What was Dr. Morison’s surprise to find at last that the words proceeded from the lips of the Kensington pastor and his wife. As she was beloved of him, so he was beloved of her. I have heard her in later days extol, in no measured terms, the excellences of his preaching, and also tell how she liked to accompany him to village services, and visit cottages in the neighbourhood, beating up recruits for the rustic congregation. Once, after a sermon in a little country chapel, I saw her go into the vestry and lovingly kiss the old prophet, exclaiming with genuine fervour, “God bless you, John.” Such affection and admiration in an ancient lady seem to me truly beautiful, and I trust no reader will think the incident two trivial to be noticed here.
Some difference of judgment between the pastor and managers respecting the mode of meeting incidental expenses led to a conference, when Dr. Leifchild hinted at the possibility of his removing. He did not approve of the management scheme, and the managers immediately retired. Their letter of resignation was accepted at a Church meeting in December, 1821. It was in August, 1824, that he received an invitation from Bristol, and his acceptance of it he thus intimated to his people:—
“Mr. Leifchild addressed the meeting, and stated that, from a variety of circumstances, he had seen it his duty to accept of an invitation to the pastoral office of Bridge Street, Bristol. He assured the meeting that this step arose from no uncomfortableness in his present situation inducing a wish to depart; from no decay in the interest here; no want of attendance; no diminution in the affections of the people; nor from any pecuniary motives, as the salary proposed at Bristol was the same which he received here, £350 per annum, and that he had no prospect of its increase there which he had not here. But his chief motives were the state of his health, which he hoped might be improved by a residence at a greater distance from the metropolis; the prospect of more extensive usefulness at that city; and above all, many indications to his mind that such was the will of Providence. He concluded by requesting any one who was not satisfied, and wished for further information, to put any question to him to that effect, as he had nothing to conceal. No question having been put, the meeting was dissolved with prayer.” [54]
Mrs. Leifchild might well be proud of her husband; and here, in conclusion, let me repeat what I have said elsewhere: his sermons were constructed upon the principle of reaching a climax in the peroration. All prepared for that, and he used to lay down this maxim for pulpit oratory: “Begin low, proceed slow; rise higher, catch fire; be self-possessed when most impressed.” Though he produced wonderful effects at public meetings, the pulpit was his throne, where he ruled his audience with a kind of imperial sway. His skill in the introduction of religious topics into common conversation was very remarkable, and he abounded in anecdotes illustrative of scripture truth and spiritual experience. On his death bed he fancied himself entering within the everlasting doors, and exclaimed, “Why, don’t you hear it, those beautiful harps? You can’t all go in with me. I must go first; but keep close behind me, and open the gates wide, wide, wide for all.” On his tombstone are inscribed these words of his own: “I will creep as well as I can to Thy gates. I will die at Thy door. Yea, I will be found dead on the threshold of Thy mercy, with the ring of that door in my hand.” [55]
Dr. Leifchild relinquished the pastorate in August, 1824. Dr. Vaughan received a “call” signed by about eighty members, and this he accepted in February, 1825. His acceptance is dated from Worcester. “It is not,” he says, “without being truly thankful for the many blessings which have accompanied my religious connection in this city that I yield to the influence of circumstances, which in my own view and that of the more judicious of my friends, fully warrant the step which I now take in freely stating my acceptance of your call. I do, however, wish you, my dear friends, to be fully aware that I have not dared to proceed thus far without confiding greatly in your deeper sympathies, and more fervent prayers in my behalf. The doctrines I have preached in your hearing will never I trust lose their prominence in my ministry. To my own heart they yield its best, its only stay, and to apply them as a balm of never-failing efficacy to your spirits is what I now propose as the one object of my life while continued as your pastor.”
Dr. Vaughan was not educated at any of our colleges, but studied under the Reverend William Thorp, of Bristol,—a man, the breadth of whose intellect might be said to be symbolized by the extraordinary portliness of his figure. As there was much nobility in his nature, he might, in that respect, be likened to a monarch of the forest,—with this additional and curious resemblance, that whereas a lion rejoices in having two cubs at a time, so the leonine Bristol pastor never had but two pupils under his care, and they came both at once—Robert Vaughan and John Jukes. The latter presided over John Bunyan’s Church at Bedford; and I have heard him and his friend at Kensington crack obvious jokes on their relationship to each other, and to their remarkable instructor. After entering on the ministry, Dr. Vaughan spent six years at Worcester in hard study, preparing himself for what he afterwards became. There he took an honourable position, but it could scarcely at first be augured that he would rise to be what he ultimately was.
He was intensely devoted to reading, especially in the historical department of literature, and of this he gave some presage as a boy when, at the age of twelve, he carried home triumphantly Raleigh’s “History of the World,” on the purchase of which he had invested a birthday gift. He largely overcame early defects in education; and by dint of extraordinary diligence, acquired large stores of historical learning. His tastes did not lie in the same direction as Dr. Leifchild’s, and he never became the popular preacher which his predecessor was; though on the platform, in depth of thought, range of argument, and sometimes brilliancy of illustration, he surpassed him. Every man in his own order. The one excelled in appeals to the head, the other in appeals to the heart. Each did a vast deal of good in the Great Master’s service.
The recognition, or “ordination,” as it is called, of the new pastor took place on the 5th of May, 1825. The Reverend Joseph Hughes, of Battersea, the Nonconformist Secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and a friend of Leifchild—who wrote interesting memoirs of his life—opened the service with Scripture reading and prayers. Dr. Winter, of New Court, one of the leading city ministers, “stated the nature of a Gospel Church”; Dr. Waugh offered the ordination prayer, for which his wonderful “gift in prayer” eminently fitted him; Dr. Fletcher, of Stepney, “an eloquent man,” delivered the charge; and George Clayton preached to the people.
Kensington was considerably changed when the new pastor reached it. The suburb was much more populous than of yore. Streets and squares, terraces and crescents were rising and stretching here and there; but the town, as it was now called, remained compact. Beyond the turnpike road, then bordered by only single lines of houses, there spread out north and south a wide border country of market gardens and orchards; and my predecessor told me of his dreary walks in winter, from his residence on Notting Hill to Hornton Street Chapel. No good pavement, no gas-lighted lamps, existed then; and the wayfarer was left to pick his path as best he could on pitch dark evenings, across Campden Hill, helped only by a glimmering lantern carried in his hand.
Unfortunately the Kensington records supply scanty information respecting the Vaughan period,—the years between November, 1825, and November, 1832, being passed over without one single line; whilst before and after, secular concerns are the chief subjects of entry. Now the appointment of new managers, then the retirement of a secretary, next the letting of pews; and, as a variation, the erection of a tablet in the chapel to the memory of a departed hearer. These are the topics which occur on the pages of the old parchment-bound volume.
The “History of Kensington” supplies a list of the institutions existing in connection with Hornton Street just before the close of Dr. Leifchild’s ministry, and these continued in working order under Dr. Vaughan.
