“_1756, October 7th._—I rode on to Aberford. My old friend, Mr.
Ingham, was labouring in the vineyard; but I had the happiness
to find Lady Margaret at home, and their son Ignatius. She
informed me, that, his round takes in about four hundred
miles; that, he has six fellow-labourers, and one thousand
souls in his Societies, most of them, converted. I sincerely
rejoiced in his success. Ignatius was hardly pacified at my not
preaching. We passed an hour and a half very profitably, and
set out again.”
The Rev. William Romaine, also, became one of Ingham’s frequent visitors,
and was received by him and Lady Margaret with every mark of respect and
affectionate attention. Indeed, at a period when Romaine’s stipend was
quite inadequate to provide sustenance for his family, his necessities
were often liberally met by Lady Ingham’s bounty. Ingham sometimes
accompanied him in his preaching excursions into several parts of the
county of Durham; Romaine preaching wherever he obtained a church, and
Ingham in the Methodist Chapels and private houses. Long after this,
Romaine remarked in reference to Ingham’s societies,—
“If ever there was a Church of Christ upon earth, that was one.
I paid them a visit, and had a great mind to join them. There
was a blessed work of God among that people, till that horrid
blast from the north came upon them and destroyed all.”
This horrid northern blast must be explained. In 1755, Hervey published
his “Theron and Aspasio,” in three octavo volumes. In 1757, Robert
Sandeman issued an elaborate reply, in two volumes octavo, entitled,
“Letters on Theron and Aspasio, addressed to the Author of that Work.”
Very erroneous were some of the views of Sandeman, but, all who have read
his publication must admit that he was a man of considerable ability. His
work, however, was blemished, not only by heterodox expositions of holy
Scripture, but by severe attacks on the chief evangelical preachers and
authors of the day. A furious controversy succeeded; and a large number
of pamphlets and tracts bearing on the subject were printed. Sandeman’s
volumes themselves were in great demand, and, in less than five years,
three editions of them were published. His principal doctrine, from which
all his other erroneous teachings sprang, was his doctrine of Christian
faith. Hervey, Whitefield, Erskine, and others, substantially acquiesced
in Wesley’s definition, namely, “Christian faith is not only an assent
to the whole gospel of Christ, but also a full reliance on the blood
of Christ; a trust in the merits of His life, death, and resurrection;
a recumbency on Him as our atonement and our life, _as given for us,
and living in us_.” Perhaps it would sound less sectarian to say, that
the whole of these distinguished men held the doctrine of the Homilies
of the Church of England: “The right and true Christian faith is, not
only to believe, that holy Scripture and the articles of our faith are
true, but also, to have a sure trust and confidence, to be saved from
everlasting damnation by Christ; whereof doth follow a loving heart to
obey His commandments.” Or, again; a man’s “sure trust and confidence
in God, that, by the merits of Christ, his sins are forgiven, and he
reconciled to the favour of God.” “Three things must go together in
our justification. Upon God’s part, His great mercy and grace; upon
Christ’s part, the satisfaction of God’s justice, by the offering His
body and shedding His blood, with fulfilling the law perfectly and
thoroughly; and upon our part, true and lively faith in the merits of
Jesus Christ. So that, in our justification, there is not only God’s
mercy and grace, but His justice also. And so the grace of God doth
not shut out the righteousness of God in our justification; but only
shutteth out the righteousness of man; that is to say, the righteousness
of our works. And, therefore, St. Paul declareth nothing on the behalf
of man concerning his justification, but only a true and living faith,
which itself is the gift of God. And yet that faith doth not shut out
repentance, hope, love, and the fear of God, to be joined with faith in
every man that is justified. But it shutteth them out from the office of
justifying. So that although they be all present together in him that is
justified; yet they justify not altogether.” (_Homilies of the Church of
England._)
Sandeman’s views were widely different, as a few extracts from his book
will show:—
“Every doctrine which teaches us to do, or endeavour any thing
toward our acceptance with God, stands opposed to the doctrine
of the Apostles; which, instead of directing us what to do,
sets before us all that the most disquieted conscience can
require, in order to acceptance with God, as already done and
finished by Jesus Christ. What Christ has done, is that which
pleases God; what He hath done, is that which quiets the guilty
conscience of man as soon as he knows it; so that, whenever
he hears of it, he has no occasion for any other question but
this, ‘Is it true or not?’ If he finds it true, he is happy;
if not, he can reap no comfort by it. If, then, we slight the
comfort arising from the bare persuasion of this, it must be
owing, at bottom, to our slighting this bare truth, and to
our slighting the bare work of Christ, and our considering it
as too narrow a foundation whereon to rest the whole of our
acceptance with God.” (Vol. i., p. 17.)
