Clergymen and Doctors 8

Clergymen and Doctors 8

BUNYAN'S SUCCESSFUL AND PRESISTENT PREACHING.

 

A student of Cambridge observing a multitude flock to a village church

on a working day, inquired what was the cause. On being informed that

"one Bunyan, a tinker," was to preach there, he gave a boy a few

halfpence to hold his horse, resolved, as he said, "to hear the tinker

prate." The tinker _prated_ to such effect, that for some time the

scholar wished to hear no other preacher; and, through his future life,

gave proofs of the advantages he had received from the humble ministry

of the author of the _Pilgrim's Progress_. Bunyan, with rude but

irresistible zeal, preached throughout the country, and formed the

greater part of the Baptist churches in Bedfordshire; until, at the

Restoration, he was thrown into prison, where he remained twelve years.

During his confinement he preached to all to whom he could gain access;

and when liberty was offered to him on condition of promising to

abstain from preaching, he constantly replied, "If you let me out

to-day, I shall preach again to-morrow." Bunyan, on being liberated,

became pastor of the Baptist Church at Bedford; and when the kingdom

enjoyed more religious liberty, he enlarged the sphere of his

usefulness by preaching every year in London, where he excited great

attention. On one day's notice, such multitudes would assemble, that

the places of worship could not hold them. "At a lecture at seven

o'clock in the dark mornings of winter," says one of his

contemporaries, "I have seen about twelve hundred; and I computed about

three thousand that came to hear him on a Lord's day, so that one-half

of them were obliged to return for want of room."

 

 

LETTSOM'S LIBERATION OF HIS SLAVES.

 

Dr. Lettsom, the founder of the Sea-Bathing Infirmary at Margate, and

of the General Dispensary, was left by his father a property, which

happened to consist almost entirely of a number of slaves on an estate

in Jamaica. When the benevolent doctor went out to the West Indies to

take possession of his inheritance, he is said to have emancipated

every one of the slaves on his arrival; so that, in the words of his

biographer, "he became a voluntary beggar at the age of twenty-three."

The doctor went afterwards to Tortola, where, by his practice as a

physician, he amassed a considerable sum of money, with which he

returned to England in 1768, and attained a distinguished position

among the Metropolitan practitioners.

 

 

CIVIL TO THE PRINCE OF EVIL.

 

The devil, in his malignant wrestlings with the spirits of the

righteous, has not always been so energetically and uncivilly received

as by Luther and his ink-bottle. It is related in all seriousness, that

a minister who "used often to preach for Mr. Huntington, was talking

one Lord's day morning, at Providence Chapel, about a trial he

underwent in his own parlour, wherein the devil had 'set in' with his

unbelief to dispute him out of some truth that was essential to

salvation. He said he was determined that the devil should not have his

way, and he therefore 'drew a chair for him, and desired him to sit

down that they might have it out together.' According to his own

account, he gained a great victory over the empty chair." He did better

in his confidence than Barcena the Jesuit did in the opposite spirit;

who told another of his order that when the devil appeared to him one

night, out of his profound humility he rose up to meet him, and prayed

him to sit down in his chair, for he was more worthy to sit there than

he!

 

 

"PERKINS' TRACTORS" EXPOSED.

 

Faith in the medicinal potency of the properties of the loadstone was,

for centuries after its discovery, a regular part of many physicians'

