John Marsden Code

Early Life, Education, and Ordination

John Marsden Code was born in 1805. He received a distinguished education at Trinity College, Dublin, where he graduated with the degree of Master of Arts (M.A.). Trained for the Anglican ministry, he was ordained as a clergyman of the Church of England, entering ecclesiastical service with evident intellectual ability and spiritual seriousness.

His early ministry included a curacy at Westfort, County Mayo, during which time his conscience became increasingly exercised over the position and principles of the Established Church. His withdrawal from it was sufficiently notable to be recorded in the Life of the Archbishop of Tuam, where he is mentioned as having resigned his orders and joined the Brethren for conscientious reasons.

Separation from the Established Church and Brethren Fellowship

Mr. Code’s separation occurred during a period of widespread spiritual exercise among evangelical clergy in Ireland. Around the same time, figures such as John Nelson Darby, C. Hargrove, and others were also withdrawing from the Established Church in order to follow what they believed to be Scriptural principles concerning the Church.

Although personally much attached to Darby, Code never adopted Darby’s later Exclusive views, maintaining a broader and more inclusive position within Brethren fellowship. This balance—deep personal loyalty combined with spiritual independence—characterised his entire course.

He associated with the Brethren at Cork, where he ministered among the assemblies and gained a reputation as a gifted and deeply spiritual teacher of the Word.

Ministry in Bath

At a later stage, John Marsden Code left Ireland and settled in Bath, where he resided with his family until his death. There he exercised a long and widely appreciated ministry, marked by clarity, warmth, and spiritual power.

His Lord’s Day evening gospel preaching was particularly impressive. These meetings attracted large numbers, including many members of the Church of England, who regularly attended and valued his ministry. His preaching combined doctrinal depth with evangelistic earnestness, and it bore the unmistakable stamp of one who lived habitually in the presence of God.

Spiritual Character and Christ-Centred Life

John Marsden Code was known above all for his absolute absorption with Christ. Those who knew him best testified that Christ was his single governing thought, shaping his preaching, conversation, and home life.

He often expressed a truth that summed up his theology and spirit:

“God hates sin, and loves the sinner.”

While he never minimised the seriousness or hatefulness of sin, his ministry was permeated by a profound sense of the love of God in Christ. In private as well as in public, he would frequently burst forth into beautiful spiritual expressions, revealing how naturally heavenly thoughts flowed from him.

One intimate friend wrote:

“I have never known any one more utterly possessed and permeated by Christ his Saviour.”

Scholarship, Writing, and Conference Ministry

Mr. Code was a great Bible student, deeply taught in the Scriptures and able to handle them with spiritual insight rather than mere academic skill. Like many of the gifted men raised up in that era, he was equally at home with the pen as with the spoken word.

His principal written works include:

• Imputed Righteousness, “The Righteousness of God.” A Dialogue (1860)

• Notes on the Epistle to the Romans (1874)

His Notes on Romans were especially valued and have been described as “veritable gems”, combining doctrinal precision with devotional warmth.

He was a frequent speaker at conferences, and his presence and ministry at believers’ meetings in Dublin were always welcomed with thanksgiving to the Lord. Wherever he went, his ministry left behind a sense not merely of instruction received, but of Christ more clearly seen and loved.

Home-Call and Passing

John Marsden Code had long expressed a desire that, if the Lord should call him home before His return, his departure might be sudden and without suffering. This desire was graciously granted.

At 4 o’clock on the morning of 16 April 1873, he quietly and quickly fell asleep in Jesus, at the age of 68. There was no pain, no struggle, no farewell. Those present felt that there was scarcely a sense of death at all—life appeared simply to pause on earth and resume in Paradise.

The last words of Scripture he was heard to repeat were:

“For so He giveth His beloved sleep.”

He was greatly beloved and deeply mourned by a wide circle of believers who had been helped, taught, and warmed by his Christ-filled life and ministry.

Legacy

John Marsden Code’s legacy rests not on controversy or public leadership, but on Christlikeness. He is remembered as:

• a conscientious clergyman who sacrificed position for truth

• a gifted expositor of Scripture

• a preacher whose gospel ministry reached beyond Brethren circles

• a man wholly possessed by the love of Christ

• a servant whose writings continue to nourish believers

His life stands as a quiet but powerful testimony to what it means to be governed by one idea only—CHRIST.