“A Benevolent Society, for visiting, instructing, and relieving the sick poor of all descriptions, at their own habitations, and which is at present chiefly conducted by ladies belonging to the congregation. A Tract Society, for the dispersion of religious tracts by the subscribers, to whom they are furnished at reduced prices. A Blanket Society, for the gratuitous distribution of blankets to the poor during the severity of the winter season. The Infants’ Friendly Society,—a female institution, which provides clothing and nourishment for poor women and their children during their confinement. An Auxiliary Missionary Society, to assist in the propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts, and which, by means of contributions of one penny per week (and upwards), raises the sum of nearly one hundred pounds per annum. Besides these, collections are made at the chapel for the Hoxton Academy; and every severe winter, on a smaller scale, to assist in relieving the poor of the parish.” [61]
The Auxiliary Missionary Society greatly increased its contributions under the new pastorate, and before Dr. Vaughan left they were, I believe, more than doubled. I remember attending a missionary meeting in Hornton Street, soon after I entered the ministry in 1832, when a large attendance in the chapel, a well-filled platform, and energetic speeches by the pastor in the chair and by others, bore ample witness to the missionary spirit which was reigning in the place. One family in particular, at a later period, was distinguished by zeal for the conversion of the heathen, and did perhaps more than any other to fan the flame of missionary benevolence. I allude to the Newtons, who—with their father, a deacon in the Church, and their mother, who was indeed “a mother in Israel”—held a foremost place, not only in this respect, but in other works of faith and labours of love. Being warmly attached to Dr. Vaughan, they all, parents and children, held up his hands and cheered his heart. One of Mr. Newton’s daughters, in my time, was married to the Rev. J. H. Budden, a valuable missionary at Mirzapore; and it was during Dr. Vaughan’s administration that this excellent man, then I think a member of the Church, had devoted himself to the London Missionary Society, of which, down to the present day, he has remained a distinguished agent. The young lady he married, and her sisters, were indefatigable as collectors for Foreign Missions; and I have often thought what a blessing it is for a congregation to have such helpers; not only because they themselves feed streams of holy Christian charity, but because by example and social influence they stimulate the usefulness of others. A sister of Mr. Budden’s, also connected with Kensington, became the wife of Mr. Birt, a missionary who laboured assiduously and successfully in South Africa; and it was a sad calamity for the Mission, and her family at home, when, in early life, she was killed by an accident, whilst travelling with her husband in a bullock wagon over an African wild.
The Tract Society mentioned in the list just now cited developed into a new form. The Christian Instruction Society came into existence, and was energetically taken up by Dr. Vaughan and his friends; meetings used to be regularly held, when the visitors attended to report their labours, and to receive small sums out of funds collected for relieving poor people in the neighbourhood.
The Sunday School also received large attention and support from the Newton family. I believe that all the members were in the schools, either as teachers or scholars; the mother being a model teacher, whose praise in the congregation, amongst some of the old members, has echoed down to this very day. Kensington furnishes many illustrations of that inspired saying, “The memory of the just is blessed.”
The Sunday School anniversary, at the end of March, was a high day. Just as the spring buds began to burst in the hedgerows which lined the opposite side of the road, crowds of youngsters, full of springtide hope and joy, were seen crowding within the doors to take part in the yearly festival. The boys occupied the gallery on one side, the girls filled the other. The little maidens on these occasions wore white caps, of which they were rather proud, but as they were often criticised, the practice of putting them on was entirely dropped about the year 1845. The singing of special hymns by childish voices was a constant accompaniment, and to many a great attraction.
Whilst these forms of usefulness went on in immediate connection with the Church, outside of it stood two institutes of a thoroughly catholic description—the British School and the Bible Society.
At the back of the old chapel were buildings occupied by the British School, where a large number of boys and girls were educated upon unsectarian principles. Church people and Dissenters united in their support, but the latter were foremost. Elementary education at that period was largely promoted by the voluntary efforts of the British and the National School Societies; the first of these rallying round it the ranks of Dissent, the second being a pillar of strength in the Established Church. The minister and deacons at Hornton Street took special interest in the Kensington British School.
The British and Foreign Bible Society had a large auxiliary for many years, comprehending a district which reached over both Westminster and the Court suburb. The annual meetings originally were held in the Haymarket, sometimes under the presidency of Royal Dukes, when, during the period of Dr. Leifchild’s ministry, he would be sure to be present, and make telling speeches in his own characteristic style. In the latter period of his pastorate, I believe, the district narrowed; certainly in Dr. Vaughan’s time the auxiliary had formed itself into distinct branches, and the Kensington one was wont to hold its own meetings. The King’s Arms, by the palace gates had an assembly room in which the friends of the Bible Society used to meet in Dr. Vaughan’s days, and there he did not fail by his sonorous eloquence impressively to commend the circulation of the Holy Scriptures throughout the world, as equally a Christian duty and a Christian privilege. On the platform, especially in later years, on denominational and patriotic questions, he often surpassed himself. The light from under his knitted brow, his compressed lips, his lordly bearing, his significant attitude and graceful gestures—something dramatic appeared in his oratory on such occasions—revealed much out of the ordinary way, and raised in listeners high expectations, which were rarely disappointed.
Dr. Vaughan spent more time at home than in visiting his people, not always to the satisfaction of the latter; but his profiting appeared unto all men, and his more intelligent hearers appreciated the results of his diligent study. He gradually rose into fame as an author, and his “Life of Wickliffe” won for him a high reputation. Other historical works, which it is needless to specify, made him still more widely known, and literary men honoured the Kensington pastor as an ornament to their profession. His authorship led to his London University professorship. History was his forte, and as Professor of Modern History in the new academical institute, he did good service. All these laurels served to attract thoughtful and cultivated people to Hornton Street. Inferior in numbers to many, the congregation, perhaps, in reference to the educated class, was inferior to none. Some of the aristocracy might now and then, during the latter part of his ministry, and afterwards, be seen within the humble walls. The Duchess of Sutherland and Lady Mary Fox were, I know, great admirers of the Doctor; and the former of these ladies—so queen-like in her appearance and manners—was once, I am told, present at a prayer meeting in the little Kensington schoolroom. The pastor was thankful to have opportunities of usefulness amongst people of rank, but he had no idea of flattering the great and seeking their patronage. I am quite sure from what I knew of him, and from conversation on the subject, he valued an occasional attendance of distinguished persons, much talked of at the time, only on account of the good he hoped to do them, not at all on account of any assistance they rendered, or any éclat they conferred. Though of humble extraction, he was one of Nature’s nobility, without assumption or servility, he could bear himself well amongst the noblest of the land.
One word ought to be said about his son—a member of the Church, and whom I think I now see sitting in the table pew, with his intellectual face, and long raven locks, looking up with loving eyes to his parent and pastor. The Doctor was proud of his son, and well he might be. But thankfulness for such a treasure went beyond all pride. The youth won the praises of such men as Sir James Stephen and Charles Kingsley, and had he been spared he would have proved a great blessing to the Church of God. But his “sun went down whilst it was yet day,” and this bereavement proved the greatest trial and sorrow of the father’s life. The son resembled the father, not much in his mental habits, but very much in his pulpit appearance and manners. I remember an old deacon saying, after he had heard “Alfy,” as his father called him, preach for me after I came to Kensington, “He’s a chip of the old block.”
