I want to thank Elders Bob Myers and William Stang for their help in proofing and correcting grammatical errors in the many rough drafts. I want to thank Pastor Al Gormley and Bryan Station Baptist Church of Lexington, Kentucky for their faithfulness to the truth and their willingness to take on the printing expenses and publishing. I also want to thank Pastor Jerry Asberry of Paducah, Kentucky for his encouragement and support during this process.

I want to especially thank my wife and daughters for their support in giving me up to my study for long hours after long hours away from home due to my secular job plus the work of the ministry.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the memory of a great defender of the faith who was passionate for the truth. The Lord equipped Elder Milburn Cockrell with tremendous ability to communicate the truth both in the pulpit and with the pen. Even his enemies considered him well read and a worthy advocate.

For many years Elder Cockrell was the editor of The Berea Baptist Banner, published by the Berea Baptist Church of Mantachie, Mississippi.

The doctrine of the New Testament Church and the doctrine of Grace were possibly the two greatest loves of Elder Cockrell for which he ardently taught and defended with all of his passion, learning and ability. One of his last great written works was the revised edition entitled, Scriptural Church Organization. After his departure, his book came under attack by those who opposed him. His book should be consulted and read along with my book as he covered materials I have not. He will be sorely missed by the friends of truth.

Introduction

Who has authority to administer the Great Commission upon earth? Some embrace the position that Christ directly and repeatedly redelivers this commission to believers in every generation. According to this position, the Bible is the only authority necessary for any true believers to take up this commission at any time in any generation. This is the foundation for the Reformation and all who originate their own denominations.

On the other hand, there are those who embrace the position that the great commission has been “once delivered” (Jude 3) directly by Christ to His Church at Jerusalem during His earthly ministry and that this church was also promised by Christ to reproduce after its own kind until Jesus comes again. This position argues that Biblical authority to carry out the Great Commission is found only in the Lord’s churches.

The thesis of this book is to demonstrate the following five points about the Great Commission:

First, to prove by sound principles of exegesis that Matthew 28:19-20 designates an earthly administrator (“ye”), that stands between Christ and all recipients (“them”) as the authorized administrator of this commission.

Second, this book is designed to demonstrate beyond reasonable doubt that Matthew 28:19-20 is an orderly and due process, an explicit prescription, for reproducing disciples of like faith and order that concludes with membership in a New Testament Church. As such, it is authority to bring such disciples into church membership by one of two ways. Newly baptized believers were brought into church membership by directly adding them to an existing church (Acts 2:41-42) or by being constituted into a new church by a church authorized representative (Acts 13:3; 14:22-23). New churches do not evolve but are made by this process. They are constituted under the authority of a previously existing New Testament Church and/or its ordained representatives.

Third, it is to demonstrate from credible sources of history that both English and American Particular Baptists understood the Great Commission as belonging exclusively to the visible gospel church of Christ and they applied it as such in their practice. This practice was denoted by such terms as “regular church order” or such synonymous phrases as “binding church order” or “gospel church order” etc. Not only did these phrases make it self evident that they believed the Great Commission was given to the church alone but they repeatedly denied that it belonged to anyone but the New Testament gospel church.

Fourth, this book is written to demonstrate that “old Landmarkism” in the days of J.R. Graves practiced this same church order and fully believed that the great commission was given solely to the churches of Jesus Christ. Indeed, when William Cathcart defined old Landmarkism in regard to “scriptural authority” and the Great Commission, he worded it as follows; “scriptural authority UNDER God FROM a gospel church.” Old Landmarkism saw no conflict between the authority of the scriptures and church authority, as they recognized church authority to be authorized by the scriptures.

Lastly, this book was written to demonstrate conclusively that there is no Biblical authority for baptized believers to constitute themselves into a church of Christ any more than there is a Biblical basis to administer self-baptism or self-ordination. The action of church constitution must be authorized by a previously existing church and/or its ordained representatives.

Those who oppose church authority in the constitution of a new church primarily defend their position by falsely attributing church characteristics to a yet unconstituted entity; and then by circular reasoning, claim that “church” rights are being violated if an existing church authorizes and supervises this constitution. Hence, according to this circular reasoning, the unconstituted entity supposedly has its “church” autonomy and authority violated when in fact they are NOT even a church of Christ until AFTER being constituted. You must first be a church before you can claim the rights belonging to a church.

There is no state of limbo where baptized believers exist outside the authority of an existing church while still unconstituted. The so-called doctrine of “direct authority” demands this kind of ecclesiastical state of limbo and denies the horizontal and instrumental administrator identified as “ye” in the Great Commission.

New Churches do not evolve out of thin air. Church authority is exercised by an existing church in regard to constituting new churches in two distinct ways. One way is to call a church business meeting and by vote dismiss members for the express purpose to pursue constitution of a new church under the direction of a church ordained man. Another way is to call a church business meeting, and by vote, recommend a brother for ordination; and then send that man on the mission field to preach, baptize and gather the baptized believers into a church. Behind both methods of church constitution are the vote of a church and thus “church authority”; and the result is that everything is done decently and in order without confusion.

Indeed, those who embrace the “direct authority” position admit that church authority is essential to the constitution of a church. They admit that without church authorized baptism there can be no scriptural materials out of which to constitute a church. This is admission that churches cannot be constituted apart from direct linkage through baptism authorized and administered by a previous existing church. This is organic link by link church succession in its historical sense, having church authority as its basis and baptism as its linkage between a preceding church and the newly constituted church.

The direct authority movement is in essence usurping church authority, rebelling against the authority of Scriptures and providing the foundation for every form of ecclesiastical disorder and confusion imaginable. It is the recipe for schism within churches that provides the schismatic a way around church discipline by simply self-organizing.

The outlined procedure this book follows is; (1) to examine Matthew 28:19-20 in order to discover who are those referred to as “ye” by their contextual characteristics; (2) to demonstrate this commission was observed in the book of Acts; (3) to show that early English and American Baptists designated the proper observance by such phrases as “gospel order” or “due binding order” or “regular church order” etc.; (4) to demonstrate that historical “Landmark” Baptists thoroughly refuted the idea of “direct” authority as they believed the Great Commission was (a) not given to the ministry, much less merely baptized believers; (b) but was given solely to the church and (c) included authority to constitute baptized believers into churches.

Mark W. Fenison

February 20, 2007

Chapter One

The Great Commission Credentials

Binding Gospel Order

> And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. – Mt. 28:18-20.

When someone asks “what are your credentials”, they are asking about your qualifications, authority, or credibility to support your claim to be or do something. This question should not anger anyone if they are properly qualified/authorized. For example, the Scribes and Pharisees asked this very question of Jesus:

Mt. 21:23 “And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?”

If Jesus did not get angry and did not deny this was a valid question, why should those who claim to follow him get angry and deny it is a valid question? This is especially true since Christ predicts that “many” He never knew will claim to do things in His name (Mt. 7:22-23). If He never knew them, He never sent them. There are many today, like in the days of Jeremiah, to whom God said:

Jeremiah 23:21 “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.”

The question before us is “whom did Christ send to carry out the Great Commission?” Many believe the Great Commission is nothing more than a command to evangelize, and therefore anyone who is saved is authorized to administer it. It is certainly true that anyone who has experienced salvation is qualified to be a witness of the gospel. However, does the Great Commission go beyond a mere gospel witness and thus require more than a mere salvation experience to be a qualified administer of it? The following study will examine the immediate context of the Great Commission to see if there are any inherent qualifications demanded by the context that will define exactly who is and who is not authorized by Christ to administer it.

Who is being authorized - “Ye” Versus “Them”?

“Go YE…..baptizing THEM….” – Mt. 28:19.

Who is being commissioned? There are two classes of people found in the Great Commission context. The identity of these two classes of people are represented by the pronouns “ye” and “them.” It is the “ye” who are being authorized to do certain things (go…baptizing….teaching) and it is the “them” who are the recipients (receivers) of those actions. Obviously, those who are the recipients of such actions are not the ones being authorized to carry out such actions, are they? If they were, then Christ would have omitted the “ye” and simply instructed “them” to “go” to themselves, baptize themselves and teach themselves. However, that is not the case is it?

Significantly, notice that Christ never authorizes those who are identified as “them” to be administrators of this commission at any stage of this commission. The Great Commission is presented in three stages; (1) “go” (2) “baptizing them” (3) “teaching them to observe.” In Mark 16:15 the “go” stage is further defined as going to “them” with the gospel. Hence, even after they have received the gospel and become believers, these believers are not authorized to baptize but are still to be the recipients of baptism by those identified as “ye”, and so we read: “baptizing THEM.” Even after the “ye” baptizes “them” they are still under the teaching authority of the “ye” in verse 20 and so we read: “teaching THEM.” In all three stages (go, baptize, teach) it is the “ye” who are authorized to administer it. At no stage in this commission does Jesus give authority to “them” to take over and administer any stage of this commission.

Do you see the difference here between “ye” and “them” in this commission and which one is being authorized and which is not? This text absolutely denies that Christ gives vertical or direct authority to “them” at any stage of this commission at any day in this age. At the second stage those designated as “them” are baptized disciples but yet are without authority to constitute themselves into a teaching assembly as described in the third stage of this commission. Christ has established the “ye” as the horizontal or instrumental authority for the administration of this commission in all three stages. The “ye” is placed between Christ and “them” at every point in this commission. This means those designated as “them” must come to those designated as “ye” in order to be discipled. The Great Commission gives absolutely no authority for “them” to gospelize themselves or others, baptize themselves or others, teach themselves or others, any more than the Scriptures give authority for the unordained to ordain themselves or others or the unchurched to church themselves or others. Jesus explicitly appoints a qualified INSTRUMENTAL authority, or administrator that others must come to in order to be disciplined in His kingdom. This distinction is very important for many reasons yet to be discussed.

“And so in regard to this commission of Christ, it was addressed, to somebody. It supposes that there will be somebody to be baptized, and it authorizes somebody to baptize them. If by commanding some to baptize, it commands others by implication to be baptized, it by the same implication commands them to be baptized by those, and only those whom it commands to baptize.” William M. Nevins, Alien Baptism and the Baptists, The Challenge Press, Little Rock, Ark., 1977, p. 156.

Review Questions

What are the two pronouns that identify two different classes of persons in this commission? (“ye” and “them”)

To which class is Jesus giving this commission to? (“ye”)

Are those that become baptized believers in verse 19 authorized to ‘teach” in verse 20, or are they still under the administrative authority of those identified as “ye” in verse 19? (they are still under the administrative authority of “ye”)

4. Does this text establish those defined as “ye” as the administrative authority in carrying

out the Great Commission? (yes)

The Grammatical Implications that establish due process and order

In order to understand the Great Commission better, one must understand some simple but significant grammatical implications of this commission. Grammar is not the favorite subject of many but a simple understanding of the grammar in this passage is essential to clearly understand both what this commission really is and to whom Christ authorized to administer it.

We want to examine the primary verb in this context which is translated “teach” in verse 19 along with its three modifying participles in verses 19 & 20 (“go”, “baptizing” and “teaching”). The primary verb tells us WHAT TO DO whereas the three participles tell us HOW TO DO IT. Let’s begin with the primary verb.

The word “teach” in verse 19 is the translation of a Greek verb that literally means “make disciples.” The idea behind this term demands that the teaching involved is far beyond communicating mere information. The making of a disciple involves the transformation of one’s beliefs so that their life and practice conforms to that of the teacher. Therefore, this very command implies that the administrator must be one already discipled before they are qualified to disciple others.

Notice another necessary implication of the command “make disciples.” This command implies both a beginning point where one BECOMES a disciple as well as the ongoing action from that beginning point of continuing to BE a disciple.

At this point it may be helpful to understand that the term “disciple” means one who is a “follower.” The very term demands on going action of following. However, to make disciples also implies a specific point in time when they were not followers but became one. Hence, at a certain point in time one BECOMES what he formally was not – a disciple, and then from that point forward continues BEING what he is, a follower.

The grammar actually supports both aspects of becoming what one was formally not and then continuing to be what you became at a given point in time.

The tense of this verb manifests the point in time where one became what he formerly was not. It is an aorist tense verb which refers to a point in time that action was completed. Hence, in regard to the tense of the verb “make disciples” it demonstrates this occurred at a specific point in time as a completed or finished action. The inherent action in the meaning of the verb or what grammarians call its acktionsart (sort of action) is continous action. That is the very word “follower” denotes motion in action rather than static position. To “follow” is to move in a direction.

Therefore, the tense tell us that something occurred in a point of time in the past that is complete. At a point of time in the past we were not disciples but at a certain definitive point in the past we became what we were formally not – a follower of Christ. On the other hand, the idea of continuous motion is found inherent in the meaning of the term “disciple”. Therefore, the inherent action found in the very meaning of the verb “make disciples” (“to follow”) denotes a continuation in being a disciple but the tense of the verb points to a time when one became a disciple. This two-fold action found in the words “make disciples” is very important when we look at it in relationship to the participles that modify this primary verb.

Also, this primary verb is found in what grammarians call the imperative mode, which is the mode of command. Therefore, this is not an option or a mere suggestion, but is a direct command given by Christ to be obeyed. Remember the job of the verb is to tell us WHAT TO DO. What are we to do? We are to make disciples; and it is a command, not an option and it occurs at a given point in time and then continues forward from that point.

Now let’s consider the three participles and how they modify this main verb. The KJV translates the three participles as “go”, “baptizing” and “teaching”. Remember, the verb tells us WHAT TO DO: “make disciples”, but it is the participles that explain HOW TO DO IT. In other words Christ is defining His recipe for making disciples and it involves these three participles. These are not dangling participles but they are logically and grammatically connected to the main verb. For example, you cannot make disciples without first “GOING” to them with the gospel (Mk. 16;15 defines this as going with the gospel). Therefore the first participle is logically connected to the main verb and is descriptive of the first step in the making of a disciple. This chronological and logical order is spelled out by the tenses used for these participles.

Let’s consider the tenses of these three participles and how they grammatically relate to the tense of the main verb (make disciples). In this grammatical construction the “tense” reveals the chronological order in which these actions occur in relationship to the main verb. For example, the first participle translated “go” is found in what grammarians call the Aorist tense. This tense is commonly used to describe a completed action in the past. In other words, this action of “going” is considered as already accomplished before the act of baptizing and/or teaching (both of which are found in the present tense). What does this mean? It means that one must go with the gospel before one can become a disciple:

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Mk. 16:15.

Thus the Aorist tense in the first participle “go” tells us that it must be a completed action before they can be baptized. In other words, they must first become believers in the gospel before they are qualified to be baptized. Is this important? Yes, it is. This teaches us that baptism is only for those who have already believed in the gospel of Christ. This is the consistent teaching throughout the New Testament where repentance and faith in Christ always occur prior to the administration of baptism and church membership (e.g. Acts 2:41-42). The message behind the aorist tense “go” is the initial act of becoming a disciple by the gospel is a completed action prior to the administration of baptism. Hence, “blood before the water” as the old Baptists would say. It might be said this way, LITERAL salvation is completed prior to administering PICTORIAL salvation in baptism, as baptism is said to be “a like figure” of literal salvation (2 Pet. 3:21). This demonstrates one must first become a disciple INWARDLY by faith in the gospel before they can continue as a disciple OUTWARDLY by baptism and church membership. Jesus told the Pharisees to first cleanse the inside of the cup before being concerned about the outside. Repentance and faith in the gospel reveals a change that took place at a certain point in time concerning the INSIDE of a person.

Now remember the lesson above about the aktionsart or sort of action inherent in the main verb (“make disciples”) and its tense (Aorist)? The tense of the main verb demands a point of action where one BECOMES a disciple as a finished act. The first participle “go” and its aorist tense of completed action is that point where one BECOMES a disciple by becoming a believer in the gospel. However, the inherent continuous action found in the words “make disciples” is BEING a follower from that point forward. The next two participles are found in the present tense which indicates this CONTINOUS ACTION of following Christ is characterized by baptism and being taught to observe all things Christ commanded.

Therefore, discipleship does not stop with conversion to the gospel but it is just the beginning point and the prerequisite for baptism and church membership. The ongoing action that follows conversion to the gospel is defined as submission to baptism followed by habitual assembling together to learn how to observe the all things of Christ. A perfect example of this principle in practice occurred on the day of Pentecost. (1) They “received the word” and then (2) “were baptized” and then (3) added to the church at Jerusalem (Acts 2:41-42).

Now let’s summarize what we have learned in this grammatical lesson. Making disciples involves more than evangelism by the gospel but must begin at that point. One becomes a disciple at the point of faith in the gospel as a completed action previous to baptism. However, once being made a disciple we are to continue following Christ in baptism and in observing all things whatsoever He has commanded. Hence, the Great Commission gives a logical and chronological order to be followed: (1) gospelization; (2) baptization; (3) congregationlization for indoctrinization

We are first SAVED by faith in the gospel in order to SERVE the Lord by submission to baptism and church membership. It is important to keep these two aspects of the Great Commission distinctly apart (salvation versus service) and yet at the same time remember that those who are saved by the gospel are saved to serve Christ by following Him in baptism and in church membership. True Discipleship includes both the proper beginning “point” as well as following the proper “process” but does not confuse one with the other. This is the message of the three participles in their relationship to the primary verb. This is the true meaning of “make disciples.” Hence, mere gospelizing someone after the Billy Graham fashion is not carrying out the Great Commission.

