The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-07-15
MINISTERIAL CHARACTER,
4 PAPER READ BY PROT. GIL-
 LETTE OF HARTFORD.

Before the TrienniaI National Congre- gationnl Council in Portland, Ore- gon.
 Professor A. l.. Gillett, of the Hart ford Theological seminary, read the fol- lowing paper at the National Congrega- tional council at Portland, Oregon, last Monday on High Standards of Minis terial Character" He said:
 Your committee would not raise at this time any question of theological orthodoxy or scholastic requirement., but would fix our thoughts exclusively on ministerial character It is hard for the minister to be honest, not simply because he has many temptations which are peculiar to him and eXcep- tionally insidious-together with many more non-peculiar temptations than he is often credited with, but chiefly be- cause ministerial honesty is more all- round thing than is honesty in any oth- CT occupation.
 For men of almost every rank and occupation in life but one, the possess sion of narrow, specialized kind of honesty is all that is demanded to se- cure recognition for usefulness, effi- ciency and respect in the community. The one exception to this rule is the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is occasion for profound gratitude that, in an age of utilitarian morality, in an age of Mammon worship, the demand is made of him who is to stand forth to speak before the Lord that he shall ex- hibit in his life thoroughness of integ- rity, fineness of moral grain, tough ness of ethical fiber, an all-round con- sistency of righteous character which is exacted of no other man.
 I cannot forget the look of depression of spirit that came over the face of a gray-haired father in Israel as he spoke to me of a pastor who had just re- signed, leaving a number of bills un- paid. "Mr. X," he said. was a very pleasant man socially. We shall not get another to preach such sermons as he did. He was remarkably gifted In prayer. But I don't believe he had a spark of the grace of God in his heart" Simple formal efficiency will not do as the test for the character of the minis ter, however justly it may serve as a criterion for men In any other walk in life. It is expected of him that he will, by his own character, make virtue com- mandingly attrahent.
 Ministerial honesty means a thor ough-going integrity tested in scope and degree by unique standard. This the world rightly looks for.
 There is no employment which has had so small a proportional share in the general advancement in wealth, income and luxury as the ministry. This the ministry has felt keenly This feeling manifests itself in the brigades of inn portunate candidates besieging every vacant church which offers fair living salary. It speaks out clearly in the utterances of gatherings of ministers like those of one in New England where after vigorous protest had been made against the invasion of the fat pastures of the state by those outside it's borders, it was suggested that or ganization of some sort be effected, by means of which the first choice of pas torates within the state should be re- served to resident ministers. It shows itself in the rest1essness of the ministry of our fellowship which has made the extreme term of the Methodist itinera- cy seem like long incumbancy within the denomination where it was once nc matter of surprise if the pastorate be- ginning with the ordination was closed only by the short journey from the pull pit to the churchyard.
 Living in the midst of this advancing prosperity required often by it to adopt an increasingly expensive scale of liv- ing, it is not altogether strange that the ministry should lament that their share in 1t has not been greater. This condi- tion of things is a tribute to the fact that though in the world they are not of the world. It is only to be expected that the profession which, alone, of al professions, insists that its aim is not to increase the worlds fund of money should be the smallest participant ir this increment secured by others.
 Another influence which works to- ward the deterioration of the character of the ministry is the ease with which a man gets into the ministry, and the difficulty with which he gets out of it There is no important vocation in life which hedges it's doorway about witt such trifling difficulties as does the ministry A man needs only to have the personal backing of some clergy. man of tolerable reputation (and it is astonishing to see on what sligh ground such backing can be secured, and crudeness of thought and obvious unripeness of Christian experience be. come no barrier in the way of his ordi. nation Over and over again the story repeats itself of churches rent by dis cord or dragged through the mire of 2 ministerial scandal, solely because ar ordaining or installing council, solemn 1y convened to sit in judgment has been too indolent or too good-natureC to act in the light of facts patent before them. have not now in mind cases O. fine theological hair-splitting. I am re calling only cases where broad facts o, an evident nature pointed to the unfit ness of the candidate in respect of tolerable intellectual equipment or [ sound basis of we'll balanced Christian character. It is most discouragins fact that just at the time when in ever! other walk of life the requirements fol admission are being raised, when tht lawyer, the druggist the railroader, thu plumber, is being subjected to more rig i'd tests, the candidate for a pulpit il