Besides the prayerful study of the word of God, the Brethren were most zealous in preaching the gospel to sinners; and from their increased knowledge of the finished work of Christ, and the riches of divine grace, it Was preached with a clearness, fullness, and power, unknown since the days of the apostles; and many in different places were brought to know the Lord. So zealous were they in spreading the glad tidings that in some places almost every brother became a preacher. Teaching, or giving lectures on scripture to Christians was also greatly practiced by the better instructed. The important distinction between preaching the gospel to the unconverted and teaching Christians, as thus enforced and illustrated by the Brethren, was altogether new. The gift and work of the evangelist are perfectly distinct from those of the teacher; but the distinction has, always excepting the apostolic age, never been acted upon in the church generally until very lately. Special rooms began to be held soon after the great Revival in 1859, and they have never since ceased. The gospel mission of Messrs. Moody and Sankey to this country in 1873-5, was an offshoot of the American Revival; but, strange as it may appear, this mission took more the form of evangelizing the denominations than the outside lower classes.
Another means adopted by the Brethren for spreading the truth was writing and circulating books and tracts. This was done to a large extent. As they received fresh light from the word of God on any important subject, it was immediately embodied in a tract and sent forth. In this way not only instruction but food was supplied for the soul, fresh from the exhaustless stores of divine truth. In a comparatively short time people had in their hands, and at a small cost, the means of becoming acquainted with the whole word of God; especially with those truths which were then engaging the attention of thousands. We might speak of a countless number of tracts, which were written, and appeared from time to time on the grand doctrines of the church, the heavenly calling, the operations of the Spirit, ministry, worship, prophecy, the efficacy of redemption, the heavenly relations of the Christian, the coming of the Lord, the rapture of the saints, the first and second resurrection, &c., &c. Four volumes of these early tracts, collected and bound together, now lie before us: most of them are out of print, and comparatively few of them are known to younger Brethren; but they are abundantly supplied with what is intended to be "Present Testimony," or a character of testimony suited to the present time.
In this way, and by these means, the truth was rapidly and widely circulated. The Brethren evidently possessed a great advantage over the popular bodies by what is called lay ministry. Ordination being absolutely essential to the exercise of ministry in these bodies, the Work was necessarily limited to the authorized few. The Brethren have always maintained that this system of ministry is opposed to the truth of God, and, in many instances, ruinous in its' operations. An educated man, for example, though destitute of spiritual gifts, and it may be even of spiritual life, yet, if duly ordained, may exercise every branch of ministry in the denomination to which he belongs; but, on the other hand, if a Christian possessed the most decided gifts for preaching and teaching, he could not exercise either within the jurisdiction of the church, unless sanctioned by human authority.
Happily for the Brethren, for the church of God, and for the souls of men, they found the true source of ministry, in all its branches, in Christ Himself the glorified Head in heaven. " To every one of us," says the apostle, " is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.... And he gave some, apostles, and some, prophets, and some, evangelists, and some, pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." (Eph. 4:7-127But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (Ephesians 4:7‑12).) Here we have the true basis and the only source of all ministerial gifts-the redemption accomplished by Christ on the cross, and His ascension to God's right hand in heaven. Christ as the Head of the church is the Giver of these gifts; nothing is said of human authority or of human ordination. The professing church has suffered immensely from her traditional ideas of ministry, regarding it as an honorable profession among men, and as giving a certain status in society; whereas the ministerial gift is here called grace, which is surely possessed by all who love the church and care for its members, or seek to win fresh souls by the gospel.