USA > Connecticut > A complete history of Connecticut, civil and ecclesiastical, from the emigration of its first planters, from England, in the year 1630, to the year 1764; and to the close of the Indian wars > Part 33
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Book II. and gave him a particular account of the order of the col- lege, and the proficiency of the students in the languages, 1752. and other branches of literature. The bishop, therefore, wrote a number of complaisant letters to president Clap. In one of them, not long before his death, he wrote thus : " The daily increase of religion and learning, in the seminary under your auspicious care and government, gives me a very sensible pleasure, and an ample recom- pense for all my donations." -
1751.
The bishop died about this time, in the 73d year of his age. President Clap observes, " This college will always retain a grateful sense of his generosity and merits ; and, probably, a favourable opinion of his idea of material sub; stance, as not consisting in an unknown and inconceivable stratum, but in a stated union and combination of sensible ¿deus, excited from without by some intelligent being." He is characterized as one of the chief men of any age, for genius, literature, probity and beneficence.
The college, at this time, was under very flourishing and happy circumstances, on all accounts, except that of re; ligion, which was its most important interest. In this, not only the president and fellows, but the churches and commonwealth, were deeply interested. With respect to this, the college laboured under great disadvantages. The students were obliged to attend in the old meeting-house of the first society, where their external accommodations were far from being agreeable ; the Rev. Mr. Noyes was advanced in years, had very little animation, and did not give satisfaction, either as to his' language or doctrines. The corporation, sensible of this, as early as the year 1746, voted, " that they would choose a public professor of divinity in the college, as soon as they could procure a sufficient support."
The president in particular, felt himself deeply interest- ed in the affair. He was a witness, every sabbath day, of what kind of instructions the scholars had, and he em- ployed his mind in devising some way in which a support might be obtained for a professor. The lands given to the college in 1732, in the county of Litchfield, were in the most remote and uncultivated part of the colony ; and land was so cheap in that county, that none appeared as tenants, upon any terms which were advantageous. They had lain wholly dormant unto that time. The corporation wished, if possible, to turn them to some advantage, and especially for the support of a professor of divinity. The president devised the plan of leasing the lands, for the term of nine hundred and ninety-nine years; the rent tp
Plan of leasing the college fands.
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be the interest of the value of the land at that time, at five Book II. per centum; to be forfeited, in case of non-payment of the rent, at the annual times appointed, but redeemable 1751; within six months after, upon payment of the rent, with the lawful interest upon it. This, president Clap conceiv- ed to be most advantageous; both for the landlord and the tenant. The rents would, in the best manner, be secured to the college, and the lands would be free from the trouble and expense of inspection and separation. The tenants, at the same time, had all encouragement to cultivate and improve the lands, as though they were their own. The rents were much higher than those of most other lands, though cleared and fenced. On these terms, several par- cels were leased out, from time to time, as opportunity presented. The length of time for which the lands were leased, encouraged people to apply for them, so that, in a few years, a considerable revenue was produced by them.
The farm given by bishop Berkeley, in Rhode-Island, in 1762, was leased for the same term, and upon the same conditions, as the other college lands. The rent was to be eighteen pounds sterling, and forty rods of stone wall, until the year 1769; then thirty-six pounds, until the year 1810; and after that, 240 bushels of good wheat, until the end of the term of nine hundred and ninety-nine years.
From the divided state of New-Haven, and the incon- venience and danger of the scholars attending public worship in the first church and society, the corporation became, more and more, sensible of the necessity of ob- taining a professor of divinity in the college. The corpo- ration, therefore, in 1752, voted, " That a professor of di- 1752. vinity in the college, would be, upon all accounts, advan- tageous ; and therefore resolved, that they would endea- vour to get a support for such a professor, as soon as may be, by all such ways and means as prudence should direct. They afterwards ordered, that one half of the college lands in the county of Litchfield, should be leased out for that purpose."
The apprehension of the necessity of the settlement of a "learned and orthodox professor of divinity in the college, to preserve orthodoxy, and to exhibit the best specimens of preaching, became general. The legislature, therefore, in October, 1753, took the affair into their consideration, and resolved, " That one principal end proposed in erect- Resolution ing the college, was, to supply the churches in this colony of the as- with a learned, pious and orthodox ministry ; to which
sembly, relative to end, it was requisite that the students of the college should the settle-
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Book II. have the best instructions in divinity, and the best patterns of preaching set before them ; and that the settling a 1753. learned, pious, orthodox professor of divinity in the col- ment of a. lege, would greatly tend to promote that good end and professor uf divinity. design : and therefore recommended a general contri- ' bution to be made in all the religious societies in the colo- ny, for that purpose." But as the French war, and ex- traordinary taxes, soon after commenced, it was judged best to alter the form, and to seek help by a subscription, which happily succeeded to answer the end designed.
