Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-06-05
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is sporatic; it is spontaneous; it
general. That the action. taken on thi
subject by the Board of Union Thee
logical Seminary was wholly inde
pendent of action of Convention in th
North, and that every one of th
Faculty of Columbia looks favorabl
on the proposed changes.
| Mr.. Hall There was one expression
IN that overture that arrested my at
tention, to-wit that the matter of Fl
nance would by this method be mad,
| easier. At the close of the war there
was temptation to bring men rapidly
INTO the ministry, and hence we KEEP
them from making much effort to sup
port themselves. Herein is great dan
ger. [ would like that an arrangement
be made whereby the young men have
opportunity to support themselves
Ihat when we were rich it was thought
best that young men work their owr
way into the ministry but now that we
are poor, our tendency is to keep them
from helping themselves. By the for.
mer method we would have fewer cases
over which to lament, and would have
more robust ministry.
Rev. A. w. Pitzer The report O,
overture of Augusta Presbytery il
adopted, would end discussion on this
subject. 1t seems to me the yerv mo.
tlon to commit involves the entire mer.
Its of the matter. Let us discuss tho
whole matter this morning. 1t is a
pretty morning, brethren, in good
condition, and now let us discuss.
Motion to commit withdrawn.
Rev. DIR. Smith: This question was
mentioned. We had changed our ses-
sion. DIR. -- inquired whether
this was done in reference to shorten
ing the session. At the meeting of
trustees, DR.. kirkpatrick introduced
this subject proposing that there
must be 4 sessions of 6 months.
by which we would be in accordance
with our book. We now propose to
have years of six months each.
L am decidedly, enthusiastically in
favor OF this change. Reasons, lst. it
Is OF advantage to the students. The
prime object of theological institutions
Is to save time. With an able and
good pastor student could get the
best theological Education if there was
not big eff in the way, if the pastor
had good library, &c.
The preachers are not to come down
to the people, but educate the people
up to the minister. There are proces,
ses on foot now to get better educat-
ed ministry. Let man study six
months, then let him go out six months
and mingle with the people and learn
how to get up at the back
OF a chair and say something. Two
things constitute sacred Rhetoric.
one is to have something to say, and
one to earnestly desire to say it. Now
a young man in six months learns
something to say, then he goes out and
tries to say it and very soon gets an
intense desire to have more to say, and
to learn more, and he goes back to
learn, after another year with a high
appreciation of the opportunity to
learn something, he has learned what
he need to know, and SO it goes on
actual work and study, more
every time til! he returns to
Seminary to leasn because by his prac-
tice in going out to preach each six
months he finds out what he needs. If
this plan were adopted befare the end
uf escn SIX months, the people of the
vacant churches will have written and
engaged every young man in the Sem
mary.
3rd, in regard to the poverty of
young men. A student may have pov-
erty, but he must have parts. There
must be timber or no theological Sem
mary can make preacher out of him.
Young men came to us crippled,
time lost, money lost, spent health,
money and all. Under these oircum-
stances our faculty took them in with
only $500 and pat out invitations that
any man who wanted an education for
the Ministry to come on before the
end of the session; we disbursed 81
500. Hence the case was extrsordina-
~, I never told but one man to preach
the Gospel, hin 1 advised on four
pages Of paper; I'll never do it again,
so long as l live. In reference to Mil
ltary Institutions DIR. Plumer forgot
one thing, those are picked men.
Not opposed to beneficiary educa-
ton, we want to know more now be-
fore we put them On scholarships, so
now they must be at Seminary one
year arst. AS much as we want
preachers, am more concerned about
quality than quantity. By this plan
we put more on their oWA eaertions.-
Thus we try thers &. see whether they
are in earnest enough to help them
selves. L have often dispensed money
and thought, it is waste. Under this
plan, young men if they have any
spunk in them, they Will in this six
months, relieve tho education commit
tee and pave whether they are really
the proper metal for the ministry. BY
the proposition to have some Profes-
sors to remain ard teach through the
months Of May, June aud July, pupils
can opma out in three years instead of
four, there would be no sweltering
through dog days as DIR. Plumer says,
and even if there were, do not minis
ters have to swelter thsou2h b dog days?
AS to change. 1 believe the world is
moving, and IA the main improving. [
a4n for improvements.
Theological students are like other
people, and good rules and regulations
on theological students are as useful as
upon another profession. We made
change in regard to their attendance
on prayers making strict regulations
thereto and we End it beneficiary.
[ tell you these things I don't know
who the committee are, but the breth-
rem are listening to me with more pa
tience expect than would to them,
hnt let me tell the committee these
things and if they smoke (Which all
good men oaght to do) then let them
take them horne and smoke them in
their pipes and give US ringing re-
port IN st. Louis next year. l tell you
Sir there is no time lost in sharpening
scythes and axe, nor in sharpening
mems wits, and If they have poverty
and parts in trying to make them have
better parts. The harder we make it
for men to get into the ministry the
better preachers they will make.
T. @. johnson agrees with speaker
in main, but must protest against re-
marks of DIR. Smith with reference to
beneficiaries, &c. The speaker then
went on to advocate as advantageous
to young men, the plan proposed of
having young men spend alternate
six months in Seminary aud in the
work.
d. 4. Campbell, of Louisiana, spoke
in favor of the present plan of three
sessions of eight months. instead of
the proposed plan Of four sessions of
six months.
DIR. H. NJ. Smith, of New Orleans:
The eIuestion is whether the church