Our sister church, Mars Hill, Hoboken, has adopted full-time meetings and formal Bible studies, giving rise to wounded feelings among our fellowship. We wish to record our reasons for opposing these new things and the measures we propose to take in regard to them. Empire sent Mars Hill a letter stating our reasons for protesting the adoption of full-time meetings. We will here confine ourselves to the question of formal Bible Studies.
We wish to be distinctly understood that we recommend the reading of the Holy Scriptures to all and sundry without reserve. We believe that the reading of the Scriptures has been used of God to awaken and feed His elect, and that He imparts to them a hunger and thirst for His Word. We further believe that the people of God delight to speak to one another of the spiritual treasures they find in the Word of God.
We feel, however, that formal Bible Studies (so-called), after the manner of the Arminians, held week after week at a stated time, where the Bible is discussed and dissected with the tools of carnal reason as if it were the mere textbook of a human science, are a grave departure from the spiritual manner in which Old Baptists desire to worship. We feel such practices smack of burdensome duty and legal bondage, and give the appearance of going “after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them” (II Kings 17:15)
Some think formal Bible studies are beneficial to the young, but often such tiresome regimentation sours children on worship and the Scriptures. A child growing up in a home where the Scriptures are truly loved and revered will not have to attend a special meeting to hear the Word quoted and expounded. Nor do we expect that the truth as it is in Jesus will long abide in such institutions founded on worldly wisdom.
We know that a substantial number at Mars Hill oppose these new things, and we welcome them to all the privileges of Empire Church. We declare our non-fellowship with the practices of full-time meetings and formal Arminian-style Bible studies among our immediate affiliation. We are willing to somewhat look over these things among our indirect connections where they are of long standing and not disruptive of fellowship.
We feel, however, that formal Bible Studies (so-called), after the manner of the Arminians, held week after week at a stated time, where the Bible is discussed and dissected with the tools of carnal reason as if it were the mere textbook of a human science, are a grave departure from the spiritual manner in which Old Baptists desire to worship. We feel such practices smack of burdensome duty and legal bondage, and give the appearance of going “after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them” (II Kings 17:15)
Some think formal Bible studies are beneficial to the young, but often such tiresome regimentation sours children on worship and the Scriptures. A child growing up in a home where the Scriptures are truly loved and revered will not have to attend a special meeting to hear the Word quoted and expounded. Nor do we expect that the truth as it is in Jesus will long abide in such institutions founded on worldly wisdom.
We know that a substantial number at Mars Hill oppose these new things, and we welcome them to all the privileges of Empire Church. We declare our non-fellowship with the practices of full-time meetings and formal Arminian-style Bible studies among our immediate affiliation. We are willing to somewhat look over these things among our indirect connections where they are of long standing and not disruptive of fellowship.
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