YEA andNAY FUNDAMENTAL BAPTISTS
As God is true, OUR WORD toward you was NOT yea AND nay . . . but IN HIM was . . . --2 Cor. 1:18 A DOUBLEMINDED man is unstable in all his ways . . . -- James 1:8
Purify your hearts, ye DOUBLEMINDED . . . -- James 4:8
Likewise (like the bishop) must the deacons be . . . NOTDOUBLETONGUED . . .
--1 Tim. 3:8
"Fundamentalists cannot easily compromise or resolve even trivial differences over doctrine, morality, or lifestyle. Each adheres to ABSOLUTE STANDARDS.” --Billy Vick Bartlett
We believe the above quotes best explain what the character of a real fundamentalist is, should be, and what it is not. However, in an age of the wishy-washy, double minded, double tongued, and the compromising, many pseudo fundamental Baptists are attempting to redefine fundamentalism to suit their neo evangelical, political posture.
Let it be stated here that under their loose definitions of “fundamentalism,” Roman Catholics qualify as at least five point fundamentalists. After all, they believe in the deity of Christ; they believe in the virgin birth; they believe in a literal Heaven/Hell; they believe in the inspiration of the Scriptures; and they believe in a literal resurrection. Moreover, we expect that Roman Catholicism will be accepted as Christianity in the same proportion that these loose definitions of fundamentalism are accepted. Try to get STRAIGHT ANSWERS from the so called "Fundamental" brethren today, and you would do better to pull teeth. The brethren are not giving off a certain sound but are saying both “yea” AND “nay” at the same time. The spirit of the double minded and the double tongue has so infected the brethren that we wonder if it can ever be remedied without a serious split or break in fellowship.
Roman Catholic priests will put the average fundamentalist preacher to shame in that he will not budge an inch from his dogma. Yes, the priest is wrong, but he gives forth a certain sound,even a “nay” OR a “yea”— not both at the same time. That is the missing ingredient among Fundamental, Independent Baptists. ABSOLUTE STANDARDS! We are such an amalgamated lot, today, that we are toothless. We have grown wishy-washy politicians and not the fire breathing ancestors of our past.
Fundamentalism Today
Spurgeon, I believe it was, told us that it does us no good to fight the battles that havealready been won. We need to fight today’s battles. The devil, despite his unchangeable, lying, and rebellious character, poses different threats in every age.
Like Brother Bartlett, we consider the three major strategic battle grounds today to be: 1. The Bible. 2. Baptist Doctrine. 3. Separation (both ecclesiastical and moral). Many Baptist Fundamentalists are waffling on one, more, or all of these issues.
The Bible Issue
It used to be that you could ask whether or not the English Bible is the Word of God or not, and you would get a CLEAR-CUT “yea” OR “nay” —not both. Today, you will get a "Well . . . ah . . . yes AND no.” We listened to a tape cassette with multiple speakers from a famous Southern university, the bastion of fundamentalism. Needless to say, it was pathetic how they could not make up their minds, often contradicting one another, about whether or not the word of God, the Bible, and the scripture were the same thing! To hear them talk, you would never get the impression that the Lord or the devil ever had anything to do with Bible translating or Bible correcting. Fundamentalists used to know what the Word of God was and used to use the version that God used, the Authorized 1611 Bible.
The Baptist Doctrine Issue
You used to be able to get a yea or nay on whether to receive non-Baptists into your fellowship or not; or whether to observe restricted communion or not. I talked to a Fundamental Baptist preacher, who told me that he believed in CLOSED communion, practicedCLOSE communion, and did not prohibit OPEN communion. Some position, huh? We would have had more respect for him if he would have embraced solidly any one of them. You used to have the alternative of being a Baptist or of being ashamed; NOW you can be "BAPTISTIC."
The Separation Issue
You used to be able to get a yea or nay on whether pants were proper attire for a Christian lady or not. Now, you get a yes and no depending on where the zipper is, what the activity is, or how cold it is. Now, we all do what is right in our own eyes.
You used to get a yea or nay on proper church music. Now, you must rebuke a whole national fellowship by saying that you used to dance to the kind of music that was just played and at their meeting. Thank you, Cecil Hodges, for that.
You used to be able to get a yea or nay on whether or not to sanction interracial dating and marriage. Now, it is “yea AND nay” depending on whether or not your buses will be allowed to pick up at the military base or not or upon the degree of IRS or government harassment. (The world pipes and plays the tune and neo Baptists dance to it.)
You used to be able to get a “yea OR nay” (but not both) to the tongues and healing crowd, but now, it is “yea AND nay,” depending on whether, whomever you hobnob with can supply you with an influential singer, editor, Kentucky Colonel, or magazine write up.
Finishing One’s Course
We are comfortable in our position. Are You? Or do you have a nagging down deep inside that you have drifted too far from proper faith and practice? If so, buckle your seatbelt! We leave the removal of the old landmarks to your new breed of Fundamental Baptists. The progressive brethren and compromisers, who now consent to what was unthinkable decades ago, no doubt, will, in the future, consent to what is unthinkable today. They may even wind up as "Five Point Fundamentalists" (Roman Catholics). Personally, we will finish our course, staying with the old paths. Hallelujah! Praise de Lawd! Thank you Jesus! Amen! Does I have a witness?
--by Herb Evans,Bible Baptist Church Newsletter, 231 N. Broad St. Griffith, IN 4631(First printed in 1977)