LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. ^a/3 1/4070 .. -**? .til 6 At PRESENTED BY -.l&.Q.G UNITED STATES OP AMERICA. m *$ S3 itoioit C|«oIoo,ind Institution;: SKETCH OF ITS HISTORY, AND AN ACCOUNT OF THE SERVICES AT THE DEDICATION OF THE NEW BUILDING, SEPTEMBER 10, 1866. A COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. BOSTON: GJ- O XT H, D AND L I N" C O H. N , 59 WASHINGTON STTtEET. 1866. Xk> V ROCKWELL AND ROLLINS, PRINTERS, 122 Washington .Street, Boston. HISTORICAL SKETCH 'N the earlier years of this century, the attention of sev- eral intelligent ministers and laymen of the Baptist denomination in New England was directed to the ^ importance of improved facilities for the education of candidates for the Christian ministry. Rhode Island Col- lege, now Brown University, had been founded with special reference to this object ; but, owing to unfavorable circum- stances, its design had not been carried out to the extent that many desired, and, as the need of something more effective was every year becoming more apparent and im- perative, consultations upon the subject were frequent and earnest. It was well and painfully understood that the prejudices of the past with respect to an educated min- istry still lingered in the churches, and those who were most convinced that such prejudices were unfriendly to our prosperity, felt satisfied that an advance in the desirable direction must be made with cautious moderation. It would not be wise to proceed farther or faster than the general sentiment in the churches would approve and practically sustain. Our fathers therefore addressed themselves, first of all, to the preparatory work of enlightenment and the dissipation of erroneous opinions. In that process they were successful, and in good time the pressure of conviction that NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION. more should be attempted became too strong to be resisted, and incipient steps were taken towards a combined and or- ganized effort. They were not ready for anything like the establishment of a seminary of sacred learning, but they were ready to do what the immediate exigencies of the churches demanded, and could wait on Divine Providence for further indications of duty. At the annual meeting of the Boston Baptist Association, held with the Second Baptist Church in Boston, September 21 and 22, 1814, the letter of that church, as written by its pastor, the venerated Baldwin, suggested "the propriety and importance of forming an education society to afford aid to those of our young brethren who are desirous of engaging in the ministry, in obtaining literary and theological informa- tion." The intimation was sufficiently modest, and, coming from such a source and in such terms, it was not likely to awaken opposition. The idea may have originated in the mind of Dr. Baldwin ; but he did not propose to make it practical until he had the concurrence of others upon whom he could depend for intelligent co-operation. He was no indiscreet adventurer. The proposition, favorably received, was referred to a committee, consisting of the Rev. Daniel Merrill, of Not- tingham West, N. H., the Rev. Luther Rice, who was present as agent of the Baptist General Convention, and Mr. Ensign Lincoln, of Boston. That committee reported, strongly recommending the measure, and presented the draft of a constitution, which was promptly adopted. The organ- ization was named " The Massachusetts Baptist Education HISTORICAL SKETCH. Society," now known, in its extended form, as " The Northern Baptist Education Society." The third article of the Consti- tution thus defined the purpose of its founders : — " The object of this society shall be to afford the means of education to young men of the Baptist denomination who shall furnish evidence to the churches of which they are mem- bers, and to the Executive Committee, hereafter named, of their personal piety and call to the gospel ministry." The Association appointed twenty-three Trustees, one from the delegation of every church represented in that body, and those Trustees elected nine of their number as an Executive Committee, with Eev. Dr. Baldwin as Chairman, Eev. Wil- liam Batchelder as Secretary, and Rev. Daniel Sharp as Treas- urer. An Address, adopted by the Association, was issued by " the Elders and Messengers to the churches " they repre- sented, judiciously explaining the reasons for their action, and inviting cordial co-operation. For many years the society reported annually to the Asso- ciation in which it had its origin and whose members were the principal contributors to its funds. The receipts the first year were $692.07, the whole amount having been appropri- ated. The eleventh annual report, written by the Eev. Eben- ezer Nelson, and presented in 1825, described it as "matter of rejoicing that the popular sentiment in our churches now very generally harmonizes with the objects of the society." After re-stating certain principles with respect to the ministry which have ever been dear to the denomination, and express- ing the hope that " they will ever be held by the churches dearer than life," the report adds that "in general they now b NEWTOX THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION. esteem learning a very important qualification for him whose business it is rightly to divide the word of truth, and to feed the churches with knowledge and understanding." The so- ciety had at that time twenty-one beneficiaries, sixteen of whom were " pursuing a collegiate course, and five engaged in English and theological studies." Up to that time the number of beneficiaries had been sixty-five. In that report suitable notice was taken of the decease of the Rev. Dr. Baldwin, who had been the presiding officer of the