Review Questions

Does the primary verb tell us what we are to do? (yes)

Do the three participles tell us how we are to do it? (yes)

What threefold process does this text demand for one to be made a disciple? (gospelization, baptism, participation in a teaching assembly)

Do the tenses of the participles tell us what must be done first? (yes)

What kind of action does the Greek term translated “go” indicate? (completed action)

Is Christ teaching that one must first become a disciple by faith in the gospel before submitting to baptism and assembled for instruction? (yes)

Those who refuse to be baptized or will not submit themselves to be taught how to

observe all things, are they obedient to this command? (no)

Is it possible for para-church organizations, radio and TV churches and evangelistic

associations to administer this commission? (no)

The Pre-Qualified

- “whatsoever I have commanded you” – v. 20.

We have established by the immediate context that it is the “ye” who are given authority to carry out this commission. We have also established the meaning of “make disciples” as both an event that began with the gospel as well as an on going process that continues with baptism and habitual assembling together in observing the commandments of the Lord. Let’s probe this text further. What kind of person is being commissioned to begin this event and to carry out this process? What did Jesus say about the blind leading the blind? They would both fall into the ditch. It takes one who can see to lead those who cannot. How does this apply to the administrator of the Great Commission? Take a look at the word “have” in verse 20. The word “have” demands that those who are authorized to administer this commission “HAVE” already been through this same three fold process BEFORE they are authorized to administer it to others. In other words, Christ never commissioned the blind to lead the blind. That is, those being authorized had already been gospelized, baptized and assembled together and instructed how to observe all things BEFORE they were authorized to administer this to others. Not only is this demanded by the word “have” in our text but it is elsewhere explicitly spelled out in no uncertain terms:

“Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.” – Acts 1:21-22.

Notice the explicit language in the above text. They are described as a traveling assembly that one may go “in and out” among them. This traveling assembly began with the baptism of John, and was still continuing right up to the time after the resurrection in Acts chapter one when they were all assembled together in a called church meeting to select another church officer – an apostle. They continued to habitually assemble together right up to the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1). They had already been gospelized and baptized by John the Baptists (The gospel had already been preached to them, Mk. 1:15; Jn. 3:36); and then they assembled together around Christ for nearly three and half years for instruction BEFORE being authorized to carry out this commission.

What does this prove about those being commissioned? It proves He never authorized anyone to administer this commission that had not first been through it themselves. What does that mean? It means that the Bible gives absolutely no authority for self-administration of the Great Commission. Jesus never commissioned the blind to lead the blind or the ignorant to teach the ignorant.

Hence, the first contextual credential of those authorized to carry out the Great Commission is that they are distinguished as “ye” from “them.” The second contextual credential of this “ye” is that they “have” already been saved by the gospel, baptized and assembled together for instructions and therefore know how to OBSERVE all things Christ commanded. Therefore they are a prequalified “ye”.

Review Questions

According to the Great Commission, is Christ authorizing SELF-administration of these things? (no)

According to this commission is Christ authorizing anyone who has not themselves gone through this whole threefold process first? (no)

Are unbaptized believers authorized to carry out this commission? (no)

Are unchurched baptized believers authorized to carry out this commission? (no)

Should anyone submit for baptism to anyone who has not been through this threefold process themselves? (no)

Those who profess to be saved but have never been baptized and/or do not submit to a

regular assembling together for instruction, are they disobedient to this commission, or is obedience to this commission a personal option? (it is not an option but a command)

A “ye” of like faith and order

- “whatsoever I have commanded you”

Thus far we have seen that those authorized to carry out this commission are (1) not those referred to as “them” but rather those referred to as “ye”, (2) and it is those who have been through all three processes of this commission rather than those who have not. Therefore, the authorized administrators of the commission are qualified to do so by the very fact they have been gospelized already, they have been baptized already, and they have already been instructed to observe all things. They already know all three aspects of the Great Commission by first hand experience.

However, is this all the credentials the context demands? For example, does this commission permit/authorize anyone to make just ANY KIND of disciple or does Christ have in mind a CERTAIN KIND of disciple? To ask this question in another way, did Christ commission anyone to go preach ANOTHER KIND of gospel other than what Christ preached and commanded (Jn. 3:16; 5:24; Gal. 1:6-9)? Did Christ authorize anyone to administer ANOTHER KIND of baptism other than what he administered (Jn. 4:1-2; Lk. 7:29-30)? Did Christ authorize anyone to teach others to observe ANOTHER KIND of faith and practice other than what he commanded (Jude 3)? The answer should be obvious. However, the Lord does not leave it up to us to guess the answer. He explicitly forbids the making of any other kind of disciples when He says “whatsoever I HAVE COMMANDED you.” In other words, disciples are to be made just like those He is giving this commission to – just like those He made.

Before you react to this negatively, is not this the very meaning of “disciple”? A disciple is not someone who invents a new system or order but one who “follows after” or is a “learner” of a system or order designed by the master teacher. You cannot be a disciple of another person if you do not follow them in their teaching and practice. Christ is here authorizing and establishing them to reproduce those who are LIKE FAITH AND ORDER with Him. When Jude looked back at the event of giving this commission, he understood and summarized that event in the following words: “contending for the faith once delivered” (Jude 3). The apostles instructed the churches to defend the faith and order given them, as many scriptures clearly indicate (Acts 20:27-30; I Tim. 4:1; 2 Thes. 3:6; Rom. 16:17; etc.).

What is the aim of such a commission then? It is to reproduce disciples that are united by the very same doctrine and practice. Is that not exactly what is seen in the book of Acts and in the epistles? Is not that in keeping with the high priestly prayer of Christ in John 17:17: that unity among His disciples be based upon the truth of God’s Word?

What does this mean in practical terms? It means at least the following: (1) It means that Christ is not authorizing anyone to make a DIFFERENT KIND of disciple. If anyone preached another kind of gospel, administered another kind of baptism and instructed them in another kind of faith and order they would produce ANOTHER kind of disciple. (2) Therefore, it means that Christ is not giving this commission to just any kind of professed Christian. (3) It means that Christ is not authorizing the administration of just any kind of baptism. (4) It means that Christ is not authorizing the teaching of just any kind of faith and order.

Instead, the words “whatsoever I have commanded” limits disciple making for Christ within the boundaries of LIKE FAITH AND ORDER in all three areas of the Great Commission. To say the same thing in another way, it means He is commissioning only those who preach the SAME gospel that He preached to them (John the Baptist preached what is found in Jn. 3:36 and Christ preached what is found in Jn. 3:16; 5:25; 6:37-40). It means that He is commissioning only those who submit to and administer the SAME baptism that was administered to them (Jn. 4:1-2; Lk. 7:29-30). It means that He is commissioning only those who teach the same faith and practice He taught them (Jude 3). This is a commission to reproduce after their OWN KIND or within the restrictive limits of LIKE FAITH AND ORDER.

What are practical consequences of reproducing after their own kind? It means all of the churches found in the pages of the New Testament were of like faith and order and all the churches that would be brought into existence by their obedience to this commission would be churches of like faith and order. What do we call a bunch of churches today that are united in the same faith and order? We call them a “denomination.” Jesus limited the commission to administrators who were of like faith and order with Him and designed the commission to only reproduce those of like faith and order with Him.

This is why true New Testament Churches refuse to accept baptism administered by churches that are not of like faith and order with them. Christ never authorized the administration of anything other than LIKE FAITH AND ORDER and therefore true churches of Christ cannot accept anything but LIKE FAITH AND ORDER. Furthermore, the apostles openly corrected any departure by the churches from this same faith and order and commanded them to separate themselves from those who departed from this same faith and order, treating them as apostates and heretics rather than “brethren” of new denominations (Acts 20:29-30; I Tim. 4:1; 2 Thes. 3:6; Rom. 16:17; etc.). This is why true New Testament Churches will not fellowship or work with churches that are not LIKE FAITH AND ORDER because such are condemned as apostates by the scriptures and are to be separated from (2 Thes. 3:6) rather than supported and fellowshipped with.

This means that God is not the author of confusion or the author of multitudes of conflicting Christian denominations existing today. Satan is (I Tim. 4:1). God has only ONE WAY of salvation and only ONE WAY of service and that way is restricted to the faith and order found in the Great Commission.

Can those faithful to the Commission be identified today amongst all the various kinds of “faiths and orders” under the umbrella term “Christianity”? Can it be known which are true and which are not true to His commission? Yes! Compare their gospel, baptism and essential doctrines with that of Christ and the churches of the New Testament. If they are significantly different they cannot possibly be a true New Testament church. Compare their practice with the limitations of the Great Commission and the explicit commands of Scripture to separate themselves from those who depart from the faith once delivered. Any church that is ecumenical in practice or receives the ordinances and ordinations from any other kind of faith and order cannot possibly be a true church of Jesus Christ. True churches of Christ will fellowship only with churches of like faith and order and will separate themselves from all other kinds, as commanded by the Scriptures (2 Thess. 3:6).

“To say this commission was left to any believer, or to some group of men who hold every heresy under the sun, is to accuse the Lord of great carelessness.” – Milburn Cockrell, Scriptural Church Organization, 2^nd Ed. p. 29.

Review Questions

1. What kind of disciples did Christ command the disciples to make? His kind or some other

kind? (his kind)

2. Does the commission give authority to make disciples by another gospel, another baptism,

or another faith and order than Christ commanded? (no)

3. Are all denominations in unity with the faith and order established by Christ? (no, see Acts

20:29-30)

4. Is God the author of denominational confusion or is this commission designed to prevent

multiple kinds of faith and order as His kind of churches?? (designed to prevent it)

5. Do the scriptures predict a Christianity that will depart from the faith and order established by

Christ? ( yes, see 2 Thess. 3:6; Rom. 16:17; Tit. 3:10)

6. Does this commission authorize or even condone joint ecumenical evangelistic crusades in

the name of the Great Commission? For example, the Billy Graham crusades, where all

denominations of diverse doctrine and practice (Roman Catholics, Seventh Day Adventists,

Reformed Churches, sacramental churches, etc.) are invited to work together in order to

accomplish the Great Commission for Christ? (no)

7. Name two ways you can use the Great Commission principle of LIKE FAITH AND ORDER to

identify a true New Testament Church. (doctrinal likeness, deny ecumenical practices)

The Church Membership Conclusion

“Teaching them to observe all things”

Thus far, we have seen that authority to carry out the Great Commission is given to “ye” and not to “them.” We have also established the meaning of “make disciples” as both an event that began with the gospel as well as an on going process that continues with baptism and habitual assembling together in observing the commandments of the Lord. We have seen that it was given to those who have been through this three-fold process rather than those who have not. Last, we have seen that the commission has been given to those who are of like faith and order with Jesus Christ rather than those who are not.

Let’s continue to investigate the inherent qualifications found in this commission. For example, how can anyone be taught to observe anything Christ commanded without habitually assembling with the teacher?

The third aspect of the Great Commission is the command to bring baptized believers into church membership. The leaders of the church at Jerusalem proved they understood it exactly this way when they first implemented it on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41-42). After the first two aspects of the Great Commission were accomplished (“as many as received the word were baptized”) then the third aspect is described in the following manner – “and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” They brought the newly baptized believers into church membership. They did not understand the third aspect apart from being “added unto them.” In the book of Acts whenever the third aspect of this commission is practiced it always, in every instance, means addition to a church and therefore church membership.

The practice of the third aspect of the commission either brought the newly baptized into an existing church as in Acts 2:41-42, or church authorized representatives (Acts 13:1-3) organized newly baptized believers into a new church as in Acts 14:22-23. Whenever the third aspect is obeyed in the book of Acts there is no exception to this rule. The third aspect of the Great Commission is authority to bring baptized believers into the membership of the Church of Christ.

If the above arguments don’t convince you, then consider this. Can you think of any other possible way in those days that the third aspect could be observed apart from the “ye” assembling together with the “them” in an organized and orderly fashion? The Great Commission requires “them” to be taught how to observe all things Christ commanded. Specifically, how could they be taught to observe what Christ commanded them in Matthew 18:15-18 apart from membership in the same church?

Matt. 18:15 “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Proper observation of the above command is according to a due process of orderly steps which culminates with “tell it unto the church.” No unchurched persons can observe this command since no unchurched person is under the authority of a church, or has a church to “tell it to.” This command in Matthew 18:17 assumes that all observing parties involved are members of the church they tell it to. This procedure is part of the “all things” that the contextual “ye” is to teach “them” to observe, and it cannot be done apart from actual assembling together.

In the above instructions, notice that those “two or three” in verse 16 do not constitute a church. Instead, those “two or three” are directed by Christ to “go tell it to the church” in verse 17.

Some suppose that just two verses later (v. 20) Christ teaches that wherever “two or three” are gathered in His name that a church is thereby constituted. That is, some believe this verse gives authority for believers to “gather themselves together” into a church.

Such a conclusion simply ignores the context. Notice that Matthew 18:19 introduces this statement with the word “again” showing direct continuation from verses 17-18. Jesus is simply reaffirming to that “church” in verse 17, that regardless of the size of its membership, the authority given to it as described in verse 18 is final and will be blessed by the promise of His presence. Regardless of how small the majority may be (“two or three”) whenever the church assembles for prayer or any other authorized business of the kingdom, Christ will stand with them. Furthermore, Jesus uses the passive voice in verse 20 instead of the middle voice in the translation of the word “gathered.” If he had used the middle voice that would convey the idea that they “gathered themselves together” but the use of the passive voice demonstrates this is a meeting authorized by the church or appointed by the church.

The bottom line is that Matthew 18:15-20 cannot be observed by “two or three” baptized believers in an unchurched status as it requires membership in the church in order to “go tell the church.”

In addition to the command to church members in Matthew 18:15-17, the observance of the Lord’s Supper as instituted in Matthew 26 requires the actual assembling together for observance. The “ye” cannot teach “them” how to observe the Lord’s Supper apart from actually assembling together with them at the same time and in the same place. In I Corinthians 11:18 Paul says in regard to the observance of the Lord’s Supper, ”when ye come together IN THE CHURCH.” There is no example of the Lord’s Supper being observed by unchurched persons anywhere in Scripture. Surely, this is part of the “all things” Christ is commanding the Great Commission “ye” to teach “them” to observe?

Finally, remember that those who are being addressed as “ye” were pre-qualified in that they “have” already been through this same process before being authorized to administer it to others. If that is true, then, they too had to be incorporated as members in the Church at Jerusalem already, before being given this commission in Matthew 28:19-20. If the third aspect requires membership in a New Testament Church then the Church must have existed previous to the giving of the Great Commission. The scriptures plainly and clearly declare that they were assembling together with Christ habitually for more than three years prior to being commissioned:

“Wherefore of these men which have COMPANIED with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went IN and OUT among us, Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.” – Acts 1:21-22.

Note the language of continual assembling where Jesus “went IN and OUT among us.” The event described here is the selection of another man to fill the “church” office of apostle along with the eleven. Paul says that apostles were “set in the church” first (I Cor. 12:28). The setting of apostles in the church occurred very early in the ministry of Christ when He chose from among those assembling with Him twelve to be apostles (see Luke 6:12-13).

Acts 1:21-22 proves that more than the twelve had been habitually assembling together with Christ over the past three and half years, because if not, there would be no other persons qualified to fill this office.

Therefore, those being addressed in the Great Commission were already in a churched condition just as they were already in a saved and baptized condition previous to being commissioned. He is addressing the New Testament church in Matthew 28:19-20.

It is not possible for this aspect of the commission to be administered or observed by unchurched persons even if they are baptized believers. This aspect of the commission is the command to bring them into a churched state and it provides the authority to do so. The church institution is not only inseparable from obedience to the Great Commission but it is always the direct product of the third aspect of the Great Commission in the book of Acts – always.

Review Questions

1. Is it possible to obey the commission without both the “ye” and “them” being brought

together in a regular habitual assembly in order to observe all things commanded? (no)

2. Is it possible to obey the third aspect of the commission outside of membership in a church of

like faith and order with Christ? (no)

3. Is it possible to qualify as an administrator of this commission apart from being already saved,

baptized, and a member of such a New Testament Church? (no)

4. Should you or anyone else submit to anyone for discipleship training who is not a member of

a church of like faith and order with Christ? If so, by what authority from God’s Word? (no, as

there is no such scriptural authority for it)

An Age Long “Ye”

- “and, lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the world. Amen”

Thus far, we have seen that authority to carry out the Great Commission is given to “ye” and not to “them.” We have also established the meaning of “make disciples” as both an event that began with the gospel as well as an on going process that continues with baptism and habitual assembling together in observing the commandments of the Lord. We have seen that it was given to those who have been through this three-fold process rather than those who have not. We have seen it has been given to those who are like faith and order with Jesus Christ rather than those who are not. Last, we have seen it is given to those in a churched state rather than those who are not.

