The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: Conditionalist Association and Extension Library

I. Conditional Immortality Association formed in 1878

Prior to 1878 there had been no organized or group testimony for Conditionalism in Britain, only individual voices like those of H. H. Dobney, Edward White, William G. Moncrieff, William Leask, Henry Constable, Samuel Minton, and such, except for the Breakfast Conference by a group in the Cannon Street Hotel, London, in 1876, and one in the Town Hall at Cheltenham. And there had been no common or agreed designation, or name, for their position, or witness. ¹ Dr. William Morris ² called it “Immortality Through Faith.” Dr. Edward White used the phrase “Life in Christ,” or “Immortality through the Incarnation.” Dr. William Leask, editor of The Rainbow, had adopted the expression “Conditional Immortality,” while Cyrus Brooks, editor of The Faith, preferred “Life Only in Christ.” However, they were identical in concept. CFF2 451.1

1878 was a time of widespread agitation and investigation concerning the nature and destiny of man. Canon Farrar had but recently delivered his revolutionary sermon in Westminster Abbey. Literature was appearing for and against the issue. The time seemed propitious for united action. So the Reverend George A. Brown, ³ Baptist pastor of Mint Lane Chapel, Lincoln, and editor of the Bible Standard, who had strongly championed Conditionalism, proposed an organization. CFF2 451.2

Picture 1: Cannon Street Hotel, of London, in 1876
Cannon Street Hotel, of London, in 1876—first conditionalist conference in history held here.
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Thus it was that a few friends of “Life Only in Christ”, Rev. Brown, of Lincoln; Rector H. S. Warleigh, ⁴ of Ashchurch; Captain Henry J. Ward, ⁵ of Liverpool; Gen. Henry Goodwyn, ⁶ of Reading; and Rev. William Leads, of Maberly Chapel, London — moved by a “common impulse,” called for a conference at Lincoln, September 23-26, 1878, to form a permanent organization, that pulpit, platform, and press might bear a more effective and united witness to the truth of “Life in Christ at His Coming and Kingdom.” CFF2 452.1

This conference and those following were comprised of clergymen and distinguished laymen of many faiths-Baptist, Anglican, Congregational, Methodist, Plymouth Brethren. It was not a new denomination, but an interdenominational organization , the members usually remaining in their respective communions. We will now give in rapid succession a few high lights of some of the annual conferences, held in various cities, beginning in Lincoln. CFF2 453.1

1. LINCOLN CONFERENCE (SEPT. 23-26, 1878)

The conference was called by Rev. George A. Brown, pastor of the Baptist Mint Lane Chapel (by notice in his journal, the Bible Standard), and such Conditionalists as Rector H. S. Warleigh of Ashchurch, Canon W. S. Hobson, Dr. William Leask, Capt. Henry J. Ward, Rev. Thomas Vasey, ⁷ Rev. Silas Henn, ⁸ and others. Strong public addresses marked the meeting. “Life and Immortality Through Christ Alone” was the basic theme of the Conference. CFF2 454.1

By common consent the expression “Conditional Immortality” was adopted, largely because it had come to be so designated by the public as representing their belief. It was decided to have a press organ, and the Bible Standard was adopted and taken over by the Association. Officers were chosen. Captain Henry J. Ward was appointed president; Dr. William Leask, vice-president; and Cyrus E. Brooks, ⁹ secretary, with Rev. Brown as editor of the Association journal. CFF2 454.2

It was also decided to establish the Association in London, and Editor Brown established offices in Paternoster Row, the heart of the publishing business, and secretary Brooks transferred there also. ¹⁰ CFF2 455.1

2. MABERLY CONFERENCE, LONDON (SEPT. 2-4, 1879)

Upon invitation of Dr. Leask, the second conference was held in Maberly Chapel, London, where he was pastor. Canon Constable, General Goodwyn, William Laing, and many others were present. The editor of the newspaper Christian World sent three reporters to write up the public meetings, and brought out an “Extra,” many thousands of which were distributed. Dr. Leask was appointed editor of the Association’s Bible Standard, as Rev. Brown was leaving to establish a “life in Christ” witness in New Zealand. But financial reverses came, and the London office had to be closed. Secretary Brooks carried on from Malvern. ¹¹ Nevertheless, the storm was weathered. CFF2 455.2

3.LIVERPOOL CONFERENCE (SEPT. 7-9, 1880)

This conference was held in the Washington Hotel Hall, with about the same group of participants, plus M. W. Strang, of Glasgow; Major Van Someren, of India; and representatives from various other countries present. A large public meeting was held in Pembroke Chapel, and Cyrus Brooks was made editor of the Bible Standard. ¹² CFF2 455.3

4. BRADFORD CONFERENCE (SEPT. G-8, 1881)

5. SALISBURY CONFERENCE (AUG. 30-SEPT. 1, 1882)

Two ministerial expulsions were noted in 1882. Charles Byse, of Brussels, the French translator of White’s Life in Christ, was expelled from the Belgian Evangelical Society in Brussels for preaching Conditional Immortality. His church seceded with him. And soon Rev. W. Dening, able missionary in Japan, was likewise expelled by the Church Missionary Society for teaching Conditionalism. But real advances were reported in India by General Goodwyn, Major General Armstrong, and Major Von Someren, and especially by Captain James Spence, who had established a monthly magazine. ¹³ CFF2 455.4

