rocock Dia\oq ue A N 'asn«J u i *soaa aaoiAV9 eeiiz.e 'ON XVd yaaNia laiHdwvd A ^ ( f OLD?§feciPLE AND A MODERN PROFESSOR , OR, '*>VT»Y<^^ CLOSE COMMUNION BAPTIST SENTIMENTS ABROGATED, AND THE FREE OR MIXED COMMUNION BAPTIST SENTIMENTS ESTABLISHED BY THE SCRIPTURES, AND BY CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE BY JOHN POCOCK. '•Ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and yo shall find r«st for your souls." — Jer. 6 : 16. "In vain ye worship ma, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men." — Mat. 15: 9. UTICA: PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR. R. Northwiy, Jr , Printer. 1833. TO THE TRUE CHRISTIAN READER. Beloved of the Lord, I, having long mourned at (be state of die church of God, and the acts of anti-clirist, to ensnare and divide real christian communion; having tried persecution and worldly honor : In the first, the believer triumphed ; in the latter, true christians mourned and hyocrites rejoiced. Satan, finding it grieved true disciples and pleased his own children, has, in erne sect or another, by various errors, kept the worldly in motion and buried the saints by priestcraft, in ami christian forms and ceremonies; and through philosophy and vain deceit, robbed them of those blessed oidinances ap- pointed for their comfort; and weakened their faith — causing a stupor on lhe ; r minds, and a trying to fill iheir belly with the husks that the carnal professor feeilelh on ; and even those husks are mixed with so much earth as to cause the true sheep to be sickly ; and being weak, to settle down in the various plans of anti-christ, called by them re- ligion. But alas ! few arise to discover the snares and abuses of true christian privile- ges, and place the ordinances as they were delivered. In these few lines, I have tried to bring to light one of the gospel ordinances, and to remove one of the bars to christian fellowship, (and, if God will, I may review others at a future day,) praying that the dear Lord may bless the attempt of one of his most -unworthy servants, to help his children to arise and shake themselves from the dust and sit down at the feet of our dear Lord Jesus : And that they may receive every grace to the comfort and joy of their hearts, prays their Unworthy friend and brother in Christ, JOHN POCOCK. Utica, January, 1833. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Princeton Theological Seminary Library http://www.archive.org/details/dialoguebetweenoOOpoco A DIALOGUE BETWEEN AN OLD DISCIPLE AND A MODERN PROFESSOR. M. P. Good morning, old dadda. You was not at our church meeting last evening. O. D. No. Was any thing done there of particular note 1 M. P. Yes. Several things have grieved some ; and yet 1 think it a matter of joy that the church maintains the true order of the gospel, although it causes grief to some of our brethren. O. D. Great care ought to be observed in giving grief, or caus- ing sorrow in the breast of any of the true children of God, lest we offend our Lord; for he has said, "offend not one of these little ones, for their angel ever beholdeth the face of their Father in glory." Although he says, "offences shall come ; but- wo unto them by whom the offence cometh." But pray, what caused the grief? M. P. Why, would you think it 1 ? Mr. Goodman asked the Erivilege to sit down with us at our communion ; and you know he as not been baptized, although he says he has received the blessed evidence of his adoption into the true church of God ; has also been blessed with the baptism of the Spirit, and enjoys sweet fellowship with God, by faith in Christ through the Holy Spirit. And truly, his walk and conversation are evidences of what he says. I believe all the church highly esteem him as a real disciple of Christ. This is what caused the grief to many, to deny his request ; as all wish he would be baptised and join our church. O. D. Then the church denied him his request to sit at the (able of the Lord and partake of the emblems of the "broken body and spilled blood" of his Lord, although he is charged to do this in remembrance of his Lord 1 Indeed, I do not wonder that many were grieved. For, if the God of heaven has not denied him sweet communion with him, having pardoned his sins and redeemed him by the blood of Jesus ; and the blessed Spirit witnesseth with his spirit that he is a son of God : O ! I tremble to think if the Lord should say — by what word, or by what authority have you done (his, to send my son from my table 1 What could the church say ? They must be forever silent, or acknowledge they have sinned. %M. P. Yes ; but you know we are called close communion Bap- tists ; and our church covenant forbids his admission unless he is baptized. All covenants not made agreeably to the word of the Lord, are not binding on the disciples of Christ. But our church is of long standing ; and we take our example from our Lord himself, and from the 2d chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, as the platform of our order. O. D. I believe you have no order from our Lord Jesus, nor ex- ample in any apostolical writing, for your practice of forbidding one true disciple from his privilege at the Lord's table ; but offend our dear Lord by grieving his members in dealing with them as with "the vilest of sinners, such as drunkards or openly profane. What more could you do to them than to exclude them from your com- munion 1 M. P. O, dear ! you shock me by supposing such a thing. — Why we all love him, but he refuses to be baptized and join our church. O. D. You have no precept or example in the Book, which au- thorises you to forbid a real child of God, although not baptized, a place at the table of his Lord, or to deprive him of any christian pri- vilege oil that account. kM. P. Why, you surprise