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Lectures on Mental Philosophy and Theology
Lectures on Mental Philosophy and Theology Author:James Richards Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV HIS CONNECTION WITH THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AT AUBCRN. The Theological Seminary at Auburn, was established in 1819, by the Synod of Geneva, and... more » with the sanction of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. It was incorporated by a law of the State in 1820. By the Act of Incorporation the Institution was placed under the care of a Board of Trustees and a Board of Commissioners; the latter to be chosen annually by the Presbyteries recognized in the Act, and by other Presbyteries who might afterward associate with them. In 1821 the Seminary went into operation, with three professors, and with ten or twelve students. It was a bold effort;—an effort, we doubt not, resulting from that faith which sees "light in the darkness." Not a professorship was endowed; the Library was necessarily indifferent both as to the number and the selection of books; while the Christian community were but partially awake to the merits or the worth of such an institution. At the end of two years, the number of students had not increased, but rather diminished; and in no respects, perhaps, were the prospects of the institution materially brightened, except in the advancement of the Seminary edifice. About this time, however, an important impulse was given to this infant school of the prophets. Arthur Tappan, Esq., of the city of New York, generously devoted the sum of fifteen thousand dollars, as a capital fund, to be used as a permanent endowment of a professorship ofChristian Theology. Never was aid more opportune than this. Hands that hung down were lifted up, and feeble knees were strengthened. The name of the author of this relief will long be held in grateful remembrance, as one of the greatest benefactors of the Auburn Seminary. From the first, Dr. Richards was regard...« less