Reverend Thomas Maude was rector of Hasketon from 1840 until 1878, with a short break in 1843 when, for unknown reasons, previous rector Reverend Henry Freeland took over for a year. Generally speaking, we know very little about any of the Rectors, but during the late 1850s the Suffolk Chronicle ran a series of articles on village churches called, “The Suffolk Pulpit”. In January 1859, number 58 in the series, featured Hasketon.
The article consists of a short description of the church and village, followed by what initially it appears a rather blunt, even cruel description of Rev. Maude, but gradually it seems to recognise that, whilst not an intellectual, he is a very effective and practical pastor. The summary of the sermon is interesting, but personally I’m somewhat glad I didn’t have to sit through it!
THE SUFFOLK PULPIT
No. 58 – HASKETON
The REV. THOMAS MAUDE, M.A.
Seven miles from Ipswich, a little to the left of the road to Woodbridge, we find the village of Hasketon. It is pleasantly situated in an extensive valley, and, looking from the surrounding uplands, its church is readily distinguished from those of the neighbouring villages by its round tower. This is novelty in this part of the county, and we believe that it will be many months before we shall have to notice a similar instance of architectural caprice. Round bell towers are, of much more frequent occurrence in Norfolk than in our own county; but, besides the one now under notice, we have several specimens towards the borders of that county. Beyond this novelty, Hasketon church has nothing in its architectural peculiarities worthy of particular notice; the interior is very plain—its walls are washed with buff colour, and are of great thickness. The walls of the tower are so thick that but little space is left on the inside; and we should think that, when the bell-ringers are at their work, a glimpse of the interior would give one an idea that a severe scuffle was going on—so close must the five campanologists stand as they exercise their art in Hasketon church.
The Rev. Thomas Maude, the present incumbent, is about sixty years of age; his appearance is not strikingly intellectual, nor does he exhibit any of the marks by which a hard student is known. We ought, perhaps, to say that he wears spectacles, and that he has lost most of his hair; still we do not feel inclined to lay these marks of wear to the reverend gentleman’s hard reading. There is an appearance of health and keen animal enjoyment in his physique that we find it difficult to connect with nocturnal oil, or heavy folios. Mr. Maude is not a good reader. He reads slowly, impressively, and with reverence; but his voice is thick and weak, and it is hardly possible to exaggerate the mischief done to his reading by this defect. Yet the services of the church have, in his bands, pleasing effect. One feels, while looking upon his florid, healthy face, and listening to his weak and husky voice, ! that he is a man who serves the cause he is engaged in by other than personal or literary graces, and, while the conviction grows upon us that he has never, at any part of his career, been a popular or graceful preacher, we see in his manner, and in the congregation around him, many indications of a very useful, conscientious village pastor not a hard-working man, perhaps; for that is scarcely necessary with a flock containing no more than five hundred souls, upon an area of about sixteen hundred acres. There was a good congregation and schools, and the choral service was conducted in a most pleasing manner —indeed, some of the voices would have been an acquisition to any choir in England. These are no trifling matters. The clergyman who takes pains to collect the children of his parish from the fields and highways, and who has induced the youth of his flock to discipline their minds and voices in the service of the church, has performed no slight portion of his work, before he enters the pulpit, and has already prejudiced the critic in his favour with regard to his efforts in performing that particular portion of his duties. At Hasketon, however, do not think there was any great necessity for lenient treatment of the more direct teaching of the pulpit.
The sermon, as might be expected from such a man, was not marked by any literary graces. It contained no elaborate disquisitions on virtue or vice—no merely theological discussions; it was neither adorned nor obscured by abstract speculation; but it was plain and practical to the letter —the thought and language, the strong common sense of a man who spoke with no other wish than to be clearly and fully understood. The great defect of Mr. Maude’s teaching appears to us to lie in the fact that it was given too much upon his own dictum and did not appeal sufficiently to the reason of his audience. Men do not, in these days, look upon even a clergyman as an oracle; and even sermons are none the worse when they are addressed to the reason or the feelings of the men they are intended instruct, rather than to the faith which they may have in the minister. It is doubtless a good thing to tell men that a certain course is not a right one, but unless a man be aimed with greater powers than ordinary men are blessed with, in these post miraculous days, the assertion will have but slight effect upon men accustomed to see reason appealed to, and the best graces of the language used, in every other department of public teaching.
The Suffolk Chronicle. January 15th 1859.
The article then goes on to summarise the contents of Rev. Maude’s sermon of the day.
Mr. Maude preached from Ephesians 4,29, a verse in which the Apostle exhorts that branch of the primitive church not to allow corrupt communications in their conversation. In few words Mr. Maude explained the meaning of the word communications in the text; and observed that this excellent advice was given to others as well as to those to whom it was there addressed. The body of the discourse was occupied in considering the methods in which conversation might be corrupt, and was preluded with observations upon the delightful character of conversational intercourse illustrated by examples given in scripture of God’s talking with Abraham, and the conversation at the last supper. Speech was denied to brutes and given to man that he might praise God and instruct and comfort his fellow-man. Our duty to God required that we should take no part in, or even give any countenance to, conversations that dishonoured him. Jesting at the expense of religion or religious people was to be discountenanced. If we had the misfortune to fall into such society, we should not neglect to give gentle rebuke; and when we had no further hope of improving such people as indulged in this profanity, we should quit their company; for we learned, insensibly, by contact with vice, to look upon it with less abhorrence. Taking God to witness, or such conversation as led to the injury of a neighbour’s character, a Christian congregation needed scarcely to be told, were corrupt communications,” which were displeasing to God. Wrangling, revengeful discourse, invectives against those who injured us, were all passed in review as amongst the “corrupt communications” of the text.
Of talebearing, Mr. Maude asked, why should we disturb our fellow creatures by telling them things of which, had they remained ignorant, they would have been tranquil and happy? Indecent discourse was often indulged in. In the higher ranks of society this was not allowed, and any one who indulged in it was deserted by those amongst whom he moved. Among the lower classes, and even in some that was called good society, it passed for wit and merriment. False anecdotes in conversation were also to be considered as corrupt communications. We might flatter ourselves that, as these were told for entertainment, there could be no harm in such indulgence; but he who was found to tell untruths for diversion would be supposed to tell them for interest. On the other hand, how wide a field could we find for the exercise of our conversational powers in intercourse with godly people, and in conversing upon the inventions of art and science. With a few such hints as these, by way of showing that we were no means reduced to the necessity of indulging in such things as were placed on the other side of the account, the reverend gentleman brought his well-meant discourse to an end.
We are glad to be able to record that this,”eminently practical” discourse, was well meant. It bore every mark of having been written for the purpose of doing good to those to whom it was addressed. No higher motive could move any man—no other should. Sermons often appear to have been composed for the purpose of filling an hiatus – to while away the unoccupied Sabbath hours—a service which they perform in a truly exasperating manner. We are comparatively contented, therefore, when we can discern traces of an earnest purpose in such as come under our notice. It is far belter that men should continue to recognise their duty—however narrow their conception may be, however feeble their endeavours to work it out than that they should fall into a spiritless routine and preach dull mechanical useless sermons because preaching is supposed to be a part of their business.
The Suffolk Chronicle. January 15th 1859
The Sheeprug Pages. 