Gleanings from The Baptist Flag newspaper
By John N. Hall 1849 – 1905
Editor’s Note: The following short articles were editorials which Elder Hall wrote while he was editor of The Baptist Flag from 1898 - 1905.
Is it wrong to be a real Baptist, if you are going to be a Baptist at all? We are of the opinion that this is the thing to do, and for that reason we stand pat on Baptist ground, and make no apologies to any one.
****** There are not enough preachers of the right sort, but there are too many of the other sort.
****** The Flag has no sympathy with that patronizing spirit of the age that feels constrained to make apologies to every one we meet for being a Baptist. We believe the Lord was a Baptist, and that His commission was given to the Baptists, and they owe no one any apologies for following after their royal example, and keeping His imperative commandments. The rather we should be proud of our Baptist faith, and without hesitation we should preach our doctrines. The Lord loved the Baptist church at Ephesus well enough to die for it; and it would be a shame for that church to now be ashamed of the cause for which their Lord died. Thank God for the privilege of standing for the glorious and divine principles of the Baptists.
****** In our estimation there is no room for a reasonable doubt as to the correctness of the claim made by the Baptists that their churches are the true, visible churches of Christ on earth. They have a distinct, Scriptural marks of identity, and have the history that will make good their contention. They look with a large measure of satisfaction upon a history that can be traced through the wilderness of the dark ages, and that shines with a heavenly halo of brightness that compels even our enemies to write the record of the piety and faithfulness of our fathers. While other denominations are obliged to confess a modern and human origin, or else connect themselves with the corrupt apostasy of Rome, the Baptists can stand on the Word of the Lord as a sure foundation and hear their head and founder say, say, “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” There is great consolation in knowing the words of Christ have proven true. He did build His church on a rock, and the storms and floods of bitter persecution and blood have been unable to destroy it. It stands today, and is represented in its primitive purity by the Baptist churches of this day, for they are the churches of Christ, and are still on the rock.
****** If all the man-made churches in the land would as frankly and proudly recognize their founders as the Christian Scientists do, Mrs. Eddy, it would not be hard to locate them. But most of them are ashamed to do it.
****** Baptists do not need to go from home to get washing done, for they are able to do their own baptizing. This alien immersion business is just a way of hiring our washing done.
****** Is it a crime to believe every Word the Lord said? Will all He said prove true? If so, then these words will prove true: “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” These words are simple, straight, full of meaning and divine. Jesus did build a church. It was founded on a rock. The powers of Hell have always opposed it. But he said they should not prevail against it. If that prophesy is untrue, then Christ is untrue. The issue involved in the existence of the church of Christ in all ages of the world is such as to settle the question of the truth of falsity of Christ’s words. When a man says the church that Christ built has failed from the earth, he thereby charges Christ with a false statement in saying the “gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” It has come to a pretty pass that we can find a professed Christian who will make such a charge against Jesus Christ - for no other reason than to bolster up his poor human theory. For our part we believe Christ spoke the truth. We believe His church now exists, and has always done so. Sin and Satan do oppose, and have always opposed, but they cannot prevail against the church.
****** There are seven points of Baptist faith wherein they differ from all other religious denominations, but the reception of alien baptism is the key to all.
****** A Landmark Baptist is the consistent Baptist. He feels that he has something to live for, and he commends it to others. Such Baptists are invaluable in the service they render to the Lord.
****** Error is always an enslaving bondage. Her children blindly serve because liberality can never be anything to them but a dream. To break error’s chains and give freedom to her slaves is the noblest work of man.
****** There is no record in God’s Word that tells of any General Missionary Convention to evangelize the world. That work in the Apostolic age was done by the churches, just as it should be done now.
****** Let us all make this the greatest year of our life for the Lord’s work. We may not be kept here many years longer, and we need to make our record while we can make it to the best account. The Flag believes the commission was given to the churches, and should be executed by them. We believe that these churches in a given locality may co-operate together in sending out missionaries by organizing associations for that purpose, if they so desire. But we do not believe these associations have any right to co-operate and organize still another association, that will not in any sense be under the control of the churches, and place the commission in the hands of this larger and more pretentious organization. The Southern Baptist Convention is that sort of an organization. It is made up of the delegates elected from associations, and appointed by the State boards, and our churches, as such, have neither a representative nor a voice in its affairs. Such a body is manifestly formed on an un-Baptistic basis and needs to have its constitution thoroughly revised. If the churches of the South desire such an organization, and will send messengers to organize such, then that organization will be valid to the extent that it is under the control of these churches. But as it now stands the churches have absolutely nothing to do with it except to pay the bill of expense as they may be called upon, or else be read out of the denomination as being opposed to the “organized work.”
****** Why should any Baptist be afraid to risk the churches of Christ in any movement they may make for missions? Are they not the Christ-appointed custodians of the work? Let the churches organize and combine as they desire. This paper stands for the right of the churches to do as they think best, and we call on all men to keep themselves out of the way.
****** Send out the gospel to earth’s remotest bounds, but remember that the Lord gave His commission to His churches, and it is not your prerogative to hinder their work, or usurp their their authority.
