Cotton Grove Resolutions

As a matter of history,

I copy them from the minutes, which were offered in the form of "queries."

"Rev. J. R. Graves offered the following questions:

"1st. Can Baptists, consistently with their principles or the Scriptures,

recognize those societies not organized according to the pattern of the Jerusalem Church,

but possessing different governments, different officers, a different class of members, different ordinances,

doctrines and practices, as churches of Christ?

"2d. Ought they to he called gospel churches, or churches in a religious sense?

"3d. Can we consistently recognize the ministers of such irregular and unscriptural bodies as gospel ministers?

"4th. Is it not virtually recognizing them as official ministers to invite them into our pulpits,

or by any other act that would or could be construed into such a recognition?

"5th. Can we consistently address as brethren those professing Christianity,

who not only have not the doctrine of Christ and walk not according to his commandments,

but are arrayed in direct and bitter opposition to them?"

These queries were unanimously answered in the negative, and the Baptists of Tennessee generally,

and multitudes all over the South, endorsed the decision.

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