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Introduction PDF
Introduction PDF
Grotheer
Introduction
Around the year 1900 a revival took place in the state of Indiana
that many contemporaries considered as a special outpouring of
the Pentecostal power of the Holy Spirit. However, quite a
number of Adventists, including Ellen White, were disturbed
and shocked from what the saw or heard. In emotionally
charged, out of control worship services people were yelling
prayers and praises accompanied by erratic playing of musical
instruments. She viewed it as a counterfeit revival and
throughout the years many Adventists were afraid of new
worship and music choices since she had predicted a resurgence
of these elements in the Seventh-day Adventist Church near the
close of probation.
Ellen White nicknamed the movement “Holy Flesh movement”
whereas its advocates called it “the cleansing message.” She
warned not to pick up any points of that doctrine and call it
truth.
(
Se•inary
A Research Paper
Presented in Fulfillment
by
William H. Grotheer
July 1965
_l
l
•
I • •
•
•
•
PREFACE
While pastor of the Marion, Indiana district, the writer had occa•
aion to visit with the late Jesse E. Dunn, who at that time was residing
near Rockford. The course of the conversation turned to the book, which
the observation that a similar teaching was found among the advocates of
the 11 Holy Flesh" doctrine back at the turn of the. century. This sparked
Brother Jesse Dunn had been Book Agent for the Indiana Conference
story of what happened. He himself wrote to, and placed the writer in
Later when the writer became head of the Bible Department at Madi·
investigate the subject more fully. While circwastances did not permit
tbe student to finalize bis findings. the -terial he gathered has been
1
Seventh-day Adventists Answer questions on Doctrine, (Washington
D. c.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1957) 720 PP•
:li
incorporated into the over-all picture_presented.
It i• recognized that there are still gaps inthe story of the move-
•ent, and that while the atory of the involvement of s. s. Davia, the
apart fraa the published and written records of the period come from the
•emories of those who at the time they gave their recollections were
removed at least fifty years frcm the eve~ts they were at~empting to
material from that period on the subject is scarce and bard to find.
One of its major premises was not fully developed in the ainda of the
forthright testimony which cut short aru;I ended' the affair declared,
not ala; that aince they have holy flesh. their actions are all holy.
2
What a door of temptation would thus be opened!"
iii
I am indebted to Dr. E. K. Vande Vere, Chairman of the History
found in the Review and Herald concerning the work in Indiana during the
aame period aa the letters, statements, and pamphlets that I bad gather•
records extant in the vault, certain statements which came from the
memory of those sincere and honest folk who willingly sought to help
the writer reconstruct the picture of what took place in those emotion
which accompanied the ''Holy Flesh 11 Movement that "many such movements
will arise at this time, when the Lord's work should stand elevated, pure,
unadulterated with superstition and fable. 113 It is hoped that this brief
gard to holy flesh." 4 Chapter V of this paper has dealt with one of tbe
aajor assumptions which led to the conclusions of the "holy flesh" doc•
trine. This was done with the prayer that the &&Ille erroneous teaching
3
.!.!?.!!!·· p. 421
4
Ibid., p. 419
iv
,,,-
(
~NTENTS
PREFACE • • • • • • • • ~ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 11
aiAPrER 1
The Hen Involved • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1
CHAPrER 11
The s. s. Davis Story • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 8
CHAPrER Ill
Emotional Extravaganza • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •. • • • 13
CHAPrER IV
CHAPTER V
The Doctrine of the Incarnation • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 26
CHAPTER VI
Summary • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 31
aL\PrER Vil
Conclusion • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ~ • • 34
APPENDIX A
BIBLIOGRAPHY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 41
- 1 -
The "Holy Flesh,. Movement was not done in a corner as far aa the
affair was read, stated, "While I did not belong to the Conference Com•
mittee, I stood with the Committee, and believed that what we were
teaching was the truth. 111 Jesse Dunn recalls that at the Muncie, Indiana
the entire working staff except five (two ordained men and three licenti•
2
ates) embraced the movement.
would lead to the conclusion that Elder R. s. Donnell, who was serving
Indiana as president, was the source for the movement in his conference.
1
General Conference Bulletin (S.D.A.) 1901, p. 358
2 .
Jesse E. Dunn, Signed statement recalling events that took place
in connection with the "Holy Flesh" Movement~ The statement ia in the
possession of the writer.
3ceneral Cpnf~rence Bulletin cs.D.A.> 1901, P• 422
'·~
very sorry that I have done that which would mar the cause of ~. and
4
lead anyone in the wrong way. 11 But one looks in vain for the least
admission from Elder Donnell that he was the one who originated the
aovement.
4
tbld.
