IRVING, EDWARD. - Protestant pastor, b. at Annan (Scotland) on 4 Aug. 1792, d. at Glasgow on 7 Dec. 1834. In 1819 he was appointed assistant to the Chancellor in the parish of St. John’s at Glasgow; three years later, in 1822, he was called to take charge of the “Caledonian Church,” the Scottish chapel in London, where he became renowned for his oratory.
While Irving devoted himself entirely to his preaching in the Scottish chapel in London and to the study of prophecy, H. Drummond (1786–1860), in Advent 1826, began a series of religious meetings in his villa at Albury Park with a group of about 40 sympathizers. They chiefly concerned themselves with the interpretation of prophecy and its fulfillment, and Irving was invited to these meetings. It was here that he encountered the book by the Jesuit P. Lacunza, published under the pseudonym G. Giosafat Ben-Ezrai, on the coming of the Messiah; having translated it, he convinced himself and the other members of the Albury Park meetings that the coming of Jesus Christ was near, but that beforehand the world would be renewed through the restoration of the offices of apostles, prophets, evangelists, and angels (bishops and pastors). This coincided with reports of people who claimed the gifts of prophecy, tongues, and miracles. Soon prophets also appeared among the participants in the Albury Park meetings. In 1832, moved by the spirit of prophecy, Drummond began to select the first apostles, until he reached the number of twelve. These then chose the evangelists and the “angels.”
Thus was born the Catholic Apostolic Church: Catholic, because it was to extend to the whole world; Apostolic, because of the restoration of the twelve Apostles. Irving, though he had contributed greatly to the founding of the new sect, was not elected to any office, since he was still bound to the Presbyterian Church. When, in 1833, he was condemned—especially for having expressed certain false or highly doubtful doctrines regarding the humanity of Jesus Christ—he sought refuge in the new sect, but had to enter it as a simple layman until one of the prophets received a revelation that he had been chosen by God as an “angel” (bishop), indeed as the head of the angels, that is, of a group of pastors, though he never attained the supreme rank of apostle. For this reason, the members of the Catholic Apostolic Church absolutely refuse to be called Irvingians or Irvingites; nonetheless, this is the name most commonly used, although the official name is the other. The organization of this sect is entirely distinctive. The leaders of the Church were to be the twelve Apostles chosen by God and manifested by the prophets. They were not to have successors, but during their lifetime the world was to be converted and the coming of the Lord was to take place. After the Apostles came, in order of dignity, the prophets, who made known what God revealed to them; they were not elected but recognized by the Church when they manifested their revelations to the faithful. The evangelists were chosen solely by the Apostles and were to accompany them in the conversion of the world; the angels (bishops and pastors) were those who were to direct the already established communities. In 1838, after two years of retreat and study in Drummond’s villa at Albury Park, the twelve Apostles, accompanied by evangelists, dispersed throughout the world, divided according to the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. Before separating, they compiled the “Great Testimony,” which is
Their principal liturgical work is the Lehrbuch der Fragen und Antworten: a catechism of questions and answers, containing in 656 questions the entire doctrine. It is divided into ten parts, each of which explains one or more articles of faith. Christ governs His Church through “living apostles,” to whom belongs the designation of all ecclesiastical offices. The baptism of the dead is admitted, so that a faithful person may be baptized on behalf of ancestors whom he wishes to save, even if they died outside the sect. In the Lord’s Supper, “the merits of Jesus Christ are given through the bread and wine” in a mysterious but visible manner. Those who receive the great Sacrament of the Holy of Holies are still venerated among the 144,000 sealed of the Apocalypse. At the Lord’s advent, only the just will rise to reign with Him for a thousand years, after which the dead will also rise and the final judgment will take place.