Editing Albert Benjamin Simpson (section)

==Teaching==
In 1887, he began a series of sermons called “Fourfold Gospel” (“4-sided Gospel” or “[[Full Gospel]]”) in New York.<ref>Daryn Henry, ''A.B. Simpson and the Making of Modern Evangelicalism'', McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP, Canada, 2019, p. 168</ref> According to him, this concept represents the 4 aspects of the ministry of [[Jesus Christ]]: "Jesus our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King".<ref>Randall Herbert Balmer, ''Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism'', Baylor University Press, USA, 2004, page 128</ref> The Fourfold Gospel is symbolized in the logo of the C&MA:  the Cross (Savior), the Laver (Sanctifier), the Pitcher (Healer), and the Crown (Coming King). He came to his special emphasis in ministry through his absolute Christ-centeredness in doctrine and experience.

Albert Benjamin Simpson was largely [[Keswickian]], teaching the doctrine of [[entire sanctification]] heralded by the [[Higher Life movement]].<ref name="Wu2012">{{cite book |last1=Wu |first1=Dongsheng John |title=Understanding Watchman Nee: Spirituality, Knowledge, and Formation |date=1 April 2012 |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |isbn=978-1-63087-573-2 |page=58 |language=English|quote=D. D. Bundy notes that A. B. Simpson (1843–1919)—Presbyterian founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance—who never accepted the Wesleyan doctrine of eradication of sin, accepted the Keswickian understanding of sanctification. }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=III |first1=Henry H. Knight |title=Anticipating Heaven Below: Optimism of Grace from Wesley to the Pentecostals |date=1 February 2014 |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |isbn=978-1-63087-125-3 |pages=91–92|language=English |quote=It is the other christological strand, that of the indwelling Christ, that is the heart of the distinctive sanctification theology of A. B. Simpson. A Presbyterian who ultimately founded the Christian and Missionary Alliance, Simpson operates within a Keswick framework while also drawing upon Wesleyan ideals. Like Wesley, Simpson described sin as in the motive or intent of the heart most especially lack of love for God and neighbour. While he agrees with Keswick that we can't ever be freed from this sinful nature in this life, he insisted, as Van De Walle puts it, "the power of the resurrected Christ would more than enable the believer to consider the sin nature a vanquished foe and to behave as though it were.}}</ref><ref name="BurgessMaas2010">{{cite book |last1=Burgess |first1=Stanley M. |last2=Maas |first2=Eduard M. van der |title=The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements: Revised and Expanded Edition |date=3 August 2010 |publisher=Zondervan |isbn=978-0-310-87335-8 |language=English |quote=A.B. Simpson, founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA), influenced by A.J. Gordon and W.E. Boardman, adopted a Keswickian understanding of sanctification.}}</ref><ref name="Kenyon2019">{{cite book |last1=Kenyon |first1=Howard N. |title=Ethics in the Age of the Spirit: Race, Women, War, and the Assemblies of God |date=29 October 2019 |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |isbn=978-1-4982-8522-3 |language=English |quote=Much of the Keswickian influence came through A.B. Simpson's Christian and Missionary Alliance, itself an ecumenical missionary movement}}</ref><ref name="Murphy2018">{{cite book |last1=Murphy |first1=Karen |title=Pentecostals and Roman Catholics on Becoming a Christian: Spirit-Baptism, Faith, Conversion, Experience, and Discipleship in Ecumenical Perspective |date=23 May 2018 |publisher=[[Brill Academic Publishers]] |isbn=978-90-04-36786-9 |page=131 |language=English |quote=... the Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) ... accepted the Keswickian teaching over the Wesleyan-Holiness belief.}}</ref>  Simpson, however, departed from traditional Keswickian teaching in his view of progressive sanctification and rejection of suppressionism.<ref>Bernie A. Van De Walle, ''The Heart of the Gospel: A. B. Simpson, the Fourfold Gospel, and Late Nineteenth-Century Evangelical Theology'', Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2009, p. 93; "Despite similarities, Simpson's sanctification doctrine included its own distinctives, not duplicating either Keswick or Holiness soteriology", p. 94 ; "Richard Gilbertson, like McGraw, distinguishes between Simpson's view of sanctification and those of Keswick and Wesleyanism:
There have been frequent attempts to categorize Simpson and the C&MA. Often the assertion is made that Simpson held to a Keswick-type view of sanctification. More precisely, Simpson should be seen as having been influenced by Boardman's Higher Christian Life, a book which also impacted the Keswick movement. Other than an 1885 invitation to speak at one of their conferences, Simpson had little formal contact with the British Keswick movement."</ref><ref>Gordon T. Smith, [http://awf.world/consult/gordon-t-smith-conversion-and-sanctification-in-the-christian-and-missionary-alliance/ Conversion and Sanctification in the Christian & Missionary Alliance] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200109073433/http://awf.world/consult/gordon-t-smith-conversion-and-sanctification-in-the-christian-and-missionary-alliance/ |date=2020-01-09 }}, awf.world, Brazil, 1992 : "He differed in some notable ways from the teachings of his contemporaries: he rejected the perfectionism of the Wesleyan-methodists; he did not accept the suppressionism of the Keswick movement." And "In these respects, the C&MA is distinct from the Keswick movement. The Alliance heritage is more life and work affirming. Our actions in the world do make a difference and are meaningful."</ref>

