CLARENCE-PLACE WESLEYAN CHAPEL, KENSINGTON.
There is a very old lady still living in Young-street, Kensington, whose recollections of early Methodism in that town are still with her, and who is fond of the opportunity of quietly recounting them. Among her remotest remembrances is a visit of Mr. Wesley, the incidents of whose advent were the talk of the neighbourhood when she first began to notice anything she heard. She tells how the great evangelist preached in a smithy, somewhere in the vicinity of the present Jenning’s-buildings, “amidst great opposition.” [21] Subsequently preaching services were held in a house—which has long since been taken down—but which stood upon the site 17, Young-street. This was the property of her husband’s father—who was one of the earliest Methodists in Kensington—and who suffered much persecution. It was, it appears, the object of his opponents to make him stop the Methodist service altogether; but his devotion to the cause enabled him to brave the taunts and injury to which he was subjected; and to afford larger accommodation he built up a temporary chapel in his own yard, which answered for the service of the Methodists many years. Methodism, however, has never flourished in the Court suburb to the extent to which the self-sacrifice and devotion of its few first members might have seemed to promise. To the first temporary building succeeded another; then followed the present chapel in Clarence-place in the year 1838. A ninety-nine years’ lease of the land was obtained at a ground-rent of 10l. per annum in 1836, and the foundation-stone was laid by the late Mr. Farmer, of Gunnersbury House, in 1836, and in June, 1838, the Rev. Dr. Bunting and the Rev. Dr. Beaumont conducted the opening services, when the collections amounted to 42l. 5s. 2d., the whole cost being 600l. It is a very plain edifice, almost completely hidden from view by the surrounding dwellings, and having no architectural expression. It has no gallery, and will accommodate on the ground-floor 200 persons, the congregation as a rule reaching to about half the number. About twenty sittings only are held as free, although many more must generally be so used. There are between fifty and sixty Church members meeting in class. Prior to 1861, when the Bayswater Wesleyan Circuit was formed, this chapel was ministerially supplied from Hammersmith circuit, and from the Theological Institution, Richmond. But since that date the services have been attended by the regular ministry of the Bayswater station, to which the chapel was at that period attached. The form of service is that belonging to the Wesleyan Body, which consists of 1, a hymn; 2, a prayer; 3, a lesson; 4, a hymn; 5, sermon; closing with another hymn and benediction. The hymns of the Wesleys are those mainly used; although there are bound up with them some select productions from other well-known hymn-writers, the whole forming, without any controversy, by a long way the best collection of hymns that Christendom has yet produced. Its excellence is attested by the fact that into whatever church or chapel we enter, the collections there in use, under all sorts of titles and editorships, are much indebted to its pages. In the present instance the singing is aided by a harmonium, which might very well give place to the more suitable instrument—the organ. Behind the chapel there is a very capital schoolroom, where about sixty children are taught on the Sabbath; and adjoining this a large vestry, both built in 1857, and forming a good reserve for meetings of all kinds connected with the church and congregation. In the Wesleyan circle in Kensington the following names appear to be much revered and honoured as having contributed at successive stages of the work, time, talent and money towards its building up, names for the most part well known in the town—Messrs. Rowland, Tomlinson, Maunder, Pocock, Bridgnell, Jarvis, Eyles, Bond, Gush, Rigg, Haine, Trownsan, Farmer, &c. The building of the larger and more beautiful Wesleyan chapel in Warwick-gardens has, however, tended to weaken the society at Clarence-place, by drawing away some of its principal members and supporters, and a small portion of its general congregation.
THE CHURCH OF ST. AUGUSTINE, SOUTH KENSINGTON.
St. Augustine’s Church, close to Hereford-Square, South Kensington, is a temporary iron erection, and, like most such buildings, possesses no architectural features or details worthy of notice. The Incumbent, the Rev. R. R. Chope, B.A., five or six years ago conceived a necessity for a church in that place, and, means failing him to obtain a substantial structure, or to procure a separate site, he made use of a corner of his own private garden, put up the iron building, and called it the “Church of St. Augustine.” It is a low, dull, dingy-looking object outside, and as a stranger approaches it—with its roof only just visible above the garden-wall, it is in danger of being passed without notice, except one should suppose it a rather large conservatory or garden shed. It must have required some courage in a minister to attempt a church for himself in such a position; and we are not surprised after this that Mr. Chope is now going on to a larger and more promising enterprise. In the Queen’s-gate, a new and permanent church is rising, under the same energy which originated the first.
The present “St. Augustine’s,” in the interior, is a long narrow space fitted with very plain benches, all being free to all-comers, and capable of containing 700 or 800 persons. They were well filled on Sunday morning, the 7th of May, with a congregation remarkable for its preponderance in the female element. One whole side of the church is reserved entirely for females, and no intrusion of the other sex is allowed. On the other side both sexes are compelled to mingle, and even there two-thirds are of the feminine gender. To say that the service here is High Church is not saying all the truth; it is Ritualistic, and highly so, in its whole spirit and ceremonial. It is, in fact, the nearest approach to Romanism that we have yet witnessed in an Anglican Church in the course of these visitations, if indeed it be not very Popery itself under the thinnest guise of the Protestant name. The communion-table is called an altar, and regarded as such in fact, and decorated accordingly. It is covered with a white cloth embroidered with yellow and red flowers and fringe. It has a large gilt cross upon it, two huge gilt candlesticks, and several vases of flowers. Branching candelabra also on its right and left. The ministers are called priests, and look very priestly in their garments, with short surplice and long cassock, and stole of yellowish silk with rich embroidery and fringe. In the absence of the Incumbent, the Curate, the Rev. A. J. Foster officiated.
