Jarrel - Baptist Church Perpetuity - Landmark Baptist

CHAPTER 27. — THE REGULAR BAPTISTS, OFTEN
CALLED MISSIONARY BAPTISTS, ARE THE “OLD”
OR PRIMITIVE BAPTISTS.
Unable to meet the overwhelming testimony for Baptist Church Perpetuity,
Baptist opponents attempt to “darken counsel” by asking: “But who are the
‘old Baptists?’ “Some of them, when meeting the Regular Baptists, affirm “the
Anti-missionary Baptists are the oldest;” when meeting the Anti-missionary
Baptists, they affirm the “Regular Baptists are the oldest!!”
Inasmuch as Baptist history demonstrates that in every age, in non-essential
matters, Baptists have differed from Baptists of other ages, by such matters we
are not to identify Baptist churches of the present with those of the past. Thus,
speaking of 1691, Crosby says: “If I am not mistaken this was the first church
of the Baptists that practiced the holy ordinance” of singing in public worship.
f946 In the early history of American Baptists whenever a preacher changed his
field he was reordained. When a preacher “got out of his parish he was
nobody.” f947 In the latter half of the last century protracted meetings were
unknown among Baptists.’ In 1840, Baptists protracted meetings often
continued a year.’ f948 Church houses, singing books, associations, and many
other things to which Baptists hold, are not mentioned in the Bible and have
been unknown to ages of Baptist history. While the constitution and the
organization of the churches is, in the New Testament, in particulars,
prescribed and described their methods of work and most of the forms of their
worship are left to be decided by the spirit of the gospel and sanctified
common sense. Missionary boards, like associations, hymn books, etc., are of
comparatively modern origin. Like associations, etc., missionary boards, are
mere Baptist expediencies, not being essential to the existence of Baptist
churches. Anti-missionary Baptists had as well — because they have
associations, hymn books, and many other customs which ancient Baptists did
not have — deny that they themselves are the “Old Baptists” as to deny that
the Regular Baptists are the “Old Baptists,” because they have missionary
boards. Since the Anti-mission Baptists have neither missions, pastors’
support, nor educational enterprises, the question, dividing the two, IS REALLY
NOT PLANS OF MISSIONS, OF EDUCATION, BUT IT IS MISSIONS OR NO
MISSIONS, AND EDUCATION OR NO EDUCATION, AND MINISTERIAL OR NO
MINISTERIAL SUPPORT. It is whether the churches shall do any missionary and
educational work and support their ministers.
Regular Baptists do all this. Anti-missionary Baptists not only do not this, but
they bitterly oppose it — so bitterly that they would exclude from their