The character and value of an evangelical ministry ...

Preface

The writer of the following pages believes that the greatest want, as well as the greatest hope and the greatest blessing, of this country and of the world, is a faithful and well qualified Evangelical Ministry. So deeply is he convinced of this, that he has solemnly consecrated the remainder of his life, be it worth much or little, to the great work of increasing the number of true ministers of Christ. Alas ! that the importance of the subject should be so little seen and felt by the majority of Christians and even Christian ministers! More than eighteen hundred years have passed away since Christ gave the command, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature," and still there are six hundred millions of heathens who are left to perish in their sins without a preached Gospel! And there is not a country upon the globe that is adequately supplied with a true and able ministry. Even in our own favored land there is an immense destitution, especially in the newly and sparsely settled districts, and among the immigrant population.

iv PREFACE.

And how little are the self-denying and arduous labors of many of Christ's most faithful ministers appreciated ! How many of them are left to toil on amid poverty and neglect, half clothed and half fed ! I have in the following pages made a sincere and honest effort to call attention to the subject. My object has been to do good — to stir up ''the pure minds" of ministers and people "by way of remembrance," and to come to the help of my brethren who are bearing " the burden and heat of llic day" in the Master's vine3'ard. I have written in a plain style, that all classes may understand what they here read, while at the same time I trust the most intelligent Christians, and even Christian ministers, will not find this little work unworthy of their notice and perusal.

I would commend the book to the attention ol' all Christians, and especially to my beloved brethren in the ministry, and hope that they may lind great benefit by circulating it freely among the people of their churches. And may Almighty God own and bless it in the production of much good, for the dear Redeemer's sake! Amen.

S. W. HARKEY.

Chapter I. Character And Qualifications Of The Ministry

1. A minister must be a truly converted and deeply pious man — eminently a man of God 13

2. He must be called of God. What a call to the ministry is, and who are called? 15

3. He must be ordained — regularly set apart by proper church authority. The solemn nature of ordination — it binds to ecclesiastical order. Sects and the sect spirit 19

4. A minister must be an educated man. Objections to an educated ministry considered 34

5. He must be evangelical. What is evangelical preaching? 45

6. A minister must be sincere, humble, earnest, faithful, laborious, warm-hearted, prayerful, holy 51

CHAPTER n.

VALUE OF AN EVANGELICAL MINISTRY.

1. It is of immense pecuniary value. Enhances the value of all useful property — restrains and prevents vice — promotes law and order, and sustains all that is

VI CONTENTS.

2. It is of great value as a means of civilizing and refining mankind. The Gospel alone by the grace of God can purify the heart, and without purity of heart there can be no true refinement 68

3. It is of great intellectual value — as a means of education for the masses — open to all — and no truth equal lo Bible truth in enlightening, strengthening and elevating the intellectual faculties 76

4. It is of great national value. The faithful preaching of the Gospel qualifies the people for self-government as well as teaches them their rights, and sustains law and order among all .89

5. Finally, it is of great spiritual or religious value. God's appointed means for the spread of Christianity and the conversion of the world. The preaching of the Apostles and Reformers 98

CHAPTER Iff.

DUTY OF THE CHURCH IN REGARD TO THE MINISTRY.

This duty is two-fold: — 1. Properly to appreciate and adequately to sustain the ministry now in the field of labor; 2. To provide a ministry sufficient in numbers and qualifications for the conversion of the world. Ill

1. Ministry worthy of support — they are not beggars. Income of Lawyers — cost of Tobacco Ill

2. Ministers must be highly esteemed, 1. as the Ambassadors of Christ — 2. as men — 3. so as not to deprive them of their rights — 4. so as to provide for their wants — 5. and all this for their work's sake 123

CONTENTS. vii

3. Who is to furnish this country and the world with a true ministry? Great destitution— immigrant population — value of German literature and German piety. Six hundred millions of perishing heathens 141

Conclusion

An aS'ectionate appeal, addressed, l,to Ministers — 2, to Christians in general — 3, to Parents — 4, to Sunday school and other Teachers of youth — 5, to Young Men. . . .182

THE VALUE

OF A-S

EVANGELICAL MINISTRY.

CHAPTER I.

CHARACTER AND QUALIFICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY.

