"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." Romans xvi. 17,18.

To our mind it is very evident from this language of the apostle that the things which bring divisions and offenses in the church are such things that are not taught in the Book of Inspiration.  What men have learned from some other source than God's Book are the things that bring divisions in the Church of God. If there is division and discord in the church any place, and you wish to know, for certain, who is responsible for such trouble and division, just find out, for certain, who is, or has been, advocating the thing that the trouble is over, and then you will have the person who is responsible for the trouble.

Nearly all, if not all, the troubles in the Old Baptist Church are started by some of the preachers.  The preachers are responsible for the troubles being started. Then the churches are responsible for the troubles not being stopped.  When some preacher starts up some-thing contrary to that which you have learned in the Book, or which is not taught in the Book, you may be assured that trouble will result soon, if that preacher is not stopped. Such preachers should be stopped by the church. And there is much more danger that the church will be too slow about stopping the preacher than there is that they will be in too much of a hurry.  Such a preacher should be admonished at once, as soon as he begins advocating something not found in the Book; and if he will not desist at once--right now--right then and there--he should be promptly dealt with. He should be marked right then and there. Put a brand on him. And then when he has been branded, be sure to avoid him. If any will not avoid him, then brand that fellow, too.

Such men as are here described by the inspired apostle do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ. They may claim to be in the service of God, and may tell us that the things they advocate are the very things that would be pleasing to our Lord, and necessary for the church to do and to have in order to stand high in the esteem and estimation of the world, and that they are good things to engage in so as to make the church an inviting place for our children, and so on. But the apostle tells us that such men serve their own belly, and not the Lord. There is some motive in view which they have in bringing in things that the Book does not teach.

Such men can make use of good words all right. They can make fair speeches. They can talk one way to you, when present with you, or when writing to you; and then they can talk another way some other place, or to some other person.  They know how to use deception, all right. They can tell you that they are longing for and hoping for a better union and better understanding among the Lord's people, and then they can tell some other party that it will not do to affiliate with some brother who is orderly and who stands for the traditions which we have been taught in the Word of God. He can write mighty nice to you, and he can give somebody else "hail Columbia" for recognizing you as a Baptist.

What a pity that such men creep in; but they do. "For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts." -2 Tim. iii. 6.  The inspired apostle has warned us about such. It is our duty to be on our guard, and to do as the Saviour has warned--"watch."  May the Lord help us to stay awake and to watch, as well as pray. - C. H. C.