SAVED FROM SECTARIANISM

Wesley on Bigotry -- Why I Hold for other -- Warning to Young Preachers.

And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us; and we forbade him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not. Mark 9:38, 39.

     There are different degrees of salvation. First, we are saved from all outward sin. Then in entire sanctification we are saved from all inward pollution -- all unholy tempers. Many good people stop here, thinking they have reached the highest peak on the "Delectable Mountains." But, beloved, there are heights and lengths ahead that no one dreamed of when he first knelt at the foot of the Cross. As for instance: There are not very many who are wholly saved from sectarianism. They imagine that to be loyal to their church they must be more or less prejudiced against others, especially against those who are likely to be rivals and preach practically the same things. Yea, holiness people may need help in this respect!

     Yes, the preacher was casting out devils and doing it in the name of Jesus, but because our label was not on him or his converts, because he did not line up with "us" in every particular, "we forbade him."

     John Wesley, in his sermon on "Bigotry," says: "Suppose, then, a man have no intercourse with us, suppose he be not of our party, suppose he separate from our church, yea, and widely differ from us in judgment, practice, and affection; yet if we see even this man 'casting out devils, Jesus saith, Forbid him not.'

     "Everyone is either on God's side, or on Satan's. Are you on God's side? Then you will not only not forbid any man that casts out devils, but will labor to the uttermost of our power to forward him in the work. You will readily acknowledge the work of God, and confess the greatness of it.

     You will remove all difficulties and objections, as far as may be, out of his way. You will strengthen his hands by speaking honorably of him before all men, and avowing the things which you have seen and heard. You will encourage others to attend upon his word, to hear him whom God hath sent. And you will omit no actual proof of tender love, which God gives you an opportunity of showing him.

     "If we willingly fail in any of these points, if we either directly or indirectly forbid him, 'because he followeth not us,' then we are bigots. It is too strong an attachment to, or fondness for, our own party, opinion, church and religion.

     "Take care, that you do not convict yourself of bigotry by your unreadiness to believe that any man does cast out devils, who differs from you, or does not worship God according to that scheme of religion which you have received from your fathers.

     "Examine yourself: Am I not sorry that God should thus own and bless a man that holds such erroneous opinions? Do I not discourage him, because he is not of my church, by disputing with him concerning it, by raising objections, and by perplexing his mind with distant consequences? Do I show anger, contempt, or unkindness of any sort, either in my words or actions? Do I not mention behind his back his (real or supposed) faults, his defects, or infirmities? Do not I hinder sinners from hearing his word? If you do any of these things, you are a bigot to this day.

     "If you will avoid all bigotry, go on. In every instance of this kind, whatever the instrument be, acknowledge the finger of God. And not only acknowledge, but rejoice in his work, and praise his name with thanksgiving. Encourage whomsoever God is pleased to employ, to give himself wholly up thereto. Speak well of him wheresoever you are; defend his character and his mission. Enlarge, as far as you can, his sphere of action; show him all kindness in word and deed; and cease not to cry to God in his behalf, that he may save both himself and them that hear him."

     There are two extremes, and he is well balanced who has found the happy medium. There is the narrow, churchy spirit; then, on the other hand, there is the insubordinate, independent air. To swing to either extreme is to put a limitation on one's usefulness in soul-winning. Thank God, it is possible to be loyal to your "fold" and yet recognize and fellowship "other sheep" which are not of your brand. It requires a big soul to do this.

     The great bate between sin and righteousness, under King Emmanuel, is composed of regiments known as churches, each fighting the common foe under its own peculiar regulations. What a pity when they begin to spend their ammunition on each other, rather than upon the common foe!

     Few are properly balanced. It seems almost impossible to find one who is considered loyal to his movement, who is not more or less biased against others. Some cannot worship freely with anyone except their own little crowd. Others go to the other extreme, put on the soft pedal and tone down to suit every crowd they chance to meet.

     Personally, I rejoice that God has saved me from a Sectarian spirit. And the wonder is that I did not do as some of the "Church of God" factions demand, viz., come out of one sect and join theirs. To have done so might have made me more sectarian than before.

