Morning journal and courier., 1893-05-15
DIVINITY SCHOOL GRADUATES.

ter Church by Rev. Dr. Wall of BrOOklyn-An Able ana Eloquent Discourse on the Elements of n Sue. cessful Ministry i'm the Nineteenth Century.
 At Center church last eve ing the annual address before the graduating class of the i Yale divinity school was preached by Rev. Charles Cuthbert Wall, D. D., of Brook lya, N. Y. The members of the gradual ing class occupied seats in the body of the church. while on the platform, in addition to the preacher of the evening. were Pro- fessors Fisher, Stevens, Harris, Porter and Curtis. s.zs =.sss
 After the regular devotional exercises had been concluded Dr. Wall announced as his text, I. Corinthians, fourth chapter and first verse: "Lst man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ and stew ards of the mysteries of God" He said in part:
 My theme on this occasion Is one of special moment to those about to enter the ministry. The minister of Christ is one of whom much is expected, and he Is watched by clergyman and layman alike. To the layman he is an object of expectation and scrutiny, which cannot be avoided. On this occasion shall only speak of the lay mans estimate of the minister. The young man about to enter upon the ministry en- counters this problem, namely: What does the best lay thought of the laity of the age demand of him. The minister who hopes to do we'll must be in touch with the living. seventeenth century preacher cannot hope to meet the requirements of nineteenth century thought and civiliza- tion. There Is @ wrong impression to the effect that the successful minister is one who caters to the whims of the people. Were such the case the ministry would convey no true message to the people, The minister who is to be factor in the age in which he lives must study and keep in touch with the lay thought of the age in which he lives.
 AS the minister of Christ goes out he must consider first what does Christ re- quire of him, and secondly, but only in 8 slightly smaller degree, what does the best lay thought of the age require of him. His mission is two fold. He must convey first the message of Christ to men and at the same time voice the best thoughts of the spiritual consensus of the times. In this age the scholar is more than a scholar and the ehurchman more than @ church. man. The minister of this age must be an exponent of the Christian thought of the laity.
 The four chief requirements as required by the bsst thought of the laity are: First, personal life, or the relation of the minis ter to Christ; the second touches sympa- thy, or the relation of the minister to men; the third touches faith, or the rela- ton of the minister to the holy scriptures; the fourth touches Catholicity, or the rela- ton of the minister to the church. There has probably never been in the history of the church such 8 demand for good men in the ministry of the church as to-day. The people will listen to such men who are expected not only to preach Christ but to love Christ. Let the minis ister once show that preaching is a sort comes of no use to his age. The minister which the age demands is one who does not live by preaching but breaches by iv- ing, and so fulflls the requirement. of the best lay thought of the day as regards personal life
 In the second place the best lay thought | of the age seeks from its ministry @ sym. psthy like that of Jesus Christ. The min ister who has such sympathy may not be g | great man, but his mission on earth will not be fruitless, but will be one of great RooQ to mankind. If minister loves moi
 the people, If he is not anxious to redeem
 men, it were better for him to turn back
 from the threshold of the ministry.
 The better thought of the laity has de.
 manded 8 thorough investigation into the
 authenticity of the holy scripture. The
 safest lay thought of the age demands s ministry which has sufficient inspiration to permit of the closest scrutiny of the | scriptures and the influx of any and all | light upon it with the end in view of ascer.
 taining the whole truth. The minister o1
 larger faith and broader knowledge will be
 the one who will be fitted for and looked ! up to as leader.
 Broad and liberal laymen are sinking | 1-ot~riar.i1u., ~e1.a tho1v ie ye.rasas fe'
 Catholic unity in the body of the church
 This is the great thought of the laymal
 and the minister who sets himself agains
 this will soon drop out of sight. To lool
 for Catholic unity and to work for 1t mus
 be the aim of the minister of the presen
 age. Such was the aim of the founder O
 Christianity, who prayed that his disciples
 might be one even as he and his fathe
 were one. ''I in them and thou in me-"