Providence and the Divines
On Tuesday, we trained back from Geneva to London. Fortunately, we were just ahead of the train strike in France which would have seriously disrupted travel plans! We returned to London for a tour with our friends Peter and Ilona Greyling who work with the Christian Heritage Foundation. They were wonderful hosts who treated us to a delightful afternoon and evening in Cambridge.
Prior to meeting up with Peter and Illona, we decided to drop by Westminster Abbey again to tour a bit more. Chiefly, I was hoping to see the Jerusalem Chamber—the place where the Westminster divines met in the composition of the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms. We wondered through the main body where I ran into Benjamin—a sacristan at the Abbey. I asked if it was possible to see the Jerusalem Chamber. He immediately asked, “Are you a Presbyterian?” We laughed and he explained that the chamber is not open to the public as it is now considered part of the Dean of the Cathedral’s residence. That noted, he directed us to the Lady’s Chapel (pictured with this post), explaining that the divines began their deliberations in this chapel. Due to the cold, the delegation moved from the chapel to the Jerusalem Chamber where there is a fireplace. We thanked him and left to wander through the Lady’s Chapel.
Thirty minutes later we were exiting the Abbey. As we passed through the outer doors, we ran into Benjamin once again. I thanked him for the history and directions he offered. Then, he asked, “Would you like to see the Jerusalem Chamber?” He explained that the Dean was away on vacation and that he would be happy to take us through these back rooms. A few minutes later Benjamin escorted us through two small chambers—they were named “Samaria” and “Judea” after Acts 1:8. Then, he brought us to the Jerusalem Chamber and offered a rich history of events that took place in this relatively small room. Unfortunately, it was difficult to get a great picture due to the relatively small size of the room; the divines, numbering 140, would have been packed in there!
This was an awesome unexpected gift that allowed us to appreciate a bit more the history and context of the confessional standards that serve as the foundation of Presbyterianism.