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Landmarkism Under Fire 

A Study of Landmark Baptist Polity on Church Constitution

by Elder J.C. Settlemoir 

 

Appendix I. - Did Graves Change His Position
on Church Constitution?

In spite of the constant but groundless claims that J.R. Graves taught EMDA, we have finally learned that these brethren knew Graves did not teach this doctrine all along! How was this discovery made? Bro Curtis Pugh, who is a foreign missionary and a correspondent of BBB, sponsored by Berea Baptist Church, stated in a personal letter to me:

It is possible to quote from Graves in one era of his life and prove something quite different than what he came to believe with more maturity and study. I believe that Bro. Graves came in his later life to the position which I hold on the manner of church organization, but I have not with me the books necessary to prove this.[562]

Here he plainly admits Graves once taught a view of church constitution diametrically opposed to EMDA! Graves’ repetitively published this view in his paper, The Baptist and in his numerous books. Old Landmarkism was published by Graves as late as 1881without any hint of a change on the constitution of churches. For these brethren to claim Graves changed his position without giving the proof surely “. . . denotes a degree of prove-something-at-all-costs unexcelled in the history of theological debate.”[563] Unless these men can give us references from Graves’ own pen which states he changed his position to EMDA we will count this as a mere smoke screen! As these references have not been forthcoming, those who take this position are forced to admit Graves never changed his position. I contend Graves never taught EMDA at all! Bro Pugh said Graves changed his position. He did this to defend his changing Graves’ position from self constitution to EMDA in BBB.[564] He later claimed he did not have Graves’ books with him in Romania to locate the quotes to prove this change. Are Graves’ books available? Why haven’t others found these illusive quotes? Why have we never heard of this supposed change of Graves before? Could it be that these men knew there was no such quote in Graves writings? Those who make this claim are responsible for producing the references. Why have they not done so? I do not believe any such evidence concerning J.R. Graves exists and their silence seems to justify my belief that they know this as well as I do!

So I ask the question, Did Graves change his position on church constitution from self constitution to EMDA? I don’t believe he did and I give the reasons for my position.

Jarrel published Baptist Church Perpetuity in 1894, the year after Graves died, and he quotes Graves’ position exactly as it had been for nearly fifty years! Jarrel was a scholar and an associate of J.R. Graves. If Graves had changed his position on this subject, Jarrel knew it! I cannot account for Jarrel quoting Graves in his book in 1894[565] where he explicitly states Graves position was self constitution if Graves had changed to EMDA before he died! While I have not read all of the nearly 40,000 pages of The Tennessee BaptistThe Baptist–The Baptist Reflector,[566] I am familiar with most of Graves’ published books and I have never seen a line which teaches EMDA. I challenge Bro PughBor any other manBto produce one quote from J.R. Graves (in unedited form!) to support this contention! These men have misrepresented J.R. Graves,[567] as believing EMDA for years, and they are misrepresenting him now. They have joined forces with anti Landmarkers in this claim. They have recently put forth a perversion of Graves’ position on church constitution[568] and they have the responsibility to make their readers aware of their dissimulation!

Furthermore Graves’ son-in-law O.H. Hailey wrote a brief biography of Graves in 1929. If any man knew Graves’ position, it was Hailey. In this book, written nearly forty years after Graves’ death, he quotes this doctrinal statement, perverted by Bro Pugh, from The Baptist of 1857 and not a word of a change concerning item number four, which is Graves definition of a church! He does in fact state Graves changed his position on Communion in these words: “He modified as all know, later in life, and advocated strict church communion, to which change of view and its advocacy reference will be made more fully hereafter.”[569] This change had nothing to do with the definition or constitution of a church. Graves did change his view on communion and wrote and taught on this change[570] but he never made any change on church constitution.

Bro Pugh said he believed Graves changed his position on church constitution from self constitution to EMDA but he did not have the books with him in Romania to prove it. Did Bro Pugh ever read where Graves changed his position from self constitution to EMDA? If such a quote exists, Bro Cockrell knew it and the place where it was found. Why was it not in SCO originally? This would have been the very thing needed in the book. Why was it not in the 2nd edition? Surely Bro Pugh can obtain these books. Surely he can find these references. Surely he will publish them in BBB.

Whoever says Graves changed his position must do one of several things. First, he can plead ignorance as to what Graves believed. This means he really does not know what Graves believed about church constitution and has not carefully read his books but has merely assumed he believed EMDA. Or secondly, he can admit he made unfounded claims, about what Graves and the old Landmarkers believed on this subject. Or thirdly, he can bring forth evidence that Graves changed his position from self constitution to EMDA! Or fourthly–if these things prove too hard–and I believe they are Bhe can remain silent!

At any rate, no one should accept the claim that Graves changed his position from self constitution to EMDA from anyone unless they can give fully documented quotes from Graves’ own works indicating such a transition.

Footnotes

[562]Curtis Pugh. A personal letter to me, July 27,2001.

[563]Milburn Cockrell. SCO, p. 71. Let me emphasize Bro Cockrell never did say Graves changed his position from self constitution to EMDA.                 

[564] See Chapter 13. Cf. BBB, June 5, 2001, p. 101,108,109,112. “Principle Policies & Practices Consistent with Biblical Baptist Doctrine. Adapted & edited by Curtis Pugh.” A Further note in the article says: “This Material Adapted And Edited From The Baptist, Memphis Tennessee A.D. 1867 ( A weekly Baptist newspaper published by certain influential members of the Southern Baptist Convention of those days.).”

[565]W.A. Jarrel. Baptist Church Perpetuity, p. 2.

[566] Various names of Graves’ papers 1846- to near the end of his life. Cf. Cathcart’s The Baptist Encyclopedia, Art. J.R. Graves, & Albert W. Wardin, Jr. Tennessee Baptists, 1779-1999, pp. 243-247.

[567] Milburn Cockrell. SCO: “Liberal Baptists and apostate Landmarkers would have us to believe all the early Baptist churches in America were self constituted by a few baptized members in some cases without a minister or missionary with church authority. According to them, no church ever dismissed members to form a new church until J .R. Graves and J.M. Pendleton came on the scene and invented the teaching of Landmarkism in the mid 1800s. This is just simply not true.” p. 84.

[568] Cf. Chapter 13.

[569]O.H. Hailey. Life & Times of J.R. Graves, p.53.

[570] See: J.R. Graves. Intercommunion Inconsistent, Unscriptural.