South African Bible Believers

ASSEMBLY HISTORY 3 - MULLER AND CRAIK

Purpose:

Passages: See lesson notes.

Soon after assemblies of brethren had been formed in various parts of the world the matter of New Testament assembly government, order and discipline arose.

Believers were breaking bread in remembrance of the Lord every Lord's Day, believers' baptism by immersion was practised, all were considered brethren and sisters with no special group of clergymen, and assemblies had rejected as unscriptural the episcopal, presbyterian and congregational forms of government since all of these were dependent on an ordained clergy and hierarchy.  Without "ordained clergymen" how then should assemblies be guided and taught, and who would be their shepherds and teachers?

These questions exercised the hearts and minds of many, and of two men in particular, Henry Craik and George Muller, and from their diligent search and study of the Scriptures emerged the distinct practices of assemblies regarding eldership, deaconship, the roles of men and women, exercise of gifts, participation in the Lord's Supper, and assembly discipline.

Both these men were closely associated with and influenced by Anthony Norris Groves, and amazingly but providentially their lives developed in parallel.  We shall consider their lives under similar headings as A.N.G.

HENRY CRAIK (1805-1866) and GEORGE MULLER (1805-1898)

1.   Consecration

Both were born in 1805, Craik in August in Scotland and Muller in September in Prussia.  But whilst Craik led a serious scholarly life Muller's was one of profligacy before his conversion.

Both received a university education at the same time and also trained for the ministry, Craik for the Presbyterian Church of Scotland and Muller for the Lutheran Church in Germany.  Both entered divinity school in 1825, Craik in St. Mary's College in University of St. Andrews and Muller in Halle University.

Craik distinguished himself in the classics, including New Testament Greek and Old Testament Hebrew, whilst Muller was proficient in both.

It was while they were in college that each was converted in 1825, Muller in November finding himself for the first time in the presence of praying people and Craik in December while immersed in the Scriptures to remove his doubts about the Christian faith and influenced by a college friend.

In 1826-28 Craik turning away from the ministry of the Presbyterian Church tutored Groves' family in Exeter, then went to Teignmouth to tutor another family who published Craik's book on Old Testament Hebrew.  Rejecting infant baptism he preached frequently at a small Baptist chapel in Shaldon, and became its pastor in 1831.  In 1829 he met Baptist William Carey in Exeter to discuss the prospect of joining him in India, but nothing came of this.

During this period Muller developed interest in missionary work, and against his father's wishes joined the London Society for Promoting Christianity to Jews.  For this purpose he travelled to London in 1829, but fell ill and had to recuperate in Teignmouth.

In Teignmouth Craik and Muller met each other for the first time and from there began a remarkable Spirit-filled ministry in partnership which was of great profit to assemblies worldwide and through almost two centuries.

Muller married Anthony Groves' sister Mary in 1830 and Craik married Mary Anderson in 1831.  Incidentally Groves' wife was also named "Mary"

In 1830 Muller left the Society for Jews and became the pastor of a Baptist chapel called "Ebenezer", just across the river from Craik's chapel.

Both men in turn received requests to be joint pastors of two chapels in Bristol - Gideon and Bethesda - and on Friday 25th May 1832 after much prayer and consultation with their congregations, they arrived in Bristol where their life work centred and from which the impact of their teachings and work was felt.

Compassion for the Needy

In Bristol Muller set up a Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad to provide Sunday Schools, Day Schools, Adult Schools, to produce and distribute Bibles and New Testaments at low cost, to send gifts to missionaries who laboured according to New Testament principles (including Hudson Taylor in China and Leonard Strong and John Meyer in Guiana), and in 1836 he opened the first of his orphan homes in a rented house in Bristol, increasing the number of orphan houses, and in 1849 built his first orphan home in Ashley Down followed by four more large buildings by 1870.

These orphan homes helped thousands of children in Bristol and district, feeding, clothing, educating and placing them in employment and winning many for the Lord - this was the "Bristol miracle".

All this wonderful work of love was done entirely by faith in the Lord, and Muller made absolutely no appeal for funds and no debts were incurred, although at times his family were in difficult straits, but the Lord always provided.  Muller undertook all this because he believed that God is indeed the prayer-answering and faith-rewarding God, Who also aroused in Muller this great compassion for the needy.

Conviction from God's Word

While in Teignmouth Muller and Craik individually developed Scripture-based convictions against ordination, a fixed salary, pew rents and pastors' boxes, infant baptism and other practices common in those days.  At the same time they discovered New Testament principles of gathering, and in Bristol they were able to put into practice their new-found beliefs, while ministering at two chapels, Gideon and Bethesda.

On 13 August 1832 Muller, Craik, 4 sisters and one other brother began their first breaking of bread meeting in Bethesda and shortly after both congregations followed them, becoming New Testament assemblies meeting in Bethesda and another chapel, giving up Gideon chapel.  In 1839 Muller and Craik went into retreat for two weeks to consider New Testament Church order and discipline, matters which were threatening to divide the believers in their congregations.

Their conclusions expressed very clearly the practice of the assemblies in their day and those of today.

They (and other brethren including Robert Chapman of Barnstaple) discovered that

Constancy in Labour

Right to the very end of their earthly sojourn both Muller and Craik proved faithful to the Lord and His people, never once deviating from the course the Lord had set for them.  The Church was much the richer for their presence and much the poorer for their leaving the world to their Master's Home and reward.

Contributions to the Church

They rejected the idea of themselves as ordained pastors or ministers and rejected names such as "Reverend" or "Minister", as they considered all believers to be equally brothers and sisters in the Lord.

They rejected one-man ministry and associated others with themselves in spiritual oversight.  Muller mentioned eight fellow-elders with them.

They also realized that deacons should be chosen by the assembly to be responsible for its material well being.

Their view of the ministry is summed up thus: "This assembly has never given an invitation to anyone to labour amongst us; but the door is open for any accredited servant of Christ called of God to come among us and labour in the Word and doctrine as the Lord may direct.  We have never invited men to become pastors of the assembly.  We see no authority in the New Testament for such a mode of acting".

"We meet simply as believers in Christ, without any sectarian distinction, maintaining the Scriptures as our only rule of doctrine and discipline and affording freedom for the exercise of any spiritual gifts which the Lord may be pleased to bestow."

Where Anthony Norris Groves saw the unscriptural practice and deadliness of clericalism and ordination, Muller and Groves saw the importance of assembly government by a plurality of elders, the role of every saint in worship and witness, and discipline in the assembly.  Their work, including the relief of suffering orphans and others, has been incalculable.

ASSEMBLY HISTORY 4

1991/PW