06b Edward Irving, Cath. Apostolic Ch. Irvingites

Chapter 6 Rev. Edward Irving and the Catholic Apostolic Church or Irvingites (Part 2) a voice of power as could not be resisted. A mighty power was instantaneously exerted upon me. I first felt as if I had been lifted up from off the earth, and all my diseases taken off me. At the voice of Jesus I was surely made in a moment to stand upon my feet, leap and walk, sing and rejoice. O that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, for His wonderful works to the children of men/

"After her recovery Mary Campbell lived during the summer of 1830 at Helensburgh. There meetings innumerable were held, manifestations extraordinary were made. To the speaking was now added writing in the unknown tongues. When the moment of inspiration came, Mary seized the pen, and with a rapidity ’like lightning’ covered sheets of paper with characters believed to be letters and words. The gift of prophecy, too, was largely exercised, a gift not to be confounded with foretelling of future events or ordinary Christian teaching, but consisting in inspired exalted utterances, opening up some obscure passage of Scripture, or enforcing some neglected duty, or breaking forth ecstatically into prayer and praise. Crowds gathered round the young, attractive enthusiast. ’Among their number/ says one who wrote in the midst of the excitement, ’they can reckon merchants, divinity students, writers to the Signet, advocates. ... I have known gentlemen who rank high’ in society come from Edinburgh, join in all the exercises, declare their implicit faith in all Mary Campbell’s pretensions, ask her concerning the times and seasons, inquire the meaning of certain passages of Scripture, and bow to her decisions with the utmost deference as one inspired by Heaven.’ In Port Glasgow the area of manifestation was enlarged. The gift of interpretation was added to that of the tongues. By both brothers these two gifts were in constant exercise. They were bestowed also upon others. Prophetic utterances abounded. The excitement grew, the visitors from a distance increased. ’Ever since Margaret was raised and the gift of tongues given,’ writes one of the sisters (May i8th, 1830), ’the house has been filled every day with people from all parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland,’ Special interest was awakened where special hopes in this direction had for some time been cherished. Five delegates came down from London, who stayed three weeks at Port-Glasgow, and had every opportunity of seeing all that was going on, and of becoming personally acquainted with those engaged in it. One of these, a solicitor, recognised and quoted as an entirely competent witness by the writer of an article in the Edinburgh Review, closes his description of what he witnessed thus:

"‘These persons, while uttering the unknown sounds, as also while speaking in the Spirit in their own language, have every appearance of being under supernatural direction. The manner and voice are (speaking generally) different from what they are at other times, and on ordinary occasions. This difference does not consist merely in the peculiar solemnity and fervour of manner (which they possess), but their whole deportment gives an impression, not to be conveyed in words, that their organs are made use of by supernatural power. In addition to the outward appearances, their own declarations, as the declarations of honest, pious, and sober individuals, may with propriety be taken in evidence. They declare that their organs of speech are made use of by the Spirit of God; and that they utter that which is given to them, and not the expressions of their own conceptions, or their own intention. I had numerous opportunities of observing a variety of facts fully confirmatory of this.’" 1

Margaret Macdonald died not long after what has been believed to have been her miraculous restoration to health. James Macdonald died of the same disease, 1 Hanna, William: "Letters of Thomas Erskine of Linlathen." New York, 1877; pp. 176-180. tuberculosis, in the early part of 1835, an d George, also of X the same disease, almost a year later. 1

It was on April 3Oth that the first manifestation of the tongues occurred in London. Prayer meetings had been held for some time at the home of a Mr. Cardale, who later on took a prominent part in the affairs of the Catholic Apostolic Church.

"Mrs. Cardale spoke with great solemnity in a tongue and prophesied. There were three distinct sentences in an unknown tongue, and three in English. The latter were, The Lord will speak to His people The Lord hasteneth His coming The Lord cometh.’ She repeated the last words several times ’with gradually increasing and then diminishing strength and loudness.’ Soon after this, at one of the same meetings, Mrs. Cardale spoke twice, and Miss Hall ’sang in the Spirit.’" 2 The meeting of the General Assembly of this year was of unusual importance to Irving, as one of its principal items of business was the trying of the Rev. Mr. Campbell of Row and of the Rev. Mr. Maclean on charges of heresy arising from their proclaiming the universal nature of salvation. It was the preaching of Campbell which had been a contributing element in the engendering of the religious ideas of the Macdonalds and Mary Campbell. Campbell was condemned by the Assembly; Maclean escaped after a fashion. Incidentally a resolution condemning some of the writings of Irving was passed. During the meetings of the Assembly, Irving invited his congregation to meet at half past six each morning to offer special prayers for the Divine guidance of the Assembly. After the Assembly adjourned, the early morning prayer meetings were continued and prayer was 1 Hanna: "Erskine"; p. 233. ’Miller: op. cit., Vol. I, p. 66. offered continuously for the outpouring of the gifts of the apostolic age.

"In course of time some young men of the congregation asked to be allowed to meet in the vestry, which would contain about a hundred persons, for the purpose of praying for the outpouring, besides the public service already instituted, which, as has been just related, was started with another object. Irving consented, and agreed to preside over their meetings; and, when the numbers overflowed the vestry, held them in the church. They, too, waited for several months: when one morning, Mr. Taplin, on beginning to read the forty-third chapter of Isaiah, burst forth in a voice of thunder, uttering a few words ’in an unknown tongue/ ending with ’Jehovah, hear us!’ in English. On the next morning, the same speaker said with a superhuman shout, ’It is thou, O Britain: thou art the annointed cherub/ On the third morning, ’The Lord hath come down. He is in the midst of you. His eye hath seen, His heart hath pitied the affliction of His people, and He will deliver them. He will not leave a hoof behind/

"Mr. Taplin, who thus led the way in public utterances, was desHne3*fo exercise a considerable influence over his co-religionists. He was the son of a clergyman, who, after being in the ministry for upwards of fifty years, died at the age of ninety. He was considered to be well acquainted with Hebrew, Greek and Latin, and to be a good mathematician, as well as deeply versed in the Holy Scriptures. There is no reason to suppose him to have been otherwise than thoroughly honest and sincere in his belief; and afterwards, in order to devote himself to the work, he gave up a considerable source of revenue for a small income. He was possessed of strong powers of imagination, and was regarded as the chief means of ’light’ to the community, many of whose doctrines were due to his enunciation. At the same time he is said to have been at heart as humble as he was upright and persevering." *

Speaking in tongues and prophesying at these morning meetings continued, but it was not until Sunday, October 1 6th, 1831, that there was a manifestation in the regular morning service of the church in Regent Square.

