Lessons from London (II) 20 February 2011 Dr Paul Ferguson

Another church I visited in London recently was the City Temple which sits in Holborn Viaduct in central London. It is especially familiar to me as I used to work as a lawyer for Hogan Lovells, a law firm located in the building immediately across the road. Joseph Parker (1830-1902) was the minister of this Congregational church which completed the erection of the magnificent building on 19 May 1874. A previous pastor of the congregation, when the church was located in another part of London, was the learned Puritan, Thomas Goodwin. Parker was one of the many great non-conformist (i.e. non-Anglican) preachers who occupied the pulpits of Britain at that time in the nineteenth century. Others included C.H. Spurgeon, Alexander Maclaren, Octavius Winslow, Dinsdale Young, William Booth, F.B. Meyer, J.H. Jowett, George Mller, J.N. Darby and B.W. Newton among others. Also in Scotland, Wales and Ireland, gifted and godly preachers were much to the fore. It was truly a golden era for Britain as the revival fires of the Third Great Awakening (1858-1861) spread through Britain and America. More than 2 million converts were added to the Church. Parker the Preacher After C. H. Spurgeon, Parker was undoubtedly the most renowned preacher in London. Vast crowds packed into the City Temple each week. It was said that visitors to London invariably made their way to Spurgeons Metropolitan Tabernacle for one service and to the City Temple for another. A lady once asked Parker what was his hobby, and he instantly replied, Preaching. Questioned further if he had any other hobbies he replied, Preaching, nothing but preaching. Everything with me ministers to preaching. When the City Temple started in 1874 Parker declared that he would do all in his power, to make the City Temple a terror to evildoers, a tower of strength to all who are honest and pure and a light to all who are asking the way to the truth and love of God. He was renowned for his oratorical gift coupled with insightful exposition of the Scriptures. It led to the publication of his sermons in 25 volumes known as The Peoples Bible, from 1885-1895. Parkers preaching and published works increased his influence across the world. However, his influence has waned today but his books are still being sold and read. Indeed, they are still selling in Christian bookshops in Singapore. Despite his genius and natural oratorical gift, Parker rigidly held to the orthodox position on the inspiration of Scriptures and based his messages on the Bible alone. Speaking at an anniversary of his ministry at the City Temple he said, Twenty-five years and I have not begun my exposition. Twenty-five years and I am still at Genesis, chapter 1, verse 1. I have preached from every text in the Bible, and I have not yet begun to preach at all. So great is the Book, so manifold its ministry, so all-sustaining the Eternal Spirit. Parker was a great controversialist and was never ashamed to speak the truth in the most candid and humourous terms. When preaching on the parable of The Good Samaritan after he had read about the priest passing by on the other side, he noted, I suppose the priest observed that the poor man had been robbed already. On another occasion he entered the pulpit and said, I enter this pulpit with considerable oppression of spirit. A letter was handed to me an hour ago intimating that a philosopher was to be present at this service. My spirit sank. However my spirit slightly revived when on re-reading it I found that the gentleman himself had written it and spelt philosopher with an f a fool-osopher. Parker and Spurgeon Joseph Parker was a great friend of C.H. Spurgeon for many years. He recognised the wonderful gifts God had bestowed on his contemporary. When Spurgeon died, Parker wrote in The London Times, The only pulpit name of the 19th century that will be remembered is no longer the name of a living man. His simplicity, his constancy, his stand-stillness, won for him, through many difficulties, a unique and invincible position in Christian England..That great voice has ceased. It was the

