As the eighteenth century closed and the nineteenth arrived, in the United States an intense interest in and a great revival of religion arose. Where freedom of religion is enjoyed in the US thousands attended great revival meetings with a deeper study of the New Testament.
Serious and good men in various parts of the country were disenchanted with religious division among the various church groups. They had the desire and put forth the effort to bring back the teachings of the New Testament.
Carroll Ellis stated that at this time there were twelve kinds of Presbyterian churches; thirteen different types of Baptist faiths; and seventeen different Methodist communions. All too often, the shadows of Roman Catholicism could be seen in the existing denominations.
List of five men who had a part in the restoration , who put forth a great effort to go back to the fundamental teachings of the New Testament.
- James O’Kelly (1757 to 1826)
- Elias Smith and Abner Jones
- Barton Warren Stone (1772 to 1844)
- Thomas Campbell (1763 to 1854)
- Alexander Campbell (1788 to 1866)
James O’Kelly (1757 to 1826)
One of the earliest known attempts at restoration in America was by a Methodist preacher James O’Kelly in 1792. Laboring in Virginia and North Carolina, he led in one of the earliest known attempts at restoration in America. He with four other Methodist preachers in Virginia, withdrew and separated themselves from a Methodist group there.
In November 1794, because of the unlimited powers of the Methodist Episcopal Bishop, they formed a collective group known as the “Republican Methodist Church.” This new group met at Lebanon, Virginia in August 1795 and made an attempt to go back to the fundamental teachings of the New Testament.
In a meeting, a committee of seven was appointed to formulate a creed. Rice Haggard, a member of the committee said they were having difficulty formulating a creed, and said:
“Brethren this (holding aloft of a Bible) is a sufficient rule of faith and practice.”
He moved that members were called Christians and from now on that would be simply their name. Following Haggard’s appeal, a brother Hafferty of North Carolina stood up and moved that they take the Bible itself as their only creed.
From these two motions were devised what became known as the “Five Cardinal Principles:”
The five Cardinal Principles:
- • The Lord Jesus Christ as the only Head of the Church.
- • The name Christian to the exclusion of all party and sectarian names.
- • The Holy Bible, or the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament our only creed, and a sufficient rule of faith and practice.
- • Christian character, or vital piety, the only test of church fellowship and and membership.
- • The right of private judgment, and the liberty of conscience, the privilege and duty of all.
In 1801, the name “Republican Methodist” was discarded in favor of being known only as Christians. Although there were evident weaknesses in the beginning, nevertheless, a beginning was being made to return to the principles of New Testament Christianity.
Elias Smith and Abner Jones
Abner Jones (1772 to 1841)
Elias Smith (1769 to 1846)
Abner Jones, a physician, in Vermont, became greatly dissatisfied with the various sects names and their doctrines. He began preaching among the Baptist churches that the different sects with their membership and distinguished by a specific name should be abolished. He succeeded in establishing a church at Lyndon Vermont.
In September, 1800, dedicated to getting back to New Testament teachings.
Elias Smith a Baptist preacher began preaching enthusiastically about restoration. Together he and Abner Jones, exhorted and preached with the result that several congregations discarded denominational teachings and called themselves Christians.
Abner Jones was born in Royalton, Massachusetts, April 28, 1772. When his family moved to Bridgewater, Vermont he was eight. During his teen years he Led a somewhat immoral life But baptized by Elder Elisha Ransom In 1793, he joined Ransom’s Baptist Church.
Jones taught school, preached, and practiced this early medicine through his lifetime. He started his medical practice around 25 and there in Lyndon Vermont met and married married Damaris Prior.
Jones had a reawakening interest in religion and considering the ministry he soon embarked on a preaching pursuit. With his Bible study he came to an awakening leading him to break from the Baptists church and proclaiming himself a Christian only, emphasizing Christian character as the only and all-sufficient test for Christian fellowship. In 1801, Jones organized a “free church” in Lyndon Vermont.
Elias Smith born June 17, 1769, in Lyme, Connecticut, His mother was a “New Light” Congregationalist and his father was a Baptist. His grandmother named him Elias, but Smith always hated the name. He held a strong conviction for freedom.
He worried considerably about transgressions during childhood years At eight, his mother tried to have him baptized by sprinkling, after a dispute over it he was forced to give in.
At only ten concerned about his baptism he studied the subject in the scripture on baptism which led him to
conclude only by immersion would it be effective.
He was baptized in the Queecy River and became a member of the Second Baptist Church in Woodstock, Connecticut. Note the unscriptural name.
Considering the ministry in 1789, he studied the Bible and soon fell into disrepute over Baptist theology. A few years later he Resolved to follow only the Scripture and took the name Christian which he found the name which believers ought to wear; which was Christians (in Acts 11:26).
Like Abner Jones, Smith tried many different occupations during his lifetime. He taught school, practiced medicine, preached, and was an author and editor. Smith met Abner Jones in 1803 and brought his whole congregation, along with some Free Will and Regular Baptist churches in the area, into Jones’ movement.
With the church Jones started in Lyndon Vermont with 25 members it spread soon after into New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and the eastern British Provinces (Canada).
In September, 1808 Elias Smith began publishing The Herald of Gospel Liberty with 274 subscribers. Billed as the first religious newspaper in the United States, which it seemed to be, it reached a circulation of 1,500. For the day it was a good number.
The paper in its writings defended the group’s principles and served as a means of communication, through which Christians in other areas could get acquainted. Smith wrote in his paper on October 1, 1817 he once again adopted Universalism, which was the last published under that current name.
Six months later a new name appeared, the Christian Herald which appeared briefly, then the Christian Journal which too had a brief history.
After becoming a separate people, three points were determined:
- No head over the church but Christ.
- No belief or doctrine but the New Testament.
- No other name but Christians.
Fellowship was on the basis of these three points.
Their major contributions to the Restoration Movement are:
- No head over the church but Christ.
- No belief or doctrine but the New Testament.
- No other name but Christians.