The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1857-12-19

many accounts valuable, but they, as well
as the body of the Report are defective in
this, that they have no distinct recognition of
the work done for the church by her Domes-
tic Missionaries. There IS a yir,ual ignoring
of this class of our ministers that I doubt
not has given pain in some quarter, though
the excellent author of the report could not
have intended to do so. In his zeal to Sc
cure EyangeGsts as a regular order of minis
tiers, he has failed to urge as he might pro-
perly have done, the Importance of this
branch of ministerial service and has given
to the few Eyangelists now engaged in their
work all the credit for any advance the
church has made--See report page Is. "The
church has been long operating with only
half a system. She has been content with
only single class Of official agents on an
organized footing: her employment Of Evan
CYCLISTS for the purpose of entering into un-
tried fields, and extending her borders, has
been only occasional and incomplete. Her
PresbyterieS have failed to organize such
corps for the occupation Of their missionary
fields. YET ell The progress tie church has
madc, has sprung from the uSe Of this office
in the partial and incomplete forms in which
it has been employed" The words italiciz-
ed are very strong, and think they do in
justice as wei to many of our self-denying,
laborious pastors, as to many Of our equally
self-denying and laborious missionaries.
think the Report also does injustice to the
Presbyterian church and her present system
by instituting comparison not at all fat
tering between her success and that Of the
Methodist church 1t is true that the Me-
thodists largely Outnumber us, but so do the
Baptists. If the success of the MethodiSts
is due to their Wanted system of itinerancy,
to what are we to attribute the equal growth
of the Baptists in Virginia? 1t is uudenia-
bly, due to other causes, which it is not ne
cessary now to discuss. For one, ! am dis
posed to take a more cheerful view Of the
estate of the church" than that given in the
Report The statistics are not so "appall-
Inc" as the author seems to regard them
certainly, the condition of things is not, as
he says, becoming progressively bad"
Reyiyals have taken place during the pre-
sent year within the bounds of the Synod,
showing that God is vet with his people, and
remembers his Covenant. cannot better
close this number than by quoting the fol-
lowing remarks made by the venerable
Bishop Meade in his late work on the "Old
Churches, Ministers and Families in Yir-
GINA" (2nd volume, page 3SS) Every soon
after my entrance on the ministry, | read a
sermon by one of our most distinguished
Bishops on those w0rds of the Psalmist-
"Walk about Zion mark well her bulwarks;
consider her palaces, &c" They were ap-
piled to our church in this country, and her
praises highly spoken. 1t was confidently
affirmed that she must greatly prevail over
others by reason Of her divine organization
aud many excellencies. Just at this time,
met with q sermon on the Saufe text and in
the very same style, by one Of the oldest
and most respectable Baptist ministers in
Virginia, showing that the Baptist church
was so clearly ne Apostolic church, of course
after Gods own heart-that it must carry
every thing before it: that the signs Of the
times could not be mistaken.
Shortly after this | went to the West, and
heard Of an eminent Presbyterian minister
who was preaching from place to place a
sermon, or series Of sermons, if not from
the same text yet on the same subject, in
which he declared his church was, as to her
constitution. doctrine, and discipline so scrip
tural, and SO suited to the genius Of our
government, ttat tn twenty years the whole
land would embrace it. Atthls Jlme also a
favorite song with many MethOdists was
The MethOdists are gaining ground,
The devils kingdoms tumbling down
HaIeujah Hallelujah
Doubtless all these were most sincere in
tAeir belief that what they earnestly desired
would surely come to pass. Forty years
have since elapsed, and no one Of them has
taken the place of the other. On the con-
trary, all eff them have, by Gods blessing,
done much good on the different theatres
assigned them, and still doing good, and
will do more good"
The candor and righteousness Of these re-
marks WILL l think, commend them to every
reasonable mind. f. ).
MINISTERIAL.