Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-06-21
ALMA MATER.
[C1atiaued from First Page.l

place he is TO occupy in society and the
work he is to perform, as what he knows.
No college that aims to fit young men for
life can wholly ignore, in its instruction
and discipline, the prime importance Oh
character; and the institution to which
young men are entrusted for period OF
| years, is unworthy of that trust If its sole
| effort be to impart secular knowledge. Yet,
| il is gravely proposed to throw out OF the
| German gymnasium instruction IN re-
| ligion for the higher classes" to give more
| scope to mathematics, and 10 some new
| system Of teaching classic ideas through
pictures and casts from the antique;" and 1T
| is to be feared that many OF our own richly
endowed and we'll patronized colleges are
| gliding into liberal practices in respect to
the moral and religious character OF their
students, which indicates indifference
quite as much as liberality, and the giving
TO knowledge place that throws character
into the shade. The college cannot
accomplish fully its desires and de-
signs respecting the moral and re-
| ligous character of its students,
neither can the church effect conversion.
! Character building is a work in which every
\ man is his own architect and workman. We
may create a wholesome atmosphere, we
may cast out the incorrigible and remove
| those who become centerS of corruption;
| We may deal more strictly with moral de-
| linauents than is customary in some col.
leges, We may not only teach ScrlPturai
| standards and give lectures on Christian
| evidences, but should also make the Bible
text book, expounding itsseontents by as
| scientific methods and in as enthusiastic
| spirit as the text books of any other branch
| es of learning But much, am sure, will
| he effected by the silent, indirect influences
which will peryade the institution like an
atmosphere If faculty, Christians students
and the public can only remember that this
is a college founded aud sustained for the
sake of the efficient service il may render to
the cause of Christian religion. Moreover
as we measure to employ an agent to seek
an enlargement OF our endow may we
not consider il Just as natural an outgrOwth
of our history and aim to make it the duty
OF this representative of the college to pre-
sent in public and private discourse, the
claims, of the gospel ministry upon young
men, and to seek to awaken in Christian
parents the old time spirit which led them
early to consecrate their children to the
service of Christ and to live and labor aud
pray for the contamination. The dearth OF
recruits for the ranks Oft the ministry, which
our churches have so much reason to la
ment, is probably due chiefly to the fact
that we are leaving il too exclusively to
the Holy Spirit to call young men to that
work overlooking the fact that, except on
rare occasions of gracious interposition, the
spirits activity bears propoltionate rela-
ton the Church's activity, that Gods
plan is to work through his people. Now.
where may We more reasonably expect
reform 10 begin than in the class OF col
leges, the original design Of which. mall
educate young men for the ministry. Boards
of education and Theological Seminaries
are for those who have made their choice
and exercise no influence on the undecided
youth. Ministers of churches become alb
SOrbed in their work and too often over
look this as an important part OF it. But
the college that keeps its aim steadily in
view has a direct interest in the number
of godly youth it can attract and send into
the ministry. Here the choice Of the pro-
fession is most frequently made, and the
class of colleges, OF which i am
speaking, measures their success and
base their claims to the support Of Chris
tian people, upon the proportion OF their
graduates who enter the sacred calling. We
rejoice in the fact that nearly one-half of
our alumni are numbered among the min
listers, that the record of last year places US
second on the list of colleges having gradu-
ates in the various semilarieS of our church,
and we feel warranted in judging from the
record that in successful pursuit of this
great aim We are not behind any, but even
in advance of the college whose graduates
studying in our seminaries, outnumber us
by few when regard is had to the Difficult.
ties under which we have labored and to
the number of graduates which have issued
from our respective buildings. | do not
overlook the fact that our college is not
under ecclesiastical control and that We are
bound by the terms of union only to con.
tinue Protestant and evangelical. We are
not II is true, amere denominational agency,
but our history and the aims of our friends
fuafYfxv fha slacloratsor, that haya haay,
and should continue to I've an agency of
| Christ.
II il should seem to some that it is IN
necessary to dwell on this point or that it
! is q theme betitting the minister rather
| than the educator, let me remind you that
an alternative is forced on the world,
and that the consequences of choice are
so far reaching as to affect not
man alone, but every institution in which
man is interested. In its theological aspects
| the minister is doubtless chiefly interest
cd, but like all great religious questions it
| cannot be confined to the realm of theol-
| Ogy, but affects for good or evil, other de-
| partmentS of both thought or action.
! TheiSm and agnosticiSm are contending for
| the mastery. Believe that God is and act
! as you believe, or deny that he can be
| known and live as il he were not, is AN al
] tentative that cannot be eyaded. Both eX-
| list in theoretical and practical forms, but
! theistic belief is little better than a sham
/ if it be not practical as we'll as theoretical,
while agnosticism is hurtful in both forms.
| There is many practical agnoStic who does
| not know the meaning of The word. But
/ whether one so defines God as to preclude
| the possibility of his ever manifesting his
/ existence and nature to man, or simply
claims that God has not yet given sufficient
| evidence OF his existence TO remove doubt,
and that, therefore, men are justified in
| dismiSSing the problem as one incapable of
| solution, the determination results to live
| and labor as il God were non-existent, not
only is the personal life of such believer.
or disbelieyer, to be regulated by regard
! to earth and time exclusively, but, in pro-
! portion as agnostic principles prevail, all
! public institutions must be shaped accord
! ing to the same policy.
According to agnostic principles the
/ highest aim conceivable for an
! educational system is, thatl it
/ shall fit men to earn q livelihood
and to acquire as many aids to comfort and
happiness for life on earth as may be with
| in his reach, an aim good enough as far as
! il goes, but surely not going far enough il
| man be conceived to be anything higher
/ than an animal. Hubert Spencer has writ
/ ten with his usual force and clearness on
education, but whilst he has said much that
should be pOndered and adopted by all ed
ucators his System.is founded squarely on
his agnostic principles. From such princi-
| pies only utilitarian system Of education
can spring. How to liver he says, shat
is the essential question for Us. Not how
to hive in the mere material sense only, but
in the widest sense. The general problem
which comprehends every special problem
| is the right ruling Of conduct in all direc.
| tons under all circumstances" This ex.
preston seems, indeed, sufficiently compre-
! hensiye to include religion which is simply
right ruling OF conduct in one direction
! 6odward-but that one direction is Spen-
GERS one exception, for the analysis of his
aim omits it entirely. The object education
| is to effect is the cultivation, I, of Those
activities which directly minister TO self
preservation; 3. Those activities which.
BY securing the necessaries Of life, indi-
directly minister to self.preseryation; 5,