1
Zion’s Landmark.
59
f'Oinmamls him ; but is comtnaiKlfd
io stand ujkiii the walls of Zion and
LTV aloud, Spare not(that is,
whatever lie is commanded to cry,
‘4-y vitliout respect to the notions of
Any witiiout the camp). “ Show my
pe^iple ti'ieir trans2;fssions and Israel
her sio:. i” for the enemy is i)liii(l
and oi'r.'Mvt see. How then e^n the
ininistf'v show them their trmsgre—
vions. However, the preaching of
the gospel is to tliem the savor of
deatli unto death, while it is to them
tliat are saved the savor (»f life unto
life. So then, dear brother, I do not
>ihi;>lc that so much talking about
wh it the world has done and is do
ing is any part of the fulfilling of
the ministry ; but I think it is to
tell the church wdiat ttiey are doing
and what they should do. Howev
er, the preacher should preach re
pentance to all men in the name of
Jesus for the remission of sins, but
should not judge them that are with
out, but rather judge them that are
wirliiu. Et is coneeded by all the
brethren that all the promises laid
down in the scriptures are to those
that love and serve God. Then let
them have the rebukes, and reproofs,
and exhortations as the api*sties ap
plied them.
Dear brother, I do think tliat both
miidsteis and Christians sliould be
very careful how tliey construe and
apply the scrij>tures.
I see a communication in the same
num!)cr of the Laxdmakk, from sis
ter Duval, iw which, in speaking of
tive ba[)tism of the Jaf^lor and his
house, she says the}" were not bapi-
tized in the prison, as so many af
firm, and she says sdso that that fact
is not noticed liy the Methodists, that
tke jailor biought them out, Paul and
hef(»re be said, “ Men and
brethren, what shall we do to 1x3 sav
ed.” We may infer from the script
ures that they were brought out of
the inner prison afe last, fm* the jailor
had ca,st them in there; bat wo have
JiO scriptures tolling u.s that they
were brought out of the entire jail
into the city. The reason we know
that the jailor and hi.s house were
baptized by itmuersion, not sprink
led, is l)«e^use our Savior and his
apostles sever Wptized only by im-
jnersioo, and that is enough. TUiere
is one thing we know, and that is if
tl>e Jailor a^id hLs household were car
ried out of the jail to i)e baptized
they were bronght back and put in
again, for they were in there next
(morning W'lum the magistrates came
•dowm and brought them out.
T^roni tlie least of ail,
J. R. Robbets.
(From the Primitive Pathway.)
EQUAL RKMdTS^SECRET SO
CIETIES.
Opelika, Ala., Deo. 23«l, li87S,
‘Brother llend&mn ':—
Every sect, denomination, fratern
ity, institution or .society, whether .se
cret or otherwise, claims the right to
freoeive, retain or exj^rel its own meifi-
bers according to its own rules.
Tills is precisely what is claimed
by Primitive Baptists, and wliat tl»ey
fneely grant to all otlier deiKimina-
ticwx.s, moral institutions or.societies.
It has been said and bdieVftd that
the riged rules adopted by tlie »hi or
der of Baptists, with regard to mem-
liership, keep many good and influ
ential persons from uniting with
them. Tliis probably is true, not
only with regard to Primitive Bap
tists, but of all othey sects and socie
ties. Nene eaii unite with any un
less upon the terras adopted by each
institution. Can any join the Ma
sons, Odd Fellows, Good Templars,
or Grangers unless upon terms which
each have adopted? Do Primitive
Baptists claim any more than this?—
Do they ark any greater privilege
than others exercise in this particu
lar ? Are they not entitled to equal
rights with others ? Or must they
be forever singled out, bunted down
and stiiiniatixed as intolerant bv all
clas'^es, sects and societies, because
they quietly exercise the identically
same privilege that is exercised by
all other institutions? Primitive
Baptists regard the Scriptures as
their only rule of faith and practice,
and they do not pretend to sit in
judgment as a church to judge those
outside of their own membership,
Hor hold any others amenable to
them. They do not keep any body
from joining them who is qualified
and willing to do so upon the rules
by which they receive members. If
any want membership with them up
on what they hold as gospel princi
ples, let them come along, and they
will assuredly be received. All ranks
and conditions, sects and societies
may come—Presbyterians, Method
ists, Missionaries, Masons, or Gran
gers may come—the rich, the poor,
the old, the young, the learned, ihe
unlearned, the wise and the unwise,
the.deaf, tlie dumb, the blind, the
lame, the muimetl, the poor pauper—
all may c'ome and he recieved freely
by Primitive Baptists, if they come
upon the terms which tliey under
stand tho scriptures to require re
specting membership. Is tliis illib
eral? D#es this look like bigotry
and intolerance? If so, let others
free themselves from it before they
charge it upon Primitive Baptists.—
“ He that is without sin, let him cast
the^-«, stone.”
