The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-06-09

student receiving such aid. Hitherto can
Ididates for the ministry have been re-
Iquired to give their notes to the college,
and the notes are cancelled if they enter
the regular pastoral work within three
years after leaving college These notes
are without security, and when young
men fail to keep their contract to enter
the pastorate. there is no way to collect
the principal of the note, for the dispo-
siton that caused the failure to enter the
passionate is not attended with a debt
paying sensitveness. The law of the M.
! r. Church. South, requires that all APP
plcants for admission as ministerial stu
dents to any of the colleges under the
management of the church shall first be
recommended by the district board of edu-
cation of the district from which the APP
Iphcant comes: but this law is generally
Idisregarded. Whether this indicates an
Indifference on the part of the church to
the sanctity Of college benevolences or in
different safeguards of the ministry, may
not be discussed, but the records OF the
college show that too large a number OF
young men are abusing this benevolenve
More than 80 per cent OF young men
whose notes for tuition as ministerial
students are now held by the treasurer
have neither entered the pastorate nor
paid their obligations, though the time
limit has expired. Such examples do not
add to the sanctty and good name of the
ministerial calling
eff the college pays out of it's income
the tuition fees of ministerial students
the church should claim the right to pro-
tect the college against these hurtful ten
denotes The majority of students pre-
pairing for the ministry do not pursue
their courses of study to graduation,
while very many pursue only special
courses that suit their tastes. Young men
studying for the ministry who do not
take ,..e time to complete their courses of
study expose the college to unfortunate
criticisms. 1t might be a wise policy to
grant free tuition only to those who take
regular courses of study and pursue them
to graduation.
DECREASE IN NUMBER OF STU
DENTS FOR THE MINISTRY.
within the past two decades there has
been a striking decrease IN the number
of young men entering the ministry, and
this tendency is reflected in a correspond
ing decrease in the number of men enter
ing colleges with the ministry in view.
This tendency is not somarked in the
South as it is in other parts of the coun-
try, yet in the South it is sufficient to
attract the attention of churchmen. While
it is not the work of colleges to select the
callings Of their graduates, it is within
their mission to make it easy for them to
enter any Of the noble and honorable voca-
tions to which they may be called or feel
inclined. There should be nothing in
higher education to turn the sympathes
OF young men from the Christian min
istry.
1T is a noteworthy coincidence that
few, if any, candidates for the ministry
come from the large and prominent city
churches, in which the unday School
and other societies are most fully organ
lied and operated. There may be no re-
lation of cause and effect in this coinc-
dence: there may be some such relation
1t is possible to employ methods in
Biblical study which do no more than
impress the mind with the historical lit.
erary, and idealstic value of the Bible,
and thus fail to produce deep spiritual i'm.
pressions and effects.
While there are no statistics at hand to
Justify the conclusion, yet general OBJ
servation leads to the belief that this de-
crease in ministerial candidates is to some
extent due to the secular spirit of early
education. In the free common and
graded schools of the State the ideals, spir-
it, and aims are civic, not religious. The
early impressions made on the minds of
boys and young men do not direct them
towards religious subjects 1t is extremely
rare that a ministerial student comes
from the public or graded schools Form
erly family instructions and parental con-
Germ were greater factors in education
than they are at the present time; and
directly, or indirectly, the early education
was under the influence of the church
and these preserved in the minds of the
youth religious impressions and sympa-
thies. 1t is not the province of public
schools to give special attention to reli-
gious work, and while they cannot be
blamed for a decrease in the candidates.
for the ministry, yet this decrease, doubt
less may find a partial explanation in the
secular influence of their aims and ideals
DECLINE IN STUDY OF CLASSICS.
There has been, within recent years, al
steady decline of interest in the study OIL
the classics The ordinary college curri-
culum requires Latin, at least through the
sophomore class of all candidates for the
bachelor of arts degree. Greek may bel
substituted by German and French
Latin has held its place by force This
fact is made evident by the very few stu
dents who elect it in those years when it'll
Is not required
Several influences may enter into the
causes of this decline of interest in
classical study Two may be mentioned. |
Doubtless the methods of teaching the
classics drive young students from them
There is not any great difference between
the methods of the college and the meth
DDS of the high school in the study of
Latin and Greek Too much time is given
to syntax and teXtual criticism, and too
little attention to reading the literature
for literary, philosophical, and historical
purposes. The average student tires OF
syntax and finds a veXing burden, with
out proper returns, in this method of