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MKlOdOPV MMUITION TBT CNAIT 
 
 (ANSI and ISO TEST CHAUT No. 2) 
 
 •«!*■ ^ 
 
 / 
 
 ^ APPLIED IM/1RF I, 
 
 1853 East Main StrMt 
 , (7IS) 288 --5989 -Fox 
 
 inc 
 
BR 
 
 MINISTERIAL EDUCATION. 2f ? ^ 
 
 .■■■■•. . ■ t ' ■ • • I 
 
 :,/ 1>:: '^T HE pipTii. ■.:■:': /^ 
 
 or THE 
 
 .J 
 
 ®t^toa isafttiiit Jli00orMtiott; 
 
 BT TBB BCV. DB. QAVIKS. 
 
 The Ministers find Delegates, assembled in 'Associa- 
 tion at St. Andreses, on the 2i2d day of Janilary 1840|. 
 to the Churches which they represpnt, send greeting. 
 
 Dearly BELoyED Brethren^— As it has pleased 
 Him, who has b^n made head over all things to the 
 church, to "bring us together at this yearly season, when 
 it is our privilege to hold fraternal mtercourse, uid our 
 duty to devise ^measures for promoting thb peace and 
 oisefulness of our religious comniunity, we think it meet 
 to call your attention to a matter of great moment, as it 
 regards the success and stability of the sacred cause. 
 
 We pmy you then to give your candid and Christian 
 consideration to ihe subject of this year's c»pistle, viz t 
 
 The Importance of Education for th^se who uwier- 
 tahe the Work of the Ministry, 
 
 This may seem to many not a suitable subject for a 
 Circular Letter ; yet our present circumstances justify 
 the selection. There aref doubtless many among iu( 
 jffrho have net hitherto Con^dered this matter and feltlto 
 importance, and it is to bej feared there are some^ who 
 look upon it with jealousy, if not with hostility. But at 
 ^ the same time there is am<»ng us a Theological Insti- 
 tution which cannot be. adequately supported, without 
 the countenance and liberaliit||pf the fraternity in gen- 
 «'»'• How then can such a\support l»e secured, unless 
 the indifference of some an4 the opposition of others 
 
 / 
 
l»e removed ? When therefore we endeavour to effect 
 the removal of these eviU, it cannot be deemed foreign , 
 from the design of the annual epbtle. As the o hject ot 
 every ChristTan confederacy, whether of indiv duals ,„ 
 churches, or of churches in associations, should be th« 
 a<Waucement of religion, it cannot be mconsistent with 
 the purpose of the present yearly meeting of t he 
 churches, to invite the attention of the members to tho 
 importance of securing a well-informed muustry. 
 
 As the present subject is novel to many, it is nece*- 
 sarv, in order to prevent misapprehension and to re- 
 move some common mistakes^ and prejudices, to stat. 
 distinctly, before we attempt to show the importance 
 of education for ministers, what wd^inean bv education, 
 and also what we do not contend fo^^hile urging it8 
 
 importance. / '■;. ^, . 
 
 By education then we mean literary traihing in van- 
 ous degrees, from the lowest, which conswtsXcliiefly in 
 the ability to speak and write the English knguage 
 wSf, propriety, to the highest that canje reached by 
 Jlie hWan mind. No Minister in the presentXday 
 deserv J to be called educated, unless he is at least hias- 
 terofMsownlangnage. The epithet cannot be jjro- 
 PCTl>|iMe<l to on« of less attainment; and even^his 
 LplWtion of it is not customary, for it generally implies 
 extensive and varied attainments. The education.,^hic»' 
 we think it desirable for ministers m general to possess, 
 consists in a knowledge of the origmal »ang»«f ? ^fjJV' 
 Scriptures (in addition to agood command ©^ *»».« »^?J"^' 
 in a familiarity with the principal branches of Biblicd 
 LiS^rature. and in menttd discipUne^ *»»?^ '^^^f 
 studying Mathemfiitics, Logic, and other saentific sub- 
 
 ^''^Itis then for education intJ^ sense nc^esqdainedlJ^^ 
 we wish to plead ; >ut in doing so, we desire ^ disdwin 
 certain extravagaij^and erroneous opinions, that are 
 lleldby somea^ocates of an enlightened mmistry. 
 