“Whatever doctrine teaches us to think, that our acceptance
with God is begun by our own good endeavours, seconded by
Divine aid, or even first prompted by the Divine influence,
leads us to look for acceptance with God by our own
righteousness; for whatever I do, however assisted or prompted,
is still my own work. Aspasio tells us, ‘Faith is a real
persuasion that Christ died _for me_.’ This account of faith
somewhat resembles the arch of a bridge thrown over a river,
having the one end settled on a rock, and the other on sand or
mud. That Christ died, is indeed a truth fully ascertained in
the Scriptures; that Christ died _for me_, is a point not so
easily settled. This is a point which the Scripture nowhere
ascertains; so far from it, that it often affirms the final
perdition of many, not merely hearers of the gospel, but who
have heard and received it with joy; yea of those who have made
such progress, that their only deficiency is, that their fruit
came not to perfection.” (Ibid. p. 20.)
“Men are justified by the knowledge of a righteousness finished
in the days of Tiberius; and this knowledge operates upon them,
and leads them to work righteousness.” (Vol. ii., p. 190.)
“The change made upon a man by the gospel, is called
_repentance unto life_,—a change of a man’s mind to love the
truth, which always carries in it a sense of shame and regret
at his former opposition to it.” (Ibid. p. 193.)
“No man can be assured, that his sins are forgiven him, but
in as far as he is freed from the service of sin, and led to
work righteousness; for the favour of God can only be enjoyed
in studying to do those things which are well pleasing in His
sight.” (Ibid. p. 194.)
“When once the saving truth is admitted in the conscience of
any man, it becomes, as it were, a new _instinct_ in him,
encouraging him to draw near to God, providing him with an
answer to the condemning voice of the law, which haunted his
conscience before, and opposing the natural pride of his heart,
in the exercise of which he formerly lived. By this instinct,
he is led to desire ‘the sincere milk of the word, that he may
grow thereby.’ And he arrives at the proper consciousness and
enjoyment of life, when he comes to full age, and, _by reason
of use, has his senses exercised to discern both good and
evil_.” (Ibid. p. 200.)
“If, notwithstanding our natural bias against the gospel, our
heart condemn us not, as destitute of love to that truth which
the world hates, then have we confidence toward God, even as
much confidence as the testimony of our own conscience can give
us. Yet this is but one witness, and needs to be supported.
Here then the Spirit of the truth gives His testimony, as a
second witness supporting the former. And this He does, by
shedding abroad in the heart, such an abundant sense of the
divine love as casts out the anxious fear of coming short of
life everlasting. Thus, that love to the truth, which formerly
wrought in the way of painful desire, attended with many fears,
is perfected, by being crowned with the highest enjoyment it is
capable of in this mortal state.” (Ibid. p. 203.)
“Perhaps it may be thought needful, that I should define what I
mean by the _popular doctrine_; especially as I have considered
many as preachers thereof, who differ remarkably from each
other; and particularly as I have ranked amongst them Mr.
Wesley, who may justly be reckoned one of the most virulent
reproachers of God that this island has produced. I consider
all those as teachers of the _popular doctrine_, who seek to
have credit and influence among the people, by resting our
acceptance with God, not simply on _what Christ hath done_,
but more or less on _the use we make of Him_, and the advance
we make toward Him, or some secret desire, wish, or sigh to
do so; or on something we feel or do concerning Him, by the
assistance of some kind of grace or spirit; or, lastly, on
something we employ Him to do, or suppose He is yet to do for
us. In sum, all who would have us to be conscious of something
else than the bare truth of the gospel; all who would have us
to be conscious of some beginning of a change to the better; or
some desire, however faint, toward such change, in order to our
acceptance with God.” (Ibid. p. 300.)
