Voices; Birth-Marks; The Man and the Elephant

by Mathew Joseph Holt

He dwelt at length upon the ludicrousness of the “jerks” or physical manifestations, and called attention to the fact, which many had forgotten, that they were first indulged in at the Gasper River Meeting, conducted by the Rev. Calvin Campbell in 1799, and therefore should be called the “Campbell Jerks.”

He then spoke upon the theme of the necessity for a thorough theological education, else a man could never be an able polemic, a well read theologian, capable at all times and with all comers of holding his own in a denominational controversy between learned men, so essential for the spread of Presbyterianism; nor could he by logic convince all hearers that all were predestined from the beginning of eternity, which in itself established the creation of all souls when the soul of the first man was created; nor that a man once converted could never fall from grace—beliefs essential to a Christ-like faith.

He closed by saying: “My mind is set like flint upon the proposition that when a man doubts either doctrine there is no room for him as a member, much less a minister, in the Presbyterian church. I shall therefore vote to suspend all newly ordained ministers until they are properly qualified to preach this doctrinal gospel and can use 1 Corinthians 9:27, or the book of the prophet Jonah, as their text to establish the doctrine of predestination. I shall therefore vote to expel all who do not [pg 331] believe in every declaration in the confession of faith and particularly in predestination.”

When he had finished, the Reverend Samuel McAdoo presented the cause of the Cumberland Presbytery. He expressed regret that the “split” had occurred and willingness on the part of the churches of their presbytery to continue in the Kentucky Synod, if permitted to retain the preachers already ordained and serving them, all of whom were holy men selected from their congregations to meet urgent needs, when highly educated and regularly trained ministers were not available, stating: “It seems this is not a great or unreasonable concession, nor the further request that we be given a greater liberty of interpretation of the Holy Scriptures and more freedom in preaching the gospel and supplying our churches with ministers, provided that what they teach is in accord with the teachings of Christ.”

When McAdoo sat down, the assemblage, feeling that only one man had sufficient influence to close the breach, expectantly turned towards Calvin Campbell. He rose and spoke from beside his chair, until many of the assemblage insisted that he occupy the pulpit.

“Twenty years ago, when I was ordained, this state had a population of less than 74,000 and this denomination but five preachers and less than a dozen churches. The state has grown rapidly, now it is seventh in importance, with a population of 406,000, and our organization has maintained a proportionate growth, doing its part ably and faithfully to spread the gospel of Christ and make of this a Christian Commonwealth. It is a record of which this Synod, representing several hundred churches, is justly proud.

[pg 332] “Occasionally doctrinal controversies have arisen, but they have always been taken up and considered in a spirit of love and prayer, and adjusted by following the precepts of and in the footsteps of the Master.

“We are met today by questions not more difficult of solution, but we seem in their consideration to be guided by a different spirit. There is more of contention and feeling and less of the old spirit of love and prayer. May God soften our hearts and so solve the trouble. I ask that the words I speak may picture the thoughts of a purged soul, and that what I say shall be acceptable to and in the service of God.

“I must confess that within my heart there is no disapproval of physical manifestations on the part of any one feeling himself emancipated from the shackles of sin. Let him, like David, sing his songs of thanksgiving or dance before the altar of God. God’s grace to some of you is not a new thing; may it never become trite to our souls. How can you judge of your neighbor’s spirit of praise for his salvation? He may have a clearer perception than you or be lifted from a deeper darkness into a brighter light. Do you think that the meeting on the great day of Pentecost was without shouts of praise and physical manifestations? Do you think that Christ’s entry into Jerusalem when the multitude sang ‘Hosanna to the Son of David, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’ was devoid of physical manifestation, or the less pleasing because it was not? We are told that when the chief priests and scribes saw these things ‘they were sore afraid’ and questioned Jesus, saying: ‘Hearest thou what they say?’ and He answered: ‘* * * have ye never read, out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected [pg 333] praise?’ I beseech, you, that you do not as high priests, as clammy conventionalists, criticise the gambols of a new born lamb into the shelter of the fold.

“Again I must confess that to me there is nothing inconsistent with true Christianity, if one of the brethren asks a freer interpretation of and more liberty in preaching the Bible. The essentials of true Christianity, taught by the Bible, are so simple that a child may understand, and so complex as to be beyond the grasp of a mind lost in a wilderness of doctrinal phrase worship, or of conventionality or in the regulation of the width of their phylacteries.