30 The Ministry Under Randall
30 - THE MINISTRY UNDER RANDALL AS churches began to multiply under the ministry of Mr. Randall and his associate laborers, the questions of church government and church nurture were forced upon their consideration. It was seen that this work naturally divided itself into departments, and was likely to be more efficiently done if committed to different classes of ministers. It was found that such an arrangement would be entirely compatible with the parity of the ministry and with New Testament usages. Hence there arose the orders in the ministry known as teaching elders, ruling elders, licentiates, and lay preachers. In Randall’s times the highest order of ministers in the denomination were called teaching elders. The prefix was to indicate, in part, the nature of their work, and in part to differentiate them from ruling elders. They were expected to be as thoroughly informed as possible as to the doctrines and usages held by the denomination, and to transmit a knowledge of the same to the developing ministry, who in turn should "be able to teach others also." They were to administer the ordinances and, under direction of conference, though local in residence, serve the churches at large as evangelists. Above all, they were to preach the Lord’s gospel in its fullness. The nurture of the churches required pastoral attentions which the teaching elders, because of the itinerant nature of their work, could not give. Hence the order of ruling elders. The ruling elder was a local pastor. He was to act as standing moderator in all meetings of the church, inspect the state of the treasury, approve the records, and, with the clerk, sign all church documents. He was to "improve his gift publicly, as God might call, and administer the ordinances in case of the sickness or absence of a teaching elder." This order, with its necessity, passed with the settlement of teaching elders as pastors. Then also the prefix "teaching" dropped out of use, and ordained ministers were known simply as elders.
Licentiates were licensed preachers in training for ordination. They might perform all the functions of the regular ministry, except the administration of the ordinances.
Lay preachers might appoint and conduct religious services as opportunity should open, and as they might interpret the will of God. Members of this order were useful as general assistants in church work, and some who began as lay preachers developed into teaching elders. For assignment, ministers of all grades held themselves subject to the direction of Quarterly or Yearly Meetings. It was the custom of churches, and even of communities where there was no religious organization, to apply to the sessions for ministerial help. These requests would be considered in connection with available forces in the ministry, and assignments made accordingly. When a brother thus received an appointment, he was considered in duty bound to go, whether he had been previously consulted in the matter or not. And entire submission was the rule. These missions might terminate in a few days, or continue for several weeks, as the interest might indicate.
Respecting material support, for the first forty years of its organic life, about the only reward the denomination could offer its ministry was that of Mazzini, the Italian patriot, to the young men of his country, " Come and suffer." A paragraph in Doctor Stewards history on this subject deserves the transcription which, in substance, is here given it.
It was then an untried experiment to leave the support of the ministry to the voluntary contributions of the people. But it was the gospel ground, and Free Baptist ministers were ready to hazard their all in the trial. So anxious were they to secure their end-the removal of all coercive means for sustaining the cause of Christ-that they voluntarily subjected themselves to great privations and hardships.
They not only refused to be supported by taxes imposed by law, but generally declined to be parties to an agreement for stipulated salaries, receiving only what individuals were disposed to give. And during this transition state, this breaking down of a long-established compulsory usage, and the building up of a voluntary one, during a period of nearly forty years, the Free Baptist ministry stood as a pledge to the world that religion would be sustained and the spiritual wants of the people would be cared for, without the aid of civil law.
