within its jurisdiction; so that when, in 1844, it started under the simpler and happier (as it proved, also the truer) name, "The Presbyterian Church in England," it had already rallied to its banner no fewer than sixty-three charges in half a dozen Presbyteries. Many of the old orthodox Presbyterian English charges, too, as if freed from the incubus of a nightmare, began to wake in earnest and seek admission to the newly constituted organization. These old English Presbyterian causes were chiefly in Northumberland, though some of them, like Stafford, Risley, and Wharton, were further south. As leaders in this whole movement, there is no invidiousness in mentioning Professors Hugh Cambell and Lorimer, Drs. James Hamilton and William Chalmers, with Dr. Munro of Manchester, and his liberal-handed elder, Robert Barbour, "clarum et venerabile nomen." "This was the beginning of a course of progress, slow at first, but gradually acquiring greater impetus, until, from 63 congregations, which composed the Church in the year 1844, the number had grown, prior to the present Union, to 156; and the Presbytery of London, with only 6 congregations in 1844, numbered no fewer than 56 in 1876." The English Presbyterian College for educating a native ministry was founded in 1844,2 the very year of the Chapel Act, as we shall presently see. 1 H. M. Matheson, in Proceedings of Union Synod, 1876, p. 9, where further information will be found. In 1843, a number of congregations continued in connection with the Church of Scotland, and formed a SYNOD which has still 4 Presbyteries and 18 ministerial charges in England, with 16 chaplains to her Majesty's forces. 2 Öf the situation and feelings of the Church at that time, an admirable contemporary expression will be found in Professor Lorimer's Address in the ENGLISH PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE, INTRODUCTORY LECTURES, 1845. "At its meeting in April last, the Synod of the Presbyterian Church in England resolved to establish a Theological College, a step to which they felt themselves constrained by the growing exigencies of their Church. The Introductory Lectures appear in print at the request of the College Committee, and have been revised by the lecturers. London: Jan. 1, 1845." II. FAVOURABLE CIRCUMSTANCES, 1836-1842. WHILE yet the orthodox Presbyterians were struggling to- THE ORTHODOX PRESBYTERIANS IN THE GENERAL BODY We must here recall a few historical facts not already referred to, respecting the General Body of Protestant Dissenting ministers of the Three Denominations. Ever since Toleration had been secured under the Revolution Settlement, it was the custom for leading ministers of the Presbyterian, Independent, and Baptist persuasions to appear together at Court and present joint addresses to the Crown on special occasions. This grew into a recognised privilege, and was established in the eyes of the Government as a right of approach to the Throne by the united body. For many years at the outset, the chief spokesman who presented the addresses was a Presbyterian divine, in recognition of the superior weight and influence then of that denomination. Thus, the very first time these three bodies of Dissenting ministers combined to present congratulations to William and Mary at St. James's, the distinguished and eloquent Presbyterian divine, Dr. William Bates, who, as John Howe said, "was born to stand before Kings," headed the joint deputation of about one hundred on that auspicious occasion. Another leading Presbyterian, Dr. Daniel Williams,—now so well known in connection with the famous Library which he so munificently founded, and one of the few in his own day who avowed his belief in even the Divine right of Presbytery,headed quite a number of these representative deputations. It was he that was chosen to this position on the accession both of Queen Anne and of George I. when the Hanoverian family came to the throne in 1714. It was the Scotch Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Robert Fleming, of Founders' Hall Church, who headed the three Denominations when they offered their congratulations to Queen Anne on the occasion of THE UNION, in 1707. Dr. Edmund Calamy, the next leading Presbyterian, discharged a similar function in 1717; and when George II. ascended the throne, in 1727, Dr. John Evans, who had been colleague and was then successor to Dr. Daniel Williams in Hand Alley Presbyterian Church, presented the address to his Majesty, and Dr. Calamy made a speech to the Queen. It was on the 11th July of that year, 1727, that these three Boards of Presbyterian, Independent, and Baptist. ministers in London and Westminster were organized for certain common purposes into one gathering, called "THE GENERAL BODY of Protestant Dissenting Ministers of the Three Denominations," with rules and regulations determining its constitution and objects; the business to be conducted by a committee, consisting of seven Presbyterians, six Independents, and six Baptists, to be chosen annually, each set by the brethren of their own denomination. The electorate on the Presbyterian Board was originally the largest, but it had a tendency to diminish as years went on, though receiving from time to time members from the various sections of Presbyterians both Scotch and English. As the Congregational and Baptist Boards increased, they were, of course, obtaining greater sway and control of affairs. This somewhat disturbed the old balance and tended to create friction, especially when most of the English Presbyterian ministers in London had become avowedly Unitarian, and the general conflict between Evangelical and Unitarian Dissent thickened and waxed hot. By this time there were several Evangelical or orthodox Scotch Presbyterian ministers of London on "The General Body," who were politically and otherwise as well as doctrinally in warm sympathy with their Evangelical brethren of the other two denominations. The Lady Hewley Chancery Suit, promoted chiefly by the Independents, though carefully and eagerly watched by the various bodies of Presbyterians, readily conspired with other causes to inflame and irritate the susceptibilities of the Unitarian members, who proceeded to sever their connection with their brethren under circumstances that need not here be more fully particularized; while at the same time the place of the Scotch Presbyterian ministers was secured and confirmed, and their title fully recognised.1 