The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1877-06-27
Rev. DR.. N. L. Rice-A Well Spent Life.

In the death of DR.. Nathan l. Rice, the Pres
byterian Church has lost one of its foremost men,
In the whole list of distinguished men who have
recently passed away. and OF those who still sur.
vive, it would be difficult to name one who has
filled more important chapter in ourAhistory OF
fifty years past by his widely extended and diver
sifed labors. His active ministry OF forty-elght
years, most of which was spent IN the West, en-
braces nearly the whole period OF the more impor'
tant growth and development OF our Church IN
this vast region. And we know not another man
who through all these years, in the various spheres
of his influence and at the several points OF his la
bor has contributed more to this enlargement. AS
faithful and jealous preacher OF the gospel, as
wde-awake editor of the religious press, as ready
debater in the Church courts, as safe ezpounder
of our Presbyterian doctrines, and defender OF
them in book, pamphlet, and pnbilc lecture or de-
bate and as an attractive and popular professor IN
our theological schools he was justly regarded as
one of the representative men of his times, and
recognized as a standard bearer Of Presbyterlanlsm
throughout the Church and the country. AS a
preacher of the gospel, be was one OF the most
evangelical, instructive practical and popular the
Church has ever produced. Always ScrIptural,
simple in method, fluent in STYLE direct In appllca-
ton, full of JUNCTION, and full OF argument leveled
to the capacity of his hearers he never failed to
present the great truths of Christ and His cross to
every man conscience in the sight OF God. From
first to last his ministry greatly blest OF God,
and emnently fruitful both in the conversion OF
souls to Christ and the ediication Of his people,
We have heard more eloquent aud attractive pull
ri ssk.ors than Dr. Rice out we never hdlTd anEi
sityr5& year to year, both Tor solid instruction aud
deep religious experience La this respect ne re-
sembled DR.. Archibald Alexander. Ia hearing
either of them, we always felt it was safe to follow
where they led because each had gone over the
ground and knew the way =,
DR.. Rice filed five successive pastorates besides
that of the church at Fulton, Mo-, during his
presidency of Westminster College, HIS hfst
charge was at Bardstown, KY, where he COM
menced his ministry, and the others were over lead
ing churches in four of our great cities-Cincln-
natl. ST. Louis, Chicago and New York. Each OF
these he held several years, and exerted powerful
influence not only over these great centres OF pop
ulatiou but over the whole region far and near de-
pendent upon them, and thus over the whole
Church of the several States in which, for the
fine. he resided. When the length of his active
ministry is considered, and the central, command,
ing positions he occupied in four great capitals o.
different States, the probability is that he had
preached the gospel to as large number OF people
as any man of his times, except, perhaps, some OF
the itinerating reviValists.
But perhaps the most remarkable thing In the
career of Dr. Rice was the double, and even three
satisfied with single agency in doing good. de
seemed to feel that he must multiply himself. he
ate no idle bread He was full of labors, full OF
new enterprises of usefulness In each of his pas
torates. except those of New York and Fulton, he
was editor Of religious weekly newspaper; in
: each case if we remember rightly founding the
paper, which in every instance grew to be sue,
cessfu journal and made its Influence felt IN all
parts of the Church and country. And not con-
tent with the double work of pastor and editor ne
added in more than one instance, the third respon-
sibility of theological professor, and at Bards
town, that of founder and principal Of female
seminary. This threefold work he did at Chicago,
at the opening OF our Theological Seminary OF the
Northwest, being Professor of Systematic The
ologv pastor of the North Church and editor Of
the PRESBYTERIAN ErpoSitor at first monthly and
then weekly Journal the predecessor OF The IN
terror Before coming to Chicago he had founded
. the S. Louis Presbyterian in that city, as ne had
the PtesBOterinn of the West at Cincinnati, and the
Ptesbaterian Herald in Kentucky. At Cincinnati
he held the office of theological professor IN new
o Seminary, which in connection with Others he had
! there ipaugurated. Alter GetlrlGg RON 1ne pas,
torate Of the Fifth Avenue Church, New Cork, on
account of impaired health, and accepting the pres
idencv of Westminster College at Fulton, he not
i only supplied the pulpit Of the church at that
place for several years but in connection with the
college, also had class of theological students to
D whom he delivered lectures. The closing years OF
his useful life at Danville, where he held the office
o of Professor of Systematic Theology in the Semi
nary. still bore witness to his love Of work; aud
though in great weakness, from declining health,
: he often preached as he had opportunity.
r But besides this duplicated work. which ran
E through so large portion of his life, DR.. Rice was
active and ineessant in labors through many other
channels Constant calls we're made by the church
es for his services both in preaching and ecturiDg
IT. Oh Il nd in q nnmhnr
the churches of Che cities and larger towns, through
the States in which he lived, especially in Ken
lucky, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Missouri. Ia
addition to these multiplied calls he was from time
: to time, publishing small but popular books and
pamphlets on many Of the important practical cues
tons before the public mind at the time. From
y the time of his famous debate with Alexander
Campbell at Lexington, which took place in lS4S
when he was comparatively young in the ministry,
he stood always ready to defend the truth, both in
the oral and the written debate, against any error
ist who might cross his path. He held in fact,
several public discussions of this kind 10 subse-
:, oueut life. His triumphant success in his first
great contest at Lexington, On several important
questions connected with baptism, the report OF
which was published in large volume, gave him
at once national reputation. 1t established bis
character as one of the most astute and powerful
{ dialectitians and debaers-a reputation which his
whole subsequent career in the Church courts and
before the public only serve to confirm. Indeed
it may be questioned whether IN our whole history
any man has ever appeared who in quiokness and
fertility of resources in public debate can be named
as his superior.
Dr. Rices published Volumes of which six now
recur to us, "The Immortality of the Soul, F" God
Sovereign and Man Free" and 1.-THE Design,
Subject and Mode of Baptism, " Romanism rot
Christianity" "Phrenology and Mesmerism, " and
"Spritualism, though small in size, are powerful
in argument. They are we'll adapted to the popu.
t lar comprehension. They contain the essential
truth of the subjects discussed, as in NUTSHELL
They are exhaustive in argument as to the points
he seeks to demonstrate. We know he had it 10
contemplation to prepare larger volume, contain.
q ing our Systematic Theology, popuarzed. He
f contemplated this while Professor in our Theolo
gical Seminary at this place, as one cherished OBJ
ject Of his life. We know not whether he ever car
ried out this idea to completion. Certainly he was
admirably qualified for such task He mentioned
to US, few years ago, that he was engaged in pre-
pairing work on the Apocalypse and gave brief
1 outline of the scheme OF expoundlng 1t. These
works, if completed, would doubtless be Of great
value to the Church.
: In his much loved work of theological instruc-
ton, he had few if any superiors IN the Church.
Not as profoundly versed perhaps, as others 10 the
accumulative literature OF theology, he was pro-
foundly and critically acquainted with every por-
ton of the Scriptures, and his mind was of that
order which led him to grspple freely with all the
deep and difficult questions which he discussed
He impressed his students with the conviction that
/ he had gone to the bottom, and fairly met every
objection, had thought out for himself the whole
system de aOUo, and had presented the weilde6ned
and rounded truth in the clearest possible light
There was in his method of handling such themes
freshness, an originality, an ndescribable charm
{ of earnest conviction which could not fail to at
tract and to satisfy His theological lecture often
exhibited all the best elements Of an animated dis.
course addressed to the conscience and the heart
while. ON the other hand. many of his public dis