New-York tribune., 1905-08-26
IN THE MINISTRY.
attractions offered to Young Men
bg the Church.

The intellectual world has seemingly resolved IL
self into a huge debating society. and woe to
him who enters the unprepared. For
controversy breeds specialists. and a specialist
is hard to down in an argument when he is dis
cussing his individual thought fad
In all branches of professional work are the
individuasts becoming more and more unassail-
able and per contra the different departments of
the worlds thought are demanding and
more skilful workers in their various fields.
Among the three great professions, possibly
none is so persistent in her present day demands
as is the ministry. The cali for the better men
aye. for the best the world has to offer-is loud
and persistent All denominations, all creeds
are uniting in appeal for the cream of the
universities and the seminaries. And what has
the church to offer? What inducements does
the pulpit of to-day present to the brains and
energy of the younger generation? In other
words. what chance" is there for the intel
lectual giant?
Putting aside for the moment the argument
that the ministry is a sacred calling and judg-
ing it simply as profession. there is an earthly
a selfish. side to it that it is not wise to leave
out OF view.
About one hundred years ago a great effort
was made in this country to arouse religious en-
thusiasm in many ways Educational societies
and beneficiary foundations were provided coli
lege men were asked why they should not and
ulu not enter the 1nlnlStryi ana, as a result,
there was a suddenly increased number OF
cergymen Then came day when young men
shrank from the ministry, thinking that they
were happier and would be freer from the
meddling with their private affairs by remain
ing laymen They felt that they had an obliga-
ton to society and to themselves of getting on
in the world. They feared the limitations and
the bondage of creeds; the narrowness of church
feeling and opinion.
To-day both of these arguments have lost
much of their force. The pews demand from
the pulpit views new interpretations new
presentations of the great problems of life and
destiny, and in the occupancy of the pulpit the
young man sees not ignobe sidetracbing of
ms ambition, but decided step toward its
further and fuller realization
There is a spirit Of unrest abroad and g
process of readjustment to meet the altered con-
ditions of life and thought is visible in the
church Contending voices discussing new
ways of presenting old truths, In ben Hur,"
Messala, the Roman youth, turns to his Jewish
friend, saying: 81 pity you my fine Judah for
you must go from the college to the temple and
then (an all crowning gloryD to a seat in the
Sanhedrim. What a life without opportunity!
See what possibilities lie before Romanr The
ambitious young Roman still lives in the West
World and. to-day, revelation itself is on
trial. The young men of the twentieth century
must betCie Whether there Is a gospel; whether
there is a Christ; whether there is a God. They
are examining the theological nomenclature and
the creed statements daily.
The ministerial calling has peculiar attrac-
tions, for the clergyman is the recognized friend
of humankind in every trend of private and pub
lie activity. He has assured social position
is treated with marked respect, and Is held high
in the esteem and the confidence of the COM
munity. The company Of preachers is enormous
and he, the minister, Is of the great army
Socioogists, political economists and educators
of every description proclaim, with him. the
gospel of human welfare and human salvation
All unite in chanting Peace on earth, good will
to men," even IL they do not prefix to it the
other half Of the angelic salutation "Glory to
God in the highest"
The minister of to-day IS expected to take a
prominent part In all movements of Individual
and social welfare and to show his fellow men
his enterprise and practical wisdom His ac-
tivites in secular directions need not secularize
his mind, but they should and do, tend to make
him completely among his fellows
tend to enlarge the sphere of his thinking and to
elevate and vary the tone of his pulpit addresses,
tend to bring down the generalities of the rule
of life to a definite application of daily
conduct. The pecuniary promise is not large,
neither is it necessarily small, but there are but
few who are wealthy, and it is not at all certain
that any other profession would yield the pro-
spective minister fortune. There are advan-
tages, however. greater than wealth, and the
rational estimates very highly any occupa-
tion with elevated and faVorite studies the con-
stant call to benefcent activities and the en-
iOyment of the confidence and esteem of his