The Cambridge Seven
C. T. Studd, M. Beauchamp, S. P. Smith,
A. T. Podhill-Turner, D. E. Hoste, C. H. Polhill-Turner, W. W. Cassels
(In no way does this report come close to how God used The Cambridge
Seven in his world redemptive work. Any understanding of how these
men were brought together and their own joy in God can be gotten
from the book and their own testimonies. I only hope that I have
captured a little of the impact of The Cambridge Seven in their
generation and hope that God finds this report accurate and
testifies to His grace. May God raise up another Cambridge Seven
from amongst our own universities and may we participate in their
spirit and devotion to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ -- Anthony
B. Wong.)
"And He [Jesus] said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the
gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15
The seven young men who came to be known as "The Cambridge Seven" were all
Englishmen, but the story of how God used this handful of students really
begins in China, with a medical missionary named Dr. Harold Schofield. Dr.
Schofield was a member of the China Inland Mission, the first Protestant
mission allowed to penetrate into the interior of China and it was the
mission pioneered by Hudson Taylor in 1866. Dr. Schofield had been a
brilliant young doctor at Oxford who gave his life to Jesus and at the age
of 29, God sent him to China as a missionary.
There was nothing glamorous about missionary life in the interior of
China. The stench of dung, mingled with the stench of unwashed bodies was
everywhere. Disease was common, especially among the poor, peasant class,
and in fact, Dr. Schofield would later die from typhus, contracted in his
mission field. At the time, few in England were interested in China
mission. Fewer still had even heard of Hudson Taylor's China Inland
Mission and the handful who did go to China were not university men,
"trained in mind and body for leadership." Students in the universities
were not interested in foreign missions and actually, there were not many
students who were deeply interested in Jesus. Of the university students
who had answered God's call to be missionaries, they wanted to follow the
paths blazed by Dr. David Livingstone in Africa or the footsteps of
William Carey in India. As Dr. Schofield surveyed the province (Shansi) in
which he lived, with its nine million unsaved heathen Chinese and only
five or six missionaries total, combined with the sleeping church back in
England, he should have packed up his bags and went home in utter defeat.
However, Dr. Schofield was a man of prayer and so night after night,
"leaving behind food and leisure," he got on his knees and prayed that God
would raise up Bible teachers and shepherds, especially from the
universities and send them to China as missionaries. When Dr. Schofield
died, he did not physically see much answer to his prayer. But God was
working in such a way as not only to answer one man's faith and prayer but
to awaken an entire nation from its spiritual slumber.
First, consecration and dedication of seven young men.
In 1873, Dwight L. Moody and his co-worker, Ira Sankey, began a three year
evangelical mission of the British Isles. He was already a famous and
respected evangelist in the United States but when he went to England, he
was, at first, looked upon as a curiosity and the press especially did not
like them. Many people ridiculed Moody, who did not speak well and Sankey,
who was, at best, only an average musician. But strangely, many people
went to their meetings, with the meeting halls often overflowing with
people.
One of these attendants was a thirteen year old boy named Stanley P.
Smith. He came from a Christian family and his father was a successful
London surgeon. When Stanley Smith listened to Moody's message, the Holy
Spirit opened Smith's heart to see his own sins and to see how Jesus
"Christ had died on the cross, the just for the unjust, that he might
bring us to God." In Stanley Smith's own words, "I was by grace enabled to
receive Christ."
We cannot deny the reality of Smith's conversion and the power of the Holy
Spirit. Two years later, as a student at Repton, one of the premier prep.
schools in England, Smith joined a prayer meeting/Bible study formed by
his friend Granville Waldegrave. But he was young, only fifteen years old,
and he was often sick so his faith depended on how he was feeling. His
diary is full of entries of his own un-Christ like behavior. He wanted to
become an Anglican minister but his faith soon degenerated into habit.
Outwardly, he looked okay. He was popular and seemed happy. He worked hard
at school and devoted his time to playing sports, even though he was often
in pain. Smith was known for his good sense of humor. But he knew that he
was not right with God. By 1880, the same life he had given to God when he
accepted Jesus six years previous, Smith had taken it all back for
himself.
In 1879, Stanley Smith entered Cambridge University (University of
Cambridge). Rowing was Smith's passion and in spite of his health, he
joined the Cambridge rowing team and was placed in the lowest boat. His
best friend from prep school, Montague Beauchamp, a tall, athletic type,
was also a Cambridge student and member of the rowing team and the two
were inseparable. Beauchamp also came from a Christian family, and his
parents and uncle had been original sponsors of Hudson Taylor's China
Inland Mission. Together, Smith and Beauchamp occasionally attended the
Daily Prayer Meeting, weekly Sunday meetings of the Inter-Collegiate
Christian Union and even taught Sunday school. But the two of them had not
yielded their lives to Christ and soon, rowing became more important to
Smith than any relationship with God, even a nominal one.
