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Life and Travels of William Conrad
Chapter XIV - An Essay on Associations
I, as most of professed Old Baptists when young in profession, when the proposition came up that the church should join some association, was guided in my selection to look out for a people sound in doctrine, and so, with the judgment and consent of the dear brethren and sisters at Williamstown, we prepared a letter addressed to Licking Association of Particular Baptists, and also delegates to bear it, William Conrad, R. Childers and M. Draper; only twenty-two members, as the minutes of that session of Licking Association shows, and held at East Hickman Meeting House, Jessamine county, on the second Saturday and two succeeding days in September, 1827, and the Church of Christ Particular Baptists, by their application as by letter and messengers, was received into the associations and the right hand of fellowship given nearly forty-seven years ago. I know it was my own feeling, and for a long time I had no other thought but that all was well, not doubting but that the Old Baptists had some portion of God's word authorizing associations. At length there were some occurrences in the association that brought me to a pause, for I felt sure the word of God did not authorize a striving for the mastery, or who should be greatest, and from the appearance when I first discovered that spirit, it seemed manifest to me that it had been in progress for years; and yet I had been so blind, or so full of confidence in my brethren that I had not seen or observed the struggle. The thought occurred to my mind, "do the Scriptures authorize such meetings?" The next thought, "the Lord being my helper, I will read and search for myself, for if authorized in the word of God, they are greatly at fault in practice, or conducting the business matters that they claimed should be done during their yearly sessions. And there should, in that case, be an effort to reform or correct, such course among the brethren or delegates representing the churches. To the law and to the testimony I went with full purpose of heart. I read and reread and searched the New Testament with deep anxiety of heart. O, I was wont to find authority for such meetings, for I, with my brethren and the church at Williamstown, however unworthy, are allowed a place and a name in the association, and if they are without authority in God's word, so are we. But to my great astonishment, with all my reading, search and research, I have failed, and that it is vain for any to attempt to show in God's word any authority for that of holding associations, as in the shape and manner in which such meetings are held; for I, and all else whom it may concern, must conclude that I am quite dull of understanding if such authority is found in God's word, if, after reading ,the New Testament., beginning at the first verse of St. Mathew's record, viz: "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham," over thirty-five times, chapter after chapter, in my family readings, I have not found, nor even yet seen anything that, in my judgment, does, in anywise, favor a Scriptural ground for such meetings.
I do hope brethren will not understand me, in the above remarks, to object to Old Baptists holding meetings three or four days for publicly worshiping God and preaching the gospel of Christ to poor, perishing sinners of Adam's apostate race, for I do feel we should be more constantly engaged in the worship of God, and preaching the kingdom of God, and to strive more earnestly to patronize the early disciples or Christians, and with them to continue steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, and in fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayer. And as far as we can, continuing faith with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house and (as they did) eat our meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And who can tell but the Lord would of His hidden ones and of those around us and in our midst, add to our churches daily such as should be saved? and yet not a word, no, not so much as a hint, who should be notified one year in advance to preach the introductory, or first sermon of the meeting; no letters from the churches read, nor moderator nor clerk chosen, nor any committees of arrangement to arrange for Monday's work, to lay out which shall be, done first, nor who shall make ready a Circular letter for the inspection of the association at her next session. "Yes, but," says the advocate for associational meetings, "there was, at the time of which you speak, but the one Church of Christ, and that just visibly organized under the New Covenant; and in the last verse you refer to the world church, as occurs, and, therefore, there could as yet be no association of churches." Very well; let us travel together along with the writer of the Acts of the Apostles, all the history of the same to the close; and notwithstanding such a lengthy history, giving so minutely not only the wondrous power of God attendant with the preaching of the apostles, and the gracious effect of grace abounding to the chief of sinners, and the history of the many added to the church, and of God's manner of calling out Barnabas and Saul to the work whereunto He had called them-you will remember they, with others in the church, at Antioch-and as they ministered to the and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." And all the way through the Acts of the Apostles, they taught publicly from house to house, you do not any arrangements made for, or hint of intention to organize an association.
