William Huntington (preacher)
Encyclopedia
William Huntington S.S. (2 February 1745 – 1 July 1813) was an English preacher and coalheaver (a person who carries or shovels coal http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/coal+heaver). It is said (although his writings, sermons and letters do not bear that out - see examples from Huntington's works below) that he was known for preaching that the 'moral law' [What is meant by the expression 'moral law'?] was not important—a theological
view known as Antinomianism
. Huntington was a strict Calvinist who believed that some were predestined to be saved and some were not. He believed that on Judgment Day
he would be identified as a true prophet. His unusual, polemical preaching style and writings made him popular but brought him into conflict with other preachers throughout his life. He founded or opened chapels throughout England, many of which still survive.
in Kent
, and was given the name William Hunt at his baptism there five years later. It is said that his father was Barnabus Russel—his mother's husband's employer—despite his mother's marriage to William Hunt. He was the tenth child of Elizabeth Hunt and the only male to achieve maturity. He changed his surname to Huntington in 1769; his rationale was that the "ing" represented the present participle
in words representing sinful activities, such as "lying" and "swearing"; and "ton" referred to his being "a vessel of the Lord".
He did attend a number of schools, but it was always as a result of charity. He said himself that he was frequently hungry. He was the son of a farm worker and he undertook work that was unskilled or semi-skilled, such as driving hearse
s and coaches
, gardening and heaving coal. He also spent some time as a tramp. His change of name in 1769 was prompted by an unsuccessful romance with Susannah Fever, from which a child was born. He was not allowed to marry the woman, but was obliged to pay maintenance which he could not afford. He left the Kent area and changed his name. Now William Huntington he was free from his financial obligation, but not his conscience. Later that year, he married Mary Short, a servant; they moved to Mortlake
in Surrey
and Huntington resumed his gardening work. Nevertheless, he was still very poor.
In 1773, Huntington and his wife moved to Sunbury-on-Thames
in Middlesex
. Soon afterwards he reported that he had been contacted by Christ. The vision, which appeared as a bright light from which Christ's bloodied body emerged, told him that he was brought under the covenant love of God's elect. He became dissatisfied with his existing religious beliefs, and began to associate with Baptists, Methodists
and Calvinists
in various Surrey and Middlesex towns. He became known locally for his Biblical knowledge and preaching, and he established his first congregation at Thames Ditton
in Surrey
, where he was a Baptist
. He then had an independent group in Woking
, also in Surrey. By the 1780s, Huntington preached at a large circuit of chapels across Surrey, Sussex
and London; his ongoing poverty, exacerbated by the loss of his coalheaving job, forced him to walk long distances every week. He controversially claimed that Divine Providence
alleviated his poverty at this time by occasionally supplying money, food and a horse.
In 1782, he received another message—prophesy upon the thick boughs—and moved to London, where he established a chapel on Titchfield Street. Providence Chapel was consecrated in 1783, and became very popular: hundreds or sometimes thousands of people attended his ministry, including Princess Amelia
and members of the nobility—although Huntington himself preferred preaching to poorer people. His preaching style was evangelising, and he was known for preaching that the so-called moral law was the "ministration of condemnation" (2 Corinthians 3:9) rather than the rule of life for believers, for which he was accused of (Antinomianism
). Huntington has been identified as the "most egregious" proponent of Antinomianism.
Huntington’s "Broken Cistern" gives his view of a treatise he read and a hint of what Huntington felt about Antinomianism:
“I will not say that the authors of this book are Antinomians; but this I will say, that the book contains the worst Antinomianism that I ever read; and is a vile and damnable harangue, both against the law, the gospel, and the grace of God. Against the law, because it declares, the law has ceased to exist, and is done away, as a covenant of works. Against the gospel, because it is no rule of right or wrong. And against the grace of God, by declaring that the new man is taken captive by sin .”
The following quotation, from Huntington's sermon "Moses Unveiled in the Face of Christ", is another example of Huntington's views of Antinomianism. It can be found in vol. v. of the six-volume of The Select Works of the late William Huntington, S.S. published in 1856 pp. 557–8. See also the book "William Huntington: Pastor of Providence" by Dr. George M. Ella, ISBN 13: 9780852343173; ISBN 10: 0852343175. The assistance of Dr. George M. Ella in locating these quotations in Huntington's works is gratefully acknowledged.
