The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1902-07-16

elsewhere.
never asks, WHO are you?" or ''Why did YOU come
here!" Ones past is sealed book in this country
and all are on common equality Woe be to that
feriner who tries to put on any airsi He VERY, so,
is shown that other section is better su;ted 70
his health.
These mountains full of coal clear ON to Ke
nova, but as yet they have not been opened I'D much
further west than WEIGH From that point on tbe
lumbermen hold the sway. Big saw-mills. little
saw-mills and logging camps without number Here
you find men who live in the sunshine but in whose
hearts, ottentimes, there is darkness far deeper
than that in which the miner spends his DAYS. Here
also you find class of men who face death every
day and never sign of fear. Since the writer came
into this field just five weeks ago there have been
five men crushed to death by logs rolling over them
and quite number have lost hand and some a foot
1t is business which calls for nerve and these men
have it. Here at Panther, saw-m and planning
mill town. one meets people of all grades of society
and all degrees of morality and immortality who
from all sections of our country and Canada There
are various beliefs and doctrines taught here and
very few accepted Every week some one who calls
himself preacher takes charge of the public hal
and, announcing that he is wholly sanctifed
that he can commit no sin, and that he is
pure of heart and clean of speech he proceeds
to attack all the orthodox preachers who as he says
go about like wolves in sleeps clothing They seem
to justify their presence in the pulpit by berang the
church. One Monday night following the writer's
appointment here, when he had preached using an
outline OF his sermon on the desk before him, of
the holiness preachers held service which the writer
attended, and his introduction was something like
this: My brethren, aint no educated man; aint
no ID. d., or no Ii. D.; aint got no sheepskn;
but have got message and l aint coming into this
pulpit on no crutches neither don't use no notes.
he ed tho rs nc
vectives and reproaches upon all ordained ministers
and Doctors of Divinity. He stoutlv affirmed that
there would be in heaven but those who lived
lives wholly without sin here below and he declared
that no one had ever been saved by the mnistraton
OF orthodox preachers He quoted at great length
passages which looked at his SIDE twisting them and
forcing the Interpretation suit his case And some
OF the simpler actually believe such stuff and
follow them! One is reminded of Pauls words TO
Timothy: For the time will come when they will
not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts
shall they heap themselves teachers having itching
ears"
Another problem that faces the worker here is the
solid fatalism of the primitive "hard-shel Baptisy
OF whom there not few. Their ministry hold
that education death to religion One of their
preachers made this introduction his harangue one
day: My breddren, this here ant me speakn 10
we, it is God; and my breddren if | makes any mis-
takes to-day you musen't blame me; you must Jest
blame God" But these people, a sect are fast
disappearing, and | hope that it will be the blessed
privilege of church to bring these people out of
the cloud of darkness in which they have been crop
ing long, into the pure light of the gospel of Jesus
Christ When instructed they will be more willing to
accept beliefs than any others Our work here.
among the natives, must be educational for years to
come.
And now for some reasons why we should put more
workers in this and similar fields
The first reason is the great need of the gospel
Here are thousands of men, some natives many who
have from other parts and all engaged in work