 1. We io not mean tp contend, that none can^be 
 worthy and useful Ministers without EducaHon^Th}S 
 we cannot assert, b^use numerous examples both m 
 ancient and in modern times show the contrary. T^e 
 fifWh^eachers of our faith are weU known examples 
 
 of this kin<i 
 
 ary cultun 
 
 0|irist, wl 
 
 counted th 
 
 The apostl 
 
 illiterate n 
 
 M'hichserv 
 
 remove th 
 
 special as« 
 
 sliouhl lea 
 
 filled in a 
 
 of this di^ 
 
 composed 
 
 in Greek, 
 
 Peter and 
 
 iironounct 
 
 'became af 
 
 leans. Mat 
 
 sides, wrc 
 
 Hence it 
 
 nients in 
 
 an arguin 
 
 inferred I 
 
 ties cotlld 
 
 ers of th< 
 
 considera 
 
 because t 
 
 If indeed 
 
 special a 
 
 then it is 
 
 out posse 
 
 may be " 
 
 < been of « 
 
 ^ as they; 
 
 much m 
 
 posed b) 
 
 i of when 
 
 - latter e< 
 
 . fiact a pi 
 
 men. lit< 
 
 ttsefulne 
 
 and the 
 
 men?V 
 
to effect - 
 (1 foFcigii , 
 
 object of 
 nduals ill 
 Id be th«) 
 tent with ' 
 g of tlio 
 era to tho 
 
 \ 18 nece«- 
 nd to rf- 
 }, to 8tat(! 
 qpoi'tancc 
 edticatioiir 
 urging its , 
 
 ig in vari- 
 cliiefly in ' 
 limnguagK 
 eackid by 
 esentN day 
 lea^t Hias" 
 Bt be p^ro- 
 1 even this 
 illy iniplies 
 tion,v!«vhiuh 
 I to possess, 
 ages of the 
 their own), 
 of Biblical 
 B result of 
 lentific sub- 
 plained that 
 ) to disdaiin 
 is, that are 
 inistry. ■ 
 
 wne can he 
 r/ion^This 
 iples both in 
 trary. The 
 n examples 
 
 ■ - ■ i 
 
 of this kind ; for many of them were destitute of liter- 
 urv culture, though they were made ambassaAirs Ust 
 Chf«t, who honoured them with hw conhdemo and 
 cinted them faithful, putting them •"»« ^'if. """'';^T; 
 The apostles cannot however be compared with common 
 i literate men, because they had the gift of msp.ration, 
 which served as a riiiracuh»us substitute for learning, to 
 
 remove their ignorance or to ««"»'*«» »«';**/f[^fl;..^' 
 special assurance wa» given to thoni, that the Spu t 
 2 ould lead them to al? the truth, which was aljo ful. 
 fined in a supernatural manner. ^Under the influence 
 of this divine guidance and impulse, sevefnl of them 
 composed well written epistles or treatises, and that too 
 in Greek, which was not their mother tongue. B«tli 
 Peter and John, the very men whom the Jewish rulers 
 pronounced (Acts iv. 13) unlearned and ign^^^^^^^^ 
 became afterwards Greek authors ; and of the other Gali- 
 leans, Matthew, James, and Jude, and perhaps some be- 
 sides wrote is they were moved by the rioly G ^st. 
 Ilenie it may be seen that the want of literary attain- 
 ments in many of the apostles cannot be justly urged J| 
 an aiffument against an educated ministry. It^is ottw^ 
 inferred fey the opponents of education, tliat^asthe apos-f 
 ties could succeed without it, so ijiay the religious teach- 
 ers of the present day. But it must be evident to any 
 considerate person, that ^ch an inference is unjust ; 
 because the gift of inspiration is no longer ^dispensed. 
 If indeed our pastors and missionaries enjoyed the same 
 special and miraculous assistance as the hrst teachers, 
 then it is very possible that thej too might excel with- 
 out possessing the advantages of human tuition. But It 
 may be questioned, whether education would not have 
 be«i of «»me value even to the apostleS,higily favored 
 as thev were. Is it not at least a remarkable fact, that 
 much more than half the New Testament was com- 
 posed by learned men, viz. Paufan^ Luke j the former 
 of whom wa« trained at the feet 6f Gamaliel, and the 
 latter educated for the medical urofessionT Is not this 
 fact a plain indication, that eve^in the case of inspired 
 men, literary trainitig contribu^d not alittle Jo increase 
 usefulness ? Why else shoold^the apostle of the Gentiles 
 and the beloved physician have excelled as sacred pen- 
 men? Why should they have done more than all the 
 