Irving’s problem in reference to the tongues and the prophets had become a serious one. While he felt that they were supernatural in their nature, and while he was singularly eager for their appearance, he did not seem to know just how to treat them when they came. He felt at least the serious unwisdom of permitting the manifestations in connection with the heretofore orderly public services of the church. On Sunday morning, October i6th, 183 1, 2 just as Irving finished the reading of the Scripture lesson, a Miss Hall, one of those in whom the manifestations had been appearing,

"Finding she was unable to restrain herself, and respecting the regulation of the Church, rushed into the vestry, and gave vent to utterance, while another, as I understood from the same impulse, ran down the side aisle and out of the church, through the principal door. The sudden, doleful, and unintelligible sounds, being heard by all the congregation, produced the utmost confusion, the act of standing up, the exertion to hear, see, and understand, by each and every one of perhaps 1500 or 2000 persons, created a noise which may be easily conceived. Mr. Irving begged for attention, and when order was restored, he explained the occurrence, which, he said, was not new, except in the congregation, where he had been for some time considering the propriety of introducing it; but, though satisfied of the correctness of such

1 Miller: op. cit. Vol. I, pp. 67-8.
2 Some say "Early in November." Cf. Oliphant: op. cit., p. 424 and p. 427. a measure, he was afraid of dispersing the flock; nevertheless, as it was now brought forward by God’s will, he felt it his duty to submit. He then said he would change the discourse intended for the day and expound the 1 4th chapter of Corinthians, in order to elucidate what had just happened. The sister was now returning from the vestry to her seat and Mr. Irving, observing her from the pulpit, said, in an affectionate tone, ’Console yourself, sister, console yourself/ " 1

Miss Hall had spoken after she had shut the door, first in an unknown tongue, and then shouted in English, "How dare ye suppress the voice of the Lord?" Ye being in the plural number grammatically, but in the singular number prophetically. That the message was in the singular number was more clearly evident after the morning service. In the presence of his elders and deacons, Irving was reminded by the prophetess that

“‘Jesus hid not His face from shame and spitting; and that His servants must be content to follow him without the camp, bearing his reproach.’ Poor Irving sunk on a chair, and groaned aloud in. distress of spirit. Thenceforward, the prophets had their way with him!” 2 The following description of the service that evening, quoted by Mrs. Oliphant, is from Mrs. Hamilton:

"In the evening there was a tremendous crowd; the galleries were fearfully full, and from the commencement of the service there was an evident uproariousness, considering the place, about "the doors, men’s voices continually mingling with the singing and the praying in most indecent confusion. Mr. Irving had nearly finished his discourse, when another of the ladies spoke. The people heard for a few minutes with quietness comparatively.

1 Oliphant: op. cit., p. 424. Quoted from Pilkington’s "Unknown Tongues."
2 Miller: op. cit., Vol. I, p. 69. But on a sudden a number of the fellows in the gallery began to hiss, and then some cried ’Silence!’ and some one thing and some another, until the congregation, except such as had firm faith in God, were in a state of extreme commotion. Some of these fellows (who, from putting all the circumstances together, it afterward appeared, were a gang of pickpockets come to make a row) shut the gallery doors, which I think was providential for had anyone rushed and fallen, many lives might have been lost, the crowd was so great. The awful scene of Kirkcaldy church was before my eyes, and I dare say before Mr. Irving’s. He immediately rose and said, ’Let us pray,’ which he did, using chiefly the words, ’O Lord, still the tumult of the people,’ over and over again in an unfaltering voice. This kept those in the pews in peace, none attempted to move, and certainly the Lord did still the people. We then sang, and before pronouncing the blessing Mr. Irving intimated that henceforward there would be morning service on the Sunday, when those persons would exercise their gifts; for that he would not subject the congregation to a repetition of the scene they had witnessed. He said he had been afraid of life, and that which was so precious he would not again risk, and more to a like effect. A party still attempted to keep possession of the church. One man close to me attempted to speak. Some called ’Hear! hear!’ others, ’Down! down!’ The whole scene reminded me of Paul at Ephesus. It was very difficult to get the people to go, but by God’s blessing, it was accomplished. The Lord be praised! We were in peril, great peril, but not a hair of the head of anyone suffered." l To quote further from Mrs. Oliphant:

"The following version of the same occurrence, describing it from an outside and entirely different point of view, appears in the Times of the iQth November, 1 Oliphant: op. cit., pp. 426-7. extracted from the World. It is headed, ’Disturbance at the National Scotch Church.’ It is curious as showing the state of contemporary feeling out of doors:

" ’On Sunday the Rev. Edward Irving delivered two sermons on the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, on each of which occasions the congregation was disturbed by individuals pretending to the miraculous gift of tongues. During the sermon in the morning a lady (a Miss Hall) thus singularly endowed was compelled to retire into the vestry, where she was unable, as she herself says, to restrain herself, and spoke for some time in an unknown tongue, to the great surprise of the congregation, who did not seem prepared for the exhibition. The reverend gentleman resumed the subject in the evening by discoursing from, or rather expounding, the I2th chapter of 1st Corinthians. Toward the conclusion of the exposition he took occasion to allude to the circumstances of the morning and expressed his doubt whether he had $one right in restraining the exercise of the gift in the church itself and compelling the lady to retire to the vestry. At this moment a gentleman in the gallery, a Mr. Taplin, who keeps an academy in Castle Street, Holborn, rose from his seat, and commenced a violent harangue in the unknown tongue. The confusion occasioned was extreme. The whole congregation rose from their seats in affright; several ladies screamed aloud, and others rushed to the doors. Some supposed that the building was in danger, and that there had either been a murder, or an attempt to murder some person in the gallery, insomuch that one gentleman actually called out to the pew-openers and beadle to stop him, and not to let him escape. On both occasions the church was extremely crowded, particularly in the evening, and it would be impossible to describe the confusion produced by this display of fanaticism. There was, indeed, in the strange, unearthly sound and extraordinary power of voice; enough to appall the heart of the most stout-hearted. A great part of the congregation standing upon the seats to ascertain the cause of the alarm, while the reverend gentleman, standing with arms extended and occasionally beckoning them to silence, formed a scene which partook as much of the ridiculous as the sublime. No attempt was made to stop the individual, and after two or three minutes he became exhausted and sat down, and then the reverend gentleman concluded the service. Many were so alarmed, and others so disgusted, that they did not return again into the church, and discussed the propriety of the reverend gentleman suffering the exhibition, and altogether a sensation was produced which will not be soon forgotten by those who were present." 1 This was only the beginning of those scenes of disorder and distress which marked the turning of the tide against Irving. Week after week there were tongues and prophesying. Week after week there was confusion and disorder. The staid Scotch congregation at Regent Square was aghast: "Most of the session disliked all this," wrote Irving 2 in a letter to a friend, “and had I not been firm and resolved to go out myself sooner, the voice of the Holy Ghost would ere this have been put down by one means or another."

