KENSINGTON CHAPEL, on the east side of Allen-street, is worthy of notice.
It is substantially built of stone, and commands a foremost place amongst
the best examples of classic architecture in the neighbourhood. The
portico is the most noticeable portion. Its Corinthian columns and
pilasters are in good proportion and well-executed, and assure even the
most unpractised eye of their capability to support the massive
entablature and pediments that surmount them. The present minister, Dr.
Stoughton, laid the chief corner-stone in June, 1864. The interior is
well and handsomely treated, and is light, commodious, and adapted for
sound. The large British School recently erected is certainly not an
improvement to the architectural appearance of the chapel. There is a
want of truthfulness about the design, which one must regret, seeing that
the chapel itself is in such good taste.
The church connected with this place traces its origin so far back as the
year 1795, and owns a very interesting history. The first Congregational
Chapel was in Hornton-street, and was founded in 1793; and in October,
1794, the Rev. Dr. Lake was chosen first pastor. In March of the
following year he gathered into religious communion about forty persons,
and on the 9th of April following was solemnly ordained to the pastorate
by Dr. Hunter, author of “Scripture Biography,” who was assisted in the
service by other ministers. The church and congregation gradually
increased under Dr. Lake’s ministry, and also under his successors.
These were men of no less eminence than the Revs. John Clayton, Dr.
Liefchild, and Dr. Vaughan. For a church to have held such pastoral
relations in unbroken succession, and for these to be followed and
crowned by the worthy name of the present esteemed minister, Dr.
Stoughton, is a remarkable fact, and prepares us for chronicles of
superior influence and success. In this we are not disappointed. In the
year 1845 the jubilee of the church was celebrated. Dr. Stoughton had
commenced his ministry in 1843, and on the 50th anniversary preached a
commemorative sermon. From this, which is in print, it would appear that
the first half-century witnessed a gradual but certain growth of
Congregationalism in the town, the number of church members having
increased from the foundation number of 40 to 251. These were the
figures when Dr. Stoughton began his work. The labour of those earlier
times had been well and patiently done, and the basis firmly laid for a
larger edifice of success to come. The Rev. John Stoughton appears to
have been the well-chosen minister for the opening era of its later
history. On Monday, October 4, 1868, the church and its friends rejoiced
together over the fruits of the pastor’s labours through a quarter of a
century. At that time, which may be allowed to speak for the present,
1,200 members had been added, and there was a fixed membership of 500,
having just doubled itself since 1843. The Hornton-street Chapel had
been enlarged in 1845 at a cost of 1,400_l._; a branch chapel—now known
as the Horbury Chapel, Notting-hill—had been built in 1849, and a church,
of 40 members and 100 seat-holders, given it from the parent congregation
to begin with. This new cause was largely aided and supported by Mr.
Stoughton and his people. Notwithstanding this separation, the places of
those who had retired to the north of the parish were soon filled, and
the chapel became overcrowded, so that it became a necessity to provide
new and enlarged accommodation. Hence the present commodious chapel in
Allen-street, which was opened for Divine worship on the 30th of May,
1855, the foundation-stone having been laid in June, 1854. The entire
cost, including the freehold site and organ, was 8,748_l._ 9s. 6d., the
whole of which was defrayed by the end of January, 1860; 600_l._ more was
laid out on repairs and embellishments in 1863. There is accommodation
for 1,000, including about 250 free sittings. More recently British
schools have been built, adjoining the chapel, at an outlay of 5,000_l._,
which now have from 300 to 400 children in attendance. Here, also, large
and important Sunday-schools are conducted, having about 700 children
under religious instruction. These were established in the year 1809.
We understand that every available sitting is at present let; and the
congregation contains several persons of literary eminence and
professional distinction. It is generally of that character which a
minister of Dr. Stoughton’s ability may be expected to draw and keep
around him. For Christian liberality it is justly entitled to a record;
and is, undoubtedly, one of the best instances to be found of what can be
achieved on the voluntary principle when intelligently and powerfully
directed. During the first twenty-five years of Dr. Stoughton’s
ministry—independently of the amounts raised by pew rents, &c., for
support of the ministry—there was raised for various objects the noble
sum of 32,821_l._, being an average of 1,313_l._ per annum. 12,800_l._
was for chapel and school building purposes; 8,870_l._ for missionary
societies at home and abroad; 5,630_l._ for support of educational
institutions; and 5,480_l._ for relief of the poor and distressed, both
in a general way and in various cases of public need. This scale of
giving is maintained and even enlarged upon, the church raising 500_l._
for the London Missionary Society last year; and—which may be considered
an expression of genuine catholicity of spirit—contributing 100_l._
towards the building fund of the new parish church now in course of
re-erection. Annual collections are made for St. Mary’s Hospital,
Paddington, the West London Hospital, for a Christmas Poor Fund, Chapel
Building Society, London City Mission, and various other Christian
objects. There is no endowment, and the ministry is entirely supported
from seat rents. As a proof of the esteem in which the minister is held,
the church voted him 400_l._ in 1868, to enable him to visit Palestine,
which he did; and it may be added that at the present time a co-pastor is
being arranged for to assist him in his labours.