The corporation becoming more deeply sensible of the great danger which there was of the corruption of the col- lege with gross errors, and the clergy of the colony gene - rally having the same impressions, the corporation de- sired the president to undertake the work of a professor of divinity, and to preach to the students, in the college hall, on the Lord's day, until a professor of divinity could be ob- tained. The general association advised to the same mea- sure. The president, therefore, with the students, with- drew from the first society in New-Haven, and attended public worship in the college hall, under the immediate instructions of president Clap.
The corporation, for the further preservation and secu- rity of the religion of the college, upon its original foun- dation and constitution, adopted the following act. :
At a inceting of the president and fellows of Yale Col- lcge, November 21st, 1753 :
PRESENT,
The Rev. Mr. THOMAS CLAP, President.
The Rev. Messrs. Jared Elliot, Joseph Noyes, Anthony Stoddard, Benjamin Lord, William Russell, Thomas Rug- gles, Solomon Williams, and Noah Hobart, Fellows.
" Whereas, the principal design of the pious founders of the college, was to educate and train up youth for the min- istry in the churches of this colony, according to the doc- trine, discipline and mode of worship received and prac- tised in them ; and they particularly ordered, that the stu- dents should be established in the principles of religion. and grounded in polemical divinity, according to the as- sembly's catechism, Dr. Ames' Medulla, and Cases of Con- science, and that special care should be taken in the edu- cation of the students, not to suffer them to be instructed in any different principles or doctrines ; and that all proper measures should be taken to promote the power and purity of religion, and the best edification and peace of these churches .*
*See the records of 1698, 1701 and 1722;
Act of the corpora- tion, Nov. 21st, 1753.
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" We, the successors of the said founders, being in our Book II. own judgments of the same principles in religion with our predecessors, and esteeming ourselves bound in fidelity to 1753. the trust committed to us, to carry on the same design, Resolu- and improve all the college estate committed to us, for the tion of the
corpora- purposes for which it was given, do explicitly and fully re- tion rela- solve, as follows, viz.
tive to or
. " 1. That the scriptures of the Old and New Testament thodoxy, are the only rule of faith and practice, in all matters of re- Ilgion, and the standard by which all doctrines, principles and practices in religion are to be tried and judged.
"2. That the assembly's catechism and confession of faith, received and established in the churches of this colo- ny, (which is an abridgement of the Westminster Confes- sion) contain a true and just summary of the most impor- tant doctrines of the christian religion : and that the true sense of the sacred scriptures is justly collected and sum- med up in these compositions : and all expositions of scrip- ture, pretending to produce any doctrines or positions con- trary to the doctrines laid down in these composures, we are of opinion are wrong and erroneous.
" 3. If any doubt or dispute should happen to arise about the true meaning and sense of any particular terms or phrases in the said composures, they shall be under- stood and taken in the same sense in which such terms and phrases have been generally used in the writings of pro- testant divines, and especially in their public confessions of faith.
" 4. That we will always take all proper and reasona- ble.measures, such as christian prudence shall direct, to continue and propagate the doctrines, contained in these summaries of religion, in this college, and transmit them to all future successions and generations ; and to use the like measures to prevent the contrary doctrines from pre- vailing in this society.
"" 5. That every person who shall hereafter be chosen president, fellow, professor of divinity, or tutor, in this college, shall, before he enters upon the execution of his office, publicly give his consent to the said catechism and confession of faith, as containing a just summary of the christian religion, as before expressed; and renounce all doctrines or principles contrary thereunto ; and shall pass through such an examination as the corporation shall think- proper, in order to their being fully satisfied that he shall do ie truly without any evasion or equivocation.
"6. That since every such officer is admitted into his post upon the condition aforesaid, if he shall afterwards
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Book II. change his sentiments, entertain any contrary set of princi- ples or scheme of religion, and disbelieve the doctrines 1753. contained in the said catechism and confession of faith, he cannot, consistent with common honesty and fidelity, con- tinue in his post, but is bound to resign it.
" 7. That when it is suspected by any of the corporation that any such officer is fallen from the profession of his faith, as before mentioned, and is gone into any contrary scheme of principles, he shall be examined by the corpora- tion.
" 8. That inasmuch as it is especially necessary that a professor of divinity should be sound in the faith, besides the common tests before mentioned, he shall publicly cx-' hibit a full confession of his faith, drawn up by him in his own words and phrases, and shall in full and express terms renounce all such errors as shall in any considerable mea- sure prevail at the time of his introduction. And if any doubt or question should arise about any doctrine or posi- tion, whether it be truth or error, it shall be judged by the word of God, taken in that sense of it which is contained and declared in the said catechism and confession of faith; as being a just exposition of the word of God, in those doc- trines or articles which are contained in them.