51b1d, p. 3sa
- 3 -
that be was among the first in the movement and for awhile thought he
would be the last out of it. · Only the records of heaven will reveal
the discussions that must have transpired between the men from. Indiana
following the Testimony_ by· Ellen G. White. And the Lord alone knowsthe
soul struggle that lies behind the words of s. s. Davis when he con-
fides, 11 But I praise God now that the victory is won, and inasmuch as
the Lord has spoken and said that the_ work was w~ong," I agree with the
doesn't want to accept responsibility for all that transpired. and all·
that was taught after the program was launched• he recognizes that he
. 7
was ·the source and assumes• 11 al 1 the blame for what was done in Indiana."
an expe~ience he bad with Brother Davia at the time Davis was serving
6
~. p. 330
7
It must be said in fairne~s to s. s. Davia that he ·was a sincere
man with a deep desire to see a revival and refot'llation come to the churches
of Indiana. He was well read in the Scriptures, and froa the few sources
available from.his pen, evidencP.d a deep regard for the Spirit of Proph~cy.
His life stand; as a testimony of how even men with sincere intention can
be deceived and unbalanced by misinterpretation and misapplication of ·1n-
&plred writings. WHG
,- -
_, .....
- 4 -
nated program fo~ evat.gel'isa ;_i:nvolving welfare ministry through the Mia•
•ion and interests initiated by the colporteur work was begun by Davis.
in the program. The idea was to secure as many three-month club aubscrip-
tions to the Signs of the Times as possible. It was planned that Davia
in the public meetings would refer to the Signs in bis sermons. and in
8
this way encourage home study along with the public effort.
A~ter accomplishing his objective, Dunn left to care fo~ the book
work in other parts of ~he State, but returned as soon as possible to
to Dunn, bad come in contact with the Pentecostal' people, no doubt through
9
bis evangelistic program. Elder Davis said to Dunn upon his return to
Evansville, "Brother Dunn they have the •spirit'; we have the truth, and
10
if we bad the •spirit' -as they have, with the truth we could do things."
able in the light of what bad and what was taking place in the Seventh-
day Adventist church at that period. During the 1888 General Conference
11
Jones and Waggoner. ln 1892, the servant of the Lord has written:
The time of test is just before us, for the .loud cry of the
third angel has already begun in the revelation of the right•
eousness. of Christ, ·the sin-pardoning Redeemer. This ia the
f
beginning of the ~ght of the angel whose glory shall fill
the whole earth. . .
It was understood by the church that the expressions, "loud cry" and the
"light of the angel whose glory will fill the whole earth", were synonymous
with the concept of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Latter Ra.in.
But still the fulness of the Holy Spirit was not realized. Then in 1898,
tions of the power of the Holy Spirit at the Illinois and Indiana Camp
Meetings noting that the church wa·s on the verge of the reception of the
Latter Rain. He then alluded to the 1893 Session of the General Confer•
ence in these words:
The latter rain would have come in 1893.if our people had moved
out in all the truth. In the year 1898 there is no line of truth,
so far as 1 know, that bas not been accepted. We shall see mani-
11
Mr• Viola Hopper, Davis' daughter, states that her father attended
tbia ·session and acc.epted the measage given.
12 .
Ellen G. White, "The Perils and Privilegea of the Laat Daya,"
Review ~nd Herald, November 22, 1892 (Vol.· 69, No. 46),·p. 722
festations that the Lord has fr>ken of, that will take place
just before the latter rain.
speaker. In two articles appearing in the Review fQr the year 1898 1 he
would appear that his theme at these meetings was, "Receive ye the Holy
Ghost." In one article he stated, "You and I can afford to resist unto
blood, striving against__ sin; but we cannot afford to sin. It is too late
15
Ghost in all of his fulness, • time to receiv~ the seal of God." In
another article, this theme is emphasized: "The loudest cry of the loud
cry is due today ••• Cleanse the seventh-day Adventi"st church of all un•
cleaness, and I will promise the loudest cry of the loud cry the same
16
day."
Ballenger's presentations had an influence on s. s. Davis. His
church.
- 8 •
11
Indiana. His mother was an "old time" Methodist,· while -his f.ather was a
Baptist. His father· served in the Civil wa·r and was incarcerated in the
infamous Andersonville pr~son. Soon after his release due to the ravages
of pri~on life. he died lea~ing the care of his wife and fo~r.younger
children to bis eldest son, s. s., who was at that time only thirteen.
This experience cut short his formal education. But by ma.king use of
Soon after his marriage, he and his bride attended a tent meeting
accepted the Truth. From 1887 • 1892, Davis colporteured in western Nebras•
ka, while staking out a claim to one hundred and sixty acres of land. The
books that be sold Were, The Great Controversy and Bible Readings for the
Home Circle. He also studied these books for himself during these.years.
1
The facts i~ the .foregoing paragraphs were gleaned from brief life
sketches p·rovided for the writer· by the daughter, Viola, and a son 9 Joseph
M. Davis.
• 9 -
In the Review and Herald for the year, 1893 1 1• found the report
Remnant cburch. 3 At the 1895 Camp Meeting held near Anderson, Indiana,
. 4
July 30 • August 12, Davis was ordained.
