(Upper Tequomenon Falls, U.P. Michigan)
The Immutable Kingdom – Part 70
By Scott A. Klaft
J. W. McGarvey continued
A man by the name of W. H. Hopson was preaching for the Main Street church in Lexington, Kentucky, heavily siding with the southern point of view as the Civil War began. Several among the congregation were greatly antagonized by this, causing Hopson to see the need to change residence. Yet, Hopson was very wise in his recommendation when he suggested that J. W. McGarvey was the right man for the job.
In 1862, McGarvey arrived in Lexington, having neither northern, nor southern political inclination. He taught that both sides should lay down their arms and settle the issues without force or bloodshed. At the time, the church, in size, was fourth in Lexington, but very soon, it was ranked first. His work continued without interruption by the war except during the Battle at Richmond, at which time the building was used as a hospital.
McGarvey’s heart was that of a teacher; but, upon receiving two invitations to teach Mathematics at Bethany College in Virginia, he rejected them both. Robert Milligan, president of Kentucky University, offered McGarvey a position to teach English Literature; but again, he refused, desiring only to teach the Bible. Then, in 1865, Kentucky University moved to Lexington. McGarvey was finally satisfied to help organize the curriculum for the Bible courses. He agreed to teach two hours a day in a course called “Sacred History,” which was a survey of the Bible. After a year, he decided he had devoted too much of his time to the school in order to adequately perform his duties as the preacher for the church; he determined that he could use his strengths for the Lord better if he devoted his work entirely to the school.
Upon the death of Alexander Campbell, Bethany College practically surrendered the scepter to Kentucky University as the center of brotherhood attention. McGarvey found himself playing a central roll. Much later, when denials of the inspiration of the Bible began troubling society, McGarvey wrote vigorously in the Christian Standard profoundly refuting such destructive errors. His work was so pure and so thorough, even the secular newspaper, The London Times, hailed McGarvey as among the greatest scholars of the nineteenth century in the field of evidences and in the defense of the Bible against the self-proclaimed “Higher Criticism.”[1]
The life and activities of J. W. McGarvey are a lengthy tale. His work continues to benefit the brotherhood tremendously even to this day. A more in-depth discussion of his life between the years of 1865 and his death on September 12, 1912 would take us out of the time period that uniquely deserves our attention. Taking a broader view, this war-torn time period informs us distinctly on how religious conditions today have come to be as they are.
The Church in Time of War
To set the stage for a brief overview of the church during the Civil War, it is necessary to step away from the Restoration Movement and its attendants, to make mention of the historical political climate of the era. The decade between 1855 and 1865 was arguably the most perilous time in the history of America. Naturally, it would bring troublesome times to the newly restored church as well.
Political turmoil had been brewing for quite some time, and due to an Act passed by Congress, the Whig party was quickly withering, making room for the Republican Party. The Democrat candidate, James Buchanan, was able to defeat the Republican nominee in the election of 1856. His term in office unfortunately confirmed popular suspicions that the Democrat party was unprepared to settle the growing controversy simmering in the nation.
Similar to the more modern Roe v. Wade Supreme Court Decision, wherein the Justices concluded that a human life is something other than a human being, on March 6, 1857, they decided that Dred Scott, a Missouri slave, was considered the “property” of another person. It became obvious the Democrat rhetoric and their “Missouri Compromise” would accomplish little to alleviate mounting tensions, or to unify the intensely divided philosophies concerning state sovereignty.
(To Be Continued Next Week)
[1] A Review of the New Versions; Wallace, Foy E. Jr.; (1973) p. 343
