NEW YORK, DECEMBER 1890
[p. 3] NEW YORK, DECEMBER 1890
Dear Brethren, — With mingled feelings of thankfulness and sorrow, we write you as to the result of the recent troubles through which this assembly has passed.
With the sense of the Lord’s presence, support and comfort, we are still seeking to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace (Ephesians 4: 3). We believe the Lord has permitted the sifting to take place that His assembly in this city might be a brighter witness to Himself than ever before, and whilst many with whom we long walked in happy fellowship, have been overthrown by the wile of the enemy, we are deeply thankful there yet remain two or three who can count on the Lord’s presence in the midst according to His faithful word (Matthew 18: 20).
This assembly had been troubled of late by certain brothers who from the first were favourable to the schismatic action of Messrs. Lowe and McCarthy which has brought such wide-spread dishonour upon the Lord’s name and testimony.
Opportunity was given them on several occasions to substantiate the charges they had adopted against our brother, Mr. F. E. Raven, and the Greenwich assembly, but this they utterly failed to do. At the close of the last assembly meeting called for this purpose, a brother arose and stated (in substance) that, as the charges against our brother had not been proven, and as Bexhill had departed from the ground of gathering, this meeting would break bread as usual in fellowship with Greenwich, on the following Lord’s day.
On the Lord’s day morning, a number of these brothers came into the room where the assembly was gathered, and soon retired again for consultation. They re-entered the room and removed the bread which had been placed there by the brother who habitually supplied it. They then produced another loaf that they might break bread on neutral ground. This, however, they did not then do, but left the place after putting away the bread and cup to prevent the assembly breaking bread in their absence. On the following Lord’s day the seceders were in possession of the room and made known their intention of breaking bread in fellowship with Bexhill. Some who were [p. 4] present protested and left the room, and on the succeeding Lord’s day the assembly met in another place to remember the Lord’s death.
We desire to state briefly the grounds on which we reject the action of Bexhill.
When that meeting refused a letter of commendation from Greenwich, they gave as one reason for so doing that there was division amongst them. This was untrue, and besides was based upon the testimony of one witness who had left the meeting in a disorderly manner and was subsequently put away as a wicked person. There could not be a plainer violation of the word of God than this (see 2 Corinthians 13: 1) “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established”.
Their second reason was that the Greenwich assembly sheltered a teacher of evil doctrine.
When asked to furnish proof for this charge, they refused to give any particulars, as is proved by the following extract from a letter from Greenwich: ‘We have to say that no charge against our brother, Mr. R. has been preferred before the assembly here by any person whatever within or without the meeting’.
If there were charges against Mr. Raven why were they not brought before the assembly whose responsibility it was to clear itself from evil if such existed, according to 1 Corinthians 5: 13 “Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person”? So far from any charge being preferred before the Greenwich assembly, its righteous demand for particulars was termed evasion, and then was consummated the ecclesiastical assumption of Bexhill by cutting off Greenwich Assembly and all in fellowship with it. We therefore reject the action of Bexhill which has placed them outside the ground of God’s assembly, and we refuse to follow them there, as many of our beloved brethren have done, preferring to follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart (2 Timothy 2: 22).
The seceders are not unanimous as to their reasons for going out from us — some basing their action upon the Bexhill judgment, others upon what Mr. Raven teaches, and we desire to add a few words as to the latter. We have carefully examined the printed statements issued by Mr. Raven, and can discern nothing contrary to sound doctrine. We see that his accusers have themselves overstepped the bounds of Scripture in their [p. 5] zeal to prove him a heretic and are bitterly opposing blessed truth of the last importance for the saints to hold fast. We enumerate a few of the errors into which they have fallen:
1st. Confounding Eternal Life with Deity.
2nd. Affirming that Eternal Life was manifested to the world.
3rd. Affirming that responsibility attaches to our position as in Christ before God.
As to the first error, 1 John 5: 20, is explicit: “This is the true God, and eternal life”.
As to the second, it is never said in Scripture that eternal life was manifested to the world; so that in maintaining this they go beyond the limits of revelation. We find in 1 John 1: 2, a clear statement of the scope of its manifestation: “That eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us”.
The word of God abounds with precious distinctions between our path of pilgrimage on earth, and our being seated in heavenly places in Christ, but always connects the thought of responsibility with the path of pilgrimage and not with our position in the heavenly places (see Hebrews 3: 14; Hebrews 4: 11).
Strengthening our own judgment of Mr. Raven’s writings, we have the united testimony of forty brothers from various parts who visited him with reference to the doctrines in question, and who state that he holds nothing contrary to the word of God.
We have thus, dear brethren, stated briefly our judgment of the sorrowful action of our brethren who have gone into division so dishonouring to the Lord, and our earnest prayer to God is that many of them may be brought back again to the Lord’s Table with a deeper sense than ever of His love and faithfulness.
Andrew Wood. Jas. Taylor.
C R. Longstreet. Henry R. Forrest.
Ernest Pfingst. Eug. Zellweger.
Wm. Magowan. C.H. Kramer (Brooklyn).
Communications may be addressed to:
Andrew Wood, 17 Warren Street, West Hoboken, New Jersey,
or to James Taylor, 1393 5th Avenue, New York City.