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October 25, 1911 ] T H B 1
Editorial 1
One thing that may give special sympathy to
Italy in its present struggle with Turkey is the
fact, reported to be true, that Tripoli as administered
by the Turks has been a passage, and the
only one left, for the slave traffic between Africa
and Constantinople. The effectual stopping of
this evil is certainly much to be desired.
Two deaths, a week or two ago, may be recorded
among the serious losses of the Church at
large. One was that of Dr. J. W. McGarvey, of
Transylvania University, Kentucky, who has long
been regarded as the ablest scholar of the Disciples'
Church and the leader of the conservatives
in that Church as to the questions of Biblical
Criticism, in special opposition to the school and
followers of Dr. Willett, an unacknowledged but
real Socinian and an open advocate of the most
advanced rationalistic criticism. The other was
that of Dr. "William Alexander, the Episcopal
Primate of Ireland, one of the soundest and ablest
of recent day scholars, and especially well known
bv his "Commentarv on thp EnioHoo nf Kf
John," in the "Expositor's Bible."
An exchange very properly calls attention to
the fact that nowadays it seems to be a practical
question as to whether the minister of a church
is to be regarded as a shepherd or as the manager
of an ecclesiastical mill. "The old conception
of the pastor was that he should be a skillful
and tender shepherd, leading his sheep into
green pastures, guarding them from dangers,
guiding them through treacherous passes, seeing
that they were well fed and watered, caring with
especial tenderness for the maimed and the sick,
the feeble and the young. But now, when a
church looks for a pastor it searches for a man
who is especially adept at gathering the wool and
sending it on its way through the machinery
orected for its handling until it comes out as a
finished product and is distributed through the
jobbers to the consumers."
The Men and Religion Forward Movement is
nothing more than a concerted, interdenominational
or union effort to reach a part of the field
which has not been thoroughly worked. The objections
to it along the line of its being but another
organization, and of its seeking to take the
place of the church are hardly just. There are
objections of another class which some might
make, as, for instance, those which lie against
union effort in general, the importation of outside
workers, the addressing of effort to special
classes or ages, the danger of artificial methods
n W\ /I ^ATfAMinh X li ^A ^ ^ ?
anu icvciion uwiiujiiuxjh, uul u in iiut lair tu utcry
it as seeking to usurp the church's place. It
is in some sense the church at work, in concerted
prayer and activity.
Many parts of our country are now suffering
from the wide-spread strike of the Illinois Central
employees. The strikers are not receiving,
in this instance, as much sympathy from the public
as is sometimes given them. The reasons for
this lack of sympathy appear to be chiefly, first,
the fact that the strike has hurt the business of
multitudes of people outside the parties imme
diately concerned, and secondly, the fact that the
strike is not primarily for higher wag?s or be
cause of any alleged wrong or because of any actual
grievance complained of, but as an effort to
eo.npel the raihvnd 1o recognize and dv?l with
obtain part>' whom :t 1 as not known in its contracts
with its employees, a federation of unions
instead of the unions themselves and its own employees,
with which the railroad entered into
PRESBYTERIAN OF THE S(
Votes and
agreements for a period which has. not yet expired.
In a very interesting article on "Puritan Principle
and Pluck," George William Curtis says,
"They followed the apostolic injunction to do
with all their might what their hands found to
do"; which helps to sustain our contention that
the Bible should be read in our public schools so
that "the apostle" will not be credited by the
literary lights of the future with saying something
that "the preacher" had said about one
thousand years before "the apostle" was born.
We extend a cordial editorial welcome to Mr.
W. C. Smith, who will have charge of the combined
missionary publication which, beginning
with the November number, will be known as
"The Missionary Survey." Included also in the
scope of his new office is editorial work in connection
with "Onward," the paper for young
people which is gotten out by the Committee of
Publication. The samples that we have alrendv
received of Mr. Smith's quality of thought and
style of composition give assurance that the publications
under his control will maintain a high
standard of merit and attractiveness.
"The Gulf States Presbyterian" appears in its
initial number with its front page attractively
adorned by a group of faces that give promise of
a bright, solid and successful enterprise. These
faces stand for a judge, a president and two pastors,
all pledged to the upbuilding of the great
cause for which the Southern Presbyterian
Church stands, through the medium of the vigorous
young journalistic craft that has just been
launched. The chart and compass are all right
and the corps of officers is superb. Borne onward
by the Gulf stream this latest model should
mfttp crnnd Qnperl oumu t-wnm J -1
0 ? ? .^vw, ?v</u>i/ nuui iccia aau auuam.
fanned by grateful breezes and buoyed up by the
gladdening waters that have their home in our
Southern sea, yet fulfill a mission of life to peoples
on many shores and in many climes.
