The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-03-15
A Preacher Prodigy.

A Preacher Prodigy.
Editor Sunny South:: Nothing within
the history of Williamstown has ever pro.
duced such a profound sensation-such
state of bewildermeut-nothipg so enig-
matical as the preaching ofthe Reverend
Pascal Porter, of Indiana. The reverend
gentleman is now in the 18th year Of his
age, and in the second year of his minis.
terial career; having been born in the
county of Jefferson, State of Indiana, on
the 9th day of November, 1876, at point
about twelve miles from the city of
Madison, where he has since resided.
His father is farmer of scarcely aver.
age intelligence; his mothers history is,
to the writer, unknown. The Rev. Por.
ter himself has but little education, hav.
ing only attended the district school of
the neighborhood. In his fifth year he
learned to read, and during the next
four years he learned to write and ac-
quired some knowledge of arithmetic.
His learning is, therefore, of necessity
very limited. When four years old, (if
his history be correctly he manifested an
inordinate desire to preach the Gospel.
He would go to church, listen to the
preachers of the time, and on his return
home would criticize the sermons he had
heard, with an accuracy ofjudgment and
profundity Of thought, that attracted the
attention and excited the wonder of the
best scholars of surrounding country.
1t was with the greatest difficulty that
his father restrained him from preaching !;
at the age of seven he carried of the hon.
ors of all the literary and debating socie-
ties within his reach.
He made the New Testament his con-
slant study from the age of five, and
continuously importuned his father to per.
nit linn to enter the ministry; and at
the age of nine his fathers friends advis.
ed him to repress the growing inclination
Of his boy no longer. he yielded, and
Pascal at once began his career as min
lister of the Gospel. Since then his mar.
velous performances have puzzled the
scholars and philosophers ofthree States.
BE has preached but little in Kentucky
until now, his labors having been chiefly
confined to the States of Indiana and
Ohio. He has an offer Of large sum Of
money from church in Boston, which
has been for some time :empting to in.
duce him to hold meeting and preach a
series of sermons there. But he stead.
fastly declines, saying he is not preaching
for money
This youthful prodigy is of ofordinary
size, weighing about seventy pounds ;
his complexion is light, and his hair a
light red, he has flashing grey eye, a
we'll developed head, his manner when
speaking is easy and graceful. His style
is nervous and impassioned; his logic
clear, accurate and strong. His rhetoric
is almost faultless; and his language
clean, pure and dignifed. His voice,
while being somewhat thin and feminine,
has great penetration and directness, con-
siderable compass and power. He often
rises to an eloquence at once noble and
digni6ed.
Many of the more credulous have de.
clared their belief that he is enspired.
Old men, and good scholars, say that no
such prodigy ofprecocious genius has ever
appeared among men aud he certainly
has no parallel even in the admirable
Crichton, Thomas Chatterton, or Henry
Kirke White. He comes upon the plat.
form after.a.. few hours study Of the most
complex and intricate of scriptural sub
jects, and excites the wonder of all who
hear him. We have heard Dr.. West, Dr.
Talmage and other celebrities of the liy.
ing pulpit, but we cannot say that We
have ever heard speaker more at home
in his theme, or who had more accu.
rate and admirable use of oflapguage in the
expression as thought. He is simply
above criticism, aud de6es competition
After having heard him preach three
sermons, We can say what DR.. johnson
said of the poet Gray that "il's useless tc
praise and vain to blame him."
Heis now commencing his Southern
tour and will, we hope, preach in Atlanta
He is member of the sect called the
Christian Adventist.
NJ. D. GRAY.
Williamstown, Ky.