Such a revolution in the church could not be effected without sacrifice. And God raised up those self-denying men to show what could and would be done by a Church cut loose from State patronage. God gave freely of his spirit to our fathers, and they laid all upon the altar of consecration. They would be satisfied only when men were left as free to sustain religion as they were to accept it. And they succeeded. But our people saw later that it was entirely consistent with the voluntary support of the ministry that pledges be made in advance and paid as needed, on the instalment plan. As to education, the preliminary training of ministers under Randall was much the same as that of doctors, lawyers, and civic officers of the times. They had generally the best furnishings that the common schools could give them, and picked up additional equipment on their respective lines as opportunity opened, The young men of our people who felt called to the ministry pushed specific preparatory studies by the use of the best helps available. Respecting books, whatever they , had or lacked, the Bible was their principal text-book. Perhaps the very paucity of general literature enabled them the better to concentrate their minds on this " compendium of all knowledge," as a great author has called the Bible. An eminent literary authority has said:
"If you want to make a versatile man, turn a boy loose in a library. If you want a boy to have distinction, lock him out of a library, and send him into solitude with the English Bible, Bunyan’s ’Pilgrim’s Progress’ and "Aesop’s Fables.’" Mr. Lincoln was a pretty good illustration of this statement; for, after his six months in a log schoolhouse, these three books constituted his library during his formative years. In speaking of the Bible, Scott called it the incomparable book. Froude said that the Bible was in itself a liberal education. From a large accumulation of facts, showing that our fathers made the study of the Scriptures a specialty, a few are subjoined. Rev. Ebenezer Knowlton, the son of a minister associated with Randall, says: "My father, Elders Perkins, dark. Place, Dyer, and others used to sit hours together in our front room, with Bible and concordance in hand, studying and proving to each other what the Scriptures teach." Thus, in their private studies, parlor gatherings, and ministers’ conferences, like the noble Bereans, "they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures." The thoroughness of this search, and the familiarity attained with the Scriptures, was, in many cases, remarkable. Occasionally one became almost a living concordance; while most of them were able readily to turn to any passage desired without consulting a concordance.
But, however important a knowledge of the Scriptures may be, for greatest efficiency ministers need more. Special schools for the training of our ministry had establishment later, but none of these existed during the first decades of our denominational history. As the best available substitute for something better, in 1793 elders’ conferences were organized. These developed into veritable divinity institutes. They were held in different places covered by the churches. The sessions were held four times a year, and sometimes continued several days. The constituency included teaching elders, ruling elders, licensed preachers, lay preachers, and deacons. Of these, there were sometimes more than fifty in attendance.
Among the benefits sought by these institutes were harmony in doctrine, sermonic methods, pulpit decorum, and pastoral efficiency. The substance of the oral instructions given appeared later in works on doctrinal theology, homiletics, sacred rhetoric, pastoral theology, and other subjects taught in divinity schools.
Respecting results of these sessions, the following paragraph, taken from Stewart’s " History," may be accepted as good authority: The influence of these meetings was highly beneficial; occurring as they did, four times a year, and continuing as they did, for two days, including much of the intervening night. The lectures of those wise, experienced, and, some of them, learned men, must have been interesting, instructive, and useful. The elders’ conference was, indeed, a most excellent and instructive school.
Hosea Quinby, D. D., a college graduate, and for many years principal of high-grade schools, in referring to these conferences, speaks in stronger terms than does Doctor Stewart respecting their beneficial effects upon our early ministry. With a knowledge of facts which warranted the assertions of these two conservative men, we are forced to admit that our fathers, in these conferences and other assemblies, and by private study secured to themselves the very best means available for developing their minds and otherwise preparing themselves for the work committed to their charge. As to their success, the following incidents are illustrative. An aged lawyer of Boston, a Congregationalist, said in substance: In my younger days I was accustomed more or less frequently, to listen to some of the men Randall trained. When fully aroused to their subject they were men of real power, mighty in the Scriptures. I often hear those from Andover, but none are equal in the word of God to these men.
Another incident is to the point. A minister trained after the manner of Randall preached one half day in Portland, Maine, and a college-educated minister preached in the same pulpit the other half. A number of lawyers, being in the city at the time, heard both. After the last service, as they were together, one who was acquainted with the preachers remarked: "One of the men who preached to-day had college education and the other had not; which was the college man? " The unanimous answer indicated I the one who had been trained under Randall as the college man.
Because the fathers were human, they had faults and limitations. But, as a rule, they were men of sterling sense, deep piety, and high purpose. They adapted themselves to the times in which they lived. God gave them a work, and they did it. He gave them a message, and they delivered it. God accepted their efforts, and abundantly blessed them for the betterment of both Church and State. When the fathers are mentioned it behooves us, their spiritual descendants, to lift our hats and bow very low. But new times demand new men and improved methods. With the lapse of time, competition in all departments of business has grown sharper, and demands upon all learned professions have become more exacting.
Here behold the providence of God! Just in proportion to the advancement of standards has been the increase in educational facilities.
Divinely called young men are needed for the service of the churches. But those who would emulate the fathers must adjust themselves to the exigencies of current times. To do their best work for humanity and for God, they must avail themselves of the best culture possible to them. They must then have all their natural and acquired abilities supplemented by power from on high.