The daily gazette., 1881-05-06
A BACKwOODs EVANGELIST.

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A religious excitement has broke,
out among the mountains of South
western Kentucky. A new Messiah
has made his appearance among the
moonshiners and rough mountaineers
and at his preaching "their hearts are
stirred as the trees are stirred by the
storm" Miracles are wrought, the
sick are healed by Amounting and
prayer, and other wonders attend the
preaching and administrations of the
Kentucky evangelist. The Louisville
Courier-JourndL has an account of the
man and his ministry that would fill
four closely-printed columns of the
Herald, and remarkable as he nara
tive is, the writer says he has rejected
the strange stories told of the wonder.
full preacher by the excited mountain
felix, combining himself to what he has
himself seen aud heard, or what has
been confirmed by unimpeachable tes-
timony.
Rev. George G. Barnes, the noun,
tain evangelist, is a regularly educated
and ordained minister of the Presbv-
terrain Church, now in the fifty fifth
year of his age, and who has for twen-
W seven years been a preacher of the
G spell. He was prepared for the min
istry at Princeton, emerging from that
ms tuition well equipped with a know
ledge of Greek, Hebrew, Sanscrit, aud
several modern languages. For seven
years after his ordination he was a
missionary in Hindustan, where his
health failed and he returned to the
United States, with constitution seri-
ously impaired. When sufficiently re-
covered he took charge OF a church at
Stanford, KY, and preached accepta-
bly, for nearly eight years, but gave no
sign OF unusual powers. Towards the
close OF his connection with the Stan.
frd church his preaching became
somewhat erratic.
The elders said he was shaky on doc
trinal points and demonstrated with him.
His response was a declaration from The
pulpit that the devil had got out Of his
own territory into that of the church
That he had crept into the hymn books.
into false TRANSACTIONS OF The Bible. into
The catechism, aud even into the Articles
OF Faith. The presbytery rebuked him,
ouy he Withdrew in disgust. In October
1871, he left his Stanford church, telling
bis congtega ion he did SO "w;thout a
dollar in the world, but with faith IN
God" Some'of his flock offered TO
build an independent church, but he re-
fused. A s aBfofd man who had remov-
I'd to Chicago and became wealthy. in
iuced him TO remove 10 thac CITY. He
built chapel in which Mr.. Barnes
IAnRhnh n f.ff
preacher OF the church, with furnished
'esidence aud S4, 900 year, for which
ne was to preach two sermons a month.
This startled him, aud he literally led
- the mountains" to escape temptation.
A the beginning OF 1876 he common
ed his wsrk as mountain evangelist !:
'oor, ID delicate health, and with no
'ther companions than his wife and
laughter. His Chicago friend sent him
eVeral checks OF $50 each, with the as.
urrance that he would have one each
Month as long as both lived. He sent
all back aud refused all aid from his
primer friends and associates. He would |
rust everything TO God.n His throat |
'as wea6 but he "trusted it to Godp
nd four years and a half has preached |
ninterrupledly two sermons every day
mn ihe result OF strengthening instead
uertroy lug his voice, although al
very preaching he violates all the rules
'r vocal preservation. He bought a
nall reed organ which is PLAYED by his
aughter who also leads the singing
he had no musical education whatever.
ut sha "trusLed il. God" and PLAYS and
ngs correctly. The trus. of Mr., Barnes
lat he also would be able to sing accent
ply, has been, In the opinion of his
carers, misplaced, though be d3es mo,
'eh 10 nave discovered the fact. He
companies his daughter in the hymns,
ut with voice that will make the
eaVenly choir stop their ears la agony
Mess u Is improved before he Joins
lem.
HIS success among the people of the
fountains has been wonderful. lie
aches In the plainest language to them,
VI ihey never resent his structures. and
Is converts are numbered by thousands.
lis disciples follow him from one WILL
30 10 another. The most lawIess and
olent communities become ORDERLY and |
eacraole under his miuistr alton. Judge
ail,ot The notorious BrethiIt county
'ys he was stronger in that county In
storing peace than the vhols state
ilitla, and the Judge adjourned Court
IA Brother Barnes might address The S
med factions ready to shoot each other
Dwn. lie takes no collections, accepts
money from the poor, will receive ,
'thlng beyond the supply of the DAYS
'eds, ahd will not stay In the house of
man who cannot afford it. He receives
Violations Of "new light" directing his
ogress and shaping his teaching. The
st light that broke in upon him re-
aled his duty to heal the sick by
lolntlng and prayer, as set forth in the
cred Scriptures, and he is now curing
these means cases given over by the
'ctors. lie does not claim that he will
ways be successful In such cases, nor
rs he thu IL Is necessary for him to
'ther himself about the matter. He
ayes il all to God" L. may be that he :
Ill die like other people, but il has been b
'rne IN upon him that he will 90 to
'ayen without dying.
There is no question bu, that the
ountain Evangelist is causllg a great
llglous sensation in So lthwestern
eutucky, and that thousands of oer.
ms have been converted to hi, doctrines e
love aud faith. a