“A real Antinomian, in the sight of God, is one who “holds the truth in unrighteousness;” who has gospel notions in his head, but no grace in his heart. He is one that makes a profession of Christ Jesus, but was never purged by his blood, renewed by his Spirit, nor saved by his power. With him carnal ease passes for gospel peace; a natural assent of the mind for faith; insensibility for liberty; and daring presumption for the grace of assurance. He is alive without the law, the sentence of the ‘moral law’ having never been sent home to him. The ‘law of faith’ was never sealed on him, the ‘law of truth’ was never received by him, nor the ‘law of liberty’ proclaimed to him. He was never arraigned at, nor taken from, the ‘throne of judgement’. He was never justified at the ‘throne of grace’, nor acquitted at the ‘bar of equity’. The tremendous attribute of righteousness was never seen or felt by him. The righteousness of the law was never fulfilled by him; the righteousness of faith was never imputed to him; nor the fruits of righteousness brought forth by him. He is an enemy to the power of God, to the experience of the just, and to every minister of the Spirit; and is in union with none but hypocrites, whose uniting ties are ‘the gall of bitterness and the bonds of iniquity’. He is one that often changes his opinion, but was never changed in heart. He turns to many sects and parties, but never turns to God. In word he is false to Satan, in heart he is false to God; false to Satan by uttering truth, and false to God by a false profession. He is a false reprover in the world, and in the household of faith a false brother. He is a child of Satan in the congregation of dissemblers, and a bastard in the congregation of the righteous. By mouth he contends for a covenant that cannot save him, and in heart he hates the covenant that can. His head is at Mount Calvary, his heart and soul at Mount Sinai. he is a Pharisee at Horeb, and a hypocrite in Zion. He is a transgressor of the law of works, and a rebel to the law of faith; a sinner by the ministry of the letter, and an unbeliever by the ministry of the Spirit. As a wicked servant, he is cursed by the eternal law; and, as an infidel, he is damned by the everlasting gospel. And this is a real Antinomian in the sight of God.”
The first of these quotations can be seen in context at
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=FvsCAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA100&dq=the+book+contains+the+worst+Antinomianism+that+I+ever+read;+and+is+a+vile+and+damnable+harangue,+both+against+the+law,+the+gospel&hl=en&ei=IM61TtGNLMfF8gPmh8DpBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false
and the secund at
http://books.google.co.uk/ebooks/reader?printsec=frontcover&output=reader&retailer_id=android_market_live&id=lpUCAAAAQAAJ.
During his time in London, Huntington's reputation grew, and he opened chapels elsewhere. In 1805 he was invited to be the preacher at a new chapel in Lewes
in Sussex. Jireh Chapel had been founded by Jenkin Jenkins, who had left his previous church in the town after a dispute with the congregation. Huntington, who had already added "S.S." to his own name to indicate that he was a sinner who was saved, added "W.A." to Jenkins' name, which he said stood for "Welsh Ambassador". Elsewhere, Huntington founded four chapels in the East Midlands
in 1806, the Providence Chapel in Chichester
—whose interior was installed in 1809, and which is still extant as of 2009—and another chapel in Bristol
the following year.
Huntington and his wife lived in the Paddington
area of London at first, but as their wealth grew they were able to move to a large villa in nearby Cricklewood
. Mary, with whom Huntington had 13 children, died on 9 December 1806. Huntington then married the former Lady Elizabeth Sanderson (widow of Sir James Sanderson bt
a former Lord Mayor of London
) in 1808; they had become romantically linked six years earlier, which had displeased some of his friends and members of his congregation. Lady Sanderson, who continued to use that name after marriage, died in 1817.
In 1810, the Providence Chapel in Titchfield Street burnt down. Huntington, who by this time was wealthy, raised about £10,000 (£ as of ) to build a new, larger chapel. St Bartholomew's church, or the New Providence Chapel, held its first service on 20 June 1811.