Indiana and establish the work there. In 1898, ~n unsigned itea appears
in the "Indiana News Notes" of the Review, noting that a Mission had been
established in Evansville, that it was in need of help• and that such items
Hand Mission and was located at 914 Main St. From three to five Bible
Studies were being conducted weekly besides the ~egular meetings in the
5
Mission.
2
aeview and Herald 9 September 5 9 1893 1 P• 573
3 August 27, 1895. p. 556.
ill.!!·.
4ill.!!,.,-A\lguat_ ~o. 1895 1 p. 536
5
ill.!!•• . Apri l 26, 1898. p. 272
r
• 10 -
Sabbath and Sunday, August 13, 14, were eventful days in the
history of .the work in th,is place. In the Sabbath meeting
the Spirit was ·present to impress hearts, and nine persons
requested baptism. Among them \fAS a Baptist minister of con•
aiderable prominence, who himself baptized twenty-eight con•
verts to t'he Baptist .faith at one time not long ago. We
secured the use of the baptistery in the First Baptist church,
and at three o'clock Sunday we administered baptism. Sunday
night our meeting w:as well attended. The subject was "The
Baptism of the Holy Ghost•~; and the ·spirit was poured out in
a_ large measure. It seemed that we were filled to the ut•
most of our capacity to receive. We have reached the time
of the mes~age, "Rec~ive ye the Holy Ghost"; and we are actu-
ally having pentecostal times and apostol.ic experiences. The
message is rising, and grand and awful times are before us.
This message will -close with power and great glory; and i£ 1t
is the will of the Lord, 1 want to live to see it triumph. 6
The next item about Davis was a brief note in a December, Review
of the same year. It observed that a continual revival bad been going on
Davis was asked to head a revival team which would go f rOll church to
and I never saw before such manif estationa of the power of God
in repentence as I have been permitted to witness ln the places
mentioned above. In all of these places shouts of victory made
the churches ring. Perfect union and love prevail. Sixty-seven
persons were added to the believers. Praise the Lord for his
goodness to the children of men.a
Coaaittee of the Conference thus sharing in the decisions ~nd course the
. . . 9
conference would take in the eventful months ahead. This year - 1900 •
witnessed the Muncie, Indiana Camp Meeting of which more will be stated in
another chapter.
G. White on April 17 read her Testimony regarding the work in Indiana. Fol-
lowing this Testimony the entire Conference Committee tendered their resig•
cept P. J. Stanley. 10
He engaged in farming on rented land near the town t-111 1910 9 then _mov~d
11
to Lyons, Indiana where be continued farming till 1920. The begining of
church came near the close of the family's stay in Elnora. The daughter
8
Ibid •• April 10, 1900, p. 237
9General Conference Bulletin 4tb Quarter (SDA) 1900, p. 207
1
10 . .
Review and Herald 9 May 14, 1901 1 PP• 316·31? ·
11see Footnote #1
- 12 •
This same· year t~ ministers held meetings for the Eln~ra chu~ch and
general church business meeting was called, and the church was disbanded.
When it was reorganized, s. s. Davis' name was omitted from the record.
Sister Davis, and the oldest son, Arlie, elected to join their husband and
13
father.
He died two years later in 19~8, at the ~ge of '73 1 and is buried in Gordon,
He bra ska.
12Viola Davis
. Hopper, A· letter to Jesse E. Dunn dated at Rushvil 1e,
Nebraska, February 9, 1959. (Emphasis hers.) Letter in possession of writer.
13
W. A. O.vis, A letter to Jesse E. Dunn dated at carthage, Mo.,
December 6 1 1958. The letter is in possession of WTiter.·
14Tbe writer. has a photo-copy of this ordination certificate.
- 13 -
III
EMOTIONAL EXTRAVAGANZA
ence of 1901 regarding the "Holy Flesh" Movement, she called attention
to the nature of the meetings that were being conducted by the men in•
The manner .in which the meetings in Indiana have been carried
on, with noise and confusion, does no.t commend them to thought•
ful, intelligent minds. There is nothing in these demonstra•
tions which will convince the world that we h4ve the truth.
Here noise and shouting are no evidence of ·sanctification, or
of the descent of the Holy Spirit. Your wild demonstrati9ns
create only disgust in the minds of ·the unbelievers. The fewer
of such demonstrations there are, the better it will be for the
actors and for the people in general. 1
From the very first report given by s. s. Davis on the work in Evans•
noted in the preceding chapter, that "the Spirit was poured out in a large
measure" and that they were "actually having pentecostal times and apos•
2
tolic experiences."
In the following year (1899>,. Elder A. J. Breed attended the Camp
observed, "There were some features of this meeting that I ·was sorry to
Hear the close of the same year, s. s. Davis began his work as Conf•
f estations of the power ·of God" and that in all the places he had been
up to the time of the report, there were "shouts of victory" which 111Bde
Not only in the conduct of these revival meetings are there found
ings during this period (1898 • 1900) as intimated by Elder Breed, were
orchestras were organized. Dunn in his testimony tells of the Camp Meet•
ing held near Lafayette, Indiana, where the group chartered the Electric
the use of the tambourine. At the Sullivan, Indiana Cslllp Meeting, Viola
Davis heard Elder Donnell ask his daughter to keep time with her ta~bourinc,
3
A. J. Breed, ••The Indiana Camp Meeting'~, Review and Herald,
August 29, 1899, pp. 650·651.
