The standard manual for Baptist churches

1 ,EdwardThurston, ;M' , ,Authorof"TheBaptisttShortMethod,""StarM inisters,""TheStarBookSeries""Pastors'Ma nual," :AMERICANBAPTISTPUBLICATIONSOCIETY, ,intheyear1800,bytbiAmericanBaptistPubli cationSociety,IntheofficeoftheLibrariano fCongress,atW& , *i8 TiaitChurch,11 CHAPTEBILC hukchOfficers, .14 CHAPTEBIILC hurchOrdinances, ,23 CHAPTEBV,ChukchDiscipline,TtCHAPTEBVLCas e*ofAppeal,ftCHAPTEBVTLC hurchBusiness,< ,.. ,80 CHAPTERXLTheLord'sSupper,108 CHAPTERXILI htantBaptism,,129 CHAPTERXIILC hurchGovernment, , ,. "BaptistChurchDirectory"preparedbythewri ter, , ,particu-larlyinperplexingcasesliabletoa rise, ,moreorlessfully,intosixorsevendifferent languagesbyourmission-aries,foruseinourm issionsandforeignfields,!

2 , ,sixteenyearsago,thewriterpreparedthelit tle"StarBookonBaptistChurchPolity,"which manychurcheshaveadopted, ;andboththisandthe"Directory" "BaptistShortMethod," ,especiallyastotheordi-nancesandchurchor der; ,andbyanarrangementwiththepastor, , , ,NewYorkCity, "Directory,"andmoreful!thanthe"StarBook/ 'embrac-ingcertainfeaturesofthe"ShortMet hod/'Whencompleted,itwasthoughttobe,onth ewhole,somuchsuperiortoanythingeverbefor eprepared,asamanualforgen-eraluseinBapti stchurches,thatbymutualconsent,itwasdeci dedtohaveitpublishedforgeneralcirculatio n, ,suchamanual,itishoped,willproveavaluabl ehelperintheinterestofchurchorder, ,somanythousandsofwhomareyearlyad-mitted tothefellowshipofthechurches,withanunlim itedfranchise,whilebutim-perfectlyinstru ctedastoeitherdoctrinesororder, ,transparentinarrangementofmatters*conve nientinform,andcheapincost,pastorswillfi ndittotheirownadvantage,aswellastothatof theirmembers, ,forwhoseuseitspreparationwasunder-taken ,showshisestimateofitsvalue.

3 Andsetsotherpastorsawiseandworthyexam-pl e,byorderinginadvanceofpublication, ,asotherworkshavebeenmade,ameansoffurthe ringgoodorder,spiritualvitality,andeffic ientserviceforChrist, , ,January84, "church"is,incommonlan-guage, ,toacongregationofChristianworshipers,to areligiousestablishment,toagivenformofec clesiasticalorder,totheaggregateofallChr istianbelievers, ,rendereduchurch"isderivedfromawordmeani ng910 BTAJTOARDMAOTAX ucalledout," ,itdesignatedacompanyofpersonspossessedo ftherightsofcitizen-ship,andchargedwithc ertainimportantfunctionsofadministration inpublicaffairs,summoned,orcalledout, ,theekJdtxiaisacompanyofpersonscalledout andseparatedfromthecommonmultitudebyadiv inecalling,chosentobesaints,investedwith theprivileges, ,therefore,accordingtotheNewTestamentide a,isacompanyofpersonsdivinelycalledandse paratedfromtheworld,baptizedonaprofessio noftheirfaithinChrist,unitedincovenantfo rworshipandChristianservice,underthesupr emeauthorityofChrist, ,orecclesiasticalsystem,undersomecentral authority, ,theEpiscopalChurch,thePresbyterianChurc h wheretheworduchurch" ,butnotoftheBaptistChurch, "thechurchinJerusalem,""thechurchoftheTh essalonians,""thechurchofBabylon,""thech urchoftheLaodi-ceans";but"thechurchesofM acedonia,""thechurchesofAsia,""thechurch esofJudea.

4 "Achurch,therefore,isnotasystemofcongreg ationsconfederatedunderageneralgovernmen t, ,almostuniformly, *thelightoftheworld"and"thesalt0112 STANDARDMANUAL,theearth."Theyareordained forthegloryofGod,as"thegroundandpillarof thetruth," ,andtolivethegospelbeforemen, ,therefore, , ,asabody,iswhatitsindividualmembersarein theirreligiouslifeandinflu-ence, AbodyofChristiandisciplesmayfailSomeetso meoftherequirementsofthegospels,andstill beatruechurchofChrist, Butwhenabodyceasestoacknowledgeandsubmit toChristasitsSupremeRuler,andtoreceivehi swordasitssupremelaw, ,andissimplyareligioussociety, Achurchisnotalegislative, , Butinmatterspertainingtoorderandmethodso fadministration,merelyoptionalanddis-cre tionary,notInvolvingfundamentalprinciple s,thechurchistoexerciseitsliberty, Andstillfurther,whileachurchcannotbecome anauthoritativeexpounderofeithertruthord uty.

5 Tobindtheconsciencesevenofitsmembers,yet itdoespossessajudicialfunctionfortheinte r-pretationandtheenforcementofthelawsofC hristforitselfasabody,and,therefore,fori tsmembers, Eachchurchowescourtesyandcomity,fellowsh ipandfraternity,toallothers;butitowe*sub jectionandallegiancetonone, Inmattersofbusinessandintheexerciseofits authorityinadministration, , Councilsmaybecalled,presbyteriescon-vene d,orcommitteesofreferencechosenforadvice incasesofmoment,buttheyarealladvisoryonl y, ,andnoothereourtofappealinecclesiastical affairs, "presbyters,""elders,"and"overseers."The irdutiesandserviceshavemainlyreferenceto thespiritualinterestsofthebody, , ,however, Pastorsanddeacons,asteachersandleadersof theflock,cannotbeselectedforandIm-posedu ponthechurchesbyanyexternalauthoritywhat ever,eithercivicorreligious.

