THE REVIVAL MEETING IN BETHANY

In three weeks the church of God revival was to begin in Bethany, according to previous arrangements made between Robert Davis and Evangelist Monteith. Meanwhile Robert Davis studied the church question assiduously. His study of the Bible led him to accept the Bible name church of God but he knew that the right name did not necessarily make a church right that had adopted it. The church must be in and of itself the real church and then the name would naturally apply to it.

When the evangelist came, Robert asked him the very first day, “Brother Monteith, tell me about the church of God. I see by the Bible that in the apostles’ time there was one church called the church of God, but what became of it? Where is it now? All I can see is a multitude of churches. Can you tell me what has happened to the apostolic church? Tell me the full history, please.”

“Very well, Brother Davis, I shall do the best that I can to give you a brief account of the church,” he said. “The church of God was built by Jesus Christ, organized and filled with power by the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, and was then sent forth on her glorious mission of working with Christ to save a lost world.

“The first step toward world evangelism followed the persecution of the church in Jerusalem when ’they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word.’

“The second step was taken when Paul and Barnabas, with Mark, set forth from Antioch in Syria on the first missionary tour of the early church. On this tour several local churches of the general church of God were raised up through the salvation of Jews and Gentiles in Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, and other places in the Roman provinces of Asia Minor.

“The third great step was taken when Paul and his companions, on the second tour, crossed the Aegean to Europe and thus began the conquest of Europe for Jesus Christ. Local churches were planted in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth, to each of which Paul wrote epistles Philippians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and 1 and 2 Corinthians. Before Paul’s death he had preached in Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire, one of the greatest empires of all time. While Paul was establishing congregations of the one church in the West, the other apostles were raising up local congregations elsewhere.

“Everywhere this church was known as the ‘church of God.’ In the century after the apostles the name ‘catholic’ which means universal, was applied to it. There was one church. Congregations embraced thousands in some of the larger cities. Antioch in Syria is said to have had thousands of Christians within its borders.

“What a glorious church that early church was, Bro. Davis, you have already seen in your Scripture investigation. With the breaking forth of the glorious light of the gospel there arose the true church of God, spotless in her purity, glorious in her power, and adorned with the rich graces and gifts of the Spirit. And in three hundred years this church broke down paganism and Constantine had made Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire.

“But this glorious church was not to remain glorious. Sad but true, there came an apostasy foretold by the apostles. Peter foretold it (2 Pe:1, 2). Paul foretold it (2 Thes:3, 4). And notice how far short some of the seven churches of Asia were before John’s death (Re and 3). Marsh’s Church History says: ’Almost proportionate with the extension of Christianity was the decrease in the church of vital piety. A philosophizing spirit among the higher, and a wild monkish superstition among the lower orders, fast took the place in the third century of the faith and humility of the first Christians. Many of the clergy became very corrupt, and excessively ambitious. In consequence of this, there was an awful deflection of Christianity.’ Milner’s Church History says: ’And if the faith of Christ was so much declined (and its decayed state ought to be dated from about the year 270), we need not wonder that such scenes as Eusebius hints at without any circumstantial details took place in the Christian world.’

“When Constantine made Christianity the religion of Rome the apostatizing processes were greatly accelerated. The constitution of the church was patterned after that of the civil government. The Holy Spirit had to retire from the active government of the church because forms and legality had taken place. The Word of God ceased to have authority, its place being taken by the laws and decrees of the councils. The clergy arose to great power and pomp and there was a long line of graduations made in the ministry, some of these offices given much more authority than others.”

“Is that the way the papacy was formed?” asked Robert.

“Indeed it was,” said the preacher. “The chief minister of large cities obtained control of the ministry of that city and surrounding towns. These chief ministers were called diocesans. Ministers in still more prominent places came to have a still wider authority and were called metropolitans, those over large districts were called patriarchs, and so the grasping for supremacy went on. When the Mohammedan conquest had reduced the importance of the other patriarchates, the conflict for supremacy lay between the Patriarch of Rome and the Patriarch of Constantinople. At last the Patriarch of Rome gained the greater prestige and authority and was called pope, and became supreme head of the Western or Roman Catholic Church.

“The great apostasy lasted twelve hundred and sixty years, or until A.D. 1530. This time was foretold in Re:6; 14-17, where the woman, under which figure the church is presented, fled into the wilderness for 1260 days or ‘a time, and times, and half a time,’ and in chapter 13:1-10, the beast, under which figure Roman Catholicism is represented, had power to continue ‘forty and two months,’ (forty-two months) or 1260 days, which, taking the usual Biblical method of interpreting prophetical time (see Da:25; Num. 14:34; and Eze:6) means 1260 years.

“The Roman Catholic supremacy was broken by the sixteenth-century Reformation. The Augsburg Confession of Faith, prepared by Melanchthon and Luther, was formed in A.D. 1530. This was the first Protestant creed.

“Then followed the great day of Protestantism when creeds and denominations sprang up in every direction and upon many pretenses. God’s sheep were scattered and divided, as it was foretold in Eze:11-25. The true church of Jesus Christ was lost sight of. It was spoken of as the invisible church, while the denominations were the visible churches. Men joined churches because they thought that it was the right thing to do.

“About the year 1880, or 350 years after the Augsburg Confession, A.D. 1530, a deep conviction seized a number of earnest, sanctified people that the denominational system was wrong, utterly unscriptural. They began to preach a pure Bible church of which salvation alone makes men members.”

“When these prophets began to teach the unity of God’s people thousands saw the wrong of remaining in the denominations; so they came out. In fact, Brother Davis, God’s sheep would naturally stay together if they were not induced to separate. The denominations have good Christians in them, but there are many members who do not have an experimental knowledge of grace and these have led many churches into worldliness and formality.”

“I see it,” said Robert. “The church was hidden down through the Catholic and Protestant ages and is just now again coming out and standing aloof and clear for God and her blessed founder, Jesus Christ. Oh, praise God! it is all so plain now. Thank God.”

On the third night of the meeting a mob formed to frighten the minister out of town and to destroy the meeting. Old Peter Newby helped organize it. The ammunition consisted of a vast assortment of ancient eggs, also stones, brickbats, and a few clubs and sticks. The mob stormed the house about the time of the close of a powerful sermon on A Better Testament. Windows crashed, portions of egg bespattered many, several persons were struck by missiles, and a great hubbub was created. The evangelist was the quietest person in the house, though his clothing bore mute evidence that the egg-brigade had singled him out as their target.

The mob did not come into the house; so after a few temporary adjustments an altar call was given and seven came to the altar, among whom were old Mr. Stephenson and Charley Moss.

On the next day rumors flew thick and fast. The wildest stories were told. Some heard that the evangelist was killed, and great excitement stirred the whole community. That night some were too much afraid to go, others went out of sheer curiosity, while one partisan of the evangelist formed a band of men in favor of him, and they sent word both to the evangelist and to the mob leader that they would be on hand that night to protect the preacher. Needless to say everything was perfectly quiet and the meeting closed without further disturbance.

The last night Evangelist Monteith preached on The Judgment Day, and he pictured the doom of sinners until the stillness of death pervaded the room. Great conviction rested upon the people. At the altar call several went forward and found glorious peace at the foot of the cross.

The last good-bys were said with eyes brimming with tears.

“I shall see you again, God willing,” said the evangelist, and the meeting closed.