4
See Chapter ll, Footnote #8
5
Dunn, loc. cit.
6
Viola Davis Hopper, An undated biographical aWllDBry of events in
the life of her father, received by writer, Spring of 1965. In a letter
to Ellen G. White, dated September 25, 1900, Haskell makes this coanent:
"They are as .ach trained in their llUSical line as any $&1vation Army
Choir that you ever heard. In fac.t, their revival effort is simply a com•
plete copy of the Salvation Army method ...
• 15 •
the conference together in Indianapolis, and ·stated that they would re-
main in study and prayer until the Spirit would coae upon them as it did
known, but it must have been for several days, for Dunn recalls how de-
lighted he was when after a period of time, a day was set when the meet•
7
ing would be concluded. At this meeting, the Conference Revival team,
and others who held to this view which they calied the "cleansing message",
8
but which others dubbed;· "holy flesh", proclaimed it most vigorously •
. 9 .
The church itself at Indianapolis was deeply involved. The members
who accepted this teaching of holiness "would gather in the cleared base•
ment, • • • and a large number of them would dance in a large circle, shout-
ing and lifting up their hands. The children would be placed upon boxes
or barrels, and they too would shout and lift up their hands. In their
church services, they would pr~ach and shout a~ pray until someone in
would be walking up and down the aisles waiting for just this demonstra-
tion, and would lay hold of the person who had fallen, litterly dragging
bia up the aisle and placing hi• on the rostrum. Then a number, perhaps
a dozen, would gather about the prostrate form, ·some shouting, some sing•
ing, and some praying, all at the same time. ·Finally the individual
would revive, and he was then counted among the faithful who had passed
10
through the garden." This last expression is an allusion to the ex-
perience of Christ in ~~hsemane, which, they taught all who are trans-
generated by the "Holy Flesh" Movement is the account of the Muncie, lndi·
ana camp Meeting in 1900. Here the movement reached its climax. The
best way to present what took place is to let each eyewitness describe
Elder A. J. Breed and Elder and Sister s. N. Haskell were the Gen•
camp grounds 9 Hattie Haskell wrote to Ellen G. White presenting the things
Burton Wade a la'ymember from the Denver, Indiana church tells how
tambourines, an organ, and a big bass drum •. They shouted and ~ang
their lively songs with the aid of musical instruments until they be•
came really hysterical. Many times 1 saw them, after these morning
meetings, as they came to the dining tent fairly shaking as though they
while preaching held his hands out .over the cong.regation and his arms
became fixed and rigid. After the meeting Donnell told Roberts and
others that "he could feel great ~wer course down bis arms passing
to the fact that those involved in this movement "we.re carried away by
a spiritualistic delusion.u1 5
12 .
Hattie Haskell, A letter to Ellen G. White dated Muncie, Indiana,
September 22, ·1900. A copy is in possession of the Ellen c. White Publi·
cations off ice.
13 . 14 1 .
Wade, loc. cit. Roberts, oc. cit.
1SEllen G. White, Evangelism, (Washington D. C.: Review and Herald
Publishing Association, 1946) P• 595
- 18 •
White about his impressions of the Muncie Camp Meeting. He observed re•
fanaticism. He stated:
The people report that churches have been divided. Some con•
. scientious souls can not go to church because of this preach-
ing a.r:id .their· nr•t cr:dorcing it. I was told of one woman that
had been carried to the Insane Asylum through the influence of
it. I was called to see a woman on the camp-ground that had
requested.me to come, one morning, and she was on the point of
insanity. Unless God ~~pecially interferes, she will be insane,
if sh~ keeps on that same line. And you would think that the
whole c0mpany of them was insane in a revival effort. After an
ap;>e~l to come forw:nd for prayers, a few of the leading ones
would always come forward, to lead others to come; and then they
would begin to play on the musical instruments, until you could
not hear yourself think; and under the excitement of this strain,
they get a large proportion of the congregat_ion forward over and
over again. 17 ·
16see Footnote 11
17 .
. s. N. Haskell,· A letter to Ellen. G. White dated at Battle Creek,
Mic·higan, September .25, 1900. A copy is in possession of the Ellen G.
White Publications Off ice.
- 19 -
IV
documents from the pen Q~ Davis himself. In 1898, while living at Evans•
ville, India.na, be published a bOok entitled, The Two Adams and the Two
the Testimony reveals that the doctrine of "perfection of the flesh" was
·. . 4
specifically condemned. But besides this, she speaks of those in Indiana
1s. s. Davis~ The Two Adams and the Two Covenants, (Logansport,
Indiana: L. F. Elliott, 1898) 96 pp. The one known existing copy is in
the posses &ion of the writer. ln the preface, the author states: "ln
presenting this work to the public, I fully realize the weakness of the
human instrument; and, in order to screen my denomination's honor• I will
say that no one :la responsible· for the aistakes of this book but myself."
