A Circular Letter. Of the Fifty-sixth Anniversary of the REDSTONE BAPTIST ASSOCIATION, Convened at Meadow-Run Meeting House, Greene County, Pennsylvania, September 4, 5, and 6, 1835.

 A Circular Letter.

Of the Fifty-sixth Anniversary of the REDSTONE BAPTIST ASSOCIATION, Convened at Meadow-Run Meeting House, Greene County, Pennsylvania, September 4, 5, and 6, 1835.

BRETHREN:—WE press upon your attention the apostolic exhortation, “Contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints.” Jude, 3. The followers of Christ have been tried in every age. The spirit of the world, and the spirit of the Gospel, have always been at variance with each other; the conflict has been maintained on different grounds; force or fraud have been resorted to by worldly men, as either seemed to promise success. The season for fire, sword, and imprisonment has passed away: the wolf now has on the skin of the lamb, and words of love are the bait to subvert the faithful. Appeals are now made to the amiable weaknesses and vitiated passions of good men, and we fear with too much success. It is to be feared that the Apostolic simplicity of the former generation of Baptists is very much on the decline; that we are approximating too much to the world, and courting its favor. Under the pretence of removing excrescences, &c. touching the externals of bigotry and party zeal, the very life of the Covenant of God is assailed in her doctrine. A real Gospel sermon is at present a rare thing; one deeply versed in the Gospel must look upon such a gratification as a Christmas dinner, not a common meal. The Owens, Charnock’s, Hammond’s, and Gill’s, of the past century; and the Edwards’, Whitefield’s, Morgan’s, and Jones of the present are all out of fashion; the sickly stomachs of many of the people will not bear such gross food. Paul’s divine sovereignty cannot for a moment be tolerated, but James, for the supposed defence of justification by works, is extremely popular. The churches may indeed swell their numbers by this new mode, but the growth is the corpulence of disease. Prospering with God’s truth may indeed by this obtain the countenance of the wealthy, handsome houses, more money, have books more costly and gaudy; but for those paltry things will have surrendered the precious Gospel of Christ—worldly men will pay largely for being flattered, but not one cent for honesty and truth. The aim of the spirit of the world at present seems to be, so to modify the Christian system by the change of its doctrines and ordinances, that the world should be reconciled to it, and a coalition formed; gain and popularity are the bounty by which splendid talents are enlisted to effect the object, but the subversion of the spirituality of the Church of God is the end to be effected. Under the pretence of banishing bigotry and a narrow spirit, all that was held precious in the better times of the Church is set at naught, and “liberality” and “good feelings” are the hackneyed terms of the day.—Every thing must give way, doctrine and ordinances must be trampled by him that aspires to public favour; if this is refused, honesty and firmness are deemed criminal in the party adhering. The popular cry from the pulpit and the press mark the spirit of the times, thus: “All Christians should unite.” “What about the people of God be kept apart for such little things?” “It matters not what matters, or what he believes.” “If a man’s life be but good, it is of little consequence what religious sentiment he entertains.”

For modes and forms, let senseless bigots fight,
He can’t be wrong whose life is in the right.—Pope.

“Let doctrine alone, give us practical discourses,” said a late preacher; “the savage beating with a stick on an idol for worship, is as acceptable to God as the Christian worship through Jesus Christ.” Thus do liberal professors, whose philanthropy is as scriptural as the sceptical authors.

Father of all, in every age and every clime ador’d;
By saint, by savage, or by sage, Jehovah, Jove, or Lord.