Plagued by illness for much of his life since childhood, Simpson believed he experienced [[divine healing]] after understanding it to be part of the blessing of abiding in Christ as Life and healing. He emphasized healing in his Fourfold Gospel and usually devoted one meeting a week for teaching, [[testimony|testimonies]] and prayer on these lines. Although such teaching isolated him (and the C&MA) from the [[Mainline Protestantism|mainline churches]] that either did not emphasize or outright rejected healing, Simpson was uncompromising in his beliefs.

Simpson's heart for evangelism was to become the driving force behind the creation of the C&MA. Initially, the Christian and Missionary Alliance was not founded as a denomination, but as an organized movement of world evangelism.

In his 1890 book, ''A Larger Christian Life'', Simpson discussed his vision for the church:

{{blockquote|He [Jesus] is showing us the plan for a Christian Church that is much more than an association of congenial friends to listen once a week to an intellectual discourse and musical entertainment and carry on by proxy a mechanism of Christian work; but rather a Church that can be at once the mother and home of every form of help and blessing which Jesus came to give to lost and suffering men, the birthplace and the home of souls, the fountain of healing and cleansing, the sheltering home for the orphan and distressed, the school for the culture and training of God's children, the armory where they are equipped for the battle of the Lord and the army which fights those battles in His name. Such a center of population in this sad and sinful world!<ref name=Larger>A. B. Simpson, ''A Larger Christian Life''. p. 153.</ref>}}

Simpson composed the lyrics of over 120 hymns,<ref name=Simpson>{{cite web|url=http://www.hymnary.org/person/Simpson_AB?page=1 |title=People " Simpson, A. B. (Albert B.), 1843–1919 " Texts |publisher=Hymnary.org |date= |access-date=December 11, 2011}}</ref> 77 of which appear in the C&MA's 1962 hymnal, ''Hymns of the Christian Life'', co-edited with R. Kelso Carter''.''<ref name=Hymnal>''Hymns of the Christian Life: A Book of Worship in Song Emphasizing Evangelism, Missions, and the Deeper Life'', 1962 revised and enlarged edition. Harrisburg, PA: Christian Publications, 1962.</ref>

His missionary vision is illustrated by these words of his hymn, "The Missionary Cry":

{{poemquote|The Master's coming draweth near.
The Son of Man will soon appear,
His Kingdom is at hand.
But ere that glorious day can be,
The Gospel of the Kingdom, we
Must preach in every land.<ref name=Hymnal2>Hymn 338, ''[https://archive.org/details/hymnsofchristian00simp Hymns of the Christian Life]'', No. 2, 1897</ref>}}

At the turn of the 20th century, numerous Alliance members began adopting [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]] beliefs as a result of the widespread experience of tongues and other spiritual manifestations within the Alliance movement and at Alliance meetings.<ref>Bernie A. Van De Walle, ''The Heart of the Gospel: A. B. Simpson, the Fourfold Gospel, and Late Nineteenth-Century Evangelical Theology'', Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2009, p. 20</ref> While Simpson remained an ardent proponent of the doctrine of Spirit Baptism that was a central teaching in late nineteenth-century evangelicalism, he became publicly critical of various practices within the Pentecostal movement that he considered excessive.<ref>George Thomas Kurian, James D. Smith III, ''The Encyclopedia of Christian Literature, Volume 2'', Scarecrow Press, USA, 2010, p. 566</ref> In particular, Simpson publicly challenged the emerging Pentecostal teaching that "[[speaking in tongues]]" was the sole acceptable evidence of [[baptism with the Holy Spirit]]. Notwithstanding his public criticism, however, in his private spiritual life, Simpson sought for the gift of tongues.<ref>Charles Nienkirchen, ''A. B. Simpson and the Pentecostal Movement: A Study in Continuity, Crisis, and Change'', Hendrickson, USA, 1992, pp. 131–140.</ref> While he did not ever speak in tongues, he did, in the course of his seeking, have other ecstatic experiences of the kind that often bore the criticism of Pentecostal excessiveness, such as an experience he described in his private journal, saying, "The Spirit came with a baptism of Holy laughter for an hour or more and I am waiting for all He has yet to give and manifest."<ref>A.B. Simpson, ''Simpson’s Nyack Diary,'' entry for Sept 12, 1907, reproduced in Charles Nienkirchen ''A. B. Simpson and the Pentecostal Movement: A Study in Continuity, Crisis, and Change'', Hendrickson, USA, 1992, p. 145.</ref>