 .'if 
 
for 
 
 iiitui 
 
 ■tabili 
 
 ;ructlon ai 
 
 age ; except be- 
 iroved a useful liandmatd to their 
 
 othen put tog( 
 of die church in e^ 
 eause their erudiiion 
 spiritual gifts? i v ^ 
 
 But not to dw^ll longer on the case of those extraordi- 
 nary men, it is cheerfull^and thankfully admitted, that 
 many, who could lay claini to neither inspiration nor edu- 
 cation, have proved great blessings in the ministry. Ther^ 
 is a goodly number of such men, well known and de 
 
 Qie 
 
 belong 
 
 }m 
 
 £ven some of the very 
 
 to this class. Far be 
 
 the worth and servi- 
 
 lOSe praise is in all the 
 
 alwi^s be found on examina- 
 
 individuals is owing 
 
 servedly esteemed, among 
 Fathers of our community 
 it then from us to detract 
 ces of these honoured men, 
 churches. But yet it will 
 tion, that the usefulness of 
 
 either to their possessing genius,o^to their laboring among 
 people as uiujultivated as themselves. A few may be^ 
 come eminent in consequence of possessing genius, which 
 cfui amply compensate for the Want of education ; as 
 was the case with John^ Bunyan, whose natural powers 
 of mind made the untutored Tinker, a mighty preacher 
 and an immortal author. But the Wnerality succeed 
 in the ministry, chiefly because the persons, whose 
 good they mostly seek, are too uncnltivated to detect 
 and dislike their improprieties of Speech and their 
 crudities of thought. They^eyer tian Collect and edify 
 an intelligent congregation, who require in the teachers 
 at least as much cultivation as they theii|selves possess. 
 Illiterate preachers may be exceedingly\useful among 
 illiterate people; perhaps even more useiful than some 
 others could be, who are eminent for learning. But 
 yet the acknowledged worth of many unlettered min- 
 isters cannot be a reason for withholding literary cul- 
 ture from devoted men who Wish to serve God in the 
 Gospel of his Son; because these very ministers are 
 often heard lamenting their deficienciesj and cdteting 
 learning as a help for them in their work, and many 
 of them have bjeen known to toil hard for years in order 
 ' to inform and improve their minds, till at length by 
 self-teaching they became capable of interesting the 
 most cultivated hearers, and of distinguishing themselves 
 as Theological writers. Of this we have a bright 
 example in Andrew Fuller, of Weased memory, who 
 
I. 
 
 b<»gait to preach when rery unlearned, but who wan so 
 f enflible of hit diiadvantagea that lie u«e<l great diligence 
 to acquire that knowledge, without which he could never 
 be, what he at length became, one of the most valuable 
 men of his time, and dei^idodly the moiit useful min- 
 ister in our religiou8 community. 
 
 2. We do not mean, on the other haiid, to rontfind 
 that lulucation alone^ apart from moral adavtation, can 
 qualify for the Ministry. — There are imlee<i multitude* 
 who speak of training for the sacred office, in the same 
 terms as they do ot any other profcstiional education, 
 vaiidy supposing that as leurniiig may make a lawyer, 
 
