A MINISTER'S DUTY

The annual reception of the Divinity Club to new students in the Divinity School was held last night in the Common Room of Divinity Hall. W. S. Archibald 3Dv. presided and introduced Dean W. W. Fenn '84 as the first speaker.

His informal talk was one of welcome to the opportunities and advantages supplied by Harvard and the Divinity School in particular. There is a greater call today than ever for men who can bring truth to the hearts of their fellow-men.

The Rev. De Normandie, '62, D.D., a member of the Visiting Committee, gave some interesting reminiscences of early times in the Divinity School, when there were only two permanent professors and fifteen students.

President Eliot, in beginning his speech, gave an interesting story of how, 55 years ago, he first met the late Professor C. C. Langdell, in the Divinity Hall, and how this acquaintance thus formed resulted in Professor Langdell's eventful connection with the Law School. Coming to a discussion of the ministry, President Eliot first spoke of the great changes in that profession. The minister is no longer a performer of rites and ceremonials only, on which his power once lay. He must rest his reputation now on an exposition of the best and clearest literary effort of the best thinkers. Necessarily such an appeal can have little effect on the "less-thinking" part of the population, for whom ceremonial and vestment will always be attractive. In the Protestant Church, however, exhortation and counsel, will keep their place.

Finally, the minister today has a great opportunity as a worker for public righteousness. The exercise of civic influence needs tact and sympathy. Ministers should be bringers of joy and cheerfulness, if they would make themselves and their profession most valuable to the world.