ON BOARD S.S. CELTIC, NOVEMBER 18TH, 1911
ON BOARD S.S. CELTIC, NOVEMBER 18TH, 1911
My Dear Brother, — I have to thank you for your letter and papers. I am glad to have these notes as a testimony to what J.N.D. and J.B.S. thought as to the subject of the Lord in the midst of His own. I do not know whether you have seen some readings in Crieff many years ago with J.B.S., in which the latter quotes J.N.D. as holding that the Lord comes into the [p. 107] midst of the meeting; and emphasising this fact by some remarks of his own to the effect that the Lord went out of the meeting. I have not the book by me. As you are aware I have had a good deal of exercise as to this new idea, of the Lord having come in to abide in the assembly, and have had a good deal of correspondence with those who are responsible for it. It may be said that there is nothing vital, and, in a sense, this is true — indeed I have taken this ground and have no difficulty in going on with those dear brethren. But if the idea is unscriptural, it is like a screw loose in a machine, which is sure to work more damage if unremedied. There is the question of the authority of Scripture, and if I am allowed to teach from John 20 that the Lord has come in to abide, I may teach anything I please, if allowed the same liberty with other passages — for John 20 teaches the opposite of what is stated, if facts and language are allowed their own testimony. If Christ is admitted to be in the midst unqualifiedly (moreover, and mark that it is the church, as a whole apart from conditions) the minds of the saints become accustomed to this idea, and the state needed for the Lord’s presence will be overlooked and the claims of Open Brethren and other independent bodies cannot be denied, for we cannot deny that they form part of the church. Of course, it is very nice to say the Lord is always in the midst, and this will be accepted without a question unless we are accustomed to prove all things by Scripture, and one hates to say anything that would deprive the saints of the comfort of knowing that the Lord is always with them, especially as it is preciously true in another sense, where there is uprightness of walk, and indeed, He never withdraws His eye from the most wayward of His own. All this belongs to another line of truth. What we are dealing with is a chapter that involves assembly privilege; witness the way Scripture is handled (as evidencing what I have said above) by an article called ‘The two companies’ in this month’s ‘Mutual Comfort’. The Scriptures under consideration are John 12 and 17. It is said from these chapters, that what marks the Christian company is that Christ is in the midst (underlined) and that everything flows from this. The most superficial perusal of the chapters will show that the Lord contemplates going out of the world to the Father, for He would send the Spirit who would be another Comforter. He would take the place of Christ until Christ should come back for His own. In addition to the coming of [p. 108] the Comforter, He would come Himself, but He does not say to abide; clearly this is special. He was to be with the Father, and they in the world, but they to pray to Him (according to this paper referred to, He prays in the assembly, page 296). Scripture speaks of Him as our Advocate with the Father. I might say much more as to what is put forward in this paper, how that, while there is much one can heartily endorse yet the true situation is beclouded, that is Christ in heaven as an Object of faith, and the promise of divine Persons coming to us, all these things are deranged by the article. But I have confidence in the Lord that there will be exercise, so that the balance of the truth may be preserved amongst us, and that brotherly love may abide.
Affectionately yours in Christ,
James Taylor.