John Watson: a novelist accused, 1897

John Watson D.D. was a prolific writer and a Presbyterian minister in Liverpool. His novels, written under the name ‘Ian Maclaren’, sold well on both sides of the Atlantic. (wiki; A Victorian)

In 1897 he published The Mind of the Master which proved popular in Britain and in America. It also garnered criticism from more conservative presbyterians in both countries. “Strong objection has been taken to the views expressed therein, especially north of the Tweed.” said the Edinburgh Evening News (Friday 19 March 1897 p2 col.1). 

His views on the atonement and the absolute deity of Christ were held to be suspect and a petition was circulated by Rev. Dr Kennedy Moore which avoided the term ‘heresy’ but which called “the attention of the Synod to the fact that Dr Watson has not repudiated the charge made against him that his teaching tends towards Unitarianism.” (The Carlisle Patriot Friday 26 March 1897, p.1 col. 5).

"The Memorial and Petition of the Undersigned Ministers and Elders of the Presbyterian Church England to the Very Reverend the Synod of that Church indicted to meet at Sunderland on April 26th, 1897. 

Sheweth—

That your Petitioners have been filled with profound concern at the statements publicly made various quarters to the effect that the views of the Rev. John Watson, D.D., Minister of Sefton Park Church, Liverpool, are not in harmony with the Confession of Faith in regard to some of the most vital doctrines concerning Grace and Salvation revealed in the Word of God. 

That your Petitioners are convinced that, if such statements are allowed to pass without any disavowal or explanation on the part of Dr Watson, or any notice of them the part of the Church, the results will be most disastrous to the spiritual life of the Church, and also eventually to its outward progress and prosperity. 

That your petitioners consequently feel themselves constrained, by their desire to be found faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ, and by their anxiety that the Gospel of His Grace may be preached to the salvation of souls, humbly and respectfully to crave that the Synod will take the matter into consideration and deal with it the way which, in its wisdom, it may deem most fit." 

The following week the Presbyterian carried a long letter from the Moderator, Dr. Balgarnie, suggesting that the views of Kennedy Moore himself may not withstand scrutiny and could be called “defective if not erroneous” (London Daily News, Thursday 8 April 1897, p.4 col.8). The article was widely reprinted; the stage was set.

The annual conference was a significant event. Some 600 ministers and delegates were expected. Dr. John Watson was scheduled to preach. Because of his popularity and, in some quarters, notoriety  “the Victoria Hall, the largest hall in Sunderland, has been secured for the occasion.” (Eastern Morning News, Monday 12 April 1897, p6 col2). 

In the background was a proposal to form a Free Church Union which would include both evangelical and liberal churches, and Unitarians. The conservatives’ first move at the conference was an attempt to present a petition calling on the church to avoid falling into Unitarianism. It had attracted the signatures of just 11 ministers and 24 elders. It was refused on the grounds that, as it had not been transmitted through the presbyteries nor come from any emergency, it was irregular, the charges were not specific, and the petitioners were trying to use the supreme court of the church as a court of first instance. The petitioners had not communicated with Watson, nor approached his Presbytery (North British Daily Mail, 30 April 1897, p2 col1).  A demand to summon Watson at that point to “assure the synod that the statements made against the soundness of his doctrines were false.” also failed (Westminster Gazette, 29 April 1897, p5 col2).

Dr Watson had the last word at the conference, preaching to several hundreds in the Victoria Hall. He addressed the phenomenon of doctrine. 

Some doctrines, he said, “might be called catholic doctrines: they had been held by the whole Church, with insignificant exceptions, throughout all ages and amid various controversies.” These “... were also strictly a part of divine revelation, and could not be denied without unbelief; they were so inextricably woven into the experience of the religious soul that to refuse them would be spiritual paralysis.” Such doctrines included most prominently “the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Other, scripturally sanctioned, doctrines were accepted by some churches but not in others. He “supposed that it might be frankly admitted even by those Churches who held strongly to the Calvinist side of things that this doctrine - the doctrine of election - had fallen on evil days, and was to a large extent a subject of popular reproach.” Indeed, “Mr Spurgeon was possibly the last preacher of the grand manner that declared for predestination without any compromise and without any reservation.” 

And thus, apparently with the support and sanction of his church, Ian Maclaren proved his conservative critics correct. The whole matter had taken no more than 6 weeks.