However, now the text demands they are an AGE LONG existing “ye”. Christ promises that He will be with this “you” until the end of the age. If this “you” is considered as individuals, most died before the end of that century, much less the end of the world. Christ could not have given this commission to them as individuals. Christ could only have given them this as representatives of something that could and would continue until the end of the age.

Whatever “you” represents, it must be in keeping with the inherent characteristics thus far established by the context. Thus “you” must be representative of saved, baptized, churched disciples of like faith and order with Christ.

Therefore, the inherent characteristics of this “ye” leaves only two possible options as to their age long identity. Either Christ is giving the commission to the New Testament church to be administered by its ordained members or He is addressing only the ordained members within the New Testament Church. Is He giving it to His church, or to the ordained elders?

Many believe He gave the commission to the ordained class within the churches of Christ. To support this position, they argue that only the ordained class is capable of performing all three aspects of this commission; whereas the ordinary church member is not, and if given to the church it would authorize women and children as well to administer it. They argue that in the book of Acts in every case of baptism it is performed by the ordained membership and silent passages cannot be used to contradict this conclusion. All of these things are true.

However, we believe that the same evidence supports the conclusion that the Great Commission was given to the church to be administered by its ordained membership. Indeed, the overall Biblical evidence demands this conclusion. For example, we can find explicit cases where the church is the one sending out its ordained membership to carry out this commission (Acts 11:22; 13:1-3; 15:1-3); and the one sending is superior in authority to the one being sent. We can find an explicit and clear command of Christ that appoints the church as the final authority in kingdom affairs when he instructs individual church members to “tell it to the church” rather than to its ordained membership. We can find scriptures that indicate it is the church that chooses and determines the qualifications of those to be set apart to be ordained (Acts 6:5). Don’t those who select and choose always have greater authority than those being examined and chosen? We can find scriptures where such ordained men are “set in” the church and are said to be “gifts” for the church and thus are subservient in the final analysis to the Church (Eph. 4:11; I Cor. 12:28).

However, most importantly, we can find no scriptures that promise age long continuance to the ordained ministry per se, but we do find scriptures that promise age long continuance to the church (Mt. 16:18; Eph. 3:21) in perfect harmony with the age long promise in Matthew 28:20.

Finally, we can find examples where Christ directly addresses the ordained leadership but is speaking through him to the church (“unto the angel of the church which is at….he that hath an ear let him ear what the Spirit saith UNTO THE CHURCHES”- Rev. 2-3). In Appendix I there is a detailed contextual analysis of Matthew 28:10-20 that demonstrates the whole church was present with its ordained representatives. It is a very common thing to address an organization or institution by addressing their appointed leadership. In Matthew 28:19-20 we believe the contextual “ye” is the Church of Christ including its ordained membership.

Review Questions

Can the “you” of the Great Commission represent anyone outside of the membership of a New Testament Church? (no)

Does the “ye” have reference to the ordained membership OR are they ordained representatives of the church? (ordained church representatives)

Where does authority to carry out the commission reside then? In a certain class of church members or with the church? (the church as the church sends them)

4. Do the scriptures give examples of churches sending out qualified members to perform the

tasks listed in the Great Commission? (yes, see Acts 11:22; 13:3; 15:2-3)

5. Does this commission authorize self-gospelization, self-baptism, self-instruction or self-

constitution of churches? (no)

New Testament Church Succession

- “and, lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the world. Amen.”

We have demonstrated that there is an AGE LONG promise of continuity given to the Church as it carries out this commission. What kind of continuity is it? Does the Great Commission text define it? Yes, it does. It defines it in three ways. (1) Organic link to link contact; (2) Natural cycle of succession; (3) Supernatural promise of day in and day out organic link to link succession.

A. Organic Link to Link Contact:

The Great Commission “ye” and “them” are described in terms of direct organic link to link relationship to each other in this commission. The first link is “ye” and the second link in direct relationship to this “ye” is “them.” The “them” are the direct objects in direct contact in both time and space with the “ye” of this commission. It is impossible for the Great Commission to be administered without direct “hands on” contact in time and space with ‘them.” For example, preaching the gospel to “them” requires that the “ye” physically “go” to them. Remember, there were no TV’s and modern electronic means of communication when this commission was given. Likewise, the second and third aspects of the commission require actual physical contact between “ye” and “them” in carrying out this commission. Baptism was a physical “hands on” connection between “ye” and “them.” Furthermore, teaching “them” required actual assembling together with “them” over a period of time in order to accomplish the goal of “teaching them to observe all things….commanded.” Organic link to link contact cannot be successfully repudiated if we take the commission at face value. In fact there is no other possible way that such a commission could be administered but by organic link to link contact in time and space.

To deny this is to attempt to alter the text by removing “ye” from it and making “them” authorized and capable of SELF-administration in every aspect. No one has the right to alter the scripture or edit from the commission this “ye” or any other word provided by divine inspiration.

B. Natural Cycle of Succession:

Does the third aspect of this commission command “them” to observe all things whatsoever Christ commanded? Obviously! Does this include observing this commission as a New Testament Church? Who would deny that? Notice that the very nature of this commission is a NATURAL CYCLE of reproduction after its own kind:

“GO….baptizing….teaching” which demands them to “GO…..baptizing….teaching” which demands them to “GO…baptizing…teaching them…etc.etc.

So the very nature of this commission is a natural historical cycle of succession by reproduction after its own kind in organic link to link fashion.

Look at all denominations today and you will see this is exactly how they NATURALLY reproduce after their own kind. Luther started the Lutheran church and every Lutheran church was a product of previous Lutherans in doctrine and practice. Calvin started the Presbyterian church and every Presbyterian church afterwards was a product of previous Presbyterians of like faith and order. When a split occurred in a denomination, at that split a new kind of church was formed, and all following churches are products of a previous one of like faith and order. All present denominations operate according to this natural cycle.

However, it is Christ that started the very first church in Jerusalem during His earthly ministry and it was like faith and order with Himself. It is Christ that PROMISED the contextual “ye” that He would be present with them “day in and day out” until the end of the age reproducing churches of like faith and order. Will you suggest that Luther can start his kind of church which has naturally reproduced after its own kind for the past 400 years (without the continuing presence of Luther) but Christ cannot start, maintain and reproduce His own kind even with His continuing presence?

C. Supernatural Promise of Day in and Day out Succession until the end of the Age:

“and, lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the world. Amen.”

Literally, the Greek says “all the days until the end of the age.” Greek scholars say this is an idiom which means “day in and day out” until the end of the age (William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary, Matthew, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Mich. p. 1003). Christ is promising His day in and day out presence until the end of the world for the very purpose of carrying out this kind of successive historical link by link organic cycle of like faith and order. The gates of hell shall never prevail against His church simply because He remains with it providentially making sure that this “ye” continues “day in and day out” reproducing like faith and order until the end of the world. This is why Jude says the faith was “ONCE delivered” – Jude 3. This means that the KIND of churches found in the New Testament not only continued to reproduce after their own kind in the apostolic age but did so also after the apostolic age into every generation up to the present generation. To deny this is to demand that Christ lied and in addition to lying, He failed to be with them “always, even unto the end of the age.” To deny this is to claim the gates of hell did prevail against His church. To deny this is to edit from the commission the prequalified “ye” at some point in time between the apostolic age and the present and demand that “them” is authorized to self-administer this commission in order to restart it. No one has the authority to edit the “ye” from this commission at ANY TIME. If this “ye” at some point in history ceased to exist, died out, then this leaves only one option: God had to violate His own Word and directly authorize those identified as “them” to resume the Great Commission. However, the promise of AGE LONG CONTINUITY found in the Great Commission denies that possibility altogether, as the object of this promise is the prequalfied “ye” rather than the unqualified “them” found in the Great Commission. To say that it did cease to exist is to say that Christ did not keep His promise to His kind of church.

Therefore, it is impossible to deny organic link to link church succession without editing out and denying what Matthew 28:19-20 clearly states and promises. It provides for no authority at any time between the first and second coming for “them” to administer any aspect of this commission, nor does it allow for the possibility of complete cessation of the pre-qualified “ye” at any time between the first and second coming. They must be here throughout this age to carry out the Great Commission.

Remember, the “ye” has been contextually defined to be those who have been through this threefold process already, thus they are members of an existing church and acting under the authority of that existing church.

Many will reject this conclusion due to their view of secular church history. However, this objection will be dealt with later (Appendix II). For the present it must be remembered that unlike the Scriptures, secular church history is (1) uninspired, (2) incomplete, and (3) often inaccurate.

The very structure and nature of this commission demands organic link to link contact that concludes in the reproduction of churches of like faith and order until Jesus comes again.

“Baptists have generally held that a church is both an organization and an organism. As an organism (a living being, or as the Bible calls the church ‘lively stones’ in I Peter 2:5) a church can bring forth after her kind (Gen. 1:24). We mean by this that a church may dismiss some of her members to form a new and separate church, or by sending forth a missionary with authority to organize a new and separate church. We do not believe in the spontaneous generation of churches any more than we believe in spontaneous generation of animal or human life. We hold, as the Scriptures teach, that all life comes from antecedent life.” Milburn Cockrell, Scriptural Church Organization, 2^nd ed. back cover.

Review Questions

What are the two successive links found in the Great Commission? (Ye and Them)
Is it possible to carry out the great commission apart from actual organic time and space

contact between the “ye” and “them” of the Great Commission? (no)

Does the orderly process commanded in the commission naturally produce link to link succession of like faith and order? (yes)

Does the supernatural promise of Christ to be with that “you” (His kind of church) in carrying out this natural cycle of organic link by link succession ensure it will be successful to the end of the age? (yes)

What then is a valid historical mark of a true church of Christ according to this promise? (historical continuity as a kind)

6. Do churches evolve out of nothing/out of self-constitution or are they “made” through the

obedience of a previously existing church, obedient to the Great Commission by sending

out qualified men to gospelize, baptize, and gather into churches? (by obedience of a

pre-existing church to the Great Commission)

Summary Conclusion

Usurping authority is a grievous sin. It is stealing what does not belong to you. It is doing what you are not authorized to do. The Great Commission context defines precisely who is and who is not authorized to administer the Great Commission. The proper authorized administrator is characterized by seven factors. The administer is (1) the contextual “ye” not “them”; (2) the qualified experienced “ye” not the unqualified inexperienced “them; (3) the “ye” of like faith and order with Christ not those who are not; (4) the “ye” that are in a church of like faith and order not the unchurched; (5) the “ye” that represent the Church of Jesus Christ and those being sent out by that church, not anyone else; (6) the “ye” that are reproduced as the direct historical product of link to link organic succession between the first and second coming of Christ not any church unrelated to this historical link succession; and (7) The kind of churches found in the pages of the New Testament.

These seven characteristics can be summarized under three headings: (1) In regard to doctrine and practice they are churches of like faith and order with Christ. (2) In regard to origin they are the product of a preceding church of like faith and order. (3) In regard to history they are those churches that did not begin as a denomination outside of Palestine, outside the earthly ministry of Christ and outside the city of Jerusalem outside the first century.

Find churches which are doctrinally and historically like faith and order with these three summarized characteristics and you have found the churches of the New Testament. All others are usurpers and have no authority whatsoever to administer the Great Commission. All others are not churches of like faith and order with Christ. All others do not originate with a previous church that is like faith and order beginning with the church Jesus built in Jerusalem during His earthly ministry. All others are self-originated at some other point in time, some other place by some other way than authorized by Christ in the Great Commission.

In 1810 Jesse Mercer wrote the following circular letter to the churches of the Georgia Baptist Association:

“From these proposition, thus established, we draw the following inferences, as clear and certain truths,

I. That all churches and ministers, who originated since the apostles, and not successively to them, are not in gospel order; and therefore cannot be acknowledged as such.

II. That all, who have been ordained to the work of the ministry without the knowledge and call of the church, by popes, councils, &c. are the creatures of those who constituted them, and not the servants of Christ, or his church, and therefore have no right to administer for them.

III. That those who have set aside the discipline of the gospel, and have given law to, and exercised dominion over the church, are usurpers over the place and office of Christ, are against him; and therefore may not be accepted in their offices.

IV. That they, who administer contrary to their own, or the faith of the gospel, cannot administer for God; since without the gospel faith he has nothing to minister; and without their own he accepts no service; therefore the administrations of such are unwarrantable impositions in any way.

Our reasons, therefore for rejecting baptism by immersion when administered by Pedobaptist ministers, are,

I. That they are connected with churches clearly out of the apostolic succession, and therefore clearly out of the apostolic commission.

II. That they have derived their authority, by ordination, from the bishops of Rome, or from individuals, who have taken it on themselves to give it.

III. That they hold a higher rank in the churches than the apostles did, are not accountable to, and of consequence not triable by the church; but are amenable only to, or among themselves.

IV. That they all, as we think, administer contrary to the pattern of the Gospel, and some, when occasion requires, will act contrary to their own professed faith. Now as we know of none implicated in this case, but are in some or all of the above defects, either of which we deem sufficient to disqualify for meet gospel administration, therefore we hold their administrations invalid.

But if it should be said, that the apostolic succession cannot be ascertained, and then it is proper to act without it; we say, that the loss of the succession can never prove it futile, nor justify any one out of it. The Pedobaptists, by their own histories, admit they are not of it; but we do not, and shall think ourselves entitled to the claim, until the reverse be clearly shown. And should any think authority derived from the MOTHER HARLOTS, sufficient to qualify to administer a gospel ordinance, they will be so charitable as not to condemn us for preferring that derived from Christ. And should any still more absurdly plead that ordination, received from an individual, is sufficient; we leave them to shew what is the use of ordination, and why it exists. If any think an administration will suffice which has no pattern in the gospel; they will suffer us to act according to the divine order with impunity. And if it should be said that faith in the subject is all that is necessary, we beg leave to require it where the scriptures do, that is every where. But we must close: we beseech you brethren while you hold fast the form of your profession, be ready to unite with those from whom you differ, as far as the principles of eternal truth will justify. And while you firmly oppose that shadowy union, so often urged, be instant in prayer and exert yourselves to bring about that which is in heart, and after godliness. Which the Lord hasten in its season. Amen and Amen.”

A. M. MARSHALL, Moderator. JESSE MERCER, Clerk.” – Jesse Mercer, History of the Georgia Baptist Association, pp. 126-127.

Before the rise of J.R. Graves, Jesse Mercer spelled it out that the Great Commission reproduced churches of like faith and order in succession and would until the end of the world. He regarded the Great Commission as “the pattern” and “gospel order” for all to follow. Early English Baptists as well as the Philadelphia Baptists Association consistently referred to the Great Commission pattern as “regular church order.”

Chapter Two

The Practice of the Great Commission

in the book of Acts

Did the Church at Jerusalem obey this commission? Some believe that during the period of Acts 8-11, that the third aspect of this commission was not observed. They cite cases where some were baptized but not added to an assembly or where there is no mention of an assembly. How are we to reconcile this with the explicit command of Christ in the commission? One thing is for sure, contrary examples can never replace explicit precepts as the rule for practice. We can find many examples of disobedience in the scriptures to many commands but that disobedience never replaces the precept as the rule for practice.

We believe: (1) It should be no surprise that Apostolic Churches obeyed what Christ commanded in the commission and that it is clearly and unambiguously spelled out in no uncertain terms right at the beginning. (2) If a departure from this commission is found it should be no surprise that it is due to some kind of clearly stated disruption and such a departure is the exception to the rule rather than the rule. (3) It should be no surprise that such a clearly stated disruption that gives rise to an exception is addressed by the Apostolic churches and an attempt is made to correct that departure and return to the Great Commission rule.
In this chapter we will address these issues by answering three questions: First, we will ask, “Did Apostolic Christianity Obey the Commission as a Rule?" Secondly, "Is there any exceptions to this rule and are they clearly stated?” And lastly, "How did the Church Respond to such Exceptions?"

A. Did Apostolic Christianity Obey the Commission As a Rule?

The book of Acts opens with Christ commanding them to wait in Jerusalem until they were empowered by the coming of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of carrying out the Great Commission (Acts 1:5-8). Immediately, upon being empowered by the Holy Spirit, Luke shows by no uncertain terms that the commission was obeyed step by step from the beginning.

“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers….added to the church.” – Acts 2:41-42,46.

