AN EVANGELIST.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3787, 27 May 1885, Page 3

AN EVANGELIST.

Here are scraps of Mr Grant’s entertaining criticism of Mr Moore, an American evangelist, now discoursing in Dunedin : “ The new evangelist is an Australian by birth and an American by education. He is, consequently, a certain tertium quid. He ia certainly a droll actor, and a humorous speaker. He preaches in the form of a dialogue. In mode, diction, and attitude ho greatly resembles John Hall. His remarks are queer, and somewhat in the style of a Cheap Jack recommending his wares. His dissertation was on the long roll of worthies in the eleventh of Hebrews, It was a perfect comedy, with the everrecnrrent phrase “How then if yon please.’’ It was bristling over with sapient self-conceited remarks, strongly spiced with slang. It was a rambling discourse on the faith of the antediluvians. One could scarcely refrain from smiling as he walked along the platform and delivered bis wise saws upon faith. It was verily a sermon de omnibus rebus et quibusdam aliis. Mr Moore’s style is unique, and his verbal quibbles on faith bare a certain shallow smartness; but the whota .bearing of the preacher is singularly in everent. . . Performances of this kind require no consumption of the midnight oil in the preparation; and, I fear, they have a tendency to make men sceptics—s"class of men for whom the gifted young speaker has a very genuine dread, horror and contempt.”