The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-01-14
For the Central Presbyterian.
ReVivals and Revivalists.

In the contest of 1878, which re-
suited in the disruption of the Presbvte-
rian Church, one of the subjects of con
troversy was the introduction of what
were called New Measures" The Old
School branch of the Church took decided
ground against them, and against the
whole work of itinerant evangelists OF
reYivalists In the past few years a sim
l lar class of workers, adopting similar
measures have been coming into promi-
nence and favor-somewhat in our own
but notably in the Northern Church.
These evangelists, as they call them
selves, sometimes clerical, sometimes lay
are appointed to the work by no church
authority-and not recognized by any
church law, in their distinctive Office or
work. In other words, they are self
appointed, and their peculiar work is a
work of their own devising.
The question of the value and expedi-
ency of this work seems to me one Of the
gravest questions of our day. Our Gene
raj Assembly has spoken very distinctly
upon the subject of lay-evangelism as it is
called, but in this deliverance has not
touched the root of the matter. e.,
whether this so-called system of evange-
listic work, whether conducted by Or
dained ministers or unordained men, is
needed in, and valuable to, the Church
Having five years ago given a qualified
approval of this kind of work, THROUGH
the columns Of the Central, I wish after
longer experience, and more careful
consideration of the whole subject, to sug-
gest some considerations that lead to a
III e a
LIST. One great objection to the whole
system is, that it is creating a new office,
unknown to our Church, and in no sense
subject to the control of its courts, as all
other officers are An evangelist, as de
fined in our Constitution, is one set apart
for a special work, in frontier and desti-
tute places, but these men work in the
very centres of Christian influence, and in
our established churches. The great
business Of an evangelist is to gather and
organize churches where they do not exist,
but these men work only in fields where
churches are already organized assum-
ing control of services often in the pre-
sence and sometimes in opposition to the
expressed wish Of pastors and sessions
and always doing work for which there
IS no responsibility to any Church court.
Whereunto will this grow
I'd. A second serious objection to this
work lies in the assumption of superiority
which it necessarily carries with it. It
would be manifest injustice to this class
Of workers to suppose that they regard
themselves as men Of superior mould or
superior qualifications for preaching the
gospel to the pastors with whom they la
Dor or rather for whoD. But what as
Pect does the assumption of such an office
bear2
A noted circus clown announces his
own conversion $50 the papers state), and
proposes to enter the field as an evange-
list, and to begin in one of the great cen
tres of church influence and work. He
would make oneleap from the ring where
he has been all his life long dealing in
stale and vulgar jokes and bufoonery, into
the midst Of the fields where able and
trained ministers are working, to dc
what2 To take the preaching Of the Cos
pei for the time being out Of the hands o