FALSE DOCTRINE, DEVILS & FALSE SYSTEMS (Flint)

FOR THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

Butler, County, Ohio
Feb. 10, 1835.

ELDER BEEBE: Having been a subscriber and a faithful reader of the second volume of the Signs of the Times, I have found them to support, maintain, and defend the doctrine of the Gospel as it was first delivered to the saints, and as such, I can recommend it to my Brethren. I cannot but view it as a publication of peculiar advantage to the Church of Christ, whose faith it is labouring to defend.

Amidst the many false systems and doctrines of men and devils, which like the smoke of the pit, is shrouding its millions in darkness, delusion, and death, I have witnessed the many slanderous invectives that the enemies of truth have vented both against your paper and those who patronize it; but notwithstanding all that has been or may be said against it or its friends, I feel willing and happy—should you think me worthy—to serve as an Agent for the same, as I prefer to suffer affliction with the Lord’s people, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of popular sin for a season. I have taken the liberty to receive the following new subscribers, who wish to commence with the first No’s. of the third volume.

There appears to be a general excitement among the Baptists in this section of the country, relative to Missionary enterprises, and appear to be much divided in sentiment. Although it has not as yet been made a bar of fellowship in any of our Churches, yet the Churches in general act like the Shulamite as a company of two armies; the Canaanite is still in the land. But I trust the time is not far distant when the Church shall be purged from these new inventions of men, and shall put on her beautiful garments, and those brethren that are now so bewitched with those modern systems that are passing so current under the false and imposing pretext of Benevolence, will be led to see the deceitful and fraudulent practices of those who call themselves Baptists and are not, but are deceivers and false teachers who privily bring in damnable heresies, and by their words and works, they deny the Lord that they profess has bought them, and so bring upon themselves swift destruction.

As it respects christian benevolence, I presume there is no christian that would knowingly oppose it; but when fraud and deceit is practised under the cloak of benevolence, there is no true friend to the cause of Christ, that has a knowledge of the fact, and sees his brethren falling a prey to these devouring agents of anti-christ, but what feels in duty bound to endeavor to remove the veil of hypocrisy, and expose to the public the diabolical workings of this priestcraft. I have been for some time past watching the movements of the missionary fraternity in silence, but at last I have been constrained as a faithful watchman of Zion to sound the alarm, which has secured to me, not popularity and wealth, but the frowns, hatred, and persecution of the advocates of the missionary craft. It is said that to oppose benevolence is to oppose the cause of God. I admit it, but still it remains to be proved that the modern missionary institutions are benevolent ones—until that is done, let them not accuse us of opposing benevolence. The Bible Society is generally ranked as first on the list of benevolent institutions by its advocates, and is thought to be the least objectionable; and indeed to give the Bible without note or comment is in itself a good thing, and is not what we object to; but a gift may be good and the giver evil, therefore it is the giver and not the gift that we are opposed to; we look upon the Society as an imposor imposing on the public.

In the first place, they send out their agents to beg money to enable them, as they say, to furnish the poor and destitute with Bibles, and after they have got all the money they can get by begging, they then bring on their Bibles, and send their runners to distribute them; but alas, the poor and destitute! Those whom the fair pretences of the Bible Society had encouraged to expect Bibles free are sadly disappointed. So Benevolent are these society men, that they must sell their Bibles for as much as they can be purchased in Book Stores, and if they chance to give away one of their Bibles, it is sounded like the pharisees of old, for a trumpet in order to get more money; and thus they impose on the people and rob the poor to fill the pockets of the rich. If this is Christian benevolence, I must confess I have always had the wrong Book to teach it; my Bible teaches quite the reverse, it says, freely ye have received freely give; the Bible Society says, freely ye have received, freely sell. The Bible says, the love of money is the root of all evil. The Society says (by their acts) the love of money is the purest of all benevolence. The Bible says, from such as suppose gain to be godliness, so we should turn away; the Bible Society says, from such as do not believe gain to be godliness, turn away and represent them as enemies to benevolence, &c.

I will add a few remarks on the Missionary Society relative to sending out the gospel, as they say, throughout the earth to evangelize the world, and then close. This institution is like all other impostors, it makes a fair pretence, but when its fair veil is taken away it looks like its author; and when it is compared with the ancient Missionary Society set up at Jerusalem, it is easy to discern whether it is from heaven or of men. It is directly opposite to that in every feature: 1st, in sending out their preachers, the first were sent without purse or scrip, or two coats; but the missionary must have his purse well filled, as many coats as he can get, and other necessary equipment for his journey. The ancient missionaries were forbidden to lay up treasure on earth or set their affections upon, but the modern missionary counts it his main dependence for support, and is not ashamed to equalize it with the blood of Christ. 2nd, In their manner of preaching, the ancient preachers preached the gospel for Christ’s sake; the modern missionary preaches himself for money’s sake. The ancient preachers counted themselves debtors to the people to preach the gospel unto them; but the modern missionaries count the people debtors to them for permitting the gospel unto them, and thus they call upon them to give up their gold and their goods to them as a just debt. 3rd, In the doctrine they preach, the ancient missionaries preached salvation by grace, the modern by works; the ancient preached redemption through the blood and righteousness of Christ, the modern preaches it through the blood of Christ, compounded with gold and silver, ear-rings, nose-bobs, and a thousand other corruptible things unknown to the primitive missionaries.

Yours, in Gospel Bonds,
JOSEPH J. FLINT.