The Gospel ministry is incomparably the most important trust ever committed to man. For, though all honest labor is honorable, and no calling, not even the most humble, to be despised, God has placed this at the head of all human employments. Other professions and occupations have their value, but the sacred ministry exceeds them all as much as the interests of the soul and eternity do those of the body and of time. The farmer who cultivates the soil, the merchant who is engaged in an honest commerce or trade, the 2 mechanic in all the various departments of human skill and industry, the sailor who navigates the wide ocean, and the day laborer who literally gains his bread by "the sweat of his brow," are all most usefully and honorably employed: but the minister of Christ has an infinitely higher and holier work. He labors for the glory of God and the enlightenment and salvation of immortal souls. The office of the lawyer is important. It is his business to plead the cause of the injured and oppressed, and to see to it that justice be done between man and man; but the minister pleads the cause of the Son of God and his blood-bought Church, and labors that men may be saved from error and ruin, from the power, pollution and guilt of sin in time and eternity. The office of the statesman is important. Into his hands are committed the interests of the country — the peace, prosperity and happiness of states and nations ; but the minister is an ''ambassador for Christ, as though God did beseech men by him, he prays them in Christ's stead to be reconciled to God." The office of the physician is important. He has charge, to a certain extent, of the health and life of his fellow-men; but the minister is, under God, the physician of souls, and has charge of men's spiritual health and eternal life.

What awful consequences result from a want of competency or faithfulness in a gospel minister! When the lawyer is incompetent or unfaithful, oppression and injustice will prevail; when the statesman is not qualified for his post, or neglects his duties, the commonwealth will suffer; when the physician has no skill, or does not properly attend to his business, the health of his patients will not be recovered, or their life may be the forfeiture; but when the minister is unfaithful or incompetent, the interests of truth are betrayed, religion is disgraced, the Church suffers and bleeds at every pore, souls perish, sin and the devil prevail, hell rejoices and heaven mourns. The quack in medicine wickedly sports with our dearest temporal interests — our life and health ; but the quack in the pulpit (a sight for angels to w^eep over !) sports with our immortal souls, w^ith heaven and hell, with the tears and blood of the Son of God. How carefully and seriously should every minister ponder the exhortation of the apostle Paul, 2 Tim. 2 : 15, '^ Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." And well may the faithful servant of Christ exclaim, ^'Who is sufficient for these things!"

*' 'Tis not a cause of small import The pastor's care demands; But what might fill an angePs heart, And filled the Saviour's hands."

Who then is a minister of Christ, and what character and qualifications does he possess? This is a grave and most important question, and yet might receive a brief and very emphatic answer. Not every man is a minister who professes to be one, or wears the ministerial garb. Many ''have stolen the livery of heaven to serve the devil in !" The minister is not an unconverted, immoral, inactive, ignorant, incompetent man ; but a true, holy, faithful, zealous, enlightened, godly person — a chosen servant of Christ, possessing the character and spirit of his Master.

I. A minister must he a truly converted and devotedly pious man^ eminently a man of God. This is the first, highest, and most important qualification. It is altogether indispensable. Nothing can supply the want of this. Without deep personal piety all a minister's other qualifications and attainments, however brilliant, are comparatively useless. No extent of learning, no burning eloquence, no fiery zeal, are of much consequence without vital godliness. He who would lead sinners to Christ must first know Christ himself — must have felt the power of religion in his own soul — must have been made experimentally acquainted with the plan of salvation through a crucified Redeemer. Love to the Saviour and the souls of men must have brought him into this office and must keep him in it. The Holy Ghost must have kindled this sacred flame in his heart, and much prayer and communion with God must keep it constantly and vigorously burning. Without this he can be but "a blind leader 2* of the blind." He can neither properly understand nor teach the holy Scriptures, because an important part of Christianity can be known only by experience. In fact, he is an intruder, a usurper. He has no business in the ministry. God never called him, for he does not call unconverted men.