Irving was no longer master in his own church, or in his own pulpit. The prophetic and gifted interrupted and disturbed the services as they pleased until the London Times felt constrained to inquire:

"Are we to listen to the screaming of hysterical women and the ravings of frantic men? Is bawling to be added to absurdity, and the disturber of a congregation to escape the police and tread-mill because the person who occupies the pulpit vouches for his inspiration?" 3 1 Oliphant: op. cit., pp. 427, 428.
2 Same: p. 429. Quoted from a letter from Irving to Mr. Macdonald.
3 Same: p. 433.

Irving had stated that he would forbid the manifestations again at the Sunday services, but reflection led him to the conclusion that he must not dare to forbid or to hinder what he considered to be the Spirit of God. We therefore find Miss Emily Cardale speaking at a public service in the unknown tongue:

"She said, ’He shall reveal it! He shall reveal it! Yea, heed it! Yea, heed it! Ye are yet in the wilderness. Despise not His Word! Despise not His Word! Not one jot or tittle shall pass away!’ The minister then rose and called upon the Church to bless the Lord for His voice, which they had just heard in the midst of the congregation. " * Robert Bridges, Esq., tells us of a visit which he paid to the church at Regent Square about this time:

"I was witness on one occasion to the power and authority exercised by the prophets over Irving. Desirous to see the state of the church in its full blow, I attended an early morning service at Regent Square, and there found a goodly number of the faithful, with Irving in the pulpit, a devoted official in the precentor’s desk, and the prophets and prophetesses assembled in their close vicinity. After praise and prayer, the regular services were interrupted by a loud scream proceeding, from a female in one of the pews, who jabbered and gabbled for a time at the height of her voice in a tongue truly unknown, the vocables sounding as if irreducible to grammatical construction, and mere contorted varieties of odd arid fantastic syllables. I had been told previously that there was an awful solemnity in this department of their worship, but I felt at the time only the melancholy and ridicule which were its characteristic results. The prophetess was broken in upon in her turn by a prophet, Mr. Taplin. This gentleman was frantic in occasional 1 Oliphant: op. cit. t p. 435.

English, intermingled with his ’tongue,’ and as I could understand that, I listened with earnestness, feeling that if he uttered anything false in doctrine, he was thereby proved to be no prophet of the Lord. He did utter a false doctrine; I noted it carefully on the moment; and, waiting for Irving at the close of the service in the body of the church, I charged it publicly on the prophet. Irving, brandishing his immense cane over his head, called out in an excited voice, ’Mr. Taplin! Mr. Taplinl Hear what is said of you! Did you say so and so (repeating my words) in your utterance this morning?’ So adjured, that gentleman denied that he had used the words; Irving and he thus, it will be noted, both agreeing that it was a false doctrine." 1 And so, Sunday after Sunday, the prophets and the gifted spoke, and Irving offered up praise and thanksgiving for the blessing. Meantime, "both at Liverpool and near Baldock in Herts, in the Parish of Mr. Pym," 2 there were manifestations.

Considerable light is thrown upon the processes of? thought, the motives and the character of the inner circle of the "gifted" persons who were associated with Irving by a little work written by Robert Baxter, Esq., a solicitor. Mr. Baxter was apparently an earnest layman, who devoted much of his time to religious work. Baxter had heard of the manifestations in Scotland, his attitude toward which he describes in his book as follows:

"Conceiving as I did, and still do, that there is no warrant in Scripture for limiting the manifestations of the Spirit to the apostolic times; and deeply sensible of the growth of infidelity, in the face of the church and of the prevalence of formality and lukewarmness within it; I was ready to examine the claims to inspiration, and

1 Bridges: op. cit. sup., pp. 18-19.
2 Oliphant: op. cit., pp. 433-4. Quoted from a letter from Irving to Mr. Macdonald. even anxious for the presence of the gifts of the Spirit, according as it seemed to me, to that apostolic command, ’Covet earnestly the best gifts/ Conscious that nothing but an abundant outpouring of the Spirit of God could quicken the church into active life; and that nothing less than the power of God, put forth in testimony, could stem the torrent of infidelity which was flowing in upon us; I longed greatly, and prayed much, for such an outpouring and testimony. When I saw, as it seemed to me, proof that those who claimed the gifts were walking honestly, and that the power manifested in them was evidently supernatural, and, moreover, bore testimony to Christ come in the flesh, I welcomed it at once as the work of God, though it was long before I publicly spoke of it." 1 In this frame of mind he went up to London on professional business. While in London he attended one of the prayer meetings held by Irving’s inner circle. He thus describes the meeting:

"After one or two brethren had read and prayed, Mr. T____ was made to speak two or three words very distinctly, and with an energy and depth of tone which, seemed to me extraordinary, and fell upon me as a supernatural utterance, which I ascribed to the power of God; the words were in a tongue I did not understand. In a few minutes Miss E. C. broke out in an utterance in’ English, which, as to matter and manner, and the influence it had upon me, I at once bowed to as the utterance of the Spirit of God. Those who have heard the powerful and commanding utterance need no description; but they who have not may conceive what an unnatural and unaccustomed tone of voice, an intense and riveting power of expression with the declaration of a cutting rebuke to all who were present and applicable to my

1 Baxter, Robert: "Narrative of Facts Characterising the Supernatural Manifestations," etc. London, 1833; pp. 3-4. own state of mind in particular would effect upon me and upon the others who were come together expecting" to hear the voice of the Spirit of God. In the midst of the feeling of awe and reverence which this produced I was myself seized upon by. the power; and in much struggling- against it was made to cry out, and myself to give forth a confession of my own sin in the matter for which we were rebuked; and afterward to utter a prophecy that all messengers of the Lord should go forth, publishing to the end of the earth, in the mighty power of God, the testimony of the near coming of the Lord Jesus. The rebuke had been for not declaring the near coming of Jesus, and I was smitten in conscience, having many times refrained from speaking of it to the people, under a fear that they might stumble over it and be offended.

"I was overwhelmed by this occurrence. The attainment of the gift of prophecy which this supernatural utterance was deemed to be, was, with myself and many others, a great object of desire. I could not, therefore, but rejoice at having been made the subject of it; but there were so many difficulties attaching to the circumstances under which the power came upon me, and I was so anxious and distressed lest I should mistake the mind of God in the matter, that I continued for many weeks weighed down in spirit and overwhelmed. There was in me, at the time of the utterance, very great excitement, and yet I was distinctly conscious of a power acting upon me beyond the mere power of excitement. So distinct was this power from the excitement, that in all my trouble and doubt about it, I never could attribute the whole to excitement." 1

Baxter described still another visitation of the power, and at the same time gives us a picture of the distress of mind from which Irving now suffered constantly.

