Chapter 57: The London Baptist Association

Chapter 57.
The London Baptist Association

Archibald G. Brown and his Work—Work of the College—Baptist Leaders—Baptist Union—Persecution in Saxony—The New London Association—Dr. Parker—New Chapels.

Among those who were trained in the Pastors' College were several who were destined to turn out first-class men, and whose service has proved itself to be of the most far-reaching kind. Foremost among the successful is Archibald G. Brown, "my curate," as the President would call him, and whose work at the East-End of London Mr. Spurgeon reckoned to be only second to his own. Mr. Brown, senior, was for years a deacon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle; the family ranked high among commercial circles in the City, while the family connections included Dr. Geikie, author of "The Life and Words of Christ," and Sir Archibald Geikie, the geologist. Young Archibald was intended for a mercantile life; but after being converted under the preaching of the present Sir Arthur Blackwood, he found his way into the Pastors' College to become one of the most popular of the preachers ever sent forth from that institution. A month after he was received into the College Mr. Brown was sent to preach at Bromley, his first congregation consisting of twenty persons, who assembled at the White Hart Assembly Room. The memorial-stone of the present chapel was laid by Mr. Spurgeon on July 4, 1864, when the outlook from small beginnings had become most promising. Early in 1867, Mr Brown removed to his larger sphere in the East-End of the metropolis, where, in due course, Mr. Spurgeon had the happiness of opening the East London Tabernacle, in which a full congregation has ever since assembled. Mr. Spurgeon and Mr. Brown were ardent friends to the last; they were agreed on most points; they heartily co-operated in Christian work; and when the Chief died, the sorrowing survivor assured me that life and service could never more be to him what they had been. The aggressive work of the Pastors' College at this time was well illustrated also by the erection of the chapel at Drummond Road, Bermondsey, the memorial-stone of which was laid by Mr. Spurgeon on August 4, 1865. Planned to accommodate 600 persons, the sanctuary cost £1,500, two-thirds of which was subscribed by Mr. Spurgeon and his people. A preaching station with a Sunday-school already existed; but as Bermondsey had added over 2,000 souls to its population during the three previous years, this additional place of worship was felt to be a necessity. "My object in having the chapel built in this neighbourhood is a purely disinterested one," said Mr. Spurgeon. "I and my congregation would be as happy in our own Tabernacle, so far as we personally are concerned, if this chapel had never been contemplated; but when I look around and consider the spiritual destitution, I feel constrained to strive to supply the need by every means in my power. It has been said that working men would not listen to the Gospel, but I believe that is a libel on them, and I hope to see this chapel full of them, for I am sure they are attached to the Bible, and value their souls as much as any other class." Later in the day, after tea at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, the pastor congratulated the people on the commencement of this work, he thanked them for their co-operation, and added, that he hoped to have their assistance in supplying the needs of other destitute localities in a similar manner. At this time the Baptist denomination in Great Britain and Ireland had about 2,400 churches and 250,000 members, but the general condition as regarded working and leadership was put down as pre-eminently unsatisfactory. There seemed to be no lack of able men, but there were none apparently who cared to take the part of leaders. This led to a want of united action, while at the same time the Missionary Society was curtailing its operations in India through want of funds. "There are voices in our midst which would ring through the land, but which are silent except to their own congregations," said The Freeman. "There are men whom we should all gladly follow, but they carry no standard, and utter no call. Almost the only exception to this statement is Mr. Spurgeon." The question then arose, Could not Spurgeon do something in the way of taking the lead, and thus benefit the denomination at large? The Freeman seemed to think it was hardly his own fault that he did not do so:—

"By his wondrous popularity and wondrous power—aided, as we believe, by much of the Divine Grace—Mr. Spurgeon has obtained a following not only in London, but throughout the land. His voice is heard by thousands every Sunday; his written words are read by hundreds of thousands every week. But, through the peculiarity of his position, Mr. Spurgeon has hitherto stood much alone. He is the head of a denomination within a denomination. He takes little part in the concerns of the Baptist body as such. We believe this is not Mr. Spurgeon's own desire. If we are not mistaken, he has expressed, again and again, the desire to unite more heartily with his brethren. Why should he not do so? Is there anything that keeps him apart from the Baptist body in spite of himself? Truly, he has much to do already; but there is no man who could do more to rouse the body as a whole to action, no man who would be welcomed more cordially by the denomination generally as a counsellor and a brother beloved. If The Freeman could do anything to bring Mr. Spurgeon and the Baptist body generally in cordial and loving union and co-operation, the day on which such union was effected would be to its conductors one of the proudest of their lives." The autumnal meetings of the Baptist Union, which in 1865 were held at Bradford, appear to have served a good purpose by leading both pastors and people to see that there ought to be more unity for concerted action. Just at that time much sympathy was felt for Baptists on the Continent, who were suffering from persecution; and at the Bradford meetings the question was discussed of how assistance could best be rendered. It was stated that "Since the year 1861, when the church was formed in Saxony, their brethren had been exposed to a series of bitter and unrelenting persecutions and hostility from the Lutheran clergy, so that their assemblies had been again and again dispersed, their pastor had been arrested, treated like a felon, and spoiled of his personal property, and he had to meet brethren in the Lord for the purpose of consultation in the dead of the night, and in the depths of the forests of Saxony." In the discussion various opinions were expressed, and with some there seemed to be a disposition to leave all action to the Evangelical Alliance. Mr. Spurgeon strongly advocated a petition direct from the Union to the King of Saxony, that being, in his opinion, far preferable to any remonstrance to Lutheran pastors. "If snubbed by the King of Saxony, at least they would be snubbed by a king, and that was better than being snubbed by a parcel of Lutherans." It was in connection with these gatherings that Mr. Spurgeon preached at St. George's Hall, Bradford, on Thursday evening, October 12. The discourse was founded on Psa 102:16, "When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory." We find that on this occasion the hall was not only "most densely crowded," but that "the crush for admittance was tremendous."

What may be called the reorganisation of the London Baptist Association belongs to the fall of 1865, and Mr. Spurgeon took a leading share in the business, which yielded a more than usual amount of satisfaction to a large number of people. "There are but few amongst us who will not remember the old Association of Baptist Churches in the Metropolis," said the denominational organ; "an association which for many years did some good, until at last, through sheer inanition, it died out; killed, because at length it ceased to find anything to do. During the years which have intervened since then, the process of isolation has been working steadily and disastrously amongst us, until at length the Baptists in London have seemed to become utterly powerless for any concerted action, and, what is worse still, for any mutual sympathy." An endeavour was made to put an end to this state of things by forming what was virtually a new association, and a circular, inviting the co-operation of all who could lend their aid, was sent forth by Mr. Spurgeon and some other ministers. It was arranged that three meetings should be held at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. The first meeting was for ministers only, who would discuss the articles of association; the second gathering would include both pastors and deacons, who would together further discuss the resolutions of the first meeting. This was to be followed by a great meeting for prayer "in the spirit of the union formed."

Eighty pastors attended the preliminary meeting, and Mr. Spurgeon presided at the devotional service which preceded the business. An excellent spirit of true catholicity prevailed. As The Freeman said: "The brethren assembled represented well-nigh every shade of opinion amongst us, although, if any party predominated, we should say it was that of our strict communion brethren. Still, it was most apparent that the ruling wish of all present was to give as little place as possible to differences of opinion, and rather to find out the common basis on which they could practically agree."

It was felt that practically the past had been characterised by disunion, and the time seemed to have arrived for something better. Mr. Lewis, pastor of Westbourne Grove Chapel, sketched out the programme of the new Association, the first thing had in view being the cultivation of brotherly love. By way of advancing the cause of Christ in and about London, one chapel in each year was to be erected. The members, ministers, and delegates were to assemble quarterly, the first gathering in each year being regarded as the annual meeting. A church of less than 250 members was to send one delegate; if there were over that number two delegates were sent, and larger churches were allowed one representative for every 250 members. The President was to be elected annually, and the expenses were to be collected in small subscriptions. The Freeman thought that all things were about as promising as they could be. "We are thankful, too, that the basis of this new Association is so broad," it was added. "It does not rest on the technicalities of a creed, but simply on the wide basis of evangelical sentiment." No one worked more heartily in the new movement than Mr. Spurgeon, whose addresses at the meetings were always characterised by the fervour of a man who was thoroughly in earnest. The visit which Mr. Spurgeon paid to Newcastle on November 7, was to the church and congregation which then assembled in the Town Hall under the pastorate of Mr. Wildon Carr, who in after years was closely identified with the work at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. A chapel for Mr. Carr's congregation was in course of erection, that being the second chapel he had been instrumental in erecting in Newcastle in the course of four years. The people first met at an old chapel in New Court; a handsome new sanctuary was then provided on Rye Hill, and on retiring from this pastorate, Mr. Carr was followed by a large number of the congregation, who met in the Town Hall until another new meeting-place was provided in Marlborough Crescent. Mr. Spurgeon not only preached on behalf of the cause, he gave £400 to the building fund. On two successive Friday evenings in November Dr. Joseph Parker, who then held a pastorate at Manchester, gave two lectures at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Mr. Spurgeon occupying the chair on each occasion. The first was on "Nonconformity in Relation to the Book of Common Prayer;" and this was followed by "Reasons for a Nonconformist Aggressive Policy." These lectures created some sensation in Manchester, and similar interest appears to have been excited in different parts of this country, and also in Scotland. On the evening of the second lecture the Tabernacle was crowded, and Lord Ebury was one of the audience.

