Preachers Fall Out

New York, 1895

Evangelist Cressey Says a Brother's Faith Wouldn't Rescue an Ant.

Evangelist E. R. Cressey, who has been conducting the big revival at Babylon for the past ten days, has declared war against the Rev. J. E. Raymond, pastor of the Babylon Baptist church, on account of Mr. Raymond's refusal to take further part in the revival services. An open rupture occurred between the men Friday morning on the street. Evangelist Cressey, the Rev. Mr. Adams, and the Rev. Mr. Long, pastors of the Methodist and Presbyterian churches, saw Pastor Raymond and accosted him. Mr. Cressey demanded to know what Mr. Raymond meant by his continued indifference, and wound up his remarks by asking his Baptist brother: "Have you no faith in God?"

Pastor Raymond is a short, quiet man with a powerful command of language. He replied: "I have faith in God, but I don't think God has much to do with the way in which these services are being conducted."

The dominies looked at each other in silence, but Evangelist Cressey began to berate his brother preacher, and finally said excitedly: "Why, you have not faith enough to pull an ant out of the mud."

Pastor Raymond quietly assured his brother preachers that he had an unlimited quantity of faith, but that it was not of the kind which allowed him to hold services in barrooms or on store stoops.

Evangelist Cressey and Pastors Long and Adams held twelve services on Friday, and will continue the revival for an indefinite time. It was known by many that Pastor Raymond had all along not favored the methods pursued by Evangelist Cressey, and that he had refrained from taking part in the meetings for men only, and would not conduct services in the saloon. Many of the church people are siding with Pastor Raymond, while the crusaders are looking correspondingly gloomy. Evangelist Cressey says the people are too fastidious.


Found a Spring Under the Church

While deepening the cellar under the Methodist church in Oyster Bay workmen struck a spring of water. The water came spouting up at about the rate of a barrel a minute.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, March 1, 1895, p. 2.