 Vso it may also a minister. It is a notorious fact, that 
 ill all fieciilar or state churches, young men are raised 
 to undertake 'tiie care of souU,' without any regard U» 
 thtsir religious feclhigs. We however utterly reprobate 
 such a notion and such a custom. Much as we desire a 
 learned ministry, we desire apiotu ministry more. The 
 first and moKt essential qualification, which we look for 
 and demand, is godliness, while we seek learning 
 only as a secondary, though not unimportant prepara-* 
 tion. j It is our solemn coii^tioii -that tio literary 
 attaiiimehfs, no powers of Ww^'^* ^^^ K'^^' fitness 
 for the work, if the heart be^Jt engaged in it. This 
 preparation of the heart in man must come from the 
 Lord, before any other preparation, whether of erudi- 
 tion or of eloquence, can qualify him for the ministry. 
 Let no one then charge us with the sacrilegious intent, 
 of making learning a substitute toe piety,'iu the teachera 
 of our churches. . 
 
 3. We do not mean to contend ^or Education in a 
 Theological Institutiont to the exclusion or disparage- 
 ment of that which may he obtained in any other way, — 
 We desire intelligence and cultivation in general, with- 
 out laying much stress on the place or manner in which 
 tliey may be acquired ; though we feel a preference fpV 
 the truning given in, what may be called, * the schools 
 ot* the prophets,' since it is likely to be more suitable 
 and valnablei as having a more special and direct bear- 
 ing on ministerial duties. But if the learning ^tself be 
 sound and to the purpose, we care not much whether 
 it has becai guned at home, or in the Collegiate sea^ of 
 
 ~w 
 
6 • 
 
 liberal education, or in the HalUi of Dirlnity. A mul- 
 titude of hon(.red namet might be mentioned of aelf- 
 tauffht men, who forced their way to literary emmence, 
 and commanded the admiration, if not provoked th« 
 envy, of the more favored cultivatora of letter*^ who 
 could boait of the advantage* and honort of renowned 
 Univer.itiet. Who does not know^ the hwtory of our 
 illu«triou« Carey, how he became a prodigy of learn- 
 ing, without having ever frequented the grovea of Aon. 
 demui? How happy a circumsUnce would it be for the 
 cau«e of truth, if unlettered ministeni generally were to 
 follow the bright«xample of Carev, Fuller, Booth and 
 others, by •truggling thrtmgh their difficultiea and 
 placing themselves on a level with the well instructed 
 and enlightened I But alas I this is too much to ex|)ecU 
 Some indeed are known to be makinff most pr«OT 
 worthy efforts for this purpose ; yet while we heartily 
 wish them success, we feel persuaded, that under existing 
 circumstances, an educated ministry cannot be secured 
 among us, without the aid of an Institution, in which mmi 
 of God may have special facilities for improving their 
 minds. And hence we may justly infer the importance, 
 \(uatt^e necessity, of the Theological School, recently 
 opened among us, in which all, who are called to 
 the work, may find education at their^own expense, and 
 many even at the expense of the benevolent, when they , 
 have no private resources. 
 
 Having made the foregoing, remarks, in the hope ^ 
 of correcting the misapprehensions of some, and of 
 silencing the cavils of others, we shall now proceed to 
 prove and illustrate t^p importance of education for 
 ministers of th^ Gospel. 
 
 All mUst grant that the chief endeavors of a minister 
 should be, first, to understand the Bible himself, and 
 secondly, to teach it to others. On this view then of . 
 ministerial duties we ground our proofs, which must 
 accordingly be arranged under two heads. 
 
 I. Ministers need Edueaiion, because U will greatly 
 assist them in studying and undersiShding the ^rip- 
 tures.—li is often said that the Bible is an easy book ; | 
 and so doubtless it is in a certain sense. It is e«y to | 
 be understood aa to things moat dewrable to be known, 
 
 ■ 
 
! 
 
