New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-02-04
RELIGION IN COLLEGES.
BY DRs. McCosH AND ELIOT
THEY GIVE THEIR VIEWS BEFORE THE NINETEENTH
CENTURY CLUB,

The Indictment weather did not prevent q
large tendance upon the monthly meeting OF the
Nineteenth Century Club st the rooms of the American
Art Galleries The paper OF the evening. by Prcs
dent Eliot OF Harvard Coil, &c. upon the suffice;
The Pace Religion should Have In Il College" Prcs
james McCosh, OF Princeton, to read reply
COuranGt Palmer president OF the cub, said that the
discussion might NC sad 10 be between the neutral and
the tHeoloeiC al views Of religion, and that the Nineteenth
CcntGry Club might be said to stand upon the neutral
plane. He then introduced President Eliot the sub
stance OF whose paper embodied IN the following:
My point of view that of one who believes that the
unsecaau college ls the most useful. but by means
The only useful knd, III country which has no eSa-
sIed church and no dominant sect. At Harvard Col
lege have OGS students divided among great nnu
Increasingly heterogeneous. much for stand
point. Let us proceed to examine the three types CT
American college. dstn gulshed by their different relg-
FiIsi-ihc thorou gh- going denomrnatlona college At
such college, there Is no liberation OF other faiths or
rituals. THIS frank, positive attitude Is entirely respect
able. There is place for them Tue objections to Them
| unctions; The broad reiiS'oni>rs they divide
tne christ an honHs aS%ins' Heh on narrow Wv
does not yield openness of mind or llerdy Of senii
prove Marty 10 mimlze ihrs" o'J'ctloh s'd boy 10
>ncb colleges from fifteen TO eighteen or nineteen years
"f axe ana then to Larger college where all dehomh'
second-fhc commonest tvpe of American colcge-
| ihe seIn!-denohlnau"nal. There are many grades oil
his type. IN appointing teachers, there many de-
OF dcnomindtona stricncss. ire process OF eve
! :
college can he traced III he history OF Harvard Coc-f
the evolution was FASTENED Ivy the establishment OF
>centin schools alongside the colleges No religions
Observance or instruction imposed on the scientific
! students at Harvard. Yale or Columbia Why not I
| They the age and have the same exposure
rAi gradual transformation is blmcless process The
main difficulty IN position of such college Is that
II is hard 10 uake its position known Ambiguity OF
| pOS tOu i u serious eva.
Thrd-Thc unscctarin college. illustrated by Harvard
College The officers and students are free from all re-
leious restraint The COLLEGE cannot maintain church
q" us own, which would pdrtake OF thc nomination %
which the preacher nr,ohIS, ne are nucn
tnan Otncla church. Daily prayers can lie main
tanned, because there is opportunity for doctrina
ajoriiy OF the students II he form he Protestant aud
CongrcEatIona those dissenting can II" excused sun
services by ministers Ol various den0mlnl
ii held In the chaIcl. attendance being v"
nntary Tnerc should be no technical religions n'rnc-
ton. They teach ctnics best 10y several Teachers
| Ia the governing boards no druomindtionh qurs ION
should ever raised. 10 this type OF college belong
some universities, some Of tue land gran
colleges and few of The endowment colleges Inc al
vantapes of thi, type are: Its position unniskabl
IL offers security against any attack students
| faith. Voluntary activity in religious matters Is
stimulated. The Young mon make q conscious
choice. They earh calhohcity they learn the
practical Importance OF doc rnes ana rncs 90, oi
differ; that sweet aud noble human character Il
produced III all scots Every reasonable man WIN an
outlook upon history reJo'cra TO dSS"Iitc ise iu
Imagination win the pure ana noble 81 all churches Tue
dsadv that they cannot expect the entire
confidence and support of any denomination. loss OF
Influence and power Secondly, the uusrctdrlah college
appears i've indifferent Ia religion. notwithstanding
that one may enthusiastically believe doctrine ana yet
be opposed L. forcing It upoI another Ioeraion does
| that interest religion has been rNtngushed
! National college must pursue Tho National policy OF
oeraton IL Is mpos.lne TO o"lH a GIGat c".rge on
,, ~ nm jsiraIc brrn,sc ihe ri'aIed
classes would be divided into opposing group with too
little ieuW-fe,lmE and too little sense the importance
M unon i.ain.l InacIa.i ism ana the mere annual life.
