Emmanuel Free, Warrington

In Warrington is a rather attractive Victorian chapel, which, unusually for a prime, town centre location, appears to be in good condition despite being disused. It was called Emmanual Free Church and a helpful datestone gives the year of construction. It also has another one, a foundation stone, laid by one Ziba Armitage, JP, curiously even stating the day of the week, Monday, October 9th, 1882, upon which it was laid. Although the chapel itself is not terribly unusual, the name Ziba is. Some preliminary research indicates that he was a local cotton manufacturer who supported gospel work and the planting of new Congregational chapels with his time and money. Yet his name got me thinking. It is, of course, biblical, featuring in the book of 2 Samuel, chapters 9 and 16. He is a servant of Saul to whom Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, is entrusted. Yet in the account of his second appearance, he causes David to consider Mephibosheth a traitor, something he denies. David knows not which to believe, and ends up splitting Mephibosheth’s inheritance between them. Wrote Daniel Defoe of him in The True-Born Englishman:

First-born of treason, nobly did advance

His master's fall for his inheritance,

By whose keen arts old David first began

To break his sacred oath to Jonathan:

The good old king, 'tis thought, was very loth

To break his word, and therefore broke his oath.

I dare not impute any sense of dishonesty and lack of integrity to our friend Mr Z. Armitage, builder of chapels and supporter of evangelists. Yet of Zibas we must beware. They are often good men who provide much service, but in their later years, we cannot quite be sure that they speak the truth. Previous dealings persuade us to accept their word, yet there is a discomfort experienced when we compare their opinion to the facts before our eyes. Old Solomon was more foolish the older he became, and Ziba less honest. Beware of good men and pious folk whose boil goes off; beware of believing everything you hear, except that found in God’s pure word.

There are several churches in south Lancashire and north Cheshire founded by a Ziba; many more have been closed by 'Zibas' who started well but developed an eye for money, power, or prestige. 

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