Now compare the above with the logical procedure and aspects of the Great Commission:

1. “go” (with the gospel) - ”RECEIVED HIS WORD”
2. “baptizing them” - “WERE BAPTIZED”
3. Gathered for instruction - “ADDED UNTO THEM”
4. “Teaching them” - “CONTINUED STEADFASTLY IN THE APOSTLES DOCTRINE “

Right from the very start, Luke very clearly and very carefully spells out in no uncertain terms that the church at Jerusalem obeyed this commission. Moreover, Luke uses the grammatical periphrastic construct to clearly establish before the eyes of the reader that this was not a one time thing but the continuing practice or pattern followed by the church at Jerusalem. The words “continued steadfastly” in our KJV represent a grammatical construction consisting of two verbs. These verbs denote that what was a continuous action in the past (imperfect tense) was also a continuous action at the present time of writing (present tense). The natural implication of this grammatical construction shows what they began to practice on the day of Pentecost (imperfect tense) continued on (present tense) as a pattern of practice with this church. Hence, this was their ongoing pattern of practice with new converts.

Secondly, Luke summarizes this on going pattern of practice from this point forward by simply using the term “added” (Acts 2:47; 5:14) and when the numbers become too large to count he replaces the term “added” with “multiplied” and “greatly multiplied.” In every case they first “received the word” and then secondly were “baptized” and then “added” to the teaching assembly in full fellowship with the membership of the church at Jerusalem.

Acts 2:41 “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the
same day there were ADDED unto them about three thousand souls.”

Acts 2:47 “Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the
Lord ADDED to the church daily such as should be saved.”

Acts 5:14 “And believers were the more ADDED to the Lord, multitudes both
of men and women.”

Notice that “added to them” is synonymous with the words “added to the church” as well as “added to the Lord.” When the numbers got too large to count or to be “ADDED” up he changes from addition to multiplication ( “they were multiplied”).

Acts 6:1 “And in those days, when the number of the disciples was
multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews,
because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.”

Acts 6:7 “And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples
multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were
obedient to the faith.”

That such additions and multiplications were not to be thought of as something separate and distinct from church membership is clearly demonstrated by Luke when he brings both the mathematical terms and church together in one passage:

Acts 9:31 “Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee
and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and
in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.”

Acts 11:24-26 “For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of
faith: and much people was added unto the Lord. Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came
to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people.”

This “added” or “multiplied” not only contextually refers back to the procedure spelled out in Acts 2:41-42 but always concludes with church membership. This same pattern of obedience to the Commission can be seen clearly by the practice of the second great church found in the book of Acts – the church at Antioch in Acts 13-18:

1. The Church at Antioch ordains Paul and Silas as church missionaries – Acts 14:1-3
2. These ordained missionaries are sent out to preach the gospel – Acts 14:3-19
3. They Baptize the gospelized – Acts 16:15, 33; 18:8; 19:5
4. They organize them into churches – Acts 14:20-23
5. They continue steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine – Acts 14:20-23; 16:1-4

The church at Antioch did not ordain Paul as an apostle but they did ordain him as their missionary. The word “sent” in verse 3 means one sent out as an authorized representative. The Holy Spirit confirmed what the Church did and thus they were “sent” out by the Holy Spirit (v. 4) through the instrumentality of the church as church ordained, church authorized representatives.

Therefore, the Great Commission pattern is the ordinary and normal RULE of practice by the two great Churches in the book of Acts. Should we expect any other RULE of practice other than what Christ commissioned?

B. Are there Exceptions to this Rule and if so, are there Clearly Stated Reasons given?

Some object to such a RULE of practice because of certain things recorded in Acts 8-11. What about the Samaritans, the Ethiopian Eunuch, Ananais and those believers in Antioch in Acts 8-11? Do not these events prove that the Great Commission does not necessarily include the church and/or church membership?

The book of Acts makes three things very clear. First, the normal and standard practice of the Jerusalem church as well as the church at Antioch was to obey the Great Commission as given by Christ which includes gospelization, baptism and habitual assembling of the baptized
together as an observing church. Second, the writer of Acts 8-11 indicates clearly that the departure from the normal observance of all the Great Commission particulars was due to a clearly spelled out DISRUPTION in the church at Jerusalem rather than to their STANDARD practice under normal situations. The disruption was a particular persecution by Saul. Acts 8 introduces this persecution and Acts 11 closes with the mention of this particular cause of disruption.

Acts 8:1 “And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there
was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and
they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and
Samaria, except the apostles.”

Acts 11:19 “Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution
that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and
Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.”

There can be no doubt that Luke spells out clearly that this was a disruption of the normal condition and practice at the Church in Jerusalem. Some well known scholars have contended that this persecution was sent by God for the purpose to motivate the Jewish Jerusalem Church to obey the Commission by going beyond the Jewish boundaries. They note that the term “scattered” is not the Greek term that denotes a disorganized scattering as when someone throws a rock into a chicken pen and the chickens run in every direction. Rather, this is the Greek term that is used for intentional sowing of seed in a field. Furthermore, the leadership of the church does not “scatter” but remains in Jerusalem. Secondly, the consistent grammatical gender used to describe those “scattered” preaching the gospel is masculine; and in particular, the term that excludes women and children is used (anar – Acts 11:19). Thirdly, Luke provides an example of such in the case of Philip (Acts 8) an ordained man (Acts 6). Tradition holds that even Ananias in Damascus was the first ordained Pastor of the church in Damascus. Ordained men were involved in the gathering of every church recorded in the New Testament.

C. How did the Church Respond to Such Exceptions?

Luke makes it clear that the church at Jerusalem was monitoring its missionaries and responded to any abnormality. Whenever such abnormal cases came to the ears of the church at Jerusalem they dispatched authorized representatives to investigate and oversee such believers:

Acts 8: 14 “Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that
Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:”

Acts 11:22 “Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church
which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go
as far as Antioch. And the disciples were called Christians first in
Antioch.”

The term “sent” translates a Greek term that means “a sent authorized representative.” This is the verbal form for the term translated “apostle” and an apostle was an ordained representative of Christ. This verb form was used for those “sent” out under the authority
of the Church. Notice that the church is the one sending Barnabas out and limiting the extent of his mission (“that he should go as far as….”)

Luke clearly shows in the Book of Acts that departures from normal Great Commission procedures were not left undone, but that the Church at Jerusalem followed up on such cases as they came to their attention.

Hence, the church at Jerusalem was committed to the Great Commission pattern and monitored any deviance from that pattern by sending out authorized representatives to ensure Christ’s commission was obeyed in every particular.

Whenever questionable news came back to the ears of the church, they authorized and sent someone to investigate it; and what followed in each case was the mention of “churches” or a “church” as the result.

Acts 9:31 “Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee
and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and
in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.”

Acts 11:23-26 “Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad,
and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto
the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and
much people was added unto the Lord. Then departed Barnabas toTarsus, for to seek Saul: And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people.
And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came
to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and
taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”

Hence, the disruption from completing the Great Commission is rectified and Acts 11-18 returns to the normal preaching, baptizing, gathering into churches. What else should one expect other than attempted compliance with the Great Commission??? Therefore, Acts 1-8 and 13-18 demonstrate clearly that the rule of action was obedience to the Great Commission in all of its aspects.

The question to those who would argue contrary to what Luke spells out in Acts 2:41-42 is “why would you think the early Christians would want to disobey any particular of the Great Commission?” Why take an obvious EXCEPTION to the RULE in the book of Acts and attempt to make it the rule? Shouldn’t it be expected that the early Christians would obey the Great Commission in all of its particulars? Shouldn’t it be expected during a time of obvious disruption that the first church would attempt to follow up and confirm the due gospel order among such disciples? Does not the case of the Ethiopian Eunuch and baptism demonstrate that “silence”
should not be used to prove disobedience to the commission but rather obedience? There is nothing recorded concerning Philip telling the Ethiopian Eunuch anything about baptism and yet we find him wanting to be baptized. Does silence constitute a rule here? And why would Philip tell him about his need to obey baptism but not the final aspect of the commission as well? You say the text does not say so! Neither does it say that Philip instructed him previously about baptism either! Why wouldn’t the church at Jerusalem follow up this case by sending someone to complete the commission work as they did in Samaria and all along the way, including Antioch? If one is going to make an assumption on silence, it is far better to assume a conclusion that is in keeping with what we are explicitly told is their commission and their practice, rather than something contrary to it. The fact that Luke records the case of the Ethiopian Eunuch is proof that his case was known to the church at
Jerusalem, even as the church knew of the case at Samaria.

The book of Acts demonstrates clearly that under normal uninterrupted circumstances that membership into a church is the direct and immediate result of obedience to the Great Commission. The book of Acts demonstrates clearly that under abnormal and interrupted conditions it was the practice of the church to follow up any case of which they were uncertain, cases that did not seem to conform to all aspects of the commission. Whatever abnormalities came to their ears (Acts 8:14; 11:20), they followed it up. And churches were always the result of such follow ups (Acts 9:31; 11:26).

In conclusion, the RULE of Apostolic Christianity was to obey the Great Commission in all of its particulars, so that church membership completes the discipleship program; and wherever there occurs EXCEPTIONS to this rule, those exceptions are dealt with by New Testament Churches, so that they eventually conform to that end, with the result of
membership in a church of Christ.

Those who interpret cases in Acts 8-11 to be contrary to the explicit command of the commission and contrary to church authority do so on the basis of assumption and silence alone. Assumption and silence are never a good basis for drawing conclusions completely contradictory to carefully explicit preceding precepts and examples.

Dr. T.G. Jones was the vice president of the board of trustees of the Louisville Southern Baptist Theological Seminary at the time when William H. Whitsitt was its president. Jones was also chosen as the president of Mercer University in Georgia and another time was chosen to be the president of Wake Forrest College in North Carolina. He declined both offers. He also wrote a book defending Baptist History. In that book he claimed that the Great Commission as given in Matthew 28:19-20 was a process that included authority to constitute churches. He said:

“In this simple analysis of the commission is presented the very process by which Baptists are now made, constituted into churches, and governed. That it was the process by which the first preachers made converts, and constituted churches, is beyond question.” T. G. Jones, The Baptists, their Origin, Continuity, Principles, Spirit, Policy, Position, and Influence, a Vindication. (Philadelphia, American Baptist Publication Society) p. 27.

Review Questions

How is Acts 2:41-42 similar to Matthew 28:19-20? (same three fold pattern for making disciples with promise of continuity being fulfilled)

Did the church at Jerusalem obey the Great Commission in chapters 2-8? (yes)

Is there anything noted by Luke that would explain an interruption to the common practice of the Church at Jerusalem in Acts 8-11 (yes, the persecution of Saul)

Is there anything stated or implied that indicates the Church at Jerusalem took actions to conform all reported cases to full obedience to the Great Commission? (yes, see Acts 8:14; 11:22)

In Acts 13-18 in the missionary journeys of Paul, are there indications that the order of the Great Commission was obeyed as given by Christ. (yes)

Chapter Three

The Constitution of Churches by Early Particular English Baptists – 1640-1707

“I say that I know by mine own experience (having walked with them), that they were thus gathered; Viz., Some godly and learned men of approved gifts and abilities for the Ministry” – Hensard Knollys: A Moderate Answer Unto Dr. Bastwick's Book Called Independency not God's Ordinance; London, 1645.

“It is well known to many and especially to ourselves, that our congregations as they are now, were erected and framed according to the rule of Christ” – William Kiffin: A Brief Remonstrance of the Reasons of those People Called Anabaptists for their Separation; London, 1645; page 6.

The prime movers among the seven particular Baptist Churches in London did not believe they were self-originated, nor did they believe they originated as a denomination in London. They believed that church ordained men coming out of the country side “erected and framed” these churches “according to the rule of Christ.”

These early English and Welsh Particular Baptists believed there were Biblical essentials necessary for proper church constitution. They clearly distinguished between properly constituted churches and improperly constituted churches. Their basis for this distinction was found in the authority and order presented in the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20. They firmly believed that authority to constitute churches was found in Matthew 28:19-20 and it was given only to the church to be exercised through its ordained ministry according to the particular order established by the Matthew 28:19-20 text. They coined phrases to describe and distinguish the proper constitution of a church from churches which were not properly constituted according to this established order. That phrase was variously stated in such words as “gospel order” “regular church order” “rule of Christ” or “binding gospel order” etc. These phrases were passed down to American Baptists and are still used today to describe the doctrine and practice concerning the true manner in which churches are constituted.

In 1654 Thomas Patient interpreted Matthew 28:19-20 to be the binding “order” given by Christ to the church and inclusive in this commission was the authority to gather baptized believers into a constituted church. In the following article this fact is explicitly summarized in the very first paragraph below:

“It is clear that the Ordinance of the Supper is committed to a Church, yea, to A MINISTERIAL ASSEMBLY GATHERED ACCORDING TO CHRIST’S COMMISSION, Matt. 28:19,20.” (emphasis mine).

“Here I understand THE ORDER binding is this:

First the ministers should teach the Nations, or make them disciples by teaching;

Then the command is, baptizing them, what them? such that are made disciples by teaching.

Thirdly, the Command is to teach them to observe "whatsoever I have commanded you."

And, I will be with you to the end of the world, that is, He will be with a people, first converted, secondly baptized, thirdly walking in the practical observation of all other administrations of God's house, as these eleven did, and those they converted. I say His promise is to be with His people to the end of the world.”

“This Is The BINDING GOSPEL ORDER Which Involves The Lord's Supper

THIS ORDER IS BINDING, as a minister is commanded to baptize one who is made a disciple and not any other, so he is commanded to put them upon the practical observation of all Christ's Laws and His only. Until they are baptized, they are not, nor cannot be admitted into a visible Church, to partake of the Supper of the Lord.

The Apostles Followed This BINDING GOSPEL ORDER

That this is the true meaning of Christ in the commission appears by His Apostles' ministry and practice, who, by the infallible gifts of the Holy Ghost were guided unfailingly thus to preach and practice, Acts 2:37, 38 with verses 41 and 42.

First, he teaches them the doctrine of Jesus Christ, they, upon hearing that, were pricked at the heart, and inquiring of Peter and the rest of the Apostles what they should do, he says, "Repent and be baptized every one of you." See how he presses the SAME ORDER here as Christ does in the Commission, and afterwards in the 41 verse where it is said, "So many as gladly received the word of God, were baptized, and the same day there was added to the Church about three thousand souls," by faith and baptism, "and they continued in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in breaking of bread and prayer." - The Doctrine of Baptism by Thomas Patient, 1654. (emphasis mine).

By necessary inference this means that Thomas Patient believed that the third aspect of the Great Commission involved the constitution of the church out of the previously baptized believers. However, necessary inference is not needed to draw this conclusion as Patient explicitly states this to be true when he says, It is clear that the Ordinance of the Supper is committed to a Church, yea, to ministerial assembly gathered according to Christ’s commission – Mt. 28:19-20” and then he follows that by saying the very same order was followed by the Apostles in Acts 2:41-42 where the third aspect of the Great Commission explicitly includes membership into the church, “and the same day there was added to the Church.” Notice the placement of this phrase following baptism but preceding “continued stedfastly in the apostle’s doctrine…” There can be no question in the minds of the apostles that the third aspect of the Great Commission demanded church membership as the conclusion of the Great Commission and there was no question of this in the mind of early English Baptists.

It is this threefold order in the Great Commission that these old Baptists referred to when they used the terms “gospel order” or “regular church order” or “the rule of Christ” or “the binding gospel order.” Matthew 28:19-20 was viewed by the early Baptists in England and America as church authority and the precise order for constituting churches of Christ.

Church Authorized and Sent Ministers?

Did these early Particular Baptists of England and Wales (who were also instrumental in forming the Philadelphia Baptist Association in America) believe Matthew 28:19-20 was given to the church or to its ministers? Thomas Patient said such a church was a “ministerial assembly gathered according to the Great Commission.” Did he mean that Matthew 28:19-20 is the authorization given to ministers to gather churches or only that they acted as authorized representatives of the church sending them to gather churches? Either way, it is clear they understood Matthew 28:19-20 as the “gospel order’ for the gathering, constituting, organizing of baptized believers into churches. Do they make it clear to whom the Great Commission was given and to whom it was not given?

A. Who is authorized? The Church or the Ministry in the Church?

In the Associational records of the early English Particular Baptists in 1655 it was asked if the authority symbolized by the giving of the keys was given to the ministry or to the church.

“Query 1. Whether the power of the keys spoken of in Mat. 16:19, John 20:23, Mat. 18:18, be given to the church or to the eldership in the church?

Answer: the exercise of the power of Christ in a church having officers, in opening, and shutting, in receiving in, and casting out, belongs to the church with its eldership, Mat. 18:17f., I Cor. 5:4., III John 9ff., Acts 15:4,22” – B.R. White, ed.,Association Records of the Particular Baptists of England, Wales and Ireland to 1660. (Association Records of the West Country, 1655), p. 60.