The Rev. Dr. Stoughton has the good fortune—attending but few settled
pastors in the same degree—to enjoy the continued confidence and good
opinion of his people; and through the effect of a prolonged ministry he
has acquired an amount of influence over them seldom realised. That
influence has been for good. It has lifted them out of the narrowness
which, rightly or wrongly, is generally considered an attribute of close
churches; it has moulded them into a catholic temper, and imbued them
with social sympathies which render them a fact and a power in the town
and district. “Like priest, like people,” is an old adage; and probably
it has never found a better illustration than in the present instance.
And where the former has strength and goodness combined, the likeness to
himself he impresses upon his congregation over a long ministry, at any
rate, ought to be traceable. Dr. Stoughton himself cultivates the most
friendly relations with ministers and Christian people of all
denominations. Occasionally at his house may be witnessed a little
Evangelical Alliance, in the presence of a bishop, or a dean, or an
archdeacon, with clergymen Episcopal, Baptist, Methodist, and
Congregational; and the same genuine fraternal feeling he carries into
public meetings and committees of all kinds where general Christian or
social interests are concerned. On the rev. gentleman’s pulpit
characteristics it is scarcely necessary to enlarge. In these sketches
it is our plan only to say enough on this point to indicate the general
standard of preaching, talent, or aptitude, together with the doctrinal
teaching and mode of conducting service. As to the latter, the minister
appears in the pulpit in a gown; and in the singing part of the service
the usual Congregational Hymn-book is supplemented by a collection of
church music, consisting of chants, anthems, _Te Deum_ and Sanctuses.
After the second prayer the _Te Deum_ is sung; and the music, both for
hymns and chants, inclines pretty much to the Gregorian strain. We may
describe this congregation, in its general tone and style of worship, as
occupying that part of the Dissenting territory which lies nearest the
Church of England. In the minister’s personal part there is a brief
opening prayer, a lesson, a second prayer, a second lesson, and a third
prayer; and in these several extempore petitions, in the present
instance, were included almost every conceivable object of supplication
hardly exceeded in variety of matter by the Book of Common Prayer itself.
The discourse was founded on 2nd Corinthians x, 5: “Bringing into
captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ,” and was delivered
extempore, with the aid only of a manuscript skeleton. The perfect ease
and quiet of the preacher is apt at first to tempt the stranger to think
him slightly indifferent to his hearers; but he has only to be heard a
while to convince one that the feature arises from complete self-control
and command of his own thoughts; and that, so far from indifference, it
arises from deliberate anxiety to clear himself with the intellect and
conscience of his audience. It is certain that this is achieved with
great success. The clearness of the preacher’s thoughts, and equal
clearness and felicity of his language, make one feel as though sitting
in the calm light of intellect, reflected from every point of the
compass. Starting with the assertion that the words of the text were
directly “against the grain” of the “most fashionable thinking of the
day,” which was on the side of what was called “freedom of thought,” he
entered the lists with the free-thinkers of the period. Demonstrating
with a masterly hand that the true liberty of our nature is only found in
the captivity of thought to the obedience of Christ, he showed, on the
other, with convincing power, that the boasted “freedom” of the day was
slavery itself. It was slavishness to prejudice, to some human
irresponsible authority, to the most “fantastic ideas,” without any basis
in reason, to an idea of novelty and change, where, however, there was no
originality; for, the preacher remarked, amidst all this, “originality
was a very rare thing in our time.” The freedom contended for was one
which bound our whole nature up in the bonds of fixed and rigid laws of
development, which extinguished the very possibility of freedom. After
so withering an exposure of the boasted free thought of the age, there
was peculiar force and beauty in pressing home the great Gospel truth,
“But if the Son shall make you free, then are ye free indeed.” Christ
carries us away captive; but He does it as a conqueror of our foes, who
tyrannised over us; and following in His train is our deliverance, our
“freedom.”
On Sunday, service is held at 11 A.M. and 6.30 P.M., and at 3.15 P.M. a
prayer-meeting in the Lecture-room. The Lord’s Supper the first Sunday
in the month after morning service; baptism every three months, both to
adults and children, or more frequently if desired. Communion tickets
are distributed to members in December, which they are expected to put
into the plate after each celebration. Members are accepted after
private conversation with the minister, and approval by the church in its
ensuing monthly meeting. The time when the minister may be consulted on
this solemn subject is from six to seven on Thursday evenings weekly.