It was in the year 1843 that Dr. Vaughan received an invitation to become Principal of Lancashire Independent College. Immediately afterwards a special meeting of the Church was held, and it is thus reported in the records:—
“The letter of the Rev. Dr. Raffles, chairman of the committee, containing the invitation, was read, and reference was made by Dr. Vaughan to circumstances which seemed to make his continuance in Kensington desirable and important, and to others which went to give a strong claim to the call from Manchester. It was intimated in conclusion, that the meeting had been called, not for the purpose of giving expression, at that time, to any opinion on either side of the subject, but simply for the purpose of making the Church and communicants aware of the various considerations which it would be necessary carefully to weigh, in order to the formation of a wise and Christian judgment on the subject.”
It is natural that the Kensington people should be reluctant to part with such a pastor as they possessed; but, with a noble unselfishness worthy of imitation, they thought as much of the welfare of the Church at large as of their own. An extract from the letter they sent to him deserves insertion:—
“It would be to our honour, and it would afford us pleasure, to enumerate, as we could, other considerations connected with your character and attainments affecting the religious interests in this place, which might naturally induce us to urge you to continue among us; but we feel bound in this communication to deal faithfully as those who fear God, the God of Truth, and we must therefore acknowledge, dear sir, that while we are deeply pained at the possibility of your leaving us, we are conscious that you possess moral and intellectual qualities which eminently fit you to occupy the very important post selected for you by your brethren in the ministry; and as we value His blessing who alone can bless, we dare not, if we could, interpose to prevent your acceptance of that distinguished and honourable offer, if it shall appear to you to be the will of God that you should accept it.”
Soon after Dr. Vaughan had sent in his resignation, he wrote to me inviting an interview for the purpose of ascertaining whether there might be a likelihood of my leaving Windsor, where I had been happily “settled” for eleven years. I was taken by surprise, though I had before received intimations from brethren that it might be my duty to undertake a sphere of wider service than I then occupied. I could give no reply to Dr. Vaughan at the moment, but told him I must at once consult my Windsor friends. This may seem strange, but we had so much mutual affection and confidence, that I could trust to their disinterestedness, whilst they trusted to my attachment. The result was, after much anxious conference, and the advice of two eminent brethren who happened to be on a visit to Windsor, [68] that I consented to preach at Kensington, with a view to the pastorate. I had no desire to leave Windsor. Far from it. I longed to remain, if it were the will of God, and in that spirit prayed for direction. After preaching a few times, I received a cordial and unanimous invitation to Kensington, and the Windsor Church agreed to my acceptance of it with expressions of unabated affection, saying they knew I must leave them, and that if I went away to so short a distance, there seemed more chance of their seeing me often afterwards. The spirit manifested by the Society left and the Society joined was so beautiful, that I record the fact as expressive of my own gratitude, and as an example worthy of imitation. Before Dr. Vaughan went into Lancashire, steps had been taken with a view to this result, and within two months it was accomplished. Some may think this a hasty settlement; at all events it lasted for thirty-two years, with growing affection on both sides.
The following letter of acceptance was written on the 27th of July, 1843:—
“My Dear Brethren,—
“I do not think it desirable to delay any longer than is absolutely necessary a decided reply to the unanimous and affectionate invitation which you have sent me, to accept the pastoral office. It appears to me to be the path of duty to remove from my present charge to the Church at Kensington. Had I not been gradually prepared for this step, I do not think I could have found it in my heart thus to sever the tie which has pleasantly bound me for more than eleven years to my present people; but the way has been opened by degrees, and the hand of Providence has, I conceive, now placed me in a position, with regard to you, from which it would not be proper to retreat.
“Confiding in the sincerity of that approval and affection which you are pleased to express, and above all, looking up to the Fountain of all good, for His aid and blessing, I venture to advance, and accept your united call.
“The spirit of supplication which has marked your proceedings, in reference to this matter, gives me the strongest ground to hope that in this instance the voice of the Church is the voice of God. I am deeply sensible of the great responsibility I incur in accepting so important a charge, especially as the successor of one whose eminence in the Christian world might well provoke, in relation to myself, humiliating comparisons. But I rest on Him who can successfully employ the humblest instrumentality in His service. Let me hope that the spirit of prayer I have already referred to may continue, and that you will earnestly seek an enlarged effusion of Divine influence on my anticipated labours. The consciousness of many infirmities and imperfections compel me, at the very commencement of our new relationship, to implore that you will ever manifest toward me that candour and forbearance which I feel that I shall especially need.”
Before I pass on to the new pastorate, it should be stated, in reference to Dr. Vaughan’s ministry at Kensington, that for some little time before his removal to Lancashire, the Rev. N. Jennings, M.A., F.R.A.S., became associated with him as assistant minister, and in that capacity he rendered important service, especially in conducting Bible classes,—his instructions were highly appreciated by the youthful members of the congregation.
The new pastor felt his removal from Windsor very deeply; and on the first Sunday of his regular ministry in Kensington he was anything but himself—certainly by no means at home. He thought next day the people must have repented of their choice. Matters, however, mended afterwards, though a good while passed before he could accommodate himself to altered circumstances; but the kindness he everywhere met with gave him increasing encouragement.
A recognition service was held on October 31st, 1843, when his old friend and neighbour, Dr. Morison, delivered an introductory discourse; the late minister, Dr. Vaughan, gave the charge; and his predecessor, Dr. Leifchild, addressed the congregation. It was a pleasant circumstance that three successive pastors of the same Church shared in the solemn service; and but for uncontrollable hindrances, the predecessor of them all, Mr. Clayton, would have been present to assist. Dr. Vaughan’s charge was most impressive; and the allusion he made to himself and his successor, as thenceforth associated like fellow-workmen in the same edifice, was very striking from the manner in which it was put; and the listener was led to hope that if diligent, devout, and earnest, he would meet his friend in the world of light, when all results of faithful labour will be finally revealed.
On reviewing the appearance of the neighbourhood, compared with what it was years before, changes were visible. Kensington had enlarged, the population had increased; still there were rural spaces between the Court suburb and the neighbouring localities; and people from Paddington, from Brompton, and from Knightsbridge took long country walks to their chosen place of worship. Hence pastoral visitation required much time and some toil; and many were the wanderings in unknown neighbourhoods, taken by the new minister in order to secure an acquaintance with his hearers.
The congregation had become large in the latter part of Dr. Vaughan’s time; and old families who had loved him did not transfer, but rather extended their attachment to the object of their recent choice. Without mentioning names, which would be invidious, there was here an old gentleman who looked well after his pastor’s interests; there an old lady with a large school, who did all she could to bring her pupils under the spiritual influence of the preacher they heard from week to week; and elsewhere a family group outstretching helpful hands for all sorts of good works. The kindness, candour, and forbearance of all were wonderful; and if a few were not reconciled at first to the change which had happened, and naturally sighed at the loss they had sustained, they never evinced alienation, but gradually came to listen lovingly to the pulpit occupant, whom the Great Master, they believed, had sent amongst them. Many new attendants gradually sought sittings on the old spot; some of them long since entered a better world and a better Church, and others still remain, who kindly greet the retired shepherd whenever, happily for himself, he comes in their way.