Huntington died in 1813, after which various preachers tried to take on St Bartholomew's. (The church was finally destroyed during the bombing of London in the Second World War.) Huntington was buried at the Jireh chapel in Lewes beside Jenkin Jenkins who had died in 1810. The inscription, which he composed only a few days before he died, reads "Here lies the coalheaver who departed his life July 1st 1813 in the 69th year of his age, beloved of his God but abhorred of men. The omniscient Judge at the grand assize shall ratify and confirm this to the confusion of many thousands, for England and its metropolis will know that there has been a prophet amongst them."
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
view known as Antinomianism
Antinomianism
Antinomianism is defined as holding that, under the gospel dispensation of grace, moral law is of no use or obligation because faith alone is necessary to salvation....
. Huntington was a strict Calvinist who believed that some were predestined to be saved and some were not. He believed that on Judgment Day
Last Judgment
The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, or The Day of the Lord in Christian theology, is the final and eternal judgment by God of every nation. The concept is found in all the Canonical gospels, particularly the Gospel of Matthew. It will purportedly take place after the...
he would be identified as a true prophet. His unusual, polemical preaching style and writings made him popular but brought him into conflict with other preachers throughout his life. He founded or opened chapels throughout England, many of which still survive.
Biography
William Huntington was born in 1745 near CranbrookCranbrook, Kent
Cranbrook is a small town in Kent in South East England which was granted a charter in 1290 by Archbishop Peckham, allowing it to hold a market in the High Street. Located on the Maidstone to Hastings road, it is five miles north of Hawkhurst. The smaller settlements of Swattenden, Colliers...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, and was given the name William Hunt at his baptism there five years later. It is said that his father was Barnabus Russel—his mother's husband's employer—despite his mother's marriage to William Hunt. He was the tenth child of Elizabeth Hunt and the only male to achieve maturity. He changed his surname to Huntington in 1769; his rationale was that the "ing" represented the present participle
Participle
In linguistics, a participle is a word that shares some characteristics of both verbs and adjectives. It can be used in compound verb tenses or voices , or as a modifier...
in words representing sinful activities, such as "lying" and "swearing"; and "ton" referred to his being "a vessel of the Lord".
He did attend a number of schools, but it was always as a result of charity. He said himself that he was frequently hungry. He was the son of a farm worker and he undertook work that was unskilled or semi-skilled, such as driving hearse
Hearse
A hearse is a funerary vehicle used to carry a coffin from a church or funeral home to a cemetery. In the funeral trade, hearses are often called funeral coaches.-History:...
s and coaches
Coach (carriage)
A coach was originally a large, usually closed, four-wheeled carriage with two or more horses harnessed as a team, controlled by a coachman and/or one or more postilions. It had doors in the sides, with generally a front and a back seat inside and, for the driver, a small, usually elevated seat in...
, gardening and heaving coal. He also spent some time as a tramp. His change of name in 1769 was prompted by an unsuccessful romance with Susannah Fever, from which a child was born. He was not allowed to marry the woman, but was obliged to pay maintenance which he could not afford. He left the Kent area and changed his name. Now William Huntington he was free from his financial obligation, but not his conscience. Later that year, he married Mary Short, a servant; they moved to Mortlake
Mortlake
Mortlake is a district of London, England and part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes with East Sheen inland to the south. Mortlake was part of Surrey until 1965.-History:...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
and Huntington resumed his gardening work. Nevertheless, he was still very poor.
In 1773, Huntington and his wife moved to Sunbury-on-Thames
Sunbury-on-Thames
Sunbury-on-Thames, also known as Sunbury, is a town in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne, England, and part of the London commuter belt. It is located 16 miles southwest of central London and bordered by Feltham and Hampton, flanked on the south by the River Thames.-History:The earliest evidence of...
in Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. Soon afterwards he reported that he had been contacted by Christ. The vision, which appeared as a bright light from which Christ's bloodied body emerged, told him that he was brought under the covenant love of God's elect. He became dissatisfied with his existing religious beliefs, and began to associate with Baptists, Methodists
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
and Calvinists
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
in various Surrey and Middlesex towns. He became known locally for his Biblical knowledge and preaching, and he established his first congregation at Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton is a village in Surrey, England, bordering Greater London. It is situated 12.2 miles south-west of Charing Cross between the towns of Kingston upon Thames, Surbiton, Esher and East Molesey...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, where he was a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
. He then had an independent group in Woking
Woking
Woking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
, also in Surrey. By the 1780s, Huntington preached at a large circuit of chapels across Surrey, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
and London; his ongoing poverty, exacerbated by the loss of his coalheaving job, forced him to walk long distances every week. He controversially claimed that Divine Providence
Divine Providence
In Christian theology, divine providence, or simply providence, is God's activity in the world. " Providence" is also used as a title of God exercising His providence, and then the word are usually capitalized...
alleviated his poverty at this time by occasionally supplying money, food and a horse.
