Ministerial education in the Methodist Episcopal church...

Front matter

/hi i3o,

MINISTERIAL EDUCATION

IN THE

Preface

The object of this work is to defend the propriety and to show the importance of thorough ministerial education in general, and especially in the Methodist Episcopal church. Our fathers understood their mission when they declared that they believed it to be God's design in raising up the Methodist ministry " to reform the continent and to spread scriptural holiness over these lands." 1 They considered themselves to be under the direction of divine Providence, and we of this generation consider ourselves to have the best grounds for this belief. They were called upon to meet a great emergency of the times in spreading the knowledge of the gospel in this newly-settled country. We honor their memories because they ran in the way in which divine Providence directed them. They did their work. They did it nobly, and have gone to their rest.

Lee's History, p. 96.

vi

PREFACE.

But the church has come to a new era in her history. She has extended her borders from ocean to ocean. Some of our churches are nearly a century in age, and we have grown to be the most powerful religious organization in the western world. Religious education, enlightened and evangelical, — the great want of the human mind, — must be met and supplied by us. It is as important now, and as much the dictate of divine Providence that we should take care of these churches and supply them with this needful want, as it was that our fathers should plant them in the first instance. If our fathers and brethren, now on the stage, differ with us as to the mode of accomplishing this object, we will have no controversy with them. They are at liberty to proceed in their own way. There is room enough for us all to work.

Our book is strictly apologetic, and not controversial. We stand simply on the defensive, and all we ask is, that we may have the privilege of acting out our own convictions of duty in respect to ministerial education in the church of our choice. This privilege we grant, this privilege also we firmly claim.

Our object is to raise up a ministry suited to the present emergencies of the church, and such as the times and the state of the world imperatively demand. "We want a holy ministry, a well-instructed ministry, a ministry called of God, and endowed with the best gifts

PREFACE.

vii of divine grace and human learning. This is our position, and we believe that Scripture, history, and reason will all unite their voice in sustaining it.

A large portion of our work originally appeared in the columns of the Northern Christian Advocate, in 1852. At the suggestion of a number of valued friends, I have consented to collect together these fugitive letters, and put them into a permanent form. Written as they were during hours snatched from onerous professional labor, no one can be more sensible of their imperfections than the writer. For several facts in the former part of the work I acknowledge myself indebted to an able Discourse on Theological Education, by George Howe, D. D., of South Carolina. To other works to which I am indebted due acknowledgment is made at the foot of the page. Such as the work is, I now present it to the church, and to the community generally, praying that the divine blessing may be upon it, and that it may be in some degree useful m bringing on the latter-day glory.

Stephen M. Vail.

Concord, March 24, 1853.

Chapter I. Page

Schools in the Early Ages. — Ministerial Education in the Jewish Church. — First secured by Means of the Levitical Schools.

— The Levites the divinely-appointed Religious Teachers of the People. — Inferences. 9

Chapter II

The Prophet Schools, a new Mode of Ministerial Education.

— Cause of their Origin. — Their Location. — Their Instruction. — Number of Students. — How supported. — Their Dwellings. — Sometimes their Members married Men. — Continuance of this Form of Ministerial Education. — Inferences. 16

Provisions for Ministerial Education in the Primitive Church. — ■ The Alexandrine School. — Occasions of its Foundation. — The Number of Teachers and Pupils in this School. . . 54

Chapter VIII

Alexandrine School. — Why located at Alexandria. — Studies pursued by the Alexandrine School. — What Length of Time was devoted to this Course of Study. — Support of the Alexandrine Teachers. — Other Biblical Schools of the Primitive Church . 60

Chapter IX

Principle to be illustrated. — Christianity in the British Isles during the First Ages. — Biblical School of Iona. — Its Course of Study. — Influence of the School. ~ Its Decline and Fall. 67

Chapter X

Ignorance of the Clergy in the Middle Ages. — The Paulicians and Waldenses Lovers of the Bible. — Ministerial Education

CONTEXTS.

xi in the Times of the Reformers. — Their Influence in establishing and carrying on the Work of Reform. — James Arminius, and his Influence on Ministerial Education 75

The former History of Methodism in Connection with Ministerial Education by Biblical Schools a Reason why we should still highly yalue them 1 19

Chapter XIV

Ministerial Education in the Methodist Episcopal Church. — Position of the First Conferences and Bishops on this Subject. — Opinions of Dr. Fisk and Dr. Olin. — Present Position of the Methodist Episcopal Church on this Question. . . 126

A brief account of the rise and present position of the Methodist General Biblical Institute. . . ... * . . 203