"9. That every person who shall be chosen president, fellow, professor of divinity, or tutor in this college, shall give his consent to the rules of church discipline, establish- ed in the ecclesiastical constitution of the churches of this colony : It being understood, that our ecclesiastical con- stitution may admit of additions or alterations, in such cir- cumstançes as. according to our confession of faith, are to be regulated by the light of nature, and the rules of chris- tian prudence. And it is especially declared, that if any person shall deny the validity of the ordination of the min- isters of this colony, commonly called presbyterian or con- gregational, or hold that it is necessary or convenient that such ministers should be re-ordained, in order to render their administrations valid, it shall be deemed an essential departure from our ecclesiastical constitution, and incon- sistent with the intentions of the founders of this college, that such a person should be chosen an officer in it.
" 10. Yet, we would suppose that it is not inconsistent with the general design of the founders, and it is agreeable to our own inclinations, to admit protestants of all denom- inations to send their children to receive the advantages of an education in this college : provided, that while they are here, they conform to all the laws and orders of it."
All the fellows who have been admitted since the above
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solemn act and declaration, have publicly given their con- Book IL. sent to the catechism and confession of faith, in the sub- sequent form, viz :
1753.
"I, A. B. being chosen a fellow of Yale College, do hereby declare, that I believe that the assembly's cate- chism, and the confession of faith, received and establish- ed in the churches of this colony, and in this college, con- tain a true and just summary of the most important doc- trines of the christian religion ; and that the true sense of the sacred scriptures is justly collected and summed up in those compositions. And all expositions of scripture pre- tending to deduce any doctrine or position contrary to the said doctrines laid down in those composures, I believe are wrong and erroneous, and I will always take all rea- sonable measures, and such as christian prudence may di- rect, in my place and station, to continue and propagate the doctrines contained in those summaries of religion in this college, and transmit them to all future successions and generations : and use the like measures to prevent the contrary doctrines from prevailing in this society.
" I do also consent to the rules of church discipline, es- tablished in the ecclesiastical constitution of the churches of this colony."
As it was the design of the president and fellows, to es- 1754. tablish a professor of divinity in the college as soon as The design possible, and have the college under his instructions on the of the sabbath, as well as at other times, the president wrote and president published, in 1754, a small tract, entitled, The Religious to estab- and fellows Constitution of COLLEGES, a very learned, cool piece, con- lish a pro- taining no reflection or unfriendly insinuation, with res- fessor of divinity. pect to any man, or any body of men. His design was to show the origin and design of colleges, their rights and privileges. That they formed distinct religious societies, and had professors of divinity to preach to them, and car- ry on a distinct and separate worship by themselves. That both the students and officers were prohibited, by heavy penalties, from attending any worship but their own, in their universities. The president observes, that it is a maxim which runs through all moral nature, that every dis- tinct society, founded for religious purposes, is, or at least may be, a distinct worshipping assembly.
He insisted, that as religious worship, preaching and in- distinct so- struction on the sabbath, was one of the most important cieties, parts of the education of ministers ; it was more necessa- right to have a ry that it should be under the conduct of the authority of worship by the college, than any other part of education : That the themselves preaching ought to be adapted to the superior capacity of
Colleges as
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Book II. those, who are to be qualified to be instructors of others ;
1754.
and upon all accounts superior to that, which is ordinarily to be expected, or indeed requisite for a common parish : and that it was more necessary that the governors of col- lege should nominate its preacher, than any other officer or instructor. He observed, that they were bound by law, and the more sacred ties of conscience and fidelity to their trust, committed to them by their predecessors, to pursue and carry on the design of the pious founders of the col- lege, which they could not do, unless they could choose their own officers, and direct the manner of preaching to the students : That they had, therefore, for about seven years, been providing a fund for a professor of divinity in the college, and that from the unhappily divided state of New-Haven, of late years, the necessity of a professor ap- pcared still greater ; that they had, therefore, desired the president, with such assistance as he might be able to ob- tain, to carry on the work of a professor of divinity, by preaching in the college hall, every Lord's day, until a professor of divinity could be obtained. This, he said, they were warranted to do, from the original nature, de- sign and practice of colleges and universities, which were superior societies for religious purposes ; and also from several special clauses in the acts of the General Assembly ; that the students might have the advantage of such preach- ing and instruction, as was best adapted to their capacity, state and design. He well observed, that neither of the three societies in New-Haven, would be willing that the college should choose a minister for them ; that it was less reasonable that they should choose a minister for the col- lege, or that the college should be obliged to attend on such preaching as either of them should choose, as it was a re- ligious society of a superior, a more general and important nature : That no society or body politic could be safe, but only in its having a principle of self preservation, and a power of providing every thing necessary for its own subsistence and defence : That without this, the college might be subjected to such preaching as was contrary to the minds of the legislature and the generality of the peo- ple, as well as to the design of the founders.
