“THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.” 1837 Signs of the Times

Under the above head, the Boston Recorder has published a series of articles, designed to vindicate and promote the cause of missions.

In the 1st of these, it is again tacitly acknowledged that the “benevolent institutions” are not supported by the scriptures, and that they are not even the offspring of the church. It is there said, “the divine constitution,” by which the churches were constituted, plainly shows, “it is sufficient,” “The divine institution of God’s kingdom or church was then, de facto, a missionary centre.” If this was then in need of such societies, and Mr. Meredith says there was no need, then in this fact, by his own concession, that they were not organized by the churches of God, he admits by the following words, “the benevolent societies of the present day are to be mainly assisted by the churches, hence to mention the same. These institutions have grown out of the necessities of the times.” He says, “they are indispensable in order to draw out the whole force of the Christian church—concentrate individual effort—and direct the concentrated energy to the accomplishment of great and glorious results.” Again: “So long as the spread of the gospel had depended wholly on individual effort, or little effort was made. Here and there was a person who, for Zion’s sake, would not hold his peace; but the great body of the church was asleep. He says further: “This consideration has almost every feature of Christian zeal; if they do anything for missions, it must be done out of their church fellowship, and that if they act in concert with others, it must be done through the agency of separate institutions, formed for the purpose.” There are now many Christian organizations, who are willing to co-operate with the church and whose co-operation, if secured at all, must be secured in some other way; that is, in connection with some other institution.”

This openly acknowledges that the church is both without the work of its doctrine, but ought to spread the gospel; for he asserts in another place, that these societies are “to extend Christianity,” or rather, to employ.

From his own arguments and concessions it is unavoidable, that his following conclusion, that there were no missionary societies in the apostolic day, for that very reason, was sustained by Church authority, that the scripture authority is wanting, and the churches were required to set up what the defect has been supplied, by the exigencies of the times, nominal christians, common sense, deductions, opportunities &c.; that is zeal has sprung up from some source which has found means to supply the deficiency of revelation. He will do for the world to do the work and to the church a glorious plan in the world—to form a monument to the world, each denomination by its expedients, to secure the co-operation of christians, and convert the entire world. These societies shew the following words, apparently designed for the benefit of anti-missionists: “We find there is no opposition among those who differ widely on some of the principles, who train their distinction, by belonging to, or by undertaking such a train of duties, that to set aside the principle that the mission system is according to the wisdom of the Church, is no longer useful to the church.” According to Mr. M.’s own granting, this is a clear evasion, as if no benefit whatever resulted from religious combinations without the church, which all could unite. And their mischief of the two, they have helped themselves out of the track, to help others.

If, with no better plea for modern missions than the above, the Editor of the Recorder denounces anti-missionists as capable of reviving those different occasions to confiscation, tortures and gibbet—of plunging the refined and slaves of the old de facto institutions into darkness, and when he objects to the following reflections naturally arise: how would missionary men, were invested by nature, rule and dash into pieces, and behold the present duty, he exhibits itself thus, upon and beneath the comely mantle of Christian religion! How painful to the friends of truth, when men of such standing, as in his own hands by one expounder, are compelled to the cause of God!—Prim. Baptist.