1 Baxter: "Narrative"; pp. 4-6.

"Having been asked to spend the evening at a friend’s with the pastor, one of the gifted persons (Mrs. J. C.) and three or four other persons, I went; and whilst discoursing on the state of the church, some matter of controversy arose, on which I requested the pastor to pray that we might be led into truth. After prayer, Mrs. J. C. was made to testify that now was the time of the great struggle and power of Satan in the midst of us. . . . The pastor observed that this utterance taught us our duty as standing in the church to muster against the enemy; and whilst he was going on to ask some question, the power fell upon me, and I was made to speak; and for two hours or upwards the power continued upon me; and I gave forth what we all regarded as prophecies concerning the church and the nation. . . . The power which ’then rested on me was far more mighty than before, laying down my mind and body in perfect obedience, and carrying me on without confusion or excitement; excitement there might appear to a by-stander, but to myself it .was calmness and peace. Every former visitation of the power had been very brief, but now it continued, and seemed to rest upon me all the evening. The things I was made to utter flashed in upon my mind without forethought, without expectation, and without any plan or arrangement all was the work of the moment, and T was as the passive instrument of the power which used me.

"In the beginning of my utterances that evening some observations were in the power addressed by me to the pastor, in a commanding tone; and the manner n and course of utterance manifested in me was so far differing from those which had been manifested in the members of his own flock, that he was much startled, and in the first part of the evening doubting whether it was of God or of the enemy. ... He came up to me and said, ’Faith is very hard,’ I was immediately made to address him and reason with him in the power, until he was fully convinced the Spirit was of God, and gave thanks for the manifestation of it." 1 On another evening, "whilst the people were departing, Mr. Irving called me, with Mr. Brown, his missionary, into another room, and said he was in some trouble as to what he should do on the morrow, which was Sunday; whether to allow me to speak in the full congregation; he had found doubts creep over him during the evening, though he scarcely dared to doubt. Mr. Brown’s advice, without any deep consideration of the subject, was ’Don’t do it whilst you have a doubt.’ To this Mr. Irving assented, but turned to me, and asked what I thought. Of course, under the conviction which I had, I said he must not forbid it. Afterward the power came on me, rebuking him, and reasoning with him, until he sat down, and said he was greatly tried, and did not know what to do. I then told him to consult the prophets who were with him, and immediately the power came upon Miss H., who was wholly a stranger to me, but residing with him and then received as a prophetess among them; and she was made to bear testimony that the work in me was of God, and he must not forbid my speaking. This satisfied him, and he yielded at once.

"The next day, after the morning prayer-meeting, Miss E. C, at the pastor’s house, was made to give forth an utterance, enjoining upon all deference and respect to the Lord’s prophets; which served, though she was not aware of what had passed on the preceding evening, to confirm him in that which I had been made to say to him. I was afterwards in the power, in the most fearful terms, made to enjoin the most perfect submission to the utterances. . . . This was so strongly put, that, as Mr. Irving, on a future occasion, observed to me, he was tempted to doubt whether the Spirit, bearing testimony in such a 1 Baxter: "Narrative"; pp. 12-14. manner to itself, was God’s method of teaching us submission. . . .

"At the public services of the Scotch Church on this day, no utterance was given me, but in the intervals of service, whilst sitting with Mr. Irving and one or two other friends, the power was so abundant upon me, that almost every question which was asked was answered in the power and the "wisdom and instruction which was given forth from my lips was as astonishing to Mr. Irving as to myself. We all felt as though the Lord was indeed resolving our doubts, and graciously condescending, by His Spirit, to teach us by open voice. Mr. Irving seemed most fully confirmed in the belief, and I was myself exceedingly composed and strengthened." 1

Apparently two apostolic gifts had been restored, one of prophecy, and the other that of speaking with tongues. Baxter belonged rather to the prophetic group than to that group whose members spoke in unknown tongues, although he tells us of an occasion on which he was impelled to speak "two words in an unknown tongue, the meaning of which," he adds, "was not given me." 2 The character of these prophetic utterances is profusely illustrated in Baxter’s Narrative. The great burden of the prophecy seemed to have been the importance and imminence of the Lord’s coming. "We were commanded" {in the course of a prophecy by Baxter which lasted about two hours, he tells us), “to ’count the days, one thousand three score and two hundred 1260 the days appointed for testimony, at the end of which the saints of the Lord should go up to meet the Lord in. the air, and evermore be with the Lord." 3 "The prophecy of the 1260 days testimony and going up of the saints, set forth a period of three years and a 1 Baxter: "Narrative"; pp. 20-3.
2 Same: p. 68.
3 Same: p. 17. half, from the time of the delivery, up to the translation of the saints. The words of the prophecy were most distinct, to count from that day (viz., I4th January, 1832) 1260 days, and three days and a half (Rev. XI: ii ); and on innumerable other occasions, by exposition and by prophecy, was the same thing again and again declared, and most largely opened." 1

It is to be noted also that this prophesying not only dealt with the Second Advent and the final rapture of the Saints, but there was evident no inconsiderable element of unkindly criticism of one prophet towards another. How often Irving was rebuked under the guise of prophetic utterance by men and women who were unmistakably Irving’s intellectual, moral and spiritual inferiors, is already painfully obvious.

