To the Editor of Help and Food :-
In March No. of Help & Food, pages 68, 69, B. C. G., speaking of fellowship at the Lord's table, says :" Fellowship means two together. One comes to what he believes to be of God ; both he and those receiving him need to be satisfied that it is a scriptural fellowship ; " and to the inquiry, " What testimony would you require for this ? " the answer is given, " Reception is admitting one to all the privileges of fellowship. There should be no haste, therefore, no forcing in of anyone. Let each case be dealt with on its own merits.'"
The neglect of this godly precaution has been fruitful in bringing many into our fellowship who little realize the holiness of the place and the serious responsibilities connected with it. It has been an injury to many dear young people, and damaging to the testimony in many of our assemblies. The Lord grant that, judging ourselves in respect to the past, we may in future keep in view the Lord's glory, and be governed by His divine principles.
In 1 Cor. 14 :40 we are exhorted to " Let all things be done decently and in order." Now as we all profess to believe that baptism is a mark of discipleship, would you say it is " in order " that Christians are received into fellowship without reference as to whether they ever were baptized ? The fact is that this practice has obtained among us, and in many gatherings there are those who never have been baptized. Allowing for lawful circumstances that may stand in the way (as in the case of those residing in country districts where there are no conveniences for carrying out the rite, and persons are compelled to wait until the summer months), is this to be neglected ? ALBERT N. DUNNING.
That there has been sometimes a lack of care in receiving at the Lord's table among us, especially of children of Christian parents, has been noted by some, and attention called to it. See Help & Food, 1921, pages 283, 4; 138; and as to household conduct, pages 225, 6; 281-3, &100:, &100:The latter part of our correspondent's letter, however, will astonish not a few. We suppose the brother speaks from personal knowledge, not mere hearsay, in saying that " a practice has obtained among us " of receiving into fellowship " without reference as to whether they ever were baptized." There may have been lack of care in this, as in the other, but " a practice " of omitting or neglecting this ordinance of the Lord is not in our knowledge.-[Ed.
Editor of Help and Food :-
… I am not able to do justice to the subject on my mind, if I should attempt to write upon it ; but I should be glad if someone more able should point out the danger we run in these days in allowing the newspapers and other secular reading to intrude upon, if not exclude, the season for daily prayer and meditation by a multitude who profess to belong to the Lord. We must expect a race, not of giants, but of dwarfs to arise from the reading of the bulk of what comes from the press to-day. The industry of ingenious, romantic minds is remarkable in flooding the world with their compositions ; yet, after all, it is the sober Christian mind that makes for the real welfare of mankind. That which relates to God, warms and expands the human heart ; while the other generally contracts it to its own narrow sphere in self-gratification and mere occupation with others like ourselves. My objection is not to a general knowledge of the events taking place in the world, and published in a "clean" newspaper, but to the mass of enticing stories in which, especially for the young, lies the danger. R. B.
The writer of the above does not seem to lack ability, as he thinks he does, to express the dangers that he sees in the flood of reading matter_ daily cast upon the world for reading. Something practical and definite in this line will be welcome from any able for this.-[Ed.