The Committee appointed for that purpose, reported a Circular Letter, which was read and adopted, as follows:
Elkhorn Baptist Association
Circular Letter, 1826
The Messengers of the Elkhorn Association to the Churches of Christ, of which they are Members.
BELOVED BRETHREN,
It has been the established and uniform custom of this Association from its organization to the present time, to address the churches annually, by a Circular annexed to the minutes, for their encouragement, edification, and perfection in the knowledge of God our Saviour. It has moreover been customary to call the attention of the churches to some important and definite subject. We shall, therefore, offer some desultory remarks upon the apparent, lamentable and censurable conformity of Christians to the world. It must be manifest to all close observers of men of things, that many professors have only a name to live while they are dead - they profess they know God, but in works deny him: To such persons and churches, God says, "remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent and do thy first work over, or else I will come un to thee quickly and fight against them with the sworde of my mouth." The Lord commended the Ephesian church because they could not bear them that were evil, and he frequently declares in the first and second chapters of Revelation, that he knew the works of the seven churches, such as labour, patience, tribulation and charity, as well as their doctrine. The Apostles who were instrumental in the establishment of numerous and flourishing churches, and who felt the same solicitude for them that affectionate parents feel for their offspring, and who were deeply impressed with the imperfections of christians, and of the indispensable necessity of circumspection and
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prayer, besought the churches by the mercies of God not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of their mind, that they prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Not being ignorant of the subtlety and malice of Satan, they were faithful in warning the innocent sheep and unsuspecting lambs of Christ, of the seductions and wiles of the adversary. Every person who reads and understands the oracles of God must perceive that there is a wide disparity between the faith, the love, the simplicity of manners and worship, the purity and intelligence of the ancient and modern christians. Hence many professors meet with rebukes not much more acceptable, nor much less dishonorable than Balaam's, when they are tolled by the wicked, that they are as vain, as sensual, as covetous, and as neglectful of practical and relative duries as themselves. They often and painfully experience the truth of the declaration that salt when it loses its savour is insipid and worhless.The servants or Bishops of the churches have sadly degenerated from the simplicity, the zeal, the faithfulness and indefatigable and unwearied exertions of the ancient overseers. We are informed that the preachers in the first and second and succeeding centuries, were more conspicious for the cardinal graces than for their ingenuity, eloquence, erudition, polemical disputations, metaphysical disquisitions, or even doctrinal knowledge. Their propositions or articles of faith were few, simple, and easily comprehended, and scattered in the same provision in their addresses, as the most useful vegetables and herbs are through the fields and gardens. They coveted no honorary titles nor sought for literary distinctions. They visited from house and house and prayed in every family; commended themselves to every mans conscience, testified repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ; behaved themselves among their people as a nurse among her children, eating their meat in gladness and singleness of heart, and having favour with God and all the people. They were honesty upright, plain, industrious and economical men in their expeditures. Modern christians have given great occasion to the enemies of christianity to blaspheme, by their departure from these primitive and christian virtues. There is manifestly a great falling off among the churches in their discipline and order. There are too many loose and dishonorable, and unworthy members retained in the churches, to their detriment, and to the great injury of the cause. There is lamentable degeneracy among the disicples, in the management, education and connections of their families. - They have almost reversed the Apostles admonition, and are bringing them up in a way very different from the nurture and admonition of the Lord, by permitting, aiding and sending them to all the gay, fashionable and often vicious scenes of amusement and dissipation. Brethren, these things must not be so. Have you forgotten the end of Eli and his sons, Hophni and Phineas, who did wickedly and he heard of it, and admonished them, but it is said he restrained them not; mark the expression: He did not interpose his paternal authority. See 1 Samuel 2 chapter. The world is looking to your families as models of every thing that is lovely and
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praiseworthy. Let them not be disappointed. These things call loudly and distinctly for redress.The disciples often form such connections, alliances and even marriages with the ungodly as make them experience that evil communications corrupt good manners. The word of God is too much neglected in the education of the youth of the present day. It is no longer a recommendation to their characters, that they have known the holy scriptures for their childhood. There are unwarrantable and criminal means resorted to by christians, to amass wealth. They seem to have forgotten that a man's life consisted not in the abundace of the things which he possesseth - that godliness with contentment is great gain - that riches choke the word - that they that will be rich at all risk, fall into temptation and a snare. In fine there is too obvious a conformity to the world, in the conversation, the dress, the pursuits, fashions, manner of living, and in the style of accosting each other, by the appelation of Mr. and Mrs. instead of the scriptural style of brother and sister. For the correction of these errors we exhort you to read and compare your practices, your tempers, your devotion and faith, with every chapter and page, and if there be any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye our joy, in correcting these departures. And besides all this, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, brotherly kindness, and charity; if these things be in you and abound ye shall not be barren and unfruitful. - Amen.
===================== [From Elkhorn Bapitst Association Minutes, 1826. The document is from Southern Baptist Historical Library & Archives, Nashville, TN and was provided by Stephen duBarry. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
Elkhorn Association Circular Letters
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