His spirit was excellent, as, with genuine humility, he expressed his
wish to serve the church only until it could command the ministrations
of some one of better education and more general fitness for the
position. His personal experience of religion was satisfactory, as were
also the testimonials to his character, and so the Council licensed him
to preach, Pastor Rogers, of Macon, giving him an earnest charge to be
faithful in the service of Christ.


NOW.

The circumstance had faded from my mind, but suddenly was remembered two
days ago, when sitting in the congregation that had gathered in the
chapel of Livingstone Hall, Fisk University, to listen to the
examination of ten young men who presented themselves to the Central
South Association for license to preach. These candidates were
physically and mentally alert, active, strong. With a single exception
they were under thirty years of age.

Besides the ordinary helps of Concordance and Bible Dictionary, more
than half of these young men in studying the Scriptures, can pick up
from their study tables, Testaments in German, French, Latin and Greek,
to gather the light these translations may throw upon any passage.

Their theology was clear, and showed acquaintance with the best thought
upon the whole range of subjects. Their Congregationalism embraced two
points, independence and fellowship. The right of private judgment based
upon intelligent study of the Word of God, apparently covered the ground
of their church polity. They hold modern ideas regarding Christian work
along the lines of missions, temperance, Sabbath-schools, White Cross