West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1902-02-20
CONCERNING EVANGELIST SMITH.
The Pastor Of the Presbyterian Church
Here Writes an Article Defending
Him.


debt owe TO the Baptist church toprotec
its good name and TO state my view
clearly
Before We censure any one. Il is oui
dnty to look upon the good things in them
II may be the way OF the world to "hold
! every man a rogue till proven honest. " bu
! tits not law nor is it gospel. Every man /,
innocent till proven guilty"
! I he Rev. Mr. Smith seems To be a man
OF prayer. minister who spends hour,
by day and by night upon his knees ma,
/ be a fraud bu, It is not likely IL d,
| possible but not probable"
! The Rev. Mir Smith seems TO be man
OF faith 10 him faith in Gods abilit,
without faith in Gods will is not faith AT
/ all. should any ono have said TO him that
they did not doubt that God could save 20
souls in Kingwood, bat that they doubted
/ II he would do il he 40 doubt would have
told them that the devil had more faith
than that The devils believe God S
! ability to save and trcmblc at it,, The
Rev. Mir Smith told me before the meet.
ings that the Lord was going to save so
many. The Lord can and the Lord viii,
II we believe II hes occn said OF The
! Staying Of Goliath there were thousands
ia the camp OF Israel who believed thai
God could use them, but that the lad
David believed that the Lord would use
them Mr. Smith asserted that the Lord
not only could save souls in this place bur
that lie would. Now man may profess
such faith and yet be fraud. but IL is not
likely III Is possible but not probable. "
The Rev. Mr. Smith laid great stress
upon thc need OF Regeneration lie said
again and again prayers cannot save
you. Church membership cannot save
you.' Baptism cannot save YOU. 'Thc
Blood aud the Blood alone can save.
"Yo must be born again"
There may indeed be some who ask.
what does not Mr. Smith teach the duty
Of prayer the duty Of uniting with the
church, az The duty of baptism2 Does hc2
heard him say from tho pulpit II any
man say that teach that prayer is OF no
benefit hc rs dirty liar. Such state.
ment is indeed very coarse bat IL is a
strong disclaimer and q, is = great iniustice
to him Ia the face OF such a disclaimer to
stili say that be teaches what he so pass.
ionatcly denies. Indeed there arc some
who declare that he in former DAYS did
not use the strong language iu his pulpit
10 which hc is now accustomed. I trust
that he will go back to his former usage
I think that his command OF language is
so large that hc need not talk like "a
trooper Indccr some good Christian
people came TO me and urged me To-
speak O. linn about IT, telling me Of tho
great respect he had for my jud gmcnt aud
sincerity. felt however that was not
entitled by years OF experience TO ad.
minister such caution TO such man IL
may be however that hc was driven TO
such strong language by the constant aud
Irritating contradiction OF his views
The position Of Mr. Smith on these
matters is very clear to me and indeed ]
preach IT, ANY person that does not
accept the Lord Jesus as his Rcdcemcr
and yet offers prayer to God is insulting
God aud God will cast him to that awful
pit with the wicked in spite Of all his
prayers a man may pray ull the crack
Of doom he may weep tll no more tears
can cone from his dried up fountain Of
Gears. and al his prayers and all his tears
bc utterly In vain. yea be utterly abomi.
nabie in the sight Of God. The plain truth
is that mans FIRST duty is faith and any
thing and everything that a man presents
to God before faith is out Of place know
that some say they arc waiting for some.
thing from God before they believe as
though God were TO blame for their delay.
Now think Of such folly as that and is it
not surpr sing that q jealous man like Mr..
smith rushes at the soul and says You
fool you liar you say you ace waiting on
. God. bnt you are waiting on the devil and
IL you do not not take Jesus as your Saviour
you viii be id Boz spite Of al your wait.
ing. as you say on God 10 is God tbat
is waiting on you The terms no doubt
shock as but u they open the eyes Of the
soul 90 'ts folly aud its sim wc should not
too sharply condemn them An English
Bishop was told that ono Of bis clergy was
going mad. and was clearly out Of his mind
that hc was teaching that man ought TO
. believe on Christ right away and che will
not allow a moments delay Dee is au mll
oi heat boo the matter and hc gives The
people no rest about &c. be is going mad
if you don speak 90 him bc VIII be beyond
hope. Mad you call Co." said the
I bishop. would hc would bite a'i the
I clergy in mY diocese and set them all mad "
| Brother Smith may bc such a mad minister
and hIs bite may give us also chat glorious
crazyncss fof thc souls OF men . am "a
fool said Paul ~ am beside myself bui
90 Is Tor your sakcs" ! think that afr
Smith bad deep love f our souls as Doe
spakc TO- us. aud that was why wc endured
his co1r cncss q people viii forgive
auyth.us in preacher save Jack of love.
90 preached hcii FIRE and otctuaI perdicuon
90 my people last sunday said minister
TO Robert Murray McChcync th, uob.,st
Of Scotch preachers good said hc. but
did you preach it in lover Now man
may preach as Brother Smith and yot bc "a
fraud butitis not nkcly It is possible
boz not probable
Objection has Goo doubt been raised to
the doctUuc of Che Perseverance of thc
saints. which Brother Smith so strongly
maintains. } WAS surprised tbat ans should
speak OF it as a ncW Thought to them.
1his doctrine has been preached ia Baptist
aud in Presbyterian pulp.fs since they had
puIpits to preach .n. Pcpnary it ls out
in tb.s form onec in efacc aIatts .n
grace Ihco.oc.aus would say .orco
bccoucn o. the Holy Ghost tbc soul can
never oc iosL' "1hc soul may SIM. nay lt
is almost and some think altogether
certain that viii SIM Doe it viii not Sin