Restoration History

1. Restoration History

2. Loyalty Resolution • First wartime meeting of ACMS in 1861 at Cincinnati. • South not represented. • Question: would society take stand favoring the North? • Issue raised by Dr. John P. Robison of Ohio--called on “brethren everywhere to do all in their power to sustain the proper and constitutional authorities of the Union.”

3. Loyalty Resolution • James A. Garfield, in Union uniform, made short speech in favor of the resolution. • Adopted with only one dissenting vote. • But, the society had to adjourn for a 10-min. “recess” before the vote was taken. • So technically the motion was accepted by a “mass meeting” of those present--not by the society in formal session.

4. James A. Garfield (1831-1881)

5. Loyalty Resolution • With the news, Fanning was heartbroken and angry. • Just before GA had to suspend publication due to the war, he told readers that the society had adopted resolutions approving “the wholesale murder” of the Southern people. • His viewpoint: the society was encouraging “thousands of professed servants of the Prince of Peace” to enlist in the Union army.

6. Loyalty Resolution • Fanning: “Can we fraternize with them as brethren?” • Unless there was thorough repentance on their part, didn’t see how he could “ever regard preachers who enforce political opinions by the sword, in any other light than monsters in intention, if not in very deed.” • “How can Christian men of the South do otherwise?” • 2 years before: “We are one people.”

7. 2nd Loyalty Resolution • 1863, a stronger resolution adopted. • One reason, pressure from a small but vocal group of militant abolitionists. • Thru 1850s they--Pardee Butler, Ovid Butler, John Boggs--demanded-- • Slavery be denounced. • Southern slave-owners be disfellowshiped.

8. 2nd Loyalty Resolution • Even A.C. criticized. • C. had long opposed slavery, but saw abolitionism as even greater danger to unity. • Abolitionists denounced him as “soft” on issue and est. rival college in Indianapolis-- • Northwestern Christian University. • Later Butler U. • Northwestern Christian Magazine, ed. by John Boggs, (1854), abolionist.

9. John Boggs (1810-1897)

10. Pardee Butler (1816-1888)

11. 2nd Loyalty Resolution • NCM denounced ACMS for being “implicated in the sin of slavery.” • Dr. James Barclay had been a slaveholder before becoming society’s first missionary. • 1858 abolitionists established a rival missionary society--Christian Missionary Society. • Membership requirement: “No complicity in the crime of American Slavery.

12. 2nd Loyalty Resolution • So, before war, brotherhood in North divided between two rival missionary societies competing for support. • Abolitionist society not disbanded when war began. • John Boggs warned ACMS that unless it would bear “testimony against slavery as the cause of the present rebellion” division would remain.

13. 2nd Loyalty Resolution • Beset by extreme criticism, ACMS also faced rumors that it was disloyal to the Union. • Thus, in 1863, it adopted a new loyalty resolution which denounced these rumors as “false and slanderous” and declared its unqualified support of the North.

14. 2nd Loyalty Resolution • Action alienated many former supporters. • McGarvey said society had destroyed its usefulness and should “cease to exist.” • Moses E. Lard called it a shameful action and warned if it ever passed another political resolution, “it should die.” • B. Franklin, American Christian Review, said society had abandoned “its legitimate work.” • After war, F. was the society’s opponent in North.

15. Sectional Bitterness • Divisive effect evident after the war ended. • 1866 Fanning proposed a “general consultation meeting” in South. • Hardships in South. • Communications disrupted, periodicals suspended, preachers unable to travel. • Thus, F. thought S. Christians needed to “counsel together” on condition of church. • Murfreesboro, June, 1866 (6 states).

16. Benjamin Franklin (1812-1878)

18. Tolbert Fanning (1810-1874)

19. Sectional Bitterness • When B. Franklin read it, objected that N. Christians excluded: “There is no South or North in our gospel.” • Fanning responded that he doubted “the propriety of a hasty religious reconstruction” with North. • Since they had been “employing the fist of wickedness,” “It seems to me that men engaged in such service, may not be very well prepared to engage in genuine spiritual cooperation.”

