THE CORNWALL ROAD BAPTIST CHAPEL.
This is situated near the point where the Cornwall-road crosses the Ladbroke-grove-road, with a low, single-arched looking front, approached by a flight of steps from the footway, and inclining towards the latter road. It is a wooden structure, but protected by a coating of lath, with an outside covering of Portland cement; and when on the other side the whole building is in view, it looks a long, dark, narrow object, which would not be readily taken for a place of worship, reminding one of a huge ironclad lying at anchor in a quiet harbour. It may be explained that the shell was formerly a part of an annexe belonging to the Exhibition building of 1862; and having been made a present, by the contractors, Messrs. Lucas and Co., to Sir Morton Peto, was presented by that gentleman for its present good purpose in the Cornwall-road. It was set up in 1863, including a large, commodious schoolroom, deacons’ and minister’s vestries all included. The chapel itself is a spacious oblong, fitted with an organ gallery behind the pulpit, and another gallery of similar dimensions at the opposite end, but having no side galleries. The organ was also the gift of Sir M. Peto, and built by Willis, of the Albany-road, Regent’s-park, at a cost of 300l. There is a plain pulpit, sufficiently elevated, and the floor is plainly pewed; but the woodwork in the roof is tastefully coloured in light blue and white, which gives a light and pleasing aspect to the interior. The place will accommodate about 800 persons.
The Rev. J. A. Spurgeon, brother of the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon, of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, was the first minister of the chapel. He laboured very successfully for four years—collecting an excellent congregation and a goodly body of church members. He was, however, unfortunately for his people, removed to assist his brother in the duties of the college which he had founded in connexion with his South London enterprise. Previously to his departure, however, the church gave substantial proof of the esteem in which it held him, by presenting him with a purse containing 50l., and a handsome gold watch and key, by Bennett, of Cheapside, which cost 24l.
The successor was the Rev. Charles White a minister who can scarcely be said to have settled in the church. At his inauguration the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon preached an appropriate sermon, at the close of which he hoped, and in fact predicted, that the Rev. Mr. White would prove the “right man” for the congregation. It, however, almost immediately after transpired that a serious feeling of estrangement, and of something beyond, sprung up between several of the principal members and deacons and the new minister. It need not be surmised which side was most to blame. Probably it is safe to omit all conjectures on the subject. This “letting out” of the waters of strife became painful in its consequences. The church was completely rent; and in about nine months after his appointment Mr. White left the chapel, and betook himself, with a large number of the congregation, to the Ladbroke Hall near, where he continued to minister for another year. In the meantime the chapel was well nigh forsaken and the church severely tried. It was at this juncture that the present minister, the Rev. R. H. Roberts, B.A. (of London University), was invited, and undertook the charge. Under the difficult circumstances he appears to have acted the part of a wise man, resolving and avowing his resolution not in any way to interfere with Mr. White, or harbour any feeling of hostility towards him or his friends, but, on the contrary, to evince towards them an amicable disposition. There was, however, not long the need for this display of Christian temper in that direction, as very soon Mr. White removed from the neighbourhood. From that time the church has been gradually revived and the congregation visibly increased, many of the old members returning, and some new being added; and at present it looks as though it must shortly recover its former strength. Mr. Roberts, who has now been two years with the church, is an intelligent and thoughtful preacher, and from the discourse to which we listened, founded on the parable of the pounds, we should think he is aiming at inspiring his people with a high sense of their responsibility. There were some pointed and pregnant utterances in the sermon which are apt to fix themselves in the memory. As for instance, in regard to the constancy of Christian service: “Let not this be a work for ‘saints’ days,’ for all days are, or ought to be, saints’ days in the calendar of the kingdom of heaven.” As to the Saviour’s second advent: “The best way of waiting for Christ is to continue working for him. With the nearness or distance of his coming we have nothing to do; the word says ‘Occupy till I come.’” As to the proper use of our talents: “Some men prosper and come into the front by accident; but the outward seeming will be pierced through in the day of account, and the very heart of whatever reality there is about us will be got at.” Then, again, as to human attainments: “All human attainments are only divine endowments developed and magnified.” These and similar terse remarks, thrown out in passing, added effect to various parts of the subject.
The service of song is well provided for here. “Psalms and Hymns” for use in Baptist congregations is the book used, in which it is satisfactory to observe the name of every author drawn upon appended to his composition. The Bristol Tune-book is distributed, and the name of the tune is given out with the hymn. There is also Allen’s Book of Congregational Chants and Anthems; and that grand and universal hymn Te Deum Laudamus was not omitted, but was sung in the midst of the service with much propriety and spirit by the whole congregation.
In the Sunday-school there are a little over 300 children on the books, and an average attendance of about 100 in the morning and 220 in the afternoon. There is a “Home Missionary Society,” which employs twelve tract distributors; a “Maternal Society,” a regular “Mothers’ Meeting,” and a “Dorcas Society.” In its late troubles, as a matter of course, the finances of the church became deranged and fell into arrears. Although surely improving, a rather heavy balance is still due to the treasurer. Yet, notwithstanding, we observe that the congregation contributed last year 43l. 18s. 7d. to foreign missions. The church draws its home support from pew-rents, which last year amounted to 185l. 11s., and a weekly offertory, a special fund, incidental sources, and collections, yielding in all, from July 1869 to July 1870, 497l. 1s. 11d.
The order of services is: Sunday—Prayer-meeting at 10.15, public worship at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.; Monday, prayer-meeting at 7.30; Wednesday, “Congregational Bible-class,” a service intended for the simple exposition of any passage of Scripture upon which any person present might wish comment offered; alternating with singing classes, teachers’ meetings, church meetings, &c. Inquirers’ meetings are held on Monday evenings by the pastor in the Vestry, from 7 to 7.30. Communion on the first Sabbath in each month after the evening service, and on the third Sabbath after the morning service.
The Deacons are eight in number—viz., Messrs. W. Baynes, W. Knight, Charles Chambers, Dr. Pennell, Dr. Manning; Messrs. Catchpole, Hunt, and Healy.
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST. FRANCIS D’ASSISI, NOTTING HILL.
This church is situated in Pottery lane, near the north end of Portland-road, bordering on the Potteries, from the poor population of which—more particularly the Irish portion—it draws its congregation. The building and the school attached occupy one side of the road, and a row of stables the other; and, as though not to be desecrated by looking on the latter, there is not a noticeable window in the road side of the church; consequently no architectural attraction in the exterior, which is about as uninviting as the site on which it stands. It is not until one has passed through a small enclosed courtyard, thence by an unexpected turn into a half-hidden portico, and again through a cloistered doorway—all impressing with a strong idea of seclusion—that he becomes really conscious of the presence of an ecclesiastical edifice. Everything to this point is plain as plainness itself—there being nothing to be seen but a heavy, bulky pile of common brickwork, wearing something of the aspect of a very poor monastic enclosure. But on reaching the interior a different impression is awakened, although still heaviness and gloom prevail. The principal nave is short, and that, with the side called “Our Lady’s Chapel,” are together not capable of holding more than about 500 persons. At the same time it looks overcrowded with pillars, which darken and intercept an otherwise limited view. The effect of the whole is that of strength, but dimness and lowness. The architecture is of a mixed kind, in which the Italian is prominent, with a slight blending of Gothic. The diminished effect of space and light are, however, of course relieved by the illuminations and ornaments peculiar to a Roman Catholic church—the numerous candles, the images, the high altar, its bright furniture, drapery, and ministrant priests, standing out conspicuously, and lit by daylight from the chancel-windows. Moreover, a strip of the walls through the full length on both sides is ornamented with some effective painting on slate, representing various passages in our Lord’s sufferings, by Westlake, who also executed a couple of frescoes at the back of the side altars, and the subjects of three or four stained windows. The decorations of the large side-altars to the Virgin and St. Francis are partially seen through the commingling columns. The body of the church is filled with plain benches and cane-bottomed chairs, all of which are much the worse for wear, and in their present state looking quite in keeping with the voluntary austerity and poverty of the famous mendicant friar of the thirteenth century from whom the church derives its name, and whom it regards as its patron saint, St. Francis D’Assisi. A charge is made for entering the seats, and be it noted that not one was observed to enter without dropping his coin, larger or smaller, in the plate. The fee appears to be considered in the light of a weekly offering. One of the most notable objects in the church is the baptistry, where there is a handsome marble font, with a large conical lid and fixed pulley machinery for raising it.
This church was built ten years ago, by Mr. Clutton, as a chapel of case to the larger Roman Catholic cause—St. Mary’s, Bayswater—which establishment was the first outcome of the late Cardinal Wiseman’s Ultramontane mission in London. The Rev. Father H. A. Rawse, M.A., then of the Oratory, Brompton, and previously an Anglican priest of Oxford, illustrated his zeal as a convert to Rome by the donation of 7,000l. to the St. Francis enterprise, and became its first resident priest. The Rev. Father Lescher is the present minister, who is occasionally assisted by priests from the parent church at Bayswater, or from the Oratory, and had present, on the morning of our visit, Father Robertson, from the former place. Father Lescher himself has lately given proof of his zeal by the handsome gift of 500l. towards 1,400l. for the purchase of the Silchester Hall, recently occupied by the Methodists, and being acquired by the Catholics for a school. Their present day-school, in Pottery-lane, has about 160 pupils, who pay, as a rule, a penny per week, the necessary balance being made up by other funds.
Father Lescher was the preacher for the morning, and prefaced his homily by several announcements, one of which had reference to looking after their pauper children who were taken to the Kensington Workhouse. On any child being taken there, notice was to be given to the priest, who would cause inquiry to be made as to the spiritual oversight of such children; and the congregation were earnestly exhorted to attend to this, as he said it would “prevent the proselytism of the poor.” He congratulated them that they had succeeded in sending some Roman Catholics to the Board at the last election, and so had fared better of late. But he urged them to endeavour to return more at the next election, in order that their prospects in regard to the children might be still more improved!
The rev. father took for his text Ephesians iv. 23, 24, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man; which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” The discourse was a simple, pointed extempore address on regeneration, or, as the preacher sometimes called it, “conversion,” occupying about thirty minutes. There was “a great difference between the Christian and the heathen.” “We were not born Christians, but sinners; and sin would master us unless a change be wrought in us.” “Heresy always had some truth in it; but it was truth carried out without being duly limited by other truths.” Thus as to regeneration, which was wrought by the grace of God in the soul—no doubt that grace began to work in baptism. But a man was not regenerate or converted because he had been baptized, for he might be living in sin. Conversion was a thing to go on continually through a man’s life. Europe was covered all over with a race of baptized, but really unregenerate men. Sin should be completely taken out of our heart. From beginning to end regeneration was God’s work. He made us new creatures. Christ was a new man in this world, and was a pattern to which we were to be conformed; we must be like him, setting aside all worldly-vain, foolish, and vicious thoughts. St. Francis was an example, whose feast they had just celebrated, who, by the grace of God, was enabled to live a life of devotion and self-denial. “Let them pray to St. Francis, that he might help them to follow in his steps.” Apart from the exhortation to pray to St. Francis, many will take the essence, form, and language of this outline as thoroughly Evangelical. There appears to be a departure from the strict doctrine of essential sacramental efficacy, and a distinct insistence on the necessity of a change of heart and of a holy life. It was high mass, and one of Mozart’s formed the musical part. The organ is a small one, but sweet in tone, and played by a new organist—a pupil from the Pro-Cathedral. The choir did not contain any distinguished voice, but the singing, though less florid, was more appropriate than the extreme artistic affectations of the Oratory and Pro Cathedral. On the previous Wednesday—which was the Roman Catholic Feast Day of St. Francis D’Assisi—Archbishop Manning had preached in the church.