2
s. s. Davis, A letter to Elder I. J. Hankins dated at Elnora, lndi·
ana, March 15, 1903 •. see Appendix.A.
3 1bid. See answer.to Question Three
have been, can be conjectured from the questions sent by Hankins to Davis
in 1903; for Davis asks, ••come now, what does the testimony say about the
nature of new born babes1 116 And on some of these points, Davis is not
. . 7
as specific as others who assessed the movement. Furthermore, in his
which was condeaned, and the "holiness" concept which he himself taught.
He states:
can conclude that the main burden of pavis was his teaching concerning
holiness. How did he develope this doctrine and what conclusions did
he draw?
In his book based on the ''Tlio Adams" mot.if, Davis notes the re la-
tionsbip between the First and Last Adam and the Two Covenants in answer•
covenants. He writes:
In the first covenant we see what God would have done with and
through the first Adam had he not sinned; in the second (or new
covenant) we see God carrying out all his original purposes
through Christ the second Adam. 9
What the first Adam and his posterity ought to have done, the
second Adam and his posterity de; or what H~fiar and her sons
ought to have done, Sarah and her sons do.
In Chapter IV of his book, the meaning of what the sons of the second
His theme is the glory that covered our first parents before sin came,
11
which is defined as "the shining forth of th.e goodness that was in them."
This glory is to be restored through grace, here and now. After quoting
The first step was the placing of the law, which is light, (Proverbs 6:
23, is quoted) in the heart by the Lord under the new covenant. This
will make them lights in the world, and this is the primary objective
0 of the glory which. is given by the
.
new covenant." 1 3 Then he adds:
1·1~.~ p. 56 13 1.bid. I Pe 60
- 22 -
aeen upon thee." Isa. 60:1, 2. Thia ·1a the complete restora•
tion of the glory of the first pair before the fall; hence a
restoration of the glory of the first covenant. But this
glory can only be obtained through foith in Christ, and main•
tained by perfection of character. 1 4
is carnality, which none but Christ can remove. But once it is removed,
then there is the second step. Here are his words:
14
Ibid. t pp. 60-61 Eapbasi.s his.
15 1bid. t p. 64 Emphasis his
16
Ibid. t p. 66 Emphasis his
- 23 •
Thus we see that through the new covenant we are changed from
faith to faith (Romana 1:17), or from glory to glory (2 Cor.
3:18), first in character, and then in the bright shining forth
of the oTiginal glory. ~~ut this second plane of glory does not
~top with what Adam had before the fall, but increases many
fold, until it reaches what Adam would have had, bad he contin•
ued faithful till he reached the immortal glory. • • The new
covenant will restore the glorious character of God, and the
bright shining glory which Adam had, and will give· i1111DOrtal
glory which he might have had if he had been f~ithful. Buf
this we will not reach until the second coming of Christ. 7
The final chapter of the book is based around the text, "And so it
is written, the first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was
the work of the last Adam in his role ·as 11 quickening spirit" is emphasized.
Davis states that the choice is ours.as to whom we will follow - whether
The only way to get into the new covenant is by faith in Christ,
and the only way to stay in the new covenint is by faith in
Christ. But whoever committed a sin through faith in Him? 11And
ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in
bi.a is no sin." 1 John 3:5 18
17
1bid.~ pp. 69•70 Emphasis his.
18 1bid •• pp. 86-87·
- 24 -
We need to keep in mind that the book was published in 1898 'ihen
the "Holy Flesh" Movement was receiving its inception. In the reply of
Davis to Hankins. written in 1903 (two years after the movement was at
least officially ended) the teachings found in the book were applied .to
cation.
answer, he ·no~es one phrase of ~he question, and states, "This is pre•
cisely what the Testimony condemns. 1119 To see the whole.picture, we need
Do you teach that conversion embraces the mind and body; so that
in this life the body is fully cleansed from sin, and sinful
tendancies; and is brought back to the condition of man before
the fall, or does this work begin now and end with the resurrec•
tion of the just? Do you teach that those who fully appropriate
the offering of Christ by .faith will never pass under the dominion
of death, and that the reason men g1e is because they fail to
grasp the fulne~s of the gospel? 2
The one phrase in this question which Davis denies teaching and which
this question except the last two, tbe answers would lead the reader to
assume that Davia taught and believed what is indicated by the question
with the one exception noted. What is indicated by the answers given?
On the last two points, drawing from the experience of Enoch and Elijah,
in faith. Evidently he believed that this faith would include the body
health reform were fully followed, Satan could not bring men under the
power of death.
