PREFACE TO BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF OLD SCHOOL BAPTIST MINISTERS

[We post this preface to RH Pitman's book, Biographical Dictionary of Old School Baptist Ministers in the United States. This is an excerpt from the upcoming eBook. - ed]

When the legal dispensation with its types and shadows, its tabernacle and temple ceremonies, had served the purpose for which God had ordained them, viz, for the teaching and leading and pointing His chosen people to Jesus as the anti-type of all types-the substance of all shadows, it was then that old things­ under the law-passed away, and all things-under the gospel-became new_ The Law being fulfilled in Christ its ceremonies were abolished and its shadows became more defined as the Son of Righteousness arose with healing in His wing, and in their place was established the church with its simple, spiritual worship. And among the gifts our Divine Savior obtained for His church when He ascended on high, and which are to be perpetuated till the completion of her members and the perfect unity of the body, is that of faithful pastors.

    To treat of these pastors-those of our day and and in our own country-is the chief object of this book. While the stamp of imperfection is found upon each and none are more free to admit it than themselves, yet, it is doubted if a more worthy, faithful and self-sacrificing body of men could be found. ·without any guarantee from men of a salary or maintenance, they, like the Primitive preachers, go forward in the discharge of the duties of their high calling as they see it, walking by faith and depending upon Him who does all His pleasure in the army of Heaven and among the inhabitants of earth, and who has promised to be with them always, even unto the encl. And as a body of believers, bearing a denominational name, they ·stand entirely alone in defense of this faith and practice of the Apostolic Church. Ko other denomination and perhaps all others combined, can show as many pastors of the apostolic order and "missionaries" laboring on the Bible plan, as the Primitive or Old School Baptist,-Men who are not hired to preach, nor who can be hired to quit preaching, but whose serv­ ice'in the :\laster's vineyard is a labor of love freely offered upon the altar of gratitude for the glory of God and ,the benefit of men.

    God calls such into his service. He must or none would go. The natural mind runs not in that direction, and it is as true today as it has ever been that "No man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of. Goel, as was Aaron." The true undershepherd is chosen and called. Christ said to His servants, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen YOU, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit." The apostles, the prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are all gifts from the Lord-not for the eternal salvation of sinners but for "the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ."

    And as their calling is not from men neither do they get their qualifications from men. Evidently it is true, if we accept the Bible as authority on the subject, that all the diplomas from all theological seminaries cannot confer upon one the gift of preaching. Kor will the application of high-sounding titles such as "Rev.," "Rt. Rev.," "D. D.," and "LL. D." be of any assistance in the sacred work. In the language of Mr. Spurgeon, "the title D. D. may mean Doctor of Damnation." At any rate the world no more. needs a literary ministry than it needed a literary Christ. The truthfulness of this statement is evidenced by the fact that Christ chose none of His Apostles, with the single exception of Paul, from the ranks or the learned, nor did he train to literary authorship nor give them one single express command to labor in that way.

    The reply of Elder P. D. Gold, of North Carolina, to Wm. Hooper, D. D., LL. D. a prominent New School Baptist, so fully sets forth the view of our people on the question of an educated ministry that the editor quotes from it as follows: "You say, were there not schools of the prophets?  Well, it seems to me that the prophets can give as sensible an account of their call as anyone can give

for them. Do any of them ever tell us that they were called out of any school, or ever were called to go to any such place? They spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. But it is asked, were not the disciples with Jesus three years before they began to preach? If they are not with Him all their lives, what is their preaching worth? Are the schools in the place of Jesus, or is He to be found by going to them? And is that the way to get to Christ? But you say, will not human learning aid man in preaching the gospel-will it not give him words and power over men's minds, and enable him to preach the gospel in a more attractive form? I am free to admit the value of human learning in man's earthly affairs and heartily commend its acquisition in that sense. But what does inspiration say about spiritual things and how they are spoken? Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.' When the Lord calls a learned man (though He does not call many), that man glories in becoming a fool that he may win Christ. Human learning makes no part of the new man, and the saint who has human learning is just as weak and dependent on God for his crumb as any other, and all are fed with the same kind of food. But say you, After one is certainly called to preach, cannot the schools polish him, and give him more influence over men, and enable him better to command their respect, by keeping pace with human learning? Tell me, from