"On the Saturday evening a large company assembled at Mr. Irving’s house, with Mr. T. and Mrs. C, and the evening was passed in prophesying and expounding divers parts of Scripture, and particularly of the book of Revelations. . . . But at the close of the meeting, a scene occurred which baffles all description, and on which, whenever I now think, the deepest feelings of horror and shame creep over me. Mrs. C. was made, after our exposition was concluded, to cry out in a most piercing utterance, that there was some one in the midst of us who was provoking the Lord by jealousy, envy, and hard thoughts of His servants, the prophets. Regarding this as we all did, as the Spirit of God, everyone was cast back in examination of his own thoughts; and, as the gift of prophecy was a general object of desire, many tender consciences converted their admiration of, and longing after, the gift, into an envy and provocation. A feeling of dismay seemed to run through the company, but no one answered. The accusation was reiterated, 1 Baxter: "Narrative"; pp. 18-49. Cf. p. 44. with a demand that the person should step forward, and confess. Many present, one after another, came forward, and, confessing some sin, enquired if they were any of them the culprit. None of these, however, were recognized as such. The cry again went forth, and my voice was mingled with Mrs. C.’s, declaring the person who was meant was conscious of it. The agony expressed on many countenances was intense; one man was so overcome, that his head fell on the chair, as though he were paralyzed, uttering an unnatural moaning cry, which shewed the intensity of his mental agony. I was made in power to pray the Lord to discover the offender, and ease the consciences of his children. But after some time spent in this state, seeing the person was not found, we prepared to go home. ... I turned round to Mr. Irving, intending to ask all present to kneel down to pray, when Mr. Irving silently pointed to a person who stood by, and looking to him I saw a power resting upon him, and he struggling to give utterance. I paused, and when utterance broke from him, instead of articulate words, nothing but muttering followed, and with this an expression of countenance most revolting. Lifting up a prayer to God to judge his own cause, and preserve us from judging unjustly of a brother; almost at the same moment an utterance broke from Mrs. C. and from myself: ’It is an evil spirit.’ A thrill of horror passed through the company, and presently an utterance came from Mrs. C. ’Rebuke the unclean spirit, and command him to enter no more into him/ The power came upon me, and I said, ’In the name of Jesus, I adjure thee, thou foul spirit, to come out of the man, and enter no more into him/ The man, however, continued muttering and speaking nonsense. Again the command came from Mrs. C., and the power upon me, and I used the same words over him again. Lady , who was present, and had before once or twice spoken in the power; under an impulse of the power, rose up, and stretching her hands toward me, cried out in power, ’Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world/ and, repeating this several times, sank down on the floor. We all paused. The muttering and disgusting utterances continued. Mr. Irving suggested, This kind goeth not forth but with prayer and fasting/ We were, however, confounded, and the only explication I could suggest was, that the word of God had gone forth for the expulsion of the evil spirit, and we must rest in faith, that in due time the effect would follow, and the man be delivered; and so we parted." l

Various promises were made to the prophets through prophetic utterances. Thus Baxter writes: "I was made in utterance to declare to my wife that she should be baptised with fire." 2 He had also been promised 3 that he himself should be caught away by the Spirit as Philip was, but for the confirmation of these promises he waited in vain. For a time he was content to explain some of the failures in fulfilment as "a mimicry by Satan of the Spirit of revelation," 4 but the time came when such explanations no longer gave satisfaction.

One more instance typical of the movement in its prophetic nature, and typical of the embarrassing absurdities into which an assurance of the voice of prophecy led the prophets is the story of Baxter and the Chancellor. Baxter tells it as follows:

"After breakfast, when sitting with Mr. Irving, Mr. P., and a few others, Mr. Irving remarked that Mr. T when in the Court of Chancery, had found the power mightily upon him, but never a distinct impulse to utterance. Whilst he was speaking on it I was made in power to declare, ’There go I, and thence to the prison-house/ 1 Baxter: "Narrative"; pp. 72-4.
2 Same: p. 64.
3 Same: p. 41.
4 Same: p. 41. This was followed by a prophecy setting forth the darkness of the visible church, referring to the king as the head of the Church of England, and to the Chancellor as the keeper of the conscience of the king. That a testimony should that day be borne before him which should make the nation tremble at what was coming to pass. That I was to go and bear this testimony, and for the testimony should be cast into prison. . . . The power upon me was overwhelming. I gave all present a solemn benediction, as though I was departing altogether from among them, and forbidding Mr. Irving, who rose to speak to me as I was going, I went out under the constraint of the power, and shaped my way to the court of the Chancellor, to bear the testimony to which I was commanded.

"As I went on towards the court, the sufferings and trials I underwent were almost beyond endurance. Might it not be a delusion? Ought I not to consider my own character in the sight of the world, which would, be forfeited by such an act; and the ruin of all worldly prospects, which would ensue from it, and from my imprisonment? These and a thousand more subtle and trying suggestions were cast in upon me; but, confident that the power speaking in me was of God, it seemed my duty to obey at every sacrifice; and without counting the cost, I gave myself up to God to do with me and use me as he should see fit. In this mind I went on, expecting, as I entered the court of the Chancellor, the power would come upon me, and I should be made to bear testimony before him. I knew not what I was to say, but supposed that, as on all other occasions, the subject and utterance would be together given. When I entered, no power came on me. I stood in the court before the Chancellor for three or four hours, momentarily expecting the power to come upon me, and as the time lengthened, more and more perplexed at its absence. I was tempted to speak in my own strength, without the power, but I judged this would not be faithful to the word spoken, as my testimony would not have been in the spirit. After waiting this time I came out of court, convinced there was nothing for me to say." 1

Baxter continues the Narrative by telling of his return to Irving whom he greeted with the words, “We are snared, we are deceived. I had no message before the Chancellor!" Afterwards the matter was explained 2 to his satisfaction by one of the prophets who stated that the sealing of his mouth in the presence of the Chancellor was typical of the binding of the Church.

Still another difficulty arose out of the fact that prophets disagreed an indication of the fact that the prophecies had an origin no more supernatural than the mental process, conscious or subconscious, of the prophets. It was the fact that the prophecies failed, plus the fact that the prophets disagreed, and, in addition, the fact that the prophecies fairly bristled with selfishness and a sense of self-importance that finally led one after another of the more critical minds to withdraw from the movement.

Thomas Erskine of Linlathen, who had looked upon the tongues movement at first with considerable favour and had spent some time as a visitor in the home of the Macdonalds in Port Glasgow, tells in a letter to Lady Elgin, under date of March i8th, 1834, how he first came to doubt the supernatural nature of the utterances:

"In two instances when James Macdonald spoke with remarkable power, a power acknowledged by all the other gifted people there, I discovered the seed of his utterances in the newspapers. He had read there a foolish rumour "about the time of George IV’s death, that the Ministers would probably find it convenient to conceal that event 1 Baxter: "Narrative"; pp. 24-5.
2 Same: pp. 27-8. when it took place, until they had made some arrangements. This had remained in his mind, and it came forth at last as an utterance in power, but wrapped in such obscurity of language as not to expose it to direct confutation; but on reading the paragraph I recognised such a resemblance that I could not doubt it, and I put it to him; and although he had spoken in perfect integrity (of that I have no doubt), yet he was satisfied that my conjecture as to its origin was correct. The other instance was a prophetic utterance of a war in the north of Europe the language taken much from the 11th of Daniel; but the seed of it also was a newspaper paragraph. I thus see how things may come into the mind and remain there, and then come forth as supernatural utterances, although their origin be quite natural. James Macdonald could not say that he was conscious of anything in these two utterances distinguishing them from all the others; he only said that he believed that these two were of the flesh. Taplin made a similar confession on being reproved through Miss Emily Cardale for having rebuked Mr. Irving in an utterance. He acknowledge that he was wrong; and yet he could not say where the difference between that utterance and any other." 1 The prophecies were characterised by the same bickerings, the same littlenesses, the same eagerness for distinction which have ultimately characterised every mystical and every antinomian sect. Baxter’s Narrative, and in fact every record of the Irvingite movement, is a sad record of human frailty and human weakness, exalted into the glory of a Divine message. On one occasion Baxter tells us he had been made to declare to a Mr. F. the fact of his call to the spiritual ministry. After having been out of town for some time Baxter returned to find that:

1 Hanna: "Erskine," etc. Cit. supra, pp. 209-210.

"Mr. F., who had spoken in power amongst us, had been found to speak by an evil spirit, Mrs. C. and Miss E. C. having been made so to declare. This troubled me greatly, for I had been made in power to declare to .him his call, to the spiritual ministry. He had also been present, and spoke in power on the last morning of my presence, at Mr. Irving’s, when two persons were sent out; and when it was declared in the power that the Lord would not suffer an unbeliever or unclean person to be present at that holy ordinance, as it was called. Here were contradictions I could not explain away, and all I could do was to await the Lord’s teaching on it.