Perhaps, the reader has had enough of the misty dogmas of Robert
Sandeman. The foregoing extracts contain the kernel of his heresy. By
the obedience and sufferings of Christ, a number of persons, the elect,
are accepted or justified of God. The gospel declares this. It is the
sinner’s privilege and duty to believe this general statement;—not to
_believe on_ Christ as _his_ Saviour (for he has no authority to do
that), but simply to become persuaded of the truthfulness of the gospel’s
general declaration, that a select number are accepted of God, solely and
entirely, because of the finished work of Christ. This persuasion, in the
course of time, and in the case of the accepted persons, produces what
Sandeman calls _repentance unto life_. For a season, they have “anxious
fears of coming short of everlasting life.” Their love to the truth works
“in the way of painful desire, attended with many fears.” At length,
however, they attain to such a state, that their conscience testifies,
they are “not destitute of love to that truth which the world hates;” and
now “the Spirit of the truth gives His testimony, as a second witness,
by shedding abroad in the heart such an abundant sense of the divine
love, as perfects their love to the truth, and crowns it with the highest
enjoyment it is capable of in this mortal state.”
This, in brief, was Sandeman’s way of salvation—a huge heresy tagged
to the glorious truth, that man is accepted of God solely through the
meritorious work and sufferings of Christ. This is not the place for its
refutation. Suffice it to remark, that, in 1759, Ingham read Sandeman’s
“Letters on Theron and Aspasio,” and also Glass’s “Testimony of the
King of Martyrs;” and that this was the means of bringing upon Ingham’s
societies the “horrid blast from the north,” so strongly deprecated by
the Rev. William Romaine.
The Rev. John Glass, about the year 1728, had been expelled from the
established Church of Scotland, and had formed a number of Churches
conformable, in their institution and discipline, to what he apprehended
to be the plan of the first Churches of Christianity. Sandeman was
an elder in one of these Churches. The chief practices in which they
differed from others were:—their weekly administration of the Lord’s
Supper; their love feasts, of which every member was not only allowed,
but required to partake, and which consisted in their dining together at
each other’s houses in the interval between the morning and afternoon
services; their kiss of charity, used on this occasion, at the admission
of a new member, and at other times, when they deemed it to be necessary
or proper; their weekly collection before the Lord’s Supper, for the
support of the poor, and defraying other expenses; mutual exhortation;
abstinence from blood and things strangled; washing each other’s feet,
the precept concerning which, as well as other precepts, they understood
literally; community of goods, so far as that every one was to consider
all that he had in his possession and power as liable to the calls of the
poor and the Church; and unlawfulness of laying up treasures on earth, by
setting them apart for any distant future, or uncertain use; the allowing
of public and private diversions so far as they were not connected
with circumstances really sinful; and the employment of a plurality of
elders, pastors, or bishops, in each Church, and the necessity of the
presence of two elders in every act of discipline, but the administration
of the Lord’s Supper. In the choice of these elders, want of learning,
and engagements in trade, were not regarded as disqualifications for
office, but a second marriage was. The elders were ordained by prayer and
fasting, imposition of hands, and giving the right hand of fellowship. In
their discipline, they were strict and severe, and thought themselves
obliged to separate from the communion of all such religious societies
as appeared to them not to profess the simple truth to be their only
ground of hope, and who did not walk in obedience to it. In every Church
transaction, also, they esteemed unanimity to be absolutely necessary.
