The Development of the Doctrine of Sanctification Within the Missionary Church

by Bill McPhail

How did the doctrine of entire sanctification develop in the early days of the Missionary Church?

In his Book The History of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church, Dr. J. A. Huffman writes: “ It is not easy to point out all the factors which entered into the development made in the church, in relation to this doctrine. A Free Methodist in one community, a United Brethren in another, and an Evangelical in still another, may be accredited with having been instrumental in bringing the doctrine of sanctification to the attention of the church. The writings of A. Sims, Geo. D. Watson, John S. Inskip, and others fell into the hands of these zealous Christians and exerted their influence. But the cause was more likely inherent than external or visible. People, truly converted and walking in the light, were led to see their privilege and duty in relation to being cleansed from all sin, and embraced the provision. God providentially permitted such human agencies as have been or may be pointed out to direct a willing and obedient people into the deeper things of the Christian experience.”

Though the writings of Albert Sims, G. D. Watson and John S. Inskip were a significant influence upon the early leaders of what would inevitably become the Missionary Church, it is probably safe to postulate that the names of these men are relatively unknown to the average pastor or layperson within the Missionary Church today.

It would serve us well then to do more than recite the names of Sims, Watson and Inskip. If we are serious about understanding our holiness heritage, it seems only logical that we would be well served in rediscovering what these men wrote that so significantly shaped our doctrine of sanctification and holiness.

With that in mind I will limit our investigation only to time period in which their writings would have influenced the formation of the doctrine of sanctification within the lives of our first leaders during the crucial time of our denomination’s infancy.

Not surprisingly, all three men: Sims, Watson and Inskip published books from 1878 till 1882 that received wide distribution among our Mennonite predecessors. Furthermore, while it is more likely that our Canadian brethren were more likely to occasionally sit under the actual preaching of the Canadian Sims, our American forefathers were likely to have attended one of the Camp Meetings for the proclamation of Christian Holiness headed by Inskip in either Pennsylvania or New York; and had even greater access to the preaching of Watson who preached a great deal in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan.

During that time period Albert Sims was the only one of the three who did not author a book dealing directly with the subject of holiness. His widely read book published in 1878 entitled: The Sin of Tobacco. Smoking and Chewing Together With An Effective Cure For These Habits clearly addressed the call to purity and holiness.

Sim’s began his very first chapter by writing: '' Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."—1. Cor. vii. 1.

" If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, whose temple ye are."—1. Cor. iii. 17.

“The central idea of the religion of Christ,” wrote Sims, “is purity, and it applies to the body as well as to the soul. Is it any wonder that God requires a pure temple to dwell in? Would we offer a dear friend, who came to see us, a filthy room to occupy? Nay, but we would provide for his reception with the greatest care. How much more careful should we be to furnish a pure temple for the Holy Spirit to dwell in.”

Continuing, Sims would write: "One of the most eminent believers in, this kingdom, for example, gave us this account of an important fact in his experience. For more than twenty years he had been an abject slave to tobacco. He had often resolved to abandon the habit, and prayed for strength to keep his purpose; and as often without success. When he set his heart fully upon being 'sanctified wholly,' and being baptized with the Holy Ghost, 'I said to myself,' he remarked, 'the heart-purity which I seek is certainly not compatible with enslavement to this appetite. I accordingly, in specific terms, spread this promise before my Saviour: "From all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you." With that promise distinctly in view, and with absolute faith in the trustworthiness of Him that had promised, I asked Him to take that appetite from me. In an instant the work was done, and from that moment to this I have never experienced the remotest stirrings of the appetite.' "

Later in his book Sims quotes English preacher George Warner: "In seeking to promote the work of holiness and teaching that the body, as well as the spirit and soul, is to be wholly sanctified and preserved blameless—that God's people are to be cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh as well as of the spirit— that he will cleanse his people from all their filthiness and from all their idols, and then possess the temple for Himself, many have come to see the necessity of abandoning the use of tobacco; and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ they have done it.”

While one hears little today from the pulpit that matches Sim’s polemic regarding the prohibition of tobacco, and other harmful products, it is equally true that we hear little as well regarding being ‘sanctified wholly’ and experiencing ‘heart-purity.” Perhaps if we did we would find, in the words of J. A. Huffman, more “people, truly converted and walking in the light, (who will be) led to see their privilege and duty in relation to being cleansed from all sin, and embrace(d) the provision (of sanctification).”

In our next Issue of We Were Frogs we will begin to look at the influence of John Inskip and the development of the doctrine of sanctification within the Missionary Church.