It may be mentioned that Kensington, on many accounts, has long been a favourite place of residence for artists and literary men, and a few of these became some occasional, others regular hearers. Two Royal Academicians, and one of the editors of Punch, will be remembered by some who read these pages; and an eminent sculptor still remains faithful to his early ecclesiastical attachment. In later days the present President of the Institution of Civil Engineers [73] removed from the north to Kensington, and fully won the confidence and affection of his pastor; others, whom it would be boastful to mention, and some still spared for great usefulness, lightened the load of his cares and increased the sum of his enjoyments.
One most interesting fact should not be passed over. Kensington was remarkable for ladies’ boarding schools, and a number of the pupils attended Hornton Street chapel. Thus the pastor gathered round him a circle in which he took a very lively interest. Friendships were then formed which have since been the joy of his life; and in the evening of his days it is his privilege to regard several of them still with a fatherly affection, to which they faithfully respond.
Curious characters at different periods, it may be added would come into the vestry to have a little chat; a gentleman during the Crimean War gravely proposed to the preacher of peace a clever scheme for blowing up Sebastopol; and at another time one of clerical appearance repeated, with extraordinary rapidity, long passages out of the Greek Testament.
Immediately after the commencement of the new pastorate, important questions arose as to the administration of ecclesiastical affairs—indeed, as to the proper constitution of the Church. The narrative in this volume has shown that the congregation at Hornton Street was originally gathered by Presbyterians; and that though no definite form of polity was adopted, the method of proceedings followed somewhat the Presbyterian model. The institution of elders was proposed, but not carried out; managers, whose office seems to have resembled somewhat that of elders, were at once appointed. For a long time they distinctly and frequently appear in the records of the Society. Moreover, at first mention is made of “communicants,” “members,” and “subscribers”, but the word “Church” occurs only now and then, until the appellation became established in Dr. Leifchild’s time. “Deacons,” too, are mentioned, but not in a way to indicate what were their distinct duties, and in what manner they were chosen. “Managers” continued to administer affairs all the way through; and such persons held office down to the termination of Dr. Vaughan’s ministry. The practice, when he left, was strictly congregational; but still the existence of “managers,” in distinction from deacons, lingered on,—the managers having chiefly to do with the collection of subscriptions and the support of the minister. When the new pastorate opened, it was thought time to put an end to what, on Congregational principles, is an anomaly, and to reduce the administrative power to the scriptural form of bishop and deacons. Hence the office of manager was abolished, and an election of new deacons followed. Those who had been called “managers” were now elected to the diaconate, and new men were added to the number. Altogether they now amounted to seven; their names being Messrs. Newton, James, Hine, Walker, Thurston, Tomlin, and Watson. To give additional importance to this new step in the Church’s history, it was thought desirable to have special services connected with it; therefore, first the pastor, at a special Church meeting, explained the nature of the office, as given in the New Testament, and next Dr. Tidman, at a week evening lecture, delivered an appropriate address to the newly-chosen officers. The Church now, in form as well as spirit, received a decidedly Congregational impress; and so it has continued ever since. From time to time new diaconal elections were held, as vacancies occurred; the ballot being adopted, though the names of suitable persons could be mentioned beforehand, the pastor and those already in office being allowed, not indeed to dictate, but to suggest such as seemed most qualified for the office. The last-mentioned deacon on the list just given—Mr. Robert Watson, of Hammersmith—ought to be specially noticed, for he wrought a practical change in the conduct of Church business little appreciated at the time. Being a most conscientious, methodical, and business-like man, as well as a devout and earnest Christian, he, as secretary of the official staff, conducted everything in the most orderly manner. I have heard him say that Church business occupied the chief time of one of his clerks. The change he introduced into the minutes of proceedings is very striking. Whereas before, entries were vague and irregular, and no clue is afforded to determine when and how members were admitted; after Mr. Watson took office, Church meetings are reported from month to month, with the greatest regularity; and it can be seen at once who were received into communion, and what of a spiritual or secular kind transpired. He and his brethren revised the list of members every year, striking off with inexorable decision the names of such as had ceased to attend the Lord’s Supper. In March, 1848, it was made a standing rule, “That any member being absent from the Lord’s Table for six consecutive months without sufficient cause assigned, shall, after notice to the party and mention to the Church, be considered to have withdrawn from the communion of this Church.” It may be added, that a distinction was made between members in full communion—having a right to vote in the choice of “bishop and deacons,” and on other ecclesiastical questions—and persons only occasional communicants, not adopting Nonconformist opinions, though from spiritual sympathy wishing to unite with the Church at the Lord’s Table. Occasional communion often led the way to complete fellowship; the communicant, however, had to be elected at a Church meeting to a full share in ecclesiastical rights and privileges.
It may be mentioned further that young people, before they reached an age which would justify their giving a vote respecting Church affairs, were allowed to partake of the Lord’s Supper, their subsequent full admission to fellowship depending upon their election in the usual manner. That “manner” was in accordance with the usual practice in Congregational Churches half a century ago. A candidate first had an interview with the pastor; then he or she was proposed to the Church; one of the deacons generally, but not always, had conversation with the individual; and at the next Church meeting, after a report of eligibility, the election followed by a show of hands. [77]
That all particulars relating to the constitution of the Church may be disposed of at once, it remains to be remarked, that when a new trust deed of Church premises had to be made, instead of the Assembly’s Catechism being recognised as a standard of belief, a short general statement of evangelical doctrines was employed.
The year 1845 completed the first half century of the Church’s existence, and it was deemed fit that the jubilee should be celebrated by a special service. Accordingly,” a commemorative discourse” was delivered on the 13th of April by the pastor, and it appeared in print at the request of the congregation. Two passages may be introduced:—
“With devout gratitude it should be remembered that the past half century has been marked with peace. While some Churches have been torn with intestine strife, or wrecked by schisms, or reduced to a mere shadow by heartless formality, the communion of the faithful in this place has been a practical illustration of the Psalmist’s words, ‘Behold! how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity;’ while at the same time they have exemplified the principle that progress is the law of spiritual existence in societies as well as in individuals. It has not been the peacefulness of death, but the peacefulness of life which has reigned over this spot; not the calmness of the stagnant pool, but the smooth and gentle flow of living waters; not the stillness of the rocky desert, where all is desolate and bare and cold, but the silence of the garden and the grove, where vitality gushes through many a channel, and proves its presence and power by abundance of foliage, flowers, and fruit.
