The sun., 1903-12-14
What a Christian Minister Needs.

By an agreement with Columbia Uni
versity, the dean of the General Theologi-
cal Seminary Of the Episcopal Church,
situated in Chelsea Square, is to have a
seat in the University Council, and stu
dents OF the seminary are to be permitted
to pursue the Columbia courses leading
to the higher degrees without any charge
for tuition and, similarly, Columbia
students will be enabled to study sub
iects in certain of the seminarys fields.
That is, Columbia is to have sort OF
theological annex and the young theo-
logians an opportunity to get university
culture. This is substantially in ac-
cordance with a plan suggested by the
librarian of Columbia, Mr.. JAMES H.
CANFIELD, in an address before the
Episcopal Church Congress at Pittsburg
last month.
In that address Mr.. CANFIELD moro
than inferred that the present "prepara-
ton for the order of the priesthood in
his Church is inadequate. an all kind
ness" he said, "yet in all sincerity, the
laity believes that worse could happen
to our beloved Church than the emptying
of some of her pulpits. 1t might be
averred, with no less reason, that every
Church affords opportunity for such an
unregretful emptying, and that there Is
no profession which does not contain
some, even much, weak timber. But a
clergyman who is poor hand in the pull
nit may be an efficient and valuable
pastor outside; he may be Intellectually
weak, but spiritually strong; or it may
be with him just the other way.
Mr.. CANFIELD spoke Of the large and
varied abilities, social, civic and moral,
no less than religious, required to run a
modern parish, and contended that long
and careful special preparation for the
| clerical vocation has now become as
necessary as is similar preparation to
fit lawyer or physician for his
duties. A secular specialist speaks
with final authority to those who are in
business or other relations with him
because of their confidence in his strength
and general fitness to be their guide"
but with the minister the case is different.
He must take single theme which is
at least two thousand years old, and
upon every variation of which myriads
of human beings have already exhausted
their highest powers and handle it
before the interested and the Indifferent,
and, nowadays more especially, before
many who have their own and conflict
ing opinions on the subject.
Accordingly, Mr.. CANFIELD would have
the minister place an alert and well
balanced and keenly appreciative and
perceptive intellect at the very thresh-
old of his faculties and powers for
otherwise sympathy soon wears out
his heart with excess Of emotion or be-
comes maudlin and misleading To be
convincing it is necessary for him to have
also absolute integrity in all mental
processes, answering honesty and
"unquestioned sincerity in all moral and
spiritual manifestations.
That is, he must preach only what he
honestly believcs-not be disciple of the
"new theology" at heart while osten-
tatiously teaching the old theology as a
final and supernatural revelation.
The pastor of a parish, to Mr.. CAN
FIELDS mind, should also have the quail
ity of statesman, in that he is contin-
ually setting the faces of his people
toward that which is thoughtful and
considerate and unselfish and wise and
large-minded in all public affairs To
do this, he must have @tactfulness born OF
experience, knowledge of men, "ac-
quaintance with human nature in all Its
phases, liability to adapt means to ends,
resourcefulness, shrewdness, genuine
administrative power" That Is, he must
be both student of the cloister and a
man of the world, spiritually minded
and a sort of practical captain Of in
dustry." Might not an example Of that
kind of minister be instanced in DowIE
of Zion City, taking him at his own pre-
tensions? Such variety of man as Mr..
CANFIELD requires for the ministry is rare
The world Of modern enterprise would
compete sharply with the Church TO get
possession of him. The difficulty Of find
ing him is one of the greatest obstacles in
the way of contemporary industrial Or
ganization. As with really great gen.
erals. the supply is always small.
The practical application Of all this