The Movements In Other Lands

by Chamings, A. R. G. | Category: Spiritual Movements Seventy Years Ago | Oct 1963

In brief contributions, in the earlier numbers of Needed Truth (this year), we have endeavoured, largely by means of extracts from letters written in the years 1892-1894, to trace the results of the movement of the Spirit of God in the planting of churches of God throughout the British Isles, seventy years ago. In this article reference will be made to such evidences as are available of similar Spirit-given exercise amongst brethren in other lands.

It is evident that difficulty of travel in the later years of the last century largely limited the spread of the Truth, concerning the house of God, to the British Isles ; but some emigration, especially of Scottish brethren, resulted in deep exercise on the part of individuals as to the carrying out of the precious truth affecting practice in churches of God, as set out in Mr. F.A. Banks' article, "The Church and Churches of God," published in 1888 (see January Needed Truth).

In the early volumes of Needed Truth (1887-1892) are a number of letters, written from Canada and the United States, China and Africa, and from a number of European countries. Despite the exercise disclosed by the writers themselves, it would not, however, appear that churches of God at that time came into existence, though we rejoice in the fact that, in the Lord's goodness, assemblies have been planted during the past 60 years in Canada, the U.S.A., West Africa, and, more recently, in Burma and India. What of Australasia?

Mr. T.W. Fullerton tells us that about the year 1880, Mr. R.T. Hopkins emigrated to Australia from Britain and, separating from Open Brethren in 1883, began to set forth the truths which resulted in the planting of a church of God in Melbourne associated with those in the Fellowship in Great Britain. Elsewhere the record of the years up to 1899 shows that, as the result of differences of opinion on certain vital matters affecting the fellowship of assemblies, communion between the Melbourne assembly and assemblies in Britain was severed, but happily an assembly was planted there in 1980. In New Zealand the Christchurch assembly came into being in the early years of this century. From North America letters reached the home-country telling of exercise as to the Truth.

It was from North America that, at about the close of 1899 a suggestion came to the editors of Needed Truth that a fitting subject for consideration in its pages would be, "How can power be restored to the assemblies?" "What is meant by power?" asked Mr. J. A. Boswell who essayed to answer this "Transatlantic Question" (N.T. Vol.2, p.145-160) "Does it mean crowded meetings, moving addresses, much hearty singing, many apparent conversions, largely increased numbers, and a good time generally?" Dr. Luxmoore, who also contributed to the reply, added the following challenging words relative to Open Brethren assemblies of that time.

"Is not the fellowship in which are embraced the assemblies almost unwalled today? Have we not therein a mixture of many whom God has never added together, of such as have never been really delivered from the system of human religion in which they have been brought up, and who arc therefore a fruitful source of weakness in such fellowship ? Indeed, there are those in companies supposed to be assemblies of God to whom the very name of separation is as a sound of an unknown tongue, or as the tone of an enemy's speech, whose sympathy and whose intercourse with the sects of Christendom are as complete as are the sympathy and the intercourse of the sects with one another, and who confessedly have no thought of occupying a position of subjection to the Lord in any sense different to the vague and nominal submission which the lip-service of all so-called Christian communities is accustomed to profess."

It will be noted that the last paragraph was written in 1890, prior to those movements recorded in earlier articles of this series. The terms "fellowship" and "assemblies of God," in the extract from Dr. Luxmoore's article, refer to companies of saints then existing, before the principles of separation had been clearly recognized. It is true that many companies of Christians today, to whom the description in Dr. Luxmoore's extract apply, call themselves "assemblies of God", but we believe wrongly.

To conclude this series it is proposed to publish, in full, in November and December issues (D.V.) an article written by the late Mr. Henry Elson, entitled, The Cause of the Separation.

Chamings, A. R. G. | Oct 1963
Spiritual Movements Seventy Years Ago