Acting in Fellowship in Matters of Discipline [Booklet]

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Excerpt:

When a local assembly acts, it will do so, if it acts rightly, as in the presence of God, by the authority of the Lord, and being guided by the Holy Ghost. If it does so act we may justly assume two things: first, that there has been subjection to the Word of God for the formation of the decision upon which the character of the action is taken; secondly, that the consciences of the individuals forming the assembly have been in direct contact with and have been governed by the Word of God as to the matter in question. The act of the assembly thus wrought will be that of one mind, and will be done in fellowship.

In an assembly gathered to the name of the Lord, which is being frequently enlarged by the accession of fresh units, it is obviously all-important that the Word of God should be referred to when a given action is necessary; or, at all events, that the consciences of the fresh corners should be drawn out in exercise by the Word of God, lest they, ignorant of the Scriptures concerning the question which is before the assembly, should take part in and be bound by an action which, though right in itself, does not command their consciences as that which God has bidden should be done. If this care be not constantly exercised, the result will be-supposing years to roll on-that in some units of the assembly a spirit of following a leader or a majority will ensue, and thus that in a certain number of the individuals composing the assembly practical subjection of conscience, as relating to assembly action, will be imperiled. And when such a state of things occurs in a given assembly, on a wide scale, the rule of leaders, and not acting in fellowship, will surely result; and the very ground of the assembly, as gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, will be endangered. It will not be practically gathering to the name of the Lord, and seeking the guidance of the Spirit, in relation to the point before the assembly, and, in consequence, saints acting as one, but it will be practically the authority of A or B, and the guidance of this or that brother. In a word, it will be man, not God.

The judgment of the leader or of the majority may be right, but more is requisite than that the right thing should be done. It is of moral importance that the conscience of each individual of the assembly should have the sense of responsibility to God, and that all should act together as in the sight of God. When, either from ignorance or inertness, the units of an assembly take to following a leader or to falling in with the majority, there is a very great weakening, if not a giving up, in their souls of the principle of the individual responsibility of each saint towards God, and also of the reality of the presence of the Holy Ghost in an assembly. They are merely accepting a state of things which pertains to their assembly, and are not acting as led by the Spirit. Also, though the action be passed, as we may say, by the whole assembly, and thus outwardly all be smooth, and though the action be right in itself, still there is spiritual decay as to fellowship and subjection to God.