Scripture, where one ever tried it, or where it was ever authorized. How much can frail man add to God's gift? How much pride do you think is necessary to influence man to presume such a task? Do not the Scriptures pointedly forbid the employment of worldly weapons in building up Christ's kingdom? Is the minister of Christ to suit his message to proud man's taste?  'We speak wisdom to them that are perfect, but not wisdom to this world.'  It seems to me that the Scriptures make some allusions to theological schools, though in the way of alarm. 'But the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts will heap to themselves teachers having itching ears.' Much as the Bible is talked of, its doctrine is not endured; but this progressive age calls for theological schools that shall enlighten men to preach doctrines suitable to men's lusts. Men who have devoted so much time and labor in the preparation for the ministry, are· worthy of positions of influence and profit. The teachers come down from these schools dosed with a sort of preparation from dead men's brains that will make them sick enough if God should ever each of them where their dependence lies. How do these schools heap up teachers? They furnish opportunities for obtaining an education, open the way to positions of honor and reward, so that there is but little trouble attending the road, and if money enough could be commanded it would be difficult to tell how_ many would be heaped up; but they shall have itching ears, and shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. The doctrines and fables of men are accepted. Andrew Fuller becomes· a wonderful standard. He takes repentance and faith out of the covenant of grace, and puts them under the law, in the sense that he makes them man's duty, and not gifts of grace. If salvation comes on account of man's performance of his duty, it is of works in some sense. He brings in the modern missionary enterprise, a system somewhat like the popish measures for propagating their creed, but unknown to the Bible and to Baptists, and is a disturber of gospel peace and order among churches. His followers have departed from the truth further than he did as he refused flattering titles which they accept for modesty's sake without much urging, and they do not preach salvation as nearly by grace as he did, so they are waxing worse and worse. As the world is to be evangelized, the tender mind of the young must be converted by means of the newly invented Sunday Schools, and humanly prepared preachers must be sent to the heathen.  Some man must hold the hand of the missionary while he goes down- into the wells, and he must see how his bread comes before he goes; and your churches combine in forming such tremendous agencies of power as your conventions, while you all glory in the fruits of your wise system. That your denomination generally indorses your system is manifest and what little I write may only have the effect of influencing them to fall down before their idols, and shout in louder strains, 'Great is Diana of the Ephesians.'

    In setting no value upon Theological Seminaries, Colleges, etc., in qualifying men for ministerial duties, the Editor, and those he represents, would not be understood to oppose or undervalue human learning, On the other hand the Baptists have ever been warm friends of education, and the earnest advocates of civil and religious liberty, without which education, in its broad, unfettered and true sense can never exist. Their loyalty almost without exception, to the cause of freedom during the dark days of the Revolution, as testified to by Washington himself;-their record since as law abiding citizens; as faithful officers in various departments of government; as educators, philanthropists, authors, etc., their support of a dozen or more religious periodicals published by their own brethren and the liberal patronage and earnest support they give to all non-sectarian schools from the public free school to the highest universities, all go to prove their friendship for, and advocacy of, education.

    But all Bible students are well aware that the world by wisdom knows not God. The wisdom of this world can comprehend only the things of this world­ cannot attain unto spiritual knowledge. The wise man is just as dependent upon God for crumbs of spiritual truth as is the ignorant man. This knowledge comes not by the "willings and doings" of men but by the revelation of God; and God is just as able to reveal His truth to the ignorant Peter as to the learned Paul. And more, we are told that while God calls some wise men into his service he does not call for many, for Paul says: "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in His presence."

    Now this grand truth is not spoken for the exaltation of the ignorant, but for the exaltation of God. The ignorant cannot glory in his ignorance nor the wise in his wisdom but both are equally made dependent upon Him who is the source of all knowledge-the Giver of every good and perfect gift, and both are exhorted to "study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." And while the ministry of the Primitive or Old School Baptist Church do not make it a point to 1;tudy to show themselves approved unto man or unto the world, yet the Editor believes that even though time should fail eternity will not fail to reveal the fact that they do- study to show themselves approved unto God. In fact, they are warned by inspiration that if they seek to please men, or the world, they are no longer the servants of Christ. They manifest that they are anxious to 'render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's." Thus there should be a separation of Church and State followed by a distinction between the wisdom of this world and the wisdom of God, and as we look to the school of men to qualify us for efficient service in the kingdoms of this world, so we should look to the school of Christ to qualify us for efficient service in His kingdom which "is not of this world."  And if we are students in the