Such were the Glassites or Sandemanians more than a hundred years
ago. In an evil hour, after reading the publications of Glass and
Sandeman, Ingham sent his fellow-helpers, Mr. Batty and Mr. Allen,
_privately_ to Scotland, for the purpose of acquiring more distinct
and detailed information respecting this Scottish sect. At Edinburgh,
they were introduced to Sandeman; and at Dundee, to Glass; and returned
to Yorkshire thoroughly converted to the Sandemanian theology and
discipline. Warm debates took place in Ingham’s societies respecting the
nature of a _true_ Church, and respecting their former views of religious
experience. Many became jealous of the authority which Ingham exercised;
but he steadfastly adhered to the validity of his commission as general
overseer, and wished the dissatisfied to withdraw. Frequent attempts
were made to reconcile the two contending parties: the Countess of
Huntingdon wrote letters; Romaine paid a personal visit; and Whitefield
prayed and wept; but all was ineffectual. Disputes without end arose;
excommunications followed; and thus the great work over which Ingham had
most religiously watched, was nearly wrecked. Out of upwards of eighty
flourishing Churches, only thirteen remained under Ingham’s care. This
was probably the severest trial of his life, and was one from the effects
of which he never afterwards recovered.[115] It would be incorrect and
uncharitable to assert, that, all who were excommunicated or seceded,
ceased to be Christians. Dr. Stevens says, “many of them were merged in
the Wesleyan or Dissenting bodies, especially in the class of Scotch
Presbyterians called Daleites.”[116] Mr. Allen formed a number of them
into a separate Church, and officiated as their pastor until his death,
in 1804. The Messrs. Batty also continued to preach; and, in 1761,
published, at Kendal, a Hymn Book of 136 pp., entitled, “A Collection of
Hymns for the Use of those that seek, and those that have, Redemption in
the Blood of Christ.” Many of the hymns are thorough doggerel. Some other
of the seceding preachers also “remained useful men; and the disaster was
much relieved by the consideration that Wesleyan Methodism took general
possession of Yorkshire, and by the fact, that two Methodist orders were
hardly necessary at the time of Ingham’s failure.”
Efforts were not wanting to conserve and perpetuate the work. In
September, 1760, Lady Huntingdon and the Rev. William Romaine joined
Ingham, at a general meeting of his societies, held at Wheatley, when the
choice of Church officers was determined by lot. They also visited, in
company, several of the brotherhoods in Yorkshire and Lancashire, Ingham
and Romaine preaching alternately, almost every day. At Thinoaks, in
Craven, where they remained several days, there was a large assemblage
of people, and two elders were ordained. There, also, it was agreed to
recommend to the different societies in the connexion to make collections
every Sabbath; and the following circular was issued:—
“DEAR BRETHREN,—Being mindful of the words of the Apostle
Paul, we have determined to recommend to our Societies to have
voluntary collections on the first day of the week, to defray
all expenses relative to the preachers, meetings, etc., etc.
Farewell!”
Nothing more need be said of this unhappy schism, except quoting a
sentence from Wesley’s sermon, preached at the laying of the foundation
stone of City Road Chapel, in 1777. With an undoubted reference to
Ingham, he remarked:—
“Nearly twenty years ago, immediately after solemn consultation
on the subject, a clergyman, who had heard the whole, said,
with great earnestness, ‘In the name of God, let nothing move
you to recede from this resolution. God is with you for a
truth; and so He will be, while you continue in the Church; but
whenever the Methodists leave the Church, God will leave them.’
Lord, what is man! In a few months after, Mr. Ingham himself
left the Church, and turned all the societies under his care
into congregations of Independents. And what was the event? The
same that he had foretold! They swiftly mouldered into nothing.”
Unlike his friend Wesley, Ingham made but little use of the
printing-press. In 1748, he published a Hymn Book, of 96 pp., 12mo, with
the title, “A Collection of Hymns for Societies. Leeds: Printed by James
Lister, 1748.” The book, now extremely scarce, contains eighty-eight
hymns; five of which are translations from the German, by John Wesley;
fifteen are by Watts; five by Cennick; and three by Charles Wesley. How
many Ingham himself contributed is not known. The following serves as a
sort of Preface:—
“In singing, two things ought to be regarded. The one is to
sing in outward harmony, keeping the tune; and, if we do not
understand it, ’tis better to be silent and hear others, or
to sing low and after others, that we may not make a discord,
which is disagreeable, and causes confusion; and, in general,
it is not well to sing so very high and loud. But the other and
more material thing to be regarded is, seriously to mind what
we are about,—to be present with our thoughts,—to meditate upon
the matter; and, above all, to sing with grace in the heart to
the Lord. This makes singing sweet and heavenly; and, without
this, our singing can neither be edifying to ourselves nor to
others.”
Ingham’s only other publication was a small volume, entitled, “A
Discourse on the Faith and Hope of the Gospel. Leedes: Printed for the
Author, by Griffith Wright, 1763.” 12mo, 207 pp.
