New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-06-28
DIR. PORrERS FAREWELL.
HIS LAST BACCALAUREATE SERMON
SERIOUS WORDS TO THE GRADUATING CLASS
BArTfIL CHAPEL CROWDED.


who gathe listen to President Porters farewell
baccalaurcate Sermon President Porter took Tor MS
text Ia whom HID all treasure 81 Wisdom ana
knowlcigc Colo s.ians H. g. aud the following Is an
abstract OF his remarks:
I'm whom are hid all treasure Of wisdom and
enowledee." Ysie College was founded avoweily
n. n Christian college. All ls ENDORSEMENTS ana
IN. defimte purpose that the education mpare: here
should be emphafchy Christian Nituin low ys1rS
however. bOtn hc oi countries ana ~" new, aoi,
t,ory has found many advocate' aud been embodied
"A few colleges aud nnver-itie'- ih' ne"', M",, ~,
NAV he called the secular contrasied WIN the
hris,ian IL briefly thus: Education ~ every grde an"
prominently o. The mshe. To ne consumlnh'e must re
nee from all alliance with religion " most rofswcfr
any allegiance to tue Christian erred ana dis"h-r vim
pJsiiive Cnrist,n mi c!ce. Whlle may accept wy
traits OF Christian civilization. 50 Tar as science ara
letters aIt ana culture. law and morality have taken
these general e II viii hest do 1t, appropriate
WORK. .e,en hest serve Christianity l-ci u raves
all pos tive Christian teachnt nnl r lnins 10 u o
hou-ehod aud tho clurcn. Propose ut thls time 20
explain and deien The old cory ~ cotrastci WIN the
the theory on which this college stanus an" "n'n
!" ~ rhr iieal Christian college .houd continue and
supplement he functions O.. tie family and IN en- REP
II the family and the church should be ,hs.ian' 'no
college for similar reasons should also po ,
Christianity rresupposes the :sniy aud the cnnrcn
roots itself in tue ono aud expnn"T 1rG :,
other purifying and elevatiug both WINE u an"Isss
m ',i Of his life from hi. soci .tions SOCIETY
implies letters and laws an hammers anu Inoi a.
perhaps in history. Society aud religion prr-nppose
schopi--whlcn can do tnn homc or elghb"rno I'll
col ece wevrr trains and teaches the young on n SUI
higher scale ti'n the family or tue c,nr'h " ,ne
elementary instruction OF th lower should be positively
CHRISTIAN. why should not that ~ the higher Look hg
ut Tins question from CHRISTIAN sttbu ,"n W" eau
GIVE bat one answer: schools Of the higrS or fe
sn"nld be eiuphatcaly and positively christian iha.
Il should Wisely Christian nee not he snssrsi.I ;
that II should undo OVERRIDING se-r'iirn hnt
that Christian an- should animal" ana contfl us nIn
is equally manifest We roness that VIC cannot nhu"r-
stand the L. lie or the practical Wisdom OF thoso who
admit the property and nrre sty OF postv" urHuf al
iuau Noes f Inc hom, and seminary, hat would IL rr
.ltf. fl.fg 81
snn1 ~, trrstri a. a uI,n IL il true that h. is no
longer cild and perhaps. not youth; bui neither IN
character in couvctions la, he become IN an More
over last ~ TINS period fe he is doomed ~
ihronsn that ermrutins and transit on pc'oi III wlh
he must FOR himself hi prarhca confrt"u' ana ms
tneoretca Judgment IN The ish of III dependent th";ht
~ may ne tnat ne done IN a f0rmhl w'y ior
etner az TIL, time ihan az any other. IL may ne an'
doubtless IA. true that oihcio s ana h-lihru lhpr
m-idng Will do more harm thir goo AMI e. or an
il TIM or c"niiti"n ~ q IN WHEN wi-e
Christ dn Influences are more needed or az .h"
i've tn tame 'us ini Mise, o' rhlilooi
aud yontn conr ned or rejected ny nsnct aeS Oh
mtellsen voliiIon the jndsm'h OF Tue gi"Mlns nn;
OF many tll- crisis TT Their spiritual history u might
be Id hat 50 far as Human c"u.sci ana r can c"ls
AT all IN tls crilct ana lrahSi"n ie'i" 'n' u.s.,
come thrOusa tno~e intellect AL ACTIVITIES whr are inc
aud controlling element ~ the s'ul"nts me-
2-Chrlstianity nee Is the cHeIe' l. npTpNe lis non,
Svirtial quality aud enlarge ITS attracti.cneS@ AM
power For thu the Christian e" lee j. an ESSEN
tal appeuigr to tue church. AMI thersf"rr ought 10 "e
emph"tical, Chrl tian IL !, no" h"ie hrrt " cn,-
enal furnish for the defence Of the chuicn
AMI weapons Tor Is adNhi'clirht. IL IS 10, 20
for development % IT. own varied AID hghrst
perieriio.s While !, srarte 'y all that cert ~
required tor ile rXisi"nrr ana growth
OF the kingdom Of Goa. 1t Is A rae sane I'm ehr"d ~
many tDat much o. 'ithrr will BRING hindranre,
rather an nrlp strength aud hc MY Of [ e
chr s,ian character. We hold the contrary. Knowl-
edge indeed bring its ten tau ~ ~ rulv as iehpr-
aIcc tulin;c NAV Christ. lIken, AMY
squaor bu; knowledge ard culture. III Their highest
pcrircon lied Tor tao complete NANTES alto OF
what Ii.IiIn ~ do FOR man.