mental stock-in-trade; and pulverized magnet was administered in the

form of pills, and potions, and salves, even after Dr. Gilbert, of

Colchester, had in 1660 scientifically ascertained and published the

fact, that when reduced to powder the loadstone ceases totally to

possess its magnetic properties. The belief in the efficacy of magnets

held its ground much later. Even in 1779 and 1780, the Royal Society of

Medicine at Paris made experiments with the view of precisely

ascertaining the influence of magnets on the human system; and the

conclusion reached was, that they exerted a healing potency of no

contemptible character. It was about this time that the instruments

called "Perkins' Tractors," which were supposed to be endowed with

magnetic power, came into vogue. Perkins was an American citizen, from

the shrewd State of Connecticut; and only he could make, and only he

sell, the painted nails, composed of an alloy of various metals, that

were in great demand among the credulous and the wealthy. For a

considerable time the wonderful tractors attracted and perplexed

everybody; until Dr. Haygarth of Bath, in the following manner, made it

apparent that the efficacy of the tractors lay not in themselves, but

in the mental condition of the person upon whom they were

used:--"Robert Thomas, aged forty-three, who had been for some time

under the care of Dr. Lovell, in the Bristol Infirmary, with a

rheumatic affection of the shoulder, which rendered his arm perfectly

useless, was pointed out as a proper object of trial by Mr. J. W. Dyer,

apothecary to the house. Tuesday, April 19th, having everything in

readiness, I passed through the ward, and, in a way that he might

suspect nothing, questioned him respecting his complaint. I then told

him that I had an instrument in my pocket which had been very

serviceable to many in his state; and when I had explained to him how

simple it was, he consented to undergo the operation. In six minutes no

other effect was produced than a warmth upon the skin, and I feared

that this _coup d'essai_ had failed. The next day, however, he told me

that 'he had received so much benefit that it had enabled him to lift

his hand from his knee, which he had in vain several times attempted on

Monday evening, as the whole ward witnessed.' The tractors I used being

made of lead, I thought it advisable to lay them aside, lest, being

metallic points, the proof against the fraud might be less complete.

Thus much, however, was proved, that the patent tractors possessed no

specific power independent of simple metals. Two pieces of wood,

properly shaped and painted, were next made use of; and in order to add

solemnity to the farce, Mr. Barton held in his hand a stop-watch,

whilst Mr. Lax minuted the effects produced. In four minutes the man

raised his hand several inches, and he had lost also the pain in his

shoulder, usually experienced when attempting to lift anything. He

continued to undergo the operation daily, and with progressive good

effect; for, on the twenty-fifth, he could touch the mantelpiece. On

the twenty-seventh, in the presence of Dr. Lovell and Mr. J. P. Noble,

two common iron nails, disguised with sealing-wax, were substituted for

the pieces of mahogany before used. In three minutes he felt something

moving from his arm to his hand, and soon after he touched the board of

rules which hung a foot above the fire-place. This patient at length so

far recovered that he could carry coals and use his arm sufficiently to

help the nurse; yet, previous to the use of the spurious tractors, he

could no more lift his hand from his knee than if a hundredweight were

upon it, or a nail driven through it, as he declared in the presence of

several gentlemen. The fame of this case brought applications in

abundance; indeed, it must be confessed, that it was more than

sufficient to act upon weak minds, and induce a belief that these

pieces of wood and iron were endowed with some peculiar virtues."

 

The prosecution and publication of the result of Haygarth's

experiments, led to the downfall of Perkins and the discredit of the

tractors; but it was not very long before Mesmerism had established a

yet stronger hold on the public credulity, which seems never to be

content, if it is not fooled to the top of its bent.

 

 

WHITFIELD "IMPROVING" AN EXECUTION IN EDINBURGH.

 

