p. 13 | Title of “Reverend.” by Joseph Harvey Waggoner

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 8, 1875

Title of “Reverend.”

By Joseph Harvey Waggoner

This has been a subject of much query and some controversy; some affirming it to be unlawful, and some, allowable, to confer it upon men. A few facts in regard to its Scripture use, and of the history of its application to the clergy, may be of interest to all.

The word from which it is derived is found, in various forms, more than three hundred times in the Old Testament. The verbal root signifies, to fear, to be afraid; and hence to fear, to reverence, to honor. In the form used in Ps. 111: 9, it is found forty-three times, translated mostly terrible, fearful, and dreadful. In almost all instances it is applied directly to God or to his works: never to man or to his works.

Mr. (Rev.) Brooke Lambert, Tamworth, Eng., has furnished some information to the London Times concerning the parish records. This fixes the commencement of its use as a title in that part of England, and, probably, it will settle to a great extent the date of the custom throughout the country; as reliable evidence of the unwillingness of the church to give the title two hundred years ago it is very interesting:—

“The registers of the parish of Tamworth contain some interesting particulars as to local usage. The registers date back from the reign of Philip and Mary, 1556. The first title given in them to a clergyman is the old title, ‘Sir,’ with which Shakespear has made us familiar. In May, 1567, we have an entry, ‘Sir Peter Stringar, curate.’ The clergyman who succeeded him is called ‘Sir Richard Walker,’ but there are other cotemporaneous entries, such as ‘sacerdos,’ ‘clericus,’ ‘preacher,’ and ‘verbi minister.’ These latter seemed to have obtained till, in King James’ reign, we have the prefix ‘master,’ which, as we know, was applied to the great divine, Master Hooker, and this practice seems by our registers to have been continued through the commonwealth, though ‘Minister of the Gospel’ is sometimes added.

“We have, however, in 1657, the first use of the word ‘reverend,’ evidently in this case as a special mark of respect, not as a formal title. On ‘11 June, 1657, was buried our Reverend Pastor, Master Thomas Blake, Minister of Tamworth.’ In 1693 we have a clergyman, by name Samuel Collins. I had noticed with curiosity an erasure before his name in each of the casualties, baptism, or funeral, recorded in our register.

“In 1701, I was lucky enough to find an erased entry, and it appears that the obnoxious word was the title ‘Revd.’ (so written) prefixed to his Mr.; however, he seems not to have been able to hold this title. One of his children, baptized in 1706, is baptized as the child of plain Samuel Collins, minister; and when he died, in 1706, he was buried without the title ‘reverend’—as Mr. (i. e., Master) Samuel Collins, minister of Tamworth. Henceforward, the same address is used till November, 1727, when we have the baptism of Annie, daughter of ‘ye Reverend Robert Wilson, minister of Tamworth,’ and after that date the prefix ‘reverend’ never seems to have been omitted.”

J. H. WAGGONER.