This, though a small, was an important book, for it contained the views
of Ingham, on the chief doctrines of the Christian religion, immediately
after he had read the works of Glass and Sandeman. There can be no
question, that, he substantially embraced the dogmas which they had so
boldly propounded. The following extracts are confirmative of this. The
reader will excuse the length of them, on the ground, that they exhibit
the principal articles of Ingham’s creed towards the close of life. The
book is pervaded by a fine Christian spirit; and, here and there, almost
waxes eloquent.
“Every true and real minister of Jesus Christ hath a divine
commission, or is sent of God.” (Preface.)
“I believe, that the whole counsel of God to the Church is
faithfully recorded in the holy Scriptures.” (Ibid.)
“I believe no servant of Christ hath now any new revelation
to deliver; but, I also believe, that no man can clearly
comprehend or truly understand the holy Scriptures without
the illumination of the Holy Ghost. Yet, the Holy Ghost
neither revealeth, teacheth, impresseth, or applieth anything
to any person now, but what is either expressly written, or
is agreeable to the analogy of faith delivered, in the holy
Scriptures.” (Ibid.)
“It is my opinion, that, both the doctrine and also the
very words of Scripture, in the languages wherein they were
originally written, were inspired by the Holy Ghost. The
translation of the Holy Scriptures into the modern tongues
hath been a great blessing, and of very great use to the cause
of Christianity. Yet, men of learning, who have studied the
originals, know that some places are falsely translated, and
others weakly and lamely. It would be well worth the labour of
all the learned men in every nation to conspire together to
publish an accurate translation.” (p. 5.)
“To believe a thing meaneth to assent to, and credit it as
true. To believe _in_ a thing meaneth to confide or trust in
it, to rely or depend on it.” (p. 6.)
“The faith of the Gospel is the believing of God’s testimony
concerning Christ and His righteousness, and believing in Jesus
Christ and His most perfect and Divine righteousness, as the
only sure ground of the hope of eternal life.” (p. 9.)
“Sinners are neither justified for their own believing, nor
their own obeying, nor for both together; neither for the
truth or sincerity of their believing, or any act of faith,
nor anything they have done, can do, or ever will do. Neither
are they justified for anything wherein they differ from
others, or excel others, nor for anything done or wrought in
them, or received by them; for the whole and sole cause of the
justification of sinners is the active and passive obedience of
Jesus Christ, called the righteousness of God, ‘which is unto
all and upon all them that that believe.’” (p. 13.)
“This work of Christ,—His most perfect and divine
righteousness,—His obedience in all things, and even unto
death, is the whole and sole cause of the salvation of
sinners. There needeth no other requisite, neither less nor
more, neither little nor great. This alone is complete and
all-sufficient.” (p. 35.)
“Yet, the generality of men lay the greatest stress upon
something else. And even those who lay some stress upon it more
or less connect something else with it, whereon they also lay
some stress, more or less. So that they do not believe that
God is well and fully pleased with the work of Christ, as alone
sufficient for salvation without anything else at all; but that
God is placable, or willing to come to terms with them, upon
condition that they themselves first perform those other things
which they think necessary, either in whole or in part, as
preliminaries to make peace with God.” (p. 39.)
“If any should object, and say, that the Lord Jesus and the
apostles connected repentance with faith and remission of sins,
I allow it. Repentance and faith are duties required by the
gospel, because God commandeth all men everywhere to repent
and believe the gospel. It is man’s duty to do whatever God
commandeth.” (p. 40.)
“Repentance to life is the change made upon the mind by the
gospel, when a man is turned from darkness to light, and
from the power of Satan unto God. His understanding being
enlightened, he ceases to work for acceptance; he turns to God,
believing that He is well pleased in His beloved Son. This
repentance, as well as faith, is the gift of God. And they are
both given at the same time.” (p. 40.)
“Some modern divines have defined faith to be _a confidence
that Christ loved me and gave Himself for me_; but this is not
the faith of the gospel, though it hath passed current for it
with many for a long time. It must indeed be granted that, if
a person can say that Christ hath loved him and given Himself
for him, upon as good ground as the Apostle Paul said it of
himself, he is a true believer. Yet it is presumed that many
believe the gospel and will be saved, who neither can, in
truth, nor dare say this.” (p. 42.)
