Church Privileges by Editor

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Apr 10, 1879

Church Privileges.

By Editor

WE think a mistake is often made by well-meaning people as to what constitutes true religious liberty in regard to church relations. The idea obtains with a great many that it is "charity" to fellowship every imaginable belief and life, and that it is restraining a person's liberty—an infringement on his rights—to deny him the privilege of believing and talking whatever he pleases in any church with which he may choose to associate. Prof. Swing was considered a persecuted man, and Dr. Patton was regarded as a narrow-minded bigot, because the latter had the former arraigned before the synod for preaching doctrines contrary to the Presbyterian faith.

But we never regarded it in that light. We held then, as we now hold, that no person can honorably preach as a Presbyterian minister, when he ceases to preach Presbyterian doctrine. If it is anything less than deception, it is at least an abuse of privilege, to profess to be a Presbyterian minister, and to enjoy the sanction of the Presbyterian church, and at the same time teach contrary to the faith of the Presbyterian church. And so in the case of any other church.

This plea for liberty and charity is often made the occasion of introducing confusion where order would have a much better effect, and where the interests of truth might be better served by preserving order.

In these remarks we say nothing of the correctness or incorrectness of the faith of the parties concerned. This has no bearing on the principle. We think it is well for every individual to remain with the church to which he has belonged, until his views are well known, when he has changed his views, and until the reasons for the change are understood, if the church is willing to examine the reasons. But to remain longer, and to persist in talking his views where he knows it can be only an annoyance, can do no good, and may do much harm by prejudicing those who might candidly hear if a more judicious course were pursued.

If we claim a regard for our rights, we should, in turn, respect the rights of others whether they are right or wrong in matters of belief. Errors in faith do not warrant an infringement on the rights of any, or a violation of the rules of Christian courtesy.

A letter which we lately received has led us to make these remarks, which, we believe, will meet the approval of every considerate person.