21
The fine line that Davis tried to draw between his understanding
of holiness, and the ideas of the others whoa he claims taught the "Holy
teaching. The sWlll14ry of one who heard the men speak, reads:
v
THE DOCTRINE OF THE INCARNATION
who taught what was called "Holy Flesh", and the few workers who did
not, was the doctrine of the incarnatton. It was also a part of the
1900. Elder s.
N. Haskell tells of his experience and outlines the doc•
-.
trinal belief of the "Holy Flesh11 _advocates in these words:
that t!'pic. in the. letter to Hankins. But· no where in his extant writings
statement.
• 27 •
Referring to Christ he wrote. 11 1 do not mean the image he bore when here.
He was changed. and bearing our iaage. 112 What he meant by the expression,
Was Mary the mother of Jesus like all other women, sinful?
Answer. • I could not say how full of sin she was bu't I suppose
that she had her share, perhaps not as bad as some, and r~ybe
more than some as there are degrees in heredity and depravity,
and there is no evidence that she. had an immaculate conception.
20avis, The Two Adams • • • , p. 66. See Chapter IV, Footnote #16
for context.
(~-
- 28 -
Inferences can be drawn from these answers, but the point that Has•
kell charged is that the men from Indiana involved in the teaching of
11 Holy Flesh" declared that man must be holy in the same sense that Christ
was • possessing the holy hwaanity of Eden • but this is the very point
4
that Davis denied that he taught or believed.
The question between the men of Indiana was not the matter of whether
the gospel could preserve men from sin, or whether the power of the Holy
Spirit ·was ample to keep human beings from sinning. The ·question was the .
For one 1 must say, upon the authority of the Bible, that Christ
never sinned, and if he never sinned, that man don't live, and
never has lived that can prove that he was in sinful flesh. The
only way by which one can prove it, is to point out the sins, or
even one si'n that he committed. He took a body which showed by
its deteriorated condition, that the ef iects of sin was shown by
it, but his life proved that there was no sin in it. Heb. 10:5.
Christ's body repres~nted a body redeemed from its fallen spirit•
ual nature, but not from its fallen or deteriorated physical na-
ture. It was a body redeemed from sin, and with that body Christ
clothed his divinity; thus by his life, on earth, he shewed what
humanity will do when fill°ed with the divine mind. Thus every
member of the human race, who wili renounce Satan, and his works,
and will permit Christ to clothe himself with his humanity, in
that act, becomes a member of the family of heaven. That is just
what it will be, if we will let the divine mind come into ua.
It will be divinity clothed with humanity, and that is just what
Christ was. And thus clothed he did not sin. ls this putting
it too strong? Well that is just the way God wants it to be put. 5
it is stated:
It was in the order of God that Christ should take· upon Hill•
self the fora and the nature of fallen man; that He might be
made perfect through suffering, and Himself endure the strength
of Satan's fierce temptations, that He might understand how
to succor those who should be tempted.7
Spirit of Prophecy references. One he draws from the Review and Herald
8Ellen G. White~ ''The Lord's Vineyard" Review and Herald, July 17,
1
1900 (Vol. 77 1 No. 29), p. 449 Emphasis is Huntington's loc. cit. p. 9
9See Preface, Footnote #2
• 31 -
VI
SUMMARY
The "Holy Flesh" Movement (1898 • 1901) at its height involved the
entire Indiana Conference committee and the ministerial staff with the
actions must be judged against the backgrouiid of the conditions and hopes
Holy Spirit in the latter rain. Elder A. F. Ballenger during the final
years of the 19th Century was proclaiming at the Camp Meetings the mes•
sage, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." To see the realization of this ex-
pectation motivated the men with the "Holy Flesh" Movement in Indiana.
was in the Baptist tradition~ After his marriage, Davis and his bride
accepted. the Truth during a tent ~eting held at Duggar, IndiaNl. After
- 32 -
which brought shouts of victory to the churches.. After the 1901 General
from the church record in the reorganization of the local church, and
The Camp Meetings and the Worker's Meetings of the period were
to the Salvation Army style. The height of this extreme emot~onal extrav-
aganza was reached at the Muncie, Indiana Camp_ Meeting in 1900. Shouting,
yelling, and "praying through" were all a part of the services. Eye-
witnesses describe the hysteria on the part of the people, and suggestions
ing great power surge down bis arms as he raised his hands over the people.
The movement with its fanaticism and. teaching was rebuked in a Special
to assess because of the limited source materials available, and the fact
- 33 •
1) That the second Adam accomplishes for the "sons of God" what
would have been accomplished through the first Adam had he not
sinned.
2) Those who by faith reach the "glory" that enshrouded the first
the grave.
VII
CONCLUSION
As one studies the "Holy Flesh" Movement from t~e limited primary
s. s. Davis that ~e ever taught perfection of the flesh, and the fine
line he drew between what he taught and w~t the Testimony by Ellen G.
