12
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
Union has been prepared and will, be promulgated. It is not a club or a whip of cords. It is no t an in strum en t for th e use of an organized ecclesiastical power, which may be used for th e coercion of dissentients. I t is merely a scrip tu ra l basis of .understanding upon which believers in th e sup ernatu ralism of th e Bible can voluntarily associate themselves for th e purpose of co-operation in th e work of preaching th e everlasting Gospel. Refusing ourselves to be coerced, we have no intention of attem p ting th e coercion of others. B u t th e members of th e B aptist Bible Union do claim, and are determ ined to exercise, th a t soul liberty fo r which Baptists have always contended. They are, therefore, resolved to close th e ir ranks, to lift th e ir standard , and steadfastly to stand and aggressively to contend for “th e fa ith once fo r all delivered to th e sain ts.” Above all else, however, the Baptist Bible Union will rep resen t a sp iritual in terp retation of th e Bible. While believ ing in all the g reat essentials of th e Christian fa ith set out in our Confession, we believe th a t th is dispensation of grace, as well as the special exigencies of th e time, demands a particu lar emphasis upon th e power of th e Holy Ghost in th e life of th e believer, and in th e m inistry of th e Christian church. We are convinced th a t He who inspired th e Scrip tu res of th e Old and New Testam ents is alone able to dem onstrate th e ir Divine origin and power. While believing th a t th e Holy Spirit makes use of human instrum ents, we are persuaded th a t nothing can be done by men to fu rth e r th e in terests of th e tru th of th e Gospel a p a rt from th e power of th e Spirit of God. We have read in the Word itself of periods of sp iritu al declension in the history of God’s people in days gone by, and we have ob served th a t, w ithout exception, relief has come and a re newal of faith in God has resu lted from th e going fo rth of God to th e battle. We believe th a t He will again have pity for His Holy Name. We have heard Him saying: “ I do not th is for your sakes, O house of Israel, bu t fo r m ine holy nam e’s sake, which ye have profaned among th e heathen, w hither ye went. And I will sanctify my g reat name, which was profaned among th e heathen, which ye have profaned in th e m idst of them ; and th e heathen shall know th a t I am the Dord, saith th e Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before th e ir eyes.” I t was by His own outstretched arm He delivered His people from th e thraldom of Egypt; by th e exercise of His own power He nourished th em th rough th e ir w ilderness ex perience; and by His own m ight He brough t them into the land of promise. We remember th a t anciently He spoke th rough a dumb beast to rebuke a prophet, th a t by th e ox goad of a Shamgar, by th e jaw-bone of an ass in the hands of a Samson, by a sling and stone in th e hands of a David, He w rought for His people g rea t victories. We remember, too th a t in th e most difficult period of the Church’s history, when its foundations were laid by an apostolic m inistry, it was no t by g reat w ealth, by political power or prestige, nor yet by th e w eight of hum an learning, th a t the fact of the resu rrection was proved, and th e Divine au tho rity of the Gospel established, b u t by th e Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven. We believe the Church in all ages has been m ighty in preaching only as it has been constant in prayer. We believe th a t in th e la st analysis th e Holy Ghost H imself is th e only effective Apologist fo r th e Gospel of th e grace of God. P ray , P reach, Teach The B aptist Bible Union, therefore, will seek to enlist all th e Baptist m inisters and B aptist churches on th e North American Continent who will subscribe to our Confession of F aith in a g reat m in istry of prayer. We shall no t be care
less of in strum en talities. We in tend to use every legiti m ate means for the exposure of erro r and of un scrip tu ral practices of all sorts; and also to employ voice and pen in preaching and teaching th e g rea t fundam entals of th e faith . But coincident w ith all this, we propose to re st our case w ith God and to appeal to th e churches to pray unceasingly th a t God will arise th a t His enemies may be scattered by a g reat religious revival. We believe, furtherm ore, th a t th e soul cannot be nourished by contention. It is necessary to do b attle fo r tru th , and we are resolved, therefore, to pu t our utm ost energy into th is holy war. But an arm y on th e march needs food as urgently as munitions. The B aptist Bible Union, th e re fore, will endeavour to give special atten tion to th e commis sa ria t departm ent, and will devote itself to an endeavour to stir up all B aptist preachers and churches to th e exercise of a m inistry whose chief characteristic shall be preaching and teaching th e Word of God in dem onstration of th e Spirit and of power. Thus, th e program of th e B aptist Bible Union, in a word, is to endeavour to un ite in one g reat fellowship all Baptists who believe th e Bible to be th e Word of God (and we deny th a t those who do not so believe have any rig h t to be called B ap tists), th a t together by th e power of th e Holy Ghost and in answer to our im portunate prayer we may call men back to a belief in th e Bible as God’s Word, and in Jesus Christ as God’s Son and m an’s only Saviour. Not a Divisive Movement In closing th is article I desire to emphasize th e fact th a t th e B aptist Bible Union is no t a divisive movement. On the contrary, it is a Union which proposes th e only possible basis of union and of co-operative action fo r tru e Baptists, namely, an acceptance of th e Bible as th e inspired and au tho ritativ e Word of God. F o r when B aptists abandon belief in th e Bible as God’s Word, they have surrendered the last logical reason for th e ir separate existence. I t pro poses, therefore, to exert its influence tow ard th e purging ou t from our denom inational life, in every convention represented by its membership, those elements which, being contrary to th e principles upon which th e denom ination is founded, must inevitably effect its disintegration. By the tim e th is article is printed, copies of th e revised Confession of F aith , as adopted a t th e Kansas City meeting of th e B aptist Bible Union, will be available, and will be mailed to all who will send th e ir names and add resses-to th e Secretary, 130 G errard St., E. Toronto, Canada. As yet, we have ho income, and are depending on th e co-opera tion of Bible B aptists th roughou t North America to supply th e funds for th e carrying on of our work. We shall be g ratefu l if those who have sufficient inform ation of th is movement to feel assured th a t they are in full sympathy w ith it will, when sending th e ir application for copies of the Confession of F aith , send w ith it some contribution to defray the expense of printing. But if any feel disinclined to do this, and yet desire a copy of th e Confession of F aith for th e ir own inform ation, it will be mailed on receipt of five cents in stamps. We invite every B aptist m inister, every B aptist church member, and every B aptist church in North America to examine our Confession of F aith , and if they find it an expression of th e ir soul’s conviction of th e tru th of th e Gospel immediately to give th e ir support to th is movement by coming into fellowship w ith us. We desire to have every B aptist m inister who is in agreem ent w ith us to enroll as a member of th e Union, so th a t we may have him on our mailing list. And we urge every such P asto r to endeavour to lead his church to adopt our Confession of F aith , th a t we may also have a list of B aptist Bible Union churches.
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker