American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1822-08-16

Il making totai Vi Sl'
In answer TO our queries if Education Societies
! are authorized by God to call upon farmers to hoe
corn, rich men to write checks, housewives to whir
their wheels. every eye to look for poor young men,
and all people to arise early, sit up late, and work
hard, and give freely in order to make ministers of
the gospel? the stranger says-'Positivey | as
sert all this. God authorizes the Education Soc
ETY. to do good sCease to do evil. Learn to do
wen' This command enioins upon ALL the practice
Of virtue. Its inlunctions general, but extern
siye. Its prohibition is as general its injuncion
yet it forbids all wrong conduct. prohibits theft
and avarice, but does not name them. 1t en- oins
honesty and charity, yet mentions neither. In a
word, it prohibits all that is wicked in action, and
enoins all that is virtuous in conduct. Admit the
above sentiment, and we have but one more ques-
lion decide. Is the Education Society doing good?
We do not admit the above sentiment for We
believe that Education Societies for the purpose Of
manufacturing preachers of the gospel are an
domination in the sight of God and their conduc
an insult to the Most High, for it loudly declare,
that they profess TO think that God is dependent
upon them for qualified ministers, and that unless
sufficient number are educated and prepared at a
Theological Seminary, and sent forth to evangelIze
the world, the people will rollow.hereses and even
tually be lost forever; because say they, those
preachers who have not served apprenticeship at
college, and learned the art, trade, and mystery Of
preaching, ara not qualified for the ministry. And
TO affirm that because God says Cease to do evil
learn 20 do WE'LL he authorizes Education Societies
to call upon farmers to hoe corn,' Sc is misera
bic perversion of the text, and assertion which
only such men as the stranger would have the
boidness TO hazard.
The Stranger proceeds-'Is it wicked to hoe or
spin, work hard; TO rise early; sit up late, or
give freely for laudable object by which he
means educating men for the ministry Certainly
not. So far from being wicked these actions were
accounted vrtuous in gospel times" But Mr..
Strangely if we revert to gospel times, we must
go back to those days when Education Societies
were not even thought of--when it was not deemed
necessary to hoe, or spin, or work hard, in order
TO create fund for educating rasn for the ministry
and when men taught IN the school OF Christ,
went forth, divinely commissioned preaching the
gospel, not with excellency of speech, enticing
words of mans wisdom, but in demonstration Of
the Spirit and of power In gospel times men
had more exalted views OF the christian ministry
than entertained by many Of our modern divines
Then, human learning was not considered an indis
pensable requisite for preacher of the gospel
nor do we read of our Saviour or his apostles send
ing agents TO hunt up young men, in order to send
them to serve an apprenticeship at school, to attain
the qualifications Of minister. To those who
were called to the ministry, it was enough thai
Christ said "Go-and, 10, am with you ! and not
outstanding they were made to exclam, in view o
the awful responsibility attached to their Office
sWho is sufficient for these things F-and woult
have sunk under its mighty weight, had they no
been supported by strength from on high-they
went forth, making the gospel of Christ withou
charge. sAt the present day, we are told, tina
unless we have learned ministry the people mus
perish. Witness the following extract from al
address to the Public, on the subject of establish
ing Literary and Theological Institution, in thu
Connecticut Western Reserve, State of Ohio.'
'tThe limits of the Western Reserve embrace al
extent Of territory equal to about 5000 square miles
and contain population of nearly 10000 souls
Scattered over this territory, Tor the religious in
struction of its inhabitants there are (beside few
Methodist and Baptist preachers) twenty-three &C.
tive ministers Of the gospel, who have under 'he
care seventy seven organized churches. These
ministers have all particular charges, with the ex
eeption OF two. This OF course leaves many places