 for no icholanbip !• reqitlred In ordmr to rntke ont the 
 WAy of talvation, and the principal dutiea- incumbent " 
 on man. Yet even tlie way of life in to intelligible, not 
 becauM it it always exprcMod with cloarnesN, but be- 
 cauae it is stated so often and in so great a variety of 
 terms, that a |)erM)n of the commonest apprehension 
 cannot fail, as wo may say, to catch the idea. For in^* 
 stance, it is possible tliat an ignorant man may not com- 
 piehend what is meant by ' being born again ;' yet he 
 will, almost without fail, know wliat is meant by * re- 
 penting' and * believing,' which are only diftVtrvnt expres- 
 sions for the saving change intended by regeneration. 
 So also the declaratum that * the blood of Christ cloanseth 
 from all sin,"^ though quite intelligible to a Jew or any 
 one conversant with the law of Moses, can scarcely 
 luggest the proper idea to an ignorant mind ; yH the 
 very truth hero taught is elsewhere stated in the plainest 
 manner, as when it is declared that God forgives sin for 
 the sake of ('hi-ii<t. But while it is thAfikfnlly admitted, 
 that * he who runs may read' the things\which belong to 
 his peace ; yet all must allow that there ate * some things 
 hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned 
 and unstable wrest to their own destruction' (24?«lMiii. 
 16) ; and many will be ready even to confess thi^ the 
 Bible is a difficult book. And who* that kn%ws the his- 
 tory and contents of the Sacred Volume, can wonder 
 at its difficulties? A collection of writings, that are of 
 ■uch high antiquity, several of them being the most an- 
 cicint in existence, that were composed by Orientals 
 for the use, in the Brst place, of people whose mode of 
 living, thinking, and speaking jjiftered widely from Qur 
 own, that treat on the most sublime and abstruse sub- 
 jects, and that too in languages which have long «inoe 
 oeased to be spoken, and therefore not easily mastered, 
 and that have oeen handed down for many generations 
 bv the labor of the pen, which is a process tar less iavor» 
 able to correctness than printing,— surely a Collection 
 of such a character, must be expected to contain partis, 
 exceedingly obscure to us, however clear they may have 
 been tOstbe first readers. 
 
 How then, we ask, can an antanght preacher under- 
 
 - ftand these obscure and seemingly unintelligible poitiona 
 
 of Ilif Divine Oracles? Wiil commentaries suffice to 
 
ini^ct him? We think not Some of thew may 
 Sl«» often help, hot they teldom .atuify.a pe«on 
 SS^Stateiit, -every minister ought^^ 
 
 ^the wni of evi/y part. A^«jn.rt»le and m^^ 
 ZL of acommentiy alwayifeel.de*iro.Mof torm^^^^ 
 ,jnpinioh for him«»lf,a.totheionndnei« of the cntical 
 ieilirlw and the various attempts at explanation, which 
 S««nd in snch a work; but ^^^'^^^^^ 
 n^neMinira contiderkble ki^^wledge of the original 
 CSS of the Scriptures,^ot to mention other aida 
 rSfcCl interpretation. It is a fact that many have 
 Ln induced to^leam <5treek and Hebrew, m conse- 
 «^r«f^€«tinir with some words in these lan^foag^ 
 
 rre^^criticalremark. But while 5 must 
 t"^^ of every inteliigenyea^^ 
 aeliberate ludirment On the sense of Holy W nt, now 
 mich Sow ouihtevery professedand public expounder 
 
 form an enlihtened andmatured opinion He aU^^ 
 Eld nevS he nnder the necessity of belienng im- 
 «S whsJ thw or that expositor isserts. He ought 
 S^b^^'chilar eSouRh to puX the test the correctne«» 
 
 S Ae^^Ssms o? otheW ^"f^^^JS^ 
 «K.^biide8 of meaning and valuable hints, which the 
 oAritl ^^ present, but which oimmentatojj^ . 
 
 SmP^nt out. We have, for example, a word.of 
 Sk Wndin Phil.iii.2a, where the Greek term «AfT.»A-, 
 
 wSc^i-tenderedconi^ewfl^io^ 
 ' J^heChrUtianVcountry--thathis conduct w ruled by 
 
 S^2^S^^_thathisi^ 
 
 h^^n-and that his permanent abode will finally^ 
 
 hfhSveBu fWe must then maintain, that notwithstand- 
 nir^SX ii»mmon helps which exist for expkining the 
 B§,Ca m&r is notT&ely to gain a competent nn- 
 4^^^^^^^^^^ ^^f possessmg^ himself 
 a ,^d«&ee of learning and information^im it be 
 Bi^todltot an unread person, however good his na- 
 SSnES atay be, will properlv comprehend the 
 mophSwritii^a? As to nnf uimfed prophecies.. t» 
 SrSradmittS that they are often too difficult for 
 fveS^I iSert interpreter/; as yas strikingly exem- 
 uSj;«tte«i8e of Calvin, who, in his Commentariea 
 
