The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1891-04-15

ton of the gospel. Many a sinner
has made them stone of Stun
bling" with which he has blockedhis
own way to the cross of Christ.
And ministers of the gospel, not
knowing the Scriptures nor the
power of God, have felt themselves
handicapped by these inhexible
truths. The revision movement in
the North and elsewhere clamors
for toning down of these harsh
features of Calvinism. This strikes
me very much as if some one should
insist on hewing down and hollow
ing out the rock on which a light
house is to be built. cit is worse
than a crime, it is a blunder." For,
as | hope to show, underneath all
true evangelism lies Calvinism
The granite rock on which every
aggressive movement for the re-
demption of mankind must plant
its feet, is this same uncompromis-
ing system of doctrine. And l do
not believe any man has ever
preached the gospel in its simpiici-
ty and power, who has not had firm
faith in a sovereign God, and i'm
plicit reliance on the almighty
Spirit of God.
shall attempt to show this in
general, and in special application
to the line of thought followed in
the preceding articles.
l know that shall be called upon
at the outset to rise and explain
how it is that the great Methodist
body, which has been since its
origin the very foremost exponent
of aggressive Christianity, is any
thing but Calvinistic in its views of
theology. The answer of this, how
ever, is simple. Did you ever hear
fervent, godly Methodist preach
er pray? Did he not in his PRAYER,
lay himself and his hearers at the
feet of sovereign mercy, and plead
for that same Spirit of grace to
come and save sinners on whom
you and l depend? The strongest
practical Calvinists are some of
these theoretical Arminians. And
this is the hiding of their power"
Need we then worry so much over
their Arminian views, so long as they
preach the cross of Christ and back
up their preaching with soundly
Calvinistic prayers? Is it possible,
by the way, for true prayer to be
anything but Calvinistic? This is /.
the confidence that we have in Him, /
if we ask anything according to HIS
1CdJ He heareth us ~
And in this same line 1 would
cite the notable example of Finney,
the Pelagian, the patron of the anx-
ious seat, the father of the noxious
Oberlin theology. Despite His doc
trinal vagaries, "Charles Grandson |
Finney seems to have been raised .
up at peculiar iuncture in the .
Churches of this land, to introduce
a new era of revivals of religion"
This is DR.. Persons emphatic testi-
mony to Finney's work. Now read /
his autobiography and you will dis
cover the secret of his power. This
man, who in his theology ascribed .
to the Holy Spirit little more power
to convert men than he himself
possessed, would spend hour after
hour agonizing in prayer for the
Holy Spirits power, nor would he
preach without the assurance that
this prayer was heard. Thus he
unconsciously planted himself on
that same rock of invincible grace .
on which the soundest CaIvinistI
depends.
But going deeper into this mat
ter, not only do these examples in
dictate that Calvinism is the root of
Evangelism, but | assert that from
the nature of the case this must be
so. You stand up before men to
preach the gospel The Scriptures
assert that they are dead in tres
passes and sins, and the iron driven
into your soul by stern experience.
bears out the Scripture assertion.
You offer them Christ to be their
Saviour they don't want Him and
will not have Him They cruelty
Him afresh before your eyes. They
are simply dead to the gospel which
you preach and this is the every
day experience of preachers. Now
unless you believed that God had
chosen some of them to everlasting
life, and would give His Holy Spirit
to regenerate their dead souls what
could you do? When you have
exhausted argument. and i'm vain
have poured your tears even ON the
fIinty rock of their hearts, where
could you turn except to that soy