In 1782, he received another message—prophesy upon the thick boughs—and moved to London, where he established a chapel on Titchfield Street. Providence Chapel was consecrated in 1783, and became very popular: hundreds or sometimes thousands of people attended his ministry, including Princess Amelia
Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom
Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom was a member of the British Royal Family as the youngest daughter of King George III of the United Kingdom and his queen consort Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.-Early life:...
and members of the nobility—although Huntington himself preferred preaching to poorer people. His preaching style was evangelising, and he was known for preaching that the so-called moral law was the "ministration of condemnation" (2 Corinthians 3:9) rather than the rule of life for believers, for which he was accused of (Antinomianism
Antinomianism
Antinomianism is defined as holding that, under the gospel dispensation of grace, moral law is of no use or obligation because faith alone is necessary to salvation....
). Huntington has been identified as the "most egregious" proponent of Antinomianism.
Huntington’s "Broken Cistern" gives his view of a treatise he read and a hint of what Huntington felt about Antinomianism:
“I will not say that the authors of this book are Antinomians; but this I will say, that the book contains the worst Antinomianism that I ever read; and is a vile and damnable harangue, both against the law, the gospel, and the grace of God. Against the law, because it declares, the law has ceased to exist, and is done away, as a covenant of works. Against the gospel, because it is no rule of right or wrong. And against the grace of God, by declaring that the new man is taken captive by sin .”
The following quotation, from Huntington's sermon "Moses Unveiled in the Face of Christ", is another example of Huntington's views of Antinomianism. It can be found in vol. v. of the six-volume of The Select Works of the late William Huntington, S.S. published in 1856 pp. 557–8. See also the book "William Huntington: Pastor of Providence" by Dr. George M. Ella, ISBN 13: 9780852343173; ISBN 10: 0852343175. The assistance of Dr. George M. Ella in locating these quotations in Huntington's works is gratefully acknowledged.
“A real Antinomian, in the sight of God, is one who “holds the truth in unrighteousness;” who has gospel notions in his head, but no grace in his heart. He is one that makes a profession of Christ Jesus, but was never purged by his blood, renewed by his Spirit, nor saved by his power. With him carnal ease passes for gospel peace; a natural assent of the mind for faith; insensibility for liberty; and daring presumption for the grace of assurance. He is alive without the law, the sentence of the ‘moral law’ having never been sent home to him. The ‘law of faith’ was never sealed on him, the ‘law of truth’ was never received by him, nor the ‘law of liberty’ proclaimed to him. He was never arraigned at, nor taken from, the ‘throne of judgement’. He was never justified at the ‘throne of grace’, nor acquitted at the ‘bar of equity’. The tremendous attribute of righteousness was never seen or felt by him. The righteousness of the law was never fulfilled by him; the righteousness of faith was never imputed to him; nor the fruits of righteousness brought forth by him. He is an enemy to the power of God, to the experience of the just, and to every minister of the Spirit; and is in union with none but hypocrites, whose uniting ties are ‘the gall of bitterness and the bonds of iniquity’. He is one that often changes his opinion, but was never changed in heart. He turns to many sects and parties, but never turns to God. In word he is false to Satan, in heart he is false to God; false to Satan by uttering truth, and false to God by a false profession. He is a false reprover in the world, and in the household of faith a false brother. He is a child of Satan in the congregation of dissemblers, and a bastard in the congregation of the righteous. By mouth he contends for a covenant that cannot save him, and in heart he hates the covenant that can. His head is at Mount Calvary, his heart and soul at Mount Sinai. he is a Pharisee at Horeb, and a hypocrite in Zion. He is a transgressor of the law of works, and a rebel to the law of faith; a sinner by the ministry of the letter, and an unbeliever by the ministry of the Spirit. As a wicked servant, he is cursed by the eternal law; and, as an infidel, he is damned by the everlasting gospel. And this is a real Antinomian in the sight of God.”