1 wish nww to say a few things re-
S|>ecting the position of Primitive
Baptists concerning
SKCRET WK IETIBS.
First. The man of God l>eing
thoroughly funiished by the scrip
tures unto all good works, and the
church of Christ being complete in
him Ml doctrine and order, and in ev
ery spiritual gift, camiot neel the aid
of any society formed by man as a
help to rile beauty and perfection of
her organic structure. She is spoken
of by inspired writers as the “ perfec
tion of I’leauty, the joy of the whole
earth, the city of the great King.”—
It would therefore be degrading to
tlie [irinciples and profession of her
members to defile her garments by
uniting witli, and conforming to, any
of tho institutions, doctrines or com
mandments of men, not authorized
in the .scriptures.
Second. , Christ, Hie great head of
the church, ever faught openly, and
in secret said nothing, and coramaud-
ed his apostles to proclaim his gospel
upon tlie house-tojis or publicly to
the world. Secrecy, therefore, is in-
j coosu^nt with the nature and princi
ple of the Christian religion, and with
the character of the organized church
as the “light of the world,” or a “city
.set on a hill, whose light cannot be
hid.”—Matt. 5 : 14.
Third. Secrecy is inconsistent with
gospel order, as each member of a .se
cret society takes a solemn oath to
k*ep certain things fr»m his breth-
i-eii in the church who are not mem-
liers of such society, and thereby the
church is deprived of her right to
julige of tlie conduct of her members
as required in 1 Cor. 5: 12.
Fourtli. Christian and church fel
lowship is the .strongest bond of com
munion and fellowship tliat po.ssiblv
cam exist, even requiring, if need be,
that we forsake father, mother, wife,
children, and every earthly tie ancl
worldly interest to enjoy and main-
tiiin that fellowship which will honor
Christ and glorify God in our body
and .spirit, which belong to God.—
The relation in the church is so near
that the members are said to be
“members of one another.”—Rom.
12: 6. As such, therefore, they are
entitled to the strongest confidence
and chesest communion, such as no
other stxiiety can possibly claim with
out usurpation. Whatever may lie
said as to the go.'d or evil of such so-
cietie.s, one thing is certain and will
not be denied, except by infidels, that
“ He that doeth truth cometh to the
liglit, that his deeds mav be rnaMe
manife^t, that they are wrought in
God.”—John .3: 21. Secrecy, there
fore, is iiicon.sistent with the truth in
the manifestation of our deeds or
works to the cliurch, while “ He that
doeth evil hatetli the light, neither
j omietli to the light, lest his deeds
should be reproved.”—John 3 : 20.
Fifth. In uniting with a secret,
oath-bound .society, a church member
takes upon himself voluntarily, a very
solemn obligation to do or not to do
some unknown tiling, and there are
certain good reasons for believing
that sucli voluntary oath is in direct
violation of the command of Christ
to his disciples to swear not at all,
but “Let your comtminication be
yea, yea; nay, nay; for whatsoever
is more than tliese oometh of evil.”—
Matt. 0: 37. No oath of office nor
a.s a witness is required in the cliurch
of Christ, as the bond of fellowship is
so regulated by principles of truth*
honesty and justice, that to require a
further obligation by an oath would
be to deny that the holy principle is
written in the heart.
