The period of Revivalists is a period of interest to us even
more so in these days as you read this brief history. Robert Murray
McCheyne and Andrew Bonar, during their college years came "under
the spell of the meteoric message of Edward Irwing before his
excesses in doctrine had lead him far away from the beaten track"
(whatever that means!).
This..challenged and stretched the
Calvinistic views that prevailed
Irving had, as with Thomas Erskine
and John Macleod Campbell been not far from the debates as they
challenged and stretched the Calvinistic views that prevailed. In an
era of all things mechanical, steam engines, bridges, and great
advancements in construction, perhaps the Christian walk was not a
simple tick box check-list, a system or procedure of sorts but
something far more.
In an age where doctrine and
understanding had primarily been handed over or handed down through
Divinity Colleges, questioning the stance of the establishment was
seen as weak faith or ungodly. Irwing, Erskine and Campbell,
continued to debate the person of Christ, the nature and scope of
Atonement, election and eternal punishment, and the gifts of the Holy
Spirit. It is evident that many Churchmen seeking the closer
spiritual life saw something in Irwing that appealed to them, yet
their education and influence did not allow them to enter in.
Erskine: “The disappearance of these gifts from the Church, must be a greater difficulty than their reappearance could be...”
Around 50 people were meeting in
Henry Drummond's house at Albury, to study the prophetic books of the
Bible. Out of these meeting came, in time, the Catholic Apostolic
Church. Two things that were in the forefront of concern at
these meetings in Albury, were:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit as
seen at Pentecost.
Expectation of the second
Coming, in the near future.
