"Tongues" in 1820's England

"Tongues" in 1820's England

By Bob Faulkner

Edward Irving was a Presbyterian minister in London, being influenced by Alexander Scott and others. They had come to the conclusion that there must be miracles today and they began to fast and pray about it.

Strangely, Irving, a very dynamic speaker, and a generally good man, was influenced greatly by Samuel Coleridge, a poet but not a Christian, with many false views. Later an Opium addict.

Irving was also convicted of heresy, teaching that Jesus' human nature was sinful. That only by the Holy Ghost quickening Him daily was He kept from actual sin.

Do you have an answer for this issue? For there seems to be a little of it in the movements of today. The nature of Jesus is critical. We cannot preach another Jesus. But Irving did.

We believe that Jesus was the second Adam. First Adam was without sin at first. So was Jesus. He was born of a human mother, but made sinless in her womb. The Immaculate Conception was made up by Rome to help us believe this a little more. Why, Jesus could not be born of a human because humans are sinful. So let's do away with Mary's sinfulness by saying she was made perfect in the womb.

There's a better way. The Immaculate conception of Jesus. Fully human, in the original sense. Nothing of corrupt fallen human nature in that Body. A Perfect Man. His very genetic structure had the seed of God's Spirit mixed in with the seed of man.

Hebrews 4:15. He was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Human flesh is susceptible to temptation but can be sinless. Such was Jesus. To call His flesh sinful is to speak heresy.

Hebrews 1:6. Would all the angels of God worship a man with a sinful nature?

Hebrews 1:5. Would God claim as His own peculiar son, one who had a sinful nature?

He suffered being tempted, but never once succumbed to temptation. His flesh nature remains perfect, a state we shall not have until we pass to glory.

But he would not recant of this. Meanwhile, it seemed prayers were answered when a young woman in Scotland, Maty Campbell, was not only healed of a fatal disease, but also erupted one day in tongues. The gifts had been restored!

Many others claimed a similar visitation, but many tongues were known to be false, for example, saying Jesus was coming now.

Irving believed it all, preached it all, and was asked to leave the hall he was renting, on the basis of the Presbyterian belief in cessationism.

He went elsewhere and founded the first "Irvingite" congregation, known after his death as the Catholic Apostolic church.

(Later I will tell you of the relationship between the present Catholic Church and the New Apostolic reformation! And I will show you the legitimate heirs of the apostolic movement.)

Next comes one Robert Baxter, 1831-2. He purportedly received a gift of prophecy that he used to direct Irving. Irving was totally controlled by this man until Baxter admitted he (Baxter) was under delusion, and further he believed the entire movement was a result of a lying spirit.

Irving was too far entrenched to accept that verdict and took Baxter's confession as an attack from the enemy. Baxter might have a lying spirit, but not Irving.

Later, Mary Campbell, who started it all was forced to "... confess my sin and error for calling my own impressions the Voice of God" Oh that millions around the world today could do the same.

An eyewitness at one of Irving's meetings, from a local newspaper, the British Weekly, Jan 18, 1889: "The tongues are loud and strong. No earthly counterpart. Sometimes just la la la la la. Hysterical. Shrieking. Sends a strange thrill. Starts with a yell, then separate sounds, not words, like sounds uttered by a deaf and dumb child modulating tones, but innocent of speech."

Irving himself never received any gifts. Many "gifted" folks later confessed they were false.

Remember that all of this was before Azusa street, where tongues supposedly originated in our time. But it sounds much like it, and much like what we see today, but not like what the Scriptures talk about. Nothing weird there in the Bible, just wonderful.

Look for Bob Faulkner's creations on http://sermonaudio.com including a through-the-Bible course, works about the Christ, the antichrist, the rapture, the church, prophecy and the persecution in North Korea. Look also for series on Muhammad and Islam, written for Christian believers. All of these works are now in book form available at Amazon. Go to http://www.amazon.com/author/bfaulkner to look at all these books.

As for me, I'm a man found of God over 55 years ago, called to the ministry, now retired from school teaching, and serving the Lord as a nursing home minister, and podcaster.

Article Source:  "Tongues" in 1820's England