 J- 
 
may 
 erson 
 over- 
 sitive 
 tning 
 ritical 
 nrhich 
 Ithout 
 iginal 
 r udii 
 ^have 
 sotise- 
 iiagest 
 miist 
 orm a 
 , how . 
 •under 
 tble-to 
 it least 
 ig im- 
 ought 
 sctn^ss 
 me of 
 th the 
 ntatorv-l ^ 
 prd^of 
 
 heaven 
 lied by 
 intre in 
 laliy be 
 hstand* 
 ling the 
 ent un- 
 lumself 
 an it be 
 hiis na- 
 end the 
 ies^itia 
 colt for 
 r exem* 
 lentaries 
 relatiupi 
 
 becaiise he could not, with all hia matehleis penetratkm 
 and excellent erudition, discover iU meaning. But 
 even prediction! that have been accomplished, such a« 
 thoserelating to Babylon. Tyre, and other places to 
 the East, cannot be thoroughly understood and turtied 
 to good purpose, as evidences of a Divine Revelation, 
 except by one who is conversant with the ancient an^d 
 modern history of the nations and countries spoken of 
 by the prophet, as well as with the original language. 
 Oan any one, for instance, make out a striking and cou- 
 vindng meaning in the promise ( Isaiah xlv, 1,) * to 
 open before Gyrus the two leaved gates,' unkjs^hfeia 
 aware tfiat such gates were actually left open iiWabylon, 
 at the time when the city was taken by that conqiieror ? 
 Also in other parts^in which precepts or doctri^ies are 
 laid down, obscurities occur, which cannot be readily 
 and satisfactorily removed without a knowledge of 
 Hebrew or Greek. Thus in 1 John iii. 3. < every man 
 that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself,* the words 
 • in Aim are often taken to signify within himself ^ while 
 they in reality mean on him i, e. Christ, as a mere 
 glance at the Greek will show beyond dispute. 
 
 11. Ministers need Education, because it will enable 
 them more effectually to explain the Scriptures to 
 oMcr*—-. When a minister of the iNjprd acquires sacred 
 knowledge, it is not so much that he may «mich himself, 
 as that he may dispense it to those who aro- ignorant 
 and out of the way. * Therefore every scribe, intructed 
 unto the kingdom of heaven, is lik^ to a householder, 
 who bringeth forth out of hisf treasure ^hings new and 
 old»' But to cotnmunicatertf iith to othjers, is often diffi- 
 cult even for sdme, who find it easy to investigate and 
 discover it for themselyes. It is theirefore one of the 
 main'objects of good literary trainitig, to obviate this 
 difficulty, by imparting a facility to express whatever 
 useful ideas the mind has acquired. There are two 
 modes of communicatiilg instruction, via. speaking and 
 writing ; and in both these, it is desirable that a religioiia 
 teacher should be competent to explainand enforce the 
 truths of revelation. The edncatioii then for which we 
 plead w^ teach him how to express, in an intelligible, 
 if not attractive form, his own discoveries and views to 
 bis hearer or reader. For it will teach him how Uk 
 
 .^*V "^\ ^^■^fA»Xff^^<k*^^i 
 
define ter«./imd^ to .dUtiwui«h ac^^ 
 them. Inabmtyorn«^ligencetnth»8particalw,j8^^^^^ 
 known to be the cause of much confusion ^^ m»ny^^^^^^ 
 Sputesin Theology. Thji. a preacher on^^amte^^^^^^ 
 that the atonement of ChrUt U made m h^'^?"J«^«"- 
 new ag ihey repent, and consequently wandal wed many 
 of h« hearU who beH^^^^^ that it had been_^ already 
 coiter^^^^ the cross. Now had he stated exactly 
 Xt he meant by the term « atonement/ which wa« 
 ^aln^^^mactui reconciliation to God, ^^ 
 C^^ouldolyect to his opinion, though they mi^^^^^ 
 
 to his language. '.r. 
 
