The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1878-05-15
FOR TIE CENTRAL PREsBHrER1AS.
"REMINISCENCES OF PRESBYTERIAN
MINISTERS.
BY AN OoToGENARIAN.
No. "A.


REV. WILLIAM WALTON
This minister was premsturely licensed
and ordained. In 1914 our country was al
war with England, and the call for soldiers
was urgenN Norfolk was threatened by
British ships. To secure him against a
draught, the Prssbytery very wisely deter
mined to license ana 0rdain him to the holy
ministry. He was probably ordained al
evangelist sine titUlO. Tbs was perfectly
right, for ministers are simply moral heroes
They ought not to engage in the business Of
national wars. We leave this kind of en-
piOyment to the POpes, Cardinals ana ArSn-
bishops Of Rome, and if they get killed all
we can say is, that they ought to have been
keepers at home. Steele wrote book about
moral hero in which the hero keeps up the
war against his own foibles, infrmities and
Ibesetting sins. Happy is that minister who
can say with Paul. / have fought good
fight"
A short time after his ordination he sp-
peared in Lsesburg. The writer was intro
dResd 60 him by an elder, at whose house he
was lodged. was struck with his placid
eOanteaance, every feature of which was
frsEght With beneVolence. They both in
Vited me 70 spend the night in his apart
ment, and the invitation was promptly &C
cepted. We had scarcely retired to his room
before he remarked, with good deal of Sc
riousness, that she felt like being Monk. "
A MOnk," 1 replied. "What, Presby-
,serian Monk? You wonld then be a monde
script Were you one like Luther, ordained
to arouse nations when asleep, We should re-
,iOice but were you to a eOWl like Cspu
9, Yin, you would soon become caput nOrtGHnl
am, ,ng all PrOtestants." ''NO," he replied,
"Id idn't mean anything of that sort. Was
think. " of hymn of John Newton
l., desert woods with thee my God,
HCw happy would be- "
EXACTLY 20, replied. "Your meaning
was underst Ood, and now let us indulge in
that slumber which DR.. Young has eulOgised
CON amOrs." De took many sound sleep in
his Melwyn reetory-
A year or two after the writer happened
in Charlessown, now iR West Virginia, wher
he took occasion to call on his friend Walton
He had just been married to young lady
whose affections be had fairly won. BE in
formed me that he was about going to Ber
ryville, to hold meeting Of several days
and asked me to 60 along and lend helping
hand. My assent was given. Col Norris
whose seat was on the eege Of the town, en-
tertaiued Us with marked hospitality. "YO'
have no church here" observed. "NO,'
be replied, "nOr elder or deacon, and bu
one deaconeas. "Yery we'll, " l said, " GU
Lord preached by the side of well, and tn
letter of Piny to Trajsn makes it certain
that descOnesses were recognized IN tn
primitive Church" There is now kirk
Berryville, and one at the White Post, nc
far from where Lord Fairfax turned over o
his bed and died when told that CORNWALL
had surrendered. In the summer of ISL
the writer spent week at Bedford Spring
with the subject of this reminisCence. d
preached in the town on Sabbath morning
A faithful discourse. We returned to th
Springs in time for the afternoon Sermon
The name of the town led me to reflect o
the sorrows of Lady Russell at WOburn Al
bey-the genius of Buuyan, and the co
sages for the poor reared by Howard Il
PhilanthrOpist.
Not long after we heard that Mr.. WaltC
was preaching in Baltimore, but how long
remained in that city We are unable to So
In the course of his ministry he was inVit
TO Hartford on Connecticut river, but