Why Are We Strict And Particular Baptists?

An Address By Pastor Edwin White

[The substance of a bold and timely Address delivered at the Half-yearly Meeting of the Metropolitan Association of Strict Baptist Churches, held at Brentford, October 6th, 1908. The speaker was suffering from a severe cold, which affected his eyes, and had rendered reading and writing impracticable for some days previously. He, nevertheless, spoke with extraordinary vigour and vivacity, and his testimony was felt to be full of gracious thought and spiritual power. The last half is in many respects more striking.—Editor, Earthen Vessel]

“Order my footsteps by Thy Word, and make my heart sincere; Let sin have no dominion, Lord, but keep my conscience clear.”—Watts

On these occasions speakers ordinarily have their topics alloted to them. I, however, have been allowed to choose my subject. 

Gladly would I have presented you with a Paper; this, the state of my health has prevented. As I am helped, however, I will say a few things in a less formal manner.

“Strict and Particular Baptists.” The title came into prominence in connection with the Norwich Chapel Law-suit of 1860, when it was contended that the Lord’s Supper was administered in that place of worship in a way that was opposed to the custom of the founders of the Church and the provisions of the Trust Deed. The decision of the Master of the Rolls was in favour of those who had introduced the innovations, and against those who desired that the ancient practice of the Church should be maintained. From that time forth these, and those that see with them, became a separate section of their Denomination—and they have since been regarded as Strict and Particular Baptists, in opposition to those whose Church Order is that of Mixed or Open Communion at the Table of our Lord. We are Strict and Particular Baptists, and we proceed to advance some reasons for our position.

I.

We are enjoined to “walk even as our Lord walked” (1 John 2:6). He, we are assured, was a Strict and Particular Baptist, and in our Church action we do but follow “in His steps.”

What I have affirmed of the Master, I am sure of, as I stand here a dying man in the sight of the living God. He honoured Baptism. True, He twice fed a hungry multitude; His miracles of healing were marvels of mercy and power; thrice He recalled the dead to life; His mouth was ever open to preach the Gospel to the mixed crowds who wondered at His gracious words. 

When, however, He instituted the Communion it was in an upper room, none but His disciples being present. He, therefore, in restricting this blessed act of worship to His own immediate followers, was a Strict Baptist; and I as confidently claim that our other title is also as appropriate to Him, since He preached Particular Redemption, and said of His great sacrifice, “I lay down My life for My sheep.” 

II.

Again, in adhering to our distinctive principles we are following the precedent of the holy apostles and the early Christians, who, in all simplicity and sincerity, obeyed the commandments of their Lord. We are to follow the example of Jesus (1 Peter 2:21). We are to follow the faith of those who have gone before (Heb. 13:7). This we desire to do, and therefore are Strict and Particular Baptists.

I find that the apostles went according to their Master’s instruction, and continued upon the lines which He taught, both in the administration of the ordinances, and in the proclamation of the truth which He gave them to deliver. Particular doctrines were proclaimed, and the Communion was restricted to the proper persons whom our Lord had defined, namely, those who repented of sin, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, were duly baptised in the name of the Holy Trinity, and then were added to the Church. Then, and not till then, were any welcomed to the Lord’s Table.

III.

We maintain what we are assured is the primitive practice, because I find no hint in the Word of God that this order was ever rescinded.

I once observed at a meeting at Soho Chapel what appeared to stir the hearts of the brethren. What I said, so far as I can remember, was to this effect: that my mind was, at one time, greatly exercised, as I was brought up in the Church of England, and I was influenced thus. Here am I, born in this century. During the time that has elapsed since the Lord went home, many different sects have arisen. Godly men are, indeed, among them, but they practice sprinkling and open communion. Now, I cannot put back the clock of time myself to where it was at the beginning. Shall I not fall in with their views, and as I go with them in some things go with them in all? The thought, however, came, Am I to change because the times are altered; am I to depart from the Word of God because others have done so; am I to be disloyal because others have been disloyal; am I to go from the truth and ordinances because others have gone from them? Much as I may admire their characters, when it comes to these matters we must part. I cannot hold with him who has departed from the truth of God. We, therefore, “maintain” this, “the profession of our faith, without wavering, “because the Word of God gives no intimation that anything is to be altered until our Lord returns. When He gave His commission to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, He added, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world: go ye, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising 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.”

IV.

For several centuries the Master’s command was obeyed. Then error crept in; men departed from the truth; baptism by immersion was set aside, and gradually the way was paved for the introduction of infant sprinkling, and its attendant doctrinal and practical evils.

Shall we close our hearts to the Saviour’s words because others have done so? “No,” I venture to say. At first, and for long after, Strict and Particular Baptists held their own—and few and feeble though we may be, we will do so likewise.

V.

Again, we maintain our Denominational position because we feel bound to obey God rather than man, and desire, above all other things, to keep a clear conscience as in His thrice holy sight.

I say it solemnly—that a man who has been baptised on a profession of faith, and who from his heart believes that he thus acted in a way that was pleasing to Christ, if he connives at or sanctions another’s disobedience to the Master’s command, is as guilty as if he wilfully broke that command himself. I myself feel—and God is my witness that I lie not—that I dare not connive at another’s disobedience. I dare not disobey, myself. I dare not set aside what Christ has commanded me, nor will I sanction another’s dis-loyalty.

I know the plea that every man’s conscience must answer for itself; on the contrary, I say that if you connive at a fellow-Christian’s wrong-doing, or his disobeying or ignoring the law of His Lord, you are as guilty as if you disobeyed actually and personally yourself.

