THE TRAINED LAYMAN 315 



men, the respect of the world is being granted to successful religious 

 leaders among the laity, to a degree which falls but little below that 

 accorded to the trained minister. 



There can be no questioning of the fact that this age is in a peculiar 

 sense the age of the layman in religious development. Never before 

 has he attained the full freedom and the complete recognition of the 

 present day. It is not, however, the only era which has countenanced 

 the layman. From earliest times among progressive nations, even 

 where religion consisted largely in the practice of a ritual under the 

 direction of a closely guarded caste, this caste was at least recruitable 

 among those who were not born into it. 



A priesthood, jealous of its privileges, has rarely despised the 

 strength obtainable by the addition from the laity of those who 

 should be trained for priestly service. 



A wider opportunity in the remote past for the religious activity 

 of those born as laymen was afforded by Hebrew prophecy. What- 

 ever the restrictions placed about the introduction of a layman into 

 priestly functions and privileges, there were next to none in the case 

 of a prophet. Whoever, like Amos, felt in his heart the summons 

 of God to deliver an appeal to his fellow men; whoever, like Elisha, 

 was invited by one already recognized for his leadership to become 

 a follower and disciple; whoever, like Ezekiel, was drawn into pro- 

 phetic instruction by the sheer necessity of restoring the sanity and 

 hopefulness of his neighbors, these who gave visible proof in deed 

 or word of their fitness to play an inspirational part in life were 

 readily accepted both by the people and by the prophetic order as 

 true prophets. In fact, the presence in the prophetic ranks of so 

 many who were quite unworthy may be in part explained by the 

 ease and freedom of entrance. 



It would be instructive to show in considerable detail how every 

 nation which has notably contributed to the religious progress of the 

 world has found a way by which one born a layman could come by 

 a natural channel into prominence as a religious genius. They have, 

 of course, as a rule been given admittance to some recognized re- 

 ligious order through which they had in time their opportunity. 



Christianity could not fail to honor the layman, since it recognizes 

 personality, freedom of thought and action, and the responsibility 

 of the individual in his working environment. Roman and Protest- 

 ant Christianity alike have freely opened the way for the layman to 

 share in the religious upbuilding of society. A striking example of 

 the opportunities and the limitations of the layman in olden time 

 is afforded by the history of that curious group of enthusiasts known 

 as Lollards, in the days of Wycliffe. Himself a trained scholar 

 and theologian, Wycliffe sought to strengthen the impulse toward 

 religious freedom, already finding manifestation among the masses 



