The Portland daily press., 1875-07-14
Den0minatiOnal Duty to DenominatiOnal
Institutions.
BY REV. e. c. CUMMINGS.

"A Christian Denomination does not exist for
its own sake, and very properly asks support
and cooperation from the whole body polite
in so far as the aims of the Denomination con-
Germ the public welfare. The Denomination,
for example, sets itself to carry on work of
popular religious teaching; or it aims to infu-
ence in the most effective way the higher in
tellectual discipline of the time. The religious
body develops organs with reference to these
several ends-a missionary society, college,
theological seminary. Justice and honor to
these organs is justice and honor to the Chris
tian body whose organs they are. Impoverish-
ment and paralysis of the organs is just SO
much against the body itself. Moral antagon-
isms ard malign passions that threaten the
harmony and sanity of the body, will show
their effects in the organs. If the organs are
unhealthy. the body is equally unhealthy. 1t
must suffer with its members as they must
suffer with it.
These not unscrptural common-places are
the ground of something that needs to be
said and thought about 1t seems, from
discussion that took place at the late meet
ing of the General Conference of Maine as re-
ported in the Christian Mirror, that the ere
ligious influence" of Bowdoin College is not
all that could be desired by the Denomination
whose organ the college is; and that satisfac-
tory assurances of favorable change in this
regard would encourage the good people of the
Denomination to help the college by contribu-
tions to its fund.
Now it is remarkable that there is not a
church-member, or minister, or a church, or a
society,or an institution, pertaining to the Con-
gregational body, that would not fall of course
under the same general judgement according
to. the standard Congregational teaching.
With respect to religious influence" all are
included under sin, although the history of
Chritanity does not authorize us to con-
clude that favorable change would always be
instantly recognized in pecuniary benefit.
In fact the personal confession of this univer.
sal inadequacy of religious influence is pos.
sbly somewhat too common to be very good
for the soul. The old offense of human imper-
fection being taken for granted in an honorable
way may be ruled out of the formal discussion,
when it comes to the criticism of particular
agencies,or of particular things that are amiss.
And if there be no occasion for outspoken re-
proof, especially if no particular charges be
preferred, to say in vague and general man
ner that the man is no better than he should be,
or that the institution is not fulfilling the ex-
pectati ons of its friends, is-well, what is it
kind of common scandal? This is the resduary
charge after all specific accusations have failed.
and its whole Importance, as well as its power
of working mischief, is in the oracular wisdom
and holy zeal from which the charge is charit.
ably assumed to spring
Here IS why the attitude of the General
Conference toward the College has filled me
with astonishment and chagrn. There were
the very men who are the spiritual sponsors of
the College-Trustees and Overseers-with
power and duty handed down to them from
the Fathers. by whom the College was baptized
and Graded men entitled to tell us in what
respects the College has failed in it's approp ,te
Christian or religious efforts and why Yet
not one of them gives the College clear and
manly testimony whether to it's faithfulness or
its faults. What will the denomination do
with tie College in the future if it has not faith
enough 10 save its own elect of the past? And
how does this Denomination expect to stand
in the public judgment on an appeal for funds
that shall secure to it the control of this in
stitution, with the confession in its mouth
that the institution is not what it wants, while,
as a matter of fact it is what this Denomination
has made it?
1 ask these questions because they ought to
be asked; and because here is the 'deadly
breach" in which some friend both of the De-
nomination and of the College may take upon
him to stand. The relation of the Denomina-
tion to this most important educational organ
is anomalous if not fatal. This should be at
once and thoroughly reformed. The first duty
of the religious body is to secure to this institu-
tion generous and inspiring spiritual atmos-
phere-not because il has no faults, but that
it may rise superior to its faults. Give the
College good name in the Christians heart
and hope, and that will atone for much imma.
ture and ll-advised criticism, such as all in.
stitutions have to stand. This good name will
not only be infinitely better tn IN great riches,
it will literally be great riches in process