WHAT THERE IS IN IT

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 16, 1901

WHAT THERE IS IN IT.

There is in these late years a decided tendency of uniting theological schools with State universities. Religious denominations have made their schools more and more like the secular schools of the world save in the purely theological course, and these schools have been found to be too much of a burden financially, and their diminishing attendance and standing carry little prestige in the degrees conferred. For that reason some of the denominations are locating their theological schools near the State universities, depending upon the university for all save the purely theological course. For instance, the Lutherans in Nebraska set forth their reasons for locating their denominational school building near the State university as follows:—

“(1) On the one hand the undisputed and undiminished privileges of the thoroly manned, equipped, and endowed State university; and, on the other, the most undisturbed religious and denominational influences of the Lutheran home; (2) less cost to students; (3) greater opportunities for church work; (4) an increased number of students on whom to operate; (5) greatly reduced cost to the church.”

The Baptists are doing this in Seattle, Wash.; the Protestant Episcopals have a school at Laramie, Wyoming; and the Disciples, in Missouri. The Presbyterians are about to follow the Disciples in the latter State. Writing of the movement in this State, President Benjamin Ide Wheeler, of the University of California, Berkeley, says:—

“There is a strong sentiment in favor of establishing the theological seminaries in the town of Berkeley, in order that the men who are preparing themselves for the ministry may at the same time pursue work in the University of California. The Christian Church is the only denomination which has as yet taken this step, but the Pacific Theological Seminary of the Congregational Church is about to erect a fine building in Berkeley, close to the university grounds, and to remove to these new quarters from its present home in Oakland.”

President Patton, of Princeton University, thus broadly states the proposition in a recent sermon at that institution:—

“I sometimes wonder whether more use might not be wisely made of the State universities; whether a wise economy of resources, as in the newer States, might not suggest an affiliation of various educational interests as would serve to throw around young men a distinctly Christian influence, and at the same time open to them the opportunities of a wide range of study, which only a large institution can offer.”

All this means a closer union of Church and State. The influence will be to blind and fetter the State in the direction of favoring religion in legislation, and to secularize the Church, and destroy whatever power of Christ remains in her. When the Church unites with the State in organic education or co-operation, it precludes the destruction of both.