Master's school of experience we shall "grow in grace and in knowledge" and learn from Him and His inspired Textbook that the qualifications mentioned therein are for the called and fully qualified servant is that he must be "gentle, humble, quiet, firm, virtuous, upright, just, sober, temperate, unselfish, not covetous, well proved, exemplary, of good repute, sound in doctrine able and apt to teach, divinely impressed with the work of the ministry, not for ambitious or sordid ends, but for the good of men and the glory of God." Gal. i; Eph., 3 and 8:16; John 21:15-17; and 26:13-15; 1.fat. 10:1-6;·Rom., 5:5; II Cor., 5:5-G; I Tim.3:1-7 and 4:12-l6; Titus,1:6-9; Acts, 20·:28; I Peter, 5:1-4; I Cor. 9:16).

    Realizing the high and holy calling and the divine qualifications the ministry of the Primitive or Old School Baptist Church, as a rule, feel their unworthiness and insufficiency for these things, and are, therefore not those who seek notoriety. They shrink from, rather than desire, publicity, and the editor in the preparation of this work, more than ever before has been made cognizant of this trait of their character. To collect data for the biographical matter herein presented required his persistent requests published in our denominational papers, his personal appeals by private· correspondence and the assistance of many friends, among whom are mentioned: Elders Sylvester Hassell, Walter Cash, F. A. Chick, .J. T. Rowe, .J. G. Webb, R. W. Thompson, J. T. Oliphant, F. P. Brascome, J. H. Fisher, Lee Hanks, J. A. Ashbourn, B. E. Bourland, J. K. Free­ man, H. 1\1. Farley, J. J. Gilbert, E. E. Lundy, G. E. Mayfield, Henry Taylor and John T. Blanchard; Brethren J. \V. Jones, J. G. Wiltshire and, C. C. Aylett; and Miss Fannie Lou Raulston, Mrs. S. J. Buckhalt, Mrs. Bettie Leggitt and Miss Annie Crisp, for which the editor desires to express his sincere thanks.

    Acknowledgement is also made to Elders Sylvester Hassell and George W. Stewart for freely quoting from the Church History and The Two Witnesses as they appear in the appendix of this work.

    In conclusion the editor wishes to say that his work, like himself, bears many of the marks of imperfection. within the period of its preparation he has endeavored to make it fairly representative. He could not hope for more than this. For to gather even the briefest information of Al I Primitive or Old School Baptist Ministers would be almost an impossible task. Many worthy ministers, now living, would furnish no information of their lives, and their friends failed to do so for them. Others delayed sending data until too late; while on the other hand the editor may have in a few instances, been taken advantage of and some may appear herein who are really in disorder at home, and unworthy of representation, for an investigation in all cases of the personnel of the work was next to impossible.

    It has been his purpose on the one hand to steer clear of any who fail to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior with a godly walk and conversation, and also those restless, progressive spirits among us who seem not satisfied with the order of God's house but who are clamoring for new practices unauthorized by God's word and unprecedented in Baptist History and who are pressing such things to the extent of division, thus manifesting they prefer innovations to the fellowship of the great body of Baptists.

    And on the other hand the editor has taken a broad view of those points of doctrine and practices such as predestination and feet-washing, which has ever, to some extent, been open questions among our people, and over which there has been more a war of words than of principle; and advocates of different shades of opinion on such matters are given equal representation.

    The preparation of the work has imposed a vast responsibility and an immense amount of labor. The manuscript ·was prepared amid the many duties of a busy life and under various circumstances-sometimes on railroad trains, sometimes while waiting at stations for the cars, etc., and it is therefore desired that the reader freely use "a mantle of charity" in its perusal.

    The editor has labored, not only to present a useful, interesting and readable book, but one that will also be unifying, edifying and beneficial to our people. How well he has succeeded remains to be seen. But whatever the result, he feels that the motive prompting the undertaking and prosecution of the work was a pure one. A long-felt desire to render an essential service to the cause of truth has been the "guiding star." The humble and faithful "soldiers of the Cross," who after spending their lives in obscurity and "of whom the world is not worthy, " should not, he feels, be forgotten. And as we love to see their graves marked, let us also seek to perpetuate their memory in a more enduring way than the sculptor's chisel on the marble slab, and teach our children to honor their names; to reverence the God they served; and, at least, to respect the principles for which they have so faithfully and unselfishly labored.

    That this work may be blessed of God to His glory and the benefit of His people is the earnest wish of

 

Luray, Virginia, May 27, 1909.