In April 1880, Granville Waldegrave, Smith and Beauchamp met for chapel
service and then breakfast. Waldegrave was also a Cambridge student and
had been praying for his friend Stanley Smith, for three and a half years.
God was working and the conversation soon changed to a deep, spiritual
conversation. Beauchamp was not ready yet, but Smith was. Smith confessed
his own sin that he no longer had any joy from his salvation and was
hardly a Christian at all. Waldegrave showed Smith that making small,
token pledges to God were useless and that he had to give himself fully to
God, even as God in Christ had wholly given himself for us. Only then can
we know the joys and unsearchable riches of Jesus and the power of the
Holy Spirit. When Smith gave his life to God that night, he was changed
forever. Smith would later say, "I decided by God's grace to live by and
for Him." God had raised the first member of "The Cambridge Seven."
One of Smith's good friends from the rowing team was William Hoste, a
Christian. Hoste had a younger brother named Dixon Hoste, a disinterested,
callous and quiet young man, who although only twenty-one years old, was
already a commissioned officer in the British army (a gunner subaltern),
right below the rank of captain. Dixon Hoste was living a life "entirely
indifferent to the claims of God," as he would later say. He had been
raised in a Christian family but he himself had no spiritual desire. He
felt that his life was in the army and in fact, he had a bright future in
it.
During the Winter of 1882, Dixon was on leave and William, home for
Christmas break, tried to persuade Dixon to attend a meeting of Moody, who
was in the midst of his second great evangelical mission of Great Britain.
For three nights, Dixon refused to attend. On the fourth night, William's
persistence triumphed and Dixon went to the meeting, in spite of himself.
When Dixon listened to God's word, his heart was opened. He saw his own
ugly sins. His pride crumbled. Dixon's deep dissatisfaction with his life
overwhelmed him and he saw how much his dissatisfaction contrasted with
the joyful life of his brother who knew Jesus. Dixon had heard the same
message too many times already, but this time, he had to repent and give
his life to the Only One who could save him, Jesus Christ. But Dixon Hoste
felt it too costly, giving up his easy-going desires, incurring the
ridicule of worldly people and the bad effect this might have on his
promising military career. Dixon's brother William prayed for him and the
Holy Spirit worked so that on the last night of the mission, Dixon knelt
down and gave his life to Jesus. Then peace and joy welled up in his soul,
like he had never known before. At that moment, Dixon realized that there
was nothing better than to know, adore and serve his Lord and Master Jesus
Christ. When Dixon returned to his post, he became a faithful witness of
Christ. But with each passing day, he grew more and more sure that God was
calling him to leave his commission and go out as a missionary. In due
time, God would answer his call.
Montague Beauchamp had been childhood friends with the Studd family and at
Cambridge, Beauchamp introduced Stanley Smith to Kynaston Studd, a member
of the Cambridge cricket team. In fact, Kynaston was a rather famous
cricket player (as were his younger brothers) but he was first and
foremost, a Christian and he had a strong sense of mission to serve others
in Jesus. One day in early February of 1881, Smith, Beauchamp and Studd
were hanging pictures in Studd's room when Beauchamp felt ill and left
early for bed. When the pictures had all been hung, Smith and Studd prayed
together for their friend, Monty Beauchamp, who was really only a nominal
Christian even though he came from a missionary family. Afterwards, Studd
suggested that they get together everyday to pray for Beauchamp and Smith
wholeheartedly agreed. So each day, Smith and Studd met and prayed fifteen
minutes for their friend to give his life to Jesus. God accepted the
prayer of these two friends and opened Beauchamp's heart. In early October
of 1881, Montague Beauchamp "yielded all to Christ" and the three friends
rejoiced together. Beauchamp was changed so much so that everyone could
see how much Christ had done for him. Interestingly, Beauchamp and his
family were friends with Hudson Taylor and were very familiar with China
Mission. Beauchamp, saved by grace and owing a debt of love to his two
friends and especially to God, would become the instrument in guiding the
direction of "The Cambridge Seven."
William Cassels was an acquaintance of Smith's from the rowing team. They
were different personality wise. Smith was out going while Cassels was a
gentle and quiet young man. Furthermore, Cassels was three years older
than Stanley Smith. Cassels was a Christian and was studying to be a
minister. Cassels was not distinguished in any way, but he was a faithful
man, serving in a slum-parish and considering going to Africa as a
missionary. After Smith gave his life to Christ, suddenly Cassels and
Smith became very close friends. They attended the same Bible study and
prayer meeting and prayed together for campus students, especially for the
boat club of which Smith was the captain and therefore, a man of great
influence throughout the whole college. Later, Cassels would become an
instrumental figure in the formation of "The Cambridge Seven."
