Published Sermons
You may not have heard that we have formed a kind of ministerial club which we dignify with the name of the Gity Temple Council; I propose therefore to make you acquainted with some of our proceedings that you may see with what audacity we sometimes talk of better men than ourselves, and with what consummate wisdom we dispose of vexed outstanding questions in the world of the pulpit. We claim exemption from every species and degree of obligation; we care nothing for missing links; we rather pride ourselves than otherwise upon informality and abruptness of speech; and it is our glory that w£ dare tell what we think, under the defiant flag of incorruptible independence. Our number is purposely small; four talkers and two dummies are all that we care to have, though scores of brethren would give almost half their goods to be allowed to sign their names on the list of the dauntless Six. The two dummies are excellent men; we keep them to save us from the least appearance of heterodoxy, and most admirably do they serve the purpose. They cannot truthfully be described as men of ideas, though we dare not so much as hint at such a thing in their solemn presence; they have nice shiny round heads which would instantly make the reputation of any society, and as they never take their black kid gloves off at the council board they throw a kind of otherworld air over proceedings which often threaten to be much too earthly and boisterous. You must not imagine that they are literally dumb — if they were how could they be members of a Preachers’ Council? All that is meant is that they very seldom speak in the club; their nice bald heads shine at us, their well gloved hands chasten the appearance of the board; now and again they make a joint rush at some unusual statement; and this is about all, with the exception of a few sonorous “hear hears,” that they do in their strictly official capacity as members of the Preachers’ Council. Yet nothing could tempt us to part with these excellent dummies,, so establishedand indisputable is their character as orthodox theologians; it may be wondered indeed how they can meet with such freebooters as ourselves, but when I tell you that we give them more than three-fourths of their homiletic outlines you will see that they do not serve the board for nought, and that they have peculiar reasons for not meddling with our reputation as sound divines. The talkers should rather be spoken of as three than four, because for reasons best known to themselves the brethren asked me to be chairman, and for the same conclusive reasons I granted their request. Mr. Washington (thickly bearded, with a gentle hazel eye, and a voice which says the boldest things in the most timid tone) is a prince of high intellectual and spiritual degree. A truer man never breathed. Often the shiny round heads are doubtfully wagged when he is talking some of his grandest things, yet his words are chosen in wisdom and his thoughts are drawn from the well of life. When he says anything severe he says it with reluctance and
PuhlisJied Sermons. 143
moderation, and thus actually doubles the force wliicli lie intended to restrain. Next to him usually sits a bright little brother, who is so prudent yet so sharp, so honest yet so pricking in his talk, that we have agreed, with his own genial consent, to know him and speak of him as the Safety-pin. He knows nothing of self-control; he first speaks, then thinks, and concludes the inverted and vexatious process by assuring the brethren that what he has said has been in the strictest confidence. 1 wonder if he fancies that a wound is any the less deep because it is inflicted behind a screen! One thing is certain, he never agrees with any of us if he can possibly contradict and defy us, and if ever he is in danger of thinking as we think he seems to feel his condition acutely. This unamiability is a special qualification for membership in a controversial club, and in that light is regarded by his associates. The third of the speaking members is Mr. Dolson, — a brother who has a perfect mania for various readings; he can never be satisfied until he knows whether BDKLJ agrees with CLM% and whether C^D confirms CHL. Mr. Dolson would be an excellent theologian if he could so far get over the etymological difficulty as to convince himself that any one word in any one language has anything like a definite and sensible meaning. As to the chairman nothing must be said, — he is the chairman, and is not that enough? I shall now proceed to report one of our conversations, with the hope that you may light upon something which will be of use to you as a student for the ministry.
‘^ Seen Binneys new volume of old sermons any of you?^^ Safety-pin inquired.
“You have evidently/^ one of the dummies actually said, to the amazement of every member,” or you could not have described it; ‘^ and the shiny round head beamed brightly.
