NEW SCHOOL LETTER ATTACKS OLD SCHOOL BAPTISTS

The attacks on Old School Baptists have not changed over time - ed.

Newley's Cross Roads, Dec. 31,1835.

SIR: - It becomes my duty, having the distribution of the Rock Mill mails, to say to you, that there is no such man as Wm. B. Jones, he having gone home some time since. As I have given the “Signs of the Times” a passing notice, and. knowing what you believe, as also all the Old School in this quarter, so-called, and professing myself to be a Baptist, I will trouble you with a few texts, which may be of service, if you are not hostile to the truths of Jesus. Before I quote them, I beg to leave to remark, that you suppose yourself persecuted by the New School Baptists; which is not so; you persecute yourself, by not preaching as Jesus and his apostles preached; and you are railing at those who are the true followers of Jesus - the Baptist people - for I never did believe any were true, but those baptized by immersion. But have you not the spirit of those apostles who were willing to call fire from heaven, as Elias did, and consume a multitude and for which they received a strong rebuke from Jesus? Any man would believe that Paul was chosen in Christ before the world began, according to his writings to the Ephesians; but in another book Paul says, Aquila and Andronicus were in Christ before he was. Christ tasted death for every man and is a propitiation for the sins of the whole world. And Paul says, there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; and he further adds, that he had labored more than all the apostles, that he might save some. Paul says, that God commandeth all men everywhere to repent, and if they do not repent, they must be damned. The tower of Siloam fell upon those who did not repent. Jesus told the people to repent and come to him for life. He also says, If any man hears my words and believe not, I judge him not; for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

I fear preachers will have trouble upon trouble, who preach not the whole gospel, and read it as it is written; but must see, and clearly see a chance for salvation through Christ, unless he has committed the unpardonable sin. God loves mankind - and if He did not love them he would not afford them life; for in Him we both live and have our being. Man was made after his image, and is blessed above all his creatures. And Paul says, Christ is in all, except we are reprobates. We are also told, that no man speaking by the Holy Ghost, calleth Jesus accursed. I have heard hundreds. say our Savior, who had never made a profession of religion, but was a really good man. I have gone perhaps further than my limits permit, and with such stuff as you are not willing to believe, although it is the truth. I want Old School and New School Baptists to be one people.

Yours, with respect, 

POLLARD NEWLEY.

The following letter from a New School Baptist in Virginia may serve as a specimen of the spirit, as well as doctrinal orthodoxy, depth of thought, and knowledge of scripture, characteristic of many of those with whom we have to do. Mr. Newly is probably a disciple of the famous Wm. F. Broadus; and, for his information, we will assure him that we are not hostile to the truth of Jesus; but we find a great discrepancy between the truth of that high character and the pretended truths of Newly.

We would gladly express some gratitude to our sapient informant, for his assurance that we are mistaken in thinking ourselves persecuted by the New School, were it not for our skepticism in regard to the truth of his assertion - he may be mistaken. As to the implied charge of our having the spirit of the apostles when they erred, we shall only say, that we wish no harm to any one of the human family; and have uniformly disclaimed the idea of defending our faith by any other instrumentality than that of “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon;” or in other words, by those weapons which are not carnal, but spiritual, and mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. The apparent paradox in the doctrine published by the great apostle to the Gentiles is perfect harmony to the Old School of our Lord Jesus Christ; to them, it is by no means hard to conceive, that although Paul, and all the election of grace, were chosen in Christ before the world began, that in the gathering together in one, all that are in him, some are baptized into his mystical body earlier than others are.

As to the other passages referred to, we have seen them before; and we believe if Mr. Newly should ever be blessed with a ray of light from above, he will be willing to quote the scriptures as they read, and no longer wish, by disjointing, perverting, misapplying, and confounding different subjects together, to darken counsel by words without knowledge, or to handle the word of God deceitfully. True, the Great Captain of our salvation by the grace of God - not by the works of men, tasted death for every man, or son; “For it became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through suffering.” Is Christ the captain of the salvation of those who are finally damned? If not, every man here spoken of has exclusive reference to the sons.

That our Lord Jesus is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world shows that his propitiatory sacrifice was not confined to the Jews, but embraced them which are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. We conclude that if the labors of Paul had been applied to our correspondent, his efforts would have been salutary in saving him from his Arminian delusion. We are acquainted with the words spoken by Paul at Mars’ Hill; but the words connected therewith, appear to be a kind of appendix by our correspondent, for his own convenience; as we have never met with anything of the kind in the scriptures of truth. We were never before in possession of the fact, that the tower of Siloam fell upon those who did not repent. Our Lord has told us that it was not because they were sinners above others; but Mr. N. is of a different opinion, it would seem.

The next quotation: “Jesus told the people to repent and come to him for life.” We would thank our friend for informing us when and where Jesus spoke these words. The balance of the quotations shows for themselves a lamentable want of bible knowledge. It is true, like the Pharisees of whom Paul bore record, he has plenty of zeal, but not according to knowledge. Had Mr. N. closed his epistle without attempting to support New Schoolism by the scriptures, his letter would have been passed by in silence; but our opponents so rarely attempt to sustain their dogmas by the scriptures, we have considered the present worthy of some special attention.

Elder Gilbert Beebe

NEW VERNON, N. Y., January 29,1836.
Elder Gilbert Beebe Editorials Volume 1 Pages 279 – 282