What religion is the Salvation Army?

What is the "Church Organization" about which as mere "at home" Christians we used to have certain "thoughts"? Is it not the organization which demands the submission of the Christian to a central authority which in the case of the Romanist is vested in the Pope, in the case of the Anglican in his Archbishop, and in the case of the Nonconformist, in some Assembly, or Synod, or Conference? More lately we have had to add such a scheme as that of the Salvation Army, which, however, (though professing to appeal to Scripture in matters doctrinal) does not, I think, profess to be a Church organization, but simply and absolutely a military society for the salvation of souls; in which you have to surrender every exercise of your own conscience which may diverge from the will of the General.

E. — Let me read the connection. It seems that the Admiral feels quite sure that those who believe the record of God, and the words of Jesus, and know that they have eternal life, which he calls fictitious eternal life, live in gross sin. Now, even amongst Christians, there are comparatively few that fully believe Jesus as to this one point, and know that they have eternal life. And I would ask the Admiral, did he ever know one that was living in gross sin that enjoyed the blessed certainty that he had eternal life? Oh, let us flee from these defiling errors, and cling, in childlike simplicity, to the teaching and words of Christ: “Verily, verily, I say to you, He that hears my words, and believes on him that sent me, has eternal life.” Blessed Jesus, I rest on Thy precious words. I do not think there would be any profit in following further the various wanderings of the Army’s doctrine — their setting aside all that God has been pleased to restore to His people, in these days, as to the coming of the Lord Jesus to take His saints, &c. If the Lord will, you will find papers in “Things New and Old” 1884 on the connection there is between true practical holiness and the second coming of Christ, as connected in scripture. I know it is often said the Army is doing a great deal of good, and many souls are converted through them. I can only say, I have made many inquiries, and have not found them, but who would limit the grace of God with them, or in Rome? Outward reformation there may be, but can the soul rest on that? Was there not this amongst the Jesuits? Indeed, there is a great similarity between them, both in doctrine and practice. After three hundred years, they have succeeded in filling the country again with flags, and banners, and processions. And where have the Romanists opposed them? It is a vast confederacy under military organisation, and may one day prove itself a powerful ally of Rome.

There is not a Jesuit in England that will not be delighted thus to see the finished work of Christ set aside. Once receive the blessed testimony of scripture, that the believer is for ever perfected by the one infinite sacrifice of Christ, and the Church of Rome and the Salvation Army crumble to the dust. Again, I ask, will you give up the finished work of Christ to join the Salvation Army? I do not pursue the reasons why they reject the doctrine of “the literal payment of the sinner’s debt;” or, in other words, the very real substitution of Christ for my sins. It is enough for me that it is the only scriptural foundation for my salvation.

E. — I am thankful you have referred me to that scripture. If we follow this order, all is right; if we reverse it, as Rome and the Army by placing penance, or the penitent form, first, then all is wrong, as we shall be sure to try to rest in the sufficiency of our penance, or repentance, first, in order to believe in Christ. Now mark the order — it is the risen Christ that speaks: “Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day.” This is the first part of the commission — to show to souls what is written as to the necessity of the death; and not only the death, but the resurrection, of Jesus from the dead. This the Army never does first. Then the second part is — “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations,” &c. Let this order be observed, and then we cannot press true repentance and forgiveness too much. But as Rome denies the free grace of God, by putting penance the first, as a condition of the favour of God; so the Army puts the penance, or penitent form. The result is, their faith rests, first, in their repentance; then, secondly, in the blood of Jesus Christ. Thus they say, “The faith that saves a sinner speaks in this wise: God has promised to forgive those that repent, and come to Him, through the blood of Jesus Christ His Son. I repent, and come to Him, trusting only to the blood of Jesus Christ for mercy,” &c. I repent: this is the foundation; all that is said of Christ comes on this, or after this. And mark, this is not merely defended in a sentence or two; but perhaps there is not a more able or bitter denial of the free grace of God, in print, than an article bearing the name of Mrs. Booth: “Dealing with an Anxious Soul.” She speaks of the bitter consequences of directing a soul to Christ, as having paid their debt, and done everything for them. The conditions of salvation now are just the same as under law, the forsaking of all evil, turning the face toward God, and intensely desiring His favour and love, as to be willing to give up all evil, as a condition of attaining it. That Christ only “did His own work, not mine … but I nowhere read that He repented, and turned to God, and did works meet for repentance, and believed so for me. This He commands every soul to do for itself, or perish.” (Pages 76, 77.) Eternal salvation, is wrought on the cross, is entirely ignored. “And until a soul is willing to let Him save it from sin, He cannot save it.”