Next, I invite those favorable to such organizations to with me to the churches at Rome, (at 1st and 2nd epistle to Corinth), to the churches of Galatia with the other churches, making in all seven churches, to whom he wrote, and two letters to each, the church at Corinth and church of the Thessalonians. Now, dear brethren, these seven churches, located as they were, surrounded such a host of opposition on every hand, their ministers roughly treated; yet, in the midst of all their enemies, the Apostle Paul did not propose or hint, under all the trying circumstances, to any of the churches, by letter or otherwise, the propriety of organizing those seven churches into an association for the glory of God and the mutual comfort of each other. No, the matter with Paul and the rest of the apostles of the Lamb was that they should not forsake the assembling themselves together as the matter of some of them was. But they should be kind and courteous and love each other in the Lord, and that each and all the members, both brethren and sisters, in the several churches, in their several relations and associations as individual members of their immediate church, strive together for the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. And the several churches in their relations and associations with their sister churches, in mingling and co-mingling in social worship of the great Shepherd, as well as the Bishop of their souls, have in view, first of all, the declarative glory of God, which can be so fully manifested in all the churches, and so redound to the glory of Zion's King, while each and all the churches are content to abide the decisions of the great Head of the church. The Bible reader knows well that in God's word is found the decisions and penalties for every offence that ever shall occur in the household of faith, and the obedient child of grace, in his or her right mind, will submit to the order and government given by inspiration of God, by which the church of God should, at all times, under all circumstances, be governed in all their social intercourse, within and without the church of God.
Thus we see, in the history so minutely written out of all acts of the apostles, there is not found precept nor example for that of forming associations, as set up in the usual mode and course of procedure; no, nothing like such meetings. I hope the reader will not grow weary in well-doing, but will, with the writer, see that the great apostle to the Gentiles, in that, of his two epistles to Timothy and his epistle to Titus, his acknowledged sons, to Timothy he says, "My own son in the faith;" to Titus, "Mine own son after the common faith." To Timothy he wrote and said, "As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies which minister questions, rather than Godly edifying, which is in filth, so do;" and in the 18th verse, 1st chapter of First Timothy" This charge I commit to thee, Son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou, by them, mightest war a good warfare; holding faith and a good conscience, which some having put away, concerning faith, have made shipwreck." 19th verse.
This solemn charge committed, doubtless, should serve his son Timothy in all matters as a guide, while he should labor in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ and rightly judge of the qualifications of bishops and deacons, and allowing Paul, wrote by inspiration of God to Timothy. We must, of necessity admit the charge to Timothy was full; and then Paul's charge to Titus, as in the fifth verse of his letter, he says, "For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting; and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee."
Now, after reading the Epistles of Paul to both these sons or ministers of the Gospel with the few lines quoted in each of those Epistles given to them in charge, we find there was nothing wanting among the brethren or churches. No formal associations, as now amongst us, is found in the charge of Paul, the aged to these two sons in the Gospel; and then Paul's letter to Philemon. There is nothing on that subject mentioned; and then, as reckoned or judged that Paul wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews, the writer is alike silent in that as in all his Epistles. And we may quite safely infer that Paul had no knowledge, or even one isolated thought on the subject of associations, as organized amongst us. And the other apostles and writers, viz.: St. James, Peter's two Epistles, St. John in his three Epistles, of Jude, and lastly, St. John in his revelation in the Isle of Patmos-all are silent; and these writers we know spake as moved by the Holy Ghost; and, of course: they gave nothing on that subject.
And, as that which was written afore time (the old Scriptures) were written for our learning that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope; and they, the old Scriptures tell us nothing on that subject; so that we are left without precept or example in the Scriptures of both Old and New Testament about associations, as practiced among us.
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