“Every Church should be a kind of missionary station for its whole vicinity, a centre of exertion and influence telling on the surrounding sphere; a lighthouse built on a rock, lifting aloft the lamps of truth, warning, and invitation; or, rather, a floating light moving in the person of its members through the adjacent district, to illuminate the benighted, to guide the wanderer, and to save the soul from moral shipwreck. Happily, the obligation to exemplify an active Christianity is now acknowledged by our Churches in general; and an apparatus adapted to the evangelization of the bordering territory is held to be essential to their completeness. We feel the obligation ourselves, and, by the Divine blessing, we have much of the religious machinery of the day at work upon this spot. But still, does it not admit of question whether, as the advocates of a system which boasts of its untrammelled freedom of action, and its vigorous voluntary power; as those who believe that our cause, to use the words of Dr. Doddridge, is ‘the cause of evangelical piety’; as those, especially, who profess to be under everlasting and infinite obligation to Him from whom we have received our light and salvation;—I repeat, does it not admit of question, whether we are doing all that might be fairly expected of us, for the diffusion of the truths we so much value throughout the neighbourhood where we are located; whether our energies are put forth to the full for the extension of the cause in a place which numbers its 27,000 inhabitants, nearly four times the number of the population fifty years ago, when this chapel was built; whether we have provided all the means of Christian education we might and ought, especially for those of our neighbours who are lying around in vast masses, covered with the gloom of spiritual ignorance, and paralysed, to an awful degree, by moral insensibility? While there is much, very much, already done, which should encourage our hearts and fill us with gratitude, is there not much, very much, yet to be accomplished, to which Providence seems most urgently to bid us put an earnest, steady, persevering hand.”
Important consequences resulted from these hints. In May it was resolved, “That a special meeting of the Church should be convened, and that members should be informed that the deacons have considered it desirable that certain alterations should be made in order to provide increased accommodation.” Such a meeting was held, and it determined that the chapel should be enlarged by throwing the vestry and small schoolroom behind the pulpit wall, with the organ gallery, into the body of the building, so that a considerable number of additional sittings might be provided for the enlarged congregation. Such an alteration was effected, and the chapel was re-opened in October by Dr. Vaughan.
In connection with the chapel enlargement, additional accommodation was provided at the back of the premises for the British and Sunday schools. These alterations created an impetus, happily felt by people and pastor. Various kinds of work went on, two of which may be mentioned: first, the delivery of a course of lectures in the new schoolroom on “Christian Evidences,” which attracted large audiences from week to week; and next, the institution of a Bible class, including the whole of the week evening congregation, when expositions of Scripture were given by the pastor, followed by a list of questions. These questions were taken home, and the week after written replies were brought. In many instances the replies were of a very superior order, and the reading of the papers excited a very deep interest. The exercise proved a success, and the schoolroom was often crowded on these occasions.
The chapel, enlarged in 1845, became in 1847 too small to accommodate sufficiently the increased number of attendants, and to meet the spiritual wants of the neighbourhood. A select meeting in Hornton Street vestry speedily followed, to consider what, under the circumstances, ought to be attempted, and the result was a resolution to erect a new chapel at Bayswater, to which a portion of the Kensington congregation living in the Bayswater neighbourhood might remove. [81] This measure was advocated by the pastor as the right way of promoting the interest of Evangelical Congregationalism. To wait till bickerings arose, and diversions occurred in consequence, was truly mischievous. To “swarm” like bees, a goodly number removing to a new hive, that was a wise method, which God would be sure to bless. Mr. Walker, who lived at Bayswater, was anxious for a chapel there, and before the little party in the vestry separated, much more than £1,000 was promised. Soon the amount reached the sum of £1,700. A committee was formed for the fulfilment of the enterprise.
The year 1848 is memorable in the history of Europe. It will be remembered that just then the Continent shook with political convulsions from end to end; and in the month of April the inhabitants of London felt intense anxiety, owing to the Chartist demonstration on Kennington Common. The Sunday before that incident a considerable number of Hornton Street hearers consisted of gentlemen just sworn in as special constables; and the grave and earnest manner of all present was increased by the Rev. William Walford, who preached on the occasion, and referred to his own recollections of what took place in England when, from week to week, it heard of the Paris Reign of Terror. God, he said, had brought this country through a more terrible excitement then, and would still be a protector of those who trusted in Him. Thus amidst political storms the foundation of Horbury Chapel was laid, even as Hornton Street, more than half a century before, had been built when England felt the throes of the French Revolution.
The corner-stone of Horbury Chapel was laid by Sir Culling Eardley, August 30th, 1848. The new building was completed and opened in September, 1849. The Sunday before a sermon was preached at Kensington from the words, “We be brethren,” and the spirit of those words was embodied in all the proceedings which ensued.
About one hundred seat-holders left Hornton Street for Horbury; and about forty members, including two very influential deacons, Messrs. Newton and Walker, resigned, and migrated to the new settlement. They requested, in a letter dated October 29th, 1849, their dismissal in the following appropriate terms:—
“We, the undersigned members of the above communion, purposing to separate ourselves from it, in order to form a Church at Horbury Chapel, Notting Hill, of the same faith and order, affectionately request that the necessary dismissal may be granted to us for the purpose.
“While recognising the tie which for various periods has outwardly bound us together in Church fellowship,—we desire ever to continue attached to each other in the bonds of the Gospel, and would gratefully acknowledge the goodness of our heavenly Father in having so long vouchsafed to the Church at Hornton Street His presence and blessing—in supplying it with a succession of faithful pastors, in honouring the preaching of His Word by them, in creating a spirit of activity and desire for usefulness on the part of so many of our fellow-members, and in permitting love and union to prevail in our midst. We pray that these blessings may long be continued to you, and be realized by us in our new connection; that there may be speedily sent to us a pastor, a man after God’s own heart, who shall preach the Gospel fully and freely, deacons who shall purchase to themselves a good degree, and that we and our fellow-members, individually, as well as in our associated character, may be distinguished alike for our humility and piety, and for our activity and devotedness to the cause of Christ.”
It is interesting here to remember that, whilst the chapel was being built, the idea arose that the new and the old congregations might remain united under a common pastorate of two or three ministers, they interchanging pulpits with each other from week to week, the communicants in the two places at the same time forming together one organic Church. This would have been very gratifying to the Hornton Street pastor, and would have coincided with his views of primitive municipal Churches; but practical difficulties arose, and the scheme was abandoned. In lieu of it, however, the communicants at Kensington and Notting Hill resolved annually to partake of the Lord’s Supper together, a practice which has since been continued with hallowed and pleasant results.
If 1848 was a year of storms, 1851, when the first English Exhibition was opened, will ever be remembered as a year of peace. It seemed as though the millennium had dawned. “No more wars now,” thought many a sanguine spirit, soon to be undeceived in this respect; but the tranquillity and good-will amongst the hundreds of thousands who thronged to the Crystal Palace are undeniable, and the effect of it on the Kensington Independent congregation was manifest in crowded attendances and in animated services, for which the artistic wealth and the manifold associations of the great gathering furnished the pastor with manifold illustrations.
The rising tide of the Church at Kensington did not ebb when the Exhibition was over; and owing to this, in the year 1854, the friends found it necessary to consider whether they ought not to build a new and much larger place of worship for themselves and their neighbours. Promised subscriptions speedily opened the way to the execution of this enterprise; and in June, 1854, the pastor laid the first stone of the chapel in Allen Street. The chapel was opened in May, 1855, when the Rev. Thomas Binney preached in the morning, and the Hon. and Rev. Baptist Noel in the evening. On the following Sunday the opening services were continued, Dr. John Harris preaching in the morning, and the pastor in the evening. The Rev. William Brock closed the series on the following Tuesday evening.