Why I Hold For Others

     Inasmuch as I frequently hold meetings for people outside of our Zion (for which I receive both praise and censure), perhaps I ought to explain: First, in all candor, I feel glad that I am identified with a people who, for soundness of doctrine and exemplary living, are hard to excel. A great editor of the South told the writer that doubtless the Free Methodist Church contained the largest percentage of well saved people, in proportion to their numbers, of any organization in existence. He also said that though his publishing house had many outstanding and worthless accounts, they had never lost one cent from any of our people. For all this I rejoice.

     But, on the other hand, I have felt grieved that some of our good brethren seem to be so narrow and sectarian. Imagine leading men going so far as to draw up resolutions protesting against my assisting in camps or revivals of a sister holiness church! I would not blame them for this if I played into the hands of those who used me to proselyte from our own people. But I profess to be too big for this. My manner of preaching, behavior and dress must be THE SAME EVERYWHERE, whether among our people or others.

     I have been criticized and misunderstood for accepting calls to camps and conventions that were semi-worldly and popular. My critics have asked, "How can a man be loyal to his church and work with compromisers outside his church?" My answer is, "If they can stand me for ten days, I will try to stand them." If one were sure that all the compromisers were outside his church and none within its pale, then it might be different. There is a vast difference between taking the narrow way to heaven, and having a narrow, bigoted spirit. I trust I am in the "narrow way," without being narrow in soul. Paul declared, "I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some." And who will dare to say that he lowered the standard? He was too big to be bigoted, and too conscientious to compromise. Very few measure up to this.

     I feel clear to accept calls from other people, for I consider it a golden opportunity to preach to new and large congregations a line of truth that perhaps they have never heard. Moreover, some of these hungry hearts are more receptive and less critical than many who have had clear light from their infancy. Yea, I have found very devout souls here and there who never heard of our Church.

     Hence, instead of curtailing me, it would seem that a spiritual and aggressive people ought to rejoice to loan one of their radical ministers to those who are considered not quite up to high water mark.

     As a rule, the older the movement the more ecclesiastical and dogmatical it becomes. This pertains equally to all of the five or six distinct holiness churches in America. So it may be a sign of bigotry, rather than compromise, for a minister to shout out, "Thank God I am a genuine _____ and have never been invited to hold a meeting outside of our own church." Perhaps he needs a "sheet let down" as in Peter's case, convincing him that there are others like Cornelius, outside of his fold who "fear God" and need special instruction.

     I have known great and good men of various denominations who were mightily used of God. They should have been heard by multitudes far and near. What a pity that they lived and died without being known except by their own little crowd! But sectarianism held them fast, narrowed their vision, curtailed their usefulness, and souls will be forever lost who might have been saved but for a strained interpretation of -- "LOYALTY."

     I was passing through a city where I met an old friend who is a great churchman. He is loyal beyond all doubt; as the salesman would say, "guaranteed a yard wide, all wool, will not wrinkle, crinkle, rip, ravel or run down at the heel."

     He inquired, "And where are you going now?"

     I replied, "To Colorado Springs."

     "Whom do you hold for there?"

     "The Nazarenes."

     "There you go again, over the fence! Why don't you stay at home?"

     "Well," said I, "Paul was a Jew, and loyal beyond all doubt. Yet he declared he was raised up to 'open the eyes of the Gentiles.' If so, don't blame me if I have a special commission to open the eyes of some of the Nazarenes and others across the 'fence.'

     "That's true, but maybe our own eyes need a little salve."

     "Brother, you have said it now! Good-bye."

     But I must give a note of warning, viz., I would not advise all young preachers to do as I have done. Why? Because, as a rule, few of them have thoroughly died out, hence are not able to go against the tide of worldliness and retain their original, radical convictions. If a little luxury, prosperity and popularity come to them, away they go and are lost to the plain people of God. It is a dangerous thing to mingle too freely with compromisers, for unless one is deeply rooted in God he is likely to tone down and lose his own identity.

     Sad to say, the time has come when few, if any, can "cast stones." As Rev. B. T. Roberts said, "No church has ever been known to maintain its original Purity, Simplicity and Power longer than one generation" -- about forty-five years. "He that is able to receive it, let him receive it."