e Bible has been communicated to us in foreign languages,
and requires prolonged study and extensive knowledge in order that
these oracles of God may be known and accepted among men.

The colleges have given a higher efficiency to the Christian ministry.
There are those who have obtained their training and knowledge outside
of the college who have accomplished great good. There are pious and
devoted men who are illiterate, but whose Christian work has been
attended with more apparent results than some college-trained
ministers. These, however, are the exception. The rule is that those
who combine with their piety scholarly acquisitions exert by far the
greatest influence for good. The history of Christianity shows how God
has raised up a multitude of scholarly men to uphold the supremacy of
the gospel over all its foes. Paul, Luther, Melancthon, Calvin, Knox,
Cranmer, Wesley and Fletcher were all college-trained men. These men,
with others, endowed with mental vigor, great learning and executive
force, have been used by God to accomplish His great task of building
up His kingdom on earth.

The church has learned that there is no need of antagonism between
knowledge and spirituality. Knowledge and intellectual training may
work evil in an undevout mind, but when consecrated to the service of
Christ, learning becomes the handmaid of piety. The strength and power
of the Christian Church of to-day are attributable in no small degree
to the Christian colleges, that have not only encouraged mental
training, but have fostered refinement and humble evangelical piety.
The union of scholarly training and a holy life has raised the
ministry in the public estimation so that it commands more respect and
influence for good than ever before. The cause of Christ never took
such hold on the popular mind, and its influence never penetrated so
deeply the foundations of our social organism as it does in our day.

It is farthest from our aim to exalt and magnify the knowledge that
"puffeth up," or unduly to glorify the human faculties, but we do
plead that the widest opportunity be offered our youth to enlarge
their knowledge, and strengthen and train their mental powers, and
make the most of themselves, and that they may be consecrated to the
Master's service. Men and women thus trained in our Christian
colleges, and eminent alike for learning and piety, will more and more
esteem the divine revelations, and through them help to hasten th