When they were asked about whether it was proper for ministers to go forth under some authority other than the church they replied:

“Answer: it is unlawful. 1. Because our Lord Christ sendeth forth his ministers by his power alone, Mt. 28:19, and hee is the head of the body the Church that in all things hee might have the preheminence, Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22

2. Because Christ hath left ALL POWER IN HIS CHURCH both to call and send forth ministers, Mt. 28:19-20, saying, I am with you to the ende of the worlde, and I. Tim. 3; Titus 1; Acts 14; Mt. 18 and 16:18f.

3. Because wee finde the Church ONLY exercising that power both in chusing and sending forth ministers as appeareth by these Scriptures, Acts 1:23,26; 8:14; 13:2f and 11.22. Wee think fitt to adde that wee taking this question intire consider it fully answered.” – B.R. White, ed., Association Records of the Particular Baptists of England, Wales and Ireland to 1660. (Association Records of the Midlands, October 1655) p. 23, (Emphasis mine – MF).

When asked if an ordained member of the church could just go out on his own accord to preach the gospel without being church sent they responded:

“Answer: we answere that such a brother soe judged of by the church ought wholly to be at its disposing. First, because that all those gifted are the church’s, I Cor. 3:22; 12:28; Eph. 4:11. Secondly, because if one brother goe forth at his owne will, then another and so a third, and by that meanes the church may be wholly neglected. Thirdly, because, if such a brother miscarry in his ministerie, it would be charged upon the church, and soe it would prove very dishonorable to the church and truth of Christ. Fourthly, because, in such a disorderly going out, he cannot expect the prayers of the church for the Spirit of God to accompany him, Col. 4:3; Eph. 6:18f, and wee judge if any brother shall persist in such disorderly practice after admonition that it is the church’s duty to deale with him as an offender.” B.R. White, ed., Association Records of the Particular Baptists of England, Wales and Ireland to 1660. (Association Records of the West Country, 1657) p. 34.

Edward Drapes in 1649 in his treatise entitled “Gospel Glory” addressed the issue directly when he said:

“The Power is in the Church, not the Elders

Solution:

To this I briefly answer, that the Church, viz.: the whole Church has this power, as is evident in the casting forth of the incestuous person. Paul writes to the Church, bids them, Purge out the old leaven. He does not write to the officers of the Church only, but to the whole Church. So Acts 15, when the whole Church at Antioch sent to the Church at Jerusalem to advise concerning a difference, The whole Church came together, and gave their advise. It is said, The Apostles, Elders and Brethren send greeting, verse 23. Some bring this place to prove a National Synod. But if it should prove such a thing, behold the whole Nation must be this Synod: for the whole multitude were there; viz.: of the Church with the Apostles and Elders, where every brother had his liberty to speak.” – Edward Drapes, Gospel Glory, 1649, pp. 57-58.

Some anti-successionist today point to Article 41 (LXI) in the 1646 London Confession of Faith to prove that baptismal administrators did not have to be church ordained members. However in the very same year that the London Confession of Faith was printed the enemies of the Baptists pointed out this “obscure” language in their own confession to them. In Response, one of the framers that very year of this Confession said:

‘We do not affirm, that every common Disciple may Baptize, there was some mistake in laying down our Opinion, page 14. Where it is conceived, that we hold, Whatsoever Disciple can teach the word, can make out Christ, may Baptize, and administer other Ordinances. We do not so. For though believing Women being baptized are Disciples, Acts 9:36, and can make out Christ; yea, and some of them (by their experimental knowledge and spiritual understanding of the way, order, & Faith of the Gospel) may be able to instruct their Teachers, Acts 18:26; Rom. 16:3, yet we do not hold, that a woman may preach, baptize, nor administer other Ordinances. Nor do we judge it meet, for any Brother to baptize or to administer other Ordinances; unless he have received such gifts of the Spirit, as fitteth, or enables him to preach the Gospel. And those gifts being first tried by and known to the Church, such a Brother is chosen and appointed thereunto by the Sufferage of the Church.” Hensard Knollys: The Shining of a Flaming Fire in Zion, in answer to Mr. Saltmarsh and his book “Smoke in the Temple” 1646. – (Emphasis mine)

Significantly, they made it very clear that they believed that it was the church that authorized and sent out ordained men for the purpose to gather churches:

“Query 1. Whether the setting apart of any to administer officially in the Church is not to be done by that church of which person set apart is a member?

Answer: 1. That it is in the power of the church to ordain and send forth a minister to the world, Acts 13:2f. Secondly, that this person sent forth to the world and GATHERING CHURCHES, he ought with them and they with him to ordain fit persons to officiate among them, Acts 14.23, Tit. 1.5” - B.R. White, ed., Association Records of the Particular Baptists of England, Wales and Ireland to 1660. (Association Records of the West Country, 1654) p. 56, (emphasis mine – MF).

Notice that in their response they understood “gathering churches” as inclusive in the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20. They make it abundantly clear throughout their minutes that Christ gave sole authority to His church to choose out from among themselves and qualify men for ordination and sends them forth and that this sending forth included the authority to gather churches. Also, once a church is constituted under the authority of a church sent, church authorized, and church ordained man of God that the new church ought to follow the same procedure.

B. Can baptized believers Constitute a Church by themselves

They were explicitly asked if a group of properly baptized believers living far away from any New Testament Church could organize themselves into a church having no church ordained man among them. They replied that such must first seek out the assistance of the church and/or the ordained men that were instrumental in their baptism before being constituted into a church:

“…yet they may be established a church of Christ having the assistance of others whom God hath inabled to carry on the work of God among them and to take such care for them as their necessity shall require; and that it is the duty of that church and ministry to take care that they be so provided for that was instrumental in their gathering, Acts 14:21ff, Tit. 1.5, II Tim. 2:2, Acts 11:21ff.” – B.R. White, ed., Association Records of the Particular Baptists of England, Wales and Ireland to 1660. (Association Records of the West Country, 1657) p. 66.

If you question what they meant exactly, take a look at the scriptures they gave to support their answer. The first church in the Philadelphia Baptist Association existed two years from 1686 to 1688 as baptized believers in an unchurched condition because they did not believe they could organize themselves into a church apart from a church ordained and sent man to gather churches. They did not organize until Elias Keach came into their midst and gathered them into a church.

Also, they did not believe that a baptized believer who was not ordained could administer the ordinances:

“Query 6. Whether a baptized person, walking in fellowship with unbaptized persons, may administer any ordinance in the church of Christ and, if one, why not all?

Answer: we know no rule in scripture for such a practice. And, farther, we judge the ministring brethren should walk most exactly to the rule, that they might be exemplary to others in drawing them to, and keeping them in, the truth. II Cor. 6:3; I Tim. 4:12; Philip. 3:17.” - B.R. White, ed., Association Records of the Particular Baptists of England, Wales and Ireland to 1660. (Association Records of the West Country, 1655) p. 59.

C. Did they believe just any church of immersed believers was a true church?

They did not believe that the churches of John Bunyan, Mr. Tombs and several other professed Baptists where properly constituted churches of Christ. They carefully considered whether a church was constituted according to the Great Commission rule before receiving it into fellowship. For example, we read:

“It was debated whether the church at Leominister and hereford that walkes distinct from Mr. Tombs were rightly constituted. It was proved and judged they were a true constituted church. It was likewise considered whether the sayd church might have association with these respective churches. It was generally judged they might only [they] left the compleating of it till the messangers had acquainted the severall churches.” – B.R. White, ed., Association Records of the Particular Baptists of England, Wales and Ireland to 1660. (Association of the Midlands, 1657) p. 33.

Some of their queries and answers contained expressions that indicated that a church must be rightly constituted and those who were not were not true churches:

“Query. Whether a member of a TRUE and RIGHTLY CONSTITUTED church may, without the consent of the church to which he belongs, joyne himself as a member of another church?” – B.R. White, ed., Association Records of the Particular Baptists of England, Wales and Ireland to 1660. (Records of the Abingdon Association, 1658) p. 198, (emphasis mine – MF).

“We also desire and are perswaded that our gracious God will so helpe and guide you in entering into a solemne association with other churches that are RIGHTLY CONSTITUTED and principled…..” – B.R. White, ed., Association Records of the Particular Baptists of England, Wales and Ireland to 1660. (Records of the Abingdon Association, 1658) p. 135, (emphasis mine – MF).

D. They Believed that members who wanted to leave and join another church must first seek approval of their church:

“Query 2, Whether a member of a true and rightly constituted church, may without the consent of the church to which he belongs, joyne himself as a member of another church?

Answer: We judge that he may not; no more then a church may require a member to joyne himselfe to another church against his owne mind and will; considering that such a breaking off of a member from a church, as it hath no warrant at all in the word so also it is contrarie to that engagement which a church member makes, or ought to make, at least implicitely, at the time of joining. And if one church member may so at his owne pleasure leave the church to which he belongs, then may others also doe the like and so a church shall have no power to retaine her members. But this would overthrow all church [rule] and order and set up confusion of which God is not the author, I Cor. 14.33.” – B.R. White, ed., Association Records of the Particular Baptists of England, Wales and Ireland to 1660. (Records of the Abingdon Association, 1658) p. 125.

E. The Influence of Welsh and British Baptists of this Period on American Baptists:

"The Welsh Baptists began to emigrate to this country in very early times, and by them some of our oldest and WELL ORGANIZED churches were planted; order, intelligence, and stability marked their operations; and the number of Baptist communities which have branched out from these Welsh foundations - the number of ministers and members who have sprung from Cambro-British ancestors, and the sound, salutary, and efficient principles which by them have been diffused among the Baptist population in this country, is beyond the conception of most of our people. We shall see, when we come to the history of the American Baptists, that settlements were formed in very early times by this people, which became the center of Baptist operations in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina." David Benedict, History of the Baptists, p. 346.

Again:

"The foregoing facts show that the Baptists of Rhode Island had their origin from the English and Welsh Baptists, through the ministry of John Clarke, Thomas Griffith, Gregory Dexter, and others, that the early Baptists of Massachusetts had their origin, also, from the Welsh and English Baptists, through the ministry of John Miles, John Emblem, and others; that the Pennsylvania Baptists had their origin from Wales and England, through the ministry of Morgan Edwards, Samuel Jones, Abel Morgan, Hugh Davis, and others; that the Virginia Baptists had their origin mainly from the English Baptists, through the ministry of Robert Nordin, Richard Jones, Casper Mintz and others; and that the North and Sough Carolina Baptists had their origin from the English and Welsh Baptists, through the ministry of Caleb Evans, from Wales, and missionaries from the Philadelphia Association, with emigrants from the Virginia Baptists. From these early centers of Baptist operations in the Atlantic States, the tide of Baptist emigration has flowed westward, till the voice of the Baptist ministry is heard among the savages of the far West, and even on the shores of the Pacific ocean. Especially in Kentucky, do we find the descendants of the Virginia Baptists." - D.B. Ray, Baptist Succession, pp. 128-129.

CONCLUSION: The English Particular Baptists denied that great commission authority was given to the ordained men in the church. They explicitly taught that it was given to the church alone and that the choosing, ordaining and sending forth of such ordained men for the purpose to gather churches was under church authority. They denied that “direct authority” was given by God to baptized believers to constitute themselves into a church. Instead, as the 1800 Landmarkers would say, “scriptural authority” to send forth ministers to do the work of the Great Commission was “under God FROM a gospel church.” They were every bit concerned about church authority over their members, over their ordained men, over their missionaries and in the constitution of new churches as much as modern Sovereign Grace Landmark Churches are today. They were as much concerned about investigating and proving a church was properly constituted before fellowshipping with it, or exchanging members by letter, as Landmark Baptists are today.

It must be remembered that the Philadelphia Baptist Association in America was founded by these very same kind of churches and church ordained men coming to America. David Benedict with Joshua Thomas and later Benjamin Evans all documented this fact. Below, we shall see that they had only two ways to practice “gospel order” and both were backed by church vote and church authority: (1) Church ordained and church sent men for the stated purpose to gather churches; (2) Church letters of dismission for the stated purpose for gathering a church under the guidance of a church ordained man or men.

Review Questions

Did the early English Particular Baptists believe the Great Commission was given to the ordained? (no)
Who did they believe the Great Commission was given to? (the church)
Did they believe the ordaining and sending by the church included the authority to gather churches as well? (yes)
What Text did Thomas Patient use to define “binding gospel order”? (Mt. 28:19-20)
Did Thomas Patient include the gathering of churches as part of “binding gospel order”? (yes)
Were they concerned about the proper constitution of churches? (yes)

Chapter Four

The Constitution of Churches:

The Philadelphia Baptist Association in America – 1707-1807

“The Philadelphia Association originated with churches planted by members from Wales…This Association has maintained, from its origin, a prominent standing in the denomination…In every period of its existence the Association has firmly maintained the soundest form of Scripture doctrine; nor could any church have been admitted, at any period, which denied or concealed any of the doctrines of grace.”” – The Minutes of the Philadelphia Baptist Association from 1707 – 1807, pp. 3, 4.

“Our Welsh brethren were great advocates for the ancient order of things” – J. Davis, Welsh Baptists, p. 31.

It must ever be kept in mind that the original churches established in the Philadelphia Baptist Association in America were composed of members and ordained men who came directly from England and Wales. In fact, many entire churches transferred to America and became part of the Philadelphia Association. These churches were fully established in the faith and practice in the Old Country and adopted the confession of faith of the churches in the old country. These churches arrived in America shortly within the time frame of 1686 – 1750 just a few short years after the completion of the Association Records of the Particular Baptists of England, Wales and Ireland to 1660.

There is a footnote by the editor of The Minutes of the Philadelphia Baptist Association that is very important to our study but overlooked by most historians. That footnote reads as follows:

“As the churches that joined this Association since the year 1750 were erected and constituted after the same form and order of the Gospel with those whose constitutions are MORE AT LARGE HEREIN before related, it is thought needless to give a copious account of every particular, and to relate the time of their admission to the Association only.” The Minutes of the Philadelphia Association from 1707 to 1807, p. 24, (emphasis mine).

He is clearly saying that all churches erected and constituted after the year 1750 were done precisely after the same manner as those churches previously considered and it is in the accounts that are “more at large herein related” where that precise pattern is spelled out. His point, is that they had a regular pattern they adhered to in constituting churches and this pattern is more pronounced in the expanded accounts. Significantly, he is also saying that the readers of the Minutes should not interpret summarized descriptions of church constitutions after that date to be contrary to the fuller accounts that are earlier spelled out in great detail. These fuller accounts provide a specific order and include explicit authority of a preceding church. We will also see they designated this constitutional process as “gospel order” or “regular church order” in keeping with the doctrine spelled out in the associational minutes of the English and Welsh Baptists. Remember, according to the editor of these minutes, the shorter summarized accounts are not to be interpreted as contradictive to the accounts that are “more at large herein related.”

When one compares two or more of the larger accounts, all the essential details are immediately clear in their constitution of Churches according to what they called “regular church order.”

A. Regular Church Order according to the Fuller Accounts:

Below there are two fuller accounts given and by comparison a total picture emerges that shows us what regular order they followed when constituting a church. To demonstrate their consistency in following one pattern, we will provide two instances of church constitution among the Philadelphia Association over 40 years apart from each other:

“Whereas, a number of persons resided near Dividing Creek, in the county of Cumberland, in the western division of the province of New Jersey; some of whom, members of Cohansie church, some of Cap May church, and some not of any particular church; and whereas these lived at a great distance from the said churches; and at the same time our Rev. brother Samuel Heaton providentially settled at the said creek; therefore, the above said persons made applications to their respective churches for dismission, and leave to form themselves into a distinct church, both which they obtained. Accordingly, we whose names are under written, being sent by the church of Cohansie, did meet the said people at their meeting house on the day above mentioned; and after sermon, laid hands on such persons as had been baptized, but had not joined themselves to any church; then all gave themselves to the Lord; and to each other by a solemn covenant which they signed; and were declared by us to be a regular gospel church; and as such we recommend them to our Association.” - Minutes of the Philadelphia Association, pp. 81-82, (1761). – (emphasis mine)

Again earlier:

“Their conclusion being approved by Mr. Morgan, a day was set apart for the solemnizing of this great work, being the 20^th day of June 1719; and Mr. Abel Morgan, and Mr. Samuel Jones, being present to assist and direct in the work of the day, the first part being spent in fasting and prayer, with a sermon preached by Mr. Morgan, suitable to the occasion, they proceeded. Being asked whether they were desirous and freely willing to be settle together as a church of Jesus Christ, they all answered in the affirmative; and being asked whether they were acquainted with one another’s principles, and satisfied with one another’s graces and conversation, it was also answered in the affirmative; and then for a demonstration of their giving of themselves up, severally and jointly, to the Lord, as a people of God and a church of Jesus Christ, they all lifted up their right hand. Then they were directed to take one another by the hand, in token of their union, declaring, at the same time, that as they had given themselves to God, so they did give themselves also to one another by the will of God, 2 Cor. Viii. 5, to be a church of Jesus Christ, according to the gospel, according to their ability, and to edify one another. Then were they pronounced and declared to be a church of Jesus Christ; a right hand of fellowship was given to them as a sister church, with exhortations and instructions suitable to the station and relation they now stood in; and the work was finished with solemn prayer to God for a blessing on the work of the day.” The Minutes of the Philadelphia Baptist Association, 1719, p. 19.- (Emphasis mine)

“….they requested the church of Pennepek to dismiss them, and to assist them to be a distinct church; which request was granted AT A CHURCH MEETING, held April 5^th…..they requested dismission from that church…their request being granted…p. 21” – Ibid., pp. 20-21 – (emphasis mine)

When these fuller accounts are considered together, the following gospel order in constituting churches is made clear.