“Make me to walk in Thy commands, ’tis a delightful road;

Nor let my head or heart or hands offend against my God.”—Watts

CONTINUING, we observe that

VI.

we are Strict and Particular Baptists because we are convinced that every Christian’s creed and practice should harmonise. Suppose an open-communionist to insist in his sermon that Baptism by immersion is the absolute duty of all heaven-born believers, and (the case is not uncommon) a few minutes after to invite all Christians whether baptised or not, to the table of the Lord, how glaring his inonsistency appears. At one moment he scripturally insists on the necessity of obedience to a command of his Master, and before a few moments have flown, declares his readiness to sanction what he has so faithfully condemned.

VII.

Yet, further, we maintain our Denominational position because we can but deem other systems illogical, unscriptural and with no higher authority than mere expediency. It has been objected that our practice makes ”the table” our table, whereas, it is urged, it is “the Lord’s table” (1 Cor. 10;21), and not that of any one section of the Church of the living God. My reply is, that because it is “the Lord’s table” I am bound to act as I do. I hold that they only come to it rightly, who come in the way that He has enjoined. Why has this laxity been permitted? Were the brethren who advocate what we oppose, to give their real reason for acting as they do, their language would differ from what is often heard. They would plainly assure unbaptised friends that their invitations were really prompted by the desire to secure their fellowship, their influence and their co-operation. “Brethren,” they would honestly say, “we need your presence, your adherence, your help and your money. These, if possible, we must secure, and therefore assure you of our cordial welcome. Join us in the right way, if possible, but if not, we will not refuse to receive you in the wrong way.”

A certain popular and deservedly esteemed open-communion Pastor was, not long since, in company with some of our brethren.

One of these, referring to the sermon he had just preached, observed, “Why, Mr. B., you are one of us.” 

“I am,” he replied, “but you will not have me.”

“Why, then,” rejoined another, “do you not come right over and practise what you profess, as we do?”

“Well,” he replied, “I fail to understand you people. There are people who clearly see one ordinance, yet because they cannot see the other you decline to let them come.”

“It is strange,” I replied (for I myself was the speaker on that occasion), “that these brethren can see the Lord’s Supper and not Baptism. I can give you a dozen texts for Baptism for one that enjoins our partaking of the Lord’s Supper.”

“If you are so great a stickler for texts,” he answered, “can you produce one which plainly asserts that all the Apostles were baptised?”

“No,” I admitted, “I cannot, but Peter’s words surely imply this: ‘Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptised, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?’ He thus classes himself among those who had been baptised.

“Do you,” I continued, “think that our Lord would send His Apostles out to preach that all who were brought by grace to repent should be baptised if they had not themselves been baptised? Would they be such hypocrites as to stand up and insist that others should be baptised if personally they had not submitted to this ordinance?”

So our talk ended, but, dear friends, I feel this question to be a solemn one because of our young people. I fear that they are not well enough grounded in the scriptural reasons for our holding and being held by the practice.

VIII.

Yet, further, we are Strict and Particular Baptists because the slightest defection from what we hold and maintain invariably leads to open departure from the truth in other things. If you err and stray ever so little, you will not be able to stop at your pleasure.

I have lived long enough to behold many Churches admit the practice of open communion until they were forced to declare themselves open-communion Churches, and at last to appropriate their chapels to uses that were never intended by those through whose enterprise and liberality they were erected.

IX.

Our chief reason, however, which is supreme above all others, is the conviction that the principles and practice of the Strict and Particular Baptists ARE RIGHT, and to “trust in God and do the right” is our paramount desire in His most holy sight.

Some taunt us with the assertion that as a section of the visible Church we are dying out; “but we are not careful” to answer such friends “in this matter.” Our question rather is, Whether we are on the side of God and His truth? If assured of this we are confident of His approval and blessing. Churches which held and maintained the doctrines of grace and spread the Lord’s Table according to His will, flourished greatly in days that are past, and speaking as a denomination we dare to say, “He hath been mindful of us; He will bless us.”

X.

We continue the custom as we received it from those that have passed away because we have no cause to be ashamed of our ancestry. I am proud of our fathers, proud to be descended from those who preached grace in the glory of its freeness and sovereignty and practised Strict Communion, in the days that are past. They were profound thinkers, logical reasoners, and above all, spiritually-minded men who lived near to God. Wells, Foreman, Palmer and others were giants in their time, yet they held our principle most firmly. How masterly are the works of Israel Atkinson on the Atonement and on Faith. The two theological books by the Editor of our magazine, which present us with the doctrines and practices of our predecessors, are worthy of universal perusal, as they give a fair idea of what these gracious men held and taught.

Such truths will live when the flimsy religious literature of the day has passed out of mind, Campbellism is forgotten, rationalism brushed from the Churches, and God’s truth valued because it is His truth.

XI.

We abide as we are because we dare not change.

Some of us have been brought very low, and compelled with solemn and deep feeling to review our lives and reflect on our ministries. Many of our memories humbled us. Of some things we were ashamed. Yet knowing that we must soon stand in God’s very presence, we have adored the grace which has enabled us to hold and proclaim the truth as firmly as we possibly could.

I tremble to think what would become of. me had I falsified God’s truth, renounced the doctrines of His Word, and thus led others astray.

XII.

Lastly, we adhere to the ancient faith because we are persuaded that it is the only Gospel which will break sinners’ hearts or encourage seeking souls. And we maintain the time-honoured practice of strict communion because, having Divine sanction and support, it will best encourage true believers to make a good confession by following their Lord in His own appointed way.

“The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.” “In keeping of them there is great reward.” The best of Masters will suffer none to serve Him for naught. 

Happy, then, are they who can say, “I have stuck unto Thy testimonies: O Lord, put me not to shame (Ps. 119:31).