The entire cost, including purchase of the land, was £8,748 9s. 6d., and the whole was paid for on the last Sunday in January, 1860, when public collections reached the amount of £365 10s. 2d.,—being seven shillings more than was required.
In the autumn of 1856 the Church lost one of its most active deacons. Mr. Padgett (brother-in-law of the pastor), who had been formerly a deacon at Trevor Chapel, Brompton, died suddenly whilst travelling in Switzerland, and it became the pastor’s painful duty to preach the funeral sermon, just after his own return from a continental tour. The text selected was Amos v. 8: “Seek Him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and, maketh the day dark with night.”
A season of great anxiety occurred in the month of January, 1857, when the pastor received an invitation from New College to become Principal of that institution, upon the death of the lamented Dr. Harris. The intimate connection between the pastor and that college—he having taken an active part in the foundation of it, and having declined one of the professorships offered at that time—made him particularly anxious to ascertain the path of duty at this crisis. He informed the deacons of what had occurred, and sought their advice. He wished to decide, not according to any preconceived plan, but as it might appear on a comparison of claims, arising from the college on the one hand, and the Church on the other. The deacons returned the following answer:—
“Having this evening met to consider the important communication which you submitted to us last Tuesday, in reference to the invitation given to you to succeed the late Dr. Harris as Principal of New College, we have prayerfully, and with thoughtful earnestness, endeavoured to view the matter in all its bearings, and we thank you for the confidence implied in the fact of your having referred the matter to us.
“Although as deacons of the Church under your charge its interests naturally present themselves prominently before us, we have sought to avoid any selfish or contracted feelings in reference to that Church, and have desired to take an enlarged view of the interests of the Church of Christ as a whole. Our first attention has been given to the suggestion made by you as to the practicability of your retaining a limited connection with Kensington Chapel as minister while undertaking the principalship; and our feeling is that it could not be done with comfort to yourself or advantage to the Church.
“In considering the matter generally, the following points have occurred to us as deserving of serious attention:—
“1. The special claims of Kensington as a sphere of labour for an intelligent Christian minister.
“2. Your peculiar qualifications for representing the interests of Nonconformity in the neighbourhood.
“3. The peaceful and prosperous state of the Church under your charge.
“4. The claims of a confiding and affectionate people who, within the last two years, have manifested their attachment by erecting our present place of worship at a cost of several thousand pounds, of which a large amount still remains due.
“5. Your success as a preacher, and your increasing acceptableness to your own people.
“6. The more limited opportunity which would be afforded to you at New College of exercising your talents as a preacher.
“7. The difficulty which the Church anticipates in securing an appropriate successor.
“8. The fact that it would not be more difficult (if as much so) to supply the vacant office than your vacant pulpit.
“Other considerations, which we need not enumerate, have occurred to our minds. The foregoing we venture to submit to your attention. They have led us to the conclusion that, however honourable the invitation may be to you, and however it may be pressed upon your notice, and however usefully you might be employed in it, it does not appear to us to be your duty to relinquish your present position and sphere, where you have been so much blessed, in order to undertake the office in question.”
This letter decided the point. Attractive as was the post at New College, the claims of the Church at Kensington, especially so soon after the building of the new chapel, appeared more urgent: and it may be added that the deacons, especially Mr. Watson, turned the incident to account by proposing that £1,000 should be raised as a thank-offering for the continuance of the existing pastorate, the sum to be employed in liquidation of the chapel debt. This amount contributed to its entire extinction.
Encouraging years of labour followed, and in 1860 additions to the Church reached their highest point up to that time,—a proof of the Divine blessing on what had been done and determined; and it was regarded as a cause for special gratitude and thanksgiving.
The new chapel was thoroughly repaired and embellished in 1863, at a cost of about £600. Of this amount the sum of £400 was subscribed beforehand, and the rest was obtained by collections on the last Sunday of January, 1864.
In the spring of 1865 the Church, long aware of their pastor’s wish to visit the Holy Land, most generously came forward to gratify him in this respect, and opened a subscription which amounted, almost immediately, to the sum of £400, which was placed at his disposal to defray the expenses of the journey. A public meeting followed, when the money, enclosed within a tastefully devised oriental-like purse, mounted in gold, was presented, with an intimation that, during the absence of about four months, the friends would undertake to pay supplies. Before his departure he delivered two sermons on the first Sunday in February, and on the 7th of the month started with Dr. Allon, Dr. Spence, the Rev. John Bright, of Dorking, and Mr. Stanley Kemp Welch, on the much talked of trip. [88] It proved successful and gratifying, except that a serious illness befel Dr. Spence during his journey, and that the Kensington pastor returned as yellow as an old Indian, much to the dismay of his flock when they lovingly welcomed him back to the pulpit. The temporary attack of jaundice, however, proved not at all injurious, as after his recovery from it his health was if anything better than before. Certainly the journey gave him an interest in Palestine, and in the Scriptures relating to it, greater than ever, and furnished ample materials for lectures to the congregation.
The year after his return from the Holy Land he expressed a wish, not only for his own sake, but the better to meet spiritual wants in the Church and the surrounding district, that an assistant should be provided; and this matter came before the Church in February, 1866, when the following resolution was passed: “That this meeting desires to express its cordial concurrence in the deacons’ proposal for the appointment of an assistant to the minister, to be selected by him, and to be sustained, as an experiment for one year, by a special fund.” In pursuance of this resolution the Rev. Alden Davies became assistant minister, and proved so useful in visitation, superintendence of classes, and preaching on Sunday afternoons, and other occasions, that his services were prolonged for three years, greatly to the comfort of his senior colleague, and the satisfaction of his numerous friends.
Two important incidents occurred in 1868. The first was the celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the pastor’s ministry at Kensington, when a large public meeting was held in the month of October. The Rev. Thomas Binney took the chair, and was surrounded by a numerous company of London ministers. Numerous congratulatory speeches were delivered, but that which alone needs particular notice was the statement read by Mr. Shepheard, one of the deacons of the Church who for many years had rendered most valuable and important services. He stated that in 1843 there were 251 members, and that since 1843, 1,200 members had been added, the number on the Church roll at the time the meeting was held being about 500; so, he said, “the Church has been doubled in number since our pastor commenced his ministry amongst us.” This report appeared all the more gratifying when it was remembered that in 1849 forty members had been dismissed to the new Church at Horbury. He also read a long list of sums, amounting altogether to £32,821, contributed by the congregation during twenty-five years, independently of the amount raised for the support of the ministry, and for incidental expenses in carrying on worship. Of the sum just mentioned, nearly £1,300 had been devoted to chapel and school building purposes; nearly £9,000 to missionary operations; £5,630 to the advancement of education; and £5,480 to relieving the poor. The other incident of this year 1868 was the laying of the first stone of the new schools in Allen Street.
