The Biography of Elder David Purviance

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER V. A remarkable revival. Leaves legislating, and becomes a candidate for the ministry. A split in the Presbyterian Church. The Springfield Presbytery. Takes the name Christian. The last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery, and the Witnesses' Address, . he spring of 1801, witnessed a...
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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER V. A remarkable revival. Leaves legislating, and becomes a candidate for the ministry. A split in the Presbyterian Church. The Springfield Presbytery. Takes the name Christian. The last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery, and the Witnesses' Address, . he spring of 1801, witnessed a very remarkable religious excitement, which took place in Kentucky, known by the name of the Great Revival. Mr. Purviance had professed religion in the state of North Carolina, when about the age of 20, and was at this time a Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church. He drank deeply into the spirit of the reformation, and received a license from the Presbytery to exhort. He Was elected to the Legislature that summer, and served the next winter; but his mind and heart were very much in the reformation, and frequently, during the session, he obtained liberty of absence, on the afternoon of Saturday, and rode home the same evening, some forty miles, and met the congregation on the Lord's day, and enjoyed himself well. When this session had closed, he placed himself under the care of the Presbytery, and became a candidate for the ministry . And as the constitution of Kentucky will not admit a minister of the gospel, to a seat in the Legislative councils, he was never after a candidate, for political promotion in that state . At the next sitting of the Presbytery, according to custom he was called on to deliver a trial sermon, He readily complied, but it was not very well received . There was a little too much liberality, and free salvation in it. to suit the sticklers for calvinistic orthodoxy . He was then examined on the principles and doctrines of the Westminister confession of faith. It was soon ascertained, that he would Hot, fully subscribe to the faith of t...