PULPIT SKETCHES.

Observer, Volume 5, Issue 117, 9 December 1882, Page 196

PULPIT SKETCHES.

By Ingosiar

No. 1. — The Late Rev. S. Edgker, B.A. I purpose to review one by one our local divines, point out their special characteristics, note their idiosyncracies, criticise their modes of delivery, and contrast the style and substance of their pulpit deliverances. The project is not conceived in any unkindly spirit, nor is there any intention in my mind of carrying it out after a flippant or jocose manner. It shall be my endeavour to pourtray the rev. gentlemen as faithfully as my powers of observation will allow me, and to speak of them from a mind disabused, as far as possible, of doctrinal views or sectarian prejudice. I need not extend the preamble furfcLer, nor seek to promise more." Let the result attest the sineei'ity of the resolve. Lest by the adoption of a systematic order of precedence in dealing with the subjects of review, I should unduly trammel myself with restrictions, or, perhaps, place myself at some time or , other in a dilemma, I have decided to pursue no settled order in the mattei 1 , but to select at haphazard every week the parson whom I shall attempt to delineate. This is an arrangement which can give offence to no one, and may successfully baffle the curiosity of all. It may be thought strange that I should open the series with the portrait of a clergyman who has passed away to his long home, and I admit that it is so ; but the length of his residence in this city, and his great worth and ability, must be my apology for this single excursion outside the precise scope of the undertaking. In truth, he was no common man, and, a generation hence, his merits will doubtless be more fully estimated, and his talent be better appreciated, than they are at present. It is a notable defect of contemporary criticism that its propinquity to the subject of review renders it almost incapable of measuring and appraising it correctly. ' There is an invariable tendency to exaggerate, and the man is either extolled too highly, or unjustly appreciated. In Mr Edger's case, the exaggeration was never on the indulgent side. He was at no time eagerly sought after by the multitude, his fellow-preachers showed no great fellowship for him, and his Sunday morning services in the Lorne-sti'eet Hall were only attended by some 30 or 40 regular hearers. Yet, in intellectual power, breadth of spiritual vision, and tolerance of mind, there ha 3 been no one to rival him in Auckland, while in purity of life he will bear comparison with any of his compeers, i There can be no doubt that the direct cause of his lack of popularity was his freedom of thought in matters theological. He abominated orthodox canons as the Procrustean bed which dwarfed the growth of true religion, and, with all the ardour of his temperament, he persistently opposed them till his dying day, holding up the Gospel of love, mercy and work as that which would regenerate the world and hasten the dawn of that halcyon age of which poets have sung and seers have prophesied from time immemorial. He scouted the doctrine of " belief or damnation," utterly repudiated the idea that any man who strove to ennoble his nature and to discharge his work in this probationary life would be punished for his conscientious views (whether conformable or not with ecclesiastical dogmas), and proved convincingly his own unshrinking fidelity to the cause of liberty of thought by appearing from time to time on friendly platforms with the exponents of various phases of Freethought. It was by no means any concurrence with the religious opinions of these heterodox lecturers that led to Mr Edger's cordial recognition of them, but rather to his manly love of fair play, and his strong and ever-abiding belief that truth had nothing to fear from open and honest investigation. [ In his youth, he had been a I'egularly-ordained clergyman of the Baptist persuasion, but when he found that his thinking and preaching were to be circumscribed within certain narrow lines which I had been laid down and unalterably fixed, he kicked over the clerical traces and set out on his lifelong search after real and practical religion. He never relinquished the distinctive tenets of Christianity founded upon the New Testament Scriptures — such as the holy and impeccant character of Jesus, His miraculous works and divine nature ; and if he believed in His vicarious death at all, it was not insisted ■on ; while the second coming was accepted as merely symbolical of the dawn of a happier era. In fact, no ci'eed was ever formulated by him for his auditors, and their desires were never stimulated by the promise of such substantial rewards for well-doing as harps, thrones and crowns, nor their fears aroused by the threat of fire and brimstone. He constantly and fervidly appealed to their higher and finer feelings, exhibited to them the beauty and nobility of doing good for its own sake, incited them to faithful and uncomplaining labour in their various walks of life, showed that sin by stamping its evil effects upon the sinner wrought out its own punishment;, unfolded the glorions continuity of our immortal existence, and, like Goldsmith's village preacher, " Allured to brighter worlds, and led the way." Through his outspoken expressions of opinion and his readiness to afford a fair platform and a patient hearing to " the unbeliever," he became frequently embroiled in discussion with, the