When Whitfield first went to Scotland, he was received in Edinburgh

with a kind of frantic joy by many of the citizens. The day after his

arrival, an unhappy man, who had forfeited his life to the offended

laws of his country, was to be executed. Mr. Whitfield mingled in the

crowd on the occasion, and seemed highly pleased with the solemnity and

decorum with which the awful scene was conducted. His appearance,

however, drew the eyes of all around him, and raised a variety of

opinions as to his motives. The next day being Sunday, he preached to a

very large congregation in a field near the city. In the course of his

sermon, he adverted to the execution which had taken place on the

preceding day. "I know," said he, "that many of you will find it

difficult to reconcile my appearance yesterday with my character. Many

of you, I know, will say that my moments would have been better

employed in praying for the unhappy man than in attending him to the

fatal tree, and that perhaps curiosity was the only cause that

converted me into a spectator on that occasion. But those who ascribe

that uncharitable motive to me, are under a mistake. I went as an

observer of human nature, and to see the effect that such an example

would have on those who witnessed it. I watched the conduct of almost

every one present on that awful occasion, and I was highly pleased with

their demeanour, which has given me a very favourable opinion of the

Scottish nation. Your sympathy was visible on your countenances, and

reflected the goodness of your hearts, particularly when the moment

arrived that your unhappy fellow-creature was to close his eyes on this

world for ever; then you all, as if moved by one impulse, turned your

heads aside, and wept. Those tears were precious, and will be held in

remembrance. How different was it when the Saviour of mankind was

extended on the cross! The Jews, instead of sympathizing in His

sorrows, triumphed in them. They reviled Him with bitter __EXPRESSION__s,

with words even more bitter than the gall and vinegar which they handed

Him to drink. Not one of all that witnessed His pains turned His head

aside, even in the last pang. Yes, my friends, there was one; that

glorious luminary (pointing to the sun) veiled his brightness, and

travelled on his course in tenfold night."

 

 

DR. JOHNSON'S OPINION OF WHITFIELD.

 

Boswell informs us that Dr. Johnson would not allow much merit to

Whitfield's oratory. "His popularity, Sir," said he, "is chiefly owing

to the peculiarity of his manner. He would be followed by crowds were

he to wear a nightcap in the pulpit, or were he to preach from a tree."

And again: "Whitfield never drew as much attention as a mountebank

does; he did not draw attention by doing better than others, but by

doing what was strange. Were Astley to preach a sermon standing upon

his head on a horse's back, he would collect a multitude to hear him;

but no wise man would say he had made a better sermon for that. I never

treated Whitfield's ministry with contempt; I believe he did good. He

had devoted himself to the lower classes of mankind, and among them he

was of use. But when familiarity and noise claim the praise due to

knowledge, art, and elegance, we must beat down such pretensions."

 

 

DR. WOLCOT ("PETER PINDAR") IN JAMAICA.

 

Dr. Wolcot, the patron of Opie, and better known to fame as "Peter

Pindar," practised medicine--descending from a family, members of which

in several generations had followed the same profession in Devon and

Cornwall. Sir William Trelawny, when he went as Governor to Jamaica,

took Wolcot out as surgeon to his household; and there he figured in

several characters--as grand master of the ceremonies, private

secretary, and chaplain. Whether or not he ever received regular

ordination, it is certain that Wolcot acted as rector in the colony for

some time; and odd stories of his behaviour as a parish priest were

current among his friends as well as his enemies. He read prayers and

preached when a congregation presented itself; but that was not oftener

than about every fourth Sunday. He was a capital shot, and, with his

clerk, used to amuse himself with shooting pigeons. Having shot their

way to the church, the pair were wont to wait ten minutes in the porch

for the arrival of the congregation; at the end of which time, if

nobody appeared, the reverend sportsmen returned to their amusement. If

a few negroes only presented themselves at the church, the rector

bought them off with a little money; and one old negro, finding out

Wolcot's weakness, after a time attended every Sunday, when the rector

would address him: "What do you come here for, blackee?" "Why, Massa,

for to hear your good sermon and all the prayer ob de church." "Would

not a _bit_ or two do you more good?" "Yes, massa doctor; me lub prayer

much, but me lub money too." The little transaction would then take

place, and the darky retire grinning; and it is said that this man drew

thus an income from Wolcot for a whole year. When he returned to

England, Wolcot did not succeed in obtaining a practice, and abandoned

both physic and divinity for satire--which yielded him a good income

while he lived, and won him fame both with his own generation and with

posterity.

 

 

CHARITY OF ARCHBISHOP TILLOTSON.

