21 Induction to Ministry 1792

21 - INDUCTION TO THE MINISTRY 1792 THE year 1792 was nearing its dose. The months already past had been crowded with events of importance to Mr. Randall and the cause he represented. But before the year was allowed to join the receding procession, other important events were added to the record. A council duly authorized met at Wolfeboro, October nineteenth, and organized a Free Baptist church, the first church of any kind organized in the town. The covenant, in Mr. Randall’s handwriting, is still extant. Four days later a council, consisting of Randall, Weeks, and Whitney, met at Middleton to examine, with reference to ordination, John Buzzell and Isaac Townsend. As intimated in a former chapter, our fathers were cautious about inducting men into the ministry. Whatever the natural or acquired abilities of candidates, certain conditions were indispensable. The men must be of good repute, mentally balanced, and deeply pious. They must be sound in biblical doctrines according to evangelical interpretation, have aptness to teach and ability to edify, have a gift for soul-winning, give evidence of a divine call; and, withal, the more education they had received the better. One of the ordeals through which a candidate usually had to pass was the preaching of a trial sermon.

Now, respecting the cases under consideration, the following items are gleaned from an old record: They first had worship at the Middleton meeting-house, where Buzzell preached on trial to good acceptance. The council then repaired to a private house. Buzzell proceeded to give an account of his conversion, call to the ministry, and success in former efforts at soul-winning. Then followed critical questions by the brethren on the council, and all to good satisfaction.

Townsend was put through a similar course, except the trial sermon, and with like results. It was agreed that Buzzell be ordained at the meeting-house the following day, and that Townsend be ordained the day after at Wolfeboro. Randall, Weeks, Whitney, and Boody were selected to conduct the services.

Here it may be admissible to turn a sidelight on some ordination customs-or perhaps, more properly speaking, accessories- peculiar to the times. In those early days a really orthodox ordination was held to be an affair in which the rabble must have a part as well as the church and the council. The people from a wide area would assemble. A procession would be formed, sometimes headed by a band of music, to escort the pastor-elect and other dignitaries from some public place to the meeting-house. And while the services would be in process there, drinking, horse-swapping, and general carousing would be the order without. The day would end with public festivities, at which strong drink would be a considerable part of the entertainment. The expense of all this would be paid from the public chest. A work called "Buxton Centennial" gives a few illustrative statements. Under date of 1762, the record runs thus: "Twenty pounds"-about one hundred dollars-"lawful money was voted to defray the charges of ordaining Mr. Paul Coffin." In the same account, farther on, we have this: " A very plentiful entertainment for the council and strangers was provided at the expense of the proprietors."

Though no parade, public dinner, music, or rum was offered in connection with the ordination of Mr. Buzzell, by common impulse a mixed multitude gathered for the occasion; the better class to witness, if possible, the services, and the baser for carousal, At ten o’clock in the morning about one thousand people gathered in and about the house of God to witness the interesting and impressive ceremonies; while about another thousand were out by themselves to spend the day in revelry.

Elder Randall preached the sermon from 2 Corinthians 5:20 : "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ." Weeks offered the prayer of consecration and gave the charge. Whitney gave the hand of fellowship, and Boody offered the closing prayer. The sermon was well adapted to the occasion, and was delivered with demonstration of the Spirit and with power. Each part of the services was well sustained. The whole was solemn and impressive. It was a day of good to God’s people, notwithstanding the annoyance of the rabble. In accordance with previous arrangements, the next day the same council met at< Wolfeboro and ordained Isaac Townsend as pastor of the Free Baptist church there. At a legal meeting the town of Wolfeboro, after having organized a church of eight members, had voted to settle Mr. Ebenezer Alien as its minister, and arranged for his ordination to occur on the same day appointed for that of Mr. Townsend. The evident intent of this was that Townsend should not be the first minister ordained in the town, thereby entitling him to the town land.

Previous to the ordination of Mr. Alien a remonstrance had been signed by eighteen citizens and presented to the town authorities, protesting against the move and declaring that they would not pay any minister-tax to the town, as they were accustomed to attend the other church. The usual rabble was in evidence, as was their manner, at the town gathering. At the Townsend ordination the assembly was large, orderly, and respectful. It was a day of great good to the locality and the regions beyond.

Let us be thankful that, by common consent, such religious rivalry has long since disappeared, and that not only religious tolerance, but a spirit of mutual helpfulness now dominates all Christian bodies.