mightiest voice I ever heard: a voice that could give orders in a tempest, and find its way across a torrent as through a silent aisle. Very gentle, too, it could be, sweet and tender and full of healing pity.
Despite this warm tribute, their relationship had both its ups and downs. Parker was a headstrong man who whilst he could be warmhearted could be prone to passionate outbursts of temper. They had a public written dispute over the subject of attending theatres, which Spurgeon regarded as immoral. Parker however, complained of Spurgeon, The only colours Mr. Spurgeon knew were black and white. In all things he was definite. You were either in or out, up or down, alive or dead. A more tragic division occurred during the Downgrade Controversy in 1887 against encroaching liberalism in the evangelical churches. Although Parker was orthodox, he refused to stand with Spurgeon in the battle against encroaching liberalism. Parker had advised Spurgeon to take in more fresh air. Open your windows, even when the wind is in the east. Scatter your ecclesiastical harem. I do not say destroy your circle: I simply say enlarge it. As with your circle, so with your reading. Parker would live to regret this attack but tragically the damage was already done to the evangelical movement. The poison of higher criticism and textual criticism had now spread like cancer and the tide was too far in to be turned back. Ironically, one of the first great victims of Parkers compromise would be his own church that he had laboured so hard to see established. Downfall of City Temple At Parkers death in 1903, Reginald John Campbell (1867-1956) was chosen as his successor. Initially he appeared orthodox and was liked by Joseph Parker. Soon after the death of Parker, he attracted widespread attention in 1906 by his vigorous propagation of the New Theology, which was to be a restatement of Christian beliefs to harmonize with modern critical views and beliefs. Campbells publication of a book The New Theology with this title gave rise to considerable controversy. In this book, Campbell argued that we have no divine revelation and the Bible is redundant. He also argued that there is no such thing as punishment, no far-off Judgment Day, no great white throne, and no Judge external to ourselves. Campbell went on to embrace as saved an infidel editor of Clarion, Robert Blatchford, There is no stopping-place between sinner and Saviour. This is the way in which men like Robert Blatchford of the Clarion are being saved while trying to save. His moral earnestness is a mark of his Christhood, and his work, a part of the atonement. Not another Christ than Jesus, mind! The very same. Mr. Blatchford may laugh at this, and call his moral aspirations by quite a different name. Well, let him; but I know the thing when I see it. This is salvation. Blatchford, somewhat bemused, pertinently summed up Campbells New Theology in a review of his book, The New Theology is God and My Neighbour, with the soft pedal on. It is Thomas Paine in a white tie. It is the Ingersoll fist, muffled in a boxing glove. As an agnostic socialist, I am, naturally, pleased with the book. Mr. Campbell is a Christian minister and I am an infidel editor; and the difference between his religion and mine is too small to argue about. But I sail under the Jolly Roger. Mr. Campbell believes, I think, in the immortality of the soul. I express no opinion on that subject. Mr. Campbell calls Nature God. I call Nature Nature. Mr. Campbell thinks Jesus the most perfect man that ever lived. I think there have been many men as good, and some better. But beyond those differences I think I may venture to say that there is nothing Mr. Campbell believes that I deny, and nothing I believe that he denies. Beyond these differences I am as much a Christian as is the Rev. R. J. Campbell, and the Rev. R. J. Campbell is as much an infidel as the editor of the Clarion. Despite this manifest heresy, the Congregational Union held at Nottingham in 1911 declined to discipline him. Conclusion Joseph Parker once declared in a passionate burst of eloquence that if anyone ever preached any other gospel at the City Temple, then let Ichabod (this name was given to the son of Phinehas,

grandson of Eli because the ark of the covenant had been captured by the Philistines - meaning The glory is departed - 1 Samuel 4:19-22) be written across the building. After the apostasy of Campbell had taken root, in 1907 before a worship service someone inscribed the words Ichabod on the beautiful portico or porch leading to the entrance of the City Temple. The event caused a stir in Britain and was even reported in the New York Times. Despite this incident, liberalism continued to spread and triumph. Sadly, the City Temple continued its decline into increasingly deeper error. The successor to Campbell appointed a woman as an assistant pastor. The most famous yet infamous successor to Campbell was undoubtedly Leslie D. Weatherhead (18931976). He was the minister of the City Temple from 1936-1960. An ordained Methodist minister, Weatherhead denied the virgin birth and the literal bodily resurrection and just about every conceivable evangelical doctrine. He took pleasure in shocking people by the depth of his blasphemy. Once he stated that Jesus Christ was the illegitimate child of Zechariah and the Virgin Mary. Weatherheads blasphemous theory about Christ was adopted from his writings by cult leader Sun Myung Moons Unification Church of Korea. Weatherhead regularly attended occult spiritist *sances, even claiming that at one time John Wesley appeared to him. (*sance a meeting of spiritualists at which they attempt to receive messages from the spirits of the dead) The Bible is replete or abounding with warnings to churches such as ours at Tengah. If we allow or tolerate error in our life or in our church, sooner or later it will bring forth evil fruit. Consider Proverbs 6:27, Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? The Apostle Peter warned the Church almost two thousand years ago that there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. (2 Peter 2:1-2) Let us heed this warning and as a church at Tengah seek to uphold the truth by His grace and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. (Jeremiah 6:16)