CHRISTIANS, WHEN IS IT TIME TO LEAVE YOUR CHURCH?
John Howie, a most learned biographer, historian, and authority on the Protestant Reformation, particularly in Scotland, and a lover of the faith once delivered unto the saints, gives us the answer below.
He further tells us where we should go to church, when, in honoring God, His written Word, and our God-given consciences, we are compelled to flee from a church or falsely-termed christian ministry that has denied its founder and head, Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:22, Col. 1:18), and is rather continuing to tread the blood of God's Son under its feet without shame or repentance, regardless of Scripture, and despite unto the Spirit of grace.
John Howie, from his famous book, “Scots Worthies”:
“When a man is convinced that the church of which he is a member has made a most lamentable declension, – that her doctrines are not only dangerous but damnable, – that not only her profession but her practice is unscriptural, – that she is not only deluded herself, but tries to delude others, – AND WHEN HE SEES THAT SHE OBSTINATELY SETS HER FACE, AS IT WERE, AGAINST ALL REFORMATION, AND NOT ONLY MAINTAINS BUT EXULTS IN HER ERRORS, IT IS HIS DUTY AS A MAN, A CHRISTIAN, A PROFESSOR OF THE TRUTH, A LOVER OF HIS OWN SOUL AND THE SOULS OF OTHERS, TO SEPARATE FROM SUCH A CORRUPT SOCIETY, AND NOT TO GIVE PLACE BY SUBJECTION, NO, NOT FOR AN HOUR, LEST THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST BECOMES A REPROACH TO THE SCORNER. It is every man’s duty to examine for himself the standards and doctrines of every christian society, and to unite himself to that which he conceives the most scriptural, and the purest in doctrine and discipline; but it is not his duty to remain in a society which can be proved to have departed from its original practice, and, above all, from the great authority of the church, the scriptures of truth, more especially if he sees men in that society, who, deaf to every expostulation [reasoning in opposition to one's conduct], ever and anon [immediately] vindicate and defend its errors, and attempt to gloss them over and reconcile them by sophistical [plausible but misleading] reasonings; and when he also well knows, that all his own attempts at reformation will be unavailing, and treated with ridicule or severity. And more especially is it his duty to separate from a corrupt christian society, when he beholds it not only determined to support its errors, but actually employing the civil powers, to punish, by the heaviest penalties, those who take the sacred and birth-right liberty of thinking for themselves.”
Relevant Scripture:
Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
(Matthew 15:12-14)
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
(2 Corinthians 6:14-18)
“If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.”
(1 Timothy 6:3-5)
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.”
(2 Timothy 3:1-9)
“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.”
(2 John 1:9-13)
“And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. AND I HEARD ANOTHER VOICE FROM HEAVEN, SAYING, COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE, THAT YE BE NOT PARTAKERS OF HER SINS, AND THAT YE RECEIVE NOT OF HER PLAGUES. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.”
(Revelation 18:1-5)
He further tells us where we should go to church, when, in honoring God, His written Word, and our God-given consciences, we are compelled to flee from a church or falsely-termed christian ministry that has denied its founder and head, Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:22, Col. 1:18), and is rather continuing to tread the blood of God's Son under its feet without shame or repentance, regardless of Scripture, and despite unto the Spirit of grace.
John Howie, from his famous book, “Scots Worthies”:
“When a man is convinced that the church of which he is a member has made a most lamentable declension, – that her doctrines are not only dangerous but damnable, – that not only her profession but her practice is unscriptural, – that she is not only deluded herself, but tries to delude others, – AND WHEN HE SEES THAT SHE OBSTINATELY SETS HER FACE, AS IT WERE, AGAINST ALL REFORMATION, AND NOT ONLY MAINTAINS BUT EXULTS IN HER ERRORS, IT IS HIS DUTY AS A MAN, A CHRISTIAN, A PROFESSOR OF THE TRUTH, A LOVER OF HIS OWN SOUL AND THE SOULS OF OTHERS, TO SEPARATE FROM SUCH A CORRUPT SOCIETY, AND NOT TO GIVE PLACE BY SUBJECTION, NO, NOT FOR AN HOUR, LEST THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST BECOMES A REPROACH TO THE SCORNER. It is every man’s duty to examine for himself the standards and doctrines of every christian society, and to unite himself to that which he conceives the most scriptural, and the purest in doctrine and discipline; but it is not his duty to remain in a society which can be proved to have departed from its original practice, and, above all, from the great authority of the church, the scriptures of truth, more especially if he sees men in that society, who, deaf to every expostulation [reasoning in opposition to one's conduct], ever and anon [immediately] vindicate and defend its errors, and attempt to gloss them over and reconcile them by sophistical [plausible but misleading] reasonings; and when he also well knows, that all his own attempts at reformation will be unavailing, and treated with ridicule or severity. And more especially is it his duty to separate from a corrupt christian society, when he beholds it not only determined to support its errors, but actually employing the civil powers, to punish, by the heaviest penalties, those who take the sacred and birth-right liberty of thinking for themselves.”
Relevant Scripture:
Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
(Matthew 15:12-14)
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
(2 Corinthians 6:14-18)
“If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.”
(1 Timothy 6:3-5)
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.”
(2 Timothy 3:1-9)
“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.”
(2 John 1:9-13)
“And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. AND I HEARD ANOTHER VOICE FROM HEAVEN, SAYING, COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE, THAT YE BE NOT PARTAKERS OF HER SINS, AND THAT YE RECEIVE NOT OF HER PLAGUES. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.”
(Revelation 18:1-5)