To many people today the word, "Landmark," may possibly have no meaning. Also there are a number of churches using that name whose doctrines are in no way like that of the old time Landmark Baptists of Oregon.
Solomon said, "Remove not the ancient landmarks, which thy fathers have set." (Proverbs 22:28) He evidently meant the boundary stone that designated the boundaries of a person's property, and only dishonest men and thieves would remove it.
Landmark Baptists hold to certain landmarks of faith laid down by Christ, placed in the Bible, and not to be removed. One thing common to true Landmark Baptists has been a concerted belief that the authority of The Great Commission lay with the Local New Testament Church and was administered by Christ Himself being head over all things to the church.
Naturally Landmark Baptists have always been "Anabaptists," that is they rebaptized those came from other churches because they had not the Christ given authority. They will only receive Anabaptist baptism. Though some churches may carry the name, Baptist, yet Landmark Baptists will not recognize or accept their baptism because they have identified themselves with the Protestant daughters of Rome and left the Anabaptist faith. They have adopted the doctrine of the "Invisible church" instead of the local church, the institution that Jesus set up. They teach a church that was founded at Pentecost, a Roman Catholic doctrine, instead of a church founded by Christ Himself. They are therefore willing to accept all kinds of heresy, to compromise on basic Bible doctrine and thus destroy every reason there is for the existence of a Baptist Church.
Landmark Baptists have a great history in this state. Read the "Baptist Annals of Oregon" and you will find that it was Landmark Baptist preachers who did the pioneer work in this state, and when the convention began to come in during the eighteen-eighties and the nineties bringing with it loose Baptist preachers, the fight over the "Landmark" question was fast and furious. This "Landmark" question was concerning the reception of alien baptism, that is baptism by other than true Baptist churches. Into this fight came J. T. Moore, who edited the "Baptist Sentinel" in the early eighteen-nineties. Gradually with the power of money and organization the convention won out till the only Landmark association remaining in the state was The Middle Oregon Baptist Association which was independent of any convention.
Landmark Baptists have existed from the days of Christ. Says Brockett in his "History of The Bogomils of Bulgaria": "These sects were Baptists, not only in their views on the subject of baptism and the Lord's supper, but in their opposition to Paedo-baptism (infant baptism), to a church hierarchy, and to the worship of the virgin Mary and saints, and in their adherence to church independence and freedom of conscience in religious worship. In short, the conclusion has forced itself upon me that through these Christians of Bosnia, Bulgaria and Armenia we have an apostolic succession of Christian churches, New Testament churches, and that as early as the twelfth century these churches numbered a converted, believing membership as large as that of Baptist churches throughout the world today." --"Alien Baptism and the Baptists" by Nevins.
Landmark Baptists believe that the authority of the Great Commission lies wholly and solely with the Local New Testament church. This Great Commission includes all mission work, Preaching the gospel, baptizing, administering the Lord's supper, Sunday schools and Bible schools. If a convention or association has any right or authority to do mission work or run Bible schools, then it also must, logically, have the same right and authority to baptize and administer the Lord's supper. If, as is argued by some, the local church has no right to run a Bible school or do mission work by itself, then one would logically believe that the local church has no right to administer baptism or the Lord's supper, since they are all included in the same Great Commission.
Thus have some so far departed from the old Landmark faith. Let us hold fast the old landmarks which our fathers have set.
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