Daily Republican., 1881-08-05
Ministers ana the ministry.

A writer in the International Revie,
spends considerable time and space i
showing that there is a great decline il
the numuer of candidates for the min
istry at the present day compared will
two centuries ago in the educationa
institutions of the country and it /:
with some apparen: anxiety of mind
that he calls attention to an increasing
indisposition on the part Of educated
young Americans 10 make the pulpit
the objective point of their ambition,
and he grounds his apprehensions chiefly
u1on statistics of graduation. Upon
their face statistics show that at none OF
the great colleges including eccleseasti-
cal establishments are the attractions of
the clerical profession so powerful as of
old. Thus during the last decade Of the
seventeenth century, tifty-fve per cent.
Of the Harvard graduates had the min
1stry in view. Each and every decade
since then with but few exceptions this
the year 1850 it had fallen to thirty per
cent. and fifty years later on it had de-
cilned to nineteen per cent During the
decade ending 1870, out of 997 graduates
only siXty-seven left college with the
intention OF laboring in the spiritual |
vineyard. This state of thugs is not |
confined exclusively to Harvard; it is
The same everywhere. Thus at Yale
during the nine years ending 1710 of
thirty three graduates, twenty five or
seventy-ive per cent. were cercally
inclined, while during the decade end
ing 1870 only fifteen per cent. of over
thousand graduates had any aspirations
in that way.
These figures are not without their |
significance it is true, and they Justify
TO some extent the argument they are
cited to support, which is thaS the POI
uiarity Of epul pit forum ha, decliuel.
But while this is the case, there cannot
be doubt that the statistics are con.
slderably misleading and deceptive. In
order to form a Trustworthy estimate of u
their actual meaning and value, it is
imperative that the vast changes which :
have taken place in American society.
even within our own days, should be re
allied and borne in mind. When the -,
colleges of Harvard and Yale were
founded, the pn pit was the great forum
OF Intelligence, talent and education W
The clergy were the leaders of society, CO
and it was not until long after the set, 81
tlement of New England that the other m ai
two learned professions-law and me.ii- tit
clne-grew into importance and D 1pu fri
larity. In those days the pulpit was Is
virtually the only avenue to distinction
and Influence and it was not thought
generally necessary or even desirable
that any young man sho lld 90 to col. ="
lege unless it was intended to qualify
MIN for clerical functions. All this is We
changed now and not only have the q.
legal and medical profession attained to ~
that Importance which is rightfullv Wv
their due, but the old fashioned idea w
that only young men who propose TO :.
enter one of the learnei prof, ssions ~
should go to college ha. exploded. In
this age OF advancement general intel. wa
.,"ence and utilitarlai,m, farmers "o'
re. chants and tradesmen form larger
,erce,. tage of students at our learned
nstitut, ons. m'
The high. professions orthodoxy law
nd medicine IA. "e no longer allowed to ..;
the l,,u her education Thus ..,,
he figures that have eeh cited do not the
lean all they seem TO II. IN. hey are Tb,
Ot Inconsistent with the 'olI)ec1 ur I'm.
lat the number Of young N. II who laif
D" enter the ministry in any one ear the
ears the same relation to the total non nal
alton Of the country as was the easel
70 hundred years ago There are other Tr
asons which may b. given than those tb,.
loted for believing that the clerical uoo,
| - NV ~ n's"'y esteemed as Tor the
erly but not much wei ght can be .yiy src,,
to those statistics Of graduation upon dis..
hich the writer in the international .. \,
view builds up his argument and to
hich he is inclined to attach 40 much PI
lportance lima
m a II