6 ButareelectediThisandsereralofthefollowi ngsection*areconsistentwiththeMStarBooko nBaptistChurchPolity," ,withoutcompulsionorrestraint,fromamongt hem-selves, Intheelectionofeitherapasteroxdeacon, ,andatleastthree-qtutrter$ofthevotescast shouldbenecessaryfortheelectionofapastor , , Bothpastorsanddeaconsareproperlyelectedf orunlimitedtermsofservice, ,andofthosewhobearthem,thanalimitedandsp ecifiedtime,thoughdeaconsaresome-times,a ndperhapsproperly,chosenforalimitedtermo fservice,subjecttore-election, Thechurchistofixontheamountof Thecalltoapastorissuesfromthethurehasabo dy, ,thoughnotessential, ,asthelegalrepresentativesofthecor-porat ion,toconfirmtheactionofficially,sofaras thesalaryisconcerned, , Therelationsbetweenpastorandthechurchmay bedissolvedattheoptionofeither^bjgivingt hreemonthsnotice;orotherwise,bymutua) ,therelationsmaybedissolvedattheoptionof eithe* Achurchclerkiselectedannually,atabusines smeeting, , ,orifthelawsorequires, ;deaconsmightprop-erlydischargeallthefun ctionsoftheseoffices,iNote9.

7 Theofficesoftrustandserviceina*InuomeSta te*thelawsdonotrecognizethechurch,thatbe ingaspiritualbody,butincorporateasociety ,asitlacalled, ,holdandkeepinrepairitsproperty, ,asprovidedforbylaw, ,andthetrusteeselected, ,andisincon-sistentwiththefreedomofohurc haction, ,achurchshouldbeallowedtomanageitsownaff airs, , , ,theyshouldbewidelydispensed;iftheyarebu rdens, > Achurchcannotuniteinanycorporatecapacity withotherorganizationsforreligious,be-ae volent,moralreform,orotherpurposes;butit mayOperatewiththeseforanygoodobject,andg ivetosuchsocietiesitsmoralsupport,sympat hy, Butmembersofchurcheecan,aaIndi-viduals,u nitewithoutsideorganizations,foranypurpo se,notinconsistentwiththeirprofessionasC hristians, *12.

8 Churchescannotalienatetheirrespon-sibili ties,nordelegatetheirauthoritytoanyman,o rtoanybodyofmen, ,andteperformservicesforthem,underinstru ction,andt ,inthelargestsense,areanyinstitutions,or regulationsofdivineappointment,establish edasmeansofgraceforthegoodofmen, ,notonlyarebaptismandtheLord'sSupperordi nances,butpreaching,prayer,hearingthewor d,fasting,andthanksgivingarealsoordinanc es, ,inanarrowersense, ,bywhichtheyaretobedistinguished, , ,ordipping,ofacandidateinwater,onaprofes sionofhisfaithinChristandonevidenceofreg enera-tion;thebaptismtobeministeredin,or intothenameoftheFather,theSon, ,andinafigurede-claresthecandidate'sdeat htosinandtheworld, ,andprofessesthecandidate'shopeofaresurr ec-tionfromthedead, 'sSupperisaprovisionofbreadandwine,usedt orepresentthebodyandthebloodofChrist,par takenofbymem-bersofthechurchassembledfor thatpur-pose.

9 InwhichservicetheycommemoratetheloveofCh ristexhibitedinhisdeathforthem, Nopersoncanrightfullyorproperlybe-come&c hurchmemberexcepthebefirstbaptized,asthe distinguishingmarkandprofessionofhisdisc i* TheSupperisachurchordinance, ,also,sincebaptismprecedeschurchmem-bers hip,itmustprecedeandbepre-requisitetothe Lord' SincetheSupperisdistinctivelyachurchordi nance,itistobeobservedbychurchesonly,and notbyindividuals;neitherinprivateplaces, norinsickrooms,noronsocialoccasions, ,andinitsofficialcapacity,meetinaprivate house,asickroom,orwhereveritmayelect, Bothordinancesareordinarilyandprop-erlya dministeredbyordainedandaccreditedminis- ters;butbothwouldbeequallyvalidifadminis teredbyunordainedpersons, ,theNewTestamentissilent, Astothetime,place,andfrequencyoftheordin ances, , , TheparticipationoftheelementsintheSupper shouldbedoneaccordingtothespecialdirec-t ionofChrist.

10 "Ititnot,therefore,atestortokenofChristi anfellowship, "thelivingbread," TheordinancesarenottacramenU,astaughtbys ome, ,theirimportancemustno* * BaptismIsnotessentialtosalvation,feroarc hurchesutterlyrepudiatethedogmaof"bap-ti smalregeneration''";butitisessentialtoob edience, , whentherewasbut"oneLord,onefaith,andoneb aptism,"andnodifferingdenomi-nationsexis ted,thebaptismofaconvertbythatveryact,co nstitutedhimamemberofthechurch, ,"baptismwasthedoorintothechurch."Now,it isdifferent;andwhilethechurchesaredesir- ousofreceivingmembers, ,maketheirstatement,givetheir"experience ," , , Thechurchhavinglis-tenedtothereligiousex perienceofthecandidate,andbeingsatisfied withthesame,andwithhisChristiandeportmen t,votestoreceivehimtoitsfellowship,"onbe ingbaptized.