Picture 2: Dr. E. Wood Forster, Oscar Cocorda
Left: Dr. E. Wood Forster, physician, theologian, conference speaker—participant in various conditionalist conferences. Right: Oscar Cocorda (d. 1916), Italian editor of Waldensian connection—pioneering conditionalist herald in Northern Italy.
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6. EASTBOURNE CONFERENCE (SEPT. 4-6, 1883)

Held in the fashionable New Hall, this conference was attended by nearly all the “veterans,” plus others like the Reverend J. F. B. Tinling and Thomas Walker, former editor of the London Daily News. ¹⁴ CFF2 456.1

7.GLASGOW CONFERENCE (AUG. 31-SEPT. 2, 1884)

The Glasgow Conference was held in the Congregational chapel, with Signor Oscar Cocorda, ¹⁵ of the Waldensian Valleys, as one of the speakers. Miles Grant, from America, was also welcomed as a visitor, and the usual delegates were present. Report was made of an affiliate American Association at Winchester, Virginia, and another in Toronto, Canada. ¹⁶ CFF2 456.2

8. SECOND LONDON CONFERENCE (SEPT. 1-3, 1885)

This was held in Neumeyer Hall, Bloomsbury, with numerous speakers, including J. B. Rotherham, ¹⁷ Bible translator of London, and Mayor Charles Underhill, of Oxford. Spring meetings in May were arranged for and carried out, so there were two meetings annually thereafter. ¹⁸ The Conference was justly proud that veteran Conditionalist Dr. Edward White had been elected chairman of the Congregational Union of Britain and Wales. A publishing department was authorized, called The Faith Press. CFF2 456.3

9. EDINBURGH CONFERENCE (SEPT. 7-9, 1886)

The next conference was held in Freemason’s Hall and attended by the usual group, along with new faces, including Rev. Richard Webb, of Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. ¹⁹ The first May meeting was held in London, Miles Grant of Boston (U.S.A.) being one of the speakers. CFF2 457.1

10. BIRMINGHAM CONFERENCE (SEPT. 6-8, 1887.)

At this conference the name “Association” was changed to “Mission.” ²⁰ CFF2 457.2

11. SECOND LINCOLN CONFERENCE (SEPT. 2-6, 1888)

The conference returned to Lincoln just ten years after the initial meeting. The speakers included Rev. Tinling, and Dr. E. Wood Forster, of Darlington. Artist James Waylen ²¹ was likewise a participant. ²² (Forster picture on page 456.) CFF2 457.3

12. DARTMOUTH CONFERENCE (SEPT. 1-5, 1889)

With May meetings now an established procedure, and equaling the autumnal meetings in size and importance, the momentum of the conferences was increased. CFF2 457.4

13. BACUP CONFERENCE (SEPT. 1-4, 1891)

At the May meeting in London (May 19), Cyrus Brooks resigned as secretary in order to serve better The Faith Press, and thus to increase Conditionalist literature production and distribution by means of books, pamphlets, periodicals, and tracts-with colporteur salesmen, and free literature. ²³ CFF2 457.5

Picture 3: Methodist Silas Henn, James Waylen
Methodist Silas Henn (left), free church Cyrus brooks (center), and historian James Waylen (right)—prominent conditionalist conference leaders.
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14. FAITH FLLLOWSHIP FOUNDED IN 1894

Annual conferences from 1894 to 1898 were held in London, Darlington, Skipton, Brighton, Birkenhead, Reading, Bournemouth, and Plymouth-the Faith Fellowship being closely associated with the parent organization in joint conference. Among participants were Rev. Edward White, Dr. E. Wood Forster, translator and editor Frederick A. Freer, and many faces new and old. Conditionalist evangelists were authorized. “Members” and “Subscribers” were developed, the colportage work intensified, and a heavy distribution of Conditionalist literature undertaken. Large numbers of Christians were now espousing the Conditionalist faith, coming from Universalist, as well as the traditionalist, ranks. ²⁴ There was widespread revolt against the traditional doctrine of “everlasting torment in Hell-fire.” ²⁵ CFF2 458.1

15. FIFTY YEARS OF THE ASSOCIATION-MISSION (1878-1928)

A few statistical high lights concerning the first fifty years of the Association are interesting. These conferences were spread, geographically, over twenty-six cities-several, such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Lincoln, and London, having several conferences. In all, ninety speakers participated, including, in addition to regular speakers appearing frequently, such men as J. B. Rotherham, Dr. R. F. Weymouth, Frederick A. Freer, Canon Henry Constable, Evangelist A. J. Mills, Mis- Eric Lewis, Rev. J. B. F. Tinling, and Oscar Cocorda. CFF2 458.2

Its periodicals were, successively, the Bible Standard (1878-1889), The Faith (1889-1892), The Life and Advent journal (1892-1893), and Words of Life (from 1897 to the present). In addition there were The Bible Echo, launched in 1872, and edited by William Kellaway, in London, and The Messenger, started in 1876 by M. W. Strang, serving the Scottish churches. ²⁶ The Rainbow stated that about one hundred works on Immortality Only in Christ had been issued in the three years-totaling twenty-five million pages in distribution. CFF2 459.1