Third Letter

Jennie C. Rutty - July 10

Pomona, California

Dear Brother Berry:

Greeting in Christian love. Yours duly received, and I believe that I comprehend your position. It is quite different from what your previous letters and articles would indicate, or what others of the middle of the way have expressed. You have made the tie question the prominent thing, when you have meant all articles of dress, that would make us peculiar in dress. From the different customs of different nations, you mean to give liberty of conscience to wear anything that is worn by the world, so it is modest. Who is to decide what is modest? There is nothing more definite regarding this in the Word, than there is regarding worldly conformity, so that must be left to the individual conscience. And so we must fellowship everything on the line of dress, upon which anyone says he is conscientious.

Then applying the same principle to the subject of amusements that are not directly spoken of in the Word, we must give each one the liberty of conscience to go to street parades, ball games, fairs, socials, festivals, picnics, picture shows, races, etc. The same also regarding eating and drinking. Some can drink tea and coffee, some a little cider. Some can chew gum, some chew tobacco, and some eat all manner of fine and expensive victuals, while many are perishing for the gospel. If we remonstrate, they say that we are going beyond the Word of God and have no right to judge them on points upon which the Word is silent. Some say that if some can dress as their conscience dictates, they can go where their conscience permits them, or eat or drink what does not condemn them, etc.

You are getting into deep water, my brother, and I cannot wade into it. Soon conscience will be the guide instead of the Holy Spirit.

Where do you get your scriptural authority for deciding that some of those who oppose the wearing of the tie, manifest a spirit of worldly conformity, [missing text] lost their schismatic spirit that grates upon you considerably? Are you making your feelings a test of fellowship with others? Has it come to this, that those who believe that those who go back to the wearing experience and cannot be in fellowship, should be rejected as being under a wrong spirit?

When the brethren went East, full of desire to prevent the sad conditions that were here from arising there, and to fortify souls against the compromising spirit that was sweeping over the country, they had the sanction of some of our strongest brethren. You and others rebuked them and now try to shield yourselves with the assertion that no one there as you knew of was wanting the tie, when within a few months, you were writing in the Trumpet that not wearing the tie was a sect-mark.

You and others are freely giving reasons why the tie should be worn, but refuse others the privilege of giving reasons why it should not be. Bro. Berry, where is your consistency? Why should we submit the question of wearing the tie, any more than you should, when we had for years been in agreement regarding the matter? Why should the question of wearing the tie arise? Paul said that if I or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you, let him be accursed. How can you say in your public meetings that not the wearing of the tie is a sect-mark, the same as certain forms of dress are for Quakers, Mennonites, and others; and then in your letters to me, you say that the Holy Spirit leads toward the truth, and not away from it, and that those who wear the tie are nearer the truth than those who do not? Again you say in another letter that you cannot conscientiously wear the tie. If I had used such expressions and should be claiming to have received clearer light from the truth, I would walk in it. In order to keep saved, I would wear the tie as soon as I could get one.

You are very positive that you cannot make the tie a test of fellowship, because the Bible does not warrant you to do so. If I wore a feather or a plume upon my hat, would you give me confidence that I was saved and sanctified? If I went to picture shows and dances, would you think that I was saved? If I drank hard cider and went to theaters and circuses, would you? Where is your Bible to condemn me or withhold fellowship from me?

Now Bro. Berry, you are holding a position on the tie question that you cannot hold on other things. It is inconsistent and therefore unscriptural. You admit that the position taken regarding the tie would give the sisters liberty to dress more worldly. Then it is wrong, and those who teach it are responsible for the wrong. What is wrong with the position that we have always held?—that there are terms used in the Word of God that the Spirit must reveal to the soul, such as “Be not conformed to this world”* (Romans 12:2); “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world”* (1 John 2:15); Banquetings, revelings, idolatries, covetousness, filthiness of the flesh, foolish talking, jesting, and such like (1 Peter 4:3; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 5:4). When the Spirit has thus revealed these things to us, as gospel workers, we must send out the warning.

I have before me a letter from you to Bro. Zinn, that came to me by accident or providence. This one is clear and outspoken, and holds the same position that we do. The next one is just opposite and states that those who wear the tie are nearer the truth than we who do not. It also treats the sister’s dress as in no way related to the tie question, saying, “Let us settle the tie question first, and then if feathers and flowers constitute a question, we will settle that.” Now in your last letter, you say, “As to the sister’s things, she is just like man, let her wear whatever she feels and knows that is to glory of God.” Then you would not object, you could not object, to her following the customs of the world in wearing feathers and flowers, etc.

Oh, Bro. Berry, there is such a lack of soundness of speech and Holy Ghost sincerity and trueness to God, manifested in this correspondence that I cannot in my heart accept you as being sent of God and entrusted with the gospel for the salvation of souls. May the Lord help you to see your great need.

Yours, in Christian love,
Jennie C. Rutty