The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-02-23

men who shall be able to teach others Also
God no longer speaks by voices from
Heaven, or as to Paul by miraculous appear
ance, or by inspired living teachers. His
Word is our only rule of faith and practice
There must be recognition, by the proper
officers of the Church, that God has called
men to minister in the Word. In this view,
the cases of "lay preaching" alluded to are
evidently exceptions, and not designed in
Gods providence to supersede the scriptural
laws. In the Old Testament history an In
stance of similar exception is given, and
also one in the New Testament. In men,
orable crisis in the condition of the Israel.
ties, recorded in Numbers xi, God was
pleased to direct Moses to select seventy OF
the Elders of Israel, on whom He promised
to bestow His Spirit This was done, and
they prophesied, 4. e., taught the people by
inspiration of God. But it seems, either
that because in his selection of those he knew
to be " Elders of the people and officers over
them" (verse 16,) he had overlooked Eidad
and Medad, or that, though of those A" that
were within" verse 26,) there had not gone
into the Tabernacle, from modesty or some
other cause, Gods esprit rested on them "
and they prophesied. On complaint made to
Moses, he replied, "wOuld to God that all
the Lords people were prophets, and that
the Lord would put His Spirit upon them. ="
In Mark tx: S8, it is recorded that one Of
the apostles made statement to our Lord
amounting to similar complaint, of one seen
casting out devils in Jesus name, though
not following" with them. Our Lord
said, "forbid him not, for there is no man
which shall do miracle in my name, that
can lightly speak evil of me" The purport
of these exceptions from the distinctly re-
vealed divine method, is to teach that it does
not follow from " the existence of divinely
instituted order that its author may not
promote the end designed in some way, out
side of its provisions. The lesson, in both
cases, is taught by the Intervention of mir
aculous agency. Miracles have ceased. But
the principle inculcated evidently exists, and
is illustrated in Gods providence. But how
we may decide respecting such illustration
brings US to the
2. Second aspect, that is, how this subject
appears in the light of human experience
and observation. Here an observation
equally applicable to both aspects may be
made. While these sharply defined excep-
tions are admitted, no man can allege that
they set aside the divinely instituted meth
DDS. These combined, to say nothing of the
extraordinary Office of succession of teach
ers, whose authority was arranged to be
matter for the examination of Gods people,
according to certain prescribed laws, (Deut
xiii: 1-5, xviii: 20-22,) there was for the
ordinary spiritual wants of the people an
''order constituted, which was perpetuated
during the existence of the Church under
the Old Testament dispensation. So also
the apostolic college was not disbanded, be-
cause of the recorded exception. On the
other hand, the scriptures abound in the Old
Testament with examples of the awful fate of
those who intruded, uncalled of God, into
the office of the religious teacher. See the
case of Dathan and Abiram, Mum. xvi. So
in the New Testament there were "unruly
and vain takers" who preached "anOther
gospel" preached Christ of contention"
"made shipwreck of faith; of whom were
"Hymeneus and Alexander" and Paul, in
nearly sail his Epistles, speaking of these
things" warned the people of God against
such; and Peter expressly draws parallel
to Old Testament false prophets, by admOn-
ishing against false teachers even in apostolic
times.
In mans view, the question respecting
clay preaching" then, is reduced to two
distinct issues. a. Do such, by their teach
ing and the seals of divine appreciation,
commend themselves as exceptions to the
clear law of Gods Word and Church? (2.)
Do the grounds on which such persistently
decline the recognition of that law Shew any
evidence of consistency with the character Of
scriptural exceptions?
l. In the first case, it is obvious that We
need better evidence than that arising from
crowded assemblies and professed conver-
sions, or conversions evidently by ordinary
tests, accepted as genuine. So long as vast
assembages may be ascribable to other
causes than a true religious interest, and
conversions professsd may be evidently due
to other means than the appointed scriptural
means-the Word Of GOd-and conversions,
real cannot be traced to the special agency
of "lqy preaching," as distinguished from
that of enthusiastically appointed men, it is,
to say the least, incumbent on US to suspend
Judgment. Again, it is evident that mar
rowed down to a decision on the elements
proVidentially furnished, this issue is to be
determined on each case as presented. For
Just here, observation and experience show,
in the history of all religious movements out
side the order divinely instituted " and re-
vealed, there has been a uniform tendency
to deterioration. The great movement Of
the Wesleys was evidently tending to this
when arrested by the adoption of the princi
pies of Church organisation, on the specific
form of which, however dissenting as to tht