me ! Have we not the example of Christ himself? Was not he baptized by John? Did he not bid his disciples to go and teach all nations, baptizing them? And has he not promised, that he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved 1 and are we not told that they were baptized, both men and women 1 O. D. All that you have quoted is no proof to support your practice of refusing fellowship to unbaptized persons ; nor have you any one scripture to support such a practice. M. P. Have not all the christian churches adopted the same practice ever since the Apostles, with this difference only : that many profess to baptize infants, and differ in their modes, by sprink- ling or pouring, but call it all baptism 1 But you have greatly err- ed in setting aside the first ordinance of the gospel — the entering door to the fellowship of the church. O. D. You have made void the law by your tradition. By what Bcripture dare you call baptism the first gospel ordinance, or the door to the communion or church fellowship 1 John's baptism was not a gospel ordinance : for he says, "I indeed baptize you with water — I shall decrease ; he, Christ, shall baptize you with the Ho- ly Ghost — he shall increase." John says of himself, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord;" — and Christ says of John, "he is the greatest of the pro- Ehets ; yet he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than e." John pointed to the Messiah as no other did. M. P. By what authority dare or can you speak against our practice, or vindicate mixed or open communion in church ordinan- ces or fellowship 1 O. D. By the written word of our Lord, by christian experience, and by right reason. M. P. Why, will you pretend to be wiser than all the great and learned divines that have written on our practice 1 Besides, we are all exhorted to be of one mind ; to speak the same things, and to hold the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, which can- not be in a mixed or open communion society. And further, it is said of the first gathered gospel church — "they were baptized, added to the church, and continued in the Apostle's doctrine, in fellowship, in breaking of bread, and in prayer." Now what dare you say against this rule ? O. D. That your quotation is not according to the record in the 2d of the Acts. A part of the text is omitted, which says, "as many as received the word giadly were baptized ; and the same day, (that they were baptized another act was recorded,) there were added unto them about three thousand souls. M. P. Thrse thousand were baptized and added to the church , so we all understand it to mean. But, pray, let rne hear your ar- gument. O. D. In favor of your opinion, no doubt, much has and may be said. But I dare not refuse any of my Father's dear children any gospel privilege without a plain command or precept in his written word ; and as I do not believe that any church was formed on close communion Baptist principles, recorded in the New Testament, so I believe that no less than three or four open or mixed communion churches are mentioned in it. J\l. P. You really surprise me to hear you assert such words ; but pray, let me hear your thoughts on the subject. O. D. Then I should first say that John's baptism was not gospel baptism. For our dear Lord says of John, that he was a prophet ; and that, although the greatest of the prophets, yet he that was least in the kingdom of heaven was greater than John Baptist. If so, both John and his baptism of course were not gospel. Besides, John says his baptism was only unto repentance ; also, that he should decrease, or cease. But gospel baptism requires- faith in the Lord Jesus. Acts, 8, 37 : 10, 47. Besides, our Lord never did once, until after his death, direct his disciples to baptize ; although he sent them out to preach, and told them what to say and what to do. He sent twice, seventy ; but no order or authority to baptize. At their return, not one word is said about how many they had baptized. Now, if the gospel kingdom was begun with John Bap- tist, why this silence 1 M. P. But we are told that the disciples baptized many : more- over, that our dear Lord was baptized by John ; and that he said to John, " Suffer it to be so now." But John told Jesus that he had need to be baptized of Jesus; for John had before said of Jesus, that he should baptize with the Holy Ghost. O. D. It is true that Jesus was baptized in Jordan, and was also circumcised. But we have nothing to do with circumcision. So of John's baptism ; having no command left. on record by our Lord Jesus. For John's baptism pointed to the washing of regene- ration, or a cleansing from sin by the blood of the atonement : therefore, all sensible sinners were invited to that ordinance ; and hence John's preaching— Ye generation of vipers, ye serpents, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come ! Bring forth, therefore, fruits meet for repentance. And, although it is said, the disciples baptized more than John, I conclude that Peter and An- drew, being John's disciples, and having a right understanding of John's doctrine and practice ; and the kingdom of heaven, or the gospel state, being near at hand, as the Savior had told them to say in their preaching : they practiced John's baptism till the church of Christ was to be manifested. •M. P. But were not all the disciples baptized as well as their Lord ; and also, all believers by them 1 O. D. I believe there is no proof, nor any record of any but Christ and the two disciples, Peter and Andrew, until after the resurrection of our Lord, being baptized among all the disciples, nor any order to baptize until after the institution of the Lord's supper. 8 J\l. P. You really surprise me : for all the churches of every or- der of Christians, maintain that every person must be baptized be- fore communion, (either in infancy or adults) or profession of faith. O. D. This proves nothing - . The pharisees made void the law by their own inventions or traditions ; but nothing- except — " Thus saith the Lord," is a right rule of faith or practice. M. P. Then would you set aside one of the gospel ordinances entirely 1 O ! it shocks me to think of it ! O. J). No. I believe the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's supper, to be the ordinances of the gospel appointed by o.ur Lord himself. But I wish them to be kept in their proper place, and dis- tinct from all corrupt or carnal inventions of carnal men. I do con- sider them teaching ordinances in the church of God. M. P. Then you would have the Lord's supper for the first or T dinance, I expect ; although it is plain that many were baptized upon believing. O. D. No. I have no authority for placing them other than our Lord has placed them : and I think the first institution of our Lord's supper was to a mixed communion, being only two disciples there whose baptism is on record ; even John's baptism. M. P. I am shocked and surprised ! But you said there were three or four mixed or open communion churches recorded in the New Testament. O. D. I have just mentioned one, at the supper of the Lord. The second is on record in the second chapter of the Acts- As before, the number baptized is not on record ; but the same day that they were baptized, there were added unto them about three thousand souls ; of whose baptism there is no record. It is only said that "they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." The third is recorded in Romans, 6, 3. This epistle is directed unto the saints beloved of God, and called to be saints at Rome, which was of course a chris- tian church of beloved saints. To these he says, " so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death." So many of us, must, in the plain sense of the words, mean apart of the us, and cannot mean the whole. Of course, this must mean a mixed or open communion church ; — some were not baptized — some baptized. The fourth is recorded in the epistle to the Gala- tians, 3d chap. 26th and 27th verses. Paul says — " For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." As before, as many of you, must be a part of the whole ; yet called a church of God. M. P. But I object. In Acts, 2 : 28, Peter says, "repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the re- mission of your sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Now can you believe any one remained unbaptized after such an exhortation 1 O. D. The history says, u as many as gladly received the word were baptized," as before. Now, to me it appears strange that faith was not asked of them. It is also evident, that they had not the Holy Spirit ; for Peter promises they shall have the Holy Spirit. They are also told to wash away their sins. Is this christian bap- tism, or John's, judge ye 1 Paul speaks of "one baptism, one faith, one Lord." John Baptist says of Jesus, " he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost." JW. P. Well ; I believe the one baptism to be ours, or immer- sion in water to all believers. The baptism of the Spirit was only on the apostles. O. D. Then in what spirit was the church at Cornelius's house baptized 1 Acts, I Oth chapter, 44th verse to the end of the chapter. 1 Corinthians, 12 ; 13. Baptized by one spirit into one body, and this a gentile church : and the promise of God by the prophet Joel, as Acts, 1 : 16, 17 : " On my servants and handmaids I will pom- out my Spirit :" And this spirit John Baptist declaied Christ should baptize with. Paul says, writing to the Corinthian church, "we are all baptized by one Spirit." M. P. Well ; but you said you believed in the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's supper ; but you now contend for the bap- tism of the Spirit. I cannot see what you understand by the ordi- nances, or how you would use them. O. D. I understand by the ordinance of the Lord's supper, the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus ; and agreeably to the appoint- ment, do show my faith and hope in his death, until he come ; and as a disciple, hear him say< — "do this in remembrance of me." By baptism, I witness my faith and hope in the burial and resurrection of our Lord, and my interest in them. M. P. But you have placed the Lord's supper first instead of baptism. O. D. I know it. But I have placed them as I believe our Lord appointed them ; fori believe suffering and death should be before burial and resurrection. J\f. P. Doth not the commission say, " go teach all nations, baptizing them'? In what way can you answer this, unless you, immediately on the conversion of a sinner, lead him into the water 1 0. D. I have no doubt but sometimes it was done : But the word of Jesus is, " teach all nations, baptizing them ;" and St. Paul so acted, understanding baptism as a secondary article : I. Cor. 1 : 14 — 17 : or why should he thank God he had baptized none of them except a few he names? And Peter says, "not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience:" by which I must understand the Spirit's baptism ; that being inward and spiritual ; and not water, as water is outward, to the cleansing or putting away the dirt or filth of the flesh. Peter says, this bap- tism saveth us ; (but outward, or water, saveth none.) I. Peter, 3 : 21. M. P. Pray, how will you prove open or mixed communion, to be according to the revealed will of God and christian experience 1 O. D. Paul says, Col. 2: 6. "As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." When Christ is first received into the heart by faith, the christian then loveth all that appear to love the Lord, and feels