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Experimental Religion
by Gilbert Beebe
Signs of the Times - November 1, 1845
The following article written by
Gilbert Beebe over 150 years has much to say to the professing child of God in
these days. There is much professed Christianity today that lacks "the
power thereof." Although we are not in full agreement with our dear
brother regarding all our Protestant brethren, we do believe there are many
that would fall into the catagory he describes; but we do humbly acknowledge
that it is not the case with all that call themselves Protestants. We say this
for the sake of those brethren that will read this article. We will let the
Judge of universe make that assessment in the conscience of the reader as to
where he or she stands for "to his own master and servant standeth or
falls."
There are many kinds of religion in the world. The apostle Paul speaks of
having been brought up after the manner of the Jews' religion and the Jews'
religion, although it acknowledges a God, and the authenticity of the scriptures
of the Old Testament, differed as widely from the Christian religion as enjoyed
by the regenerated sons of God as spiritually worship differs from carnal
ordinances. The religion of the Jews could never fit its possessors for the
enjoyment of spiritual things here, nor for the songs of the redeemed in the
ultimate state of their glory.
The Pagans, also, were a religious people; extremely devotional and
zealous, but knew not the author of their existence as God. They worshipped and
still do worship a variety of gods. Mahometans {Moslems]are religious, and
their alcoran [Koran] is by them regarded as an infallible and sacred oracle.
Catholics and Protestants of numerous sects claim to be Christians, profess the
Christian religion, and some of them are remarkably zealous in making converts
to their religion; compassing sea and land, employing thousands of agents, and
expending millions of money in spreading their religion; but all these are
essentially different from the primitive disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And although the Catholics and the Protestants will not like to be classed with
Jews, Pagans, and Mahometans, a careful investigation of their several claims
will show them to be equally distant front the kingdom of Christ. The religion
of the, Jews was taught as a science; the religion of the Pagans was taught as
a science ; the religion of Mahomet was taught as a science; so is that of the
Catholics and Protestants, as also the preparation of their priests and
ministers, together with the religious instruction of their children. All are
ready on every occasion when opportunity serves them to establish their
religion by law, and to enforce it with the edge of the sword. The regenerating
power of the Holy Ghost is by none of them considered an indispensable
prerequisite to their religion. Jews, Pagans and Mahometans -pretend to no such
qualification; Catholics and Protestants profess to believe regeneration to be
necessary, but hold it to be, a work which can be performed through the
instrumentality of men and means. The Pope is considered competent to forgive
sins and the Episcopalian priest or bishop to absolve and confirm sinners;
Paedo-Baptists generally, as well as Campbellites, hold what they administer
for baptism to be equivalent to regeneration or a rite by which unregenerated
children are put into the covenant of grace; that all who are in the covenant
are saved, and all out of it are lost. Ariminian Baptists, or more properly ,
baptized Ariminians, differ in no very essential points from their Protestant
and Catholic brethren, except in name and spirit of competition. Like all other
false religionists, they can teach their religion as a science, and make
converts by the power of what they call moral suasion; the same kind of
instruments used by the others in the propagation of their religion is also
used by them. And all, Jew, Pagan, Mahomentan, Catholic, Protestant, and
Baptized Arminian, hate and despise, and dispute the doctrine of salvation by
sovereign discriminating grace alone.
All false religion must agree in the particulars noticed above, for if
regeneration were a prerequisite to knowledge of false religion, as it is to a
knowledge of experimental religion, false religion could not be propagated, for
the Holy Spirit will not qualify men for the reception or practice of false
religion. But experimental religion cannot be taught or learned as the
sciences, or as every description of religion can. "Except a man be born
again he cannot see the kingdom of God." "The natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither
can he know them because they are spiritually discerned."
The religion of Jesus is not a science; but purely a revelation. Flesh
and blood did not reveal it to Peter. Paul knew nothing of it but by
revelation. "When it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb,
and called me by his grace to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him
among the heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood." God
has hidden these things effectually from the wise and prudent, and revealed
them unto babes. It is indeed a distinguishing provision for the New Testament
saints that they shall no more teach every man his neighbor and every man his
brother to know the Lord. The knowledge of Lord is eternal life. " For
this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus
Christ whom thou hast sent.", Men may with quite as much propriety
undertake to give eternal life to dead sinners, as to give them a knowledge of
the true God, and of Jesus Christ; for the one equivalent to the other.
But experimental religion is not only radically dissimilar to all other
kinds of religion, but there is also a wide difference between the practice
dictated by pure religion, and the experience of that pure religion. Men may
have the form of godliness while they know not the experience of its vital
power in their hearts; but no man can possess the experience of godliness in
his heart without its producing an effect upon his deportment. The difference
between true and false religion is known by their respective fruits. Those who
possess the experimental power of religion in their hearts, work from life
already possessed, while all others work in anticipation of life expected. Such
as are born of God desire and pray that the they may be reconciled to God; all
others desire and pray that God may be reconciled to them. God's people are
exercised by faith; all others profess to exercise faith. Experimental Christians
love God, love his truth, love his service, and desire with their whole hearts
to live in obedience to all the precepts of their spiritual King; but others
sometimes have been heard to say, if they believed that their eternal destiny
was unalterably settled in the purpose and decree of God, they would take a
fill of sin.
On the whole, a religious education, a constrained, or even voluntary
form of godliness may exist where there is no vital relationship to God; where
the power and experience of the religion of God is unknown; and what an awful
state must that be, where the form of godliness is possessed and the power
thereof is denied.
Before we close these remarks, we will observe for the encouragement of
some of the trembling lambs of the Redeemer's flock, that the experience of
vital religion in the heart is not always attended with an unfaltering and
clear evidence of such is the case. We have thought there are no people on
earth so exceedingly jealous of the evidences, of their own personal interest in
the religion of Jesus, as the children of God are. The reason is obvious; they
both see and feel the corruptions of their own natures. Grace has made them
sensitive and that which would occasion no pain to a hypocrite, is felt and
mourned by an heir of heaven. None can know the experience of vital religion,
who do not feel the opposing corruptions of their fleshly nature.
This number of the Signs[of the Times] may reach the eye of some one of
those tried, afflicted, tempted, doubting, and tempest-tossed children of God,
who feels almost ready to conclude all former exercises are but delusion. Such
a tried, sighing soul may reason thus: If a child of God, why so dull, so
stupid so barren and unfruitful? Why so tempted, perplexed, and doubtful? Or
why so little of the spirit of grace and of supplication? Why hungering and
thirsting for righteousness, never able to see myself as I would wish to be?
Poor soul all this is Christian experience. No Christian escapes these trials
of their faith. No graceless hypocrite ever experienced these trials.
Therefore, "Count it not strange, as though some strange thing had
happened unto you." The trial of your faith is more precious than the
trial of gold which perisheth. Therefore count it all joy when you fall into
divers temptations for:
Your God shall make the tempter flee,
For as thy days thy strength shall be."
Please direct your comments to Mike Krall.
