AS another interesting example of how churches spring up in our midst,
following or hastening before the population, we have now to notice
another new enterprise in South Kensington. St. Luke’s is at present a
temporary iron church, put up to await the erection of a more enduring
one, on what is known as the Redcliffe Estate, in South Kensington, now
being covered with dwellings of a superior order, by Messrs. Corbett and
M‘Clymont. These gentlemen have presented the site for the new church,
which is a most eligible one, situate in the yet uncompleted
Redcliffe-square. Plans for the new-church are in preparation by Messrs.
G. and D. Godwin, of the Fulham-road, and it is intended to be built in
the course of 1872. By the time it is erected, it will show itself to be
in one of the best-selected positions to be met with around London. The
structure will be in the early decorated style, and is to cost about
10,000_l._, and it is a circumstance to place the promoters beyond the
reach of much anxiety on the subject, that 7,000_l._ of the amount is
already deposited. Meanwhile the iron church on the other side of the
way is doing good service. It was put up in July last, and opened on the
23rd of that month, just six months ago, by the Rev. Wm. Fraser Handcock,
M.A. (of Oxford) the vicar (designate), and previously vicar of St.
Luke’s, Cheltenham. To this latter church South Kensington has recently
given a new minister, in the person of the Rev. J. A. Aston, late vicar
of St. Stephen’s, and has received in return the Rev. W. F. Handcock, but
to open entirely new ground. Mr. Handcock not only came from Cheltenham,
but he brought the material of the church in which he now preaches with
him from thence. It was a wooden structure, and consequently before he
could commence work in it, occasion was given for some correspondence and
trouble with the Metropolitan Board of Works. He unwittingly incurred
the Board’s disapproval by violating one of its bye-laws, and they
compelled him to case it in iron of certain dimensions before it was
opened. This caused a further outlay of 400_l._, which was a matter of
some consequence to the rev. gentleman, as he had personally undertaken
the whole responsibility of the temporary church. The district assigned
to St. Luke’s is taken out of that of St. Mary’s in the Boltons, and
includes at present about 3,000 population; but may have double that
number four or five years hence. The present building has sittings for
700, and between 100 and 200 are free; the remainder let in the nave at
2_l._ per annum and in aisles at 1_l._ Considering the time it has been
opened, the church is very well attended. At the morning service we
found about 300 present, a full choir of youths in surplices; who
rendered the chants, psalms, and hymns in a creditable manner to Anglican
strains. The organ—well played by Mr. Henry P. Keens—is small; but, like
the church itself, temporary. The prayers were read, and the whole tone
of the service was Evangelical. Hymns in use, “Ancient and Modern.”
There is a weekly offertory for the church expenses, which is taken
before the sermon.
[Picture: St. Luke’s Church, Redcliffe Square, South Kensington]
The Rev. W. Fraser Handcock is a minister apparently about forty years of
age. He begins his service in rather a low tone of voice, but
immediately rises to the compass of the auditorium, and thoroughly
maintains it to the end. The emphasis in his reading is placed with
almost faultless accuracy; so that the true sense is never lost to the
hearer. The sermon was read, but delivered with very considerable
effect. In matter it was most intelligent, instructive, and Evangelical.
Discoursing from John xviii. 38: “Pilate saith unto him, what is truth?”
the preacher considered Pilate as the representative sceptic of his age;
and drew a striking parallel between him and modern sceptics, in their
affected uncertainty and unbelieving inquiries, as to how the truth was
to be determined; and, like Pilate, they found vain excuses for their
infidelity in the divided state of Christendom. In France religion was
suffering through the recoil from that “sham” of Christianity set up
there by Popery; and in England, silently but too certainly, the evil
leaven had been at work; in the Universities, in schools, and in
literature. When a convert from Rome, as had often happened, first
landed on our shores, it was not to be wondered at if, on a superficial
survey of the Church as it was, he inquired, doubting, “What is truth?”
When he glanced at the various tenets taught within even their own
Church, could any other result be expected! We heard, for instance, from
some that a species of magical spiritual power was vested in the
ministers of religion, so that the sprinkling of a little water in
baptism, or the uttering of a few words over the elements used in
celebrating the Lord’s Supper, produced necessarily divine
effects—teaching against which our finer sense revolted. He went to
another extreme, and found others objecting to everything in the world
not purely spiritual; even to all kinds of music not sacred in its
character and use. Then, perhaps, he took up a book written by some
plausible, philosophising author, the fallacies of which he was not able
to detect; and it was easy enough for him in all these phases of our
intellectual and religious life to find an excuse, and inquire, “What,
then, is truth?” But after all, it was out a mere excuse, a vain
pretence; for there were the great cardinal truths of Revelation plain
enough to be understood: about God, about eternity, the soul, and God’s
way of winning it. But men rejected or quibbled about these Bible truths
and things raised upon them, because, in fact, Christianity was not
merely a _creed_, but it was a life—a life that men must live both
inwardly and outwardly. And this was the grand reason why men evaded it:
the Master said, if any man would _do_ God’s will, they should know of
the doctrine that it was of him. But it was because they were not
inclined humbly to _do_ it, that men remained in such ignorance and
confusion about it. This witness is faithful and true, for there can be
no doubt that the chief difficulties in the way of the reception of the
religion of the Bible are to be sought in the moral rather than the
intellectual condition of men. This was the great point clearly and
forcibly brought out by the preacher, and if this is an average sermon in
purport and aim, we cannot but congratulate the neighbourhood on the
advent of Mr. Handcock, and on the building of the new church. As yet,
as a matter of course, the usual church adjuncts are only in
contemplation. A Sunday-school, however, will be opened immediately, and
before the permanent edifice is consecrated, all the usual parochial
machinery will be at work. The assistant minister is the Rev. E. J.
Haddock, B.A., Dublin. The churchwardens are Capt. A. Waldy, of 9,
Stanhope-gardens, and Dr. Daniell, of Cathcart road, South Kensington.