The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1883-03-28
For the Central Presbyterian.
A Word on the Prevailing Topic.

IreSDyterlanlSm Will do great good. But
it may also do great harm 1t will
doubtless call the attention of the Church
to her derelictions in duty, her apathy
and want of zeal, and lead many sloth-
full servant to open his eyes and ask to
what extent am 1 responsible for the
Church's lack of progress? In so far as
it arouses the sluggish souls of pastors
and people to awake out of sleep and
come up more energetically to the help
of the Lord against the mighty, it will
accomplish great good. But in so far as
they may be led by it to evade personal
responsibility by ascribing the want OF
aggressiveness to the settled plans and
methods of the Church-to throw the
blame upon the machinery rather than
on those who are charged with the duty
of applying that machinery-so far as
this result may follow it were infinitely
better the discussion had never been
raised. And that many will make this
use of it is greatly to be feared.
To think of making the Church more
aggressive by modifying the plan of pre-
pairing men for the ministry-to think of
curtailinginstead of increasing the amount
of preparation required, is to my mind
preposterous The demand for thorough
iy prepared ministers was never greater
than now, the need for multifarious learn
ing, accurate scholarship, and thoroughly
disciplined minds, is becoming more and
more imperative. Infdelity is ever as.
Stunning new phases and renewing its at
tacks from newly discovered points with
freshly discovered weapons, requiring in
the defenders of Christianity a cores
ponding increased efficiency, and shall
we talk of diminishing our resources for
defence while the enemy is all the time
increasing his resources for attack? Shall
we weaken our defenders by sending
them to battle half-furnished, while the
enemy is constantly strengthening his
with all the new and improved nipple
ments which advancing science and dis
covery can bestow?
These questions need no answer To
talk of curtailing the requirements for
entering the ministry is suicidal. We
had far better increase them, not by add
ing on new branches of study, for the
present curriculum covers the ground
sufficiently we'll, but by eroctang a more
thorough and exhaustive acquaintance
with its various departments. Presby-
teries allow candidates to pass who ex-
hibit only the meagerest acquaintance
with the studies included In the pre-
scribed course. Shall we find fault with
the course because these men do not sue
coed f? Shall we require less of them be-
cause they have not mastered what has
been prescribed? OF all the causes as
signed for the want of aggressiveness, the
method of admitting men into the minis
try seems the weakest. Why the Church
is not satisfied with many of her minis
tiers even after they have gone through
the present elaborate training. With all
the preparation we can give by four
years in college and three years in the
seminary, still there are many Of them
inefficient, and give little satisfaction to
the Church If with this long, laborious
and expensive mode of preparation we
get many indifferent ministers whom the
Church will not call and support how
would it be with a diminished standard
of preparation? The list of w. C.'s is
now abundantly large, what would that
list become if we lessen the amount OF
training? No. We are doing badly
enough now, the churches can scarcely
be induced to call and support those OF
us who have had all the benefit of the
present expensive method Of preparation
DR.. McIlwaine has now on his roll toe
long list of halfstarved ministers who
have gone through college and seminary
studied Hebrew, Greek, &c. Shall We
swell that sorrowful list still more? al
these things happen to the green tree
what may we expect of the dry?"
We may be disposed to administer re.
buke to the churches and admonish them
that they are too hard to please, too fas-
tidious, too critical, etc., but matters will
in all probability continue as before. The
churches are wrong, doubtless, in cult
waiting fastidiousness and keeping itching
ears. But let ministers remember thai
they are not without fault If they feeC
the people with fresh, pure, instructive
preaching, the exactions Of fastidiou
tastes and itching ears will be largely
abated. "B. H., in the Central of thu
9TH inst, says that it was our insisting OF
trained ministry that led to the forma
ton Of The Cumberland Church. "HaC
trained ministry been offered withou
our seven years course, might not tn
same numbers exist as in the two church
es and much sounder in theology ?" H,
speaks of trained ministry" i0ithoa
seven years course. But how can he ge
a trained ministry without taking tim
IN train thavo2 Tbor, 49,, l. L.. Il :.