The Restoration Movement

Andy Sochor | Kentucky, USA

Earlier in this series, we discussed the Reformation Movement. This movement set out to reform the Roman Catholic Church in order to correct the errors and abuses that had developed over the centuries. While the intention of the reformers may have been good, the unintended result of their efforts was the formation of countless Protestant denominations, each with its own name, creed, practices, and organization that made it distinct from the others.

In this article, we will discuss another movement that began in the early nineteenth century – the Restoration Movement. In some ways, it was similar to the Reformation Movement that began in the sixteenth century in that it was a response to various problems that were seen in the churches of that time.

However, there was a fundamental difference between these two movements. The first sought to reform the churches of men. When that failed, the reformers would start their own church, which led to the creation of all the Protestant denominations that came about [we discussed these in the previous article in this series]. The second movement sought to restore the New Testament church. The goal was not to start a new church but to leave the churches of men and unite together in the Lord’s church, following nothing but the Bible as their rule of faith and practice.

Thomas Campbell (1763-1854) was one of the leading figures in the early days of the Restoration Movement. In a meeting with others of similar mind, he set forth an idea that became a motto for the movement: “Where the Bible speaks, we speak; where the Bible is silent, we are silent.”

Conditions That Led to the Start of This Movement

When we discussed the Reformation Movement, we noticed various factors that made conditions favorable for the efforts of the reformers to gain acceptance and for their message to spread throughout the religious world. In the same way, certain conditions existed in the early nineteenth century that contributed to the success of the Restoration Movement.

The invention of the printing press aided the Reformation Movement by making the Bible accessible to the common man. As time went on, the Scriptures became even more widely available. This allowed people to learn the Bible for themselves instead of relying on some human creed to outline what they were to believe.

This greater knowledge of the word of God led them to recognize the problem with religious division. The Reformation Movement was a response to a real problem (the errors, false practices, and abuses of the Catholic Church). However, as we discussed in the previous article in this series, the movement led to the formation of countless Protestant denominations. Eventually, people began to realize that this also was not what the Lord intended.

Not only were people becoming dissatisfied with religious division in general, but they were also not happy with some common religious errors – particularly the Calvinistic doctrine of hereditary total depravity (that man is born in sin and, therefore, is unable to choose to come to God) and the practice of waiting for salvation at the mourners’ bench, helplessly hoping to receive a sign that God had chosen to save them.

The Basic Principles of the Restoration Movement

The Restoration Movement differed from the Reformation Movement in that it was not an attempt to fix a particular church. Instead, it was an effort to leave the churches of men and return to the doctrine and practices of the church of the first century. There were certain core principles of the Restoration Movement:

1. A rejection of man-made creeds – Each time a new Protestant denomination formed, they would come up with their own creed to distinguish themselves from the denomination they left and all other churches around them. The early restorers recognized that Jesus has “all authority” (Matthew 28:18); therefore, they had no authority to create a creed that was different from or in addition to what He has instructed in His word.
2. A recognition of a New Testament pattern – Rather than creating their own creed, the restorers endeavored to follow the New Testament as their only rule of faith and practice. This agrees with Paul’s admonition to Timothy to “hold fast the pattern of sound words” (2 Timothy 1:13).
3. An appeal for the unity of all Christians – They knew that the division in the religious world was contrary to Jesus’ prayer that His followers would be one (John 17:21). Of course, the unity they promoted was that which comes when all believers follow the same rule that is found in the word of God.

Early Leaders of the Movement

James O’Kelly (1738-1826) was a Methodist preacher in North Carolina who withdrew from that denomination, rejecting their episcopal form of church government in favor of local church autonomy as is described in the New Testament. At first, he and the ones who joined him referred to themselves as Republican Methodists. A few years later, Rice Haggard (1767-1819) persuaded them to drop the denominational name and be known simply as Christians.

Abner Jones (1772-1841) was a doctor in New England who eventually abandoned his medical practice to preach the gospel. This journey began when he started questioning the Baptists (with whom he had previously been associated) for having a name, articles of faith, and church covenants that were foreign to the New Testament.

Barton W. Stone (1772-1844) agonized over the condition of his soul, waiting for an “experience” which, he was taught, would indicate that he was one of the “elect.” He eventually learned that the gospel offered salvation to all who would accept it, and he became licensed to preach by the Presbyterian church [we will discuss his departure from the Presbyterians in a moment]. He preached in Cane Ridge, Kentucky, which was the site of a great revival in 1801, attended by about 20,000 people, helping to launch the movement.

Alexander Campbell (1788-1866) is often considered the one who started the Restoration Movement or is depicted as the “founder” of the church of Christ. Neither of these ideas are accurate. O’Kelly, Jones, Stone, and others had already begun their “restoration” efforts before Campbell ever arrived in America. Yet through his preaching, debating, and writing, Campbell became the most influential voice in the nineteenth century among those who advocated for a return to the ancient order.

The Springfield Presbytery

As we discuss the Restoration Movement, let us consider the Springfield Presbytery. What happened with this group serves as a microcosm of the overall movement.

The Springfield Presbytery was formed when Barton W. Stone and five other men (Robert Marshal, John Dunlavy, Richard M’Nemar, John Thompson, and David Purviance) withdrew from the Presbyterian church in 1804. They saw the problems in that denomination and, in response, formed their own denomination. They soon realized this was not the proper course and dissolved this new body. They wrote The Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery to explain their decision and to call upon all believers to leave the churches of men and unite upon the Bible alone.

Here are some of the highlights from this document:

“We will, that this body die, be dissolved, and sink into union with the Body of Christ at large; for there is but one Body, and one Spirit, even as we are called in one hope of our calling.”

“We will, that the people henceforth take the Bible as the only sure guide to heaven; and as many as are offended with other books, which stand in competition with it, may cast them into the fire if they choose; for it is better to enter into life having one book, than having many to be cast into hell.”

“Finally, we will that all our sister bodies read their Bibles carefully, that they may see their fate there determined, and prepare for death before it is too late.”

In the excerpts above, these men affirmed that Jesus had just one church (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:22-23), and they wanted to be part of it, not any church that had been built by men. They called upon others to follow the Bible alone and to reject every human creed. They also expressed their desire for the dissolution of every denominational body. This was the spirit of the Restoration Movement, which made it fundamentally different from the Reformation Movement, which embraced human creeds and accepted the division inherent in denominationalism.

Summary

The principles of the Restoration Movement are the principles we need to follow today because they are rooted in the Scriptures – a rejection of man-made creeds (Matthew 28:18), a recognition of the New Testament pattern (2 Timothy 1:13), and an appeal for the unity of all Christians (John 17:21). Of course, the men who proclaimed the restoration plea did not always follow these principles perfectly. After all, they were mere men who were fallible just as anyone else. This would lead to trouble later as division arose among those who were part of this movement. We will discuss this in our next article.