"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."— Col., ii, 8.
It is very essential that the churches heed this important admonition of the eminent Apostle, because of the evident danger of being thus "spoiled." The Lord has commanded His children to come out from among the world and be separate, promising to receive them as obedient children and to be a Father unto them.
It is impossible for them to pattern after the institutions of the world, and remain a separate and peculiar people. I wish to give some attention to modern "philosophy and vain deceit" by which men seek "to spoil" the church of Christ. It is claimed by Arminians that the Sabbath School is essential to the upbuilding and perpetuity of their churches. This I am not disposed to dispute, for worldly means are certainly essential to the maintenance of worldly institutions. No one can claim that the Bible teaches that the church must or should conduct a Sabbath School as her auxiliary. In fact, such an institution is not once mentioned. But here is some of the philosophy by which it is sought to spoil the church:
1. Other churches need a Sabbath School, and find that institution beneficial in gathering members; therefore may not the Baptist Church reap good results from a similar source? I answer, no, because the church, the only peculiar one, would then cease to be peculiar. Besides, under the new covenant, they shall not teach every man his neighbor and brother to know the Lord, for all His shall know Him, being taught of Him.
2. Children of Baptist parents attend Sabbath Schools, and are thereby enticed into the churches of which such schools are nurseries; hence, would it not be better to have a similar school to prevent these so-called churches from surpassing us? Then, I answer, whenever any new thing is invented by Arminians, Baptists should follow in the wake, to prevent being outdone by them: A far better remedy is to keep the children from these poisonous resorts where error predominates.
3. But it is urged that it would be far better for our children to be at Sabbath School than to be wandering along the streams and strolling through the woods on Sunday. It is certainly wrong to bring up our children in this way; but it is worse, in my opinion, to allow them to be taught errors respecting the Bible, for early impressions are not easily eradicated.
4. Some say that if we refuse to practice this popular custom because Arminians practice it, we should, for the same reason, refuse to hold meetings, have houses of worship, etc. Now we cannot prevent others from imitating us, but we can avoid imitating them. In holding public services they are following after us, for we can prove that Baptists held such services before any other church existed but when we practice anything invented by men since the setting up of the church by our Saviour, we are imitating the institutions of the world. The foregoing "rudiments" may be similarly used about theological schools, publishing houses, tract societies, etc.
Oh, dear brethren, let us contend for the faith once delivered to the saints, and strive to walk in the "old paths." Let us watch over each other for love and good works, withdrawing ourselves, if necessary, from all such as walking disorderly by conforming to the above-mentioned and other institutions of the world. Do we not know that anything which strives to save souls from hell, strives to rob Jesus of the glory of such work?
Since the Bible furnishes the man of God unto all good works, is it not, therefore, evident that any work, purporting to be a religious work, which is not mentioned in the Bible, is not a good work? The dear inspired volume teaches us all we ought to believe, and all we ought to do religiously. If we do what it tells us to do, we will have no time for anything else — no time to give attention to publishing houses or 'Sabbath schools. May God bless Zion, and cause the inhabitants thereof to rejoice, is the sincere prayer of one of the least.
John E. Daily.
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