Yes; we had all seen the volume, and had read most of it. ‘^ A capital volume, too,^^ said Mr. “Washington, and I am glad to have such a memorial of such a ministry.’’^
‘’ Cant see it,**^ said Safety-pin; I like Binney as well as any of you, but it seems to me — though of course what we say here is said in confidence, that s understood I hope ‘’
‘^ Thoroughly so,’^ said I with official promptitude and emphasis.
“It seems to me,^^ Safety-pin continued, ^Hhat Binneys book might have been entitled Bewildering Essays, or the Gospel made dark, or the Gospel argued to death ’ ‘^ — the shiny round heads moved rapidly in sign of contradiction.” Well, brethren may shake their heads if they please, but that is my opinion; I can understand the texts but not the sermons; the sermons seem to me very much like the attempt of a wrymouthed man to blow a candle out, the candle being the text.’’^
Bolson. ‘’ Whatever do you mean? your figure is extraordinary.^^
Safety ‘in. ‘^ But correct; I mean that the texts are lights, and that Binney blows them out in a very laborious manner.” Mr. Washington said, ^’ No, no,” and the two shiny round heads confirmed his judgment by vigorous shaking. “But I say it is so,” added the Piu, and the brethren laughed heartily at this unsophisticated assurance.
Mr. Dolson proceeded to attack the Safety-pin by
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urging upon him the duty of being critically correct in e:?pounding a text, and of collating the various readings —
^’ Tut, man! ‘^ the Safety-pin interrupted ‘^ bag o’ moonshine! what do people want with such technical arguments and cumbrous judicial summaries as some of you deal in? They make me cry out, whenever will the man get done? we know all about that; do get on, and let us have something to bless our trembling and anxious life, ‘’
^’^Does Mr. Binney not give you the gosijel?” Dolson boldly inquired, amid the repeated and sonorous” hear hears ‘’ of the dummies,, who spoke both at once.
“Certainly not,” said Safety-pin, “that is exactly what he does not give us’’ — (the shiny round heads nearly shook themselves off); “he talks ahoiii the gospel, he goes round and round the gospel, he makes hard riddles and problems out of the gospel, but the gospel itself in its simplicity and adaptation to human want he seldom preaches in this volume.”
We all protested warmly against this,, and most justly. The two solid brethren both spoke together, and thus - destroyed the individuality of their testimony, which seemed to be one of great indignation against the censorious critic. Mr. Washington strongly resented the opinion of the Safety-pin, and sharply demanded what was meant by so libellous a statement.
The Safety-pin was not only unabashed, but rather proud, for he detested the stagnation of unanimity. “Gentlemen,” said he vivaciously, “rage away, and when you have cooled yourselves I shall tell you what I mean; now it so happens that I have the volume with me; and T
146 Ad Glerum: Advices to a Young PreacJier.
shall, if you please, open it at random and read a few of the long words and technical expressions which have led me to infer a want of fervent earnestness on the part of the preacher, and to fear that he has been, however unconsciously, trying to make an important figure of himself: now I read at random, and you may read with me if you like: ‘limits of human consciousness; piercing intuition; system of natural law; re-establish the harmony of things j passive impressions, subjective excitements; concentrate the action of the mysterious force in this subjective process; revealing the objective faith; would infallibly flow, by way of necessary efi’ect, from an ever ope-rating cause; slender and superficial hypothesis; the hypothesis of such Divine Personality; stoppage of the actions of moral law; an acknowledged philosophical course of thought; the most perfectly philosophic and satisfactory solution of all the admitted phenomena; philosophic naturalism; revealing the objective ‘”
We all cried stojj; the two solid brethren went so far as to say that by this plan of picking out a word here and a word there they could make nonsense of any book in the world; Mr. Dolson said it was shocking; Mr. Washington that as a method of criticism it was simply -ridiculous, an opinion in which the chairman concurred.
“Tery well, gentlemen,*’ said Safety-pin, ‘’you may misunderstand me if you like, but for your own sakes don’t run away with the notion that I am setting this up as a method of criticism; I am not doing anything so insane: I mean to say that Mr. Binney has talked a kind of semi-philosophical jargon, and that he has chopped up Christian doctrine into little technicalities, instead of
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boldly proclaiming it to sinners as a way of salvation and to saints as a hope of final sanctity; lie always seems to be talking to people who are either infidels or scoffers, for every sermon is just like a pitched battle with foes that are more imaginary than real/^
The shiny round heads were shaken again, and the face of Mr. Dolson settled into the aspect of despair.
