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SPURGEONISM.
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*•* , FAST HATS.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Untitled Article
Germany , by whieh a power four times as big as itself aggrandises Sardinia , will heed , as his minister explains , compensation on the Rhine . While doctrines of this sort are put forth , everybody must distrust the ruler of France , Still it is not our business to protect the German Princes or the German frontier . The German people are quite capable of understanding their position . If they unite themselves , their Rhine will be safe ; but if they permit their rulers to wrangle over their affairs , they will be betrayed , and discover at an unpleasant time of day , that some of the potentates have agreed to a modification of territory , as the price of Napoleonic aid , .
The success of Gakibaldi , at Xaples , will hasten the solution of these questions , and if the Allgemeine Zeitung is to be taken as a representation of German statecraft , a strong party is in favour of a military intervention for the benefit of Fjsancis II ., and the Pope . The German journal is frantic in its anger against Garibaldi , and Francis Joseph only coquetted with Constitutionalism , in the hope of gaining power to play the part which it urges upon him . Meanwhile , the Nord affords little consolation by explaining to the House of Hapsburg , that there is no longer any occasion ( raison d ' etre ) for an Austrain Empire to exist , So think the various races long tormented by its misrule . It were to be wished that our Government saw these things more plainly , talked less of 1815 , and shewed itself more ready to welcome the Europe that is to be .
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MR . SpckgeoN has become a great fact . His sayings ana doings dispute a place in the records of the time with the manifestoes of potentates , tile acts of legislatures , and the progress of revolutions . On a comparatively small stage—the word may not be out of place—he is as prominently before his immediate public as Lord Palmerston , Louis Napoijeox , Garibaldi , or the Pope . He has been photographed as often as any of these notable personages , and _ his _ chubby countenance is as well known as Louis Napoleon ' s spikey moustache , or Gtaeibaldi ' s chesnut beard . There he is , in every shop Avindow—occasionally judiciously placed between Cardinal Wiseman and Dr . Cummikc ;—photo- , graphically and stereoseopically taking tea with Mrs . S--- — in
an arbour . We have him , too , in his public capacity , raising a warning-finger and beating , the dram ecclesiastic . Steel and copper conspire to turn him out in cross-hatched broad-. cloth , as " yours very truly . " Madame Tvssaud presents him in wax ; the Royal Academy in marble ; and in Exeter Hall every Sunday mornin" - some four thousand people brave broken ribs to see him in the flesh . "Who shall say that . Mr . Spuegeox is not a great faot ? Well , he is a great fact ; and , like all great facts , he is making ah impression upon his ago and time . Men of the same stamp have made an impression before now ; but they had not the means and appliances to make it as deep and as lasting as Mr . Spuugeon ' s impression is likely to be . Whitfield and Rowland Hill were not reported in the papers of the day as Mr .
Spurgeon is , and consequently their fame did not reach its full " rowth until they were dead and their personal influence had passed away . But in this ago of cheap and plentiful newspapers , when Mr . Spurgeon preaches , he preaches not to hundreds or thousands , but to millions . His responsibility is all the greater . Thore is no doubt that Mr . Spitbgjson is a man of considerable ability and some originality ; and possibly even tho highest of High Churchmen would not consider his doctrine as positively damnable . In a teaoher , however , we expect a man who will not only teaoh what is true , but one who will teach in . a manner and spirit likely to bo profitable to the pupil . And as Mr . Spcuoeqn has become a teacher of the million , it would bo well to inquire jit he is such an instructor as tho ago is likely to projlt by , and be tho bettor for . Ho is about to becomo tho minister of one of tha larorost nlaoes of worship in . London—tho Metropolitan
Tabernaolo . Lot us see with what views and in what spirit ho is about to entpr on his ministration . ' Ho inaugurated tho now building tho other day by giving an address , and relating somo particulars of his reoent visit to the Continent . His address opens with a joke in connection with the highly laughable subjoot " of baptism . Ho reminded the gontlomoa on tho platfoi'm that if they foil through tho boards thoy would bo landed in tho baptistry . Thoro was no water thore , but if any of thorn wanted to bo immersed ho would bo glad to bo thairhmnblo servant . ( Laughter . ) Wq do not wish to . imputo anything to Mr . Spuhoeon for which ho cannot bo hold ! responsible ; but wo may prouumo that if ho
oontoniplatcd a qouplo wanting to bo married , ho would ofl ' or to "do tho trick for thorn . " Tho ceremony of baptism , at any rato , is a oapital take at tho Tnbcmaclo , as tho laughter plainly indioatos . Mr . Svunaasoy now rises out of tho underground baptistry , and soars to tho aubjoot of towers . He wants no towers to his Tnbumaolc , unless somo ' of tho brothron want to hung * him ' ou thoia .- Hero wo luivo njoko upon death , and wo oan only rogrot that It wus not U nJoro brilliant one . However , it produood its qifoot ; for a grain of wit goes a loug wav in a sea of solemnity . Wo next learn what would , above all things , oovor Mr . fcJj'Uitauox with shamo , uud mako him regard , himself as " a , guilty , sneaking sinnor ; " and that is , if he wero to preach a sermon in tho now Tabornaolo until ovory
farthing of its cost is paid . . We do not , of course , blame Mr . Spchgeox for scruples of this kind , particularly as he looks to other people to pay the money . Owe „ no man anything , if you can get other people to pay your debts , is about as comfortable a doctrine as we can conceive . We now come to Mr . Spuegeox ' s impressions of the Continent . He is clannish , and likes his own country folk ; and the captain of his vessel being an Essex man , like himself , is described as the cream of creation . We arc somewhat afraid that Mr . Spt ; kgeox ' s partiality for his countryman induces that creamy mariner to practise upon the Keverend gentleman ' s credulity . His story about the Virgin Mary sitting over the door of a snuff-shop smoking a pipe , is evidently one of those narratives which do very well for the marines , but which won't s ? o down with the sailors at any price .
