If one were to say that catechizing and the Christian instruction of youth is one of the principal, most important, and most necessary of our duties, and not of less value than preaching, would he not be contradicted or even laughed at by many uninstructed preachers, or by others ignorant of their duty, who seek only their own honor; as if such care were too small and contemptible for an office instituted for more important employment? Yet such is but the real truth. Meantime this duty is by many considered so ridiculous that there are preachers who think it degrading to their dignity to undertake it, or even see that it is diligently and faithfully performed by those appointed to it. It is no credit to our evangelical churches that catechetical instruction has been so little or not at all thought of in so many places; though even Luther recommended it so strongly, and gave us so many admirable writings to promote it. But now it either does not exist at all, or is performed negligently, and thrown almost entirely upon schools and schoolmasters.The question is whether anything much has changed. At that time the church was the source for its own training -- task not left to the schools.
"These duties should not have been left to schoolmasters; for these are almost wholly unfit to discharge them on account of their own meagre attainments. But preachers should recollect that the souls of the youth are intrusted to them, and that they must give an account of them. They should therefore submit to this as well as to the other duties of their office. It is not anywhere prescribed who among them should perform these duties. In places where there are several clergymen, and the pastors and superintendents are laden with so many other occupations that they cannot perform this duty, we cannot object to its being left for the deacons, or for others who may have more time for it. In large churches able catechists might be appointed. Superintendents, however, and theologians in high office would not do amiss if they would sometimes countenance this exercise by their presence, and even now and then perform it themselves in order to encourage others. If there were some who would voluntarily commence it themselves, it would not be interpreted ill, or thought below their dignity. "I have become acquainted with the character of most instructors of youth, and I find that their real aim is not to lead the soul of youth to God, but their pay also, that they are chiefly not fit to impart a correct knowledge of God since they do not possess it themselves. And indeed there are very many who have not a knowledge even of the letter of that which is or is not to be believed; much less do they comprehend thoroughly and spiritually what is the will of God in faith and its fruits. Catechizing is as necessary to the church as any other religious agency can be.[1]
Now from Calixtus.
We have also the important authority of Calixtus on the sad condition of the education of the young. "The chief cause and origin of the decay of learning," says he, "now tending to extinction, (which may God avert!) I hold for my own part, to be this:--that the younger children are not well grounded in the minor schools. Foundations ought to be laid there, which might afterwards support the whole weight of solid learning and true erudition. The children ought to learn from genuine authors the Greek and Latin languages; the Keys (as they are) of those treasures which preceding ages have laid up for our use. And they ought so to learn, as to be able to appreciate the thoughts of others (specially of the best authors), and to express their own in suitable and perspicuous words.... But now, in many places, we see the reverse of all this. Before they can speak (passing by preposterously, the matters essential to ultimate success), the boys are made to proceed, or rather leap, to higher subjects; 'real' subjects, as we have learned to call them. Pedagogues of this stamp seem to themselves learned, whilst they are teaching what they have never themselves mastered; and what their scholars neither understand, nor at their age can understand. In the mean time the writings of those good authors, who, by all past ages, have been recognized as masters of literature and style, are struck out of their hands, and they (the schoolmasters) substitute their own comments; disputing in a circle of children about Anti-Christ and the doctrine of predestination. [2]
The remarks are scathing.
It does remind me of so many teachers of theology -- of all stripes. As they say, teachers speak of things that they have not mastered. Preachers preach of things that they have not mastered. Scholarship is of little concern. We would rather today, 500 years later, speak of the Anti-Christ than of the richness of redemption, the apologetic truth of the faith, the error of secular philosophy (especially the neo-Platonism of the rationalist), Excitement trumps excellence.
The solution is hard work. Construct a church educational program that encompasses all of the challenges of our day and attack the issues. Of course we will not do it. We're happy with a few lessons about Moses, Abraham, and Noah for the young children. So sense in making S.S. "no fun" and no sense in making adults do anything but feel good about their faith.
Ok, I'm pretty cynical about this. But look around and find a church that is taking the full scope of education seriously. They are few. And I am becoming pessimistic about the capacity of Christianity in the US (the West in general) to get past this challenge.
There is a solution. But do we want to hear it. How many pastors/preachers would hear this criticism of the then-equivalent of today's therapeutic sermon? [3]
A sermon on Zaccheus from the words, He was little of stature, claims for its theme, "The stature and size of Zaccheus." The first division is, he; the second, was; third, small stature. Application first, The text teaches us the variety of God's works; second, it consoles the poor; third, it teaches us to make amends for our personal defects by virtue. Tholuck well asks, who would imagine that the author of this sermon was the minstrel of "When the early sun arises," "Oh Jesus, all thy bleeding wounds," and so many other deeply earnest Christian songs which have touched the hearts of many generations,--the immortal Hermann von Köben? A pastor of Wernigerode preached from Matthew x. 30. His divisions were, 1: Our hair--its origin, style, form and natural circumstances. 2: On the right use of the human hair. 3: The memories, admonition, warning and consolation that have come from the human hair. 4: How hair can be used in a Christian way! A Brunswick pastor commenced his Sabbath discourse on one occasion with the words, "A preacher must have three things; a good conscience, a good bite, and a good kiss;" wherefore his transition was made to the theme under consideration: "an increase of my salary." But it is needless to continue illustrations of the almost universal dearth of preaching. One hardly knows whether to laugh at its absurdity or weep over its prostitution.
Does anyone wonder why secularism flourishes and evangelicalism, the most militant of orthodox theologies, is stagnant?
[1] Hurst, John F.. History of Rationalism (Kindle Locations 888-906) manybooks.net, and
Hurst, John F.. History of Rationalism Embracing a Survey of the Present State of Protestant Theology, 1895, Hunt & Eaton, 63-64.
[2] ibid, 907, 64-65.
[3] ibid, 971, 70-71
2 comments:
And in the past--when people didn't use to live alone--all of this wonderful stuff that children were learning would be learned anew by the parents, the grandparents, an aunt or uncle, etc. in the home. But alas, singles (and there are a LOT more of them now) don't live with families any more.
Have your #1 son & #1 daughter each read Hurst's book. And you two as well. It is a rich piece of history.
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