“I am not prepared to deny,” said Mr. Washington, “that, in one view of the matter, there is force in what Safety-pin has said; there can be no doubt that there is a strong tendency in Mr. Binneys mind to get round to the purely intellectual side of every subject, and to discuss his texts as if in the hearing of captious men, who were mentally contradicting everything he said; he wants to give reasons for everything, and to ennoble common sense by assigning it a responsible function in the sanctuary; he is always anxious to marry Reason and Faith, and consequently he defies all comers justly to forbid the banns.”
’ “And is that a commendable way of preaching the gospel?” Safety-pin inquired.
“As a general rule I should say not,” Mr. Washington replied,” and probably Mr. Binney himself would agree with us; but you must bear in mind that we do require defenders of the faith, and that their work is second to none in importance. Now Mr. Binney is distinctively, perhaps above all his brethren, a defender of the faith; to his own mind Christianity is so eminently reasonable that he becomes almost impatient with those who hesitate to accept it as such; to Mr. Binneys mind there seems to be hardly any space at all between common sense and Christian faith, and he himself has such joyful satisfaction in receiving Christianity through, his reasoyi that he wishes all that hear him to be as he is/^
‘’ But where is there a congregation made up of doubters and infidels?” said Safety-pin.
*’ True/^ Mr. Washington replied ‘^ and therefore I say that as a general rule such preaching would very likely not be acceptable because it would not be appropriate. ■’’
One of the dummies here interposed that ‘such
preaching would make its own congregation.-’^
^’’Precisely sol Mr. Washington continued; “and no doubt Mr. Binney has had a unique congregation; probably more sceptics have found their way to his chapel than to any other chapel in England. I should say that is very likely and if so it is very satisfactory.’’^
“He takes nothing for granted, you see/^ said Mr. Dolson, “not one thing in the world.”
“And there he s wrong,” said Safety-pin; “men don’t want to hear a preacher who is eternally prove, prove, proving, and arguing their very hearts out of them; it’s absurd.”
“But is it not better to argue than to declaim?” one of the dummies softly inquired in a tone that sounded like “beg your pardon for speaking!” The Safety-pin took no notice of this exciting inquiry, but after looking quizzically at the questioner turned round and said, “Now, Mr. Chairman, let us have the pleasure of your opinion.”
“Well, gentlemen,” said I, “you have spoken very frankly on this matter, and I shall not commence the game of ambiguity. I have read Mr. Binney’s volume carefully, and I am bound to say that there are three things wliicli I could not honestly do with it: (1)1 could not put it into the hands of a scoffer and say tJiis is Christianity; (2) I could not put it into the hands of an inquirer, and say this is the way of salvation; (3) I could not put it into the hands of a student, and say this is the method of sermonizing which I advise you to adopt. On the other hand there are three things which I could most sincerely and cordially do with it: (1) I could put it into the hands of a scoffer, and say. See how the strongestminded men adore what you deride; (2) I could put it into the hands of an inquirer, and say. Keep this book to read when your mind is in the best condition for studying Divine truth; and (3) I could put it into the hands of any student, and say. Learn from this how to labour in composing a sermon. I can’t deny that in attempting to form an impartial judgment of this book I have considerable difficulty: this difficulty arises partly from my admiration of the man; I cannot keep Mr. Binney himself quite out of view; I see him and hear him, and instead of helping the reading this rather spoils it, because Mr. Binney cannot be printed; all the way through I say, Where’s the illuminating smile? Where is the bold clear tone? Where is the explanatory shrug? Where is the keen steady glance? ‘And this kind of feeling damages the book; I feel, even when my fancy is most vivid, that after all I am only sitting behind the preacher, and I want to go round and look him in the face.’’’’ I paused a moment.