"Next, after a short interval, came a letter from Mr. Irving, which yet more perplexed me. He said, This moment the Lord hath sent me a very wonderful and wonderfully gracious message, by our dear sister, Miss E. C., concerning the time which you have been made so often to put forth. Rebuking me for having repeated it, and counselling me not to do it any more, declaring the word to be a true word, but containing a mystery; declaring that the day is not known, and commanding me to write to you, to say that you must not repeat this in the flesh, but suffer the Spirit to say it, how and when he pleaseth.’ ... I was amazed at this message, for constantly had I been made in power to declare the time, and to explain it, and enforce it; and more than once I had been made to enjoin ministers publicly to preach it in the flesh, though they had no gift. I had then nearly fallen into the persuasion, that my gift could not be a true gift, or that I had so mistaken the leadings of it, as to be no more worthy to exercise it." 1

Instances like this spontaneously multiply themselves. One more might be cited from the later history of the Catholic Apostolic Church, showing that the lapse of 1 Baxter: "Narrative"; op, cit., pp. 92-3. Cf. p. 104 and p. 138. time in no sense freed the church from the baffling and baneful influences of contradictory prophecies:

"Two words in prophecy came the same day, one in London, the other at Oxford, both having reference to the services in the Tabernacle as types of the service in the Christian Church, one of which said: ’The way to enter the house and upon the service of God was with a song, and then to offer prayers, supplications, intercessions and thanksgivings.

"The other word said: The way of the Lord for us in entering His house and on His worship, was to kneel down, and to confess, and this to be followed by the word of absolution.’ When these two words were brought before the ministers, they were perplexed and they said they were contradictory. When they were brought to the apostle, he at once found out that one had reference to the service of the brazen altar in the outer court of the Tabernacle . . . and that the other word had reference to the service of the golden altar in the inner and holy place.” 1 The tongues were closely related to the prophecies. As already has been stated, many of those who prophesied spoke with tongues, and many of those gifted _with tongues prophesied. The manner of prophecy and the manner of speaking with tongues seem to have been in large measure the same. Of the physiological conditions and of the psychological conditions of the gifts we will speak later. The question in which we are now interested is, What did they say, and in what language did they speak?

Mary Campbell said that she spoke in Turkish, and also in the language of of the Pellew Islands, a group of

1 "Narrative of Events Affecting the Position of Prophets of the Whole Christian Church." Printed for Private Circulation, 1885, pp. 199-200.
2 Miller: op cit., Vol. I, p. 73. Cf. Story, Robert Herbert: op. cit., p. 210. islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. Just what means she had to prove this is not stated. Dr. Miller quotes from Pilkington’s "Unknown Tongues" the following specimens:

"Y this dilemma sumo, supposed to mean, ’I will undertake this dilemma’; Hoseghin alta stare, ’Jesus in the highest’; Holimoth holif ’awthaw, ’Holy, most Holy Father’; Hoze hamana nostra, ’Jesus will take our hands/ or ’direct us’, Cass sora hastha caro, ’This house will still be in My care.’ The crashing outbreak of Mr. Taplin’s utterances is described as if cras-cran-cra-crash were violently shouted out with a stentorian voice. It was followed by such expressions as ’Abide in Him! Abide in Him! Ye shall, behold His glory! Ye shall behold His glory! Ye shall behold His glory/ Dr. McNeile distinctly heard Taplin utter amongst other sounds more than once, amamini, amammor, words which irresistibly remind us of the speaker’s scholastic duties in the ’academy’." 1

Dr. Addison Alexander’s description of his visit to ’London and of the tongues which he heard in Irving’s church is well known:

"After the singing of the 66th Psalm, he then began to read the 39th of Exodus, with an allegorical exposition. After a short prayer for Divine assistance, the ouches of the breast-plate he explained to mean the rulers of the Church. While he was dealing this out he was interrupted in a manner rather startling. I had observed that the elders, who sat near him, kept their eyes raised to the sky-light overhead, as if wooing inspiration. One in particular looked very wild. . . . Just as Irving reached the point I have mentioned and was explaining the ouches; this elder . . . burst forth in a sort of wild 1 Miller: op. cit, Vol. I, p. 72. Cf. Hanna: "Erskine," pp. 185-6. ejaculation, thus: ’Tarenti hoiti faragmi santi’ ’O ye people ye people of the Lord, ye have not the ouches ye have not the ouches ha-a-a; ye must have them ye must have them ha-a-a; ye cannot hear ye cannot hear!* . . . When he began Irving had suspended his exhortation and covered his face with his hands." 1 In Blunt’s Ecclesiastical Dictionary we read the following account of the tongues as spoken in London:

"They are of much the same character as those of Mary Campbell, allowing for the difference between Scotch-English and London-English. Such were ’gthis dil emma sumo/ ’hozeghin nita stare/ ’Holimoth holifsu-thau (holy, most holy Father)/ ’hozehamenanostrajW mozehamenanostra, hosehamenanostra.’ (Oh! send men X and apostles), ’casa sera hastre caro, yec cogo nomo,’ which look like scraps of English broken up and spoken in an hysterical voice. Nine times out of ten, the utterances of this ’unknown’ type were long-drawn ’ohs’ and ’ahs’ with a fragmentary syllable interposed at rare intervals, the whole thing brought to a close cadence which ended in a theatrical whisper." 2 Still another account is quoted by Blunt from Mr. McKerrell’s "Apology for the Gift of Tongues":

"The words of the tongue, as written down by me, are widely scattered; none in the order they were spoken, except those marked within inverted commas. Hippogorosto Hippo Booros Senoote Toorime Rorion Hoopo Tanto Noostin’ Noorastin Niparos Hipanos santos hin, Boorim. ’O Pinitos’ Elelastina Balirriun gitos Dentitu Hampoolina Furini Arintus Harempos ’Epoongos Vangami’ Berossino Yereston ’. Sastinootino Alinoosia ’O Fastos Sunger O fastos 1 Alexander: op. cit., p. 291.
2 Blunt: op. cit. Article: "Irvingites" (p. 230).