He ought not only to be pious, but eminently so. He must have a high standard of Christian attainment. He ought to be in advance of all the members of his church in grace and holiness, because he is to be their head and leader. He must be an example to all, and be able to instruct and edify all, of every age, character and condition. He must be able to awaken sinners, reclaim wanderers, confound errorists, convince the skeptical, silence infidels, instruct the ignorant, relieve the doubting, direct the inquiring, encourage the desponding, comfort mourners, and lead the most advanced Christians to still higher attainments in the divine life. He must furnish '' milk for babes," as well as '^strong meat" for men. He must ^'feed the lambs," as well as edify and lead on the aged saint. In the pulpit, the Sabbath school, the catechetical class, the family circle, the sick chamber, and at the dying bed — every where he must be at home, and able to instruct, warn, guide, and comfort. He must ''preach the word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine." 2 Tim. 4 : 2. Now it must be perfectly clear that all this requires not only extensive learning, a thorough acquaintance w4th human nature, and much skill, but that it requires especially eminent piety, high attainments in grace and holiness, a profound experimental knowledge of spiritual religion and the deep things of God, and the constant influence and teaching of the Holy Spirit.

2. The true minister must he called of God. The ministry is of divine appointment, ''And no man taketht his honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." Heb. 5 : 4. The Saviour instituted this office, and its first incumbents were selected by himself, and he must still fill up its ranks if we are to have the right kind of men in it.

It IS still true that " God makes ministers." Hence the command of Christ to us is, when we see ^4he harvest plenteous and the laborers few," ^^pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers into his harvest." Matt. 9 : 38. Now this call of God is of two kinds; the one immediate or miraculous, and the other mediate or ordinary. The ancient prophets and apostles were called and qualified for their work in the former manner, of which the case of Paul is a striking example. He was miraculously called. But as the days of miracles in the Church are past, we have no right to expect such calls now. God has established a regular mode of perpetuating and filling up the ranks of the ministry, and men are now called only in the mediate or ordinary way. When God has appointed means for the accomplishment of an end, he always works by those means. But it will be asked, what constitutes a call to the ministry at the present day'? I answer, four things. First, undoubted personal piety, producing ardent love to Christ and the souls of men. Secondly, an inward abiding conviction that it is our duty to serve God in this office^ and a willingness to endure its labors ^ toils and difficulties^ not from any expectation of temporal reward or emolument^ but for Chrisfs sake. A strong sense of duty, so that we are led to exclaim with Paul, '^ For necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel." 1 Cor. 9:16. A willingness "to forsake all and follow Christ" in this work — a readiness to go to the ignorant, the destitute and neglected, or even to the benighted and degraded heathen with messages of salvation. The pious man who feels an inward conviction and desire of this sort ought to regard it as a strong evidence that God has called him to the ministry. Thirdly, the possession of a healthy body^ and at least ordinary mental abilities. Men of feeble constitutions and sickly bodies cannot endure the labors of the ministry, and rare indeed are the eases in which such should seek the office. And while I would not say that every minister must of necessity be a "talented man," in the popular sense, I do legard it as indispensable that he should possess good common sense and ordinary powers of mind. He ought to have a certain '' aptness to teach," or at least the ability, by a proper course of education, to become an agreeable speaker and an apt teacher. In a word, what we here insist upon is, Mens Sana in corpore sano^ as the Latin proverb has it — ''a sound mind in a healthy body." Fourthly, the indications of Divine Providence that it is our duty to devote ourselves to this work. When God calls a man to this office there will always be some signs by which his will is indicated in the matter, and he who devoutly prays, ''Lord, what w^ilt thou have me to do," will not fail to see them. Difficulties will be removed, and the w^ay opened in a manner that is often truly wonderful.

Let me add here, that whilst I believe that many a man has entered the ministry uncalled, I am also persuaded that there have been and are hundreds, and even thousands, w^ho do not heed the divine call. Multitudes are called to repentance and salvation w^ho do not repent and believe; and so many are called to preach the Gospel who disobey the Almighty. The difficulty is, that the bold and self-important are apt to thrust themselves forward, while the diffident and worthy are often kept back. Many wrong notions too are prevalent upon the subject.' Under the impression that ministers are called of God, some are waiting to hear a voice from the skies before they "wiW obey ! This little volume will probably fall into the hands of many a young man whose solemn duty it is to serve God in the ministry. Young man ! how will you answer the Lord for this neglect of your duty? How can you sleep with the cries of the destitute and perishing ringing in your ears ? Remember that you will meet the souls of those who ^^ perish for lack of knowledge " at the judgment day, when you might have been instrumental in saving them from endless ruin. Will not their blood be found in your skirts ? May God stir up your heart and conscience to duty.

