New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-05
HARVARD UNIVERSITf.
THE VOLUNTARY PRAYER sYsTEM-A CIRCULAR


ISSUED TO THE STUDENTS.
Cambridge Feb A crcnlar Is being sent ont to
every student who rooms I'm the College Yard, which
raises again. and very sharply, tho old question "hcher
the new prayer system has been success amer all
AZ the beginning of the college year circular sent OUT
bv the preach 10 the University pronounced Inc ne"
system success. DR.. Phillips Brooks undoubtedly
regards the voluntary prayer system as having proved
Itself the true system for Harvard College President
Eliot too I'm the report for 1873, speaks strongly
for the new system Yet after all, 1t Is necessary 10
examine their opinions closely In order to ma Just
why they think the system now In force Is real sue
cess 1t is startling to find that the average attend
ance upon morning prayers from day to day Is not
much If at ALL above 40 students II an opponent
of voluntary prayers asked to believe that an at
tendance OF upon exercises that used TO DC atehu
ed by seven eight hundred fellows was great sue
cess in a religious way, he would have severe time
of IL before he could to such belief 1t Is only
by adopting as a premise one OF the conceptions Oh
the advocates Of the system that one can see his way
TO tho conclusion reached 10y the preachers to the Uni
versity and by President Eliot; and that conception Is
that It is better to have $50 true worshppeTs rom uay
TO day I'm the college chapel, than t. nave 1OO0 VINO
are compelled attend II may be as well for the 100
who do attend that they have the feeling that every
one of them IS there worship, but to the $50 who
STAY away, II is difficult TO that they are getting
the benefit that they did when they were obliged 10
come TO prayers Undoubtedly the benefit to the 15C
who do help the religious work of the college greater
than could possibly be under the compulsory system
but there remains the fact that the other 800 do not
attend at all. Therefore # Is that Some Rowing
Men. have sent ont very earnest circular, as ABOVE
stated urging every man in college to wake up on the
subject of prayer attendance. The circular Is a. fol
lows:
Every one recalls the words OF DR.. 81 oohs, when he
was i'm Philadelphia. "a few weeks ago. and was asked
about voluntary chapel prayers ,.,.
" Instead of seven or eight hundred, as formerly,
there are now $50: bnt those $50 are animated by
sincere spirit of devotion. The conSrdnt and formal
ity has passed away aud the general religious tone OF
the University has been Of late greatly elevated ana
improved $500, ~. a., ,.oo. Tiara m
he bu little doubt 10 the first part, this amenfa able
fact is true, that the number is slipping down from
do the men in the University realize that the whole
country the press, their friends and, above all, the
watching the result Of the voluntary prayer system
here and that they waiting. with earnest hope TO
see to what extent Harvard men Will be true to the
University seal. Christie ct Ecclesae7l
What do you. Yourself think about it How many
go only when you wish TO hear some prominent
preacher do you go regularly and Loyalty because
What are you going to do about IT.
Harvard. of course never return to the old com
pulsory system-it Is too late now to try such a
scheme II seems that the results Of tho trial of the
new system must be accepted as but qualified sue
| cess and the struggle will be hard one keep
what has been already secured. There would be a
better chance for voluntary prayers II all the Uni
yersty preachers well liked by the students.
As fact some of them do not reach the students be
cause the students do not have great faith In their
Teachings and because some of the University preach
eiS seem 10 be personally uhlhnuental over the ma
| jority Of The students
y r. Gordon. iSe. has been awarded a Bowdon
mir for dissertation entitled, Tho Functions Of a
! University in a Democratic Community