These sayings sound well; they have the semblance of the dove, the lamb; closely examine them, and they betray the secret enemy of your holy religion, an enemy within the camp watching an opportunity to throw open the gates to the foe: they are designed to enlist the worst feelings of the Christian in the denouncing of the divine standard. A short investigation of these dangerous notions is our present business. By the terms “Church of God, Christians, people of God,” are intended all who make a profession without regard to their religious principles. Then Arians, Socinians, and Universalists are to be acknowledged as brethren; are to be admitted to the Lord’s table by such as either their principles, we are to consider these differences of opinion as of no moment, and not at all displeasing to God. Doctrines and ordinances are termed little things; it is scarcely worth our while whether the Lord is believed or denied, his honor, his authority, are all to give way for feelings. It is impossible to conceive of a more wicked abuse of words. According to these, the bigot is one who cannot take the liberty to trifle with the doctrine and ordinances of the Gospel; one who cannot be persuaded or threatened into the sin of disobedience, and who will not countenance such departure in others. A man who consults his interest, his ease,—one that shuns his cross, that courts the rich and seeks public favour by the most shameful departure from the word of God, is the honest man. He that admits all religions, all opinions, however conflicting with one another and the word of God, or however pernicious in their effects, are equally good, is liberal. He that bears contempt, poverty, persecution for the truth’s sake, is senseless, a fool. They that despise Jesus, deny the word of God, act upon human reason as the only safe guide, may exalt the institutions, are to be admitted as good Christians, friends of Jesus; and he who questions this is a senseless bigot, a fool, an illiberal man, a disturber of the Church of Christ. They that place Pagan & Christian worship, Confucius, and Christ on a level are the wise men. Some points will now be taken of terms deemed unacceptable, and obtained to some degree among ourselves. “Little things”—the term is most offensive in the face of the professed friend of Jehovah! That some opinions are less pernicious than others is readily admitted, yet all things are great and important that carry the stamp of divine authority. Nothing is little that comes from God; every offence is great that contravenes the commands or declarations of the Most High. “Give us practice, not opinion.” Opinion is practice as well as external action; it is the practice of the mind. While it has extended the peaceable means only to God, Christians have nothing to do with it, but when expressed, it has the same pernicious effect that wrong exercises of actions have, both corrupt society and seriously injure it. If he hates, that lessens the community safety from the laws of society by his actions, so he is vile that by his expressed sentiments corrupts the minds of his fellow men. “Dry doctrine.” The words contain an insinuation that the stating and illustrating of the truths of the Bible have no salutary influence on the mind, nay, rather damp religious ardor. If so, it was really a thing to be regretted that they were ever the subject of revelation, or that some writings against the free use of them should not be found in the same book. But is it indeed true that the experiment of the gospel deteriorates from practical piety? Blaspersion! dreadful impiety! Let the exhortation hold fast the form of sound words, 2 Tim. i. 13, so be rooted and grounded in the faith, Col. ii. 15, be the answer to such insinuations. It is indeed admitted that the mere nominal professor has no heart for these things, and loves to be urged to duties he never performs; but the Christian finds nutriment to duty in his doctrine and strength to perform from their sanctified use; we may safely challenge a comparison as to active piety, between the lovers of gospel doctrine and their opposers.

However, men may feel themselves justified in making light of truth; the guilt or innocence of such a course must at last be determined by the importance attached to opinion or belief in the word of God, by the influence sentiment has on our practice, and by the conduct of holy men whom all profess to applaud. The scriptures determine the importance of belief or opinion, thus—“If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins, John viii. 24.” Sincerity does nothing for the party; it is enough that he believes not. “Ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep. John x. 26.” The very existence of true piety is here determined upon the belief; practice here will be of no avail. “He that believeth not the Son shall not see life. John iii. 36,” no matter what his zeal or holiness may be. “The sheep did not hear them, John x. 8. If it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect, Mat. xxiv. 24.” Then those that did hear them, false shepherds, were not the sheep, were not christians, and their hearing them was the evidence of it. If the elect cannot be deceived, others may, and their deceived state is also evidence of their not belonging to the number. “I stand in doubt of you, Gal. iv. 20. I am afraid of you, Gal. iv. 11.” Not on account of their immorality, for they cleaved to good works for justification, but for their erroneous principles on the subject of justification before God. The plain inference is that a gross departure from truth, unaccompanied by immorality, renders the religious character of the party suspicious. A denial of the resurrection, 2 Tim. ii. 18, is called an overthrow of the faith, and Hymeneus and Philetus, the authors of the heresy, are denounced, not excused and defended as harmless brethren. The spiritual and natural man are contrasted, 1 Cor. ii. 14, 15, and the receiving or not receiving the things of the spirit of God, not outward life, are made the test of religion. “An heretic reject after the first and second admonition, Tit. iii. 10.” Why this summary, this seeming rashness and precipitancy? Why not call his heresy, trifle, defend and palliate it? For the plain reason given, 2 Tim. ii. 17, for their word will eat like a canker. The knife must be applied so that the body does not suffer death. It is hoped that these few passages out of the many, and those not the strongest that might be produced, to shew what importance the inspired writers attached to principles, will serve as a beacon to the unwary. While departure in fundamental doctrine excludes all hopes of a man’s salvation, and also, indifference in things of less moment, betrays a want of the fear of God, and brings the standing of the person into doubt.

