Convictionless
Once, in a business meeting, a good man arose and said, "I do not know which side of this question I am on, but I am not on the fence!" After the meeting he was asked in a jovial spirit, "You said you did not know where you were, but that you were not on the fence please tell me where you are?" He laughed and passed the matter off.
Simon Stylus, a medieval saint (?) lived on one high tower for over thirty years. Church members sometimes live much longer on the fence—especially men. They sit in their saddles on the fence, watching to see which way the crowd is going, then they lean that way, still, never get off the fence. They may crawl down once in a while, when everything seems to be going one way, but they keep their hands on the top rail so they can jump back to their comfortable position when the winds or tides change. Yes, which ever way the ecclesiastical winds blow, they lean.
Many of them in their poor little weak way, would actually like to see right principles and persons win, but if it costs them their seat on the fence and the favor of some, the devil can have the whole business so far as they are concerned. If certain detested men who stand for good principles (that the fence riders even happen to believe in) could get approval of all, my, how they would boost and yell for them from their neutral position on the fence, but if there are two disagreeing sides, they are very quiet—nice and neutral, neither or nothing. They much prefer grieving the Spirit to offending their brethren. Neutral saints are some of the devil's best tools.
When a church first starts out, all on fire, only those who dare to stand for truth and holiness have any recognition or influence. But when she begins to drift, too often neutral men who become silent and inactive on all controversial questions begin to have honor and place. Both sides bow to them because they offend neither side. They remain where they can nod either way, and then explain it either way that policy demands.
But they are always on the wrong side because true men are never neutral when principle is involved. To escape this, they brand all controversial questions as exaggerated or "non-essential." They cry "peace, peace" when there is no peace. They brand all who contend for the faith "once delivered to the saints" as "radicals" in spirit or narrow minded, and unworthy of consideration or trust. And they do it in such a "beautiful" (?) spirit that many on both sides swallow it and compliment its lovely flavor. When they get the machinery and the majority under their power, they often accuse all those who do not back them as disloyal. False prophets have always dressed in the garments and manners of true prophets, while they were going about destroying all that true prophets have died to establish. (Read that line again.) Try these neutrals out and see how much they are willing to suffer for right? Take them down off their thrones on the fence and take away their places of honor and prestige and see how long they remain sweet and amiable.
But are these brethren really on the fence in their hearts? Usually not. Many of them have convictions and are good men. They have simplly bowed to an inclination of the flesh present in everyone, i.e., caring too much about a pat on the back, too much about pleasing men. "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10). -Selected