It had for a long time been felt desirable that enlarged accommodation should be provided for the Sunday and Day Schools. The buildings in Hornton Street had become too small and altogether inconvenient. The Metropolitan Railway Company in 1868 wanted to purchase the premises for their own purposes, and this opportune circumstance enabled the friends to accomplish their long-cherished desire. Part of the ground in Allen Street purchased for the site of the chapel remained unoccupied. A plan for erecting almshouses on it had been suggested, but it failed though favoured by several friends. It was now available for schools, and consequently became appropriated for that purpose.
It was at first intended that the laying of the first stone should form part of the celebration just described, but circumstances compelled a postponement of the ceremony; it was, however, performed by the pastor soon afterwards.
When the twenty-eighth year of the existing pastorate arrived, the pastor, having reached the sixty-fourth year of his age, expressed to the Church an idea which he had cherished through his whole ministerial life. The first few years after his ordination he spent as a junior co-pastor, and his desire was, should he reach old age, that the last few years should be spent in service as a senior co-pastor. He thought at his age it was time to contemplate such an arrangement. This, with various considerations supporting his opinion, he submitted to his people, entreating them to remember the subject in private prayer. In the month of April, 1871, the Church resolved “that the time had arrived when provision should be made for supplementing the minister’s services by the appointment of a co-pastor.” The Rev. Chas. S. Slater, of Nottingham, having preached at Kensington with much acceptance, the Church, in the month of March, 1872, sent him a cordial and unanimous invitation to become co-pastor; but he stated that he felt obliged to decline it, whilst acknowledging the receipt of it in highly becoming terms. The obligation arose from the circumstance that his people at Nottingham were engaged in the building of schools, an enterprise to the completion of which he stood pledged, and therefore he could not leave in the midst of the undertaking. Disappointed in this attempt, and discouraged by further inquiries, the pastor informed the Church that “as difficulties in securing a co-pastor were found to be so great, it had been thought desirable for the present to seek the services of an assistant minister, and that the pastor would in the meantime avail himself of student’s help on Sunday evenings.”
The plan of occasional help on Sunday evenings did not prove a success. The evening congregation declined, and the need of more pastoral work being done became increasingly visible. Hence in October, 1872, at a special meeting of the Church, the pastor expressed the feeling he had, that under existing circumstances it would be most advantageous for the spiritual interests of the people that the ground should be cleared for an efficient successor, who could undertake the whole duty, and so render the plan of assistanceship needless. This communication, received in the kindest manner, evoked the expression of a desire for a continuance of the existing pastorate as long as possible. Numerous consultations and interchanges of opinion followed, all carried on in a most harmonious manner; the sequel was, the pastor yielded to affectionate solicitations, and for the present deferred his resignation.
In the month of December, 1872, an extraordinary service took place. It was occasioned by the death of Sir Donald F. Macleod, C.B., K.C., S.A., who had for some time attended divine worship in Allen Street and communed with the Church at the Lord’s Table. He died from a mysterious accident at the Kensington High Street railway station, and this circumstance, together with his distinguished character and rank, attracted a crowded congregation when his funeral sermon was preached. A large number of officers and civilians connected with India, including Lord Lawrence, were present, and the greatest respect was shown to his memory. The discourse was published by request, and as this sketch of Kensington Church history is intended to include notices of eminent members of the congregation, the following extracts are not inappropriate:—
“Having honourably and successfully occupied different posts of important service in India, he, in the year 1865, attained to the high position of Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjaub. . . . Sir Donald had a rare gift for putting himself into kindly fellowship with those he ruled, whether rich or poor, entering into their feelings and cultivating their regards, and by degrees he acquired a widespread influence in what might be called the country of his adoption, and all loved him as a friend and father; and it has been said, if the natives in the Punjaub had had to choose a prince, it would have been Sir Donald; a still more striking remark, given in the notice of his life by a leading journal, was recently made by a native gentleman, to the effect that ‘If all Christians were like Sir Donald Macleod, there would be no Mahomedans or Hindoos.’ . . . His calmness and self-possession during the fearful crisis of 1857 made him a safe counsellor when others were unnerved; besides which, on another occasion, during a terrible outbreak of cholera, he exerted himself in the care of sufferers, and in the burial of the dead, whilst others, panic-stricken, rushed away.
“He had an extraordinary power of making friends, and few have had so large a circle of friendship. ‘Wherever he went,’ remarks a relative, ‘his presence was like sunshine, and the sunshine was the reflection of another presence, even of Him of whom it is said, “In Thy presence is fulness of joy.’” . . . His bright, cheerful appearance, commanding figure, and pleasant utterances won all hearts, especially those of the young, who were attracted by the magic of sympathy, a rare gift, which he did not fail rightly to employ.”
“Into Thine hand I commit my spirit; Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth,” were amongst the last words he uttered, and they were selected as the text for his funeral sermon.
In the winter of 1872 the pastor felt it necessary to change his residence, when the ladies of the congregation raised a purse, which, with the addition of £100 from one friend, amounted to between £300 and £400. This bountiful gift, conveyed privately by one of the contributors, touched his heart as may be supposed, and made him feel how great was his people’s generosity, and how gracefully they exercised it. The avoidance of publicity, and the delicate mode of conveying the present, increased greatly his sense of obligation, and attached him to so noble-minded a people more strongly than ever. Their interest in the future he resolved more than ever to consider.
The autumn of that year he visited America, being invited, with the Rev. Joshua C. Harrison, “the friend of his life,” to attend the Evangelical Conference at New York. This was most refreshing, and in renewed health and spirits he returned, in November, to his beloved people; the chapel during his absence having been restored, painted, and decorated anew.
Harmony and love continued, but the want of additional assistance still pressed on all sides. The services of the Rev. S. Matthews, now pastor at Southampton, were secured for one year, and he co-operated with the senior minister very pleasantly; other help was also obtained, but at length the inevitable hour arrived. The Church received the following communication from their pastor in November, 1874:—
“My Beloved Flock,—
“It is now two years since I made an important communication touching our relationship to one another. I then stated, that upon a review of our affairs it struck me that there were subjects for mutual congratulation and for devout gratitude, particularly in the cheering aspect of the morning congregation and in your generous responses to benevolent appeals; but, at the same time, that there were other things of a different character which weighed upon my mind, such as the state of attendance on Sunday and week evenings, the need of more pastoral activity, to which growing years, personal habits, and increasing claims outside the Church tended to disqualify me, increasingly in proportion to the lapse of time. What was needed I pointed out as consisting of an infusion of fresh and youthful blood, with a more comprehensive, steady, and systematic control of our Institutions: wants only to be supplied by a new, vigorous, faithful, and exemplary minister.
“I then ventured to touch upon difficulties, ascertained through experience, in the way of obtaining either an assistant or a co-pastor who would secure the confidence, sympathy, and support of the Church at large. Nor did I omit to notice a question long pressing on my mind, as to whether it was worth your while to incur increased pecuniary obligations for the sake of retaining services which, in the course of nature, could not be continued for many years longer.
