FAULT-FINDING, without a just cause, is a vice that deserves condemnation. It arises from a censorious spirit that is not actuated by love of the truth. The type of person given to such fault-finding is generally a person of belligerent tendencies quite unconcerned whether he is contending for the cause of righteousness or not. War is in his heart and he is out to do battle on every occasion. But there is a fault-finding, though this may not be the most appropriate term for it, which is free from the vices of the former. This legitimate fault-finding is often confused with the spurious kind by men unaccustomed to distinguish things that differ. It is important to bear in mind in this connection that the world has a vocabulary of its own distinct from the vocabulary of the true Church of Christ. True zeal for the truth is often termed bigotry; wisdom and caution in divine things is described as craftiness or cowardice; contending earnestly for the faith is regarded as evidence of a belligerent disposition. The charity that rejoices not in iniquity is termed censoriousness; while peace at any price is a virtue and condemnation of error and inconsistent practices is a misdemeanour of the first order not to be tolerated among Christian men. There are some, otherwise estimable men, who, unfortunately, for themselves, seem to be more conversant with the vocabulary of the world, judging by the use they make of it, than they are with the vocabulary of the Church. They remind us of the children of the mixed Moabite and Jewish marriages in the time of Nehemiah (Neh. xiii. 23) who could not speak in “the Jews’ language but according to the language of each people.” This confused mental outlook and failure to distinguish things that differ has led some to coin new phrases, such as “the religion of fault-finding,” which are meant to be a kind of knock-out blow to those who differ from them in their religious or ecclesiastical attitude. Generally speaking those who adopt this attitude are ecclesiastical or religious pacifists—they are peace-at-any-price men and the only time one sees them really roused is when they are condemning those who are contending for the truth. There is no bigotry so fierce and relentless in its condemnation as the bigotry of the so-called liberal minded. The intensity with which the fires burn when denouncing those contending for the truth is almost incredible.
Let us turn to the Scriptures and begin with the words of the Master as recorded in the Gospels, as He takes His fan in His hand and begins the work of purging His floor. Let us listen to some of His sayings: “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you” (Matt. vii. 6). “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matt. vii. 15). “Then began He to upbraid the cities wherein most of His mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes, etc.” (Matt. xi. 20-24). “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things!” (Matt. xii. 34). “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign” (Matt. xii. 39). “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you” (Matt. xv. 7). “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Saducees” (Matt. xvi. 6). “Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offence unto me” (Matt. xvi. 23). Mark you, this was after Peter had made his great confession (Matt. xvi. 16) which received the divine approval of His Master (Matt. xvi. 17). In Matt xviii. the Lord rebuked the Disciples for their self-seeking. “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell” (Matt. xxiii. 13-33). Read the whole of the terrible indictment from verse 13 to 33. “Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the market places, etc.” (Mark xii. 38, 39). “But He turned and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of” (Luke ix. 54). “Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers” (Luke xi. 46). “Go ye and tell that fox [Herod], Behold I cast out devils, and I do cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected” (Luke xiii. 32). “It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come. It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones” (Luke xvii. 2). “O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken” (Luke xxiv. 25). “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled” (John vi. 26). “Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup that my Father hath given me shall I not drink it” (John xviii. 11). These are some of the instances in which the Lord found fault with men and companies of men and who will have the daring hardihood to challenge Him in His divine fault-finding? When we turn to the Book of Revelation and read the messages of the Lord Jesus to the Churches—to Ephesus, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, and to Laodicea, do we find no fault finding with these Churches for their doctrine and practice. It may be said, of course, that this line of argument is taking unfair advantage inasmuch as our Lord did not err in his judgment. But the point under discussion is not the rightness or wrongness of the judgment passed in fault-finding but the wholesale condemnation of it as an ecclesiastical vice that is not to be tolerated.
When we come to the inspired Apostles of the Lord did they remain silent when professing Christians erred in doctrine or went astray in practice? Read the Epistles to the Corinthians, to the Galatians, to the Philippians, to the Colossians, to the Thessalonians and the Epistles of James, Peter and John and is there no fault-finding there with error and practice that is not according to the divine rule? Let any one who doubts our contention sit down and read these epistles. How faithful and touching are the words of Paul to the elders [ministers] of Ephesus: “For I know this that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also, of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore, watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears” (Acts xx. 29-30).
Coming to later ages when some of the great doctrines of the faith were imperilled by false teaching were the great defenders of the faith guilty of a breach of Christian conduct when they unsparingly denounced the heretics. When Athanasius wrestled with the Arian heresy and Augustine with the Pelagian were they guilty of conduct that was unbecoming Christian men? When Luther, Calvin, and Knox entered the lists, against the soul destroying errors of Rome were they to be condemned for their exposure of these errors. During the Ten Years’ Struggle when the Evangelical Party in the Church of Scotland witnessed for the kingly rights of the Lord Jesus and went forth to bear witness on His side were they guilty of unbecoming conduct when they unsparingly denounced the ruinous ecclesiastical policy of the Moderates which ultimately split the Church of Scotland in two? And were Rev. D. Macfarlane and Rev. D. Macdonald guilty of unbecoming conduct and shall we brand them as fault-finders (in the bad sense)) because they denounced the dishonour done to God’s Word and its doctrines in the Church they left in 1893. Surely not. There is, no doubt, a time for silence and it requires more than natural wisdom to know when that time is but it should never be forgotten on the other hand, that there are times when silence is undoubtedly betrayal of Christ’s cause.
The worldly think little of God’s people, but they expect much: they would be surprised to see any of you who attend this chapel at the races. How they would talk about it!—William Tiptaft.