Sunger’ Deripangito Boorinos Hypen Elstanteli Erstini Menati." 1 Carlyle’s account of the tongues is frequently quoted:

"In the course of the winter sad things had occurred in Irving’s history. His enthusiastic studies and preachings were passing into the practically ’miraculous,’ and to me the most doleful of all phenomena. The ’Gift of Tongues’ had fairly broken out among the crazed and weakliest of his wholly rather dim and weakly flock. I was never at all in his church during this visit, being at once grieved and angered at the course he had fallen into; but once or twice poor Eliza Miles came running home from some evening sermon there was, all in a tremor of tears over these same ’tongues’ and a riot from the dissenting majority opposing them, ,. ’All a tumult yonder, oh me!’ This did not happen above twice or so; Irving (never himself a Tongue’ performer) having taken some order with the thing, and I think discouraged and nearly suppressed it as unfit during church service. It was greatly talked of by some persons, with an enquiry, ’Do you believe in it?’ ’Believe it? As much as I do in the high priest of Otaheite!’ answered Lockhart once to Eraser, the enquiring bookseller, in my hearing. Sorrow and disgust were naturally my own feeling. ’How are the mighty fallen! My own high Irving come to this, by paltry popularities and Cockney admirations puddling such a head!’ We ourselves saw less and less of Irving, but one night in one of our walks we did make a call, and actually heard what they called the Tongues. It was in a neighboring room, larger part of the drawing-room belike. Mrs. Irving had retired thither with the devotees. Irving for our sake had stayed, and was pacing about the floor, dandling his youngest child, and talking to us of this and that, probably about the Tongues withal, 1 Blunt: Same article. See also Hanna: "Erskine," pp. 392-3. when there burst forth a shrieky hysterical ’Lah lall lall !’ (little or nothing but l’s and a’s continued for several minutes), to which Irving, with singular calmness, said only, There, hear you, there are the Tongues!’ And we, too, except by our looks, which probably were eloquent, answered him nothing, but soon came away, full of distress, provocation, and a kind of shame. ’Why was there not a bucket of cold water to fling on that lahlalling hysterical madwoman?’ thought we, or said to one another. ’Oh, heaven, that it should come to this!’ I do not remember any call that we made there afterwards. Of course, there was a farewell call; but that, too, I recollect only obliquely by my Jeannie’s distress and disgust at Mrs. Irving’s hypocritical final kiss; a ’kiss’ of the untruest, which really ought to have been spared. Seldom was seen a more tragical scene to us than this of Irving’s London life was now becoming!" 1

Associated with Mary Campbell’s speaking in tongues was a practice of automatic writing. Mr. Story secured a specimen of the automatic writing which he sent to Dr. Chalmers, who in turn submitted the writings to:

"Sir G. Staunton, Dr. Pusey and Dr, Lee. The opinion of all was against their belonging to any language upon earth. The latter said: ’Whatever it (i.e., the paper) contains if, indeed, it contains anything must forever remain a mystery to me, for I am quite unable to attach any meaning, sound, &c., to the characters in which it is written. My opinion is, that it contains neither character nor language known in any region under the sun; and this, without laying any claim to miraculous powers, I venture to predict will turn out the case. If the authoress of these papers has indeed a miraculous gift of tongues, why does she not at once make out the proof, by giving out a composition in some tongue confessedly 1 Reminiscences, pp. 251-3. known to a few at least? This would put an end to all possible doubt; and this, too, was the sort of proof given in the apostolic times/ ’We do hear them,’ &c. This opinion has been amply confirmed by subsequent experience."

All evidence therefore points to the conclusion that the Irvingite tongues can be assigned to no known language. ’Here and there words from known languages were interpolated, but they formed no connected whole. In the course of time the Irvingites came to abandon the theory of a language or languages miraculously bestowed, and adopted a theory of "unknown tongues.” ’The "unknown tongues" constituted a spiritual language profitable only to spiritual beings, to such as had spiritual discernment. It is frankly stated by the adherents of the Catholic Apostolic Church in later years that

"There is therefore no evidence in Scripture of the gift of tongues being for the purpose of preaching the Gospel. ... It is expressly and distinctly stated that it was not given fp.r the purpose of speaking to man at all, but to God....

"But besides being for the purpose of glorifying God in a special manner, we are told that the speaking thus in a tongue was to be for a sign to those that believed not, i. e., believed not that God was speaking. ... It is a sign another being, present though invisible, and not the man, is speaking; that another has got hold of the organs of his speech; that another spirit and not his own is empowering him, and impelling him to speak words which he knows not the meaning of, yet which are full of meaning, as is shown when they are interpreted. . . .

"Tongues are for a sign to unbelievers in more senses than one. They are a sign to us, not only that God is 1 Miller, op. cit., Vol. I, p. 73. Cf. Story, Robert Herbert: op. cit., p. 208 and footnote. speaking, but also that He has something He longs to say, but which His Church is not ready for." 1 A characteristic of the tongues was the loud tone in which they were uttered:

"Their utterances were often given forth in stentorian tones, and with an appropriate adaptation of the action to the word, they were accompanied by strange and uncouth attitudes and gestures. One of the members of the church, a Mr. Tudor, having one day expressed a wish that the prophets would not speak so loud, heard himself rebuked on the spot by Miss Hall, crying in the power, ’Know you what it is to have the Word of God within you as a fire in the bones?’ " 2 Irving’s own description of the tongues is as follows:

