The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-05-25

TIE TESTIMONY OF REV. GILBERT TENNENT
AND PRESIDENT EDWARDS.
The testimony Of the parties named, as
herewith submitted, upon the subject of lay
exhOrters, accidentally fell under my obser-
walton recently. Their witness against this
class of religionists, is worthy of special
consideration, because they were eye-wit-
nesses Of the evils which encompass it
They ministered amid a great religious
awakening, and felt the evils by which the
name of God was then blasphemed. 1t may
be well for those who advocate such policy
to ponder well the words of these men,
They kne,g whereof they affirmed.
The extract from President Edwards is
taken from his Thoughts on the Revival
of Religion in New England in 174O" In
part 4th he enumerates and condemns GER
tain evils ''to be corrected or avoided in pro-
noting this work. Among these, the sec
ond he mentions is lag erhorting. "Another
thing" says he, Il would take notice of,
in the management Of which there has been
much error and misconduct, is lay exhort-
ing; about which there has been abundance
of disputing, jangling and contention" "
There is room for only few extracts; those
who desire to see all that he says, must refer
to the work itself (Vol. 8, PIP. 397 of Ed
wards works. He says; g suppose all
are agreed as to these two things l. That
all exhorting one another of laymen, is not
unlawful or improper. but on the contrary,
that some exhorting is a Christian duty.
And ,. suppose also, eli viii allow shat
there is something that is proper only for
ministers; that there is some kind or way of
exhorting and teaching or other, that be-
longs only to the office Of teachers
The two ways of teaching and exhOrting,
the one Of which ordinarily ought to be left
to ministers, andthe other of which may and
ought to be practiced by the people, may be
expressed by these two names Of preaching
and er6ortiRg in the way of Christian CONFER
sation. l will humbly offer my
thoughts concerning this subject, as fol
lows:
1. The people in exhorting one another
ought not to clotbe themselves with the like
authority with that which is proper for min
isters. Those that are mere
brethren, ought not to assume authority in
exhortiug, though one may be better and have
more experience than another Laymen
ought not to exhort as though they were the
ambassadors of Christ, as ministers do
He then speaks at some length as to how
laymen may assume this authority in ex.
horting, and concludes as follows, to which
we direct especial attention; "a man may
Be said to set himself op as public teacher,
a0ben he IN set speech, Of design directs
himself to a multitude, either IN the meeting
house or elseOhere, as looking that they should
compose themselves to attend to 'Ohat he has
to say; and much more, when tIis as a con-
TRIED and premeditated thing, 10itbOlt any,
thing Ike a coustrajat By auy srtraordiaa'y
sense or affection that he is then under; and
more still, 1chea meetings are appointed 0n
purpose to hear lag persons erbort and they
take Il as their business to Be speakers, achilst
tley erpect that others should come and COM
pose themselves and attend as hearers. -
Italics ours This is precisely what our
Assembly authorizes the Presbyteries to do.
And such an exhorter is undoubtedly as
suming the authority of the preacher Of the
Gospel, and no legislative enactment would
ever lead the public to recognise this as
other than class of preachers,
,. "No man, but only minister that is
duly appointed to that sacred calling, ought
to follow teaching and exhorting, as a call,
ina. CONTINUES President Edwards.) x
If layman forsakes his proper calling, or
doth so at least in a great measure, and
spends his time in going about from house
to house, to counsel and exhOrt, he goes be-
yond his line and violates Christian rules
'He that teacheth let hm wait on Ueachlng,
or he that exhOrteth on exhOrtatiOn.' Let
every man abide in the same calling where
in he was called. Study to be quiet, and
to do your own business, and to work with
your own hands as We commanded you.
It will be very dangerous thing for lay
men in either of these respects. (Exhort-
ing autloritaticsly or following it as CALI
maj "to invade the Office of minister; if
this be common among US we shall be in
danger Of having a stop put to the word OF
God, and the ark's turning aside from US,
before it comes to mount Zion, and of God S
making breach upon US; as Of old there
was an unhappy stop put to the joy of the
congregation of Israel, in bringing up the