New-York tribune., 1879-05-06
FORTY GRADUATES IN THEOLOGY.

EXERCISES OF The FoRTY-THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF
THE UNION THEOLOGICAL sEAfiNARY-ADDEEssEs
OF DRs. SUNDERLAND AND ADAMS.
The fOrty-thIrd anniversary of the Union Theo-
logical Seminary was held last evening at the Madi-
son Square Presbyterian Church, and was the occa-
sion of large gathering of the friends both OF the
seminary and Of the forty young men who received
diplomas. The Rev. Dr.. William Adams, president
of the Faculty conducted the exercises. The other
members of the Facuty-the Rev. Drs Roswell u.
Hitchcock. William G. T. Shedd, Philip Schaf,
George l.. Prentiss and Charles a. Bnggs-were
present. OF the directors there were in attend
ance Charles Butler president; Norman White
DR.. Hall. o. Willis James, DR.. Diclley, Dr. Wilson,
Of Newark. William f. Dodge, Henry Day, George
W. Lane. J. {. Brown. and the Rev. Drs. Vincent
Tucker. HASTINGS and William A. Paxton
The exercises were opened with hymn by the
graduating class. which had entered ana taken the
front seats on either side OF the centre aisle Dr.
Wilson then offered prayer, in which he asked
that the blessings OF God might rest the laboIs
If the Young men who were going forth into the
ministry. after which DR.. Adams introduced the
Rev. DR.. Byron Sunderland Chaplain of the United
States Senate, who addressed the graduates on
Human Science"
There Is "a good deal in a standpoint" SAID the
speaker Instead now. of defending the Bible, let
1
,vb,+ tbeir strength is Science in It's truest sense
is all human knowledge. Butwe must avoid con-
founding knowledge with guess-Work. w heu COM
pared with possible knowledge. tine wisdom OF q
specialist who rs fifty or sixty years OlQ is DQJ
GrnD i'm tine bucket Notwithstanding the plilosJ-
pbv of Descartes the positlrlsm oi spencer.
the eclectic philosophy OF cousin, ah4 the
transcendentalsm OF Kant, thc old Dattica
are still in progress. Ihe science Oh 70
day does not know what an atom Is
or -ubsL lance. or matter, or phenomena OF lie, or
+Il,r, ors spUl n
what are our philosophers doing Herbert
Spencer is busy Tectlfring and celebrating the
sociology Of COmte, although the grand unlyersal
religion of humanity collapsed almost as s"3n as ~
was born and poor Mr. rockingham has DeeI all
this time hudlug II out. huXlcy y sun ioohIl-i
AFTER the nlth toe or MS morse. Darwin II sun
cuiuvatIng his pigeons. and ali the resi- are eltAcr
helping OF hiuderng these heroes OF science in their
-eif-app0uted task The speaker closed with IeW
earnest words.
After the class had sung the hymn "Onward,
Christian Solder Or. Adams sand: " The spec
taclc before US OF class OF young men entering the
ministry loses none OK lts AltFt5s ~ Jus 4Itqutnt
repetition. Gentlemen of the graduating class, IL s
frtiug that tins occasion, which y0u nave an
tici pated for so long time, you should receive
few words Of c0ugratulatiOn and counsel. One Of
your comrades has passed away; but II the prelna-
rure death Of Buchanan caused more deYOuJ feel
ing OF p.ety in your hearts, 10 may hereafter appear
that his unuImely departure Wlu result I'D more
good than could have accrued from the longest LIE.
Another Of your class, while you are eager to begin
your iieWOrk, Is waiting IN hls fathers house lOr
the 1reat change that Is to come.
il is a pleasure IOT 10 say that during your
three wears connection with the Seminary YOU have
won the respect the confidence and the affection Of
vour instructors. We regard your punctualIty,
f3Ithfulness devotion and honest work as pledges
of yOur future usefulness Ii II Is anything the
ministry of Christs church-s the nOblest office on
earth. We say this not TO furnish fuel TO your van
itv but to stimulate to enthusiasm for your chosen
calling. Other professions have visible boundaries,
but your work knows no such limitation. The hor-
rizo1 never shuts down before you. There must be
no suggisLnes5, no inertness, no heart
lessness Ju such life. This Is the time
of active evangelists. But there Is notorious
tendency OF our times toward a pseudo philau-
thrgpv and which has been called q ma agc-lantern
schools has arisena school the principles OF which
are half obscured in mist that gives them he
titous slZe. DO not think that yOU are to solve all
the problems that veX the world. Give little place
to doubts You must admit my sterles IN and around
Won that cannot be solved. BE not inflated and do
not court popularity but be good and faithful
servants and leave ell adiuncts and rewards to
God BE faithful unto death, and lie VIII give you
"a crown of Tlgh leOusnes5 that taQeth not away.
With this hope we bId you alectionate farewell.
IL was announced that the anniversary OF the
.um ni Association of the Seminary would be held
i'm the Chapel OF the Seminary No University
place, al 1880 a. N. to-day, The sOn Will De
devoted to business and hearing the following
papers: co. The Alumni and the Syrian Mission by
The Rev. Or. Henry ii. Jessup; mortuary paper,
bv the Rev. Dr. ErsSine y. White, and reports tom
secretaries of classes.
The graduating class was as follows: