Introduction
By way of introduction, I wish to say that, for the past few years, there has been a controversy among the people of the church of God, commonly known as saints, or “Gospel Trumpet people.” And this controversy came about through a few ministers who became very liberal in their views regarding the question of the Christian’s dress. When they first insisted on bringing their worldly ideas and articles of dress in among the saints, it became the duty of the ministers of the church to take a decided stand against them and their false teaching. Accordingly, E. E. Byrum, at that time editor of The Gospel Trumpet, wrote an article, entitled “Marching Along the Bypath,” in which he warned the church, declaring that, “A deceptive, exalted, independent, devilish compromise spirit is sweeping over the land.” And he gave the church many other statements of warning from which we shall quote from time to time as we proceed.
This warning, with many other efforts of other ministers, seemed to stay the worldly compromise at that time, but later the compromise element enlisted other ministers of the church in their cause, and another drive was made against the church, which resulted in carrying away a large number, both of ministers and lay members, and that time the editor of The Gospel Trumpet fell victim to the compromise, and from that time on the publishing work has been under their control and used in the furtherance of the compromise movement.
Now there are two bodies of people standing directly opposed to each other on account of this question of compromise. Many false statements have gone forth, and the minds of many of God’s children are confused, in regard to the questions at issue.
Having been a minister in the Church of God for the past eighteen years, and knowing the history and workings of this compromise from its beginning, I feel it my duty, and for the glory of God, to set before the people the fundamental difference now existing between the Gospel Trumpet people and the Church of God, who still hold the doctrine of the Bible as taught by the church from the beginning of what is known as the Reformation of the evening light.
In order to do this, we will state what the past teaching was, as found in the books, tracts, papers, printed testimonies, and pulpit sermons, etc., which have been preached and published by the Church of God, also The Trumpet’s late teaching in regard to the things at issue. And we believe that after clearly setting forth the facts of the case, every honest, unbiased soul will agree with us that The Gospel Trumpet people are not the Church of God, as they profess to be, and are not worthy of the name which they assume. For the Scriptures declare, “But Christ as a Son over his own house [church]; whose house [church] are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” (Hebrews 3:6)
The following are some of the points of difference between us, which we will take up in due form and order: