Landmarkism and the Baptists of Philadelphia

Mark Osgatharp · Dec 11, 2005

Squire Robertson,

Here is an incident you might find interesting as it relates to the principles of Landmarkism and the Baptists of the north. It is found in appendix C of J.R. Graves book "Old Landmarkism." Graves relates the following:

Bro. E. L Magoon invited a Swedenborgian preacher to occupy his pulpit, and in consequence the following was offered in the Baptist Ministers’ Conference in Philadelphia:

"Whereas, The public mind has been charged with knowledge of the fact that the pulpit of a Baptist Church of this city, has, by invitation and acceptance, been made the vehicle of publishing grievous and dangerous error; and,

"Whereas. The silence of a representative body of Baptist ministers may be construed as an enactment of such proceedings and utterances; therefore,

"Resolved, That while we rightfully continue to disclaim any assumption of ecclesiastical authority, yet we feel called upon to express public dissent from proceedings thus publicly announced, and that, as a conference, we hereby enter upon record our fraternal protest against employing the appointments of any Baptist meeting-house to aid in disseminating opinions that we, as Baptists, believe are contrary to the teaching of the Word of God."

Bros. Wayland and Cathcart opposed the resolution as unnecessary, but Brother J.M. Pendleton and others favored it. After some discussion it was adopted. It would seem that there is some Landmarkism even in Philadelphia. What will those do now who condemned the protest of the St. Louis pastors? We are pleased to see the pastors of Philadelphia so sound.—Texas Baptist Herald..

I unite with the Herald in an expression of my gratification at this evidence of the soundness of the Philadelphia Baptist pastors. I am not surprised at the opposition of Bro. Wayland to the resolutions, but I am at Bro. Cathcart’s; because I know him to he a consistent and uncompromising Baptist, and the course of Bro. Magoon is fundamentally unbaptistic, inconsistent, and unscriptural.
Click to expand...

This is one of those cases where the battle was won but the war was lost. For it is now a historical, and present, reality that the floods of infidelism swept the Baptists of Philadelphia and the north like a Tsunami. Within a few decades after Pendleton and Graves were dead, the old Northern Baptist establishment was pushing out those who refused to sit in harmony with apostates and infidels and Magoon got his revenge.

When Graves put that little appendix in his book, I'm positive he never in his wildest dreames imagined that within a century of it's publication the Baptists of old Philadelphia would have long since quiting debating the propriety of pulpit affiliation and would be debating the propriety of same gender sexual relationships.

Mark Osgatharp

Squire Robertsson · Dec 11, 2005

Ahh, but Mark, we started leaving Dodge seventy to eighty years ago. My lineal spiritual kinfolk got out of Dodge back in '47. So, don't put anything the ABC or its ilk does on our shoulders.

And I dare say from reading Wayland, he based his opposition on his stands on the autonomy of the local church and the inablity of a local church to be represented. I would also like to know when this controversy took place.

Landmarkism and the Baptists of Philadelphia

Mark Osgatharp New Member

Squire Robertsson Administrator
Administrator

Useful Searches

Landmarkism and the Baptists of Philadelphia

Mark Osgatharp New Member

Squire Robertsson Administrator Administrator

Squire Robertsson Administrator
Administrator