There must be some weighty reasons why error is so odious in the sight of God, and so destructive of men; the reasons are found in their practical influence. A rejection of any revealed truth is a denial of both the authority and wisdom of God. Men are not at liberty to set up their own notions. So jealous is Jehovah on this subject that he will not suffer men to contradict him, and go unpunished. If those left to the mere light of nature were without excuse, Rom. i. 20, how much more deplorable must their case be who err with the Bible in their hands? Can it be a light thing in man to set up his own reason against Jehovah’s positive declarations? Whether the words of scripture are denied, or the sense of them perverted by subtilty, it matters not; the result is the same. The world by wisdom knew not God, 1 Cor. i. 21. A revelation is sent to man in his bewildered state; the rebel refuses instruction, and either casts it from him in a rage, or sets himself seriously to pervert its meaning, rendering it doubtful and defeating the gracious design of the giver, yet calls this the liberal deed an innocent employment.

The importance of believing the truth may be shown from the connexion subsisting between sentiment and right actions, and the influence both have upon our present and future welfare. Actions are of two sorts, of the mind known only to God, and those of the body which are seen by men and produce their influence. Belief of certain propositions, whatever they may be, produces both these kinds of acts; those of the mind are always agreeable to the nature of the sentiment entertained, and are pernicious or useful accordingly. Thus, if I believe there is no God, all religious worship ceases, or if there is no object, as to me, of adoration, acts of worship in that case are a more useless profanation than worshipping stones upon others. If I believe sin has no existence in me, the necessity of repentance ceases; how can I be sorry for that which is not wrong or has no being? If I disbelieve the fall and consequent depravity of the mind, then I must admit that I was created with the corrupt tempers I feel, that they are agreeable to the nature of God, and that therefore he is not righteous and condemns me for nothing: from hence spring that the condemnation of scripture is baseless, every appetite is laudable, every evil indulgence and improvement would be acceptable to the creator. If I believe in the salvation of all men without respect to character or qualifications, then all care about my soul ceases; my actions are indifferent, and I have no other check upon my conduct than what the laws of society prescribe or what my interests require. Do I believe the prophets and apostles, though honest, were ignorant or uninformed men? My confidence in them cannot be based on their statements, which are at least doubtful. But with additional force, will this apply to the work of the spirit and the atonement of Christ? If the first is rejected, then all experimental religion is at an end; if the latter, no dependence can be placed on him.

False principles are pernicious as they affect others. Such principles may indeed be concealed; then this concealment alone prevents the injuries contemplated. If concealment is not resorted to and evils that affect the welfare of society do not follow, it is owing to society not being dependant on religious principles for its support, or to the kind of error propagated, thus: If the moral law is admitted but the gospel scheme denied, the civil rights of society will receive no shock, because the law makes the observance of the rights of society a part of obedience to God; but when accountability is denied, then society receives no succor from religion, but must rely upon itself for its safety and order. The law, however, may be retained while the gospel scheme is rejected; in this case, civil rights are not set aside, but interests of infinitely greater moment are jeopardized, and the belief propagated may, in the wide range of the community, be the destruction of countless numbers hereafter. What has been done by the apostles of error in this way must be left to eternity to disclose.

