There are some eccentric men among the English Wesleyan preachers, as among those of other denominations; and assuredly the Rev. Hodgson Casson is one of these. Such men serve an important purpose in the army of them that preach the word, though sometimes their erratic course involves apparent confusion and disorder. They are not men whose examples are to be copied. Eccentricity is at best dangerous in a minister of the gospel, even when it is innate, original, and unavoidable. Its possessor should ever check rather than foster it; but when it is cultivated, assumed, worn as a garment to catch the public eye, it involves moral obliquity; and for lack of the genius from which genuine eccentricity springs, is not less mischievous than contemptible. That the eccentricity of our present subject was born with him, and is inwoven with his very existence, does not admit of doubt; and to that eccentricity he owes the considerable popularity he enjoys, which, however, is mainly confined to the northern counties of England. Energetic, hardy, fearless of danger, and almost rash in braving it, indifferent to odium or ridicule, zealous in his Master's cause, and full of compassion for souls, the whole of his earlier life was a succession of erratic movements, and daring sorties upon the enemy's camp, often successful from their very suddenness and novelty; and if unsuccessful, exciting admiration by the zeal which prompted and the courage which executed them. As is often the case with men of his class, the years of his effective itinerancy were comparatively few. Although entering upon his labors so late as 1815, he has been for many years upon the superannuated list.
As has been intimated, Mr. Casson's labors have been principally confined to the north of England. While stationed at Gateshead and Newcastle, he devoted himself principally to the reformation and religious enlightenment of the numerous coal-heavers, bargemen, and sailors of that port. Two or three anecdotes will sufficiently illustrate the character of the man, and his mode of procedure. Passing one of the low public-houses to be found in every seaport, he heard the sound of music, revelry, and dance, in an upper room; while on the first floor, or bar-room, a crowd of riotous "longshore men" were quarreling and brawling. Never pausing to think of the personal risk he encountered, he entered, pushed through the crowd below, ascended the rickety stairs, and soon stood in the center of the group of dancers. His gaunt but muscular form, clothed in black, immediately arrested attention. Without giving the revelers time to recover from their surprise, he exclaimed, with the full power of his stentorian lungs, " There now, you have had dancing enough for awhile: let us pray. Down upon your knees, every man and woman of you." The entire group seemed deprived of all power of resistance, (and this was no isolated instance of the kind;) the piping and the dancing ceased; soon Mr. Casson's powerful voice was heard in prayer; strong cries and groans speedily followed from those who but a few moments before were whirling in the dance; the astonished landlord rushed up stairs, but fled affrighted when he beheld the scene; the drunken crowd below slunk away; and Mr. Casson remained the live-long night wrestling, praying, and exhorting -- ceasing not until many of his strange congregation had obtained mercy, and went to their homes new creatures in Christ Jesus.
On another occasion he was returning on foot from a country appointment, and when near his home heard a man utter an awful imprecation, calling down with an oath God's eternal vengeance upon his soul. In a moment Mr. Casson stood before him, and, proffering him two half-crowns, said, "Here, my man, I will give you five shillings if you will say that again, and 'amen' after it." The man did so, and took the promised reward. Mr. Casson passed on, entered his house, but took no food or sleep until he had wrestled for hours with God for that man's salvation; nor did he cease his intercession until he received an assurance that the desire of his soul should be granted. About a fortnight afterward, Mr. Casson was holding a lovefeast, when a man arose, under strong emotion, and told how, on a certain night, he was swearing, as was his habit, when a tall, black figure suddenly stood before him, and offered him five shillings to repeat the oath, with an "amen;" that he repeated it with the addition, and took the reward; went home, and told his wife of the circumstance; that she refused to receive the money; that it immediately flashed upon his mind that he had sold himself to the evil one; that he had never touched the money since, but torn with remorse, and wretched beyond endurance, he had wandered from place to place, seeking rest and finding none; and had begged admission into that meeting, hoping that the people would do something to ease his troubled conscience. In a moment Mr. Casson was upon his feet, the next moment upon his knees, and, joined by the congregation, he wrestled, and refused to be silenced, until the man's sins were forgiven, and his soul made to rejoice in the glorious liberty of God's children.
The intelligent, pious reader, will not fail to attribute the success of each of these bold measures to the singleness of purpose which dictated it, and the earnest prayer with which it was accompanied. That was undoubtedly the grand secret. Similar instances, even more starting in their character, might be cited, were further elucidation of that phase of Mr. Casson's character necessary.
He often too experienced signal interpositions of divine Providence in his behalf; Jehovah not only protecting his servant from dangers to which his impetuous zeal exposed him, but sometimes making it apparent that his faithful minister was under his especial protection. It will excite no wonder that Mr. Casson's bold assaults upon the kingdom of darkness made him many enemies, and exposed him to the machinations of evil men, especially those who lived upon the follies and vices of the sin-pursuing throng. Once he was waylaid, when going to a country appointment, by two men, who had taken an oath to assassinate him as he passed a certain point on the road. When Mr. Casson reached the place, fear took hold upon them; and they allowed him to pass without executing their murderous purpose. They followed him to the village; turned into a public house, and, having fortified themselves with alcohol, the boldest of them repeated his oath, adding, that "as sure as he went out of that house alive, he would murder Hodgson Casson that night." After waiting in the house until they supposed Mr. Casson would be about returning, they arose to depart on their fiendish mission. The man who had renewed his oath fell upon the threshold of the house, and was taken up dead. This fact is well authenticated. The inference is easily drawn. The survivor, struck with alarm and remorse, confessed their mutual purpose. The village was notorious for its wickedness. Mr. Casson had often been mobbed and stoned there, but ever after, when indications of such treatment appeared, he would boldly march up to them, and stay their persecution by only saying, "Remember ," mentioning the name of the man who died with a murder in his heart.
I never heard Mr. Casson during the palmy days of his notoriety, but presume that he was mainly indebted to his zeal and eccentricity for his popularity. Some seven or eight years ago, being then, as now, supernumerary at Birstal, he preached an occasional sermon in the neighborhood of Manchester, and I was induced to go and hear him. He was then emaciated and comparatively feeble. The sermon was upon the whole common-place, enlivened now and then with some burlesque upon the frivolities of worldly minded and fashionable Christians, with also some hard hits at what he called "dandy preachers." "When Christ wanted preachers," said Mr. Casson, "he did not go into a fashionable drawing-room, and, scraping and bowing to some exquisite who was lounging upon a velvet sofa, offer him a 'living' in his church," with more to the same purport, which, however, was more amusing than edifying. Yet with this there was also some good sense, and the sermon was calculated to do good. It was clear that the fire of his genius no longer gave out the warmth of early days.