The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-02-15

then the number of these organizations
in colleges has increased from 80 10
| 500. In Canada they have been estab-
lished in all colleges In the United
States all UNCONVENTIONAL colleges have
! them they have been established in
all the great Independent colleges and
universities, and in all the State col
leges, save one only. It is the largest
student brotherhood in the world; and
the greatest work is being and will be
accomplished.
| The organization is increasing rap
idly in its number of believing Chris
tians. In less than 20 years 80 600 in
fidel and skeptical students have come
TO accept Christianity. Year after
year the pro rata is increasing. Last
year 3,400 were added to the list.
There are over 10000 students in the
voluntary Bible classes of this move
ment. Never before has the Bible been
more closely studied by students; new
er has it been more closely scrutinized;
and never before has the study of it
yielded greater fruits The societies
have led over 1000 students into the
ministry. They were convinced by re-
searches made in these voluntary BIZ
bic classes. Skepticism is not on the
increase among students. Look into
few of the great Institutions of learn
ing and see what you find today. Take
Yale In the first part of the century
there. was a period when the college
contained but one professed Christian.
About that time there were as many
as six infidel societies in institution
Today it has a Y M. c. A. with 500
members. There are 200 in the vol
untary Bible classes. About 81 of these
expect to become ministers of the Cos
pei; the same number. two of
whom the speaker remembered
as being from Honolulu, desired
to enter missionary work; 10
were officers of a mission branch.
which was doing great deal of good.
The mission branch had, at the time
the speaker last visited Yale, SO. 900 on
hands Surely, as we ponder. skeptk
cism among students is not gaining
ground said Mr.. Mott.
Continuing, he referred to Cornell.
Twelve years ago that institution was
characterized as the most goddess in
America-though it was later found
that several others enjoyed this doubt
full distinction. But about that time
a Y. M G. A. was started and rallied
80 members. This number has sincein-
creased to 500. There are 200 in the
voluntary Bible classes. And there are
six or seven professors teaching in
these classes. In former years no one
in the university could be induced to
give up skepticism. Last year 80 gave
it up and accepted Christianity
Take the University of Virginia. that
institution noted from the day of it's
g., {.
dents were added to Christianity the
last year the speaker visited the
school: and in 1896 the last of it's pro-
fessors accepted Christianity. Taken
all through, in 1888. Christianity
claimed one in three students: today
more than one in two are Christians.
This is against one in II for the entire
population Again, we say that skepti-
cism is not gaining ground
In Great Britain the movement in
colleges and universities was started
about three years ago, and the num-
Der of societies has increased in that
time from II to so. 1t is most striking
the Intercollegiate sentiment the
movement has created. All of the
great institutions are invited on a
common platform in the grand move
ment AS showing the advancement
in England the speaker remembered
having visited a college where there
was no class for Bible study. Now, he
said there are seven. Cambridge had
80. In 1894, so students at Oxford and
100 at Cambridge accepted Christianity.
At Edinburgh University more stu
dents had accepted the Bible in the
Is months preceding the speakers
visit than in the entire previous his
tory of the institution. Most of them,
too, were students of science.
1t is commonly believed that stu
dents of science are the hardest to con-
vince of the truth of the Bible. This
is proving itself not the case. In
Philadelphia college not less than 200
pupils had accepted Christianity. All