South Rim Of The Grand Canyon
In 1933 I stood near the South rim of the Grand Canyon — one man actually sat on the rim. No one fell into the Canyon, but I was safer than the man on the rim. I was safer some distance back. If the man on the rim was safe, I was safer (a few weeks ago a man fell into the canyon). Some preachers in the church want to get just as close to sectarianism as possible, in order to enjoy all its glamour, drama, societies and entertainment, and yet not fall in — but some do fall in. They want to get just as near as possible — so near no one can see the difference, except the absence of a fiddle, horn or piano. In fact they have about quit preaching against anything sectarian or denominational. You cannot tell they are against instrumental music in the worship by their preaching. They are so scared to death some one will think them anti that they are afraid to preach against anything. They have learned the philosophy dished out in schools of higher learning (above the New Testament) till all their preaching if for something — they are against nothing.
The man who heard the preacher preach on the subject of sin said that he believed the preacher was "agin" it — but you cannot tell today. Preachers are so busy contending for institutionalism and means of entertaining their flock with coffee, tea, and hash in the basement, till the hash (verbal — and sometimes it seems the basement hash is better) has entered the pulpit, and till a new generation (fed on pulpit and basement hash) has grown up (and "joined" the Church of Christ) who never heard their "pastor" make a plea for simple New Testament worship, or the simplicity of the gospel, or the simplicity of the New Testament church. They have been so busy contending for institutionalism, forcing it down the throats of Gods people, to the disruption and dividing of the church, till they have no time to point out the danger of the RIM (of Romanism), "Shun the very appearance of evil".