The Preacher Behind the Bill of Rights

[This biographical sketch first appeared in The Pillar].

On March 22, 1788, James Madison had reason to be distraught. He had just gotten word that the popular Baptist preacher John Leland was going to oppose his election as a Virginia delegate to the Constitutional Convention. “Then I am beaten," Madison soberly reported to the messenger. "Yes," came the reply, "unless you can convince him."

Leland had been a champion of religious freedom since his conversion to the Baptist faith in 1774, and he feared the rumors (spread mostly by Madison's opponents) that the distinguished politician was lukewarm about securing that freedom for all citizens. Madison set off on his horse that cold March morning and rode toward Orange County, Virginia, where he was told he could find the strong-willed pastor, to set the record straight. The two met on a road six miles out of Fredericksburg and sat down in an oak grove on the side of a hill.

They could not have been more different. The small, well-dressed Madison had attended Princeton and (with Washington and Jefferson now in Philadelphia) was the most celebrated and respected leader in Virginia. Leland, on the other hand, wore only homespun suits, was uneducated, and spent his days walking from county to county preaching the gospel.

They talked through the afternoon. The sun went down. They talked into the night. At length, Leland sprang to his feet and declared he was now convinced of Madison's intention to establish religious freedom and would support him.

"The rank and file of his counties will follow him," a close friend previously reported to Madison. And they did. The Baptist support of Madison, led by John Leland, nudged him into victory over Patrick Henry and consequently secured the narrow passing of the U.S. Constitution. Madison had heard Leland's previous complaints: “there is no Bill of Rights," Leland pointed out. "What is clearest of all — Religious Liberty is not sufficiently secured." It is no surprise, then, that it was Madison who personally introduced the Bill of Rights to Congress, complete with Leland's demands for freedom of religion and freedom of the press.

The story of John Leland's life is as rich as any novel—full of humor, adventure, intrigue, and crisis.

But how did Pastor Leland, born into humble beginnings in Massachusetts, come to be such a prominent influence among Virginia villagers and aristocrats alike? The simplest answer is: the zeal of his preaching. Shortly after his salvation, Leland became a Baptist pastor and moved to Virginia with his wife. He became an itinerant preacher, travelling across counties--and even states--to declare his belief in the Baptist principles of salvation by grace, believer’s baptism, and the individual's liberty of conscience concerning religious matters.

But it was an uphill fight. As late as 1714 there were no Baptists in Virginia. When the Baptists did arrive and began to preach freely they were fined, imprisoned, and sometimes whipped by the authorities of the church-state. Leland's tenacity in overcoming these odds became more and more evident and eventually found its way into the state's folklore. He decried state religion, saying, "The Gospel Church takes in no nation, but those who fear God, and work righteousness in every nation." He welcomed slaves into his services as spiritual equals. He performed a baptism while threatened at gunpoint by angry relatives of the candidate for baptism, and preached an entire sermon under these same conditions.

The establishment churches in Virginia tried desperately to discredit him, but by the time they took pastors like Leland seriously, the Baptist revival had gained too much momentum. Virginians had had too much of the dry and barren pedantry of the High Church. "The great doctrines of universal depravity, redemption by the blood of Christ, regeneration...are but seldom preached by them," Leland wrote. By the close of the 18th century, the Baptists were the largest denomination in Virginia, due largely to John Leland's ministry and example.

In his later years, Leland lamented the encroachment of committees and organizations within the Baptist church and gained a reputation for railing against these systems of church government. In 1792 he took his ministries back to Massachusetts and continued his powerful, down-to-earth preaching in several churches there. When he died in 1841 the colorful and controversial John Leland left behind a legacy of incessant witnessing, Bible-based revival, and religious freedom—a legacy to which all Christians are indebted.

Family Discipleship

Some thoughts from Voddie Baucham.

Christians imprisoned for homeschooling

This is what happens when you give the state too much power. Here's the article. You'd expect as much from Germany, but the same trend is unfolding in California where a court recently declared homeschooling illegal unless conducted by a state-licensed, state-approved educator. The implication is that parents do not have a right to educate their own children (as instructed by Scripture) but must surrender them to government schools for indoctrination into a humanistic worldview. You could have a Ph.D. in mathematics or history but would still not be qualified to instruct your children.

There are between 2 and 3 million homeshcoolers in America, the vast majority of which are being taught by Christian parents. This terrifies many people: teachers unions, atheists, socialists. So be prepared for more attacks as homeschooling gains popularity. The Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) has done a good job over the years of protecting homeschooling on a state-by-state basis. They deserve more support. And our legislators and judges need to be constantly reminded that our government was created to protect individual liberty, not usurp it.

Christian Doctrines

Some excerpts from a refreshing old book called Christian Doctrines by Baptist scholar James Madison Pendleton.