Members of churches wishing to organize into a separate church first sought authority from their church which was granted at a called business meeting by church vote thus granting letters of dismissal for that stated purpose.
A day was set aside sanctioned by prayer and fasting for this work to be accomplished.
Ordained church representatives directed the constitution and those being constituted submitted to their direction.
Assistance by ordained men is defined as being “directed” by them and being “declared” a true church as well as giving them a charge.
Those being constituted were directed to adopt principles and a covenant and then directed to adopt a covenant and vote themselves into a newly constituted church.
After they voted, the ordained men in charge declared them to be a church
A right hand of fellowship was given them as a sister church.

This procedure was repeatedly called “regular church order” throughout the accounts of church constitution:

“…church order (p. 16)…..settled in Gospel church, ordered (p. 18)….to be settled in Gospel order (p. 20)…..settle themselves in church order (p. 21)….they were regularly incorporated in the usual manner (p. 22)….were incorporated after the same manner (p. 23)….settle themselves in regular church order (p. 23)……Ibid. Minutes.

B. The first Church at Lower Dublin - 1688

Some imagine that the constitution of the church at Lower Dublin, the oldest church in this association is an exception to regular church order? David Benedict gives the account of the constitution of this church by quoting Morgan Edwards:

“The history of this company or church, says Edwards, will lead us back to the year 1686, when one John Eaton, George Eaton, and Jane his wife, Sarah Eaton, and Samuel Jones, members of a Baptist church, residing in Llanddewi and Nautmel, in Radnorshire, whereof Rev. Henry Gregory was pastor; also John Baker, member of a church in Kilkenny, in Ireland, under the pastoral care of Rev. Christopher Blackwell, and one Samuel Vans, from England, arrived and settled on the banks of Pennepeck, formally written Pemmapeka.” – David Benedict, The History of the Baptists, p.596.

The Church at Lower Dublin is also called the Pennepeck Church due to its location. They arrived in 1686 as baptized believers from churches in Wales and other parts of England but did not organize into a church until 1688. Why? Not because they were smaller than “two or three” regularly baptized believers. No, they were many times over that number. Why didn’t they self-organize then? Why did they wait until an ordained minister came into their midst? Because they practiced regular “church order” and regular church order as practiced by the English and Welsh Baptists did not permit them to organize without coming under the authority of a church ordained, church authorized representative. This agrees perfectly with the stated beliefs in the Associational Minutes of the old country which states:

“Answer: 1. That it is in the power of the church to ordain and send forth a minister to the world, Acts 13:2f. Secondly, that this person sent forth to the world and GATHERING CHURCHES, he ought with them and they with him to ordain fit persons to officiate among them, Acts 14.23, Tit. 1.5” - Association Records of the West Country, 1654. – (emphasis mine)

Therefore they waited until God sent them a church ordained man. The writer simply summarizes the constitution service in the following brief manner;

“set a day apart, and by fasting and prayer to settle themselves in a church state; which when they had solemnly accomplished, they made choice of the said Keach to be their pastor.” – The Minutes of the Philadelphia Baptist Association, p. 11.

Remember, the compiler has already told us that such summarizations are not to be interpreted to be at odds with those “more in large” but in keeping with what the compiler repeatedly asserts was their only manner of constituting churches. Notice his repetitive words that affirm this normal and consistent procedure for church constitution:

“they were regularly incorporated in the usual manner……and after the usual solemnity… – ibid. p. 22……they were constituted after the same manner as other churches” p. 23 – Ibid., The Minutes, pp. 22, 23.

Since, the Philadelphia Association required that all churches joining it must have been constituted after regular church order, to assume that Lower Dublin was not would be contradictory to all available data and would be nothing but an assumption based on silence. Proof that they were constituted after the “regular order” is: (1) Although they consisted of far more than two or three baptized believers, they waited two years; (2) They were not gathered into a church until an ordained man came among them; (3) the writer of the associational records claims that all later churches were organized in keeping with the former churches and the fuller accounts provide how they organized the former churches; (4) The same summarized statement that is later used and called “church order” in other accounts is used to summarize the organization of this church; (5) Elias Keach was very well familiar with “church order” as he was raised up in the household of Benjamin Keach in England who was a leader among those Baptists; (7) The Philadelphia Baptist Association was well known for refusing to accept churches into the association who were not constituted after due “church order” and required them to be reconstituted in keeping with regular “church order.”

C. Two Church Authorized Means for constitution of churches by regular Gospel order

There is the more direct means where the church in a called business meeting votes to dismiss members for the purpose of constitution and sends ordained men to “assist and direct” them.

“…when the brethren residing in Philadelphia requested a dismission from the church at Pennepeck, in order to incorporate a distinct church; which being granted, Mr. Jones was dismissed with the other city members…..p. 12…….requested a dismission from the church at Hopewell; which, being obtained, they appointed…p. 20…they requested the church of Pennepek to dismiss them, and to assist them to be a distinct church; which request was granted AT A CHURCH MEETING, held April 5^th…..they requested dismission from that church…their request being granted…p. 21……did make their request….for a dismission, in order to be settled a distinct church by themselves, which was accordingly granted….” p. 21, Ibid, The Minutes, pp. 12,20,21.

There is the indirect means whereby a church ordains and sends out a man authorized by the church to preach the gospel, baptize the converts and then gather them into church membership. Thomas Patient summarized this method up in these words:

- “ministerial assembly gathered according to the Great Commission.”

The fuller expression found in the associational minutes in the old country clearly states:

This is far more the most frequent means used by Baptists in America to constitute churches and we read countless times that such and such a church was “gathered by” some ordained preacher. Both are backed up by a church vote and thus by church authority.

For example, the church at Brandywine, when it was gathered, there were no ordained men among its members; and so it requested the aide of the churches where many of its members had resided to assist it by sending their ordained men to gather them into a church.

“having for their assistance and direction the Rev. Mr. Abel Morgan, of Philadelphia, and some brethren from the church at the Welsh Tract, were constituted and settled in Gospel church, ordered, and owned, and declared as a sister church…” Ibid., p. 18.

They were far more than two or three baptized believers, why didn’t they just organize themselves and then ordain one of their members? Because self-constitution (separate from any existing church) was contrary to their practice and what they called regular church order. Because gospel order as practiced in the old country forbid them to self-organize without ordained men directing the constitution:

“…yet they may be established a church of Christ having the assistance of others whom God hath inabled to carry on the work of God among them and to take such care for them as their necessity shall require; and that it is the duty of that church and ministry to take care that they be so provided for that was instrumental in their gathering, Acts 14:21ff, Tit. 1.5, II Tim. 2:2, Acts 11:21ff.” – Association Records of the West Country, 1657. – (emphasis mine)

Some have thought that when Baptist historians or writers claim that a group of baptized believers “gathered themselves” into a church that this means they did it without any connection whatsoever with a previous existing church or church authority. However, notice that they regarded the role of ordained men to be “instrumental in their gathering.” In other accounts the whole constitution of a church is attributed to an ordained man. The Philadelphia Baptist Association did not see any conflict between such statements as “settled themselves into a church” and a “minister by himself undertaking to constitute a church” (Minutes of the Philadelphia Baptist Association, from 1707 to 1807, p. 218) or “that our reverend brethren, Nathaniel Jenkins and Jenkin Jones…be at Cranberry, in order to settle the members there in church order” Ibid. 49). The historical records are in abundance where it simply attributes the constitution of a church to some ordained man. There was no conflict of such statements in the mind of historical Baptists because they believed that the authority to gather churches was contained in the Great Commission which was given to the church to be administered through church ordained, church authorized, church sent men. These parallel statements are a clear denial of the doctrine of direct authority or spontaneous constitution.

All of the churches mentioned in the opening pages of the Philadelphia Baptist Association minutes were constituted under the direction and authority of a preexistent church or churches and yet at the same time are said to have “gathered themselves”. For example we read:

“In the year 1711, they were advised to PUT THEMSELVES IN CHURCH ORDER BY THEMSELVES…..(p. 16)….to meet and SETTLE THEMSELVES in church order…” Ibid., p. 16. – (emphasis mine)

There was no contradiction in their minds between church authority and the act of self-constitution by covenant vote. It was somewhat parallel to baptism. There is the action of baptism but there is church authority giving validity to that action. The same is true with church constitution. There is the action of self-constitution by covenant vote but there is church authority giving validity to that action. All church constitutions within the Philadelphia Association first sought Church authority to constitute themselves and obtained it either by letters of dismissal for that stated purpose and/or submitting to the direction of church ordained representatives.

D. Church Authorized men sent to gather Churches

The Philadelphia Baptist Association churches ordained their own men and sent them out in cooperation with the Association but the Association itself never ordained men and only sent them out with church approval:

“As to the request from Piscataqua, for the help of our ministering brethren…we not knowing who, nor how to bind any of them, we think it necessary that the church, where they are held, send to them, that, if possible, they may be certain of some help” – Minutes of the Philadelphia Baptist Association, 1730, p. 31.

And again:

“The church of Newtown desired the Association to appoint time and ministers to ordain Mr. Nicholas Cox, the Association reply, that the appointment of both properly belongs to his church.” Ibid., pp. 119, 149.

The Philadelphia Baptist Association believed that authority to ordain and to baptize as well as to gather churches was given to the churches in keeping with “gospel order’ handed down to them from the practice of the old country Baptists. In other words, they believed the Great Commission was a Church commission exercised by the church through its ordained representatives just like their English counterparts. They rejected baptismal administrators not ordained by the church (Ibid., pp. 28, 29,104, 229). They rejected baptisms not administered by church ordained men (Ibid. p. 49). They rejected church constitutions performed without church ordained men (Ibid. pp. 49, 81,82,108, 281). They rejected ministers and churches not of like faith and order. (ibid., pp. 35, 56, 317).

In Virginia messengers sent out by the churches of the Philadelphia Association found Baptist churches that were not organized according to regular gospel order. They preached and taught among them and Semple says

“they were newly organized and formed into new churches, according to the plan of the Philadelphia Association, or rather according to the Baptist Confession of faith, published in London 1689, in conformity with which it seems the Philadelphia and Charleston Associations were organized” – Robert Baylor Semple, History of Virginia Baptists, p. 448.

The compiler of “The History of Grassy Creek Baptist Church” confirms what Semple says in regard to preachers sent out of the Philadelphia Association to reorganize churches that were not organized after “church order” when he says:

“All the Baptists in the province were included in the two Associations – Sandy Creek and Kehukee. The members of the former are doubtless able to trace their pedigree from the Welsh Baptists, through New England; and the latter, very justly, claim their descent through Virginia, from the same source. I think it could be shown, if it were necessary, from authentic history, that the Baptists of North Carolina received their ordinances from the Welsh Tract Baptists, who claim a history that runs back to the first century of the Christian era. For many years the Baptists were divided by these party names – Separates and Regulars – but after the churches in the Eastern portion of the colony called Regulars, which had fallen into loose practices in church order and discipline, were reformed and remodeled to the true Baptist standard by the labors of Elders Robert Williams, John Gano, Peter P. Vanhorn, Benjamin Miller and others [preachers out of the Philadelphia Association - MF], they differed from the Separates only in some small matters. There was but little difference in their views of doctrine and church order.” – Robert I. Devin, The History of Grassy Creek Baptist Church, pp. 60-61, 1880.

Some have mistakenly claimed that the Sandy Creek Baptist Church was self-constituted without church authority either by an existing church or by the presence of a church ordained representative. This is simply not true. Semple only says that two (Joseph Breed, Daniel Marshall) of the three preachers were unordained. The third man, Shubal Stearns, who was selected as the Pastor was a formerly church ordained man (Robert Semple, History of the Virginia Baptists, p. 14).

Throughout this history of the Grassy Creek Baptist Church, the writer makes a distinction between groups that were not “regularly constituted” and those who were “regularly constituted” in accordance with the Philadelphia Association plan of church constitution.

The Philadelphia Baptist association practiced “regular church order’ in keeping with how it was defined in the old country. They believed authority to carry out the commission was given only to the church and therefore they rejected the doctrine of direct authority. They never practiced church constitutions apart from the authorized approval of a preexisting church either in the form of letters of dismissal and/or direction under its authorized representatives.

In addition, it is necessary to correct a popular misconception of some about the Philadelphia Baptist Association. Some believe that the Association usurped the local church, and ordained men or sent out men themselves to constitute churches apart from the authority of the church wherein that ordained man was a member. These are false accusations. Some examples over a long period of time will demonstrate they did not usurp the authority of individual churches:

“As to the request from Piscataqua, for the help of our ministering brethren at their general meeting, we judge it necessary that our ministering brethren do supply such general meetings; nevertheless, we not knowing who, nor how to bind any of them, we think it necessary that the church, WHERE SUCH ARE HELD, send to them, that, if possible, they may be certain of some help" – Minutes of the Philadelphia Baptist Association, 1730. pg. 31.

In other words, they acknowledged that the authority to send such brethren was in the church in which that minister resided.

"The church of Newtown desired the Association to appoint time and ministers to ordain Mr. Nichoas Cox; the Association reply, that the appointment of both PROPERLY BELONGS TO HIS CHURCH." Ibid., 1771 – emphasis mine.

And again:

"...the second was expressive of their great satisfaction in Brother Ebenezer Ward's visits, and edification under his ministry, which concludes by desiring this Association to ordain him as an itinerate. Agreed, That this Association claim no such right, and, therefore, resolved to encourage Mr. Ward to assist said church in all that he consistently can, until either the church, WHEREOF HE IS A MEMBER, choose to have him ordained, or he first becoming a member at Coram..." Ibid., 1775 – emphasis mine.

And again:

"Resolved, That this Association cannot take up a question that relates to an individual member of any church without interfering with the independence of such church" – 1805 - emphasis mine.

Such illustrates a solid century of doctrine and practice.

Review Questions

Did the compiler of the Minutes of the Philadelphia Association make any statement that demanded these churches constituted new churches after a regular form and order? (yes)
Did the compiler inform the reader that that regular order is spelled out more in the fuller accounts of church constitution? (yes)
Are there any accounts where there is not either an ordained man directing and declaring the constitution of a church and/or letters of dismissal for the purpose for constitution? (no)
Was there a church vote behind both the ordination and letters of dismissal? (yes)
Is there a difference between the authority behind constitution and the act of constitution? (yes, just as there is a difference between the act of baptism [immersion] and the authority that validates it).

Chapter Five

The Constitution of Churches

Among Early Landmark Baptists – 1807-1900

"The Philadelphia Association was organized, A.D. 1707, and is, therefore the oldest upon the American Continent. Its territory originally embraced all the Middle States and some churches in Virginia. Her correspondence reached to every association on the continent, and from her, as a mother body, advice was widely sought. IT WAS BY MISSIONARIES SENT OUT FROM HER and from New England, that the first churches in Virginia and North Carolina were formed. Her doctrinal sentiments and denominational policy, were stamped upon the entire denomination in America." J.R. Graves, Old Landmarkism, What is it? p. 136 (emphasis mine – mwf).

"The ministers, who organized ALL the first Baptist Churches in Virginia, came either from New England, or were members of the Philadelphia Baptist Association...we must believe that they impressed the churches THEY PLANTED with their own personal convictions..." J.R. Graves, Old Landmarkism, What is it?, pp. 132-133 (emphasis mine –mwf).

“If the church alone was commissioned to preserve and to preach the gospel, then it is certain that no other organization has the right to preach it – to trench upon the divine rights of the church. A Masonic Lodge, no more than a young Men’s Christian Association…have the least right to take the gospel in hand, select and commission ministers to go forth and preach it, administer its ordinances and organize churches.” – J. R. Graves, Old Landmarkism, What is it? p. 36 (emphasis mine – mwf).

As you can plainly see, Dr. Graves believed that the vast majority of American Baptists were directly influenced by the beliefs and practices of the Philadelphia Baptist Association. In the previous chapter, we demonstrated that the Philadelphia Association was permeated by the beliefs and practices of the Welsh and English Particular Baptists. Among these Baptists, regular church order was not only their practice but their doctrinal belief. Church authority in the Great Commission was their doctrinal basis behind regular church order in the constitution of churches.

Today there is intense debate over this next period of Baptist history and in particular, the Landmark Baptist movement. The question is, “did the old Landmarkers constitute churches under the authority of a preexistent church”? Did they practice “regular church order”?