3. A minister must be ordained or regularly set apart to the work by jyroper church authority. This may indeed be considered as a necessary part of his '' call," and no man has a scriptural right to exercise the functions of the ministry who has not been regularly and legally ordained. The teaching of the Bible on this subject appears to me to be very clear and full. Christ did not give indiscriminate authority to all his disciples to go forth to preach his Gospel and administer the ordinances of his religion. He selected his apostles, carefully instructed them for three years, and set them apart to this work. He gave them authority which he did not give to other believers. And the Saviour plainly tells us, ''Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." John 10 : 1. However men may differ as to the form of Church government, or the proper authority to ordain ministers, whether by a bishop, or as in apostolic days, '' with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery," (1 Tim. 4 : 14,) there is a general agreement that they must be regularly set apart or consecrated to this office ; otherwise they ^' enter not by the door into the sheepfold," but climbing up some other way they are "thieves and robbers." It is equally evident that the apostles did not give a general license to every person to go forth as a preacher of the Gospel ; but they '^ ordained elders in every city," selected and set apart particular individuals to this work. Paul gives special directions to his son Timothy on this subject: " And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." 2 Tim. 2 : 2. But I deem it unnecessary to argue this point, as it is very plain, and is, I think, generally admitted. Nor is it any part of my plan to enter here into the much controverted question of episcopal or presbyterial ordination. It does, however, belong to the design of these pages to offer a few remarks on the solemn nature and binding obligations of an ordination to this sacred office. On this point there is much that is wrong and greatly 3 to be lamented in practice at the present day. Men abandon the ministry, or give but little attention to it, and engage in some secular employment for light and trifling reasons, just as if their ordination vows meant nothing : and others separate themselves from the body of Christians to whom they were so solemnly bound, and " set up for themselves," just as if they had a right to do so, or there were no sin in schism or the creation of new sects.

Now it does appear to me that when a man has declared himself called of God to the work of the ministry, and has been sacredly devoted to it by the imposition of hands and prayer — has voluntarily taken upon himself the awful vow^s of ordination, unless there should be some marked providential interference, he cannot draw back or separate himself from his brethren without GREAT GUILT. In all Ordinary cases our ordination ought to be considered as separating us from the world, and binding us to this w^ork of God for life. Surely in this solemn transaction we were not set apart to be farmers, mechanics, politicians, tradesmen, or something else, but ministers of Christ, and if we feel right we must feel with the apostle that ''necessity is laid upon us; yea, that woe is unto us if we preach not the Gospel." 1 Cor. 9 : 16. Nothing but sickness, or some other insuperable difficulty, can discharge us from these obligations. We are required to '' give ourselves wholly" to this work, and he who, for any insufficient reason, abandons it, or attends to it but imperfectly, betrays the cause, violates his ordination vows, and becomes a " covenantbreaker" in the sight of God. And St. Paul puts covenant-breakers with the worst classes of mankind. Rom. 1: 29-31.

So, too, it is evident that ordination binds a man to ecclesiastical order. He is not permitted to foment strife or divisions among his brethren, or to separate himself from them and commence a new sect. The man who does so, not only breaks his covenant, but is also a schismatic, and can hardly claim to be still a true minister of Christ. I regard this as a most serious matter. "Now I beseech you, brethren," says the apostle, ^^mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned ; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." Rom. 16 : 17, 18. And again he says, '' Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which ye received of us " 2 Thess. 3 : 6. In view of these facts, what shall we say of the disposition to multiply religious sects which has so abundantly manifested itself in these latter days? Or rather, what shall we say oftheir originators and founders? Now I have no desire to write a single word which shall wound any man or class of men, and yet the truth of God must not, dare not, from any consideration, be compromised. In pleading for an evangelical ministry I feel bound to expose and reprove what is unscriptural and irregular in this matter, and I do therefore enter my most solemn protest against the sect spirit which has become so rife in our country. Here we have a multitude of litde sects of recent origin, who, for light and trifling reasons, have broken off from the regular evangelical churches of the Reformation, and are filling up the land with men called ministers of Christ, who are mostly uneducated, and in nearly every respect unqualified for the holy office, and who are dividing and distracting hundreds of congregations and neighborhoods, and causing offences contrary to the Gospel of Christ. Instead of going to the destitute or the heathen, these men usually carry on a kind of Indian warfare upon the outposts of other churches, and expend their superabundant zeal in efforts to proselyte the weak and less informed. Precisely answering to the description of Paul, they do ''by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. ^^ It is not, however, their irregularities, proselytism and fanaticism that I design here specially to notice, but their origin and ecclesiastical foundation. These 3*