Sixth. No church member has the
right to be a self-constituted judge of
his own conduct, and whenever he
unites with a secret oath bound socie
ty and his conduct in that particular
is called in question by the church,
he generally seeks to shield himself
by saying, “ Tlier« is no harm in it.’
If a church should be satisfied with
this defence in other matters, it would
destroy the very idea of church dis
cipline and make each member a
proper judge of his own ca.se.
.Seventh. Another objection to
Primitive Baptists pniting with these
secret societies is from the fact that
while some of them claim to be pro-
rootere of moraJity, lienevolence and
charity, they csirefully guard against
all liability to act* of charity by ut
terly refilsing rocnibersliip to any
man who is truly a proper subject for
charitable contributions. Charity is
an ever-living and abiding priiicifih:'
of Christianity^ being even greattr
than faith or hope—it is *he bond of
perfectness in the church by which
ad things are to be done. To voluii-
tarilv, therefore, bind ouiselves by an
oath to keep out of our fraternal fel
lowship all proper objects upon
which to bestow deeds of charity,
would .seem to me like a violation of
the principles of either morality, be
nevolence or charity. The poor in
spirit, with the hlessing ofCliri.st up
on him and entitled to all the privi.
leges and ordiiianoes of the gospel
kingdom, cannot obtain mombershij)
in any well regulated Masonic L«dge,
ifhei.s a poor pauper, blind, deaf,
dumb, having hut one .arm or one
leg, a poor cripple for life, unable to
work or support himself^ a real object
of charity ; yet, if I am correctly hi-
formed, he would be rejected because
of these very things which render him
an object of charity. Is it right for
a Baptist of the primitive faith and
order to take such a solemn obliga
tion to reject such from fellowship ?
Is it according to any principle of
gospel order?
Eighth, It is believed by many,
that when church members unite with
any of these vrorldly institiition.s, that
they thereby violate the command to
“ Be not conformed to this world.”—
Rom. 12:2. And wlien they have
become thus ensnared, they can only
be relieved by obeying the eommaml,
“ Come out from among them and U*
ye separate, saith the Lord,”—2 Cor.
6: 17. These institutions certainly
are of the world, adapted to the views
and interests of the world, and as the
world will hear and love its own, so
it loves any professed Baptist vi^ho
will be identified with these worldly
institutions better than onewho does
not. *
I have now done for the preJt^nt
witli this subject, and only xvisli t)
say in oonclusion that the old order
of Baptists have no “ Aggressive
Raid ” to make upon any .sect, socie
ty or denomination. Our position is
not aggressive, but defensive, and
what I have said in this article, ol‘
other sects and societies, is simply
mentioned as facts that exist, and n®t.
as complaints against them for at-
tendin*; to their own businc.«is in their
O
own way.
If any one is a member of any so
ciety or institution, let him make a
good member and honor the institu
tion by obeying it.s laws; and if he
is not satihfied to do this, let him
come away from it. So I would ad
monish chnrch meinliers to mak!
good and ihseful members by obeili-
dience to the law of Christ whi?;h
regulates unity and fellowship.
Affectionately yours,
W. M. MlTClIKlX.
Remarks:
I heartily endorse the above reason
ings of brother Mitchell: and in ad
dition would state that it is generally
known among Primitive Baptists,
and even the world at large, that the
Old order of Baptists reject all world
ly institutions. In the entire state ot‘
North Carolina I do not know of a
single member of any of the churches
that is a member of any secret socie
ty. This is so generally among Bap
tists in my acquaintance. Nowsb uhl
not oUr brethren in Alabaitia, or else
where, that afe identified with secret
soeietie.s, abandon them for the sake
of the feelings of their brethren gen^
erally; especially when such gcxxl
bible reasons are given for our lieing
s?pftrat6 from the 'iVbrld?—Kd