‘^ After all,’’ said Mr. Washington, ‘what we want most is preaching that goes directly to the life of our hearers; we have but a short time to preach, and they but a short time to hear, so our words should aim
150 Ad Clerimi: Advices to a Young Preacher,
always at the one point of saving the souls of them that hear us.’^
“But ought not our ministry to be coloured by the times in which we live?”
“To some extent Mv. Dolson; yet I confess if I had my ministry to begin again I should not pay so much attention in the pulpit to passing controversies as I have done. I should preach with greater clearness and fulness the doctrine of the cross, for that, I am persuaded, is the doctrine that best meets the whole difficulty of life, — it is the answer of love to the problem of sin, and when men get hold of it they are unspeakably glad; and as to our criticism upon brethren in the ministry we should be very careful not to inflict the slightest injury on their reputation, and specially not to inflict the slightest injury on their feelings ‘^
“Fair criticism is quite allowable, you know,^^ Safety-pin defensively interposed.
“I allow that, and so long as it is confined amongst brethren it may do good; even fault-finding may be educational; what I insist on is that we should honour our brethren in our general conversation with the public, and so help to strengthen and extend their influence.’’^
The two dummies openly applauded this view of the case; the Safety-pin was silent.
‘^ Gentlemen,^-’ said I, “Mr. Washington has said for me all that I could have wished to say for myself. I do think that criticism may be made advantageous, as I trust in our own case it will prove to be; at the same time it may become an infinite vexation and nuisance, and when it becomes derisive of good men it must be a grievous ofi’ence in the sight of God. We have been speaking to-day of brethren [we had spoken of others whose names are withheld]^ who have most conspicuous and influential talents and whose work in the church is valuable beyond calculation; no doubt they themselves would gladly increase their adaptation to services which some of us can render with comparative ease; and we, on the other hand, would be glad to possess qualities by which those brethren are so highly distinguished. We b*elong to one another, we cannot do without one another, and therefore we should mS^gnify and honour one another. Gentlemen, with these just sentiments allow me to dismiss you to your several engagements.’’^ So saying I left the chair amid the subdued applause of my honest fellowcouncillors.
In concluding this chapter I cannot but feel that some good may be done by the interlocutory method of criticism. A reviewer may find it difficult to put all his objections and all his commendations in his own name; he may feel that some expression of adverse opinion is needful, and yet may shrink from the responsibility of giving that opinion as distinctively his own: it may be an opinion pretty widely entertained, and there may be considerable force in it; at the same time the reviewer may be unwilling to have it charged directly and exclusively upon himself personally. The interlocutory method may be so adapted as to give a very impartial and complete view of any book; there may be such a successful blending of animadversion and commendation as to secure for the reader a good general idea of the merits of the work under review. I think too that
152 Ad’ Cleritm: Advices to a Young Preacher,
some advantage may be derived by authors from such remarks as are made by a man like Safety-pin: he is, indeed, often reckless, and generally destitute of regard for the feelings of any writer, yet bis exaggeration will not deprive bis criticisms of the value which undoubtedly belongs to them, whilst it will protect the feeling which would be lacerated by a cooler attack. Mr. Binney himsdlf will smile at the manner in which Safety-pin lays hold of his noble volume, yet Mr. Binney will consider whether in the next edition he will not insert a sermon or two which will show that his genius in argument is fully equalled by his power of pathos. Better still, Mr. Binney may be led to see the necessity of preparing a second volume of discourses, — sympathetic, consolatory, and affirmatively (not controversially) evangelical. Mr. Binneys first volume will be prized in the college and in the study; Mr. Binneys second volume will be a favourite in the retreat of weakness, sorrow, and penitence. I cannot allow this chapter to leave my hands until I have ‘expressed my sorrow that at length Mr. Binney has felt himself called upon to relinquish, to a very large extent, the great pastoral responsibilities which for more than forty years he has sustained in the city of London. He has done a work which can never be forgotten. I cannot but think it a happy coincidence that the lace will be removed as well as the man. A feeble succession in the Weigh House pastorate would be intolerable: better that the pulpit and the preacher should go down together, leaving a memory which men will never willingly let die.^’