****** The Christian Advocate claims the time is rapidly coming when all the denominations will readily exchange pulpits, and receive certificates of membership from each other, and practically have no differences between them. We do not agree with our neighbor in this roseate view of our religious future. We believe our principles are too firmly fixed to be set aside. There has always been a Christian recognition for other people, by the Baptists, and this splendid element of charity will always obtain, but Baptists will never fraternize with other denominations in church ordinances and exchange of membership. In the very nature of their faith they can never do it, because they regard all other religious bodies as being unauthorized human institutions, and without authority to administer ordinances or give church fellowship. In this view the Baptists only accord to others a religious standing which they admit to be correct, and claim for them selves a standing that no one else can effectually deny. How can two walk together unless they be agreed?
****** The doctrine of a converted church membership is the polar star of Baptist faith. On this pillar we can build the doctrine of the security of the believer, an experience of grace, a joyful religion, a symbolic baptism and supper, a congregational equality in church government, and all the characteristic doctrines of Baptist faith. A converted church membership gives love to God, obedience to Christ, and a genuine fellowship of the brethren.
****** Don’t forget that Baptists have the peculiar distinction of being distinct claimants of a Scriptural church perpetuity that overleaps the chasm of the ages and touches hands with Christ and the Apostolic age. Such a succession does not depend on uncertain statements that may be collected from their enemies along the course of time, but on the infallible and glorious Word of the Lord.
****** We earnestly beseech our young preachers to devote themselves to a diligent study of the doctrines that peculiarly distinguish the Baptists as a religious people. There is no more efficient work than to preach the doctrines. Paul exhorted Timothy to “Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in so doing thou wilt save both thyself and them that hear thee.” The young preacher that informs himself thoroughly on the doctrine will find himself ready for every good work. Study to show yourselves approved on the doctrine, brothers.
****** If the doctrines, ordinances and organization of the Baptists are from the Lord, then no other church or churches, can have these unless the Lord instituted two churches. If other churches do not have these characteristics then they are not churches of Christ, and are without His authority.
****** It is a fact that the purity of our Baptist faith is mainly dependent upon our country churches. The cities and large towns are too easily caught on the driftwood of liberalism to be relied on for a pure orthodoxy. The country pastors and churches do not have to depend on the fads and fancies of the age for their work and success, and they can afford to preach the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
****** A Landmark Baptist is nothing but a real Baptist with his every-day clothes on, doing his own work without calling in any help from others.
****** There is no extravagance in the statement that Baptist churches are the divinely appointed custodians of the ordinances of the gospel, and of its dissemination throughout the earth. It is reasonable to believe that Christ would leave a people in the earth to represent Him in the great work of saving the lost, and what people could more appropriately do such work than His own churches? It is absolutely certain that He left no other organization except His churches, and to them He has committed the sacred trust of the gospel of salvation. These churches have this treasure in earthen vessels and they should not shrink the responsibility that attaches to such a royal service for the King, and for a lost world. Each church is to be accounted a factor in the great work of evangelization, and has no right to excuse itself from service because of the neglect of others. Each member of each Baptist church in all the earth has a duty laid upon him to pray, and preach, and give to make the work of the world’s evangelization a success. Such a work is so Christlike that everybody should take special delight in helping to do it. The angels may well envy us the honor we have in bringing in the lost. Surely we are inexcusable if we neglect to do all we can, as churches of Christ, to join in and help in sending the gospel to earth’s remotest bounds. ****** If the doctrines, ordinances and organization of the Baptists are from the Lord, then no other church or churches can have these unless the Lord instituted two churches. If other churches do not have these characteristics then they are not churches of Christ, and are without His authority to administer these services. If other churches have received these characteristics from the Lord, then Baptists are without authority to administer them, and our churches are not the churches of Christ. In view of these evident facts there can be no consistent interchange of membership, ordinances, organization or ecclesiastical fellowship between Baptists and others. There may be genuine Christians in all of them, but that is no reason why any of them should be recognized as being fully equipped as churches of Christ. There are Christians in the Democratic party, but it is not a church of Christ.
****** Baptists do not believe in “Apostolic Succession,” for that means a succession of apostles; but we believe in the succession of churches. Christ did not promise a perpetuity to men, nor to their office, but He did promise perpetuity to His churches.
****** A lot of folks called Baptists have introduced convention sovereignty, alien immersion, invisible church and other departures from the Bible and Baptist principles, which has precipitated a good healthful discussion over the South. And now since the true-blue Baptists are speaking out against their innovations the heretics who brought on the dispute are yelling, “Quit wrangling and go to work!” Verily the Baptists are at work, their principle business in the world being to protect and defend the truth. Baptists, like Israel of old, can rebuild their Jerusalem and fight at the same time. If these lusty yellers want the fuss stopped let them stop their heresies.
****** Now, Missionary Baptist churches are the true churches, and can administer valid baptism, scriptural communion and give proper ordination and church organization, and no others can do it. It is therefore inconsistent to receive the baptisms, communion, ordinations or church organizations of these schismatics. To do so is to place them on an ecclesiastical level with ourselves, and this is to surrender the grounds for our own separate existence. If Missionary Baptist churches are true churches of Christ, then Hardshells and Regulars are not. If they are true churches of Christ,then Missionary Baptists are not. They are consistent in rejecting our baptisms; we are inconsistent when any of us receive theirs. The Flag never does it, and does not endorse the practice of any who may do it. - 2-25-1904.
============ [Fromm Milburn Cockrell, editor, Berea Baptist Banner, October, 2000. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
J. N. Hall Index
Baptist History Homepage