Irving and Macleod Campbell Flashcards
Who was Edward Irving? (background and key event)
1) Edward Irving (1792-1834)
a. Became Chalmers assistant in Glasgow, at St John’s.
b. Irving shared Chalmers’ goal of reviving the Established Church.
c. But he never entered into the spirit of Chalmers’ social experiment.
d. His preaching didn’t go down well.
London
Strangely, he experienced a rise to fame as a preacher. In the first few months.
j. London society embraced him. Rich and cultivated embraced him.
k. They needed a new church – so built a huge church in Regent Square.
l. However, he began to overstate things and take things too far.
i. i.e., in a sermon he preached the idealism of Apostolic missions with contemporary mission societies.
ii. He insisted on faith and martyrdom.
iii. His fame as a preacher began to fade.
iv. Once preached for over 3 hours.
v. Bit by bit, fashionable hearers drifted away and he became less popular.
m. He started to become desponded.
n. 1825 – sermon to continental society.
i. Becomes obsessed by prophecy.
ii. Said X would come in 1868
o. Irving drawn into circle of Henry Drummond – who loved prophecy
p. By late 1820s, he became a leading voice of pre-mill theology.
i. Destruction of church
ii. Jews to Palestine
iii. Return of X in glory
iv. 1000 year rule of saints
v. Last judgment
q. It was a pessimistic vision – saw no real hope.
r. 1828 he visited Kirkaldy and the gallery collapses. 35 people were killed.
i. He’s devastated, and blamed for it
Edward Irving Heresy Charges?
Heresy charges begin to be raised against him re the human nature of X.
i. At the incarnation, X took on fully human nature
ii. That humanity was identical with that of all other men, since the Fall.
iii. Which included the propensity to sin, says X was tempted and suffered.
iv. But he goes further – says X human nature was fallen.
v. Never taught X sinned.
vi. Irving said X didn’t sin, but that he was indwelt by Spirit, otherwise he would have sinned.
vii. Charges were brought
viii. With support from Kirk Session, took his church outside London Presby.
Edward Irving and Macleod Campbell (Rhu)?
. John MacLeod Campbell.
ii. He had been preaching God’s universal love for all mankind.
iii. Assurance was essential for the Xn faith
iv. He is charged with denying Confession.
v. Preaching of JMC unleashed new religious feeling
vi. March Rhu experienced charismatic outbreak
vii. Irving was encouraged to believe this all happened by his assistant
viii. They thought these signs might be pointers that Parousia was coming.
ix. Church sent people north to see what was happening.
x. In Scotland, church moved quickly to respond to what was happening in Rhu. In 1931, JMC was deposed for heresy. AG Scott, Irving’s assistant, was deposed as probationer.
xi. Same Assembly wanted a trial for Irving’s views.
xii. After this some of Irving’s own congregation started showing signs of ‘gifts of the spirit’
xiii. Irving succumbs to emotional pressure and thinks it is tongues
xiv. But the result is chaos. And more people come and see how things are bad. Members start to leave.
xv. 1833, returns to Scotland to face trial for heresy, and is deposed for views on human nature of X.
xvi. In London he is consecrated to office of Angel or Chief Pastor. Emerging as Catholic Apostolic Church (Irving-ites). Church that came from Drummonds Albery Conferences. (Indep. Charas. Church)
xvii. It was not a success and his health declines.
xviii. Returns to Scotland to try and open new church in Glasgow but health declines and ties at 42.
What was Irving’s legacy?
Legacy:
1. Learned man
2. Published 15 books
3. Deferred to other who claimed spiritual gifts
4. Was generous and trusting, but their emotions up and down.
5. Mc’Cheyne said, ‘a holy man despite dilutions and errors, he wronged so much but loved sincerely.’
6. Adored the Scots Confession. Believed it gave him the latitude for his views.
Who was John Macleod Campbell?
Presented by Duke of Argyll to parish of Rhu
Became concerned by legalistic mentality of parishoners
Love for God could only come from assurance of his love and forgiveness.
Assurance became the essence of faith and the gospel.
He went further and said such assurance could be founded on a doctrine of universal pardon.
This meant X death meant forgiveness for all in this life.
Faith was essential to accept this pardon.
Said he could change mind of congregation.
1856:
Wrote his most (in)famous work: The Nature of the Atonement.
He opposes Calvinism of Edwards and Owen.
Atonement is under the spotlight.
He says no penal substitution and yes to God as Father of mankind.
Relation to God as Lord us subject to God as our spirit.
Jesus absorbs God’s wrath against sin.
‘Vicarious repentance’
Jesus takes wrath not as punishment but as sponge.
They don’t say everyone goes to heaven. (makes grace resistible).
Death of Jesus is ‘Amen’ to humanity of judment and sin of man