 

In 1685, Archbishop Tillotson avowed himself a warm advocate for

affording charitable relief to the French refugees, on the recall of

the Edict of Nantes. Dr. Beveridge, the prebendary of Canterbury,

having objected to reading a brief for this purpose, as contrary to the

rubric, the Archbishop observed to him roughly, "Doctor, Doctor,

charity is above all rubrics." While Tillotson was in a private

station, he always laid aside two-tenths of his income for charitable

uses; and after his elevation to the mitre, he so constantly expended

all that he could spare of his annual revenues in acts of beneficence,

that the only legacy which he was able to leave to his family consisted

of two volumes of sermons, the value of which, however, was such, that

the copyright brought not less than £2500. Of Tillotson it is told that

once, when King William III. complained of the shortness of his sermon,

he replied, "Sire, could I have bestowed more time upon it, it would

not have been so long."

 

 

DRUBBING-IN RELIGIOUS FEELING.

 

Pietro della Valle, "who," says Southey, "could be amused at the

superstition of others," reports that when the _Ecce Homo_ was

displayed during a sermon in the Jesuit church at Goa, the women used

to beat their servants if they did not cry enough to please them.

 

 

BON-MOTS OF SYDNEY SMITH.

 

Sydney Smith was once dining in company with a French gentleman, who

had before dinner indulged in a number of free-thinking speculations,

and ended by avowing himself a materialist. "Very good soup, this,"

said Mr. Smith. "Yes, Sir, it is excellent," was the reply. "Pray, Sir,

do you _believe_ in a _cook_?" inquired Mr. Smith.--"Do you believe in

the apostolical succession?" inquired one of Smith. "I do," he replied;

"and my faith in that dogma dates from the moment I became acquainted

with the Bishop of ----, _who is so like Judas!_"--In preaching a

charity sermon, Sydney Smith frequently repeated the assertion that, of

all nations, Englishmen were most distinguished for their generosity,

and the love of their _species_. The collection happening to be

inferior to his expectation, provoked him to say, that he had evidently

made a great mistake; for that his __EXPRESSION__ should have been, that

they were distinguished for the love of their _specie_.--On the

departure of Bishop Selwyn for his diocese, New Zealand, Smith, when

taking his leave of him, said: "Good-bye, my dear Selwyn; I hope you

will not _disagree_ with the man who eats you!"--A friend of Smith

inquired, "What is Puseyism?" To which the witty canon replied:

"Puseyism, Sir, is inflexion and genuflexion; posture and imposture;

bowing to the east, and curtseying to the west."

 

 

THE ORIGIN OF OUR INDIAN COMMERCE.

 

It is perhaps not generally known, says Wadd, in his _Memoirs_, that it

was an English surgeon of the name of Broughton whose good fortune it

was to open the commerce of India to his countrymen, by the following

accident. Having been sent from Surat to Agra in the year 1636, to

treat one of the daughters of the Emperor Shah Jehan, he had the good

fortune to cure the Princess. By way of recompense, the Emperor, among

other favours, gave him the privilege of a free commerce throughout the

whole extent of his dominions. Broughton immediately returned to

Bengal, to purchase goods, and transmit them by sea to Surat. Scarcely

had he returned when he was requested to attend the favourite of the

Nabob of the province, labouring under a very dangerous disease. Having

fortunately restored his patient to health, the Nabob settled a pension

upon him, confirmed the privilege of the Emperor, and promised to allow

the same to all the English who should come to Bengal. Broughton

communicated all this to the English Governor at Surat, and it was by

the advice of the latter that the company sent from England, in 1640,

two ships to Bengal. Such was the origin of a commerce that has since

been carried to so great an extent--and made the foundation of a vast

empire.

 

 

CHARLES II. AND BISHOP STILLINGFLEET.

