The great restorationist preacher of the early 20th century, N.B. Hardeman, preached a now-famous Gospel meeting at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in March-April 1922, and subsequent meetings in the same location. Thousands attended this series of meetings, which is arguably the most successful such event in the history of church, since the first century. Hundreds were baptized. Transcripts of Hardeman’s extemporaneous sermons from these meetings have been compiled in five volumes, titled Hardeman’s Tabernacle Sermons. In one of these sermons, Brother Hardeman described the force with which the Restoration Movement grew as it stressed simple, New Testament Christianity; Hardeman also explained the various errors that hindered the progress:
“From the beginning of the nineteenth century, or thereabout, the great Restoration of primitive affairs was proclaimed throughout our land. It shook this old earth from center to circumference. When those principles were announced clearly, unmistakably, and without modification or apology, the world sat and trembled at the very thought that it had been in error so long regarding God’s word. Men from human denominations rushed to accept a gospel restored. Together a happy brotherhood marched on down the line. It was a solid body. It had one common objective, and every heart beat in perfect unison with the others. But, what happened? That peace and tranquility was not for long. In 1849, in the city of Cincinnati, there was organized a human society for the making known of the wisdom of God to the world [a “missionary society”—CC] What was that? A contravening of God’s statement that by the church, God’s wisdom was to be made known. . . . Then in 1859, up here at Midway, Kentucky, they brought in a little melodeon, wherewith to worship and praise God. And again, division was made to appear” (4:80-81).
Hardeman’s explanation of these historical events is important, because he was living very close to the time during which they occurred, and he was feeling (as we continue to feel today) their effects. Notice two things that Brother Hardeman says here: (1) The purity of the Gospel message, when proclaimed simply and without apology, will produce good, pure results. This is exactly what Jesus implied when he taught the parable of the sower (Luke 8:4-15; 1 Peter 1:23). People will be refreshed by an honest appeal to return to the Scriptures. (2) Those who bring in unscriptural innovations are to be blamed for troubling the peaceful unity of the Restoration Movement in which we are involved. We must be committed to following the pattern of the New Testament (Romans 6:17), and only then may we be both unified and pleasing to God (1 Corinthians 1:10-17).