H. Leo Boles On "The Way Of Unity"
On May 2, 1939, Brother H. Leo Boles delivered an address in Indianapolis, Indiana, which was highly commended by brethren everywhere. Brother W. L. Totty declared, "He told them (members of the First Christian Church — P.P.) what had caused the division and what it would take to bring about unity — that if they expected a compromise, they were mistaken. Perhaps no greater address has been given since the Restoration, especially at a time when they were attempting to win us by smooth sayings." The address was published by the Gospel Advocate, and received lavish commendation from Brother B. C. Goodpasture, editor of that journal.
Here are some excerpts from Brother Boles' address:
"'Areas of silence; 'liberty of opinion,' and the realm of expediency' are trite phrases used by leaders in the Christian Church and have been coined and put on a par with the teachings of the New Testament. It is just another way of saying that the opinions of men may guide the people of God, and that some of the people of God should submit to the opinions of men. There was UNITY with God's people so long as they respected the slogan, 'Where the Scriptures speak, we speak; and where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent'; but when brethren began to claim the authority to speak where the New Testament is silent, and impose their opinions upon their brethren, division and separation were the inevitable results
"W. R. Walker calls the opinions of men in the 'areas of silence' the authority of Christ. This is tantamount to saying that the opinions of men in the 'areas of silence' are of equal force with the word of God. I join issue with him on this point. There can be no UNITY in the 'areas of silence,' as there can be no UNITY on opinions when each man claims the authority to do what is right in his own eyes. This would violate every scriptures that God has given, instructing His people to be 'of the same mind, the same judgment, of one accord. If 'liberty of opinion' will let one organize a Missionary Society, the same 'liberty of opinion' will let another group of God's people oppose that society.
"Neither the Christian 'Church nor the churches of 'Christ can have the liberty of opinion in the sense that they make their opinions the basis of action for themselves and the church. One will have his opinions tyrannized over the other. It will be nonetheless tyranny of opinion that a majority, great or small, imposes its opinions on the minority. One man has as much right to 'liberty of opinion' as another or any number of others. This doctrine of 'liberty of opinion' in the `areas of silence' involves the right to act on those opinions of others; this is the very thing that will continually gender discord and division. The slogan, 'In essentials, unity; in opinions, liberty,' when the opinions become the guide IN WORK AND WORSHIP OF THE LORD, violates the basic principles of New Testament teaching, and subverts the will of God
"The evils of opinion in the work and worship of God have been many. The Word of God is supplanted by them and the blood of Christ is counted unholy. To follow the opinions of men is to open the flood gates to all sorts of practices in the name of Christ. If one opinion is to be followed, all opinions may be followed, and there is no limitation to the evils of departing from the Word of God. The denominations have their creeds, confessions of faith, and disciplines to hold them in check, but the Christian Church has no creed. They boast of their slogan, No book but the Bible; no creed but Christ; no name but the divine name.' But when their leaders stray into the 'areas of silence' and wander off into the `wilderness of opinions' (and if he had been speaking now he would have added 'principle eternal' — P.F.) there is nothing to keep them from departing from the Bible and drifting far in the fields of human judgments.
"Another evil of opinions is that of a disregard for the authority of Christ in religion. Charles P. Butler, in the Christian Standard, March 25th, 1939, in deploring the present condition in the Christian Church, said: 'All this was followed by one of the most ruinous things we face today — to wit, a disregard for law and authority, both human and divine; and it extends from the cradle to our national leaders. We sowed to the wind and we have been reaping the whirlwind.' What a sad picture! The 'doctrine of expediency' or the 'law of expediency' came in with the 'liberty of opinion' in the 'areas of silence.' It is an after-thought. The Missionary Society was organized and in operation before the law was ever discovered or applied."