SINS, GREATER AND LESSER, C. H. Cayce Yes, there are some crimes worse than others. There are some wrongs which the church can bear with. If there were not, then none of us could be borne with, and the church would have no members, for we all do wrong. But there are some wrongs which the church cannot bear with without becoming a transgressor herself. The church cannot afford to bear with drunkenness. She is commanded not to do so. She cannot afford to retain a fornicator. If the church retains and fellowships such characters, the judgments of God will be visited upon her. ‘But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.” “Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. “–1 Cor. 5:11,13. No body of persons claiming to be the church of Christ can retain in her fellowship persons who engage in such practices as these without living in open rebellion to the King and Lawgiver in Zion. And as certain as they do so, just that certain will they, sooner or later, suffer the vengeance of His wrath. The guilty shall not go unpunished. On the other hand, we all have our faults and failings, and are commanded and required to bear with each other’s imperfections, shortcomings, and mistakes; to watch over each other for good, and not for evil. We are commanded to “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of [pg 51] peace.” If Brother B or Brother R sets the standard, and all must come to that, and all must see just as Brother B or Brother R thinks, then Brother B or Brother R fail to “forbear in love.” Such a spirit is dangerous and destructive to the welfare and peace of the church of God. We are sorry it is so, but must confess that we have seen such a spirit manifested. Is it akin to the spirit of Judas? Our readers may answer for themselves. But we do know that it is a bad spirit, and that it is dangerous. It is wrong–very wrong. We should remember that we all are guilty of wrongs, that we all make mistakes. But such a spirit is Pharisaical. It says that “I am perfect; I never do wrong; I make no mistakes; I need no forbearance exercised toward me, and shall exercise none toward others. Every brother must use my words or be accursed.” We say this is wrong. We need each other. We should be willing to bear with each other; we should not make a brother an offender for a word; we should exercise longsuffering. Charity suffereth long— there is no end to it, as long as we do wrong ourselves. These little petty differences, minor offenses, and differences in expression should be borne with always. A spirit of “rule or ruin” will not do that. May the Lord help us all to remember these things, and to live accordingly, is our humble prayer. The Primitive Baptist, July 18, 1916.