The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-05-30
II The Divine Gail lacking .!

The bishops in their address ct BirmiDg
Iatnented the fact that few young
men were entering the ministry. Al me Cen
eral Assembly ut Gleenville, Or. Il. l.. Smith,
president of Davidson College, spoke tor near
ly an hour ON the scarcity of candidates fnr
the ministry. He said that there were Sig
churches. and 19 of them were without d
supply OF any kind. The old belief was that
men were clearly aud divinely called TO
preach the gosrel. What IL The matter Win
the young men? Or has the divine call been
withheld IN these latter days? Or Is there
really II divine cali extended TO ministers
with more clearness and emphasis IMAM
comes 10 men Engaged In other PROFESSIONS
and ca'lings? Is the pulpit less emunera-
tive now than in former days: is IL NOT
viewed mainly from the commerclhl sIanu-
point? When men enter the ministry they
are usually called up higher by the better sal
airy. 1t is very seldom that one steps Down
from u thousand dollar church 10 one paying
five hundred dollars IN order that he might DO
greater GOOD 10 Il more needy parish. we De
lieve that other business and professions hold
out more attractions TO young men than tue
church does; hence the scarcity OF Candidates
for the ministry. The useless multiplication
of churches may account In part for the lack
of preachers. A sma | town springs up.
There are people enough Tor one congregation
In q spirit of rivalry, not very Christian. eV-
cry denomination tuat has q dozen mem oers
in said town, Will build a house of worship.
The same condition prevails In some OF the
mill towns. But this question Is stiil unan-
swered: Are men dlVineIy called TO tne
ministry with more power and emphasis tnan
they are TO the office, the factory or tne
plow?' Referred u Rev. &. G. Brown anu
Lecturer Hugh Wilson Of AooeVllle.-Caro-
lima Spartan.
Lecturer Hugh Wilson," answering for
himself. says that the above is so nearly cor
rect, and SO nearly all there is OF 1t, that he
has little or nothing to add. Any Idea hat
men are divinely called to the ministry more
than TO other callings Of usefulness Is the
merest rot, which nobody believes and which
nobody In seriousness would ask anybody
else 10 believe. Young men who are born be-
low the sphere in which they are ambitious
to move, are governed by their judgment as
TO their own best interests-if they arc true
to theInselves-not forgetting the ambition 10
be useful.
II they are ambitious TO 60 into a learned
profession, and feel conscious of their lack OF
ability to practice law or to go into some OF
the secular literary pursuits. you will notice
thai they gravitate to the pulpit. some times
claiming that the Lord called them especially
into his service. There are of course many
able men In the pulpit, and able men are
needed there, but there are q great many OF
the other sort In the ministry. They serve q
good purpose in filling places where men OF
ability could not afford to 60.
There are three great powers for good
namely: The press, the school, the pulpit
Where the personal standards are equal, they
come In the order in which they are named.
Surprising all to he equally able and equally
good, the neld Of the press is largest and 1t
can and does accomplish more. The audience
of the press is larger than that OF the pulpit.
The words OF the press are printed and are
more lasting than those OF the preacher who
too often speaks To listless ears. The teacher
is more closely associated with the young,
while their minds are In the plastic state and
when their hearts are more directly suscepti-
BILE to good Influences. The preacher has not
quite the opportunity of reaching the people
that Is vouchsafed to the press, which goes to
all men and TO all homes and to all places OF
business. The three, working together, are a
great power for good which must be bene-
dcially felt by all.