The Autobiography of Mark Rutherford · Chapter
Edward Gibbon Mardon explained
Rutherford reflects on his preaching during illness and his growing disinclination to use misleading orthodox phrases, inspired by the story of Balaam.
What happens
Rutherford reflects on his preaching during illness and his growing disinclination to use misleading orthodox phrases, inspired by the story of Balaam. He speaks at a public meeting about water supply, prompting a critical letter from Mr. Snale. He meets Edward Gibbon Mardon, a compositor who supported him at the meeting, and learns of Snale's authorship of the letter.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy and Authenticity
Rutherford's struggle with preaching orthodox phrases he no longer believes, and his resolve to avoid misleading language.
The Danger of Intellectual Ambition
Rutherford's intellectual questioning and the tension between his scholarly pursuits and his ministerial duties.
Religious Doubt and Loss of Faith
Rutherford's internal conflict over orthodox doctrines and his reinterpretation of scripture.
Characters to notice
- Mark Rutherford
Narrator reflecting on his preaching, his involvement in the water-supply meeting, and his encounter with Mardon.
- Mr. Snale
Author of the critical letter in the Sentinel, identified by Mardon.
- Edward Gibbon Mardon
A compositor on the Sentinel who spoke in support of Rutherford at the meeting and later meets him by the stile.
- Mary Bell
Mentioned in Rutherford's reflection on patience and self-denial, contrasting with his own tendency to parade troubles.
- Miss Mardon
Suffering from neuralgia; her quiet endurance is contrasted with Rutherford's earlier self-absorption.
Key passages
“I said that Jesus was the true Paschal Lamb, for that by His death men were saved from their sins, and from the consequences of them; I said that belief in Christ, that is to say, a love for Him, was more powerful to redeem men than the works of the law. All this may have been true, but truth lies in relation. It was not true when I, understanding what I understood by it, taught it to men who professed to believe in the Westminster Confession.”
Rutherford acknowledges that his orthodox-sounding statements were technically true for him, but misleading to his congregation who held different interpretations.
Highlights the theme of hypocrisy and the gap between personal belief and public preaching.
“I date from it a distinct disinclination to tamper with myself, or to deliver what I had to deliver in phrases which, though they might be conciliatory, were misleading.”
From that moment, Rutherford resolved to stop using ambiguous language to appease his audience.
Marks a turning point in Rutherford's commitment to authenticity.
“I perceived that such virtues as patience and self-denial—which, clad in russet dress, I had often passed by unnoticed when I had found them amongst the poor or the humble—were more precious and more ennobling to their possessor than poetic yearnings, or the power to propound rhetorically to the world my grievances or agonies.”
Rutherford realizes that quiet endurance is more admirable than dramatic self-expression.
Reflects on the value of humility and the contrast between outward show and inner virtue.