We have not come to semi-millennial celebrations
in this country yet, but in the Old World
they are of occasional occurrance. One is appointed
for the year 1915 to be held in Prague,
the third largest city in the Austro-Hungarian
monarchy. The event will be in commemoraiton
of the death of John Hubs, who was bora in 1365
at Prague, which was then included in the do
main or ine uerman empire. A part of the home
of Hnss in this city is still standing and it is proposed
to secnre it as a students' resort for the
great university located there which was founded
in the fourteenth century and continues in a
flourishing condition.
The two great "reformers" before the Reformation,
Huss and Jerome, were both born at
Prague and the influence of their lives remains.
The fires of the stake and the executioner's axe
did their worst to exterminate the hated religion
of an open Bible and an untrammeled conscience,
hut the inheritors of the faith for which these
two men surrendered their lives are today the
salt and the light of the dual kingdom. This
fall an assembly repesentative of the Bohemian
Reformed Church was held at Prague. Commissioners
were in attendance from Prussia, Poland,
Bulgaria, Bonn, Silesia and other quarters
of Eastern Europe. Delegates were present from
the Church of Scotland, the United Free Church
and the Irish Presbyterian Church, each of whom
took an active part in the proceedings.
) U T tt (1017) 9
Comments
ESTABLISH ANOTHER FELLOWSHIP.
One of the most fitting and most fruitful memorials
ever thought of by the admiring and affectionate
friends of a great man is the fellowship
of post-graduate study in Union Theologi
c?i oeimiiury wmcn was rounded by the Second
Presbyterian church of Richmond some ten years
ago in memory of their pastor, Rev. Dr. Moses P.
Hoge. It is awarded annually by the faculty to
some member of the graduating class on the
ground of distinguished merit and exceptional
promise of efficiency in ministerial work. The
foundation yields a very modest income
which enables one after another of those choice
young men to live economically at the Seminary
for a year after their regular graduation. The
fellow is required to submit at the beginning of
his year of special study a detailed statement of
the lines of investigation which he proposes to
pursue, the professors in those departments put
their time freely at his command for conference
ouu question, ana ne submits at the end of his
year an elaborate thesis dealing with the main
subject to which he has addressed himself.
No fellowship for post-graduate study has ever
accomplished greater good in the same length of
time or more richly blessed the Church through
the labors of the men who have enjoyed the special
training thus provided. There have been
eight incumbents in all up to the present year.
Three of them are now professors in other theological
seminaries, and five are making full proof
of their ministry as pastors, missionaries and
Christian educators. It may be doubted whether
there has ever been made a more enlightened or
fruitful investment of means by a congregation
for a memorial mirnftsp than tUa+ ?1?
- A J vuuv n IUUU uoa til IIS
made in the establishment by the Second church
of the Moses D. Hoge Fellowship of Post-Graduate
Study.
This is the highest distinction and the greatest
advantage within the gift of the Seminary; but
there are every year various other excellent men
in the graduating class besides the one who wins
this coveted fellowship who desire to take postgraduate
studies. Some are able to do so at their
own charges and do it in that way. But there are
many others who would like to do post-graduate
work and render the Church the kind of distinguished
service which their special gifts fit them
to render, if only they can be properly cultivated,
but who are not able to do so at their own charges.
It is too obvious for dispute that, in addition to
me excellent practical training for the ministry
afforded by our Seminary at this time and in
which it is not excelled by any existing training
school for ministers, there is increasing need of a
certain number of men who are specialists in certain
lines and that these should be raised up by
our theological schools. The need for such men
is increasing with the increasing boldness of assaults
on the Christian faith and with the increasing
complexity and specialization of Christian
work. In short, Union Seminary should be
provided with one or more additional fellowships
like that which commemorates her eloquent and
distinguished son who for fifty years preached in
Richmond. The opportunity is one which ought
to appeal to Christian people of high intelligence
and sufficient means. Six thousand dollars devoted
to this purpose by an individual or a congregation
will found such a fellowship of postgraduate
study and will yield a sufficient annual
income to train some picked man for specially
eminent and fruitful service in one or another
of the various lines calling for expert treatment
at the hands of sound and consecrated ministers
in our day. Is there not an individual or a con