 Proper mental discipline will also tend to make a 
 miSoCve sequeU and method m ^^^^^^-^ 
 so that his discourses wiU not present a confused m^s 
 of ideas, jumbled together without connection and with- 
 ^LSv: CJ^dWngement or «»f " isjis neces- 
 ^bSlSrition, as sound tactics m the marshalling of 
 «» army for battle. What prudent General would 
 ever bring his forces into conflict without order and 
 desiffu? Ko more should a preacher advance a multi- 
 tude of remarks, that are loose and have^no common 
 bearinir ; for if he be without aim, the hearer must 
 be expected to feel no interest, and ^f«q«fj^y .^^ 
 receive no instruction. If the ambassador of Christ 
 has no specific message, butspeaks altogether at random 
 without having a definite object to accomplish, ^^ 
 he expect to be heard i^ith attention and respect? Can 
 
 any nSnistef * excel to the edifying of the church,r who 
 doM not seek out ^acceptable words,^ and who is not 
 prepared like Paul, « to reason of righteousness, tem- 
 perknceandjudgmenttocome?' A sensible men would 
 Lut a public^ecturer on any literary or scientific 
 subiect, who should talk incoherently, without either 
 ' sound reaspning or ;lucid arrangement. But^are not 
 coherency and cogency in discourse, as much to^^be 
 expected from a teacher of heavenly truth? or has he a 
 special privilege, seeing that his themes are so sacred and 
 inomentous, to express his thoughts m a confiised and 
 Sf^ngform? *^God forbid. Rather as the truttis 
 which he has to propound transcend all others in im- 
 portance, so he ought to excel in clear and convincuiff 
 Sscourse. He ought to be able to discuss an article of 
 
our holy Faith, in ft style a» metfiodical and4»ffOrit, m 
 that in which the great apostle has treated th^ doctrine 
 of the resurrection in I Cor. xr. Now all these qualifi- 
 cations for public teaching, are more or less the results 
 of the intellectual discipliner which must always accom- 
 pany a good education. There are varioiis branches 
 of study, which directly tend to impart these benefits, 
 especially Philology^^ Mathematics, Logic and Meta- 
 . physics. It is scarcely possible for a person of good 
 understanding to pursue these studies, without acquiring 
 a habit of thinking and speaking With clearness and 
 precision, if not with elegance. 
 
 With the ability to explain the -truths of Scripture, 
 is closely allied the power to defend them. A minister 
 should, above all men, *be ready always to give an 
 answer to every one that asketh a reason of the hope 
 that is in him.'^ But in numerous instances he caiinot do 
 jthis, without the aid of education. As leaniing has 
 often been employed to propagate error, and even to 
 assail the Bible, learning must also be needed to advocate 
 the truth. Who does not see the necessity, that a 
 professed teacher df religion should be sufficient scholar, 
 to explode the learned criticisms with which many 
 endeavor to bolster up errors ? For instance, our dis- 
 ttnguishing practice as Baptists often needs a learned 
 advocate; not indeed because a plain reader ^of the 
 Bible cannot discover his duty, but because there is often 
 a great boast of le^rfting on the other side. There are 
 too many disputants who, as the erudite and candid 
 Dr. G. Campbell remarks,^ * maintain in defiancp of 
 etymology and use, that the word rendered in the New 
 Testament baptize means more properly to sprinkle 
 ^hau to plunge, and in defiance of all antiquity, that the 
 former method was the earliest, and, for many centuries, 
 the most general practice in baptizing.* Ought not our 
 ^ minfeters then to be prepared, to expose the ignorance 
 and tenilerity of such disputants? 
 
 Need we advance more in proof of the importance 
 of an educated ministry? Theh we Would appeal 
 to facts. Have not all the eminent Reformers of the 
 church in everyage been learn ed men? Have not all 
 
 „ » Pulpit Eloquence, lOth Lecture. ; , 
 
98 
 
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