Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-12-27


The new plan adopted by Harvard col.
lege with regard to the religious instruction
Of its students has now entered ON the
fourth year Of its trial and It's wisdom and
success as a judicous and helpful way Of
approaching and cultivating the religious
nature Of the young seems to he fully de.
munstrated. That plan consists in the abo
lition Of compulsory attendance at chapel
during both morning prayers aud Sunday
preaching, and in the appointment Of Il
board Of six clergymen, of whom one is a
permanent professor, and the others are
pastors Of metropolitan churches or in other
prominent ministerial positions. these six
| clergymen to alternate with one another in
pastoral service for periods Of three weeks
each twice year The permanent preacher
is Professor Francis q. Peabody the five
associate members Of the board are changed
by gradual process one member retiring
each year and his place being filed bv a
new incumbent. There is a brief devo
tional service every week day morning
during term-time in Appleton chapel,
preaching service ON Sunday evening, and
from November to May vesper service
each Thursday afternoon at O'Clock.
The facts show what has been the success
of this experiment The attendance at
morning prayer averages from POO to $50
On SUNDAY nights the audience room is al.
ways we'll filed, and often. as during the
past three weeks, crowded 10 the doors.
The vesper services are thronged a great
part of the time Long ago the novelty of
the system wore off, yet the numbers who
avail themselves of the opportunities were
greater the second year than the first
greater the third than the second and
were never before 30 great as in the open.
ing weeks of this fourth year.
The Harvard experiment has disproved
a notion held by two Numerically opposite
parties. The notion is that young men in
college are disincned toward religion
one party thinks this is a reason why stu
dents should be compelled to attend wor
ship, which they would otherwise neglect
The other party says religion is so repug
nant to the intellectual life that students
would prefer to have nothing to do with if
and 1t is shame to compel them to attend
The fact demonstrated at Harvard by the
voluntary is, as Professor Peabody re-
marked but the other day, that instead of
ITS being true that young men in college are
not interested in religion, there is nothing
else that interests them so much. 1t
part OF the system at Harvard that every
preacher spends several hours each dav dur. |
ing his period of service in a room appoint
ed for receiving all who wish TO engs,,s in
private conversation with the clergyman
Rev. DIR. Lyman Abbott of Plymoutb
church, who recently spent three weeks
term of service at the college was kent
busy evsry day from A. NJ. till p. NJ
with an incessant stream Of callers. The
same is true when DR. Phillips Brooks is
IN residence or Bishop Huntington. or
indeed almost any of the distinguished min
STEERS who oiicate
The New York Press sums M in -
oolhted way the result Of this ATTEMPT TO
solve the perplexing problem Of religion,
taching and public worship in a college
'hen 1t remarks that Harvard has solved
I by substituting catholicity for clanni,b
Tess variety for monotony. and. above all.
persuasion for compulson