Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-30

t1onaliSm. 1t would be as disastrous as the
old laundering and ill-fated alliance between
the Church of England and the Stuart Crown.
1t is not from lack of good will toward Pres
byterianism that hope to see the General
Assembly set itself against scholarship,
against liberty, and against truth.
AFree Theological Seminary.
IT is because of certain good results
which might follow out of such disaster.
Notably this-the setting up in this country
OF free theological seminary.
For Union Theological Seminary is bound
to go on. The seminary can get along, and
if necessary will get along without the
church. Would it not be a good thing if it
should?
There has taken place in this century a
great emancipation of public interests out
of slavery, not to religion, but to denomina-
tionalism, that Is, to partisanship. The
public schools have passed out of denomina-
tional control. And the academies and col
leges are following into the field of freedom.
The most successful presidents to-day are
no longer the parsons, but the laymen.
Eliot, of Harvard, and Low, of Columbia,
are notable examples. And, although there
are many ministers still at the head of
educational institutions, and many of them
conspiouously able, they owe their efficiency
not to their clerical position but to their
own ability and energy. The Chancellor of
the Western University is stirring up that
excellent institution and putting new life
into 1t. and bringing it into line with the
new Pittsburg. Not so much by his ortho-
doxy as by his good, plain, earnest common
sense. That is, he commends himself and
his cause chiefly by those qualities which
we look for in layman. The time will come
when there will not be denominational
IT
when a Presbyterian college will be as alb
surd as Presbyterian arithmetic and
Baptist university as ridiculous as a Baptist
rolling mill.
Charity, too, the hospitals, the homes, the
agencies for helping those who are down
all this is getting disentangled from the de-
nominational net.
Two Kinds of Church Success.
THESE great interests, educational and
charita Bile, were never more religious, never
more genuinely Christian, than they are
to-day. 1t is not Christianity which is losing
its hold: it is only that unfortunate pre-
sentation of Christianity which is made by
denominationalism. We are growing out of
the narrowness of partisanship. DR.. Nc
Connell, of Philadelphia, who preached
here the other day at the Church of the
Ascension. said that there are two kinds of
possible success in the work of the Christian
Church: One is the success which is eYi-
denced by great buildings and immense con-
gresations and large figures in parochial re-
ports; the other is the success which is
shown in the bettering of men, in the up
lifting of character, in the quickening of the
conscience of the community, in the amend
ment of society. The second kind of
success is not so conspicuous as the
nrst but it is intellectually better. 1t
kI.@ ~ A1.z
but by the exaltation of the individual
eye are the salt of tho earth," the Master
said; but salt has not begun to do its work
until it has dissolved and disappeared.
Denominationalismi is salt undissolved The
labors first of all not for
truth, not for the good of society, not for
the advancement of religion, but for the
glory of his sect. And he has been found.
again and again, willing to distort truth and
to retard religion for the sake of his party.
We want no more of that. Especially, in
our institutions of education, we want men
who are under bonds to no master but the
truth, who will not be hindered either in
study or in teaching by any party bias.
There Is enough bias in human nature with
out importing any more into 1t. We do not |
any of us see all around the truth; but let |
u.s. at least, abolish the wearing of theologic- |
al and ecclesiastical binders.
Non-Partisan Theology Coming
Now, why not apply this not only to the
college but to the divinity SCHOOL, Why |
have even theology taught by partisans?
believe that the time will come when |
even the theological seminaries Will be |
from denominationalism. 1t |
will probably be long time. But If our
brethren at Portland will but persist just |
now in their insistence upon traditionalism, |
and say hard words about Union Seminary, |
and put that institution under the ban why, |
there will be an immediate divorce, in all |
probability, between that great school and |
The great church with which 1t has been |
associated. And Union Seminary will then |
be free.
And what will that mean? Why, it will |
mean that the sole requisite for the position
If professor in that school will be conspicuous
Utility to perform the duties of his chair. The
professor of Hebrew will be chosen for his
efficiency in teaching Hebrew. 1t will not
natter at all what he thinks about pre-
erition. The business of the instructor in
Church History will be to teach the history
Of the Christian Church exactly as it hap
,ened. not in the interests of any party;
With an entire desire to learn the actual
ruth and to make 1t clear to his students.
The teacher of Old and New Testament Ex-
,gesis will have it for his sole business to
understand and to make others understand
he real truth about the Bible, absolutely
'egardless of all doctrines of inspiration
md of all the pronouncements Of the
orthodoxy.
That, if it ever comes to pass, will make
Union Seminary the best theological school
n the country. 1t will be its emancipation
rom the bondage of blighting traditional
sm 1t will make it the alma mater of
FRIGHT clear-sighted, and wide-minded
,oung men out of all denominations, who
will 90 thence into their parishes, hating
neutrality-suspicious. champions of
christian truth.