Robert Anderson (1841-1918)

My eye fell upon an advertisement in The Times today. It is headed, “A religion of common sense.” There is no religion of common sense, but there are plenty of religions of uncommon nonsense. There is a religion of Divine revelation, and that is what we want.

Robert Anderson was born in Dublin on May 29, 1841. He described himself as “an anglicized Irishman of Scottish extraction.” Others described him as “the keen, relentless Secret Service agent, the terror of Irish Rebels; a “no-surrender” foe of Biblical criticism, a tireless speaker, preacher and writer for the faith.”

On leaving school he began a business career in a large Dublin brewery;Sir Robert Anderson but after 18 months he turned away from this, and entered Trinity College. During his student times he was active in the College Historical Society (becoming Auditor i.e. President), he played cricket and was halfback in Rugby. He graduated in law, and writes about his Irish years: “I cherish pleasant memories of those years. Religion and politics are the bane of Ireland, but the politicians and priests had not yet poisoned the life of the country. In Trinity, Orangemen and Catholics, ferocious radicals and high Tories, mixed together and discussed their differences with courtesy and kindness of Irish gentlemen.” His student friends with whom he kept contact included John Redmond (Irish Nationalist Leader), Sir Edward Carson (Ulster Unionist), W.E.H. Lecky (Historian and Philosopher), Sir Robert Ball (Astronomer).

Conversion

Although Robert was born in a Christian family (his grandfather was an elder in the Irish Presbyterian Church) his long life of Christian witness and service started only after an incident shortly after his 19th birthday. The following are his words as he wrote them nearly 50 years later:

Even in early years prayer was no mere form with me, and I delighted in reading the Gospel of John and some favorite Psalms. But in due course I was taught that no one who has not been ‘converted’ can be a child of God, and I never had experienced any crisis like that.

As time went by my conviction deepened that I had not been ‘converted.’ But owing doubtless to my early experience and to the restrains of a Christian home I continued to lead ‘a religious life.’ And I had occasionally fits of penitence and anxiety. But they were transient and their after-effect was to make me increasingly callous …

The evening preacher was Dr. John Hall. His sermon was of a type to which we are now accustomed, for he boldly proclaimed forgiveness of sins and eternal life as God’s gift in grace, unreserved and unconditional, to be received as we sat in the pews. His sermon thrilled me. Yet I deemed his doctrine unscriptural, so I waylaid him as he left the vestry and on our homeward walk tackled him about his ‘heresies’.

My first point was that he had no warrant for saying that there was forgiveness for sinners without first ascertaining whether they had repented. This he met by quoting Scripture to prove that repentance was not contrition; nor was it a work preparatory to coming to Christ, but a change produced by believing the Gospel as the Word of God. … At last he let go my arm, and facing me as we stood on the pavement he repeated with great solemnity his message and appeal: ‘I tell you as a minister of Christ and in His Name that there is life for you here and now if you will accept Him. Will you accept Christ or will you reject Him?’ After a pause – how prolonged I know not – I exclaimed, In God’s name I will accept Christ.’ Not another word passed between us, but after another pause he wrung my hand and left me. And I turned homeward with the peace of God filling my heart.

Revival

1859 is remembered as the Ulster Revival, but little is known about how this revival had spread through many areas in Ireland. In 1862, after taking his degree in Trinity, Robert went on a preaching tour in Ireland with George F. Trench. In Sligo the clergy and ministers were unsympathetic. The evangelist were treated to a crusade of abuse and ridicule in a local newspaper which accused them of being impostors preaching for filthy lucre’s sake and getting their salaries from a committee in London. One issue published a letter, said to have been picked up on the road, in which they were taken to task for embezzling the contents of their moneyboxes. Worse still, there appeared a seemingly genuine account of their getting drunk at a picnic. When George had to return home owing to ill health some doggerel verses described the quarrel that led “the Trencher” to desert his pal “Handy Andy.” However, when in 1863 Robert was called to the Irish Bar in 1863, and went on the North-West Circuit, the editor made an abject apology.

The attacks only served to advertise the meetings, and everywhere in Sligo and later in Mayo the meetings were crowded, conversions and changed lives resulting. “You were the first to bring us the message of a full and free salvation, and the way you preached that glorious truth we can never forget.” was a comment from Castlebar.

Robert Anderson married Agnes Moore in 1873. They had four sons and one daughter. He was made K.C.B. in 1901 on his retirement from Scotland Yard, where he was Chief of the Criminal Investigation Department at the time when “Jack the Ripper” operated in London. Robert Anderson wrote many books, ranging from “Sidelights on the Home Rule Movement” to “The Silence of God,” a book that helped many during the First World War, “The Bible or the Church.” Some of the books with Christian themes are still being reprinted!

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