“My judgment, I said, pointed in the direction of retirement, and I urged upon you the consideration that, on the whole, it might be easier, wiser, and better, at once, or very soon, to seek a new pastor altogether, than to aim at mere assistance or even a full co-pastorate. I also suggested that, perhaps, with my confirmed habits and tastes, I might serve the Divine Master more usefully in some other way, than by continuing to hold the office of a settled pastor.
“I intimated distinctly what a sore trial it was to me to make such a communication; with what deep sorrow I should separate from a people whom I had watched and loved for so many years, not, I hope, without some considerable success; and that I was prompted in what I said, not by desires for personal gratification, or by love of ease, or a preference for literary pursuits, but simply and entirely by a sense of duty and a supreme desire, to promote the welfare of the Church at Kensington.
“My communication was very kindly considered by the deacons and yourselves, and at length I received a resolution affectionately entreating me to retain the pastorate without any stipulation as to time, and generously offering to provide an assistant. I complied with your request, so far as to say that without pledging myself to a permanent retention of office, I would accept your liberal offer to provide assistance, and would for the present continue my labours amongst you. A little more than a year afterwards, on my return from America, you invited for the term of twelve months my friend and brother, the Rev. S. G. Matthews, who has co-operated with me in the most harmonious and affectionate manner.
“His term of service will presently expire, and now that two years have elapsed since I made my communication—a period which you will remember I then specified—the whole subject returns on my mind with increasing force. Before I left home for the holidays, I stated as much to the deacons; and what I then thought and felt has been deepened by the effect of my recent great domestic sorrow, with respect to which many of you have expressed the tenderest sympathy.
“The more I reflect on the matter, the more I am confirmed in my former judgment—that, looking at my time of life, and at growing infirmities, which though they may not affect my pulpit labours, do affect my pastoral influence, and moreover, looking at pecuniary and other questions,—an entire change in the pastoral administration of affairs at Kensington seems desirable for the Church and congregation.
“Most reluctantly, with much pain, and at the cost of considerable self-sacrifice in more than one way, I reach the conclusion that our long and happy relationship must come to an end. Therefore I beg now to place my resignation in your hands, and to propose, with the view of relieving you from prolonged suspense and uncertainty, that it should take effect at Lady-day next, when I shall make way for a successor who will, I trust, under God’s blessing, perpetuate and advance the work which it has been my honour to carry on more than thirty-one years.
“I do not think I shall be charged with vanity if I add that I am persuaded this communication will give pain. Attachment has been so often expressed, the affection of many has been so strongly and practically shown, that it would be unreasonable and ungrateful to suspect I did not still enjoy your confidence and love. I am assured of both, and my hope is that though my pastoral relationship will cease, our mutual friendship will continue, and that in future days I may have opportunities of continued intercourse and occasional service.
“The Church at Kensington will have a large and warm place in my heart as long as that heart beats in this world; and my prayer is, that in the world to come we may all enjoy life and fellowship everlasting.”
An anxious discussion followed the reading of this letter at a Church meeting, held on the 12th of November, when the members recorded “the deep regret with which they had received from their beloved pastor the communication now presented by the deacons”; also their full appreciation of “the motives and reasons which had led him to his decision”; the “unabated attachment” which they still cherished towards him; and their gratitude to God “for the peace which had prevailed in the Church,” and the “many mercies vouchsafed” both to pastor and people.
A committee was formed to consider what further steps should be taken, and the meeting came “with the utmost regret and reluctance to the conclusion that the only course now open was to accept the resignation of their beloved and honoured pastor.” When the committee gave in their report, some members lovingly made further efforts to retain their old minister, but others equally loving saw that such efforts would be unavailing. At length all beautifully united in saying, “The will of the Lord be done.”
It was then resolved “that this meeting considers advantage should be taken of the opportunity afforded by the resignation of Dr. Stoughton, for the members of the Church and congregation . . . as well as for attached friends generally, to express their esteem for Dr. Stoughton, and appreciation of his character and valuable services in the cause of evangelical truth, by a substantial presentation to him.”
When the resignation had been sent in and accepted, a sermon was preached reviewing the past, explaining the present, and anticipating the future:—
“It is over forty years ago [said the preacher] that there lived in the town of Windsor a venerable man of God, who in early life had enjoyed only scanty educational advantages, but who, with strong common sense and industrious application to the study of Scripture and other reading, fitted himself, under God’s blessing, for the work of the ministry, and well fulfilled his course. He lived as he preached. He was a moral and spiritual power amongst his neighbours. From the king on the throne to the humblest inhabitant he was held in respect. George III. would speak to some of his servants, who attended the ministry of this excellent person, in terms of gracious approval. When years advanced and infirmities increased, he set his heart upon having a colleague, and after the congregation had listened to several students from Highbury College, they fixed on a stripling, who won the heart and warmly reciprocated the affection of the aged prophet. As a son with a father, the young man served in the gospel for about seven happy years, rejoicing in the honour paid to the elder, in whose hoary hairs he gladly recognised a crown of glory, because the wearer walked in the ways of righteousness. Many of you will recognise at once who was that aged saint, and I need hardly tell any here who was that inexperienced but attached young man. After I came here it was long a cherished dream, that if I should live to be an old man, I might enter once more upon a co-pastorate. The sunny memories I had and have of that relationship fostered corresponding hopes, and seven years ago I began to pray for and desire some one who might be associated with me in the ministry, and grow into your affection and confidence, and at length succeed me within these walls. Many and many a time have I pondered the text of this morning, and imagined how I might preach from it when the wished-for coming man should be appointed. I used to think of what would be fitting on such an occasion. ‘He must increase, and I must decrease,’ I said over and over again to myself, and not without fear that poor human nature might, under the circumstances, prove troublesome and rebellious. I endeavoured to prepare for the hoped-for crisis by meditations such as I have expressed in your hearing to-day.
“But now I preach from the words without knowing who it is that the Master destines to occupy in future years the pulpit of this place. Who shall hereafter ‘increase’ I cannot tell. I only know who must ‘decrease.’
“I did not renounce the idea of a co-pastorate until I was convinced from experience and observation that such a co-pastorate as I desired was impracticable. I remember often saying that I thought it must be an old man’s fault if he could not find, and work with, a fitting colleague. Alas, the finding has proved an impossibility, though I still incline to my old opinion of the working of the arrangement, when an appropriate colleague can be found. I am still persuaded that both for young ministers and for old ones the colligate plan is very desirable. Age tempers youth. Youth animates age. The senior with refined experience, the junior with the flush and fervour of opening life, conjoined in pastoral work, must surely to all appear a beautiful ideal. I was not brought to say, ‘What I shall choose I wot not,’ but I have been compelled to forego the exercise of choice in the matter, and to fall back on simple convictions of duty. Perhaps there is something amiss in the working of our system in relation to colligate ministries. Neither assistantships nor co-pastorates are in favour now-a-days, though in earlier Nonconformist societies they were. One minister is expected and desired to do everything, and, in a sense not intended by Ignatius, his motto finds a practical currency amongst us—widely as we may be separated from him in notions of episcopal government—‘nothing without the bishop.’”