E. — Surely you do, and so does every Christian. But I will illustrate what I mean. You say, I am quite sure I am an Englishman — I was born, as to my nationality an Englishman. But could you then say, I am most anxious to be an Englishman; I am thinking of joining some society to be an Englishman? Or take another illustration. A man says, I know with certainty that I am a soldier — I know the day I was enlisted; I wear the uniform: but, oh, I do so long to be a soldier. Would not the desire to be an Englishman, or a soldier, be a total mistake? If the one said, I long to acquit myself as an Englishman; or, I wish, said the other, to be an efficient soldier of Her Majesty’s army — very, very good. This, my young friend, was the mistake of the early earnest Jesuits. This is the mistake of the Salvation Army. They do not know what a Christian is; they are like the man longing to be a soldier, when he is one. They first charge God with effecting a very imperfect work in regeneration. (Page 50.) They then try to ridicule the scriptural doctrine of the two natures (pages 51 to 56); and then, from page 59 to 91, they tell you what Holiness, or Sanctification, is, and how it is to be obtained. The whole thing is as great a mistake as the soldier seeking how he may get to be a soldier.

It is a notable fact that in the religious bodies or associations where women's public speaking and leadership are sanctioned, as with "the Friends" and Salvation Army — expediency or the human will largely supplants the Word of God. In both of these, Christian baptism and the Lord's Supper are wilfully disregarded; and wilful disobedience in one thing leads to many others.

E. — I have not so read it. What I read is this: “but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” There is a great difference between Christ seeking to redeem us, and having obtained eternal redemption for us. My soul rests on the blessed fact that He came to do the Father’s will; and He has done it, never to be repeated. “Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the holy place every year with the blood of others,” &c. Yes, the work is done, the will of God is done: “By the which will we are sanctified, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” He is not seeking to do it. “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down on the right hand of God.” It may well suit Rome to say He is seeking to do it, and thus make way, by-and-by, for the sacrifice of the Mass, in which He seems to be seeking to redeem us. No, He is not now seeking to redeem — the work is finished; He has sat down. According to Rome, it is not finished, but is repeated, or continued, in the sacrifice of the Mass. I am anxious we should see distinctly to which side the Salvation Army leans — to Rome, or to the finished work of Christ, unchanging and immutable. Yes, “For by one offering he has perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” Read Hebrews 9, 10. May I ask, Do you find anything in the writings of the Army about eternal redemption, or being “perfected for ever”?

For many years I had to be extremely careful when staying in missionaries' houses in South India, for when the Mohammedans got to know where I was, they would swarm round the house in order to attack me. I would have to disguise myself, and get away by an unexpected way, sometimes climbing over the compound wall, and disappearing into the jungle. Some account of my work for the Lord may be interesting. I met with the Salvation Army. I admired the simple way in which the Salvationists lived, how they mixed freely with the poorest in their homes, the earnestness with which they preached the Gospel, that they lived as one big family, eating native food, and sitting on the floor like the natives. Eventually I joined them, and was accepted as an officer. I spent thirteen happy years with them, till my wife's continued ill-health compelled me to leave. I retired with the rank of Major. During that time I witnessed hundreds of conversions, mostly among the low caste folk, who gave up their idols of wood and stone, were baptised, and became earnest followers of the Lord.

There is such a thing as living evangelical lives as well as delivering evangelical addresses, lives in which the power of the gospel is seen, because subject to Christ, and through which the music of the gospel is heard, because walking in the Spirit. It was our privilege the other day to meet a dear Christian in the railway train. He told us that twenty-one years previous he was, without exception, the worst sinner in Stockton-on-Tees—a drunken, blaspheming sceptic; but God laid His hand upon him in a Salvation Army meeting, and he turned to the Lord Jesus Christ. He was a mechanic, and in the shop where he worked were six other infidels. They first scoffed, and often afterwards tried to draw him into argument. But his one reply was: “I will not argue with you, for you can beat me at that; but you know what I was, and you see what I am now. If you want to argue, argue with the power that saved and keeps me.” That power was the power of the grace of God. They saw it, and their mouths were closed; and ere long he had the joy of grasping the hand of each of his fellow-workmen as fellow-Christians! This man illustrates what we mean by being evangelical in our lives. May we be greatly exercised in this matter, at the same time not indifferent as to the proclamation of the Lord. How greatly labourers are needed, men with devoted hearts and fervent souls, prepared to make sacrifices and to suffer hardships for the Lord's sake and the gospel's! It is God's way to take up those who are faithful in their own circle and thrust them out into a wider field. The Lord alone can thrust out labourers—this is His prerogative; ours it is to earnestly desire to be taken up by Him (1 Cor. 12:31).

Surely these bodies had grave and sufficient reasons for the stand they made. And why should the Founder of the Salvation Army, the late General Booth, write to all officers of that body:—

“No language of mine could be too strong in condemning any officer's affiliation with any Society which shuts our Lord outside its Temples ; and which in its religious ceremonies gives neither Him nor His name any place. The place where Jesus Christ is not allowed is no place for any Salvation Army Officer!”