conclude that his doctrines are incontestable; otherwise the learned and
pious clergy would confront him in a public interview. St. Paul
describes the duty of a bishop in this respect: that he should 'hold
fast the faithful Word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by
sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.' He adds:
'For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially
they of the circumcision, whose mouth must be stopped, who subvert whole
houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.'
Titus 1, 9. 11. As these show that it is the duty of a bishop to exhort
and convince the gainsayer, and to stop his mouth, the question may be
asked, How is this to be done? It cannot be done otherwise than to
propose to the gainsayer an interview, and if he attend to it, to refute
his arguments. But if he refuses to attend, the bishop has discharged
his duty; for the gainsayer thereby shows that he is, already convinced,
and his mouth stopped, because, if he believed that he could not be
refuted, he would by no means avoid the light. Again, when the gainsayer
in a public debate is closely pursued by the truth, he uses invectives
instead of arguments, which is a plain indication of his mouth being
stopped. A false teacher is said to be a wolf in sheep's clothing, which
signifies to be under the covert of a servant of God. . . . Now, indeed
is it possible that the ministers of the North Carolina Synod represent
me as the most dangerous wolf, and yet can see me come among their
congregations, and gain a goodly number of their people, without even
being willing to confront me in a public debate, which would be
calculated to show me in mine originality. Why do they flee? Do they not
feel for their flocks? To pronounce them hirelings would seem
uncharitable. How could I otherwise acquit them of such a charge, unless
I would suppose that they in reality do not consider me as a false
teacher? Otherwise they would not flee, but stand public test. But that
they have called me a false teacher is perhaps owing to the violence of
the old man in them, whom they have not yet crucified through the
Spirit." (44 ff.) Finally, in defending the propriety of the procedure
of the Tennessee Synod, David Henkel refers to the example of Christ,
who "answered the questions of the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and
the devil. Now, as Christ debated with wicked men, yea, with the devil
himself,