The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-25
College Chapel Service.


dents OF Harvard College will be excu ed
from church attendance at large. This we
take to mean that students, who have been
allowed to select other places Of worship on
Sunday than the college chapel, will now
be relieved from compulsory church going
altogether. The reform is a good one. and
might well be extended to the whole sys-
TEN of religious services us practised in our
colleges.
1t is difficult to see any good ground for
enforcing attendance upon religious wor-
ship IA part OF college education. Children
OF tender years living at home with their
parents may properly enough be initiated
into exercises Of devotion without consult
ing their inclnations. They are not yet OF
an age TO be left to themselves In such
matters. But college student is supposed
not to be child. He is sent away from
home and expected TO take care OF himself,
and his religion, like his manners and de-
pertinent, Is presumed to have been nj
ready acquired. This 10 proved by the
fact that the profession Of a faith conflict
ing with that which prevails in the college
Is held TO be sufficien reason for not at
tending Its chapel services. And il one
kind OF religion may dispense with help
from the college authorities, surely all may.
In ancient times colleges were semins-
ries not merely Of learning, but also of reli-
gion. They were founded and carried on
by priests. and their main purpose was to
furnish a supply of priests. For centuries
the ability TO read and write was almost rs
distinctive a badge of holy orders as the
tonsure and the black robe. Gradually
education spread to other classes. but still
the Church was its fountain head. and her
officers dispensed its treasures. Hence,
when our American colleges were estab-
lished, ministers of religion had the chief
control OF them, and shaped their disci-
pine The religious habits of our people
also contributed TO make ii easy to engraft
religious exercises on the college course.
A public opinion stronger than law en-
forced church-going upon the whole COM
munity, and it was but natural to require
it from college students Aud as changes
| in habits are hard TO make, the usage of n
| century ago still continues.
Latterly, II has come to be seen that the
purpose OF college is to impart know
ledge Of secular things, and does not en-
brace spiritual matters. College profess
sors do not undertake TO teach the way to
heaven, nor to provide men who shall
| teach it, Their business is with languages,
mathematics, philosophy, and science.
| Theology is a special department which
belongs TO a special class, and to them the
| student who desires instruction in it must
address himself. The little religious doc
| trine that filters into chapel exercises from
the mind OF the man who happens TO con-
| duct them is of small practical account. II
| is without system, without demonstration
and So feebly presented as to make no i'm
preston. The whole thing might as well
| be done away with altogether Oar medi.
| cal schools and our law schools get along
very well without chapels aud chap
lains, and our colleges could do the same
There are positive evils, likewise. attend
ing the prevailing system which demand
| its abolition. College students are notori
ously iTreverent i'll their ideas of chape
services and in their behavior during at
| tendance upon them. Whatever devo
tional feelings they bring with them from
home are quickly dissipated IN the rusl
and confusion and distraction wheel
mark their college worship. They hurr,
IN and they hurry out, and il they do no
study their lessons while the services are
going on, their minds are still preoccupiet
with them TO the detriment of religion
So far from being a benefit, the colleg'
chapel is usually an injury to the student
who are forced to attend it, and it will be
step in advance when II comes o be main
tanned solely for the use Of those who ire
quent 1t of their own free will.