The first of these quotations can be seen in context at
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=FvsCAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA100&dq=the+book+contains+the+worst+Antinomianism+that+I+ever+read;+and+is+a+vile+and+damnable+harangue,+both+against+the+law,+the+gospel&hl=en&ei=IM61TtGNLMfF8gPmh8DpBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false
and the secund at
http://books.google.co.uk/ebooks/reader?printsec=frontcover&output=reader&retailer_id=android_market_live&id=lpUCAAAAQAAJ.
During his time in London, Huntington's reputation grew, and he opened chapels elsewhere. In 1805 he was invited to be the preacher at a new chapel in Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
in Sussex. Jireh Chapel had been founded by Jenkin Jenkins, who had left his previous church in the town after a dispute with the congregation. Huntington, who had already added "S.S." to his own name to indicate that he was a sinner who was saved, added "W.A." to Jenkins' name, which he said stood for "Welsh Ambassador". Elsewhere, Huntington founded four chapels in the East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
in 1806, the Providence Chapel in Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
—whose interior was installed in 1809, and which is still extant as of 2009—and another chapel in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
the following year.
Huntington and his wife lived in the Paddington
Paddington
Paddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
area of London at first, but as their wealth grew they were able to move to a large villa in nearby Cricklewood
Cricklewood
Cricklewood is a district of North London, England whose northeastern part is in the London Borough of Barnet, western part is the London Borough of Brent and southeastern part is in London Borough of Camden.-History:...
. Mary, with whom Huntington had 13 children, died on 9 December 1806. Huntington then married the former Lady Elizabeth Sanderson (widow of Sir James Sanderson bt
Sir James Sanderson, 1st Baronet
Sir James Sanderson, 1st Baronet was a banker, a Member of Parliament, an alderman and Lord Mayor of London. He also served as president of Bridewell Hospital , and was a member of William Wilberforce's Proclamation Society for the Discouragement of Vice.When he died his widow married William...
a former Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
) in 1808; they had become romantically linked six years earlier, which had displeased some of his friends and members of his congregation. Lady Sanderson, who continued to use that name after marriage, died in 1817.
In 1810, the Providence Chapel in Titchfield Street burnt down. Huntington, who by this time was wealthy, raised about £10,000 (£ as of ) to build a new, larger chapel. St Bartholomew's church, or the New Providence Chapel, held its first service on 20 June 1811.
Huntington died in 1813, after which various preachers tried to take on St Bartholomew's. (The church was finally destroyed during the bombing of London in the Second World War.) Huntington was buried at the Jireh chapel in Lewes beside Jenkin Jenkins who had died in 1810. The inscription, which he composed only a few days before he died, reads "Here lies the coalheaver who departed his life July 1st 1813 in the 69th year of his age, beloved of his God but abhorred of men. The omniscient Judge at the grand assize shall ratify and confirm this to the confusion of many thousands, for England and its metropolis will know that there has been a prophet amongst them."
Writings
Huntington was a prolific writer and publisher of religious tracts, polemics, sermons and other pieces. His works and letters continued to be published after his death.- The Kingdom of Heaven Taken by Prayer (1784)
- Epistles of Faith (Part 1) (1785)
- God the Guardian of the Poor and the Bank of Faith (Part 1) (1785)
- Living Testimonies (Part 1) (1794)
- The Naked Bow, or, A Visible Display of the Judgments of God on the Enemies of Truth (1794)
- Epistles of Faith (Part 2) (1797)
- Correspondence between Noctua Aurita and Philomela (1799)
- God the Guardian of the Poor and the Bank of Faith (Part 2) (1802)
- Living Testimonies (Part 2) (1806)
- The substance of the last or farewell sermon of the late Reverend William Huntington, SS (1813; posthumous)
- The Sinner Saved: a memoir of the Rev. William Huntington (1813; posthumous)
- Gleanings of the Vintage (1814; two volumes; posthumous)
- Posthumous Letters (1815; three volumes; posthumous)
- Posthumous Letters (1822; posthumous)