"I Take It All Back!!"
Last January I made a speech at Florida College. I talked about the "Causes of Indifference" among the brethren, and set forth what I considered as one of the major reasons for that indifference--the tendency to exalt "the church" in our thinking and preaching and a growing denominational (Romish, really) concept of eldership authority and infallibility. This is a problem all of us have recognized for years, and nearly every gospel preacher I know has at one time or another expressed some concern about the matter.
Well, I had my say--AND THEN THE ROOF CAVED IN!! Either I had hit an extremely sensitive nerve, or else I had missed the mark completely, and had managed only to confuse and infuriate brethren when my only thought had been to provoke a reasoned and careful study of a problem all of us had talked about. Anyhow, from that day to this I have been taken apart in one way or another from Maine to California and from Canada to the Gulf. I really didn't realize I was that important!! Some have chided me with gentle good humor; others have waded in with obvious relish, "smiting hip and thigh". My hide has been thoroughly "nailed to the wall," dried, scraped, and then worked over again. And then some more! As I have been dodging the brick-bats, old shoes, dead cats, rotten tomatoes, and assorted missies flying in my direction, I have wondered in bewilderment what on earth I said (or how I said it) that would bring forth such a barrage.
And now I have it figured out. And also I've found a way to calm somewhat (I hope !) the ruffled feelings and flying missies. You see, I have found out that it was NOT WHAT I SAID, BUT THE WAY I SAID IT that has so infuriated my long-time friends and brethren. I was recently re-reading the speech made at the Florida College lectures by Brother Harris J. Dark in 1955 and which (I am thankful!) is printed in the book "Ancient Faith In Conflict." As I read that speech, I became more and more excited about it; for Brother Dark in 1955 said almost exactly what I was trying to say in 1966, only he said it with a lot better style and polish.
That solves the mystery for me. It was not WHAT was said in 1966 that caused the furor, but the WAY it was said. Because when Brother Dark advanced the same ideas, and sounded the same warnings, in 1955, there must have been general agreement and approval. At least, I don't recall any tidal waves of protest or earth-quakes of dissent about that time.
So, I have hit upon a happy solution: I am going to "take back" all I said in that speech, lock, stock, and barrel and substitute the polished and elegant discourse of Brother Dark in place of it! In order to give the very widest possible notification "from Maine to California and from Canada to the Gulf, "I have requested space in the Gospel Guardian from Brother Tant to publish both this retraction from me and the sermon from Brother Dark. He has graciously consented to allow space for both items. Brother Dark really says what I WANTED to say, and TRIED to say, and THOUGHT I WAS SAYING — but he does it in much better style. So I here and now take back my "speech"--not my convictions, understand, and not my beliefs, but only my "speech." If anybody thinks he can find a vital difference on the points we both covered between Brother Dark's speech and mine, then I repudiate MY speech and anything else I may have written or said on this subject and espouse BROTHER DARK'S! Will all the good brethren who have "writ me up" in their bulletins, and worked me over from the pulpits, please take note? I'm really not sore at anybody, and don't want them to feel badly toward me. I realize my speech must have been poorly prepared and poorly delivered. But Brother Dark's speech was NOT poorly prepared; and certainly it was well delivered. He SAYS what I TRIED TO SAY--read carefully the full reproduction of his excellent speech, which is carried following this, and see for yourself. I think that the warning Harris Dark sounded in 1955 was badly needed then: and even more badly needed when I tried to repeat it in 1966. And, as the blue haze of battle smoke drifts gently from the hill of carnage, my bloody head is STILL unbowed, and my battered and swollen lips mumble once again the things Harris Dark talked about in 1955 are indeed one of our major "Causes of Indifference"! Even so, Come, Lord Jesus
-P. O. Box 1565 Lufkin, Texas 75901