It is the
spirit
that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto
you, they are spirit, and they are life. John
6:63
Therefore singing self
improvized songs violates these two explicit commands describing
the resource
of what we erroneously identify with modern "singing."
Hence it is evident, that if
we
would be spiritually minded, spiritually exercised in this delightful
and heavenly employment,
we must be filled
with the Spirit;
and if we would be
filled with
the Spirit,
we must be filled with the word;
the word
of
Christ must dwell in us richly; for we have no access to the Spirit
but in and by the word.
Therefore, "he that has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says
to
the churches." To take up the Word, then, in this manner,
that we may thus
come to God by it, learn his glorious character, be taught by him,
enjoy the blissful communications of his Spirit, be made wise to
salvation, thoroughly furnished to all good works,
is to make the
proper
and
religious use of it;is
to
worship
God by it; and to enrich our souls with all
spiritual and heavenly blessings that can be enjoyed in this life.
[Isaiah 55 God
condemns the usual forms of worship and makes it clear that the
"water" is His Word. For the "water cycle" to be of value it must
cycle through others and return to God who Gave it. Therefore, if we
return our own words we are violating an explicit command of God. In
describing a spiritual fast which was contrary to the traditions of
the elders God promised Himself only--
"If thou turn away
thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy
pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of
the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking
thine own
words: Is.58:13
Thus says the Lord,
"Hearken diligently
to
me, and eat you that which is good, and let your
soul delight
itself in fatness. Incline
your
ear and come to
me; hear,
and your soul shall live." Isaiah
lv.2, 3. Again,
"Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of
this
prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein." Rev. i. 3.
"Moreover, we have more sure the
prophetic
word, to which you
do
well to take heed (this is a worship
word), as to a light that
shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in
your hearts; for the holy men of God, spake as they were moved by the
Holy Ghost." 2d Pet. i.
19-21.
Searching what, or
what manner of time the Spirit
of
Christ which was in them
did signify, when it testified
beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should
follow. 1 Peter 1:11
"This second epistle,
beloved,
I now write to you, that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken
before
by the holy prophets,
and
of
the commandments
of us, the
apostles of
the Lord and Saviour."
2d Pet. iii. 1, 2.
"For whatsoever things were written
aforetime, were
written
for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort
of the
scriptures, might have hope." Rom.
xv. 4.
So much for the three primary, comprehensive and all-important
ordinances of the christian religion; the particular and individual
observance of which, constitute the religion of every real christian.
Here let its pause a little, reflect, and compare these ordinances,
in their proper and primitive import, order and connexion, as above
deduced from the holy scriptures,
and contrast them
with the present
views and
practice--with the dull, listless,
formal, ceremonious--nay,even superstitious and absurd
formalities, which have almost every where, taken place of
these.
What is the sprinkling of a few drops of
water upon
the face of a thoughtless, unconscious infant, when contrasted with the all-important
significancy, and blissful effects of that first great ordinance of
christian worship--that first constitutional act of the obedience of
faith. Courteous reader, do
but
reflect, compare, and consider.
Laying aside all popular
prejudice, say which you would choose--the joyous, blissful baptism
of the Ethiopian eunuch, or the unauthorized sprinkling of a poor unconscious babe; never to be so much as remembered;
and, in consequence
of which, it is
never
after allowed to enjoy this blissful privilege; for which, through the grace of God,
it might be duly qualified in due time.
Again, consider the principle
upon which this baptism is to be enjoyed; the inward preparation essential to its profitable reception,
and then say what a sorry
substitute is even
the
scriptural administration of this
ordinance, (I mean as to the external form of it,)
for the most part,
in our day, when, instead of the demand of a good conscience towards
God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, in consequence of correct
views of the gospel, rightly taught, understood, and believed;
the demand is
concerning inward impressions, exercises,
and feelings; predicated upon some peculiar inward
work of the
Spirit,
in order to ascertain the regeneration of the subject; which, if
approved, the
person is then admitted to baptism;
not,
indeed, as the first instituted act of christian worship; as a divine
appointment, declarative of the justification, adoption, and entire
sanctification of the believing worshipper;
but merely as an act of obedience to a positive command, and
in imitation
of Jesus Christ; having, thus, no farther tendency to produce a good
conscience, than merely the pleasing sense of having performed a duty--of having obeyed a divine command. [Thomas Campbell
declares
the so-called "believer's baptism" a purely legalistic act. Indeed,
it has parallels to pagan
baptism.]
Thus this great gospel
ordinance is sunk to
the dead
level of a mere
moral duty; an
ordinance great indeed in its import, and corresponding privilege, to
the intelligent, believing worshipper; who, in the faith of its
declarative and real import,
receives it; and
therein, and thereby, yields and presents himself, soul and body, a living sacrifice, holy and
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. See Romans, 6th chapter, upon the
doctrine of baptism, with the consequent exhortations tendered
thereon, chapter xii. 1f
But herein is that old saying
verified, "There
shall
be like people, like priest." "For the leaders
of
this people cause them to err, and destroy the way of their paths."
Therefore "have
they turned away their ears from the truth, and are turned unto
fables;" for "they have heaped to themselves teachers, having itching
ears."
Again, to what a lifeless
formality nay, even disgusting drudgery, is that next immediate and
delightful ordinance, prayer, reduced under the present corruptions
of christianity!
Formerly it was from the altar
to the laver,
from the laver into the holy
place. Ex. xl.
30.
Jesus being baptized, and praying,
the heavens were opened
to him; and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape, like a dove, upon him. Compare Matthew iii. 16.
with Luke iii. 21. &c.;
Paul, also, having washed away his sins,
calls upon the
name of the Lord,
(Acts
xxii. 16.) and so of all the rest.