The importance of right belief is seen by the influence it has upon our worship. The worship we offer to God will always correspond with the views we entertain of him. Do we detach from him an attribute, do we ascribe to him a weakness or imperfection; then the homage done him will be accompanied with the presence of the one or the other. Our worship will correspond with our views of the Being we adore, and will rise or fall according to our conceptions of him, and will be acceptable to him or the reverse.—When the Jews lost sight of the omniscience of Jehovah, they honored him with their lips and lied to him with their tongues, Psalm lxxviii. 36. They despaired of support in the wilderness, it originated in their limiting the Holy One of Israel, Psalm lxxviii. 41. To what is ascribed the abominations of the Jews?—They thought he was altogether such an one as themselves, Psalm l. 21, and of course treated him accordingly. Whence the obscene rites of idolaters? Rom. i. 23, they first divested God of his perfections, they ascribed such passions to him as their own, from thence the transition was easy to ridiculous worship, yea to lewdness under the same.

THE influence of sentiment or belief on the passions or affections proves the importance of right principles. We will take, for instance, two points, the divinity and atonement of Christ, and the divinity & work of the Holy Ghost. The first point rejected throws the poor seeking man himself alone for acceptance; he is then reduced to the situation of the heathen, his acceptance is all conjecture, it may or may not be. If the character of God, awful in his justice, appears to him, in the same degree his imperfections will appear—what then becomes of hope? despair, absolute despair must ensue. If he is presumptuous enough to suppose his repentance an atonement for sin, where is gratitude?—Where to be found a foundation for it. Where humility?—it cannot exist. Where love?—It centres in himself. Self is the beginning and the end of that man’s religion. Poor heartless belief, no room is left for the display of forgiving mercy, the love of Christ is banished, the ecstatic pleasure and powerful motive it affords are all lost to the unhappy man as the fruit of his principles. The divine work of the spirit denied has precisely the same effect. If our belief is wrong, fear will rage when the soul should be calm and at rest. Joy will abound, where there is the utmost cause for sorrow. Our affections range over after a being of imaginary perfections, a god whom we have clothed with attributes in our desires, not indeed the true God but one, the creation of our fancy, or the offspring of our error.

EVERY error either sullies some prominent truth in the divine word or deranges the order of the church of God. If the divinity of Jesus is denied, so also is atonement. Is the divinity of the spirit called in question, so also is the work attributed to him. The denial of free will and its consequent doctrines set aside the doctrine of salvation by grace. Remove the sovereignty, then salvation is a right, not a favour of grace. Infant baptism and church membership must inevitably change the church of God, and instead of a spiritual make her a worldly body.

GOOD men of former ages, the martyrs who sealed their testimony with their blood, and have been admired in succeeding times for their holiness and constancy did not act on the liberal principles recommended. It will hardly be said that they suffered for their conduct or actions; such an aspersion would go to charge them with bad living, and justify their enemies in putting them to death. It was unquestionably for their opinion they suffered, for they yielded up their lives—on every instance where persons abjured they escaped punishment. They were right in this or they were not. If they were right in their rigid adherence to truth, while they valued their lives less than they did their doctrine; if they were justified in suffering the severest torments for the gospel of the Son of God, why then should those who act upon the same principles be the subjects of reproach and obloquy? Rev. xx. 4. Why blame that in the christians at present which is admired in those whose souls are crying from under the altar? Do indeed these pretendedly liberal reflect that they are severely censuring those holy men, or if not that, they are complimenting those they now blame, and are severely censuring themselves as base deserters of truth? If the primitive Christians had acted on the popular principles so much recommended, it would have been impossible that their enemies should have been so incensed against them. Suppose they had adopted the accommodating style, thus: “If your life is good, no matter what your opinions in religion are. The worship of the heathen is as acceptable to God as the worship of christians. If you are sincere and really believe what you do is right, it is right; God will not punish you for your ignorance. Besides, you are worshiping the same God that we are; your Juno, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury are the Lord Jesus Christ or God the Father under another name.” It required but a small degree of candor to admit that such concessions would have disarmed them entirely; no man in his senses could affirm that the martyrs would have suffered had they so acted—yet these are precisely the things pleaded for and admired. Upon the principles contended for, those good men acted a very silly part to throw away their lives as they did, and Paul was quite as foolish for suffering persecution on account of circumcision, and some of the “little things” too.

