Second Reply

Robert L. Berry - April 29

Mountain Grove, Missouri

Jennie C. Rutty
Pomona, California

Dear Sister:

Your letter received and read.

I will try and make my position plain. If I do not, it will not be because I do not try. The tie question agitated me last summer (1913). I fought the question out, and since then I have never changed. I saw that some were wearing a tie and some were vigorously opposing it. I opposed it also, but ere long I saw that some of the opposers of it manifested a schismatic spirit that grated on me considerably; that is, I could not fellowship that spirit. Then Father Bolds and some others came to Carthage, full of arguments against the tie, and there was no one there that I know of that wanted it. They had a letter with them declaring against the tie. It was a sort of ultimatum on the subject. I did not like that at all. I saw they were determined to have the thing go their way, and I rebuked that spirit. They ought to have submitted the question.

Now as to the tie. Some say they can wear it conscientiously. I can’t. Now the question was, “Am I going to declare that those brethren are compromisers and have no more fellowship with them?” I prayed and prayed, and told God, and meant it, that, I would be where He was on the subject, that I would stand against the Trumpet if it took the wrong side. Then I committed it to the Lord, not knowing as yet where to be, and awaited developments. Being as I had thus consecrated, I knew God would lead me right. Thus it was that I was led to see that if I refused to fellowship my brother because of a tie, that I was making a test of fellowship that the Bible gave me no warrant to make, and I did not do it. I am not going to erect a barrier that God does not sanction. Now I do not aim to teach all men to wear ties, by this. Let each be fully persuaded in his own mind and not judge one another.

As to the sisters, I know that many will take license to dress like the world. Of course they will. Everything goes by spells, but as far as that is concerned, if the tie had been eliminated, some would have went to the other extreme and cut off other things. I see through these points thoroughly. We will never get away from possibilities of danger on either side. Now if my brother wears a tie, keeps spiritual, etc., I cannot part with him for wearing it. As to the sisters wearing things, she is just like man; let her wear whatever she feels and knows is to the glory of God. Just as soon as we quit legislating, such as we have done, and teach people the true principle that should govern their dress, we will find the sisters and all taking these matters to the Lord, and dressing with an eye single to his glory. The dress question could make us too self conscious and destroy spirituality.

With love, your brother, saved and sanctified,
R. L. Berry