“No one hath the assurance of his eternal salvation upon his
first believing the gospel, or can have it, till his faith hath
wrought some time, more or less, by love. No man can be assured
that he shall be eternally saved without any possibility of
falling away, but by the sealing, witness, or testimony of the
Holy Ghost. But that no one is sealed by the Spirit upon his
first believing the gospel is proved by Ephesians i. 13.” (p.
43.)
“Those, who have the faith of the gospel, have not obtained it
by their own labour, or by any acts exerted by their own minds;
but it hath been, freely given to them from above, by Him who
of His own will begetteth His people with the word of truth.
So that it is as easy to believe in the gospel, when Christ is
revealed to any person, as it is to see or hear, when a man
hath eyes and ears.” (p. 60.)
“The faith of the gospel is a working faith. Justification and
sanctification are inseparably connected together.” (p. 90.)
“All true believers are sanctified, but they are not equally
sanctified; for there are children, young men, and fathers
in Christ. They are sanctified in all the faculties of their
souls, but not completely sanctified as yet in any one of
them.” (p. 138.)
“Some argue, _that God, in the word of the gospel, maketh an
offer of Christ and His righteousness, as a free gift, to all
indefinitely who hear the gospel; and also promiseth remission
of sins and eternal life; and, further, that God’s word is a
sufficient warrant to every one to lay claim to the gift, and
that Faith is a receiving of the gift; but then it must be an
appropriating and applying faith. For no man is possessed of
a gift till he receives it; but, in receiving it, he obtains
a special interest in it, which he had not before._ That God,
by the word of the gospel, maketh known to all indefinitely
who hear it, that He is well pleased in His beloved Son, and
that He giveth His Son and remission of sins and eternal life
to all who unfeignedly believe the gospel with understanding,
is as surely true as God’s word is true. And, that no man is
possessed of a gift till he receives it, and that in receiving
it he obtains a special interest in it, is also true. It is
also granted that no man hath Christ, or a special interest
in Him, but he that receiveth Him. But, then, doth any man
receive Christ before he believeth the gospel? Coming to
Christ, receiving or embracing Him, looking to Him, trusting
or confiding in, relying or depending upon Him and His divine
righteousness, belong to faith, and always accompany it;
although they may be deemed immediate consequent effects of it”
(p. 142.)
“I cannot approve the doctrine, which some teach, that a man
may become perfect at once, or assured of his salvation, by
putting forth some sort of an act of faith.” (p. 155.) “God
generally worketh gradually both in nature and in grace.” (p.
156.)
“Believers, by keeping the Father’s commandment to believe on
the name of Jesus Christ; and by obeying the new commandment,
not in word, but in works,—attain the testimony of their own
heart and conscience, that they are of the truth. Herein, also,
they have the sure testimony of the word of God, whereby they
are to try and judge themselves. And the Holy Ghost, as the
Comforter, will be given to them, by whose testimony they will
know and be satisfied that they are the children of God.” (p.
171.)
“Be it observed that I have limited no time, how long it is, or
how long it must be, before any man is sealed by the Holy Ghost
after he believeth the gospel. This dependeth upon the good
pleasure of Almighty God.” (p. 175.)
“Those writers and preachers, who maintain that the assurance
of salvation cometh by a direct act of faith, or by the
appropriating act of faith, or by any other sort of an act of
faith, are mistaken; for it cometh by no act of faith, but
by the testimony of a believer’s own conscience, and by the
testimony of the word and Spirit of God.” (p. 179.)
“Some writers and preachers lay down so many steps and stages
of conviction, and speak of so many different sorts of faith
that they greatly perplex the minds of serious people. But this
is not the worst of it. Such doctrine hath a tendency to teach
people to establish their own righteousness, and to turn away
their minds from the atonement made by the blood of Christ;
for, when they hear such doctrine, they are very apt to examine
whether they have gone through such exercises of soul, and
whether they have put forth such acts of faith; and, if they
think that they have not, they are perplexed and distressed to
no purpose; but, if they think that they have, they are ready
to build upon such things, which may be nothing but their
own workings and fancies, and so get into a good conceit of
themselves to their own loss and damage.” (p. 181.)
