Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1844-11-27
MISCELLANEOUS.
From the Biblical Recorder.
TO THE REV. w. HOOPER, D. D.,
OF COLUMBIA, S. C..
Mn Dear Brother:

My Dear Brother:
Your letter, in the Recorder Of the 18th inst
lilies before me, containing request that
"wonld furnish our members with my views il
regard to tie practises and modes of worship
winch you have witnessed at protractec
meetings." and which you describe in the
following words; 1.-The. preaching is Oft
en- too didaclic and calm TO agitnte the
! multitude. is always followed by warm, i'm.
passioned exhUr,ations, in which the exhor.
ter has not proceeded long before the effect,
which he has been aiming at, takes place,
namely, general commotion and confusion oi
voices, some screaming GLORY" "glory," al
the same time jumping up and clapping theil
hands, others crying in apparent agony while
a large number strike up hymn which they
sing amid conflicting, sounds. oitentimes uli-
able to keep in concert BY reason Of the cnn-
fusion; and sometimes two different hymns go.
ing on in different paris Of The congregation.
Above all is heard the voice Of The exhor,er
| urging them 10 come up 10 the altar, which is
an enclosure near the pulpit, for those who
are thus powerfully wrought upon 10 kneel
down aud become The objects of special pray
er. II is generally thronged by numbers,
chiefly women. who there throw themselves on
their knees, commonly with loud lamentations.
Then some person is called upon to pray for
the 'mourners' after this concluded singing
| recommences, while the preachers, and often.
times the most Jealous among the hearers, also
| go among The rows ol kneeling 'monrners,'
pressing OH them an immediate remuneration
Of the world and surrender to Christ A sue
cession Of these tumultous scenes is kept up OF.
ten ill n late hour Of the night, and il is not
uncommon for some of the persons thus put in
violent agitation, particularly the negroes, to
continue their screams through the whole
night. This process IS the usual order Of
every day, until the exhaustion of The preach
ers, or the WEAKNESS Of the hearers, brings the
meeting to a conclusion.'' You add, '.that
these exercises take place at large protracted
meetings, and are the results ofnxcitements.
which though begun by agitators, get beyond
their control, and often lead TO tumult and in
decorous bodily gestures and positions which
grie1e serious persons, and furnish too Just
occasion for riicule and gainsaying to the
light bystanders looking on
Ihave often heard Of such scenes, my broth.
er as you here describe, In tire assembllngs of
some OF Gods people. bnt have very seldom
witnessed them. But whether witnessed or
heard Of the knowledge Of their occurrence
has always given me pain, because consid.
eled them as in direct opposition to the in
struction and example of the inspired teachers
of the gospel Of Jesus Christ II is now nearly
fourteen years since my attention has been
particularly drawn 10 the consideration Of
protracted meetings as held by the Baptists,
| looked on them at first with very serious
concern OF soul, and watched their move.
men.s with anxious solicitude. feared
the result Of that tendency to excess and
disorder III the excitement ofthe passions of
our nature to which man is so prone on any
absorbing subject but especially OH the subject
of his future destiny when reused by an as
semblage Of spirit.stiriing instrumentaties.
These aie abundantly furnished in protracted
meetings by the large audience In attendance,
by The solemn appeals of ministers succeeding
each other in preaching, exhortation and pray
er, by the anxieties Of zeaons friends and new
converts, some of whom secm-to think them
selves commissioned 10 forget the proprieties
of life in their zeal for tire salvation Of souls
whilst the right observance Of the one might
better secure the other, and by the son ani-
mating strains Of" Psalms, hymns, and spiritual
songs say. feared, frotnihese instrumen.
taiiiies, the result protracled meetings in the
undue excitement ofour PASSIONS; but | thank
God that IN those with which have had more
particularly to do. have no recollection Of
witnessing the indecorons gestures, and com.
mingling Of voices, producing confusion, that
you describe; yet have occasionally seen and
heard some things in these meetings which
could have been lnostadVantnglouslyd dispensed
with. For example. appeals made by exhor-
lcrs to sinners, which had too much the ap-
pearance of being intended for effeGt-exhor.
tations going on simultaneously with singing
bretheren going about among the nourners
whilst on their knees and talking 10 them in n
low voice whilst an exhorter would be ndlres.
sing the audience. Such praclises ns these, ]
cannot call them modes of worship, are forbid
den by the Apostle III the following scriptures:
"How is it, then, breihrenT When we come
together. every one ofyou hath a psalm. hath, u
doctrine. hath tongue, hath revelation, hath
an interpretation. Let all things be done TO
edifying If any man speak in an unknown
tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three
and that by course" that is in order, one ut o
time, '.and let one interpret" .'Let The pro.
| pIlels speak two or three, land let others Judge
i If any thing be revealed 10 another that sit,ell
by. let tile first hold his peace,n that is let the
first who is speaking finish aud sit down then
lei the other rise and deliver what he has 10 say
For ye may all prophesy, one. by one. that al
may hear, aud all may be coinforted. And
The spirit of the prophets are subject TO The
prophets. For God IS mol the author of con
fusion" tumult OF unquietness, .ebut Of peace
MS in all churches Of the. Saints. Let you,
women keep silence in.the churches; for il i.
not permitted unto them to speak, but they art
commanded TO beunder obedience, as also salt!
I The law. And ifihey illearn any thing, !e
tlrrm ask their husbands at home, y or SOME
. suitable person capable Of informing them, $50
A il is a shame for a woman TO speek in The
church," ! Cor. xiv. 26, Sc. Nowile Apostl,
adds, IF any mnnihink himself to be a proph
: ct or spiritual, let him acknowledge that The
things that write unto yon are the command
mems ofthe Lord W. 81. And he closesihe chap
terssIth this, direction Let all things be dont
decenily and in order, Nv. 40. i;;7; .5s
Now:itis very cleartbnt the Apostle, in tiles,