"Rainy wi'oot the Principal" II.
Dr. Harry Rainy was a friend and keen supporter of the Free Church Fathers, and his teenaged son Robert too a close interest in the Church. The medical profession, which he had before been content to drift into, lost its attraction for him, and he began to feel the call of God on his life. The pulpit as the Assembly were to be his sphere, not the surgery and the hospital ward. The events of 1843 decided him. "That year made me a minister," he said firmly in later life. In 1844, having graduated MA from the University of Glasgow, Robert Rainy entered the New College, Edinburgh.
From the beginning the Free Church Fathers had realised the importance of an educated ministry. As many ministerial students had left the Church of Scotland at the Disruption and thown in their lot with the Free Church, it was imperative to get the Free Church College up and running in Edinburgh. A house was rented in George Street, and classes begun. It was to this house that Robert Rainy came in 1844.
Rainy's professors were of the highest ability. Towering above them all was Thomas Chalmers, Scottish Evangelicalism incarnate, Professor of theology and principal of the College. David Welsh, professor of Church History, had led the procession from the Church of Scotland Assembly in 1843, but he was not long of this world, for he died in 1845. William Cunningham was in the second theology chair, giving lectures that fired the hearts of his students. In the chair of Old Testament and Hebrew was John 'Rabbi' Duncan, a man who was hardly an effective teacher, but who was a luminous Christian, and a man of deep learning and piety. Rainy sat at their feet and learned his theology with gratitude from these great men. Ever afterwards Robert Rainy would say that Chalmers was the greatest man he had ever met. Though Rainy's circle of acquaintance was to grow wide, to embrace political leaders who shaped empires, the model before his eyes was the Christian genius of Thomas Chalmers.
But, while Rainy admired Chalmers, his real master was William Cunningham. Cunningham had been very conspicuous in the Ten Years' Conflict, and Rainy had connected him with the struggles of those years. Coming to New College, however, he found that there was more to Cunningham than he had thought. Writing to a friend he said: " It is much more than might have been expected from one whose name has hitherto been so exclusively connected with ecclesiastical polemic."
Cunningham, for his part, declared that Rainy was " the ablest student he ever had." Chalmers wrote to Rainy's mother: " I have the utmost liking and respect for your son as one of the most intellectual and, I hope, pious and altogether among the best conditioned of my students."
His fellow students found Rainy skilled in debate, and a wonderful store of general knowledge. One of the students, a converted Parsee, wrote of Rainy: " He was a person of strong conviction and he strove to magnify the riches and glory of the grace of God." great things were expected of him.
But, although Robert Rainy was to do his most important work at New College, he had to go out into the real world of pastoral ministry. He was licenced to preach by the Free Church Presbytery of Glasgow on 7th November 1849. Rainy was launched upon the world as a minister of the Gospel.
What he made of that world we shall, God willing, start to see next time.
From the beginning the Free Church Fathers had realised the importance of an educated ministry. As many ministerial students had left the Church of Scotland at the Disruption and thown in their lot with the Free Church, it was imperative to get the Free Church College up and running in Edinburgh. A house was rented in George Street, and classes begun. It was to this house that Robert Rainy came in 1844.
Rainy's professors were of the highest ability. Towering above them all was Thomas Chalmers, Scottish Evangelicalism incarnate, Professor of theology and principal of the College. David Welsh, professor of Church History, had led the procession from the Church of Scotland Assembly in 1843, but he was not long of this world, for he died in 1845. William Cunningham was in the second theology chair, giving lectures that fired the hearts of his students. In the chair of Old Testament and Hebrew was John 'Rabbi' Duncan, a man who was hardly an effective teacher, but who was a luminous Christian, and a man of deep learning and piety. Rainy sat at their feet and learned his theology with gratitude from these great men. Ever afterwards Robert Rainy would say that Chalmers was the greatest man he had ever met. Though Rainy's circle of acquaintance was to grow wide, to embrace political leaders who shaped empires, the model before his eyes was the Christian genius of Thomas Chalmers.
But, while Rainy admired Chalmers, his real master was William Cunningham. Cunningham had been very conspicuous in the Ten Years' Conflict, and Rainy had connected him with the struggles of those years. Coming to New College, however, he found that there was more to Cunningham than he had thought. Writing to a friend he said: " It is much more than might have been expected from one whose name has hitherto been so exclusively connected with ecclesiastical polemic."
Cunningham, for his part, declared that Rainy was " the ablest student he ever had." Chalmers wrote to Rainy's mother: " I have the utmost liking and respect for your son as one of the most intellectual and, I hope, pious and altogether among the best conditioned of my students."
His fellow students found Rainy skilled in debate, and a wonderful store of general knowledge. One of the students, a converted Parsee, wrote of Rainy: " He was a person of strong conviction and he strove to magnify the riches and glory of the grace of God." great things were expected of him.
But, although Robert Rainy was to do his most important work at New College, he had to go out into the real world of pastoral ministry. He was licenced to preach by the Free Church Presbytery of Glasgow on 7th November 1849. Rainy was launched upon the world as a minister of the Gospel.
What he made of that world we shall, God willing, start to see next time.
Labels: Principal Rainy
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