The following extracts from minutes will explain the position of these Evangelical Presbyterians, and will show how they secured their present footing by the votes and resolutions of their fellow-members of the "General Body": "Library, Redcross Street. "At an extraordinary GENERAL Meeting of the GENERAL Body of Dissenting Ministers of the Three Denominations, held by special summons on the 9th March, 1836, "Resolved unanimously, "That this Body having heard the documents read by Mr. Broadfoot [the Rev. William Broadfoot was minister of the Scottish Secession Church, Oxendon Street. Having lost his voice, he resigned his charge; but on partial recovery, he became Theological Tutor to Cheshunt College (Lady Huntingdon Connexion), without severing from the Scottish Secession, to whose London Presbytery he acted as clerk till his death in 1837], do approve the proceedings of their protesting brethren, and do hereby declare that they, together with any other member or members of the Presbyterian denomination who have not withdrawn from this Body, do continue to possess all the privileges they have been accustomed to enjoy in this General Union." "Resolved unanimously, "That a deputation, consisting of members of each denomination, with the Chairman and Secretary, be directed to wait upon the Right Hon. Lord John Russell, with a memorial asserting the claims to all the privileges which it has hitherto enjoyed in connection with His Majesty's Government and the Throne." It was also unanimously agreed to set forth, "That the withdrawment of certain Unitarian members of the Presbyterian Body from the General Union had not affected, and does not affect, the existence, constitution, and objects of the Union. That those members who are in every respect Presbyterian, and have been for many years members of the General Body, still continue to sustain that relation. That their protest against the secession of the Presbyterian Body, and the reasons alleged in support of their continued connection with the Union, have been cordially approved by the General Body. That the Union of the Ministers of the Three Denominations is thus inviolably preserved, and that the representations to His Majesty's Government and the public of the Union being dissolved, because certain members of Unitarian principles have withdrawn from a Body consisting of 147 members, are contrary to fact." "Library, Redcross Street. "At an adjourned Meeting of the General Body of Protestant Dissenting Ministers of the Three Denominations, held by official summons on March 31, 1836." [A letter to be addressed to Lord John Russell as representing the Government, was It only remains to be added, that the Chairman and Secretary of the "General Body" are at this present time (1888) both Presbyterians; and in this way among others a line of historical continuity has (according to a very recent legal decision)1 been established between the old English Presbyterians and the present "Presbyterian Church of England." read and unanimously adopted, containing, among other things, the following statement "of facts"] "That the number of Protestant Dissenting Ministers reported to have withdrawn themselves does not exceed twelve, of whom seven only are the regularly officiating ministers of congregations, which do not probably amount in the whole to more than two thousand persons, while the congregations of those members who remained in connection with the General Body certainly exceed fifty thousand individuals. Under these circumstances the General Body of the Protestant Dissenting Ministers have deemed it fitting and proper to inform your Lordship and His Majesty's Government by us, that no change whatever has taken place, or is likely to occur affecting the object, the constitution, or the privileges of their Body, which for more than a century has had the honour of being recognised as the legitimate and authorized organ of communication with His Majesty the King." This was subscribed by Joseph Fletcher, D.D., Chairman, George Clayton, William Broadfoot, James Yates, Thomas Binney, 1 The reference is to the King's Lynn case. In 1885 a sum of £223 had accrued from an old endowment of a Presbyterian Chapel, Broad Street, King's Lynn, now extinct. This money was assigned by an order of Justice Chitty to the Ministerial Support or Sustentation Fund Committee of the Presbyterian Church of England, in order to be expended by it within the County of Norfolk. As no application whatever had been made to the Court on behalf of the Presbyterian Church of England, and as the Secretary of the Congregational Union of London had claimed the money for the Congregationalists, it is of peculiar interest and importance to note the grounds of that order. The Solicitors to the Treasury do so in a letter of 31 January, 1885, addressed to the claimant, in which they say, "Referring to our recent correspondence in this case, Mr. Justice Chitty yesterday made an order for payment of the fund in Court to the Presbyterian Church of England, to be applied for the benefit of Ministers of that denomination in the county of Norfolk. We should inform you that the original objects named in the testator's will having ceased to exist, the Court has to apply the fund, in its discretion, as nearly as may be in accordance with the testator's expressed intentions. The statement you forwarded to us was read to the Judge, who came to a decision after considering the facts therein stated. He was of opinion that the Trustees of the Broad Street Chapel were not acting in accordance with their trust in conveying the Chapel to the new trustees by the deed of Nov. 26, 1805; and this being so, the legacies given by the testator could not belong to the Independent Chapel. On the other hand, the existing Presbyterian Church of England can trace connection with the old English Presbyterians, because certain of the latter were embodied in the Presbyterian Church in England on its foundation in 1836 and further, the Presbyterian Board,' which, existed in London in connection with the English Presbyterians in the last century is still in existence, and most of the present members of it are members of the Presbyterian Church of England." The money was eventually divided between the Presbyterian and Congregational authorities. For full particulars, see the Reports of Committee on Ministerial Support in the Blue Book for 1888-9 of the Synod in the Presbyterian Church. · |