The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1883-02-21
For the Central Presbyterian.
snail we Revolutionize our Church by
Opening it to an Uneducated
Ministry .

Opening it to an Uneducated
Ministry?
The discussion which has been sprung
certainly evinces the state of the Churchs
conscience. The quick, keen interest in
1t is confession that she is coming short
OF her duty to lost souls. The purpose
OF this contribution is not so much to de-
bate the proposed revolution-a task too
large tor card-but to give some pause
by asking few questions, suggested by
d. A. y in your issue of February 7th
L. Does the readiness to agitate and
innovate on tried methods when our de-
linquency to Christ's work is pointed to
us, disclose the spirit of true repentance
turning us to the solemn, tender, prayer
full, diligent performance of our own du-
ties to lost world? Or does it betray
rather the secret desire to evade that
thorough repentance by the easier way of
tlnkering our machinery?
9. Great as is our delinquency in car
rying the gospel to every creature; do
we not need to look far more at the
quality than the quantity of the &C.
cesslons to our membership? Do we not
need to ponder the fact that so much of
our membership is inert, nominal, prayer
less; five times as much as we ponder the
Methodist and Baptist majorities Are
we certain that we shall be really doing
much to build up Christs kingdom by
making good many thousands of the
sorry kinds of church members which
the various churches now gather in?
Is it true that iesbyteriansm is ga
quality Church ?" That it lacks adapta-
ton now to reach the plain classes 1t
reaches them fully in Scotland, in Swift
zerland, protestant cantons) where al
the PeaSontry who join any church join
the Presbyterian. 1t reaches them in
Philadelphia, in Canada, in West Penn
sylvania, in the great Valley of Virgin
la, in Western Carolina; in all which, it
is the Church Of the plain people.
Should it appear that in other districts
in which the poor turn away from it, this
results from their sinful pride, fostered
by the blighting influences of ultra de
mocracy, radical dwelling, and com
munistic hatred of property, order, and
virtue which is it that ought to change
our Scriptural church order, or this
wicked, arrogant temper of our Amer
can people?
4. Is it true, that real education units
Christian man, spiritually or intelleo.
tually, to condescend to the humble
That it makes his language and modes of
expression too pedantic for them to un-
derstand or his demeanor too arrogant
for them to like? Experience shows
that no men are SO apt to be infatea -"
this social arrogance Is KS
Gated men pufo
learning tends to chaa.
and purify the style into e.
that the best trained faculties are mosL
needed to convey spiritual truth success
fully to the rudest minds; that your
partially educated minister is four times
as likely as true scholar, to use gran
diloquence unintelligible to plain people.
5. Is it true that Christ sent out his
apostles uneducated No: He kept them
for three years in training, notwithstand-
ing the whiteness of the fields to the
harvest, in the best theological school
that ever was in the world-his own tut
ton. Christ's example is wholly against
81. A. Y" wholly on the side of detain-
ing ministers under training, no matter
how urgent the restitution, until they
are well equipped.
6. He very well advises his partizans:
Do not get mad if your adversaries call
you bad names" But who has called
any bad names? Not the friends of
our existing constitution; we have all
listened, thus far, to the proposals of the
innovators, with perfect courtesy. The
only bad name" have heard called, in
this discussion, is by him who calls those
who are expected honestly to differ in
judgment from him, "a ydra-headed Pope
AmnuLbs." We believe Annulals means
a" Ring: thing which honest men re-
gard as very odious; an illicit combina-
ton of minority, or a clique, to steal
power, pervert right, and wrest the priv
ileges of the common veal to their pri-
vate profit and domination. Presbyte-
rians usually think of Pope as spirit
ual despot, oppressive, unjust, and perse-
cutting. The Hydra, we believe, was
very poisonous and loathsome reptile in
Greek mythology. Who constitute this
reptile, popaJ ring in our Church courts?
The conservative friends of the Presbyte-
rian Constitution The benefaotors, guar
dams, and servants OF our literary insti-
tutions, who are laboring to bless the
Church with thoroughly educated min
istry2 suppose that the organizers of
the Hydra Pope ring, in our part of the
Church, were the men like John H. Rice,
who gave his whole private estate, and