Cecil Polhill-Turner and his younger brother Arthur were classmates and
friends of Kynaston Studd and his two younger brothers at Eton, another
premier prep school in England. Both Cecil and Arthur were exceptional
athletes, excelling at cricket and football. According to tradition,
Cecil, as the second son, would enter the military and Arthur would become
a minister. But neither brother had much spiritual desire, even though
their nanny had prayed for them from the time they were babies and told
them wonderful Bible stories throughout their childhood. At Eton, Cecil
and Arthur respected the athletic prowess of the Studd brothers who
conducted a Bible study but the Polhill-Turners were not interested.
Arthur even thought it was indecent to openly talk about Jesus.
In October of 1882, Arthur Polhill-Turner entered his second year at
Cambridge. D.L. Moody and Ira Sankey were to appear at Cambridge as part
of their evangelical Mission and each undergraduate at the university
received a personal invitation to the meeting, signed by Kynaston Studd.
Arthur, like many of his friends, thought it was ridiculous that these
uneducated Americans were coming to one of the world's best universities
to preach to them. He went, curious to see what would happen. At the
meeting, God's word spoke to his heart and Arthur could not help going
back again the next night. He went night after night and when Moody spoke
on the Prodigal Son, Arthur's pride and sin were exposed. He had planned
on using his position as a minister to earn an easy and comfortable living
but he realized how much this grieved God. Arthur realized God's grace and
love for him, sending His One and Only Son to die for his sins. He saw how
God had been calling both him and his brother Cecil, first through his
nanny, then his sister and now, through Moody's preaching. One word of God
pierced Arthur's heart and took away his fear. That one word was Isaiah
12:2, "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for
the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my
salvation." On the last night of the Mission, Arthur offered himself to
Jesus, just as he was, and Jesus accepted him just as he was. Arthur
Polhill-Turner never looked back.
Cecil Polhill-Turner, like Dixon Hoste, had also become a commissioned
officer in the British army (subaltern). During the winter of 1882-83,
Cecil was on leave and he went home. Arthur immediately began to talk to
his older brother about his new faith in Jesus and forced Cecil to promise
to read a verse or two from the Bible each morning. Arthur also took Cecil
to Moody's meetings in London and Cecil was impressed. But Cecil had his
own ideas about Christianity, thinking that Christians were sad because
they were always thinking about their sins. Furthermore, he felt that he
could not give up his promising military career, which he felt he would
have to do if he accepted Christ. God was working though and by the winter
of 1884, he was praying everyday, his thoughts were occupied with the word
of God and Christ, who was calling him to repent and accept Jesus as his
Lord and Savior. Finally, his year-long spiritual struggle ended in
victory for Jesus. In Cecil's own words, "I had yielded to and trusted in
Jesus Christ as my Savior, Lord and Master."
Kynaston Studd, a friend of Stanley Smith, Monty Beauchamp and the
Polhill-Turner brothers, had two younger brothers himself, George and
Charles Thomas or C.T. [Studd]. Their father, Edward Studd, had made a
fortune in India and the Studd family lived in complete luxury. Edward
Studd had become a Christian in 1877, when his friend, Mr. Vincent, took
him to one of Moody's meetings. After Edward Studd accepted Jesus, he
devoted the remaining two years of his life to bring the Gospel to anybody
and everybody. He opened his home for weekly Christian meetings and
invited Christian speakers to speak and all of his friends and neighbors
to listen. He took his servants to listen to Moody. He worked doubly hard
to convert his three sons. Charles Studd would later say of his father, "I
was not altogether pleased with him. He used to come into my room at night
and ask if I was converted. After a time I used to sham sleep when I saw
the door open and in the day, I crept around to the other side of the
house when I saw him coming." Through one Godly man whom Edward Studd
knew, Charles accepted Jesus as his Savior and the Bible meant everything
to him, when he was only seventeen. But unlike his brother Kynaston,
Charles's zeal for Jesus would slowly fade with time.
Charles Studd liked playing sports and he had a particular passion for
cricket, the most popular sport in England at the time. He was not
athletically gifted but he worked hard at his sport and was determined to
become the best cricket player. He spent hours in front of a mirror,
perfecting his swing and refusing to smoke or even be in the same room
with smokers for fear it would hurt his eyes. As he played and practiced
and watched other players, his own game improved to the point where he had
mastered every facet of cricket. He became captain of the Eton cricket
team and his popularity grew and grew. In 1879, Studd entered Trinity
College of Cambridge University (University of Cambridge) and from there
his name no longer remained only in cricket circles. Rather, C.T. Studd
became a household name throughout Great Britain. By 1883 Charles Studd
was the captain of the Cambridge cricket team and he was the idol of
undergraduates and school boys and admired by elders. Studd had become the
Michael Jordan of cricket. Studd was recognized as the greatest player to