I believe to be irregular, unsound and unscriptural. How have the sects which have so numerously sprung up in our American churches during the last half century or more originated? Mostly in something like the following manner. Mr. Newlight (to use a fictitious name) is a regular minister of one of the churches of the Reformation. In this church he has probably been born, educated, converted to God, and solemnly ordained to the holy ministry. For a while he preaches the Gospel with fidelity and zeal in the church of his fathers, but by and by he fancies that he has made some new discoveries in doctrines or ecclesiastical polity, and that he is called to the work of a great reformer in the world ! Or he thinks that he has more zeal and piety than his brethren, and that some new measures must be introduced to arouse the church out of its dead and formal state. He now begins to introduce some of his novelties and make a show of his zeal and piety, but soon finds that his brethren do not all agree with him, that they are slow to come into his measures, and perhaps, in certain quarters, he meets with some opposition, or has even to suffer a little persecution. Well, what does he do now? Why, finding that he cannot reform his own church, according to his own notions, right away, he breaks loose from his present connections, "sets up for himself," and starts out to take all other churches, and the world, too, by storm! He soon gets a few followers around him, (for any man can get followers,) and he forms a new sect!

And now the people begin to call his party by his own name, and the thing makes some noise, and for a while spreads like wild-fire^ In the meantime converts multiply, and more preachers are needed to disseminate the new doctrines and build up the new sect. Mr. New^light now calls a convention of his followers, and a dozen or two of the most bold and self-conceited present themselves, ready for ordination as preachers, and he lays his hands upon whomsoever he can, and sends them forth. Soon the country around swarms with these men, and they make a wonderful stir! They now begin to rail out fiercely against ''college-bred ministers" and ''money preachers," and thank God that they are not as these other men ! The mean business of distracting churches and proselyting the weak and ignorant now commences in good earnest. These people soon discover that it is not best that their sect should bear the name of their founder, as he may be a very obscure individual, and hence they try to cover up their ecclesiastical nakedness and deformity by assuming some beautiful scriptural name: they call themselves the "Church of God," or the " Disciples of Christ," or something else of this kind. Now, in the name of God I ask. are we to regard all these proceedings as right and proper? Must we give these men the hand of fellowship, and receive them as the ministers of Christ? Have they walked, and do they walk orderly? And does not Paul say, "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly?" What right had Mr. Newlight and his friends, on Bible ground, to separate themselves from their brethren and commence a new sect? I deny that he had any such right. God never gave him or any other man any such authority. I consider that he acted in violation of his ordination vows — that he and his friends erred in this matter, erred greatly, grievously — that the whole proceeding was irregular and disorderly — that he is a schismatic in the true scriptural sense, and the church or denomination thus founded is schismatical. Its ecclesiastical foundation is utterly rotten. It is against such that Paul speaks in the passage already quoted, Rom. 16 : 17, 18. If Mr. Newlight had a right to separate himself from the Church in which he was reared, in which the truth as it is in Jesus is still held and believed, souls are still converted and saved, and men are still permitted freely to preach and confess Christ crucified — if he had a right to leave such a church and commence a new sect, then surely the same right must be conceded to every other minister, and even to every layman who thinks that he possesses more light and more nietv than his brethren !

And what must be the inevitable result? What would become of the Church and of Christianity? Would it not be torn into a thousand fragments, according to the different whims and notions of men? Would not, in fact, the Church of Christ be utterly destroyed, and Christianity wounded, yea, murdered in the house of its friends ? Is it any wonder then that the apostle should represent this sect spirit as so great an evil, and declare that such men '' serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple?" Nothing can be clearer than that men possess no such right. He gave no authority to his apostles to go forth and establish one a church of Matthew, another that of Peter, a third that of John, and a fourth that of Paul! No; but what do these apostles themselves declare? Says Matthew, '' One is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren." Matt. 23 : 8. And John 17 : 21, tells us that Christ prayed '' that they all may be one ; as thou. Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us : that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." And hear, especially, the apostle Paul: ''Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul, and I of ApoUos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you ? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" 1 Cor. 1 : 12, 13. What a rebuke is here administered to this sect spirit !