"The whole utterance, from the beginning to the ending of it, is with power, and strength, and fulness, and sometimes rapidity of voice altogether different from that of the person’s ordinary utterance in any mood; and I would say, both in its form and in its effects upon a simple mind quite supernatural. There is a power in the voice to thrill the heart and overawe the spirit after a manner which I have never felt. There is a march, and a majesty, and a,, sustained grandeur in the voice, especially of those who prophesy, which I have never heard even a resemblance to, except now and then in the sublimest and most impassioned moods of Mrs. Siddons and Miss O’Neil. It is a mere abandonment of all truth to call it screaming and crying; it is the most majestic and divine utterance which I have ever heard, some parts of which I never heard equalled, and no part of it surpassed, by the finest execution of genius and art exhibited at the oratorios in the concerts of ancient music. And when the speech 1 "Narrative of Events Affecting the Position," etc., pp. 146-7. a Guers: op. cit., pp. 4-5. utters itself in the way of a psalm or spiritual song, it is the likest to some of the most simple and ancient chants in the cathedral service, insomuch that I have been often led to think that those chants, of which some can be traced up as high as the days of Ambrose, are recollections and transmissions of the inspired utterances in the primitive Church. Most frequently the silence is broken by utterance in a tongue, and this continues for a longer or a shorter period, sometimes occupying only a few j words, as it were, filling the first gust of sound; sometimes extending to five minutes, or even more, of earnest and deeply-felt discourse, with which the heart and soul of the speaker is manifestly much moved to tears, and sighs, and unutterable groanings, to joy, and mirth, and exultation, and even laughter of the heart. So far from being unmeaning gibberish, as the thoughtless and heedless sons of Belial have said, it is regularly formed, well proportioned, deeply-felt discourse, which evidently wanteth only the ear of him whose native tongue it is to make it a very masterpiece of powerful speech." 1 In this description of the prophecies and the tongues we have somewhat lost the thread of our narrative. To tell the whole story of the vagaries and raptures and the disappointed hopes of the next months would be too lengthy a task to undertake. It is obvious that no such manifestations and extraordinary interpretations of worship could prove acceptable to the officers and people of so staid a congregation as that of the church in Regent Square. Finally, after useless expostulations with Irving,, the trustees addressed a communication to the Presbytery of London, which concurred with the trustees, after a trial of Irving, and dissolved the relation between him and his church. In the sprang he was tried at Annan by his own Presbytery 1 Oliphant: op. cit., p. 431. and deposed from the ministry for his teachings in reference to the human nature of our Lord. Carlyle describes the trial as

"A poor aggregate of Reverend Sticks in black gown, sitting in Presbytery to pass formal condemnation on a man and a cause which might have been tried in Patmos under presidency of St. John without the right truth of it being got at! I knew the ’Moderator’ (one Reddick, since gone mad) for one of the stupidest and barrenest of living mortals; also the little phantom of a creature Sloane, his name who went niddy-noddying with his head, and was infinitely conceited and phantasmal, by whom Irving was rebuked with the ’Remember where you are, sir!’ and got answer, ’I have not forgotten where I am; it is the church where I was baptised, where I was consecrated to preach Christ, where the bones of my dear ones lie buried.’ " 1 This was not all. The great Irving, the magnificent Irving, was no longer the leader in the new cult, for which he had suffered ecclesiastical martyrdom. He was their dupe, their victim. Not only did Presbyterianism rebuke him, but the individuals who made up the group of the "gifted" were each so eager for his own opportunity to lead and be some great one that withjcmg accord they sought to brush Irving aside.

He died in December, 1834. It was the Sabbath.

"As the gloomy December Sunday sank into the night shadows, his last audible words on earth fell from his pale lips. The last thing like a sentence we could make out was, "If I die, I die unto the Lord. Amen." And so, at the wintry midnight hour which ended that last Sabbath on earth, the last bonds of mortal trouble 1 Reminiscences, p. 256. dropped asunder, and the saint and martyr entered into the rest of his Lord." l His body rests in the crypt of Glasgow Cathedral. His statue stands in Anan. Upon the wall of the church in Regent Square is a tablet erected through the influence of Dr. Dykes, to the memory of the great Edward Irving. Only these memorials to powers to genius, to love, that with common sense would have meant immeasurable wealth for the Kingdom of God.

We have noticed that Irving’s followers had become his leaders. Their instability and the common, lack of an ability to appreciate and to practise the nicer ethical distinctions, such as kindliness of judgment and even gratitude, are in clear evidence everywhere. While Irving was still living the movement had been going on for the establishing of a new church, The Catholic Apostolic Church. With its history we are not much at present concerned. For a time it flourished. It is now a religious nonentity. To it were attracted men from other churches, both in Europe and America as well as in Great Britain. It was planned to be an apostolic church after the model of the Catholic church in the days of the apostles, its origin, in so far as those curiously interesting legends called "apostolic succession" are concerned, was at least out of the ordinary-- something like that of the Mormon apostolate. Just as Joseph Smith, Jr.," and Oliver Cowdery ordained each other, so the Irvingite prophets and apostles favoured whom they would with the voice of honouring prophecy, receiving in return therefore an appropriate honour bestowed through the voice of the prophet already honoured. Here we have the interesting story of Cardale’s call to be the first of the apostles:

1 Oliphant: op. cit., p. 559.

"At one of these meetings (those for prayer and study of Holy Scripture, etc., held in 1833 and 1834), while Mr. Cardale was praying especially for the pouring out of the Holy Spirit as at the first on all the members of the body, the word came through to Henry Drummond, ’Convey it then ! Art thou not an Apostle?’ No further notice was at the time taken of his word, but it was in fact the first recognition of the Apostolic ministry."

Here follows another account, this time that of the ordaining of an evangelist, a Mr. Place:

"Thus was the duty and office of those called to be Apostles pointed out, and the first Apostolic act in ordination was performed by one of those, and the first who had been called to be an Apostle. He was bidden, through one of the Prophets, to go and ordain as an evangelist a young man, who was full of zeal and love, had long been labouring in the neighbourhood where he was then residing, visiting the poor and preaching to them the glad tidings of salvation. In obedience to this word he went, and on the Eve of Christmas-day, 1832, at a prayer meeting held in the house of a godly man, . . . laid his hands on the called Evangelist, and in words also supplied to him in the same supernatural way, bid him to receive the Holy Ghost for the work of an Evangelist." 2

Mr, Drummond was ordained as an Angel, the Angel of the church at Albury. Edward Irving was given "the same honour. He was not considered worthy to rank with Mr. Cardale, an ex-solicitor, as an Apostle. Accordingly he was made Angel of the Church in London, the church in Newman Street, now the place of worship of his congregation. The ordination took place on Friday, April 5th, 1833. The organisation of the church 1 "Narrative of Events Affecting the Position," etc., p. 119.
2 Same: pp. 18-19. included Apostles, Angels, Evangelists, "Helps," and other officers. An elaborate ritual * was formulated, and confession, holy water and the burning of incense were introduced. It is an interesting fact, in view of the Mormon development, to note that the priesthood of the Catholic Apostolic Church was also "after the order of Melchizedek.” 2

Meantime the church had not lost sight of its principal doctrine, the return of the Lord. From time to time days were set and times appointed. The days came, and the end was not yet. Apostles were sent forth, testimonies dispatched to the Pope3, the Emperor of Austria, the King of France, "and to those in places of authority in the several parts of Christendom to which the Apostles were severally sent," and missionaries were dispatched here and there. But one after another, the Apostles, who had expected to be caught up into the air, went the way of all flesh. The consummation of the hope as they had seen it, was not theirs nor was it their children’s, and today the Catholic Apostolic Church lies with the hand of death resting upon it, crushed under the weight of its own ecclesiastical millinery.

1 "Narrative of Events Affecting the Position," etc.: p. 20.
2 Same: p. 26.
3 Same: p. 64.