Some reference has already been made to prophecies uttered about this time by self-constituted seers concerning wonders which were to happen in earth and heaven during the year 1866. Some credulous persons appear to have given out that the end of the world would actually occur in the year named, for certain tracts, in which such opinions were given, were said to have been written by the pastor of the Tabernacle. Someone sent these productions to Mr. Spurgeon, and asked if he had written them. At a meeting in the chapel answer was given to this question:—

"You will hear of me in Bedlam when you ever hear such rubbish as that, from me. The Lord may come in 1866, and I shall be glad to see Him; but I do not believe He will, and the reason why I do not believe He will is, because all these twopenny-half-penny false prophets say He will. If they said that He would not come, I should begin to think He would; but, inasmuch as they are all crying out as one man that He will come in 1866 or 1867, I am inclined to think He will not arrive at any such time. It seems to me that there are a great many prophecies which must be fulfilled before the coming of Christ, which will not be fulfilled within the next twelve months; and I prefer to stand in the position of a man who knows neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of man cometh, looking always for His appearing, but never interfering with those dates and figures which seem to me to be only proper amusement for young ladies who have nothing else to do, and who take to that instead of reading novels, and for certain divines who have exhausted their stock of knowledge about sound doctrine, and therefore try to gain a little ephemeral popularity by shuffling texts of Scripture, as the Norwood gipsies shuffled cards in days gone by." On November 28 Mr. Spurgeon laid the memorial-stone of a chapel at Redhill, and gave £100 to the building fund, an additional £100 being promised when the work was somewhat more advanced. A few days later we find that immense congregations were addressed at Woolwich, the collection being divided between the Pastors' College and a local Dorcas Society. The annual tea in connection with the College was held at the Tabernacle on the evening of December 20, an excellent repast being provided by the ladies of the congregation. The accounts of work done, and of the funds which still came in for the support of the work, were still encouraging. Thirty students had been sent forth into pastorates during the year, and when such men as Messrs. Cuff and Spurrier stood up to speak enthusiasm was, of course, re-enkindled. Mr. Spurgeon entertained the audience with an account of William Knibb and his work, and Dr. Underbill followed with an address on the condition of Jamaica. This was thought to be one of the most encouraging anniversaries which had ever been held in connection with the College.

During three days in Christmas week, 1865, a great bazaar was held at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, the proceeds being devoted to the building of new chapels in and around London. The bazaar opened on December 26, on which day 1,700 persons visited the rooms. The receipts of the two first days amounted to between eight and nine hundred pounds. In one account we read that, "Mrs. Spurgeon's stall, as might have been expected, was a source of great attraction, and that lady drove what may be called 'a roaring trade,' and the amount placed against her name as cash received is consequently much higher than that of the other amateur shopkeepers." The students of the College also had a stall all to themselves, but notwithstanding their natural and acquired advantages, they were outrivalled by some others. The visitors to the stalls all had a letter by Mr. Spurgeon placed in their hands, in which he showed the solicitude with which he viewed the spiritual destitution of London, e.g.:—

"Impressed with the necessities of our ever-growing city, I have used my utmost exertions to increase the number of our Baptist churches, and, as a result, solid and flourishing churches have been founded in Wandsworth, Stepney, Bromley, Redhill, and Baling, while the small place in Paradise Place, Chelsea, has become a noble house of prayer; and in Bermondsey a chapel is nearly completed for the use of a congregation now in connection with the church in the Metropolitan Tabernacle, and worshipping in a small room. From the success already achieved, I am encouraged to attempt yet greater things, and to seek the erection, during the year 1866, of several new buildings. My faithful friends, to whose generous co-operation, under the blessing of God, all is due, intend to hold a bazaar. As the object is one which concerns all our Baptist brethren, and, indeed, all Christians, we make a very earnest appeal for aid, and confidently look for it. We have no personal end to serve; we have no motive but the glory of God. London needs the Gospel; its thousands perish for lack of knowledge; the teachers of error are leaving no stone unturned; Puseyism is compassing sea and land—why should we sit still? Other churches are doing their best but the Baptists are hardly lifting a hand. Better days are dawning. Let us now arise and build. On the south side of the water we have the nucleus of three churches all needing buildings, and promising success if these can be erected. On the northern side, Buckhurst Hill, Kingsland, Clapton, Barking, and Bow, and several other districts, crave our aid. Why should not all be assisted? They shall be, if the Lord's people will aid us." In these earlier years of work at the Tabernacle ministry, a young preacher occasionally came to the front of whom one and another would say that he was destined to become a second Spurgeon. Thus, in the days of his early popularity as a preacher, the present Dr. Grattan Guinness was spoken of as "a bright particular star," and he was also described as "bidding fair to rival the renowned Mr. Spurgeon as another modern Whitefield." The comparison with Mr. Spurgeon was not a happy one; for the characteristics of the Irish preacher showed that he had little in common with the Essex lad, who had risen to eminence by his naturalness of manner and devotion to the cause in general. Then, when the late Brownlow North turned aside from the world of sport and of fashion, in which he had lived until middle age, to preach the Gospel with an attractive power which, called forth general admiration, he was called the Northern Spurgeon. There was never any real similarity between such preachers and the pastor of Southwark, fond as people were of drawing comparisons. No one was more pleased than Spurgeon himself when another arose to preach the Word with power; but none knew better than he did himself that, as a preacher, he virtually stood alone through having no successful rivals. The year 1865 ended more cheerily than some others; for though Lincoln had fallen a martyr to the cause, freedom was advancing both in the Old and the New World. In April, Richard Cobden and John Cassell had also both passed away, their deaths leaving a blank which could not be filled. Mr. Spurgeon always regarded with admiration the work of the great publisher, whose influence lives after him.