A UNIVERSITY CHURCH.
Suggested Solution of Vale's Chapel
Problem.
To the Editor of YALE ALUMNI WEEKLY:
The present opportunity is a favorable
one for discussing important Yale mat-
ters without embarrassment to either
the outgoing or the incoming adminis-
tration, and with possible advantage to
the University. One of the matters
which will probably demand attention
before long is a re-adjustment of the
relations of the College church to the
University.
_In several directions the administra-
tion of Yale has been broadened so as
to promote as symmetrically as possible
the interests of its various departments,
and efforts have been made to make
their members all feel that they are.
sharers together of a common Univer-
sity life. A marked exception to this
enlightened policy has been the absence
of official provision for the religious
needs of students who are not in the
Academical Department.
The College church was organized at
the middle of the last century, when
there was only one department to be
provided for, and it has remained ever
since simply a college church. A build-
ing was put up large enough to accom-
modate the students at the beginning,
and two other chapels have been built,
- each larger than the one before, but
always with reference to the size of the
College alone. Meanwhile, other de-
partments have been organized, and
have grown in size and importance, un-
til now their membership amounts to
one half that of the whole University.
For these students, no church with its
opportunities for worship and instruc-
tion has been provided. They would
of course be welcomed at the Chapel,
but there is no room for them, and that
results from the practise of requiring
the attendance of the Academic stu-
dents. These alone fill the building.
To them the College has faithfully
discharged its duty according to its
light, but in such a way that it has been
obliged to neglect others, in large num-
bers, who equally need religious instruc-
tion. The Sheffield School alone is
now larger than the College was at any
time during its first hundred and fifty
years. ‘In the Law and Medical
Schools are numbers of young men of
the same age as many in the upper
classes in College. To all these Yale
owes the same religious duty that it
owes to its Academic students. But
this duty cannot be discharged in the
traditional way of required attendance.
To say nothing of the size of the audi-
ence room which would be required to —
accommodate the students of all de-
partments, other adverse considerations
would prevail.
Now while required attendance of all
is out of the question, voluntary attend-
ance offered to all is entirely feasible,
for the Chapel is large enough for a
congregation made up of willing wor-
shippers from all sections of the Uni-
versity. With proper attention to the
quality of the preaching and of the
music, it cannot be doubted that a good
congregation could be gathered, and
Yale would then discharge its duty to
those of its students who are now ex-
cluded from the advantages of its re-
ligious instruction. Is it not the mis-
sion of the College church to become,
in this, the only possible way, a trtte
University church?
GRADUATE.
<><»
~~
Compulsory Chapel.
In a recent number of the Yale News
the question of compulsory Chapel at-
tendance was laid before the University
and the desire expressed that there be
a discussion of its benefits and disad-
vantages. The News believes it is one
of the most important questions, from
an undergraduate standpoint, that the
new administration will have to decide
and opened the discussion with letters
on the subject from President Charles
W. Eliot of Harvard, and President M.
Woolsey Stryker of Hamilton College.
The letters are printed below:
PRESIDENT ELIOT’S LETTER.
Harvard University,
Cambridge, Apr. 21, 1890.
I am happy to answer briefly, from
the Harvard point of view, your ques-
‘It is ungentlemanly not to.
“taught her to go.”
tions of April 20th, about the “College
Pastor” and “Compulsory Chapel.”
Harvard College abolished compul-
sory attendance at prayers in 1886, and
so far as I know, opinion here is unan-
imous that the change has been an
unqualified gain. Among the preachers
to the University who have conducted
the chapel exercises since 1886, there
has been only one opinion—namely,
that the cause of religion in the College
has been greatly served by the substi-
tution of voluntary attendance for com-
pulsory.
As to the expediency of having one
College pastor, our experience indicates
that for us it is better to have each year
a variety of preachers representing
several denominations.
year a board of five preachers, each
serving about six weeks, and in addi-
tion our Professor of Christian Morals
acts as a preacher, and makes all the
arrangements for the services in Ap-
pleton Chapel during the year. He is,
as it were, a permanent chairman of a
board, the membership of -which
changes rather rapidly, most of the
preachers serving for not more than
three years in succession. I believe
that an arrangement of this sort is more
interesting to our students and better
for the University than the employment
of a single College preacher.
CHARLES W. ELIOT.
The other letter is from President
Stryker of Hamilton College, who re-
cently spoke in Battell Chapel, and is
a strong plea for the continuance of the
present system.
PRESIDENT STRYKER’S LETTER.
Hamilton College,
Clinton, N. Y. Apr. 29, 1899.
I have queried whether it would be
in good taste for me to express my
views for a Yale publication upon all
the matters involved in your note and
request. But I concluded that it can-
not be instrusive for me to answer in
part.
Frankly, and as to the main question,
I believe thoroughly in required attend-
ance upon the simple religious exercises
of our college chapels. I believe in
having such exercises. Worship and
prayer should go with study and with
all the concentrated, abounding and
formative life of the college years.
Nothing in God’s world is merely secu-
lar—not language nor history nor phil-
osophy. Each has to face the wonders
of His works. I do not beg the ques-
tion—I answer it, and say that rever-
ence and its social affirmation is indis-
pensably connected with criticism, in-
vestigation and research. It becomes
a great school to make God the syn-
thesis of all its striving. Deliver me
from one that does not.
The word “compulsory” is invidious;
but requirement which covers regularity,
and standing, may as justly cover a
daily convening to acknowledge and en-
treat the Giver of all good. .
Nor should, nor need be, this exercise
perfunctory. It should be simple, short,
alive and general. It is manly to pray.
nget Praise, too,
is an instinct to wise men.
The influence of this gathering is far
greater than is recognized. It has hold
upon thoughts that are deeper than
words. It becomes a great scholarly
corporation to own Him that begot and
blesses it.
Moreover, the social side of. college
prayers is of great value—it has a
morale of its own. If religion were
abandoned it would be well still to
gather a college at the head of-the day
—“compelled,” if you prefer it, if no
more than to read maxims from Aure-
lius and to sing “Hail, Columbia’! The
solidarity of a student body counts.
This daily affirms and augments that.
Fortunately we are not shut up to
choose only between secularity and
sectarianism.
What is genuine in Christianity claims
all honest hearts. Such an exercise
should and can affirm this.
God is not an elective! It would be
a sorry double centennial for Yale that
should date the surrender of the cor-
porate act of praise and petition, the
whole, daily and cheerful acknowledg-
ment of His “eminent domain” who
It would be a'sur-
render and a recantation.
Bear with my plainness.
Yours very sincerely,
M. Wootsey STRYKER.
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