There certain general principles winch may be
applied TO all col eyes: J. Respect 10 be ihcacdtrd Tor
religion In iisclf and all tued forms thereof Mn
nai dcnuncdOn among srctS Is fruitful source OF H.
religion. > Every college l. bound To promote The con
inued attachment of to his parents faith ana the
voluntary attachment of every Yong 10 some relig
body other. This IN the interest OF family au1
morality. Nobody know, now TO teach 'loraly chec-
| lively without religion There Is no Snch thluH as
ethics. Al colleges should EXHIBIT IN every
ing spirit matter what The subject In hand Colleges
III which there j. great variety 81 teaching and re-
search can counterfeit the error that there
an opposition between the fundamental principles OF
unIly in aim aud ri o. all genuine study aud teach
Ing can demonstrate that SCIENCE Is creating very
ncDnlpatby between religion and science; but that
the religions Imagination aud thc scientific ina sna;ion
! present Deity which they both ador".
which is now upon us. colleges Ou.ht Ia 20 slowly,
ought to hold back rather than press forward follow
their but lead them aud hold TO
existing practices until better shown 10 he feasible
remembering that religion Is not thing Of yestcriay
has survived and Will survive infinite vicis
STUDIES.
After the reading OF President EliOt's paper. at Mr.
Palmers suggestion, the listeners from Their seals
and after moving abou: and chatting fora few minutes
were called order by the president. who introduced
| Dr. McC0sh. The following Is an abstract OF Dr,
McCosh's address:
great change going on in American cyoges as TO
the place allotted TO religion Of which parents are not
sufficiently aware have asrced 70 enssr IN tins dis
cussOn cUuncract the tendency To leave out
more and Of religion III The teachings OF our col
ieges wish it TO be understood that am addressing
beievers In religion that stand mp resoutey for the
rights OF conscience. not requiring students To attend
religious instruction against the will Of parents
under age, or their will II Of II Is quite pOsSi
bic to maintain "a lively interest IN religion under this
condition. TINS is what IL done IN nearly all our coll
lcgrs ana position Is not mstakable. Every Que
understands the ground taken up by Princeion truly
catholic religion ana no interference win IN,
| convictions OF any, President Eliot has placed
colleges IN respect OF religion under three heads. FOR
this purpose divide them INTO Two; hr't thOse 20
give place Of importance to religion and secondly.
those who do not profess take any serious Interest IN
divine things argue III favor OF the retention oi re
gion IN a college two grounds: tue bench; mt To
the tTsI i"nt lind it acEnow edged On all hands that
COLLEGES sending forth annually abody of highly educated
men have great influence the character OF the
tri,eG in the knowlrdge of God and OF Ills viii and
grace In the past. Christianity has had mighty In
~ seen Sin literature and in ar n ar grandcst poetry
and prose finest statues, paintings aud building
The schools and universities Of Europe aud America
were up by men swayeh ny religious motives. liar.
ward aud Princeton were OF mp to promo % igon aud
morality Take ont Christianity from our coieges aud
given life and body TO our higher education.
The typical university recommended by The president
Of Harvard is dcnomnaied unSectaiian inns IL Dnt
negative phrase over the gates OF this Institution might
he written: "A knowledge impaired here except reg-
iOn- l reg on Is not h"nOred III college every 0ncc-
qnainted with human nature knows what VIII DO the
prevailing spirit among the stnlenA win thls spirit
i'm the air the floating sentiments would crystalline into
the CT of agLo>tcs, with AL its CHILLING and deadon-
ing influence, and the great body OF the Young men
would vii n the conviction that nothing
be known of God, of the world above or the world TO
come Surely thinking men, patriots well parents.
seriously consider what would be the effect OF send
ing society few hundred agno'tcs every year
IL il While they at college that the character OF
students commonly formed for life. Under religious
amt training. kindly administered, multtudes OF
students have been saved from vices into which they
might otherwise have fallcn many have been
| led to devote themselves 10 nigh ends
These are the principles which advocate. am now
to by them the plan proposed III the paper OF
this Or Eliot allow tina: there may hc pro-
vision made for religion Ia colleges. But II IL IA to HAYES
place ~ should br an unmstakabe and hOuOrcd one.
At II irvar, understand ii. attendance is required.
not ev cry morning but several times week. There is
10 regular preaching on the Sabbath but for a few
months In sprlng there Is public worship. not com
pnlsofy Sabbath evenings. Tie president did the
honor 70 ask To preach OF the There