The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1883-03-07

faith in God, heart full of the Holy
Ghost, together with an ordinary educa-
ton, and the faculty of adapting them
selves to the capacity of the people among
whom they labor, are the grand qualif-
cations of successful ministers. I hope I
shall not be understood as disparaging
educated ministers or an educated min
istry. | simply argue that at present, in
the greater part of the field, classically
educated ministry is not necessary. /
believe that as a rule, so much educa-
tional and theological training has ten
dency to destroy the simplicity that
should characterize the preaching of the
word. l believe that In many places
our ministers preach over the heads of
the people. They fail to make them
selves understood They preach, as it
were, in an unknown tongue. The or
binary mind tires of following an intri-
cate chain of arguments and reasonings,
and nice distinctions. What the people
want is plain facts easily understood
their duties pointed out to them, and
they admonished to do them-kindly,
earnestly, lovingly. l think our Church
could be more aggressive in another way.
We do not reach large class of people
that ought to be reached by the Church,
because they do not come to hear the
word preached. l will not undertake
to enumerate the various reasons why
these people do not attend religious SER
vices, suffice it to say that they do not
appreciate the Importance of it nor feel
the moral obligation that rests upon
them to do so. Now if these people will
not come to the preaching, the preaching
must some how or other go to them.
They must be visited at their homes and
be shown that the Church is interested
In them. If this work takes up so much
of the minister's time that he cannot pro-
perly prepare his sermons, he should
have an assistant to help him in this Wis
iting. AT any rate it ought not to be
neglected, even if It's performance neces-
states, for while, the preaching of
fewer sermons. The people mast hear
the gospel. This is matter in which
we cannot afford to stand on ceremony.
There are hundreds and thousands of
poor people in this country who never
go to church at all, unless it is when
there Is an exciting revival, and some of
them are attracted to it out of mere curl
osity. This is a redeeming feature of
such meetings-they bring people out
to church who are not in the habit of
coming, and it is not at all improbable
that some are led to repentance by thus
hearing the Word. Many of these peo-
pie stay away because they cannot dress
well. They are afraid they will feel out
of place in church. What they need is
to be visited, family by family supplied
with tracts, with Bibles where they have
not any, talked to, prayed with, and
urged to come to meeting, and to send
their children to Sabbath School. This
is the kind of work that will win souls to
Christ. 1t will show this class of people
that the Church is in earnest, that
Christian people care for their souls;
and it cannot but result in good. Our
system is certainly flexible enough to
admit of any innovation or departure
from traditional methods that will ad-
vance the interests of the Masters king
dom. j. G. W., AN ELDER.