IN whatever way we view the subject, our conviction is complete that the truth is to be maintained at all hazards, and not only the great fundamental truths of the word of God, but all of them severally in their places. We are to consider no hardship too great to sustain for it, nor are we at liberty to sacrifice one doctrine or institution even for peace's sake; and should our brethren blame us for this spirit, we must be content to bear it. The man of God ought to remember that it is most honorable to resist any innovation in doctrine. Though the resistance may at the present seem to do no good, yet in doing so it is waiting for better times, and he should reflect that it was formerly through the persevering efforts of a few individuals that the truth has been kept alive in all ages of the Church. You may rest assured your conduct is observed, that it gives pain to the consciences of the disobedient, and in due time it will produce fruit. Take heed how you Apostatize, the evil will not be your own merely, but you will strengthen the hands of others, and if you are a man of standing, your example will be quoted; and you will be a stumbling block of many. Finally, you may expect to be loaded with names hard to bear: bigot, rigid, fool, enthusiast will be hurled at you; but be not enraged at this, you have the high end of the cross to bear. Do not be discouraged because you see some who have felt the truth, wounded and faltered, and living easily; a quiet conscience is better than all these, they have but a poor requital for that self-esteem they have lost. Rest assured, Brethren, the nearer you approximate the views of the world and the doctrines of reason, the farther off you are from the doctrine of Christ. Do not, we beseech you, be connected with the world, but if possible convert the world to you. At any rate, take care that you do not displease your heavenly Father, by your lives and worldly cunning, and by your seeking to please men.

TO conclude, we remark that we feel ourselves to be in good company when we attach importance to religious belief. Christ, the Apostles, and martyrs are our examples in this thing, and we are content with the character of “illiberal” and “narrow-minded persons, while they appeared. Let the pretendedly liberal plume themselves with the compliment of being men of enlarged minds; these honors are awarded, they are not the honors that come from above.

The Baptist interest is yours, as members of that great fraternity whose numbers in heaven and earth are not small; we exhort you as a part of this great family to preserve their principles unspotted. So long as the independent form of your government continues, and you are a spiritual body, so long the grace of God will be cherished, and the gospel of Christ will be dear to you; but if by means of errors, and when such should obtain you in the churches, then you will dwindle into a body of arminians, and evangelical truth will give place to mere moral addresses. The professors look in vain for the doctrine they taught with such success should be handed down to the churches; the expectation was cherished by them, a gospel church, and baptism was fatal to their cause. Various denominations have adopted the same [unclear] to render a family nature. The Baptists are behind a full and reputable view in the view of the rest of men, and should it generally prevail, it is easy to foresee that the pretendedly liberal views will generally prevail, and the churches will be all thrown open promiscuously to the gospel. You have been called upon as a body to give your opinions to opportunely to do so; such a crisis of leading and [unclear] should prepare the present state of society, and enable them to become extensively useful. This right, and we trust you will still regard yourselves in a state of much importance. It becomes, however, to express our surprise and regret at a call from many of a very different nature; it has occurred that theological schools have been the overthrow of spiritual ministry in other societies, and will not fail to fill your churches with such as make a trade of the gospel. Are we on this day to be told that spiritual education is requisite for the Holy Ghost to influence men without a system of pure doctrine unless they are taught both by a man appointed for that purpose? Can the churches, can Baptist churches be told this? Are we so degenerated? The time has been hitherto unknown to the churches; our fathers have gone to their reward in the happy ignorance of such attempts, and it remains to be seen whether the blood has stained a hundred of our Gospel primitive brethren shall take effect. May God send a holy jealousy to dread enemies to the prayer of their power brethren.