The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-05-14
TRAINING A YOUNG PREA CHER,

TRAINING 4 YOUNG PREAC CHER.
Some or the Bridges the student Must Cross
Before He Is Ordained and Licensed.
You read the other day" said a prominent
clergyman. of the commencement exercises
at Princeton Theological Seminary and Of the
graduation Of ffty-four students. There was
nothing about that to attract public attention.
and very likely you did not get further into the
article than the headlines. 1t meant lfty-four
more young clerEymen in tho world. that was
oil. to most people. But to n man who has
been through the training that has Just ended
for those boys 1t means q great deal more.
never read Of q seminary commencement with.
out feeling thankful that 80 many more
students have pulled through safely.
There ia not much general knowledge OF
tho labor required in the making OF a clergy.
man. People could easily find out II they
chose to inquire. but 1t is something they do
not stop to think OF. A clergyman is supposed
to be able to answer any biblical question that
may be asked him. but where he gets all his
technical knowledge nobody thinks of asking.
He does not get 1t from reading the Scriptures,
certainly. II you were to keep on reading
Revelations till you understood them thor
oughly how old would you be when you fin.
ished2 No. don't nsk me whether I think I
understand them now. or we may drift away
into a theological discussion which will 10
very Improbable. What l started to say is
something about the severe training that a
man must go through before he can be gradu-
ated from a theological seminary and so be.
come q clergyman. Severe? It is moro than
severe. and you see It results In thousands of
physically weak preachers all over the world.
"Thet training Of a clergyman really begins
when he is a six-year-old child at his mothers
knee. for. In nine cases out Of ten. the parents
decide for him. and decide early. But start
with the boy when he has been graduated
from a m school. because he will prob.
ably receive that much education in any case.
whatever his business or profession IL to be.
He should then be In the nelRhborhood Of -
years old. He must now begin a special prop
aration for college-a preparation that differs
from the ordinary preparatory course OF stu
dents not studying for the ministry. He must
give at least four years to q special study OF
Greek and Latin. and at tho same time lay .
good foundation in ancient history. English
composition and literature. and higher arith-
metic and algebra.
Tho boy then. at 16. is ready to enter col.
ieRe and take the usual four years classical
course. In the first year he struggles with
algebra. geometry. trienometry. Latin. Greek.
English history. and English literature. In
the second year the same. with the addition OF
comparative physiology. mechanics. analytl.
cal geometry. physics. and rhetoric. In the
third year he adds also chemistry. logic. Ger.
man. political science. and philosophy. Tho
fourth collegiate year includes all OF these
studies; and geology. consular and interne.
flonal law. French. ethics. astronomy. and
He is now. on. leaving college. ready to on.
pproRGses to to 70 K, Into the General Theological
in which case he In reQutred to be able to road
the Old Testament in Hebrew and the New
his s'! sight year. Gse q G Ss.Sff he ne s Ssa sn be ab A.'e to
t fsna does ins H Hos a TSstSn tcIIoM IN The + oi 9sIsi bsnDs sus
into the seminary. where he must actually use
The course in the Theological seminary
osSapies three years-making eleven years'
The studies In the theological seminary are
theology. church history. Old and New. Testa.
moral mora p 'hhs"aass. an Sass scsioIoSy. " With hf ise,uTs:
o ON dss nraH,InaI and the !, duties Of a minister;
Is one Of the sticainIs ro in s.f for il Il po nsT1sT
necessary, for a theological student to read
Hebrew almost az readily az he can English.
with Greek and Hebrew.
IT Is in the seminary. Of course, that The
each determination has It's %iarorite College.
The Baptists. for instance. favor Madison the
t DH.s4 Ms.G rr!esst S3' ssd t tni hoR sSs ' Met hTsi:
lists. Drew and Wesleyan: and the Fpiscopa.
lians. Columbia. st. Stevens. and the Uniyer-
sity ofths South.
"Iheoloeical students frequently, OCCUPY
lesiate and sr,minary courses. The churches
help them when they are not able to help
themselves, and they. too often have the
calling feeling. Of being In part charity
students: All OF the colleges make n reduce
tion In the tuition OF candidates for the min;
g year. ana makesa an annual reduction OF fron
$50 to 500 In the tuition charges. Columbia
gives tuition free. when necessary. Besides
this. the churches give financial aid. and often
iree tuition In the seminary. Some students
receive el3O a year and room rent free WIN. 70
IN the seminary. Each denomination spends
After graduation from the theological SEM
mary the student receives u professional .er-
tiicate from the faculty. and he must then
pass an. examination before the CHASSIS or Tres
0ytery, ~, whose jurisdiction he liyea. Having
passed this. he receives n license to preach.
lie then awaits a call IA. most important
ever awaiting u CALL. and when lie receives
he undergoes another examination BY ths
Chassis or Presbytery in whose. district helsu
ba placed. He II then ordained, ny the Iayiha
on OF hands. and. being installed in his new
pulpit. is a full -ledged clergyman.
DO you wonder that n ANN VINO mas peen
through 1t all stops t. think when he READS OF
another class leaving no seminary ino
graduates are still boys. for they khow more
of tho ways OF the world than .y"uaE irssn-
men. They sti!l have many thlngs 70 !eafn'
and their real work Is oniy o"Gluh!ns'
Attended Funerals and Denounced Rum.
HARTFORD. MAY 10 A singular old fellow.
Auat,, Bohorts who was n sort OF q genius,