Baptist denomination in this country during the earlier period of its history.  Since that time, however, a great and deplorable change has taken place, so that the evil consequences which the earlier fathers of the Baptist cause so confidently that predicted and feared are now more than realized.  Large and powerful moneyed institutions, for the purpose of converting souls and otherwise promoting the cause of Him whose kingdom is not of this world, have been established.  

Thousands upon thousands are annually lavished upon that professed minister of the cross, the officers, subordinates, and employers, whose well-paid agency is required in the collection of funds for carrying out the avowed purpose of their professed religious establishments, whose very life, and soul and existence is money and money continually.  And thus the thousands of dollars which are annually abstracted from the hard earnings of the industrious and toiling portion of the churches have been yearly expended upon the officers and agents of those societies in salaries of six, eight, ten, and even twelve hundred dollars per annum each!  And yet while so much sympathy and benevolence have been displayed for the conversion of the heathen and the support of well-fed, well-clothes and well-cared-for salaried secretaries and agents, the unfortunate, humble suffering poor of the churches have been denied even the stinted allowance necessary for their comfortable support and have been driven away into the alms-houses and poor-houses of the land, or have been otherwise thrust out upon the cold charities of the world!  And yet costly and expensive houses for worship have been erected.  Ministers and churches have become attractive and popular.  They speak according to the world and the world hears them and follows them.  The plain and discriminating and humbling truths of the gospel are no longer distinctly and prominently held forth by professed ministers of the cross.  The discipline of the churched has declined, and in many instances it has already become inefficient and powerless or has otherwise become subservient to mere secular or worldly policy,  The standard of Christian character and morality even has been lowered down to a most degraded and revolting level - Christian fellowship and brotherly love have become a mere name, and no longer distinguish the professed members of the family of Christ.

In exchange however for these inestimable traits of Christian character which as truly meet and lowly Jesus, what has been gained?  Alas let the present lamentable state and condition of the churches answer!  "ICHABOD," in plain, indelible, and living characters is already evidently written upon the walls of this professedly spiritual Zion!  Already the power of godlessness has well nigh entirely departed, and the form also in not a few instances is about to make its final exit.  Oh, is it yet to appear more clearly manifest to the people of God that the fearful sentence has already been pronounced and the doom sealed - Mene, mene, tekel,, upharsin?  But the end is not yet.  A darker and yet colder season is still in the not-too-distant future.  The churches as a body do not lack members, wealth, worldly influence, or humanly devised religious institutions, and popular ministry.  They have all these, and will never give them up, neither will those elements or spiritual decay cease their evil work until their corrupting influence has infused itself through the entire denomination.  It is not simply that the holy and blessed influence of the neglected and dishonored but life-giving SPIRIT is now withheld, but the churches are already filled to an alarming extent with unregenerate, worldly, and corrupt members whose very existence within the bosom of the church must and will inevitably spread a blasting, blighting mildew, and withering death over all that is fair and beautiful and lovely in Zion.  And should popular churches and ministry,. who now have an exercise a prevailing influence over the Baptist denomination, as it is now called, continue to go on in their cause of worldliness and secular prosperity, as they have within the last few years, or since the new order of things has been so extensively introduced, it will require no prophetic eye to foresee that churches will soon become so confirmed and amalgamated with the world as not only to virtually lose their distinctive identity but even their own professed visibility.  And this mystery of iniquity is now at work and will continue to work.  When the leaven of corruption has once fairly entered the bosom of the church, its influence will never grow less, until its unholy, cruel, vindictive, and persecuting work has been accomplished; neither is it in the nature of things that a corrupt church or ministry will ever be restored to an incorruptible or spiritually sound and healthy state.

With these views, therefore, and the painful conviction of my own mind in respect to the present state of the ministry and churches, I must, as a professed disciple of Christ, however unworthy, declare non-fellowship with the new schemes and inventions and doctrines and commandments of men which now so extensively prevail in the modern Baptist churches, which are but the unfruitful works of darkness, and should be reproved by all who seek the old paths and who would earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints.  For this step I expect to have my name cast out as evil; but in every persecution and trial and reproach which I called to suffer for bearing my feeble testimony in behalf of Christ and his truth, I would count it all joy, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the despised people of God than to enjoy the applause and popularity of the enemies of the gospel for a season, esteeming the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of the kingdoms of this world or the glory of them.

In withdrawing from a denomination with which my earliest religious associations and sympathies have been so long and intimately connected, and formally separating myself from the communion and fellowship of those among of those among people with whom I have so often taken so sweet counsel together, and whom I must esteem as the honored servants of the cross and partakers of the common salvation, I feel it to be one of the most painful and self-denying acts of my life, thus to severs a relationship which was once so tender and endearing.  It is not, however, because I love them less; but, as I would humble trust, it is because of the attachment which I entertain towards the institutions, ordinances, and truth of Him who alone, is King in Zion.

I can indeed truly sympathize with their anxieties and fears, and would fervently hope they may yet speedily be delivered from all spiritual bondage, and once more rejoice in the liberty of Christ.  But delivered from the corruption of the gospel and the unholy and oppressive influence which evil men and seducers from the truth are now exerting inducers the denomination can never be experienced while going in the way of Cain and running greedily after the error of Balaam for reward.  The people of God are commanded to renounce the hidden things of dishonesty and to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness; but rather reprove them; being assured by the word of Him who cannot lie, that evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.  And such is the testimony of the holy word of God, which is, as. a light that shines in a dark place.  In obedience therefore to the teaching of that word and my own convictions of duty, I herewith communicate this letter of withdrawal and declare myself henceforth no longer in connection with the New Order of Baptists as they are popularly known and understood.

RWE Brown
Brunswick, Maine, November 14, 1849