3~On r other hand the culiese shonld he Christian
in orcr TO elevate and improve tcqnaity of science
and
To both: they bOtu owe mach To nilNahIty Chri,l-
amy. e. Christian education. 80 Largo aud elrvaics
sciancc while il inspires and retnes cIltnre. S,juc
md culture are tie wOrknan-"iP OF living men, inc
joint proincIs "f their 1iI'lna freedom am oi hr
en icatiOn and opportunities OF The men VINO wrh be-
fore lived them. Thr result j. trntn and
beauty as reflected III the indi'ldu minds anu
GENERATIONS OF individual souls Bnt what the imiv,d-
religious creed anh aspirations. We iearl SLY assert
that 10 every Christian nao' connect on WIN "'e.y
great vance ~ Science AMI Ut or~ Ia mo i"in me- ana
generally PRECEDING H. trrr has cen an awakening ~
every snch excitement a' li'rh t ra,ioh ana kener-
aiiou new and mote ardent inie lectu, me- ,,.
and universities counterfeit mnd overcome tendencies
which active IN science an culture 90 or ,IHe.
aud culture when pursued Tor SO ii ends an unr"h
iroled oy the higher ms OF rrsi'h an love Ia man
;, stimulates AMI rewards The love OF Io"cr u
NJ uterrefius tnfnrrs scre : OF understanding her
Avs ana imatins or sympathlzns her skill. so
long science rerO III cs these pweis "a laws rs the
thought, AMI actinss OF God 50 loug does sir "p"n
C gateway to wor,hn aud faith. 20 iong a. her
d-yOtcs il Trained 10 the d"cltty o' a litue chilli
II Is almost whether H. KnocAs at tue dOor "f
the hal Scrnc- dpOrof the kingdom of Heaven.
But d. a. the vrSiig tor 70 ndglne himself
he The creator the interpretations or The scientist arr
mistaken Tor the plan which was devised and the agent
when executes. 50 soon The ori"g aud unio Ing OF
the plan sets side hot thinker and actor thrn energies
the sciehilhc Ittni-m OF orr ay when urh one. me
o he Onorel supremacy by enc as ihe SET, AS''h
thinker and seIi-mo'ihS force oil mat philosophy
II en- TO the observer OF our rne. That
anti Christian tendencies are no Idle fncies but
the which most fvorapie Tor Their successful
manifestation woui he co"ge or university co'ld II
he Of religious aud eihica! Restraints On
snch held would present themselves. IN the fairr-t
forms. the most insd,ou, temptluoTs that
knowedgr combined wiih and disguised as the
love power-rnnohlrd 10y the aspirations of any and
aid and able vas. Here too CULTURE wonld display her
he-iifting sexnaI and -oriid RratInca
TONS and needing neither jnsiihcati"n nor paatoI with
the heart he touched 10y beauty aracr
whether III form or notion In sound or color or IN the
harmony OF all
5-Truth compels ia TO add in conclusion that Chris
iianlIy control college In order 10 exclude its
antag,nis. or rival IN the form Of some fs-t Religion
a, 1t Is not positively Christian. tends toward
atheism or agnostlci-n. Que or two genera
Influence by simply lravns aot- all questions Of faith.
II this possiOe other dsyst Is impossible
he science ol nature. from molecular physics up To
those FASCINATING departments 81 natura history which
seem AT hrst To appeal only To wonder tnf delight r"
40 longer content 10 leave theology alone. They
now di-c questions and pr0frr h-Ores which fUrce
heir d-ciprs 10 ak the great questions Of heI ana
Ia answer them by no. History and criticism
challenge the student at every turn to think say
whether historical ana supernatural christianity Is any
longer 10 he accepted by the reader whoi abreast wit
the tiIne-spirL
We conclu:e began-that a CHRISTIAN college, to
he worthy OF rs name. must DO the home or EN- arged
ie,Isc ana v.iei culture. II NUT abound III all
the appliances OF research and instruction Its libraries
and collections bo aliencr It's corps or
instructors must be- well trained aud enthusiastic the
work OF teaching For all TINS money needed AMI u
should he gathered into great ceutrr--not wasted IN
scanty ionn sud vided into r.i
MO such pa, of scieucc the Carist,u suuI
enter the slck nah Of old ant purify aud cOLs--
CRAZE all tn itself In such college the pieIy
would inspire The science and the culture would elevate
and refine the priy. and the would INT each the
other upward toward God. aud speed each other
ward ana GU " ard ~ errsnds of br-rng to man.
YOUNG GLNTLtMkS OF THE GRADUATING CLASS The |
solrmnliy which brings the fact that
tui- l. "a Christian college The routine of dai.y
10 W oh led