There are among Landmarkers today those who vigorously deny that these old Landmarkers constituted churches either directly or indirectly under the authority of a “mother” church.

We will attempt to prove the following points in regard to these Old Landmarkers: (1) Old Landmarkers believed that scriptural authority under God to carry out the Great Commission was from a gospel church alone. (2) They believed that baptism must be administered by a New Testament Church through its authorized representative, and without church authority there was no valid baptism. (3) In regard to their practice, they organized churches just as their forefathers did according to regular church order. (4) Some, were inconsistent between their stated belief and their practice.

A. Old Landmarkism believed in church authority

There are some in the ranks of Landmark Baptists today who believe in what they call “direct” authority or “vertical” authority. They believe that authority to carry out the Great Commission comes directly from God through His Word APART FROM any gospel church. However, did the Old Landmarkers believe in “direct” authority to carry out the Great Commission?

William Cathcart lived at this time and knew these men personally and he himself was part of the Landmark movement. He wrote a Baptist Encyclopedia and included an article in it devoted to defining the essentials of Landmarkism. Many believe that Dr. J.M. Pendleton provided this written definition of Landmarkism as several phrases are word for word to be found in Dr. Pendleton’s books wherein he defended Landmarkism. Cathcart’s definition of Landmarkism is as follows:

“The doctrine of Landmarkism is that baptism and church membership precede the preaching of the gospel, even as they precede communion at the Lord’s Table. The argument is that SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY to preach emanates, UNDER GOD, FROM A GOSPEL CHURCH; that as ‘a visible church is a congregation of baptized believers,’ etc., it follows that no Pedobaptist organization is a church in the Scriptural sense of the term, and that therefore SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY to preach cannot proceed from such an organization. Hence the non-recognition of Pedobaptist ministers, who are not interfered with, but simply let alone. At the time the “Old Landmark Reset’ was written, the topic of non-ministerial intercourse was the chief subject of discussion. Inseparable, however from the landmark view of this matter, is a denial that Pedobaptist societies are Scriptural churches, that Pedobaptist ordinations are valid, and that immersions administered by Pedobaptists ministers can be consistently accepted by any Baptist. All these things are denied, and the intelligent reader will see why.” – William Cathcart, The Baptist Encyclopedia, p. 867-868 (emphasis mine – MF).

Cathcart narrowly defined Landmarkism when he says, “the argument is that scriptural AUTHORITY….emanates, under God FROM a gospel Church.” This is the very reverse of what some modern Landmarkers teach today. According to some modern Landmarkers Cathcart ought to have defined Landmarkism by saying, “the argument is that scriptural authority emanates DIRECTLY from God APART from a gospel church.”

According to Cathcart’s definition, Landmarkism revolves around church authority. According to Cathcart, Landmarkism involves a circle of reasoning. The reason that Pedobaptists are not true churches, is not due to sprinkling or pouring but due to the lack of authority. They have no authority to exist and therefore they cannot ordain, and therefore all and any kind of baptism they administer are invalid. Is not this what he says?

“it follows that no Pedobaptist organization is a church in the Scriptural sense of the term, and that therefore SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY to preach cannot proceed from such an organization” – Ibid.,

Since there is no church authority, there can be no valid ordinations, no valid baptism and therefore no valid constitution of a church. According to Cathcart, everything revolved around church authority.

“Inseparable, however from the landmark view of this matter, is a denial that Pedobaptist societies are Scriptural churches, that Pedobaptist ordinations are valid, and that immersions administered by Pedobaptists ministers can be consistently accepted by any Baptist.” – Ibid.

Dr. J. R. Graves and Church Authority

When Graves combated the idea of “pastoral authority” or the ordained possessing “authority” as elite members in and over an existing church, he said:

“A church is alone authorized to receive, to discipline, and to exclude her own members. This power, with all her other prerogatives, is delegated to her, and it is her bounden duty to exercise it; she can not delegate her prerogatives. . . . She can not authorize her ministers to examine and baptize members into her fellowship without her personal presence and action upon each case. A minister, therefore, has no right, because ordained, to decide who are qualified to receive baptism and to administer it. Their ordination only qualified them to administer the ordinances for a church when that church called upon them to do so.”—J.R. Graves, Old Landmarkism, pp. 37, 38. – (emphasis mine)

“It is the inalienable and sole right and duty of a Christian church to administer the ordinances, Baptism, and the Supper. That these ordinances were designed to be of perpetual observance, commemorating specific and important events or acts in the work of Christ, no intelligent Christian will deny. The rites and ordinances of an institution belong, unquestionably, to that institution, and may rightly said to be in it. I mean by these expressions that they are under the sole control of the organization; they can be administered only by the organization as such, and when duly assembled, and by its own officers or those she may appoint, pro tempore. A number of its members, not even a majority in an unorganized capacity, is competent to administer its rites, and certainly another and different body can not perform them.”—J.R. Graves Old Landmarkism, p. 39. – (emphasis mine)

“Christian baptism . . . it is a specific act, instituted for the expression of specific truths; to be administered by a specific body, to persons possessing specific qualifications. When one of these properties is wanting the transaction is null. . . a scriptural church is the only organization He has authorized to administer the act.”—J.R. Graves, Old Landmarkism, chapter VI, p. 48. – (emphasis mine)

In another work Graves said:

“….it is the church that administers the rite and not the officer, per se, - he is but the hand, the servant of the Church. The ordinances of baptism and the Supper were not intrusted to the ministry to administer to whomsoever they deem qualified, but to the churches……Therefore the immersions of all those societies, not scriptural churches, are as null and void as their sprinklings would be….” Dr. J.R. Graves, The Act of Christian Baptism, pp. 52, 56.

Dr. J.M. Pendleton said:

“My position is that, according to the gospel, authority to preach [and do other ecclesiastical duties] must, under God, emanate from a visible church of Christ. Hence members of a visible church alone are eligible to do the work of the ministry; for a church has no control of those who do not belong to it. But Pedobaptist societies are not visible churches of Christ. How then can they confer gospel authority to preach?” J.M. Pendleton, An Old Landmark Reset, p. 310. – (emphasis mine)

James E. Tull in his doctoral thesis entitled, A Study of Southern Baptist Landmarkism in the Light of Historical Baptist Ecclesiology, concluded that the very heart of Old Landmarkism centered around local church authority over ordained men and over the administration of baptism. (James E. Tull, A Study of Southern Baptist Landmarkism in the Light of Historical Baptist Ecclesiology, p. 322).

B. They believed that without church authorized Administrators there was no valid baptism.

Dr. J.R. Graves:

“Christian baptism is not the celebration of a religious rite by modes indifferent; but it is a specific act, instituted for the expression of specific truths; to be administered by a specific body, to persons possessing specific qualifications. When one of these properties is wanting the transaction is null--since, unless the ordinances are observed as Christ commanded, they are not obeyed, but perverted.” J.R. Graves, Old Landmarkism, What is It, p. 64. – (emphasis mine)

Many of the primary leaders of Old Landmarkism stated clearly that baptism along with the rest of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 was given explicitly to the church alone and not to anyone else.

D.B. Ray stated:

“None except John himself was authorized to administer John’s baptism. The same honor and authority to administer baptism, which was conferred upon John, since the resurrection of Christ has been conferred upon his church, in the great commission, and upon no other organization or individual. The authority to administer baptism was not conferred upon the apostles or first church members as individuals, but upon the church to administer baptism, through her official servants.” D.B. Ray, Baptist Succession, pp. 46-47. – (emphasis mine)

A.C. Dayton said:

“The administration of baptism is an official act, done by authority of the Church…….They were addressed as the representatives of the Churches which they should establish, and the successors of those churches ‘to the end of the world.’ To the Churches therefore, the commission says, Go ye and preach my gospel to all nations, baptizing them &c.…..” A.C. Dayton, Alien Immersion, pp. 212, 218- 219. – (emphasis mine)

J.B. Jeter stated:

"To his church, Christ has committed the ordinances, baptism with the rest. I Corinthians 11:2, 'Now I praise you, that you remember me in all things, and hold fast the traditions - ordinances - as I delivered them to you' If baptism is to be kept as it was delivered to the church, then it can not be properly administered but by her authority.” J.B. Jeter - (emphasis mine)

(J.B. Jeter [1802-1880] was a great Baptist leader of the nineteenth century. He edited the "Religious Herald" Baptist paper in Virginia from 1865 until his death and pastored several large churches including the First Baptist Church of Richmond for thirteen years. The above quote is from the October 5, 1871 issue of the Religious Herald and shows that Jeter believed baptism must be administered under the authority of the church.)

Long before the rise of the term “Landmarkism” in 1848 the Red River Association Resolution on Authority in Baptism stated:

"Resolved, That in the opinion of this Association, a properly qualified administrator is essential to Scriptural baptism.

Resolved, That the authority of an orderly Baptist church is an essential qualification to authorize one to administer baptism.

Resolved, That immersions performed by administrators not authorized by such a church should not be received by Baptists." From Paxton’s History of Louisiana Baptists, page 332. – (emphasis mine)

1850 Salem Baptist Association Resolution on Church authority in baptism:

“Resolved, That the churches be advised to receive none but those who have been baptized on a profession of their faith in Christ, by a legal administrator; and that we esteem legal only such as act under the authority of the regular Baptist church as organized after the model of the gospel.” - The minutes of the Salem Baptist Association in 1850. – (emphasis mine)

J.J. Burnett said,

“As to the "validity" of ordinances the Baptists of the South and Southwest stand almost solidly for four necessary things: A proper subject (a believer), a proper act in baptism (immersion), a proper design (to show forth), and the proper authority (a New Testament church) -- all these being held as Scriptural requirements conditioning the valid administration of baptism and the Lord's supper alike.” J. J. Burnett, J.R. Graves, Sketch of Tennessee's Pioneer , 1919.

Cathcart draws the proper conclusions to the two principles considered above. The authority to ordain ministers is derived from a gospel Church who in turn administers baptism by its authorized representatives. Hence, where there is no such church there can be no such ordinances administered and where there are no such ordinances administered there can be no proper materials for church constitution. Old Landmarkism requires first the existence of a true gospel church and then second the exercise of its authority or there can be no constitutions of new churches. This is exactly Cathcart’s point when he applies it to Pedobaptist societies:

“it follows that no Pedobaptist organization is a church in the Scriptural sense of the term, and that therefore SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY to preach cannot proceed from such an organization…” – Ibid., Cathcart. (emphasis mine)

Since SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY cannot proceed from such an organization then her ordinations are invalid as well as her baptisms and this is exactly what Carthcart goes on to conclude:

“… Inseparable, however from the landmark view of this matter, is a denial that Pedobaptist societies are Scriptural churches, that Pedobaptist ordinations are valid, and that immersions administered by Pedobaptists ministers can be consistently accepted by any Baptist.” – Ibid., Cathcart. – (emphasis mine)

CONCLUSION: Old Landmarkism refutes “direct authority” and demands “mother” church authority in carrying out the Great Commission. It demands the previous existence of church authority in the administration of baptism without which there can be no church constitutions. According to Old Landmarkism, constitution of Churches cannot occur apart from being linked organically to the authority of a previous existent gospel church. However, some may still say this does not prove “mother” church authority in the actual constitution service. Perhaps not, but it does demand “mother church authority” in organic linkage between a preceding church and the newly constituted church through baptism. It also demands organic church succession whereby all churches are linked together through baptism.

C. Some, but not all Old Landmarkers were inconsistent concerning what

they believed about church constitution and how they practiced it.

Many will complain about this proposition and say it is not true. However, come let us reason together. Let’s say you reject “mother church authority.” Let’s say you reject it upon the following bases: (1) You say that the historic definition of what a church is -- is properly baptized believers joined together by covenant agreement; (2) You say, that the historic definition of what church constitution is -- is self constitution; (3) You say, that church succession violates the independency and authority of any church being constituted; (4) You say you could list many more reasons. Therefore, you conclude that a group of properly baptized persons can constitute themselves into a church apart from any other church, and apart from any kind of ordained ministry, any place and any time they wish.

Now, you have made your case, you have stated what you believed to be true have you not? Now, to be consistent, would it not be reasonable that you practice exactly what you stated you believed? Well, this is exactly what Dr. T.T. Eaton told those people who rejected organic church succession:

“If Baptist succession be the bad thing some brethren say, then certainly if ought to be given up. There should be no more of it.”

However, if they were to be CONSISTENT and give it up, what would that include and how would that have to occur among the Baptists of Dr. Eaton’s day? What would it take to make an end of it according to Eaton? He goes on to explain:

“When a new church is organized, it should have no sort of connection with other churches, or relations to them. Let churches be organized anywhere, anyhow, by anybody. Just let people be believers, and let them baptize each other and start a church. This does away with Baptist succession. And if it be the bad thing that is charged, it ought to be done away with at the earliest moment. Those who oppose Baptist Succession have no logical ground to stand on in organizing a church out of material furnished by other churches, and with those baptized by regularly ordained Baptist ministers.” Dr. T. T. Eaton. (Quoted by Milburn Cockrell, Scriptural Church Organization, Second Edition, pp. 57-58).

Eaton understood that the actual mechanics of Baptist Church Succession was inherent not only in the Great Commission but in their actual PRACTICE of it, in how they constituted new churches. According to Eaton, the first thing they had to do was to deny any kind of “connection” between newly constituted churches and previous existent ones. Of course, this statement has no bearing on those who believe in “direct authority” does it? When Eaton said, “Let churches be organized anywhere, anyhow, by anybody” he was asserting what he knew none of them practiced. When he said, “just let people be believers, and let them baptize each other and start a church” he was asserting the very opposite of what he knew they all practiced. He did this to show the INCONSISTENCY between what they were denying and what they were actually practicing. By saying, “when a new church is organized, it should have NO SORT OF CONNECTION with other churches” he was saying that the only way to deny Baptist Church Succession is to take the church completely out of the Great Commission and therefore completely out of the work of constituting churches. In other words, Eaton is telling them they must change the general practice among Baptists in order to be consistent with this denial of succession.

However, today there are those among us who deny that “regular church order’ was the general practice in Eaton’s time or during the times of J.R. Graves until W. A. Jarrell (1860-1900). However, what do Baptist Church Manuals written during this time say the common practice was? What do Associational records confirm as the common practice?

1. The Testimony of Church Manuals as to the Common Practice:

Add to the above testimony of Eaton, the testimonies of those who wrote “Church Manual’s” during this time in history. James Pendleton, E.T. Hiscox and E.C. Dargin all wrote such manuals. All of them admit the ancient Baptist practice of “regular church order” continued to be the customary procedure for constitution of new churches at that time.

a. A Baptist Church Manual by James Pendleton:

“When the interest of Christ’s kingdom requires the formation of a new church the CUSTOMARY mode of procedure is about this: Brethren and sisters obtain letters of dismission from the church or churches to which they belong, FOR THE PURPOSE of entering into the new organization. It is well for this purpose to be stated in the letters” - J.M. Pendleton, A Baptist Church Manual, p. 15. – (emphasis mine)

The next most popular church manual in existence today also was produced by one living in the time of Graves and Landmarkism. What does E.T. Hiscox say the customary procedure was in those days?

b. A New Directory for Baptist Churches by E.T. Hiscox:

“Before the organization actually takes place, however, such persons as propose to constitute the body, should procure letters from the churches of which they are members, GIVEN FOR THE PURPOSE OF FORMING A NEW CHURCH.” – E.T. Hiscox, A New Directory for Baptist Churches, pp. 53-53. – (emphasis mine)

In the fuller context of both Pendleton and Hiscox they spell out almost exactly the order followed by the early English Particular and Philadelphia Baptists. There is no historical evidence to demonstrate that Landmarkers baptized anyone into an unchurched state. They baptized believers into some church body. Therefore, there was always a letter of dismissal to be sought by every baptized believer when seeking to be formed into a church. The only ones not seeking a letter of dismissal would be those gathered on the mission field by an ordained man.

c. Dargin’s Church Manual

Edwin Charles Dargin was one of the most ardent foes of Landmarkers living at that time and yet he knew what the common practice among Baptists, both Landmarkers and non-Landmarkers was in the constitution of churches. He said:

“Taking all this for granted, the next step will be for the persons interested in forming the church to obtain letters of dismission from the churches of which they are members. In such cases it is desirable that the letters should specify the purpose for which they are granted. Now, where a number of persons go out from one church for the purpose of organizing a new one, their names may all be included in a joint letter – that is, THE MOTHER CHURCH grants to the brethren and sisters named in this letter with a view of their uniting with each other, and with others of like mind for the constituting a new church; or something to this effect.” – E.C. Dargin, Ecclesiology, p. 195. – (emphasis mine)

Of course, “the mother church” Dargin refers to is the church that “grants…this letter with a view of their uniting with each other…for the constituting of a new church”. Granting letters is an act of church authority approved by church vote in a regular called business meeting.

d. Brown’s Baptist Church Manual

J. Newton Brown, who published the New Hampshire Confession of Faith, also published “A Baptist Church Manual in 1853. This would place it right at the time when Graves began to defend and define Landmarkism. Significantly, in this manual there is a form letter for a “letter of dismission to form a New Church.” Although, the 1981 printed edition has updated the dating to the 1900’s, the original form would have used the 1800’s.

