Morning journal and courier., 1886-06-28


 against favorite theory or school. The feuds and jealousies of science extend to both principles and men; they control universities as truly as individuals. For this reason motives higher than the purely intel lectual are not only useful, but often greatly needed, even in schools of pure science. So far as Christian motives are concerned, we assert with confidence that of any score or hundred seekers after sclen- tifc truth, those who are devoutly thelstlc or Christian in their faith are, by far, the most likely to be fearless and open minded in re- ceiving and asserting whatever IS new, pro yided it is true. For a Christian believer to insinuate the opposite is to confess the mar rowness of his own conceptions of Christian ity, or to libel the Iberality. of those of his neighbor.
 9 It may still be argued that in the pres ent state of Christendom college which IS positively Christian must, in fact, be con trolled by some religious denomination, and this must necessarily narrow and pellttle its intellectual and emotional life. We reply, a college need not be administered in the in terests of any religious sect, even it be con- trolled by it. We have contended at length that science and culture tend to iberalize sectarian narrowness. We know that Christian philosophy, history and literature are eminently catholic and liberal. No class of men so profoundly regret the divisions of Christendom as do Christian scholars; and,
 
 tion to their fervor. While college may be, and sometimes is, nursery of petty preju- dices and hiding-place for sectarian bigot- ry, it is untrue to all the lessons of Christian thougntfulness if it fails to honor it's own genius, and will sooner or later outgrow it's narrowness.
 3. It may still further be urged that a Christian college must limit itself in the selection of instructions to men of positive Christian belief, and may thus de- prive itself of the ablest instruction. We reply, no positive inferences of this sort can be drawn from the nature duties of Christian college. The details of admins tration are always controlled by wise discre tion. A seeker after God, if he has not found rest in faith, may be even more devout and believing in his influence than fiery dogmatist or an uncompromising polemic. And yet, it may be true that teacher who is careless of misleading con6ding youth, may, for this reason and this only, be dis qualified from being safe and useful instructor in any college, whether Christian or secular. Personal characteris- tics very properly enter very largely into the estimates of the requisites in an ennobling and successful instructor: and among per sonal qualities those which we call Christian are estimated the most ennobling, except by those who are ashamed of the Christian name
 Last of all, it may be urged that Chris tian college may become the nursery of pietistic sentimentalism fanatical fervor. This is true; but there are other sentimental isms than those which are inspired by Chris tian truth and Christian history; and there are other fanaticisms than such flame in the Christian church. The best surety against all excesses of this sort is to be found in that soundness of mind which earnest Christian devotion is fitted to inspire when |. ,ol by science; when refined by imaginative literature and made graceful by consummate art.
 We conclude as we began, that Christian college, to be worthy of its name, must be the home of enlarged knowledge and varied culture. It must abound in all the appH- ances of research and instruction. Its libra ries and collections must be rich to aff1u- ence. Its corps of instructors must be well trained and enthusiastic in the work of teaching. For all this, money is needed, and it should be gathered into great centers, not wasted in scanty fountains, nor sub-divi- end into insignificant rills. into such a temple of science the Christian spirit should enter as the shekinah of old, and purify and consecrate all to itself. In such college the piety would inspire the science and the culture would elevate and refine the piety, and the two would lift each other upward toward
  ward in errands of blessing to man.
 Whether Christian college shall surpass one that is purely or chiefly secular in it's sci enti6c training and literary culture must be tested by time; but in order that the test should be fair the advantages must be equal. The endowments, the appliances, the libra ries, the museums and all else that wealth can furnish must be similar in attractiveness and solidity. The friends of each must give to each enthusiastic and unwavering SUD- port. We do not contend that religious zeal can be substitute for scientific ardor; but we do urge that it may, and will, furnish the highest inspiration when directed to scien- tiic studies. We are not simple to hold that the culture of the religious feelings is an equivalent for the training of the imagination; but we do contend that the imagination when fired by Christian faith and fervor has reached its loftiest achieve ments. In a word, we believe that the Chris tian faith is the perfection of the human req son as truly a necessity to the human heart and, therefore, the essential to the highest forms of human culture.
 We conclude that no institution of higher education can attain the highest ideal excel fence in which the Christian faith is not eS- alted as supreme; in which it's truth is not asserted with 8 constant fidelity, defended with unremitting ardor and enforced with fervent and devoted zeal; in which Christ is not honored the inspirer
 
 of mans highest excellence, and the master of all human duties. Let two instructions be placed side by side, with equal advantages in other particulars; let the one be positive ly Christian and the other consistently secu- lar,-and the Christian will surpass the ular in the contributions which it will make to science and culture, and in the men which it will train for the service of their kind.
 At the close of his sermon President Porter addressed the members of the graduating class as follows:
 Young gentlemen of the graduating class: The sol ,mnity which brings you here attests the fact that this is Christian college. The routine of our daily worship, the services to which you are called on Sunday, and many other provisions for religious culture, all affirm that we hold and teach the Christian faith as true and divine, as supreme in it's importance for this life and the future. The fact that science and learning and culture occupy our chief attention and meet us with their daily and earnest demands does in no sense indicate that we esteem Christian truth of less practical importance to control our ambitions, to repress our passions, to soften and subdue, to elevate and refine our human nature. For we are none the less men be- cause we students, with human hearts that thirst continually for God, for the liv- ing God. But the fact that we are students lays upon us the additional obligation to try our faith by the light of reason and to justify and shape our devotion by the tests of cul- ture. If we think as philosophers we must ask and answer the question whether phi losophy of necessity accepts or denies the living or personal God. If we answer this question in the negative, we must sadly and sorrowfully turn our faces to the wall, blank and chilling though it be, which l shuts the living God forever out | of our sight and on which we write in vain some meaningless formulas or | paint few brilliant pictures. If we answer | yes, we rejoice, as none but the believing | can, in the ten thousand voices | with which he hears the universe ot law and | order re-echo the praises of the Father of | Spirits. If we question whether God is | loving and holy person, and all students | must ask this question in the light of reflec- | tive thought, the answer which we expect | will either drive us to mute despair or call | forth the response of heartfelt joy. If we | look back upon the past in the light of his- tory, or forward to the future with the con- idence of prophecy, and find in the past or future no God, we must either find in the past and future maze which we cannot | thread, or apply to both some hollow abstraction that has it's brief day in the schools, and then gives way to another. If | we resort to culture and worship literature