 

Charles the Second once demanded of Dr. Stillingfleet, who was a

preacher to the Court, "Why he read his sermons before him, when on

every other occasion his sermons were delivered extempore?" The Bishop

answered, that, overawed by so many great and noble personages, and in

the presence of his Sovereign, he dared not to trust his powers. "And

now," said the divine, "will your Majesty permit me to ask a question?"

"Certainly," said the condescending monarch. "Why, then, does your

Majesty read your speeches, when it may be presumed that _you_ can have

no such reason?" "Why, truly," said the King, "I have asked my subjects

so often for money, that I am ashamed to look them in the face."

 

 

A TOO PERSONAL APPLICATION.

 

When Dr. Beadon was rector of Eltham, in Kent, his text one day was,

"Who art thou?" After reading the text, he made a pause, for the

congregation to reflect upon the words; when a gentleman, in a military

dress, who at the instant was marching very sedately up the middle

aisle of the church, supposing it a question addressed to him, to the

surprise of all present replied, "I am, Sir, an officer of the

sixteenth regiment of foot, on a recruiting party here; and having

brought my wife and family with me, I wish to be acquainted with the

neighbouring clergy and gentry." This so deranged the divine, and

astonished the congregation, that though they attempted to listen with

decorum, the service was not continued without considerable difficulty.

 

 

PREACHING TO PURPOSE.

 

Burnet records that "two entries made in the Council Books, show the

good effects of Latimer's zealous preaching. On the 10th of March he

brought in £104 recovered of one who had concealed it from the King,

and a little after, £363 of the King's money." The amount of this

conscience-money must of course be multiplied manifold, to estimate

aright the penetrating and persuading power of the preacher. Latimer's

style of preaching is said to have been extremely captivating; simple

and familiar, often enlivened with anecdote, irony, and humour; and

still oftener swelling into strains of most impassioned and awakening

eloquence. Of the earnestness of his manner, which could lead to the

disgorgement of great plunder by unscrupulous men, the following, from

a sermon against the corruptions of the age, may be taken as a

sample:--"Take heed and beware of covetousness; take heed and beware of

covetousness; take heed and beware of covetousness. And what if I

should say nothing else these three or four hours but these words?

Great complaints there are of it, and much crying out, and much

preaching, but little amendment that I can see; Covetousness is the

root of all evil. Then have at the root; out with your swords, ye

preachers, and strike at the root. Stand not ticking and toying at the

branches, for new branches will spring out again, but strike at the

root; and fear not these great men, these men of power, these

oppressors of the needy--fear them not, but strike at the root." In

another sermon, Latimer himself gives some account of the restitutions

he brought about:--"At my first preaching of restitution, one man took

remorse of conscience, and acknowledged himself to me that he had

deceived the King, and willing he was to make restitution; and so the

first Lent came to my hands £20 to be restored to the King's use. I was

promised £20 more the same Lent; but it could not be made, so that it

came not. Well, the next Lent came £320 more. I received it myself and

paid it to the King's council. So I was asked what he was that made

this restitution. But should I have named him? Nay, they should as soon

have this weasand of mine. Well, now, this Lent came £180, 10s. which I

was paid, and delivered this present day to the King's council; and so

this man hath made a godly restitution. And so, quoth I to a certain

nobleman that is one of the King's council, if every man that hath

beguiled the King should make restitution after this sort, it would

cough the King £20,000 I think, said I. Yea, that it would, quoth the

other, a whole £100,000. Alack! alack! make restitution for God's sake;

ye will cough in hell else, that all the devils there will laugh at

your coughing. There is no remedy but restitution, open or secret, or

else hell."

 

 

SERVANT AND MASTER.

 

A preacher who differed in opinion with Adolphus Gunn, called upon him,

and being known, was denied admittance, "Mr. Gunn being busy in his

study." "Tell him," said the importunate visitor, "that a servant of

the Lord wishes to speak to him." Gunn sent back this answer: "Tell the

servant of the Lord that I am engaged with his Master."