“True believers are too apt to live by other things than by
Christ alone. It is the duty of every believer to keep the
faith, and constantly to live by believing in Christ. This
is a lesson not soon or easily learned. To keep the faith,
in opposition to the natural propensity which is in us all,
to live by our own righteousness, or something of our own,
is the principal part of the Christian warfare. It is like
the pendulum in a clock, which moves all the wheels. If the
pendulum stops, then the whole clock stands. All our strength
to obey flows from believing in Christ.” (p. 185.)
“All the heavenly frames, sweet sensations, manifestations
of God’s love, all the joys and comforts, are all and each
of them valuable blessings, for which God’s people should be
thankful; but they should not live by them, but by Christ. All
the works and duties of believers, which are done in faith and
love, which is in Christ Jesus, are pleasing to God; all the
doctrines revealed in the book of God ought to be regarded
and believed; the promises, threatenings, and precepts of the
word of God should be used as the Lord Jesus used them when
He was on earth; all the ordinances and means of grace should
be conscientiously observed; but believers are not to make a
Christ of any of these things, nor to live by them, but by
Christ Himself.” (p. 188.)
These extracts are long, but they serve to exhibit Ingham’s views of
the way of a sinner’s salvation. Substantially, they are the same as
Sandeman’s, and were doubtless derived from him. One cannot but regret
that Ingham suffered himself to be led astray by the hazy dogmatisms of
the new Scottish sect, instead of adhering to the Scriptural views of his
friend Wesley.[117] Of his sincerity there cannot be a doubt; but, in
trying to make the salvation of a sinner more simple, he made it vastly
more dubious and difficult. How different were these misty speculations
to the plain, straightforward teachings of the Methodists! Their adoption
by the truly converted and godly societies, raised up by Ingham and his
friends, was a fatal error, and renders it no matter of regret, that,
societies espousing and propagating such principles gradually dwindled,
and nearly became extinct.
Before taking our leave of Ingham’s book, a few lines may be added
concerning its general merits, apart from its doctrinal heresies; and
these shall be given as an extract from a review, written by Samuel
Drew, the able and honest editor of the _Imperial Magazine_, for 1823.
After adverting to Ingham’s doctrinal peculiarities, Mr. Drew proceeds:—
“Notwithstanding these blemishes, Mr. Ingham’s treatise
contains innumerable excellencies, fully entitling it to the
patronage which has carried it through four editions. Though
Faith and Hope form its distinguishing characteristics, the
practical part of religion is not forgotten. This the author
enforces by a variety of motives, and warns his readers
against the rock of Antinomianism on which thousands have
struck to rise no more. The language is simple and unadorned;
it discovers spirit without acrimony, and never degenerates
into reproaches when he reprehends the sentiments of others.
On all occasions, he seems far more intent upon what he says,
than upon the manner in which it is said, invariably paying
a greater regard to truth, than to any fame which might be
purchased, by disregarding this jewel, while hunting after the
flowers of diction.”
Ingham’s active and useful work was now nearly ended. In 1762, on the
re-settlement of affairs, he was chosen elder of the Church at Tadcaster,
which office, in addition to that of general overseer, he sustained to
the end of life; but the labours of himself and his coadjutors resulted
in small success. On July 23rd, 1766, Wesley wrote:—
“I went to Tadcaster. Here Mr. Ingham had once a far larger
society than ours; but it has now shrunk into nothing; ours,
meantime, is continually increasing.”
The state of his societies greatly affected poor Ingham’s mind.
The well-informed author of the “Life and Times of the Countess of
Huntingdon,” remarks, “The almost total dispersion of the Yorkshire
Churches, caused by the introduction of the Sandemanian principles, had a
sad effect on Mr. Ingham’s mind. He was liable to sudden transitions from
the highest flow of spirits to the utmost depression, and the peculiar
character of his temperament was an extreme accessibility to sudden
attacks of melancholy.” The thing which he had “greatly feared had come
upon him.” He was deserted by his spiritual children, and the thought
distressed him. “I am lost! I am lost! was his despairing cry.” It is
true, that, there were gleams of comfort. Lady Huntingdon’s letters were
soothing to his anguished spirit. “A thousand and a thousand times,” he
tells her, “do I bless and praise my God, for the words of comfort and
consolation which your ladyship’s letters conveyed to my mournful heart,
dismayed and overwhelmed as it was by the pressure of my calamities.
