THE THEOLOGY OF JOSEPH H. SMITH

451 Pages·18.081 MB·English

by  ROSE, DELBERT ROY

THE THEOLOGY OF JOSEPH H. SMITH
by
Delbert Roy Rose
Chairman
Professor M* Willard Lampe
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
in the Department of Religion in the Graduate
College of the State University of Iowa
August, 1952
ACKNOVJLEDGEMENT
The writer wishes to ecqpress his sincere appreciation to
the following persons:
To Professor M. Willard Lampe, the esteemed director of the
School of Religion of the University, who has encouraged the author
throughout his graduate studies and provided valuable recommendations
during the preparation of this investigation.
To Dr. G. W. Butler, former president of the National Holi­
ness Association and for many years an intimate friend of Joseph H.
Smith, who has given the author information concerning and insights
into the character and ministry both of the man Smith and the
movement he represented.
To Mrs. Dorothy W. Rose, wife of the writer, who has
lovingly encouraged her husband throughout his graduate studies and
willingly sacrificed time and strength to type the major portion of
this paper.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter page
I Introduction............. 1
The purpose........................................ 1
Statement of the purpose ...............• . • • 1
Importance of the study...................... 2
Limitation of the subject ........................... 6
Method of procedure ............. • • • • • • • • • • 6
Definitions of terms .............................. 9
Organization of the dissertation 11
II The National Holiness Association ....................... 13
The evangelical awakening .....................13
The holy c l u b .................................. 13
The holiness movement . . .. . ................. 15
The earliest achievements.............• . • • . 16
The decline of Wesleyanism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Wesley’s struggle ............................ 20
American Methodism drifts.......................21
The American revival of Wesleyanism................... 23
The sustained witness...........................24
The revivalistic witnesses • • • • . . . . • . . » 26
The Palmers 26
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Chapter page
Prominent associates..................... 50
The channels of revival........... $1
The National Camp Meeting Association......... 53
John A. Wood............................ 53
John S. Inskip .......................... 60
Inskip's successors ..................... 81
III. Joseph H. Smith, 1855-19li6 99
Early l i f e ...................................... 99
Conversion and call.............................. 103
Entire sanctification ................... 107
His first sermon * .............................. 109
The preacher's license ...................... . 112
Heme missionary labors.......................... 115
Conference membership............................ 117
Full-time evangelist ....................... 119
The evangelistic institute....................... 127
Evangelizing Methodism........... 1U0
National Holiness Association Work ........ 1U8
Author........... 151
Bible-expositor evangelist.................. 155
Dean of holiness expositors................. 156
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Chapter page
Expository principles . . . . 157
Expository aims ........... l6l
Emotional appeals .......................... 161
Evangelism's field of operation ............. 162
Evangelism threatened ............. 164
Missions and schools . • ................. . . . . 169
His missionary outreach ............... 169
His educational concern ............. 171
Memorabilia.................... 176
IV The Gospel of Grace and Glory......................... 186
The starting point.............................. 186
His theology Methodistic............. 186
His authority Biblical......... ... 187
His pattern Pauline * . . . 188
His ministry evangelistic....... * ......... 189
His doctrine experimental 190
The glory and grace mediated:
revelation to man . ............. 190
The world as revelational ................... 191
The written word as revelation............... 192
Scholarship and the scriptures......... 193
The scriptural doctrine ofs cripture . . . 195
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Chapter page
Revelation and inspiration . . . . . . . . . 197
Inspiration and illumination . . . . . . . . 201
Illumination and interpretation ......... 203
The central figure of scripture ......... 206
V The Gospel of Grace and Glory (continued) ............208
The God of glory.................................... 208
His nature............. . • 208
His attributes................................ 209
His tri-personal being ............. 210
The glory of God manifested: creation
and providence................................ 212
In heaven and earth .....................212
In angels ......................... . . . . . . 215
In m a n ........................................216
The glory marred: the f a l l .................... . * 220
Origin of e v i l ................................ 220
Original sin . . . . . . . . . . 221
Twofold nature of sin . . . . . . . . . ........ 225
Penalty and effects of sin ............. 227
The extended probation........... 229
The cursed earth 230
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Chapter page
VI The Gospel of Grace and Glory (continued)............. 232
The God of grace manifested:
redemption for m a n ......................... 232
The person and work of Christ:
the Lord of glory..................... 232
The law of God...................... . 233
The gospel of grace................... 235
The gracious redeemer ............... 236
The person and work of the Holy Spirit:
the Spirit of grace and glory......... 252
The strivings of the Spirit........... 254
The illumination of the Spirit......... 256
The birth of the Spirit.............. . 257
The witness of the Spirit............. 260
The sanctification of the Spirit........ 265
The guidance of the Spirit . . . . . . . . 269
The gifts of the Spirit .............. 276
The unity of the Spirit............... 279
The intercession of the Spirit. . . . . . 284
The grieving of the Spirit............. 286
The supply of the Spirit............... 288
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Chapter page
VII The Gospel of Grace and Glory (continued).................. 292
The grace of God realized:
the recovery of man............................ 292
Grace for individuals...........................293
Justification ......................... 297
Sanctification........................... 318
Glorification............................ 343
The glorious church . ......................... 348
The fact of the church.....................348
The foundation of the church . . . . . . . . 350
The features of the church ............... 354
The function of the church............... 363
The faith of the church................... 371
The failure of the church................. 375
The future of the church ........... 376
The glory of God manifested anew:
The restored glory of man . ............. 378
The glorious appearing of Christ . . . . . . 379
Glorified in His saints ............. 381
Judgment against sinners ........... 382
The glorious kingdom of Christ............. 385
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Chapter page
VIII Summary and Conclusions............... 388
The distinctiveness of this study..................... 388
Summary............. . * .......... . ...............389
Conclusions...................................... 391
Suggestions for further study ................ 394
Appendix A ............................................396
Appendix B ............... 399
Appendix C ........... 402
Bibliography............................................405
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1
Chapter I
INTRODUCTION
World War II occasioned in England the re-study of John
Wesley, the great revivalist of the eighteenth century, and his
doctrine of superlative piety or Christian perfection*1 That this
English evangelist has had unusual significance since his day is evi­
denced by the fact that
With the probable exception of a few statesmen and scientists,
perhaps a general or two, John Wesley has received more at­
tention from the pens of biographers and has had more written
about him than any other Englishman of the eighteenth century.
Time seems scarcely to have affected men's interest in him.2
While Wesley has been studied again and again, it has seemed
strange to this investigator that some of his American followers have
received so little attention. Yet their contribution has been a part
of the sustained influence of Wesleyan thought and institutions. One
such figure in American Methodism has been the Reverend Joseph H.
Smith, 1855-1946.
The Purpose
Statement Of The Purpose
Smith was a product and a promoter of a revivalistic movement
1. R. N. Flew, The Idea of Perfection, p. xiiij W. E. Sangster, The
Path to Perfection, p. 7*
2. William R. Cannon, The Theology of John Wesley, p. 13*