pew rentals

[rmwilliamsll]

has anyone done or aware of research done on the arguments for pew rentals?
from another thread, in another place.
http://www.puritanboard.com/showthread.php?t=17779

i've been reading online for several hours on the topic, lots of interesting things but so far no theological defense of the principle.


the best criticism of it appears to be the free methodists,but i really expected to find some justifications for it by now.

some of the more interesting links i have in hand:
http://www.materialreligion.org/documents/dec96doc.html
http://www.uua.org/cde/largechurch2001/keynote.html
http://anglicanhistory.org/neale/pues.html
^^^start with this one
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache...ew+rentals&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=63&ie=UTF-8
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache...w+rentals&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=123&ie=UTF-8
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~george/johnsgermnotes/germhs83.html
http://www.churchantiques.com/
http://members.aol.com/pilgrimpub/whoschs.htm

 

[Elderone]

The only tax I recall God levying on His people is the tithe, and many don't believe that is called for today. I don't agree with that.

 

[cubanito]

Pew rentals worked before TV, iPods and so on.

Now mostly you can't even give them away for free.

JR

 

[cubanito]

Hey, how about a reverse Pew rental? Sell the indulgence to skip meetings, or at a lower price, to snooze in the back.

JR

 

[jer3119]

My take on pew rentals is from a little experience with it personally as I am told that the Gospel Standard Strict Baptists, or at least some of them, still do practice this.

I was never a member of that group but I read from Philpot and some of their leaders quite a bit several years ago until I found the trend toward hyper Calvinism, and more ominously, Antinomianism, there. In my view, Antinomianism is one of the worst and most dangerous of all doctrines, so I tend to run from it as fast as I can.

With respect to pew rentals, one of their current pastors told me when I questioned the practice as unbiblical in view of the clear teachings about "not being respecters of persons" and even more specifically, "saving the best seat" for the more properous that come to worship. What could be clearer?

His answer to me was very revealing also. He said that when he first came among them and was visiting their places of worship, he would often enter a near empty house of worship and take a seat only to be told by a deacon that the seat was taken, and shown to a lesser place reserved for those who hadn't "paid the pew rental". What was interesting was that the place would stay empty according to him more often than not, as would the whole house of worship. You will often find that the Strict Baptists are very busy bemoaning their "deadness" and the slow death of their sect, and yet, they continue this practice and others that have been pointed out to them as unbiblical.

To err is human, and the the origins of pew rental had a useful, if misguided, purpose if I understand them right. It is the clinging to these things, the refusal to be corrected and come to scripture for further light that I think has been the cause of the Strict Baptists decline.

I still love Philpot, and always will, for the Lord used him to teach me some wonderful things, and he was a gifted teacher of experiential truths. But he was just a man and it is good to be "always reforming".

This subject reminds me of Ryle's piece on the Leaven of the Pharisee's and the Sadducees, wherein he rightly speaks of how false doctrine is like leaven, slowly subtly working it's way into all aspects of the life and faith, while starting out small and unnoticed, or neglected. Ryle says this is why the Lord used the term leaven, when He warned of this. Ryles tract is called simply "BEWARE" and is available by googling of course. I would link to it but cannot do so due to CF rules having to do with number of posts.

Just a few thoughts on this,
with Christian love to all,
jer3119