Prior to the beginning of the service, an official in long cassock with tassels was busy in arranging the chancel furniture, and adjusting a silk embroidered covering upon the altar over the elements to be used in the celebration of the Eucharist. This work he performed with the minutest punctilio, moving backward and forward and on one side to see its effect, and never failing to bow on passing the Cross, and on leaving off moving backward and bowing.
On entering church, the people, before taking their seats, bow one knee in the aisle towards the altar, and some cross themselves precisely in the manner of Roman Catholics. The time of service arrived, the organist takes his seat, having on a surplice and purple hood with white fur trimming, and, sending out a few solemn strains, the choir is heard in the vestry at the remote end of the church singing “Amen.” It sounds like a distant echo among the mountains. Immediately the people rise, and choristers and clergy walk in procession through the centre aisle to the chancel.
Except the lessons, which were read in a serious and rational manner by a stranger, an aged clergyman, who did not seem quite at home in his priestly apparel, and appeared, amidst all the circumstances, somewhat to dislike himself, the whole service was intoned and sung. The music was Gregorian, and performed in its most sombre mood. The congregation appeared perfectly trained to bowings and genuflexions. At every mention of the Saviour’s name they bent lowly, and during the whole of the first part of the Gloria Patri. In one of the hymns, the sacred name occurred in every verse, and in some verses almost every line, and there was a constant bending and rising. It appeared merely a mechanical process, and quite inconsistent with that mental gravity which is essential to true devotion. Amidst all this mechanism of outward worship, we regret to say there was small visible evidence of spiritual concern. It was the coldest piece of formalism it has been our lot to witness in an English church.
In intoning the Litany, the clergyman came out of his desk, crossed himself, and knelt with both knees on the lowest step of the chancel in front of the altar, with his back to the people. This motion is quite advanced in Ritualistic practice; and, taken together with the peculiar strain of the intoner’s voice, and its rising at the end of every verse of that sublime and all-comprehending prayer, gave the service the stamp of parody rather than of sincere and enlightened Christian devotion. We can only express ourselves in this form, for nothing else will indicate our real sense and conscience of this mode of religious service. The puerilities of Romanism Englishmen we thought had learnt to despise, and yet here are some untalented young gentlemen in the Church of England whose habits would deprave our Protestant religious instincts and lead the young and weaker intellects of our race back into the thraldom of Popish superstition. After the Litany there was a hymn, and then followed the sermon, differing in this respect from the usual church order, which places the sermon after the Creed in the Communion Service. After ascending the pulpit and crossing himself, pronouncing “To God the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost,” whilst standing erect, the text was taken from John xvi. 7, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away,” &c. As in most cases where excessive attention is lavished on the mere ceremonial, the sermon failed to fulfil the most modest ideal of pulpit work. There appeared to be no intention or effort to give it effect either as an exposition or application of Scripture. In this case, too, it was evident the preacher could not shake off the intoning habit of voice, but carried it in great measure with him from the desk to the pulpit. The principal point of doctrine in the sermon was on the important subject of God dwelling in believers, and was stated in this way: “As St. Paul said we were the temples of God by the Holy Ghost dwelling in us; so God the Son dwelt in us by means of his holy sacraments”. “For,” it was further explained, “by the holy sacraments he gives us spiritual life; for, except we eat the flesh of the Son of God and drink his blood, we have no part in him,”—a strange confusion of ideas between the outward and visible, and inward and spiritual. Baptismal regeneration, sacramental efficacy, were clearly articles in the preacher’s creed. We always thought the teaching of Scripture to be that both God the Father and God the Son dwelt in the true believer by one and the same inhabitation of the Holy Ghost. In connection with this sublime principle of spiritual life, there is no place in the Bible where such words as “by means of the holy sacraments” are to be found. Feeble preaching can diffuse error if it cannot do justice to the truth. After the sermon, during the singing of the hymn, the offertory is taken every Sunday, by which the church is wholly supported, and the minister passes to the Communion Service. The collectors bow towards the altar on presenting the offertory bags in the chancel, or on leaving; and in preparing for the celebration the priest—with his back to the people—is long engaged, and on one occasion kneels and rises quickly twice or thrice in succession before the consecrated bread. The Rev. R. R. Chope has studied to make his service as ornamental, high, and formalistic as can be under the Anglican name. He says he believes that “the meanness and costliness of worship reflects the spirit of the worshippers,” a fundamental error if it be attempted to apply it as a general rule. We take it that there is a medium to be observed, and in all cases the costliness must be regulated by circumstances.
Every Sunday at 8 a.m. there is Communion, Prayer (choral), with sermon, at 11; second celebration at 12 30. Evening prayer (choral) and sermon at 7 p.m. Thursday, at 8. a.m., Communion. 11 a.m., morning prayer.
Saints’ days: Two celebrations and daily prayer, at 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
There are several small charities, a day-school, and Sunday-school, both in their infancy.