On church:

“In answer to the question, What is a church? It may be said, A church is a congregation of Christ’s baptized disciples, acknowledging him as their Head, relying on his atoning sacrifice for justification before God, depending on the Holy Spirit for sanctification, united in the belief of the gospel, agreeing to maintain its ordinances and obey its precepts, meeting together for worship, and co-operating for the extension of Christ’s kingdom in the world. If any prefer an abridgment of this definition, it may be given thus: A church is a congregation of Christ’s baptized disciples, united in the belief of what he has said, and covenanting to do what he has commanded.”

On the resurrection:

“As to the period of the resurrection, the whole tenor of Scripture indicates that it will take place at the end of the world, at the second coming of Christ, and as preparatory to the general judgment.”

On baptism:

"The commission of Christ, as understood and exemplified in the apostolic age, requires the baptism of believers, disciples; and the baptism of all others, whether unbelievers or unconscious infants, is utterly unwarranted. There is, as Paul has written in the Epistle to the Ephesians, 'one Lord, one faith, one baptism.' The one Lord is the object of the one faith, the one faith embraces the one Lord, and the one baptism is a profession of the one faith in the one Lord."

On Abraham’s seed:

“As to the seed of Abraham we may learn much from Paul, who says, ‘Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.’ The apostle under inspiration seized hold of the important fact that the seed of Abraham is Christ, in whom all nations are blessed. Thus the promised Saviour was known to Abraham, of whom Jesus said to the Jews, ‘Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad.’"

Innie or Outie?

Is your church an “innie” or an “outie”? Does it focus inward or outward? My wife made this observation the other day, and I thought it was pretty profound. (I try to get her to write on this blog but she never wants to). Anyway, we were researching local churches on the internet and she said, “You know, this church seems like it’s focused more inward and not outward.” Their website was full of all the activities they offer if you join their “family” but had nothing about their beliefs, their mission or their local outreach.

I had never really looked at churches from that perspective before. Or maybe I had but just couldn’t quite put it into words. But she articulated it in a simple way that summed up some of the vague feelings I’ve been having about church.

The “innies” are more common than the “outies.” The “outies” focus their attention on the Great Commission: they evangelize, they publish, they broadcast, they teach, they give. One church we’ve been visiting (which I’m not 100% on board with yet) is—I must admit--an “outie.” They just had a food drive for the poor, they started a prison visitation ministry, they witness to their neighbors, they give their members doctrinal insight to be effective ambassadors for Christ. Even though they’re small in number, they’re more focused outward.

Who knows, maybe they’ll become more focused inward when they get bigger. Maybe that’s the fate of large churches: too busy trying to keep the members happy to fulfill the Great Commission.

“Innie” churches aim to please. They promote shiny things for those inside. Once you join, they usually don’t ask you to participate in spreading the gospel or push you too deeply into the Word of God. They might write feel-good checks to foreign missionaries in exotic places, but don’t do much for the harvest in their own town. Instead, they make their church the evangelical equivalent of a “Chuck E. Cheese” party, and it’s a great distraction so long as you’re busy busy busy within the church compound. They want you happy. They want you comfortable.

For the record, I’m not comfortable reaching out. I’m a terrible public speaker, would dread “cold-calling” someone about the gospel, and have no desire to be a “mini-pastor.” So it’s tempting for me to become just a spectator in an “innie” church. But God gives us all a few gifts and a few decades to use them. Some are orators. Some write. Some make music. Some build. Some cook. Some research. Some sew. Some teach.

Is your church using the gifts of its members to reach out and advance the Kingdom? Or is it focused on keeping everyone entertained so that the “professional Christians” in the “church family” can justify their salaries? Is it an “innie” our an “outie”?

If that’s got you thinking…thank my wife.

On Education

"The purpose of education is not happiness; it is not social integration. Its purpose is at once the discipline of the mind for the vocations of life and the cultivation of the mind for its own sake. These ends are to be achieved through the mastery of fundamental subjects which cluster around language and number, the two chief instruments by which man knows himself and understands his relation to the world."

Allen Tate, American author

Goodbye To All That

Leaving a fundamentalist church is like escaping an abusive relationship. You try to justify it while you’re in it, and you don’t realize how bad it is till you’re out of it.

Christian fundamentalism started out with good intentions. A hundred years ago many liberal theologians (mostly out of Europe) were openly challenging the basic tenets of Christian orthodoxy. Many of their teachings were heretical. A group of conservative Christians, therefore, decided to outline and define themselves by “the fundamentals”: basic teachings to which all true Christians must subscribe in order to call themselves Christians. These included the deity of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, salvation by grace, and the inerrancy of Scripture. So far, so good.

But like so many well-meaning movements in history, Christian fundamentalism was hijacked by men who lost sight of the movement’s raison d’etre. They began adding things to the list of “fundamentals.” Four or five bedrock principles suddenly became hundreds of new laws—most of which weren’t even found in Scripture. Like the Pharisees before them, they added countless letters to the law, but rejected the spirit of it.