However , Mr . Spukgeox believed it , and was evidently tickled with the notion of a sacred person blowing ti cloud . We cannot expect that Mr . SWkgeox would consider the lto man Catholic religion to be conducive to morality , but his reason for so thinking is sufficiently amusing . He observed in a window near the Cathedral in Cologne , articles which were so horribly indecent that lie dared not mention them . Mr . Spurgeon never saw anything so horribly indecent in this country . It is evident that he never walked down a certain street near the Strand which has a church at each end . Many things shocked Mr . Spuugeo \ on the Continent , but nothing * seems to have excited his indignation so niuch as the spectacle of women doing all the hard work , while their husbands took their ease and smoked their pipes . That was a sight tV > disturb alike his equanimity , his christianit \ r , and his respect for
the laws . Had he been one of those strapping * women , he would have braved any act of Parliament ever enacted , and given those lazy husbands a sound thrashing . He did not lilce to contemplate what would be the result if such a custom obtained in England ; for then he would smoke his pipe while Mrs . S . preached , and he did not think that would be a change for the better . Really , we are not bv any means so sure of that . We ¦ naturally look for a large amount of charity and Christian forbearance in a thorough-going Evangelical '; but we are afraid Mr . S . does not possess those qualities in an eminent degree . Tie has no bowels for the poor deluded Irish Brigade of the Pope . He despises their scanty lujjgage , ridicules their poor store of cold potatoes , and declares them to be only fit . to cut up for mops" Of his secular reading Mr . 1
SrritGEON * gives us an example , in ascribingto the late Mr . Alijert Smith the remark that Cologne ' - ( or' Bpulogiifc :-- \ vhieh ?) . possesses 83 different stinks . Of the elasticity of his conscience we have an illustration in the naive confession that he preached in full canonicals at'Geneva , against his principles , to please his friends . ' We must not , however , forget-to mention that before commencing- this entertainment the reverend gentleman intimated to his audience , in most uninistakeable terms , that lie was not going to begin until a certain sum of money was forthcoming . The amount was fixed at the modest figure of Ji 1 , 000 , and not until nine hundred and ninety odd pounds of that sum were dropped into the hat , could he be induced to begin the performance . When the twopence more was thrown into the ring , the donkey went up the ladder . Now we are willing to admit that this sort' of thing 1 in church is very amusing 1 . Very little makes us lausrh when we feel we ought to be serious . But then we don't
go to church to laugh . And tho question is , whether it is better to go to church to yawn and go to sleep over a dull serious sermon , or to be kept awake by jokes and funny stories ? We have had more than enough of the dull , serious business . We have dislocated our jaws yawning over prosy , unimpass'ioned discourses , and we have felt the want of the age to be a few eloquent preachers , who can rouse us up and fix our attention . But is there no medium to bo struck in these things ? Can't we be rescued froni the arms of Somnus without being pitched into the bosom of Momus H Is there no halfway-house of refreshment between the Lugubrious Countenance and tho Broad Grin H It is high time to ask this question , for Mr . Sip v ituEON while ho attracts thousands of all classes , from ministers of state down to mudlavks , is exercising the influence of a propagandist among the rising generation of preachers . .. Go into tho
parks any Sunday morning or afternoon , and you will find his disciples holding forth from every bench and tree-stump . That they are his disciples , is evident . They have studied his stylo and manner , and , like all copyists , thoy imitate his worst points . Their familiarity with sacred names and subjects , is the chief characteristic of their stylo . Even boys of ton or a dozen years have turned preachers , and out of the mouths of those babes and suckling 1 * proceeds Svuuukon . Like 'their distinguished master , thoy arc all on hob-andnobterms with Moses and the prophets . To hoar them talk , one
would imagine that thoy had gono to school with tho patriarchs , and played at marbles with tho npoHtlos . In fact , popular preachingis ) 'beginning' to purtnko of tho nature of tho burlesques which nro now in so much favour at tho theatres . Its great purposo is to jnako puns and points , and bring 1 tho house down every now and then with a comic dance ol words , 'Only one practice is wanting 1 to inuku tho parallel complete , ' —the practice of eneuron . That will , no doubt , coino in time , if the tusto and good sonao of tho public do not load them at once to ^ diacountemmco and set tlioir laces against u stylo of prouching which chiolly dopond . s lbr ilH success upon tho pmotiuo of turning bucrod things into a joke .
Untitled Article
IT in true that I'habit ttefttitjw * lo m-uhie , but tfreat U Ihut man who is thoroughly superior to Imh clothing . —we mean to itH influence ; in whoni , for instance , . soodiuoHH of coxtumo produce * no moral humiliation , and consequently , through h totveruu morale , no
Untitled Article
Sept . 1 , I 860 . ] The Saturday Analyst and Leader . 765
Spurgeonism.
SPURGEONXSM .
*•* , Fast Hats.
FAST HATS ,
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 1, 1860, page 765, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2363/page/5/
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