that fellowship in the Spirit with those who talk of the spiritual favor and love of Jesus. Let him be a baptized or unbaptized believer, he loveth him as a brother in Christ Jesus. This is the fellowship of the Spirit ; and we are told to keep the 2 to unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, and to let brotherly love continue. If "this is the teaching - of the Spirit of God, then, I. John, 2: 27; we are told, that having' received the anointing, we need not that an)' man teach us: but as the same anointing teacheth us, so we are cautioned in the preceding verses, against those that seduce us from this bond of union. We are also cautioned against the inventions of philosophy and vain deceit after the tra* ditions of men, and not after Christ. Col. 2: 8. Our Lord, also, John, 13 : 34, 35, declares love to be his new commandment ; to love one another ; and declares this the evidence of discipleship both in the world and in the church : but not one word of baptism is mentioned. Love, christian love, is the true bond of union ; and any church that has not this union, although baptized, is not a a church of God. M. P. You make love to the brethren the bond and evidence of church fellowship. I think, although love is desirable and to be cultivated in all churches, yet we are told that the world loves its own — that sinners love sinners ; and as like loveth its like, I think you need much more to foim and keep church fellowship: as a sound creed and article of agreement ; also, church covenant, signed and enforced by church discipline, and the ordinances kept as delivered to us. O. D. I still say, love is the bond of union in a christian church ; and all covenants, creeds, or discipline, without brotherly love, can never form or be a church of Christ. Yet erroneous men of every description may be, and are, united in creed or sentiment ; and with zeal support and propagate their errors, and rejoice at their success in making proselytes to their creed : yet not having the spirit of God, nor Christ in them the hope of glory — are none of his ; are declared to be sensual, having not the spirit of God, and reprobate ; (II. Cor. 13 : 5) not knowing that Christ is in them. Now as love to Christ and the brethren is equally found among true believers, both baptized and unbaptized, both enjoying the same fellowship with God ; the Spirit also bearing the same witness to their adop- tion, and teaching both to claim the precious privilege of the sons of God, the pardon of their sins, &c, they are both truly brethren in Christ ; and without a plain order from the living God in his writ- ten word, ought not to be interrupted in their fellowship or church communion. M. P. Well ; now as to your reasons for having the church an open or mixed communion. O. D. I think the present mode of baptizing into the churches, or before receiving into the fellowship, often causes great error. — Many, without knowing the use or end of baptism, use it only as a duty, or to get into the church, which is a prostitution of the ordi- nance ; expecting 1 hereby to be made fit for communion or church fellowship ; and also by their subsequent practice say — stand by yourselves ; we are holier than you ; we have been baptized ; — not discerning the humbling doctrine, that through the death and re- surrection of Christ, we poor, lost and wicked sinners are saved from hell, and by his resurrection are raised to hope. In the early ages of the christian church, history informs us, that a after conversion and being received by the church, they were taught the gospel doctrines ; and while thus taught as catechumens till well instructed in gospel doctrine ; then admitted to the sacred ordinance of baptism — -and not before. JYI. P. But we find no such delay, nor reason for delay by the apostles ; as Cornelius by Peter, and the eunuch by Philip* 0. D. Cornelius and his house were instructed by Peter, and received the Spirit of God and believed { and the eunuch was in- structed by Philip and believed with all his heart, or neither could have been baptized. But in the present day, many are added to the churches before they are properly taught, and cause mourning in Zion and ridhule in the poor worldlings, who view such things as light things ; as the increasing of numbers to support their party, and consider the conduct as the act of priestcraft or as cause of boasting. And indeed, instead of uniting, it is a cause of marring and dividing such as ought to dwell together in love ; and is as the badge of a party, a bone of contention, often causing the infidel to triumph, saying, "see how these christians hate one another ; see, they cannot eat together in their holy feasts or religious festivals. See, see, (say they) — what strife between the churches to add to their numbers, each anxious to catch the new convert in order to increase their own numbers/' &c. O, my brethren ! it ought not so to be. True christians ought to dwell together in love, and manifest that love to each other by walk- ing in charity : and as far as each has received light, receive each weak one to enjoy such privileges as are not plainly forbidden ; and take every opportunity, in love, to increase their light by in- structing them, that they may grow in grace and knowledge. So we are told to build up one another in His most holy faith. Again, ye that are strong, bear with the infirmity of the weak; and him that is weak in the faith receive ye, (but not till he is manifestly a son of God,) but not to doubtful disputation. O, then, close breth- ren, close ; and cause the poor infidel no more to say — how these christians hate — but how they love each other : and that we may strive to keep the unity of the Spirit, rather than the unity of cere- mony, in the bond of peace, prays yours.