“V. LETTER OF DISMISSION TO FORM A NEW CHURCH

The_________________Baptist Church, in regular church meeting__________19____. On request of the following brethren and sisters, now in regular standing with us, viz. (Here follow the names), to be dismissed from us for the purpose of uniting in the formation of a new church at _______________________. It was voted, that we cordially grant them letters of dismission for that purpose, and when regularly constituted as a church, shall cease to regard them as under our watchcare.” – J. Newton Brown, A Baptist Church Manual, Judson Press, thirty-sixth printing, 1981.

Brown establishes the fact that a church vote was involved – thus church authority. That these members were still under the authority of the mother church until the new church was “regularly constituted as a church.”

2. Examples of Church Constitution In Baptist Associational Records

The following quotations are taken from Associational Minutes, Baptist Historians and church records during the period immediately before and after the time of J.R. Graves. These quotes do not reflect the personal opinion of the author but do reflect the historical practices during the time being recorded:

Ketocton Baptist Association – 1766-1808

“THE CONSTITUTION AND ORDER OF CHURCHES
BELONGING TO THIS ASSOCIATION.

FOR the convenience of public worship and direction of discipline of the Lord's house, it is thought necessary that independent congregational churches should be constituted, being consistent with, and founded upon apostolic custom in primitive times. When a number of persons having been baptized according to the institution of Christ, upon profession of their faith in Christ, who lie remote from, and inconveniences preventing their assembling with or forming in with a church of Christ, it makes it necessary that they should form into a distinct and separate society, for the purposes aforesaid.

It has been customary where individual baptized persons have labored under inconveniences as before stated, to propose a constitution, if their number be sufficient. Should they have joined any church, a regular dismission is necessary; when that is obtained, a day is then appointed, which is observed as a day of fasting and prayer, ministers being called upon to attend. On meeting together for this very solemn and important purpose, on the day and place appointed,
enquiry is generally made by the preachers present respecting their religious sentiments — whether an agreement in sentiment, (as it appears necessary they should be agreed in order to walk together;) whether each of them do purpose in his heart to live in obedience to the word of God, and aim to fill his place in the church of Christ. —

Sometimes there is a short written covenant, expressive of the principles on which they unite, which they severally subscribe. This being done, they are publicly acknowledged and declared by the minister or ministers present, to be a church of Christ, and the right hand of fellowship given to each of them, accompanied with prayer to God for the prosperity and growth of his Zion, and that his dwelling may be in this temple, raised up for his name. A church being thus formed, has certain rights granted her by the great Lawgiver and Head of the church, which no power civil of ecclesiastic has a right to deprive her of, without a gross insult
offered to the bride, the Lamb's wife; she hath a right to search and peruse the holy scriptures, as the unerring rule of faith and practice, and sufficient in every instance to furnish Zion's citizens with every good work. The several members have a right to assemble and meet together for the purpose of divine worship, and go
up to the Lord's house to be taught of His ways, and that they may walk in His paths, seeing the law goeth forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem: That she hath a right to the choice of her own officers, as was the case of the first officers chosen in the church by the direction of the apostles: That she hath a right to judge of the qualification of such as sue for admission into her communion; if qualified according to scripture, she receives such — if not so qualified, she rejects them: That she has a right to look into and make diligent search among the members of her body, lest any thing erroneous in doctrine or immoral in practice should be imbibed by any of them, and to reprove such, and endeavor to reclaim them if possible; but if such offending members cannot be reclaimed, then to exclude them from the church, that in so doing she may purge out the old leaven of wickedness, and so be a new lump. Her privileges are many, her dignity is great; she is the ground and pillar of truth, the object of Christ's complacency, and all ministers of the Gospel and other officers in the church, are nothing more than her servants”. – William Fritoe, A Concise History of the Ketocton Baptist Association – 1766-1808 - (emphasis mine).

Georgia Baptist Association, 1811

“II. The Apostolic Church, continued through all ages to the end of the world, is the only True Gospel Church.

The truth of this proposition is not only frequently intimated, but strongly affirmed by the prophets. They speak of a glorious state of religious affairs to take place at the coming of the Messiah, which they say, shall continue or endure, as the sun, or days of heaven, Psalms lxxxix. 29, 36, 37 - Shall never be cut off, Isa. lv. 14 - And shall stand forever, Dan. ii. 44. Christ affirms nothing shall prevail against His church, no, not the gates of hell, Matt. xiv.18. But John puts this point beyond all contradiction in his prophetic history of the church, in which, tho’ he admits of various outward modifications, he maintains an uninterrupted succession from the Apostolic Age, till the world shall end…..

III. Gospel ministers are servants in the church, are all equal, and have no power to lord it over the heritage of the Lord.

By the examples of a little child in the midst, and the exercise of dominion over the Gentiles by their principles, our Lord teaches humility, and denies to His apostles the exercise of lordship over His church, Matt. xviii. 2, 6 - xx. 25, 26. He calls them brethren, and directs that they should not be called masters, but servants, Matt. xxii. 8, 11. The acts and epistles of the apostles shew their observance of their Lord's commands. Here we see them the MESSENGERS AND SERVANTS of the churches, which proves the power to be in the churches, and not in them. - Acts vi. 5, xv. 4, 22, II Cor. viii. 23, Phil. ii. 25, II Cor. iv. 5……..

From these propositions, thus established, we draw the following inferences, as clear and certain truths.

I. That all churches and ministers, who originated since the apostles, and not successively to them, are NOT IN GOSPEL ORDER; and therefore cannot be acknowledged as such

II. That all, who have been ordained to the work of the ministry without the knowledge and call of the church, by popes, councils, &c., are the creatures of those who constituted them, and not the servants of Christ, or His church, and therefore have no right to administer for them.

III. That those who have set aside the discipline of the gospel, and have given law to, and exercised dominion over the church, are usurpers over the place and office of Christ, are against Him; and therefore may not be accepted in their offices. …….”. (Circular Letter By Jesse Mercer Georgia Baptist Association, 1811).

Again, the Georgia Baptist Associations

Jesse Mercer {1769-1841} is called the father of Georgia Baptists. Besides pastoring churches there for 52 years, he was president of the Georgia Baptist Convention for 19 years, and helped to found Mercer University. In 1838, he wrote “A History of the Georgia Baptist Association”. In his history of Georgia Baptists he said:

"Our reasons therefore for rejecting baptism by immersion, when administered by Pedobaptist ministers is that they are connected with churches clearly out of the Apostolic succession, and therefore clearly out of the apostolic commission.” Jesse Mercer, A History of the Georgia Baptist Association, p. 126.

Notice that Mercer connected apostolic succession and apostolic commission “with churches.” He flatly denies that institutions can be called churches if they are “clearly out of the apostolic succession”. In essence, he is claiming what English Baptists and the Baptists of the Philadelphia Association defined as “regular church order” or “gospel order” in regard to the great commission. This was the basis for taking a stand against the ecumenical practices that were invading the practice of Baptists in his day. Even earlier than this Jesse Mercer stated in 1811:

“That all churches and ministers, who originated since the apostles, and not successively to them, are NOT IN GOSPEL ORDER; and therefore cannot be acknowledged as such”

Here Mercer uses the old phrase “gospel order” to define his position on church succession and church authority in regard to the Great Commission.

Middle Tennessee Baptist Associations

Among the Middle Tennessee Baptist were such men as J.B. Moody, T.T. Eaton and J.H. Grime. J. H. Grime, in his History of Middle Tennessee Baptists, demonstrates that church authority in establishing churches was practiced during this time frame:

“On January 3, 1682, we find Humphrey Churchwood, one of the members, at Kittery, Maine, with a band of brethren gathered about him. These were organized into a regular Baptist Church September 25, 1682, with William Screven as pastor. He then made a trip all the way to Boston to be ordained by the church under whose authority they were constituted.” – J. H. Grime, A History of Middle Tennessee Baptists, p. 1.

And again, of another church:

“March 8, 1800 they were constituted into a church…..The above is an exact copy of the letter, and from its contents it will be seen that it was given by this same church, under whose authority Dixon’s Creek Church was constituted.” - J. H. Grime, A History of Middle Tennessee Baptists, p. 237.

J. H. Grime reports again, at another time, in the minutes of 1844 A.D. among Middle Tennessee Baptists:

“WHEREAS, The Freedom Association has proposed a correspondence with us; resolved, therefore, that we send a friendly letter and delegates to inform them that we are willing to correspond with them, provided they will correct the error of one of their churches, for receiving members into their fellowship who were immersed by unauthorized administrators. It might be remarked for the benefit of those who would brand us as “Gravesites,” that this record was made before J. R. Graves ever appeared before the public as editor. All honor to J. R. Graves; but he was simply a Baptist, such as he found when he came upon the stage.” Ibid., p. 22 (emphasis mine).

In another place he says:

“In the minutes of 1850 we have the following: ‘Resolved, That the churches be advised to receive none but those who have been Baptized on a profession of their faith in Christ, by a legal administrator; and that we esteem legal only such as act under the authority of the regular Baptist Church, as organized after the model of the gospel.” – A History of Middle Tennessee Baptists, p. 22. – (emphasis mine)

The minutes of the Middle Tennessee Baptist Association repeatedly use the term “mother” to describe the church under whose authority a mission was constituted. The church being constituted is repeatedly called an “offspring” of that mother church, and the authority exercised over it before its constitution is expressed by the term “arm.”

“This church is an offspring of the Knob Spring Church (p. 50)…..This mother church (p. 51)….This church is evidently the mother of Round Lick. An arm was extended there in April, 1803, which resulted in the constitution of that church (p. 54)……This old church is an offspring of Brush Creek Church (p. 56)…..from this church has sprung a family of churches (p. 61)….This church adopted the principles and rules of the mother church (p. 64)……etc.” – A History of the Middle Tennessee Baptists. – (emphasis mine)

J.H. Grime describes these churches in the following words, “In the main her ministers are strong Calvinists, and are strictly Landmark Baptists” – Ibid. p. 32. – (emphasis mine)

Significantly, it is among these Tennessee Baptists that J.R. Graves preached. Grime gives the background of the churches that were planted in Tennessee:

“This old Welsh Tract Church which emigrated from Wales became the nucleus around which or from which were formed a number of churches which were constituted into Philadelphia Association as early as 1707. It was missionaries from this Association, viz., Benjamin Miller, Peter Vanhorn and John Gano, who first planted the true Baptist standard in North Carolina. This was about the middle of the eighteenth century. It is true some Free Will Baptist churches had been planted in the State by Paul Palmer and his converts prior to the coming of these missionaries into the State. These Free Will or General Baptist churches were all reorganized and their irregular baptisms corrected. (See Burkitt & Reed’s History Kehukee Association.) These missionaries were joined by Robert Williams, of South Carolina, and Shubael Stearnes, of Virginia, and together they laid the foundation for the establishment of the Kehukee Association in 1765 upon the regular London (Calvinistic) Confession of Faith. The first Baptist churches in the State of Virginia were planted by missionaries from the churches of London, England, and the Philadelphia Association.

I have in detail given the origin of Baptists in these States, because from these sources have come the Baptists of Tennessee.” J. H. Grimes, A History of the Middle Tennessee Baptists, p. 12. – (emphasis mine)

Grimes gives the mechanics of how churches were constituted during the time of J.R. Graves in Tennessee. Such churches were said to be “offspring” of a “mother” church and there were ordained men who gathered it and a presbytery called for its constitution. What Grimes says of the Canny Fork Seminary Church in 1879 below is repeatedly said of the constitution of churches in Middle Tennessee:

“The church was constituted in the seventies (1870’s) by Elder James Barrett, J.W. Bowen. T.A. Hudson and D. N. Jarrard….This church is an offspring of New Salem Church, which stands a few miles north on Snow Creek. They were gathered through the ministry of Elders James Barrett and D.N. Jarrad. They existed a while and kept up regular services as an arm of the mother church.” – Ibid., p. 154.

3. Autobiography of a Regular Baptist Preacher 1812-1816

The Autobiography of Elder Wilson Thompson shows the concept well established before Graves was born and while Dayton & Pendleton were "still in diapers." The following incident, according to Wilson Thompson, took place at "'Caldwell's Settlement', on the river St. Francis, not far from a village called St. Michael, about sixty miles from the Bethel Church (of which he was a member). The time frame was "during the war of 1812", and "There never had been a Baptist preacher in all that part of the country." He was invited to preach there by a couple living there who were members of the Bethel Church.

"A considerable congregation had gathered, and I delivered as plain and pointed a discourse, and as definite as I could. I then explained the circumstances which had led to that appointment, and that I was authorized by the Bethel Church, of which I was a member, and which was located in the district of Cape Girardeau, to give an invitation to any persons wishing to be baptized and become members of the Bethel Regular Baptist Church. I added that if they could give full and satisfactory evidence of the hope that was in them, I was ready and willing to baptize. But I would wish all to understand, that the Baptists alone were by us considered a gospel church, and therefore they received none into their fellowship or communion, except on public profession of their faith in Christ, according to the doctrine of His grace.

"No probationers of six months, no infants who were sprinkled on the profession of their parents, nor any others but believers in Jesus Christ were received. Therefore, all who joined this church must renounce alliance with all other denominations. They should treat all men friendly as men, but have no communion or fellowship with any but the Baptist Church of Christ; for they should look upon all others as the daughters of mystic Babylon. 'I have been thus particular, as I wish to deceive no one,' said I. 'We wish to be understood to say, as did the Lord in reference to this "Mystery, Babylon" (if any of God's people be ensnared by her), Come out of her my people, and be ye separated from her." Wilson Thompson, The Autobiography of Elder Wilson Thompson, His life, travels, and ministerial labors (Greenfield, IN: D. H. Goble) 1867 [reprint, Old School Hymnal Co. Conley GA 1978] pp. 152-154. – (emphasis mine)

The next account relates Thompson's comments to a young Lutheran:

“The young man related his experience and desired to join the church, but had been told by his mother "'Cursed is he that is baptized over again'. 'Sprinkling is not baptism,' said I, 'and even the immersion of an unconscious infant is no gospel baptism; nor can any man administer gospel baptism without the legal authority of Christ. This authority He has vested in the true church, as the executive authority of His kingdom, to see to the proper execution of all His laws and ordinances. The proper authority, therefore, is indispensable to gospel baptism, and this no Lutheran has. so you need have no more trouble on that account.''' p. 194.

The date of the second incident is not as clear, but probably occurred circa 1816. It happened before Thompson first met the missionary to the Indians, Isaac McCoy (cf. p. 196). Both took place 35 years and more before many historians date the inauguration of the Landmark movement (ca. 1851). Both incidents show that at least some of the Regular Baptists in the Midwest believed only the Baptists were valid churches. Perhaps the fact that Thompson identified with the Primitive Baptists after the missions controversy (circa 1830) has caused missionary Baptist historians to miss this source (Elder Ben Stratton provided this source).

4. Baptist Historians

David Benedict – author of “History of the Baptists”

“August, 1805, the church was formed of members dismissed for the purpose, from the mother church at Providence.” Benedicts History of the Baptists, p. 471.

J. M. Carroll – author of “A History of Texas Baptist”

Dr. J. M. Carroll the author of “The Trail of Blood” and author of “A History of Texas Baptists” records the minutes of the first church in Texas as it was written with all its spellings, punctuations and etc.

August 1836:

However, in the report of the August meeting is found this record:

“3rd. Agreed, That as the scatured situation of the members of Regular Baptist Faith and order in Texas, are such, that in the Common and more proper corse of order, cannot reasonably be attended to in constituting Churches, etc., and believing that Church authority is indispensable in all such work Therefore, Elders Daniel Parker, and Garrison Greenwood, are hereby authorized by authority of this Church Either or both of them, to constitute Churches under or on the regular Baptist Faith and order, ordain Preachers and deacons to their several works, calling to their assistance all the helps in counsel, in their reach, acting particularly cautious in all their works, and Report to this Church, all and whatever work, they may perform, under this authority, from time to time, as Circumstances may permit and require.”

“Saturday Sep-30-1837.”

“Elder Daniel Parker, Reported, That on the seventeenth day of September

1837, He exercised the authority vested in him by this Church in Constituting a Church. Said Church is Constituted on the East side of the Angeleney river in Brother Cook’s settlement — On eight members five mailes and three feemailes, one deacon Wm. Sparks and on the same articals of Faith that this church is constituted, acknowledging her relationship to and with said Pilgrim Church of Regular Predistinaran Baptist.” – J. M. Carroll, A History of Texas Baptists, pp. 64,65,66. – (emphasis mine)