offended " unco quid," but lie invariably met them unflinchingly. Peahaps, however, no other thing brought him so much undeserved obloquy as his avowed belief in and commendation of Spiritualism. This was his great blemish from an evangelical standpoint, and a lesser one was his partial belief in Swedenborgianism. It was for these reasons, as well as from a liking for his advanced views, that so large a bulk of his congregation were ardent Spiritualists. In fine, the Lome-street Hall on Sunday mornings was a Cave of Aclullam whence all resorted who were discontented with the faith in which they had been brought up or were athirst for the refreshing waters of a nobler and grander spirituality. The preacher had a peculiarly benignant expression, and his manner, when depicting the attributes of Deity, human potentialities, the cultivation of the spiritual in man, or any other of his favourite themes, was always impressive, varied by an occasional burst of indignant feeling as he denounced the shams or exposed the shallow deceits which were being practised on every hand. His sermons were carefully prepared and written oat beforehand and they were marked, by a close ratioeinnKve process of thought, great lucidity of expression, choice and often eloquent diction, and a bright hopefulness in (3-od's all-prevailing love and mercy. As I have already remarked, Mr Edger had a benevolent, and I might add, a venerable aspect. His face was pale and emaciated, plainly betokening the physicial suffering that the man must have endured, while his long and thin hair, ample forehead and mild, grave eyes, his slight figure, bent shoulders, and feeble gait, suggests a portrait too familiar to us to require nice elaboration. The most characteristic points of his vesture were the black felt hat and long loose black lustre coat that he habitually wore. He was a refined and scholarly man, as his writting3 will shew and as the high educational attainments of his daughters (in large measure the result of his own training) assist to demonstrate ; he had a sound knowledge and an unquenchable love of music; and, to the last, he was an enthusiastic champion and an unwearied worker in the cause of total abstinence. On more than one occasion he acted as conductor of the Auckland Choral Society, besides being the first president of the Ponsonby Choral Society, and it is only justice to say that no other man in Auckland has been a more energetic temperance advocate. The G-ood Templars, Eechabites, and Teetotallers pure and simple have all felt the benefit of his help and counsel. The deceased gentlemen came to Auckland twenty years ago with the Port Albert settlers, but he soon exchanged the rough country life for that of the town, where he has since resided. At one time, he preached in the City Hall, afterwards in the Choral Hall, and eventually in the Lome-street Hall, where, after a time, with increasing infirmities, he was obliged to stop his evening services. His congregation were much attached to him, and some two or three years ago, on leaving on a holiday trip, they presented him with a purse of sovereigns, as they did also on his departure for England. Of course, it is easily understood that he had not much communion with his brethren of the clerical profession. Whatever willingness they might have had to court his advice and friendship was annihilated by his notable lecture on " Socrates," which was delivered in connection with the Young Men's Christian Association's course of lectures. It was too advanced and tolerant in aim and tone for that liberal-minded body, however, and he was never again invited to deliver another. There were a few exceptions in this, as in other cases. The Primitive Methodists, strangely enough, liked to hear him, and more than once' got him to preach in their churches, while the Rev. S. J.Neill, Presbyterian minister of the Thames, was a warm and intimate friend. But then Mr Neill is in advance of his brethren. Mr Edger has passed away from our midst,butit will be long before his remembrance fades from the minds of those who knew and. loved him, and longer still ere his influence shall have ceased to exert its beneficent power. He was in the highest sense of the term a labourer, his work was never neglected, and he has earned his ti-anquil rest. " After life's fitful fever, he sleeps well."