Who Is Muddying The Water?
In the September 25 issue of the Firm Foundation, Brother P. E. Traylor had an article entitled "Please Don't Muddy the Water." It would seem by the reading of his article that there is some confusion as to who is muddying the water. It was my first impression that Brother Traylor was muddying the water but after thinking on it a bit, I came to the conclusion that he was muddying the water but was merely kicking around in some water which was muddied by the Missionary Society advocates many years ago.
In his article, he used the same old time-worn argument which has been used over the years by those seeking to justify human wisdom and human inventions in religion. The worn-out argument which he used was that the end justifies the means. The substance of his argument on the preaching of the gospel is that regardless of the means, method, manner or organization used in the preaching of the gospel, it was still the same gospel and that however and whatever used in preaching it was a good work and ought to be done. If he is right about it, you can just tear out all that is in your Bible with reference to the organization of the church and the approved examples of how the work of the church was carried out under the direction of the inspired apostles. I know that he may as well tear these things out of the Bible because he is not using them.
He made the same argument with reference to caring for the needy which he made for preaching the gospel. He claimed that caring for the widows and orphans, regardless of how, by what means or organization, it was still pure and undefiled religion and was a good work and ought to be done. According to his argument, whether this was done by the individual or by the church as such, made no difference whatever. If this is so, then any individual Christian duty could be performed just as well and just as scripturally by the church as such. It does not take a mastermind to see the ridiculous position one would be placed in by such a process of reasoning.
Thus Brother Traylor sought to justify modern arrangements in the church such as Herald of Truth, institutional homes for orphans and the aged, and other sponsoring type church cooperative schemes. And at the same time, whether he realized it or not, he was seeking to justify the Missionary Society.
Over the years, I have occasionally tried to "break into print" by sending articles to the papers. But most of the time these articles were not used. Then I would wonder why they were not used and if it was because they were not very sensible. That may have been the reason, but if it was, some editors have changed because I never did write one senseless enough not to get in as some get in now.