The Issues Before Us -- No. 2
The issues confronting the church today are neither vague nor uncertain. Anyone with any ability at all to discern the trends or with any understanding of the course of history in the past cannot be mistaken in the portents of the present. The pattern of digression is repeating itself so clearly that a man marks himself as mentally incompetent if he tries to deny it and morally unqualified if he tries to ignore it. In a dozen obvious ways and in unnumbered subtle and hidden ways "the mystery of lawlessness" is already at work. The development of institutionalism, centralized elderships, doctrinal weakness in the missionary situation are but a few of the more apparent issues crying for correction. There are others.
The Fellowship Question
While some of the brethren are becoming exercised over withholding fellowship from theorists and errorists among us from whom they think fellowship is not and should not be automatically withdrawn, let us suggest that Rom. 16:17 covers the case and Tit. 3:10 prescribes the procedure. Extending fellowship is a singular way to mark and avoid and reject false teachers.
If these appeasers among us who are trying to decide whom to fellowship and not fellowship, what to tolerate and not tolerate would stop compromising anything and start preaching the truth on everything, the fellowship question would take care of itself like it did in John's day: "They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." (I John 2:19) The same attitude was commanded by Paul and the same procedure enjoined in the case of the Corinthians: "There must also be heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest." (I Cor. 11:20) And Titus was charged accordingly: "A man that is a heretic (factious), after the first and second admonition, reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted." (Tit. 3:10) This inspired injunction runs quite counter to the policies of appeasers among us who attempt to push their fellowship with everything and everybody upon us. They have themselves become factious in fostering a false fellowship. It is time that these prescriptions should be extended to them as well, who foment strife in their specious pleading. They are propagandists for error. The pressure of the preaching of the plain gospel, if it is constant, will drive heresy and heretics out—they will not stay long enough to be fellowshipped. And that is exactly what John and Paul meant by what they said.
The Music Question
Now comes another trend that has developed into a practice. Some of these central worldly churches (center of worldliness) are now putting the piano into the church houses for use on special occasions such as "church weddings". Through the years some churches have been putting them in and taking them out, but now they are just leaving them in.
Yes, we know the difference before a learned doctor of one of these churches consumes a whole edition in a paper to tell us. We also know the amount of explaining it takes to counteract the influences, effects and consequences of such action. It is the side door through which the instrument will enter into other services, and eventually into the worship of the church. It is already being argued that numerous other gatherings, such as young people's meetings, and various class activities, are not the worship of the church, and therefore the instrument may be used in these affairs on the sans principle as a church wedding.
With only a partition and a door between the "music room" of a church where the piano is kept for what they call non-worship purposes, the close proximity make; the instrument a commonplace thing in the minds of the young, familiarizes them with the presence of the piano on the premises, so that distinctions gradually fade out in the minds of those who are already weak to begin with, including the preachers who promote and permit such intrusions. In principle such a thing is "an abomination of desolation standing in the holy place," and I personally share the sentiment of Moses E. Lard with reference to the sight of an instrument in the house of worship: "The day on which a church sets up an organ is its house, is the day on which it reaches the first station on the road to apostasy. Let every preacher of our ranks resolve at once that he will never under any circumstance or on any account enter a meetinghouse belonging to our brethren in which an organ stands. We beg and entreat our preaching brethren to adopt this unalterable rule of conduct. This and like evils must be checked, and the very speediest way to effect it is them one here suggested. Let no brother who takes a letter from one church ever unite with another using an organ. Rather let him live out of a church than go into such den. I have no sympathy with them, no fellow ship with them, and so help me God never intend knowingly to put my foot into one of them. —(Lard's Quarterly, page 332-3)
Still some of the sweeties among us are conducting a talking marathon on the tolerance of the pioneers. What Brother Lard said then on the organ in the house I say now of the piano on the premises, and so help us God I shall never officiate at a wedding in a church house where the instrument is brought in nor participate in a service that requires me to "under any circumstances or on any account enter a meeting house belonging to our brethren in which an organ stands," and I also "beg and entreat our preaching brethren to adopt this as an unalterable rule." Nor shall I chase off with weak members of the church to perform their weddings in denominational church houses, thus compromising the matter and making a spectacle of such inconsistency. If members of the church want a so-called church wedding, let them conform to the surroundings. If they want other things, let them have the wedding at home or wherever propriety may permit.
Foy E. Wallace, Jr.