Before long, people were judged not by their metaphysical relationship with Christ, but by their external conformity to these man-made laws. In fundamentalism, one’s righteousness can easily be determined by eyesight. For example, if you wear sandals and a long beard and don’t shower regularly, your salvation is questionable at best.

See any problems with that? I do. It describes John the Baptist, one of the most righteous and faithful men in history.

Fundamentalists tend to attack the appearance of sin rather than sin itself. Rather than addressing the problem of addiction, for example, they find it easier to shun those whose appearance might suggest a proclivity toward substance abuse. To attack the root sin itself would require an aggressive engagement with the outside world—something fundamentalists could never tolerate. You see, rubbing elbows with those who appear to be sinners condemns you to the appearance of sin, as well. They would wince at Christ talking to prostitutes, adulterers, lunatics and thieves. Their man-made laws force them into a monastic existence and they often create “safe zones” for themselves within their own networks from cradle to grave.

These are some actual “laws” we have been taught in fundamentalist churches:

--A man’s hair should not touch his ears or his collar.
--A woman should not wear short hair because prostitutes in Bible times wore short hair. (Never mind that most prostitutes today have long hair).

--Facial hair is unrighteous. (Ooh--even our Savior doesn't make the cut).
--Women should not wear pants. (No word yet on whether men can wear skirts as they did in Bible times).
--A woman should not wear any top that creates a “shadow” (cleavage) in the center of her chest. (Never mind that some women could wear turtleneck alpaca sweaters and by heredity or obesity still have a “shadow”).
--Hollow-bodied guitars may be played in church, but solid-bodied guitars may not.
--Any music with a drumbeat is ungodly. (The actual lyrics are less relevant).

You get the point. None of these “laws” are found in Scripture. Like the Pharisees, they are “teaching for doctrine the commandments of men” (Matt. 15: 9).

This pastor has an excellent series renouncing modern fundamentalism. I would encourage you to read it. He is a graduate of Bob Jones University—the bastion of Pharisaical fundamentalism--but he saw the light and escaped "the Matrix," as he calls it. All of the above “laws,” incidentally, were taught to us by Bob Jones graduates.

Paul said, “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (I Cor. 6: 12). If Christians can keep their eyes on Christ rather than men, they can steer their consciences through all the minutiae of “doubtful things” and not succumb to any fundamentalist checklist of righteousness.

D-Day

June 6th is the anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion that led to the liberation of Europe.

Eisenhower ended his pre-invasion speech to the Allied Expeditionary Force with: “Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.”

In the end the atheistic Nazi regime fell and, shortly thereafter, the Shinto empire of Japan fell. God uses even catastrophes and wars to advance His will and create opportunities for His kingdom to grow. I’ve always thought it would be interesting to study human history in light of the growth of God’s kingdom. For example, would there be as many Bible-believing churches in Japan today if Pearl Harbor never happened? Maybe someone will write a history series from that perspective one day. How did God use Charlemagne, or the printing press, or the African slave trade to advance His kingdom?

Here’s our 9-year-old’s version of D-Day. It was his history project last week.

Verse of the month

“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

2 Corinthians 12: 7-10

Faith Cometh By Hearing

Fifty years ago if you wanted to hear a sermon from a specific preacher in California, you had to drive to California to hear him. Twenty years ago you might have been able to mail order an audio cassette from the speaker (if you knew what to order or who to write)--but the whole process would take several weeks. Now you can click a few buttons and hear a sermon that was preached yesterday in Ireland or Oregon or South Africa. You can type in a keyword and find every sermon on a particular topic. And all for free.

A site we frequent that makes this possible is SermonAudio. There are several others, as well. When we were getting frustrated with the anemic sermons at a previous church, we’d go to SermonAudio and listen to various messages from across the country on whatever topic our family was studying at the time. When we go on road trips now we sometimes download a couple good studies to our iPod to help pass the time.

This past month Hallmark Baptist Church—an independent, postmillennial church in South Carolina (where several of our friends and relatives serve)--started adding some of their sermons to SermonAudio. You can download them here.

These are some other good studies we’ve enjoyed that relate to some of the topics of this blog:

Baptists in Pre-Reformation Times--Royce Smith
Why I'm Not a Protestant (especially parts 1 and 7)--Jeff Arthur
B. H. Carroll's Life--Michael Phillips
The New Testament Church--Marty Tate
The Entertainment Syndrome and the Modern Church--Stephen Hamilton
The Biblical Case For Postmillennialism--John Otis
Prophecy: Invitation to Hope--Ken Gentry
Family-Integrated Churches--Kevin Swanson/Doug Phillips
Homeschooling: A Burgeoning Movement—Kevin Swanson

And here's an interesting article from last week about the hunger for online sermons.

So if you’re finding Sean Hannity a little repetitive on the drive home from work, take advantage of this free resource and download whatever topics interest you.