There were at this time a number of people in the col- ony, who appeared inimical both to the government and to the college, and employed their tongues and pens against both; and all manner of objections which could well be conceived, were brought against the college.
By some it was pretended, that the design of colleges was to teach the arts and sciences only ; and that religion
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was no part of a college education : and therefore, that no Book II. religious worship ought to be upheld, or enjoined by the laws of the college ; but that every student should be allow- 1754. ed to worship how and where he pleased, or as his parents On the de- and guardians should direct. The president observed in sign of col- reply, that there was not, probably, a college upon earth, leges. upon such a constitution ; without any regard to religion. That it was known, that religion, and the religion of these churches in particular, as to doctrine and discipline, was the main design of the founders of this college: and that this their successors were obliged to pursue.
It was pretended that every student might be obliged to attend on some meeting in town, where he should choose, or his parents should order, and that a monitor might be appointed to each meeting in the town, with penalties for non-attendance. To this it was replied, that to all who understood the nature of college government, such a scheme must plainly appear impracticable : That it was absolutely necessary that the governors of the college should be present, and strictly observe the attendance and behavior of the students with their own eyes : That when any parent put a child to school, or into another family, or society, he resigned his parental authority and govern- ment, so far as related to the order and constitution of that society : That no parent can have a right to put his child to be a member of any society, and then order him to break the laws and rules of it: that this would be des- tructive to the very nature and constitution of all societies. "That if parents had a right to order what worship their children should attend at college, it would take the power of governing the college, as to religion, its most important interest, wholly out of the hands of the authority of the college ; and there might be as many kinds of religion, in the college, as there were different opinions of parents. That the parents might be Jews, or Arians, or of such other religion, as the authority of the college could not tolerate. That parents at a distance, could not govern their children at college. It was impracticable. They could not give such a just system of rules as the authority of the college could and ought to put in execution.
It was urged, that liberty of conscience ought to be al- Liberty of lowed to all, to worship as they pleasc.
con- science.
The reply to this was, that the college acted upon the principles of liberty of conscience in the fullest sense. That any man, under the limitations of the law, might found a college or school, for such ends and purposes, and with such conditions and limitations, with respect to those who
Q2
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Book II. were to enjoy the benefit of it, as he in his conscience should think best; and that his conscience, who has the 1754. property of a thing, or gives it upon conditions, ought to govern in all matters relative to the use of it; and not his conscience who receives the benefit ; who has no right to it, but according to the will and conditions of the proprie- tor, or donor; and that liberty of conscience in him, who is allowed to take the benefit, extends no further, than to determine whether he will accept it upon those conditions. That to challenge the benefit without complying with the conditions, would be to rob 'the proprietor of his proper- ty, and right of disposal.
The great design of founding this school, was to edu- cate ministers in our own way ; and to attain that end, the founders, and their successor's, apprehended it to be neces- sary that the students should ordinarily attend upon the same way of worship : and should they give up that law and order, the college would serve designs and purposes, contrary to those for which it was originally founded. This, in point of conscience and fidelity to their trust, they could not permit. In this point, the college exercises no kind of power, or authority, but that only which results from the natural liberties and privileges of all free and volunta- ry societies of men ; which is, to determine their own de- sign among themselves ; and the conditions of their own favors, and benefits to others.
. It was pleaded, that the students ought to attend the wor- ship of the church of England; or so many of them as shall see cause, or as their parents shall order, or permit. That the church of England is the established religion of this colony ; and that those who do not conform to it are schismatics.
In answer to this, it was observed, that the act of parliament in the common prayer book, for the establish- ment of the church of England, was expressly limited to England and Wales, and the town of Berwick upon Tweed: That it was a well known maxim in law, that the sta- tutes of England did not extend to the plantations, unless they are expressly mentioned : That it was presumed that no such act could be found with respect to the colonies in America.
It was also said, that governor Yale and bishop Berke- ley, who were churchmen, made large donations to this college.
It was replied, that when any donation is given after the foundation is laid, the law presumes, that it was the will of the donors that their donations should be improved
Church of England.
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according to the design of the founders. The law pre- Book II. sumes, that every man knows in that thing wherein he acts .* And since by law, the statutes of the founders can- 1754. not be altered,t it presumes that the donor had not any de- sign to do it. And there was not the least reason to sup- pose that the governor or bishop expected any alteration should be made in the laws of the college, or any devia- tion from the design of the founders, towards the church of England, or in any other way.
And since there was not the least reason to suppose that they expected or desired, that upon their donations any alteration should be made in the laws of the college, it was conceived that there was no obligation to do it in point of gratitude,
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