On the question of the necessity of
authority for religious practices there are but two positions that one
can take. Either we must have authority or we do not have to have
authority for all that we do in religion. Any position in between would
be ridiculous and impossible. If someone should insist that one must
have authority for some things, but not for all things, by what standard
could he possibly distinguish the things for which he must have
authority from the things for which he does not need authority? And how
could he condemn anything merely because it was unauthorized in the
Scriptures?
May God pity the man who calls himself
a gospel preacher and who makes such statements as: "Why we do many
things for which we do not have authority"; and "We do not have to have
authority for everything we do in religion." Such a preacher would have
neither right nor grounds to condemn any of the religious practices
around us, which, though without authority, are not expressly forbidden
in the Scriptures. On what basis would he show that instrumental music,
infant baptism, choirs, missionary societies, quarterly or annual
communion, etc., are wrong?
Authority falls into two categories:
general and specific. Some things are specifically authorized: baptism,
singing, Lord's Supper. Other things are authorized because they are
embraced in and necessary to the performance of things specifically
authorized: (Some things may be used as "aids" in carrying out a command
as long as no Scriptural principle is violated); a baptistry, songbooks,
containers.
To say that one must have authority for
all that he does in religion is a far cry from saying that one must have
specific authority for all that he does in religion. Some "gospel
preachers" have offered this sort of quibble: "Why if one must have
authority for everything, where did Noah get the authority for the tools
he used in building the ark since God did not specify any tools." This
is nothing more than a dodge, a smoke screen to cover up the fact that
many churches today are practicing things for which they have no
authority--either general or specific. Certainly Noah had authority in
that tools were necessary to carry out the injunction to build the ark.
Had God specified the tools, he would have been limited to what God
specified.
