The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1917-07-27
WHY BAPTISTS ARE DIVIDED
AND THE METHODS RESORTED
TO BY OUR OPPOSING BRETH-
rem TO CONTINUE THE DIvIS-
ION.
By R. R. Porter.

By R. R. Porter.
For some time, and very often, the |
writer has been approached by
Christian men, and women, belong
ing to the Baptist church, requesting
him to submit to the public for the
benefit of persons, who are DESTROYS
OF hearing both sdes of the contro-
versy explained. And this request
grows out of the fact, that the ex-
plantations, that our opposing breth-
rem have been giving out to the peo-
pie, will not stand the test of in
vestigation. The people are beginning
to come to themselves, and seek other
sources from which they hope to be
Informed, along the lines of our con-
tentions, and thereby will be in a
position to compare facts. So restless
have some of the leading men among
the Laymen who have been following
the Morris regime, become until they
are making personal efforts to come
in contact with the leaders of our
work, to get the real truth, as to why
the Baptists are so wOefully divided,
from the local church Through the
National Baptist Convention. 1t is a
very, very alarming condition, when
we think how our opposing brethren
Christians, Pastors, Preachers of the
Gospel, have so misrepresented facts,
have so colored the truth have so dis.
guised justice, until there are hun
dreds of good men, and women, hon
est at heart, deep down in their souls,
there is a yearning for right and
right eousness, but because of the
above stated condition, they have been
plunged into error, about which they
honestly know nothing. The methods
of these designing brethren are many,
and wicked. In the first place they
bewdtched the people by telling them
on their arrival from the Chicago
Convention that the Convention split
on the account of the Publishing
Board which of course is falsehood.
They know that the Convention went
apart in the attempt to adopt pro-
gram of which it was to be governed
during said session. When those of
us who are contending for the prin-
ciples Of the Baptist church to DE
maintained, ahd succeeded in educat-
ing the people into the truth of tine
affair. They then iresorted to the
method Of confusing the people, upon
the two interpretations, namely, the
incorporation OF THE National Baptist
Publishing Board, and the National
Baptist Convention. That is to say
they argued to the people that we
were inconsistent, In that, that we
would hold to one incorporation and
fight against the other. And the point
where they confused the people, was,
that they were too mean and wicked
to explain the difference between a
national charter and State Charter,
and the purpose for which they were
gotten out. They wouldn't explain
that the National Baptist Publishing
Board was incorporated, to do a com
mercial business, for the entire de.
nomination, in the absence of the
Conventional assembly. They would
MT tell the people that the National
Baptist Convention was voluntary
Association and that the purpose fol-
which it met, and stood was to listen
and to receive the reports, of the
various boards, of which 1t was their
creator, and to devise plans by which
the work of the Masters kingdom
could be furthered, among the sons
of the earth and to create a more
wholesome sentiment from every
point Of view, THAT Is uplifting, among
the American citizens and to inspire
the race generally. After this the
work.. the object and purpose of the
Convention was accomplished and
therefore did not need to be under
National Charter with seven Bap
fist preachers as dictators, in order
to- do the above mentioned work
They wouldn't tell the people that
the Publishing Board was not Chris
tian assembly, but business insti
tuition, to do business for the Christian
body about which we have been talk
ing. And because of the magnitude
of the business that 1t was called
on to do for the entire denomination
1t was necessary that such an instf
tuition should be protected by THE
laws of the State In which it carried
on dts business. They wouldn't tel
You that the National Baptist Pub
fishing Board was not denomination
that the Board does not consist Of
Pastors and Messengers sent UP by
the expressed will of the several Bap
fist churches, throughout the Country
To extend greetings, exchange ideas
and to mutually agree upon plans
that they thought best for the furth
ering of the work, they wouldn't tel
the people that the Incorporating Of
the National Baptist Publishing Boart
was to protect the nine Trustees, who
holds in TRUST the property and be
longings, of the entire denomination
and that the incorporation of this
Board, to do business, does not In
fringe upon a single principle thai
affects the eternal life of the Bap
tist church DIT does not change ont
single tenet, it is business propo
sition pure and simple, but our breth