‘Righteous art Thou, O Lord, and just are Thy judgments.’”
This was but the beginning of his sorrows. One of his beloved and
faithful friends was the laborious and devoted Grimshaw. In the early
part of the year 1763, Haworth was visited with a malignant putrid fever,
and, among its many victims, Grimshaw was one. At great risk, Ingham
repeatedly visited the Christian veteran in his fatal illness; and,
afterwards, gave to Lady Huntingdon, the following account of his several
interviews:—
“From the moment he was seized with the fever, he felt the
sentence of death in himself. When I first saw him, he said,
‘My last enemy is come! the signs of death are upon me, but I
am not afraid. No! No! Blessed be God, my hope is sure, and I
am in His hands.’ When I was pouring out my soul in prayer to
the Lord, I mentioned the further prolongation of his life,
that he might have more opportunities of being useful; and
when I had concluded, he said, ‘My dear brother Ingham, if
the Lord should raise me up, I think I could do more for His
glory than I have hitherto done. Alas! what have my wretched
services been? and I have now need to cry, at the close of my
unprofitable course—_God be merciful to me a sinner!_’ At my
next visit, I found him much worse, and evidently sinking. I
mentioned having received a letter from your ladyship, and
delivered your message. He seemed much affected, but, after
a few moments, revived a little. When I had prayed with him,
he said, ‘I harbour no desire of life,—my time is come,—and
I am entirely resigned to God.’ Then, lifting up his hands
and eyes to heaven, he added, ‘Thy will be done!’ At another
time, he said, laying his hand upon his breast, ‘I am quite
exhausted, but I shall soon be at home for ever with the Lord—a
poor miserable sinner redeemed by His blood.’ Mr. Venn having
arrived, I shortly after took my leave, but never after saw my
dear brother Grimshaw alive.”
Not long after this, Ingham had to mourn the death of another and dearer
friend. After twenty-seven years of connubial happiness, his noble and
Christian wife was taken from him. During her fatal sickness,
“She continued to exercise those Christian graces for which she
had been long distinguished. Of herself and her efforts, her
view was ever humble, and every reference to her usefulness she
met with grateful acknowledgment of the sovereignty of that
grace, that made her the instrument of good to others. Her
end, though painful, was triumphant. She welcomed the hour—she
longed to receive the prize of her high calling. ‘Thanks be
to God! thanks be to God!’ she exclaimed, ‘The moment’s come!
the day is dawning!’ and thus, in holy ecstasy, she winged her
way to glory.” “When she had no longer strength to speak to
me,” (wrote Ingham), “she looked most sweetly at me and smiled.
On the Tuesday before she died, when she had opened her heart
to me, and declared the ground of her hope, her eyes sparkled
with divine joy, her countenance shone, her cheeks were ruddy:
I never saw her look so sweet and lively in my life. All about
her were affected; no one could refrain from tears, and yet it
was a delight to be with her.”
Lady Margaret Ingham died on the 30th of April, 1768, in the sixty-eighth
year of her age.
Her sorrowing partner did not long survive. He, also, four years
afterwards, in 1772, passed away to that “rest which remains to the
people of God,” leaving behind him a son, who, for a time at least,
united himself with Wesley’s societies, and officiated as a local
preacher.[118]
“In person, Ingham is said to have been extremely handsome—‘too
handsome for a man’—and the habitual expression of his
countenance was most prepossessing. He was a gentleman;
temperate, and irreproachable in his morals; as a public
speaker, animated and agreeable rather than eloquent; studious
of the good conversation of his people, and delicately fearful
of reproach to the cause of Christ.”[119]
His societies, once so flourishing, gradually dwindled. In 1813, when
they became united to the Daleites, or Scotch Independents, they were
thirteen in number, assembling in the following places—Wheatley, 56
members; Winewall, 41; Kendal, 27; Nottingham, 25; Salterforth, 21;
Bulwel, 17; Tadcaster, 14; Howden, 11; Wibsey, 10; Leeds, 9; Rothwell, 8;
Haslingden, 8; Todmorden, 5. So far as has been ascertained, these, at
the present moment, are reduced to six,—Winewall, (the largest and most
flourishing,) Wheatley, Todmorden, Kendal, Tadcaster, and Leeds.[120]