Middle Of The Road Advocates
A sort of "middle of the road" position has been occupied by some prominent preachers in former crises and still continues in favor with some today. The editor of the Firm Foundation has expressed a fondness for the middle of the road and he perhaps has a number who are sympathetic toward his position. There were some men, whose goodness and ability could not be questioned, who tried to travel in the middle of the road in the former apostasy and the same can be said of some today who are trying to do so in this present apostasy. No reflection upon either the good intentions or ability of these "middle of the road" advocates is intended, but a warning should be repeated and emphasized that these things do not serve as the standard of the truth. It is indeed a sad commentary on the state of things that we have to repeat that the goodness and ability of these men are not the things by which the position is proved. For a position to be scriptural, it must be authorized by the scriptures, thus it is simply a waste of effort to search around for the middle of the road. One can "search the scriptures" and be sure that everything he finds authorized therein is scriptural. Members of the church of Christ, by this time, should know that simply because a doctrine or practice is an "in between" or "a middle of the road" position does not prove it to be right. To be right, a doctrine must be scriptural; it cannot be scriptural unless it be taught in the scriptures by express statement, approved example, or necessary inference.
Brother J. W. McGarvey and Moses Lard were middle of the road advocates. Their paper, "The Apostolic Times," was a medium through which the society was promoted and the organ was opposed. Both of these men preached and wrote in vigorous opposition to the instrument of music in worship but they favored Pendleton's "large conception of the church universal" at work. They occupied an untenable position. People were not so dull as to be unable to eventually see that if these middle of the road advocates were right in their endorsement of the church universal functioning through a central agency, they were wrong in their opposition to the instrument in worship. They opposed the organ because it was not divinely authorized, and yet they approved the missionary society which was equally without divine authority.
Brother McGarvey's middle of the road position is described and commented upon by W. C. Morro in his book, "Brother McGarvey." Here is what Morro says:
"McGarvey was always a loyal and thoroughly convinced supporter of the organized missionary work of the church. His opposition to the use in the worship of the church of musical instruments might lead one to expect opposition to missionary organizations also. A negative attitude in respect to one is usually followed by a similar attitude in respect to the other. This was not true of McGarvey. In his mind there was no connecting link between the two. His altitude on each question was attained on independent grounds and represented in each case his honest convictions. In his attitude toward missionary organization he carried his associates with him and how fortunate for the church that he did. Otherwise Lexington would have anticipated Nashville in becoming the center of opposition to the organization of the church for missionary service. Under his leadership the Broadway church became a great missionary church and had fellowship in all of the cooperative enterprises of the brotherhood." (p. 218)
In our day "middle of the road" advocates try to defend a universal church or "brotherhood" function in both benevolence and evangelism, just so it is "under an eldership," but oppose such a function through an institution which is frankly acknowledged as a human organization. What will be the end of the modern "middle of the road" advocates' efforts? History being our teacher, their efforts will not avail to hold any large segment of the church anchored to a "middle of the road" position. It is not now the bold departure of the Gospel Advocate; it is an in-between position — a position between the truth of God and the error of the Gospel Advocate. But it is error just the same. It is not the scriptural position. It should be remembered that any step away from truth is apostasy. It doesn't matter if the step does seem to be a little one and that it only requires a few steps to get one to the middle of the road; it is still apostasy. Brother Lemmons and others can't go to the middle of the road and stop. They will eventually be found in the extreme camp of the Gospel Advocate.
Brother David Lipscomb wrote: "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." (Gal. 5:9) That is, a slight departure from the word of God makes room for widespread departures; and such departures never run backward; they always increase and spread. The spirit that treats lightly a departure in one point prepares for departures in another. It grows in intensity, boldness, and degree by being exercised. The only place to check the spirit of innovation is before it begins to work. Hence the Holy Spirit says, 'Whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all.' (Jas. 2:10)"