20. Sectional Bitterness • GA resumed pub. in 1866. • Lipscomb lost no time in writing about wartime resolutions. • Language more bitter than Fanning’s. • L. recalled expecting ACMS to help with peace and pacifism. • “We found only vindictive, murderous spirit ruling its counsels, and encouraging the Christian (?) work of Christians North robbing and slaughtering Christians South.”

21. Sectional Bitterness • L. charged ACMS had performed valuable service to North “in inducing the followers of the prince of peace to become men of war and blood.” • Said before war nothing more effective than Franklin’s articles in American Christian Review in restraining Southern Christians from enlisting. • But 1861 resolution had caused enlistment.

22. Sectional Bitterness • Resolution, L. knew, had caused Southern brethren to enlist, & some didn’t return. • “We felt, we still feel, that the Society committed a great wrong against the Church and the cause of God. We have felt, we still feel, that without evidence of a repentance of the wrong, it should not receive the confidence of the Christian brotherhood.”

23. Sectional Bitterness • ACMS records furnish evidence of divisive impact of war. • 1879 report admitted society was fighting a “fearful battle” against its opponents. • First source noted was “the alienations produced by the late war.” • War had so shattered sense of brotherhood that could never again be called “one people” in meaningful sense.

24. Sectional Bitterness • War not only reason for division. • Before war S. Christians had accepted a stricter view of restoration principle—e.g., opposition to missionary society. • But, S’s stricter interpretation didn’t result in division until war bitterness had destroyed atmosphere of good will in which doctrinal differences might have been discussed.

25. Sectional Bitterness • Two threads of alienation had become tangled together and had shattered unity. • Sectional bitterness. • Different understandings of restoration principle. • Tolbert Fanning would never again say, as in 1859, “We are one people.”

26. Influence of Editors • Often said: “The Restoration Movement has not had bishops; it has had editors.” • True that editors have wielded great influence. • With bishops, power is in their hands. • With congregational governance, there must be leadership. • In RM this leadership has been provided by editors.

27. Influence of Editors • Years following the Civil War were fateful ones for the movement. • And during these years it was the editors, once more, who led the movement.

28. Influence of Editors • Benjamin Franklin and the American Christian Review. • ACR most influential journal in North after war • Franklin (1812-1878) . • Self-made man with little formal education. • Most popular preacher in brotherhood during 1860s and 1870s.

29. Influence of Editors • Benjamin Franklin. • Spoke language of masses and enjoyed their confidence. • Most popular debater after Campbell and his debates added to his popularity as a preacher. • Began as an editor in 1845. • The Reformer (1845-1847) • Western Reformer (1847-1850) • Proclamation and Reformer (1850-1853)

30. Benjamin Franklin (1812-1878)

31. Influence of Editors • F’s great influence as editor was through ACR (1856 for rest of his life, till 1878). • A monthly at first and then a weekly newspaper-size in 1858. • Soon most influential in brotherhood. • F: “The Review is intended for and adapted to the masses. It is a plain gospel paper. . . . It aims to imitate the style of Jesus and the apostles, and to stand firmly for their teaching in all things.”

32. The Influence of Editors • ACR was thoroughly conservative in its approach to NT Christianity, strongly opposed to instrumental music and other “innovations.” • ACR’s policy toward ACMS was in important factor in controversy which rocked the church after the Civil War.

33. Influence of Editors • F. had been a supporter of ACMS. • Attended convention in 1849. • Elected a manager in 1850. • Held some office for 17 years straight years, including a term (1856-1857) as corresponding secretary, the most important office. • In 1858 defended the ACMS in a heated editorial controversy with David Oliphant.

34. Influence of Editors • Civil War turned F’s support to opposition. • Opposed Christians serving in army and believed ACMS should stay with its “legitimate work.” • When ACMS adopted 1863 resolution, F. warned if society brought “strife and contention” to church, it should be abandoned. • 1866 said he would no longer support society; had come to believe it to be unscriptural.