The uniform doctrine
was,
First, believe the
gospel--next
be baptized--and then pray. Look back, courteous reader, to the
doctrinal exhibition of this article, and you will not only see the
propriety, but also the indispensable necessity of this order of
proceeding,
God having so
ordered his worship; and, in this order and connexion, made ample
provision for the comfortable and profitable access of his people.
But how is it now? Some are
taught forms of
prayer from their
infancy; others are taught to pray by set forms all their days.
Prayer, or rather saying of prayers, is taught and considered by
many merely as a duty,
the neglect of which brings guilt upon their conscience; and the
performance, no other comfort but merely a sense of having done their
duty.
Men are indiscriminately
urged
to pray, as a means
of
salvation, that
they
may escape hell, without any immediate respect either to the altar or
the laver.
Hence the great majority
pray
in their sins all their days, and, for aught that appears, die so.
Do you not hear those men-taught, formal
people,
confessing always, from day to day, the same sins;
the
sins of their nature and practice;
of omission and commission; of thought, word and deed; of childhood
and youth, &c or under whatever terms they are accustomed to make
their confessions; withal, praying continually for pardon of the same
sins: thus daily
confessing their unbelief, their unpardoned, guilty
condition.
Not so the
apostolic christians.
These primitive
worshippers, once
purged, had no more conscience of
sins. Heb. x. 3.
For
Jesus, that he might sanctify the people with, his own blood,
suffered without the gate, (xiii. 12.) and by one offering perfected
forever them that are sanctified. (x. 14.)
Whereas the ancient
sacrifices
could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience, (ix. 9.) for in those sacrifices there
was a remembrance again made of sins every year, (x. 3.)
Hence those poor, men-taught, formal
people,
are in a much worse
state than the ancient Jews, whose sacrifices, &c being a shadow
of good things to come, though they could not perfect them as
pertaining to the conscience,
yet afforded them some relief others against despondency, in
hope of the good things that were to come: but now the good things prefigured
being come, and, after all, those formal worshippers
not being
perfected, not being purged
from
the
guilt
of dead works,
to serve the living God with a true heart, in full assurance of the
faith of the remission of their sins, through the offering up of the
body of Jesus Christ once--
there remains for them no
farther hope, no other sacrifice to be hereafter offered for sins: so
they must either receive and enjoy pardon through faith in his blood,
or live and die with a guilty conscience. Alas! for the present
corruptions of christianity!
Alas! alas! for its
corruptors!
Thus says the Lord of Hosts, Hearken not to the words of the prophets that
prophesy to you:
they
make you vain.
They speak a vision
of their own heart,
not out of the mouth of the Lord.
They say still to them that despise me, The
Lord has said you shall have peace: and they
say to every one that walks after the imagination his own heart, No
evil shall come to you.
[Note: "Prophets" and
"Prophetesses" in the following passages stole their messages from
others during their "workshops." They were condemned first because
they were professional: that is they spoke their own messages for
money. Seondly, their "prophesying" was, in all pagan nations,
"singing, dancing and playing instruments to arouse the "customers."
Then they could sell the mumbled ventriloquism from an old
wineskin (i.e.
Witch of
Endor, Hebrew owb or familiar
spirit) as a
message from
God. Modern singers and song
writers truly believe that they are inspired but God will
judge]
For who has stood in the
counsel of the Lord, and has perceived and heard his word? Who has marked his word and heard
it?--
I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not
spoken to them,
yet
they prophesied. But if they had stood in my
counsel, and caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from
their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.
Therefore, behold I
am against the prophets, says the Lord, that steal my words every one
from his
neighbor. Behold I
am
against the prophets, says the Lord, that use their tongues, and say, He
says. Behold I am against them that prophesy false dreams, says the
Lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness.
The prophet that
has a dream, let him tell a dream;
and he that has my word, let him speak my word faithfully;
what is the chaff to the wheat?
says
the
Lord.
Is not my word like
as a
fire, says the
Lord,
and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? Jer. xxiii. 16-32.
In consequence of such
teaching
as this, how is the
third great and
fundamental ordinance of our holy religion,
the religious use of the Divine
Word, obscured and
perverted.
With what uninteresting formality, and coldrife indifference, do many read it; even of those who
place some part
of their religious worship in daily reading a portion of Holy
Scripture, as if the mere reading of it were to save them.
Under what a cloud of
errors
and prejudices are the generality introduced to this sacred book!
Some calling it a sealed book; others, a book hard to be understood,
nay, almost unintelligible, except to the learned or inspired; and others again, a dead letter.
The great
majority of our modern
teachers, like the
false prophets
of old,
countenance and promote these errors and prejudices by their pretendedly learned or whimsical interpretations,
spinning out lengthy discourses from a single sentence or clause of a sentence, thus teaching the hearers
to believe that nobody can understand it but themselves.
In this manner they steal the word from the people,
feeding them
with
their own dreams and notions, instead of causing them to
hear, and attend to the word of the Lord.
From this
brief scriptural view of the
private and
personal religion of every intelligent bible-taught christian, both
internally and externally considered; and this briefly contrasted
with the popular religion of our day, we may clearly perceive an
essential difference, and be hereby enabled both to examine
ourselves, and admonish others.
T. W. (Thomas
Campbell)
[The Christian Baptist, October 4, 1824, pp. 98-101.]
Spiritual worship, according
to
Thomas Campbell of the Restoration Movement, begins with submitting
to Christ in baptism.
Part One
Women Prophets
Ezekiel and
False Prophets defined by Thomas
Campbell
Restoration
Movement
Index
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