Part 3 – Who have been called Eccentric
In a previous lecture we gained some little light upon the true meaning of eccentricity and we discovered it in certain quarters where it is little suspected, while we saw many to be free from it who have been popularly charged with it. Let it not however, be supposed that we shall attempt the justification of all eccentrics. We are sorrowfully compelled to concede to critics of the ministry that persons have entered it who have sadly disgraced our high calling. Men in all denominations have earned notoriety by being out of centre morally and spiritually: these have deserved to be called eccentric in the worst sense. Find us a man who tries to attract attention by the affectation of oddity, who is a mere mountebank or mimic, and we have not a word to say in his defence, but we give him over as a dead horse to the dogs of criticism. They may rend him in pieces and devour him if they so desire, for imposters and pretenders deserve the critics sharpest teeth. Find for us a preacher who obtains notoriety for himself by descending to buffoonery, and who goes out of his way to any smart things, and makes jokes on sacred subjects, and we decline to be his advocate. Natural humour may possibly be consecrated and made to wear the yoke of Christ, but he who apes it is no true man.
A reputation for eccentricity has been unjustly fastened upon many men by persistent falsehood. Throw enough mud and some of it will be sure to stick: upon this theory have good men been assailed. Whatever of originality and quaintness they have possessed has been grossly caricatured: and silly tales, the worthless legends of remote periods, have been revived and fathered upon them. It is interesting to trace the pedigree of a pulpit story, though it is not often possible to discover its actual parent: in fact, we believe that like Topsey, many of these tales have no father nor mother but may say of themselves “specs I growed” The rise and progress of a current falsehood if well studied, would reveal a sad page in human history. The same anecdotes occur from age to age, but they are tacked on to different men.
I remember reading with some amusement of Lorenzo Dow who is reported some sixty years ago to have slipped down a tree in the backwoods, in order to illustrate the easiness of backsliding. He had previously pulled himself up with extreme difficulty, in order to show how hard a thing it is to regain lost ground. I was all the more diverted because it has so happened that this pretty piece of nonsense has been imputed to myself. I was represented as sliding down the banisters of my pulpit – and that at a time when the pulpit was fixed in the wall and entered from behind! I never gave even the remotest occasion for that falsehood, and yet, it is daily repeated, and I have heard of persons who were present when I did so, and with their own eyes, saw me perform the silly trick. He is the original tale, extracted from Mr. Taylor's “Model Preacher”:-
“A man once went to Vincennes, in the United States, to hear Lorenzo Dow preach on backsliding. He said, ‘An immense concourse of people assembled in the woods, and waited for Dow's arrival. Finally he made his appearance, and at the time all expected the sermon, he arose, climbed up a smooth sapling, and cried out – Hold on there, Dow; hold on. He soon slid down to the ground, and put on his hat and left. That was all the sermon we heard that day.’”
If this was “all the sermon” it certainly left a great deal for the hearer to work out, and it reminds us of the Welsh preacher who, with almost as little speaking, forcibly brought a great question before his people. He ascended the pulpit on a Sunday morning, looked around him and said, “My brethren, I shall ask you a question which neither you nor I can answer - ‘what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”’ When he had thus spoken he left the pulpit, walked own the aisle, and went home. If the hearers were not led to think that morning it was no fault of his.
Across many of the stories which were printed concerning Rowland Hill, he wrote with his own hand the words, “A lie.” and truly there are others of us who might wear out our pencils in doing the same. What need is there of all this invention? We have faults enough without imputing to us more than we have committed. A minister who is much before the public has need to be thick skinned and to exercise to a very high degree the virtue of longsuffering. It may help him if he will remember the conduct of good Cotton Mather, a man remarkable for the sweetness of his temper. On one occasion he received a large number of abusive letters. All of these he tied up in a packet, and wrote upon the cover, “Libels. Father, forgive them.” No man of God need be astonished at slander as though some strange thing had happened unto him, for the best servants of God have been subject to that trial. Mr. Whitefield truly said, “Thousands of prayers are put up for us, and thousands of lies are spread abroad against us.”
I commend to young preachers when they are tried in this fashion the wise and weighty words of Thomas A'Kempis:-
“My son, take it not grievously if some think ill of thee, and speak that which thou wouldest not willingly hear. Thou oughtest to be the hardest judge of thyself and to think no man weaker than thyself. Let not thy peace depend on the tongues of men: for whether they judge well of thee or ill, thou art not on that account other than thyself. Where are true peace and true glory? Are they not in God? He who careth not to please men nor fears to displease them shall enjoy much peace.”
Dr. Campbell once told me the following story:- On one occasion when Mr Wesley was preaching he said, “I have been falsely charged with every crime of which a human being is capable except that of drunkenness.” He had scarcely uttered these words before a wretched woman started up and screamed out at the top of her voice, “You old villain, and will you deny it? Did you not pledge your bands last night for a noggin of whisky, and did not the woman sell them to our parson's wife?” Having delivered herself of this abusive calumny the virago sat down amid a thunder struck assembly, whereupon Mr. Wesley lifted his hands to heaven, and thanked God that his cup was now full, for they had said all manner of evil against him falsely for Christ's name sake.
After this we feel reconciled to the idle tales which buzz about us, annoying us for a small moment, but doing no great damage.
This Page Title – Spurgeon's Eccentric Preachers.Part 3 – Who have been called Eccentric The Wicket Gate Magazine "A Continuing Witness". Internet Edition number 10# – placed on line March 2015 Wicket Gate contact address – Mr Cliff Westcombe cw@wicketgate.co.uk If you wish to be notified when each new edition goes on line please send an e-mail to the above address Magazine web address – www.wicketgate.co.uk |