35. Influence of Editors • Isaac Errett and the Christian Standard. • Part of northern brotherhood increasingly critical of Franklin and the ACR. • Group more liberal in spirit. • Believed F. was too narrow and dogmatic. • Led by Phillips brothers, Isaac Errett, James A. Garfield, Dr. J. P. Robison, W. K. Pendleton. • Determined to launch a new weekly to offset ACR. • Christian Standard appeared April 7, 1866.

36. Influence of Editors • Isaac Errett (1820-1888), editor. • Had been reared in Haldanean church of Christ in New York. • Had learned printer’s trade and became interested in writing. • Little formal education, but great natural ability, especially as writer. • Preached for Ohio churches in 1840s. • Warren, Ohio (1851-1856); gained reputation.

37. Isaac Errett (1820-1888)

38. Influence of Editors • Had some involvement with missionary societies from 1853 on. • 1853 secretary of Ohio society. • Corresponding secretary for national society for several years. • Became co-editor of Millennial Harbinger in 1861 and was closely associated with Alexander Campbell during C’s last years.

39. Influence of Editors • CS barely survived its birth. • Founders assumed it would have a large circulation, but were mistaken. • Suffered heavy financial losses; stockholders voted to discontinue, but agreed to transfer ownership to Errett. • R. W. Carroll Co. of Cincinnati assumed control and put it on sound financial basis. • Errett editor from beginning (1866) to his death in 1888--22 years later.

40. Influence of Editors • CS the only weekly that supported missionary societies during years just after Civil War. • ACR began opposing in 1866. • In South GA opposed through late 1850s, and sectional bitterness intensified opposition. • But missionary society not the main issue between CS and GA.

41. Influence of Editors • GA & CS discussed- • Whether Christians had a right to engage in military service. • Who was responsible for the Civil War. • The status of the freedmen in the South.

42. Influence of Editors • Errett argued that when a govt. was threatened with rebellion, the sword had a righteous mission to fulfill. • Insisted Christians had been under a “sacred obligation to maintain and defend a government so unrighteously assailed.” • Said Lipscomb’s view that Christian should have nothing to do with govt. was “a new-born faith” espoused by those “in sympathy with a lost cause.”

43. Influence of Editors • But real clash of ideas was in North where ACR and CS stood opposed on a variety of issues. • 1st over missionary society, later instrumental music. • But these just symptomatic of problems that were deeper.

44. Influence of Editors • ACR conservative in spirit, more Biblical in its approach, committed to preserving the faith of the past. • CS more liberal in tone, admitted many new practices as expedients, and was less hostile to departures from traditional ways • Errett 1st preacher to accept title “Reverend.” • Called critics “loudest croakers against ‘progression.’”

45. Influence of Editors • Franklin reflected opposite spirit: “We are heartily sick listening to progressive Christians continually talking about a ‘higher order of Christianity,’ and ‘keeping up with the time.’... These Church progressionists progress so rapidly that they frequently transcend the limits of Christian duty.” • Warned they were more interested in “conciliation and compromise.”

46. Influence of Editors • David Lipscomb and the Gospel Advocate. • Most influential journal in South. • Resumed publication 1866, Tolbert Fanning and David Lipscomb editors. • By 1868 L. the sole editor. • L. (1831-1917) editor for more than 45 years, exercising greater influence than any other man in South.

47. David Lipscomb (1831-1917)

48. Influence of Editors • L. attended Franklin College and influence of Fanning is obvious-- • in L’s opposition to missionary societies. • in L’s opposition to instrumental music. • in L’s views on civil government.

49. Influence of Editors • L. (with E. G. Sewell & F. D. Srygley) made greatest contribution through GA, but his activity not limited to this. • Respected preacher, though simple expository sermons unusual for the time. • Had many ties with Texas churches, included a “Texas Department” in GA. • Wrote extensively about missionary society when Texas troubled in 1880s.

50. Elisha Granville Sewell (1830-1924)