Raging, rejoicing and rolling along

An illustration from an early-day War Cry. Biblical literacy was quite high in this era, and the illustration seems to depict the dwelling place of Jehovah in the wilderness with the children of Israel. The Ark of the Covenant is seen in its tabernacle in the centre of the image, with the High Priest supplicating on his knees at the threshold of the tent.

 BY BARRY GITTINS

Life for early-day Salvationists was far from dull. The August 1883 issues of the War Cry, published 142 years ago, make that abundantly clear.

For example, the Kadina Salvos in South Australia were marching along with a brass band while “the Devil was raging and a nice little stone came over a fence into the procession, striking one of our Bandsmen on the leg, but, thank God, did not do any damage”.

Detractors and publicans were suspicious of these Salvationists; the latter were particularly concerned that many testifying at the Salvos’ “good Free-and-Easy” meetings “did not now spend their money in the public-house”.

In “Sisters” and “Brothers” meetings, temperance meetings, open-air services, prayer meetings, Cottage meetings and Holiness meetings at Port Augusta (SA), many a “Great Drunkard and Swearer” were changing their lives, and finding “the desire was all gone for drink and pipe”.

Lives were being changed. This was both a spiritual and temporal reality, as mission took both evangelical and practical forms.

In Wallaroo (SA), and throughout the colonies of Australasia, Salvos were using Thanksgiving Teas, “Grand Devil Driving” meetings, Grand Hosanna meetings, Nicodemus meetings and Tea Festivals, and indulging in “Hallelujah Waves of Handkerchiefs”, to denounce “the Demon Drink [as] the forerunner of all evil”.

While the Army declared its intentions to “Wage War against King Alcohol”, they returned home from Sunday Knee-drills (prayer meetings) “like giants refreshed with new wine”.

The desire to promote changed lives included publishing of testimonies from “a converted actress” and “a converted spiritist”, who publicly pondered whether to burn, sell or take to headquarters his library of “infidel, spiritualist, pantheist and ‘Magic’ books”.

Changed lives led to a desire to also help others change theirs. The War Cry’s August 1883 issues carry additional subscriptions from friends and individuals (contributing a breadboard, a sugar basin, two candlesticks, stamps, etc.) to the Army’s “Home for Fallen Sisters” (a halfway house for women wanting to leave sex work).

The Army’s work was not unopposed. Later that same year, a man “driving in a trap [wagon] drove through the crowd of an open-air ring and returned, thus risking the lives of the people. Some rough young fellows from a public-house saw it and came out, pulled the man out of the trap and thrashed him. Then the Publican turned Constable locked him up and summoned him for damages. He was fined very heavily. “Well done, publican,” the War Cry stated. “This is an example.”

Two years later, in the War Cry’s 8 August 1885 (140 years ago), a drunk man on horseback snatched a flaming torch out of the hands of a Salvationist at Sale (Vic.) and “tried to burn the flag”. The horse trod on the foot of the flagbearer, who fell to the ground to protect the flag. Lieut Knight declared that “in spite of the enemy, the Salvation Army is marching along with banner and song”.

In an age before automobiles and reliable public transport, when not everyone could afford a horse or coach fare, people walked some impressive distances to go to The Salvation Army.

Captain C. Wright reported that a man walked 42 miles (“and then was in the marches”) and a woman walked 18 miles (“along a lonely road, having no fear”) “to be at our meeting” at Dunolly (Vic.).

The Army’s evangelical and advocacy/social welfare work went hand-in-hand from the start. 

The stakes were indeed high to prompt that kind of effort and devotion. In the same issue, a woman housed in a Rescued Sisters Home testified that she’d twice attempted suicide – “once by the Yarra [river], once by laudanum [opium]” – before she fell in with the Salvos and was converted. Captain Rash added a plea, on behalf of the home, for “women’s clothing of all descriptions … a good chest of tea, a bag of sugar, or anything you can send”.

Bodies and souls, individuals and groups, actions and intentions, all arenas of life mattered to the Salvos – because they believed that all of life mattered to God.

The way you treated someone, the way you helped them in prison, or sickness, or hunger, or nakedness, was the way you treated Jesus. And so, The Salvation Army was consistently “out and about”, extending its forces, the whole world redeeming …

Also in that 8 August 1885 issue, the Prison-Gate Brigade reported supplying “719 meals and 231 beds” to “the poor that we have always with us … Lord help us to do them good!”

While the brigade was feeding and housing those in need, Prahran Corps’ “Drunkards’ Brigade” was busily bombarding “hotels … on the look-out for any poor drunkard that may be lying about”.

The brigades were not always well received. One man with a drinking problem, “from the respectable class”, was reported to have assaulted a Salvo who was trying to help him (“he wanted to feel our comrade’s bumps with his walking stick”).

Maldon Salvos (Vic.) visited “the Chinese camp” and saw “some of our poor fallen sisters” (white women engaged in sex work in the camp). The Salvos sang and prayed and “one sister went to them, and tried to persuade them to give up their evil ways, but she could not induce them to do so”.

Among those singing, banging drums and blowing cornets, kneeling in prayer and testifying to God’s goodness and mercy, there were also many Australians who were being physically aided and restored by an Army of holistic salvation.

Those who joined the ranks were helped by men and women who pursued the Spirit’s grace, practised the boundless love of God, and followed the teaching and example of King Jesus.