White condemned. It must be noted that in his book, The Two Adams and
the Tvo Covenants, Davis dc;>es use the word, *'character", in describing
the "gloryu which the ministry of the second Adam would bring to the
beli~-.rer through faith. And in the light of the Bible and the Spirit of
Prophecy testimony, we must agree with Davis that the.Testimony given
Testimony, he freely admits that other things uhit" him. The other con•
demoed point, apart from the 11 strange doctrines", was the emotional
extravaganza connected with the movement. Why would Davis project this
doctrines" taught by the men in Indiana, which came first, their con•
ity of Christ • that he took the nature of Adaa before the fall. The
The basic assumption that Christ took the nature that Adam had be~
The "Holy Flesh" advocates travelled one fork of the.road, for if Christ
did take the nature of Adam before the fall 1 then men in accepting Hill
and becoming conformed to His image W<>uld receive the same nature He bid.
The other fork of the road has varying aspects. The catholic
church sets forth the doctrine of the immaculate Conception to get Christ
back to the primal nature of Adam. But this leaves a gulf between man
in his fallen nature and his Saviour. To bridge the gap and avoid the
conclusions of the other fork, which the "Holy Flesh" men· followed, the
sinners, teach the sanctification of the womb of Mary at the first moment
union of the human and the divine - in the great work of sanctification.
the forked road of the "fallacious assumptions" and sets forth Christ
There are areas that could be explored beyond the scope of this
are 184de that extreme views on health reform were advocated during this
period. Also the teachings of Dr. Kellogg that were coming into the
fore at the turn of the Century were appealed to as the basis for some
its results. While the lnf luence of Ballenger on the man who sparked
APPENDIX A
Eld. I. J. Hankins
Indianapolis, Indiana
Dear Brother; -
Your letter with list of questions at hand. · I take great
pleasure in answering the same. I only regret that we are so far apart,
1 mean in distance, that we can't talk these things all over together.
Your first question reads as follows: •
. "Do you believe that the Testi•
mony given by Sister White to the Indiana brethren at·the last General
Conference was from the Lordt'
I will answer your question by asking you one, • How am I to know?
Now I have as much confidence in Sr. White as I have in any person on
earth, but the Bible says, "All flesh is grass." So we can't judge the
source from whence it came simply by the instrument that was used. Then
I ask again, "How am I to know whether it is from God. or not?" Well the
Bible E i ve s us a rule·: "To the le.w and to the testimony". I am glad the
Lord has given us this rule. I understand that every testimony is to be
tried by this rub:~. The testimony must harmonize with the Bible, we are
ncv~r to h:1rr~0nize the Bible by the testimony. I have examined the testi•
rnony of ,,.,;1ich you srake und so far as I have been able to see it stands
the test; but the ma.n who framed these questions must have had on his
magnifying glasses, as the testimony 9nly condemns one point of doctrine,
while be tries to cover eight.
Come now, what does the testimony say about the nature of Christ?
What docs it say about Mary, or translation, or the nature of new born
babes? This is all I will say te question number one.
• 38 •
God spake as they were moved." 2 Peter 1:21. Now I aa not trying to
condemn the testimony by the Bible. 1 am trying to save it from being
destroyed by those who are inclined to make it mean more than it does
mean. To make it mean an entire separation of the tena "holiness" from
the human family would be to contradict the Bible. and in as much as
the testimonies are to agree with the Bible would be to destroy the
testimony. But it still remains a fact that the testimony does condemn
the preaching of the doctrine of Holy Flesh as it was taught by some in
Indiana. The wording of the testimony shows that it was the application
of the word 11 holiness 11 to the flesh in the sense of being fully redeemed,
made immortal 9 so that it would be impossible to sin; and that the fram-
er of these questions so understands the testimony is proven by question
nucber eight. I will say that I heartily agree with the testimony on
this point. This is all I care to say on question number two.
FIRST. • "Do you teach that conversion embraces the mind and body ••• "
ANSWER. • Hatt. 23:26 "Cleanse first the inside of the cup and the
platter and the ou_tside will be clean." Also Hebrews 10:22 11 having your
bodies wr.shed with pure water." Christ•s Cbj~ct Lessons, page 100, we
are told that the Holy Spirit comes to convict of sin end the faith that
springs up in the heart works by love to Christ, conforming us in BODY,
soul and spirit to His own image.
SECOND • "so that in this life the body is fully cleansed from all
sin ••• "
ANSWER. • I John 1 {7•9 "If we confess our sins He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness ...
foolish was that the foolish had not fallen on the Rock and had their
old natu~es broken up.
FIFTH • "or does this work begin now and end with the resurrection
of the just?"
ANSWER. • Han will not fully be restored to the Edenic or Adamic
condition either in this life or in the resurrection. This is the work
that will be accomplished sometime over in eternity. See Mal. 4:2 "go
forth and grow up as calves in the stall."_ But so far as sin and holiness
is concerned it does in most ca·es begin here and end in the resurrection
of the just, but not always. It ·was not so in Enoch and Elijah's cases,
they never had a resurrect.ion, and i t will be said of those who will be
living when probation ends, "let hi.II that is holy be holy still and him
that ia filthy l>e filthy still."
. \ (
- 40 -
SIXTII.- "Do you teach that those who fully appropriate the offering.
of Christ by faith will never pass under the dominion of death, and that
the reason men die is because they fail to grasp the fulness of the gospel?"
ANSWER. - Heb. 11:5 "By faith Enoch was translated." Evidently Enoch's
faith was based on the &acrif ice and the whole work was accomplished by the
power of the gospel. The same text that explains how Enoch was translated
explains why others were not. Every affirmative has its negative. Now I
do not mean to say that every one that did not have the degree of faith
that Enoch had will be lost. If they exercised all the faith that they
had and their minds and their faith rest on the resurrection of the just.
These things were written for our learning. Some of us who a.re now living
will be translated, but not all; but the fact that a man dies is no.evidence
that he will be lost, for l read, "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord
from henceforth." Rev. 14:13 •. I next quote from the old edition of the
Spirit of. Prophecv these-· words, "Enoch lived such a life of faithfulness
that Satan could not bring him under the dominion of death." I find in the
General Conference Bulletin ·of 1899 1 Dr. Kellogg has a long lesson on trans-
lation in which he takes the position that if men would live up to the
principles of health reform Satan could not bring them under the dominion
of death. Please read Test. Vol. 2 page 122, the writer says, 11hunc:Jreds
of years he ·(Enoch} walkedwith God. He lived in a corrupt age when moral
pollution was teeming all around him, yet he trained his mind to devotion,
to love and purity; his conversation was upon heavenly things. He educated
his mind to run in this channel and he bore the impress of the divine. His
countenance wes lightened up with the light that shineth in the face of
Jesus. Enoch had temptations as well as we, he was surrounded by society
that was no more friendly than is ours, the atmosphere that he breathed was
tainted with sin and corruption the same as ours, yet he lived a life of
holim ss. Be w3s unsullied with the sins of the ar,e in which he lived. So
r ~y t-'t:: reµ,.:_1·;n p·.1re and l 1 ncorrut-ted. He WJ.S a repn~sentntive of the saint ..;:
who live amid the corruption and perils of the last days. For his faith•
ful obedience to God he was translated. So also, the faithful, who are
alive and rcIIl.3.in, will be translated." So also (that is by faithful obedi•
ence) they are to.be translated, but where do they get the power to render
faithful obedience? ·Evidently through faith in the power of the gospel.
Then certainly the power is in the gospel. ·
If we who are living could only grasp it. o, my brother, you c~rtainly
don't mean ~o say that the testimony for Indiana condemned all these good
things with which the Bible and the Testimonies so abundantly abound.
Hoping that you and Eld. Bliss will have a safe and pleasant trip to
the General Conference and that the Spirit of the Lord may direct in all
of your deliberations and that peace and harmony may prevail, I remain
as ever,
- 41 -
BIBLIOGRAPHY
I. Books
Christian, L. H., The Fruitage of ~piritual Gifts. Washington D. c.:
Review and He~ald 1;1Ublishing Association, 1947.
Davis, s. s., The Two Adams and the Two Covenants. Logansport, Indiana:
L. F. Elliott, 1898.
Huntington, s. G., 11
The Son of Man". La Fayette, Indiana: Mission Press,
1900?
White, Ellen G., Evangelism. Washington D. c.: Review and Herald Publish-
ing Association, 1946.
II. Articles
Ballenger, A. F., "Camp Meeting Notes", Review and Herald, Vol. 75, No. 42
(October 18, 1898) pp. 670-671.
- - - - · "Camp Meeting Notes", Review a.nd Herald, Vol. 75, No. 45 Wov.
B, 1898) p. 720.
Breed, A. J., "The Indiana camp Meeting", Review and Herald, Vol. 76,
No. 35 (AugtJst 29, 1899) pp. 650-.651.
Sutherland, E. A., "Illinois and Indiana C..inp Mtetin£s 11 , R~vicw end Ht:•rald,
Vol. 75, No. 39 (September 27, 1898) p. 622.
----17, 1900),Lord's
• "The
p. 449 •
Vineyard", Review and Herald, Vol. 77, No. 29 (July
---- • ''The Perils and Privileges of th.e Last Days", Review and Herald,
V ol. 69, Ho. 46 (November 22 1892) pp. 722-723.
1
• l
• 42 •
Ill. Letters
Davis 9 w. A., A letter to Jesse E. Dunn dated at Carthage, Ho., Dec. 6, 1958.
Hopper, Viola Davis, A letter to Jesse E. Dunn dated a·t RU;shvil le, Nebraska,
February 9, 1959.
IV. Reports
v. Other Sources
Bray• Mrs Robert, Personal int.erview at Elnora, Indiana, May. 24, 1960.
Mrs Bray was a young lady, and a member of the Elnora church at the
time of the events of this research paper. The interview was con•
ducted in the presence of the late Elder Joseph o. Smith of Indiana.
-
- 43 -
Dunn, Jesse, A signed statement recalling events that took place in con•
nection with the "Holy Flesh" Movement in Indiana.