society, by annual election, during the whole period of its existence, and also the Chairman of its Executive Committee. A por- tion of the document was devoted to statements of the action of the Executive Committee with respect to the establish- ment of a Theological Institution. One paragraph belongs appropriately to this narrative. "Besides attending to the ordinary duties, the past year, your Committee have, in compliance with the recommenda- tion of a large meeting of ministers and other brethren con- vened in Boston, May 25, 1825, taken into consideration the establishment of a . Theological Seminary in the vicinity of Boston. This measure has for many years been in contem- plation. Your Committee are now convinced that the time has arrived to build this part of the Lord's house. Although attempts have been made to establish Theological depart- ments in connection with two of our Colleges, and some success has attended them, yet your Committee are of opin- ion that a Theological Institution established by itself alone, where the combined powers of two or three or more men of experience, and men of God, can be employed in instructing HISTORICAL SKETCH. and forming the manners and habits and character of pious young men for the work of the ministry, is greatly to be preferred. They have therefore appointed two sub-com- mittees, one to draw up a general plan for an Institution, and inquire concerning a suitable place for its location, and the other to solicit donations and subscriptions, both which have made some progress. The Committee are well aware that the step they are about to take is a very important one. The work before them involves great responsibilities. What- ever is done in relation to this Institution will have a bearing upon the great interests of the Kedeemer's kingdom, and especially upon the denomination with which we stand con- nected." Many of the conferences upon this subject were informal, and of their sayings and doings no written records were pre- served. Therefore, as the principal actors have passed from among the living, it has been difficult to collect all the facts desirable to be registered in permanent history. It is certain, however, that the formation of the Massachusetts Baptist Education Society was the beginning of a movement that, eleven years afterwards, culminated in specific action. That society may therefore be regarded as the mother of the New- ton Theological Institution. Besides, it is known that the importance of such a Seminary was for several years the subject of thought in a few minds, and of some correspond- ence between those who wished to see the undertaking inaug- urated. They had no plan ; the idea floated indefinitely in their minds ; but it was a favorite idea, and was never dis- missed as a thing impracticable. The Seminary at Andover, 5 NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION. recently opened and munificently patronized, was before them, not as a model of what they desired, but as suggestive of something that might meet a felt necessity. It was contem- plated as a thing of the future, and towards which their steps must be directed. Among those who thought, and felt, and conversed, and prayed, with reference to it, were such men of God as Thomas Baldwin, Joseph Grafton, Jeremiah Chap- lin, James M. Winchell, Abisha Samson, Lucius Bolles, William Batchelcler, Charles Train, Ebenezer Nelson, sen., Daniel Sharp, Herman Lincoln, Ensign Lincoln, Elisha S. Williams, Elijah Corey, Nathaniel W. Williams, Michael Shepard. Several brethren in other Associations were more or less interested, and looking forward to the same result. As the idea became more definite, and the project began to assume a practical shape, numerous others, both ministers and laymen, became interested and earnestly co-operated with their older brethren — such as Bela Jacobs, Henry Jack- son, Jonathan Going, Francis Way land, jr., Jonathan Bach- eller, Nathaniel R. Cobb, Thomas Kendall, John B. Jones, Levi Far well, several of whom, in due time, became distin- guished as friends and generous supporters of the enterprise. Not long after the formation of the Massachusetts Baptist Education Society, the Rev. Jeremiah Chaplin, of Danvers, a man of strong powers of mind and good literary and theo- logical attainments, was induced to receive under his instruc- tion such young men as were approved by the Executive Committee, and as could not prosecute an extended course of study. This arrangement resulted in a school that was in 1817 removed to Waterville, Maine, and in 1820, there HISTORICAL SKETCH. V erected into a college, with Dr. Chaplin as its President. The original design was to have in that College a Theological Department ; bnt it soon became apparent that the plan was inconvenient, if not impracticable, and the experiment foiled, as, about the same time, a similar and more imposing plan had failed in the Columbian College at Washington. Atten- tion was then turned, with fresh earnestness, to the consider- ation of a project for the opening of a separate and indepen- dent Seminary, in some eligible location, where it might be easily accessible, and be surrounded b} r churches that would be sufficiently interested in its object and welfare to give it pecuniary support. The denomination was not yet strong enough in men of intelligence and wealth to justify an effort on a large scale. The beginning must necessarily be small; but men of faith and hope felt that the beginning should not longer be delayed. They would do what they could by laying a foundation on which their successors might build, and thus gradually make the school such as the growing wants of the churches might demand. They had no experience in such an enterprise ; they had no precedent as a guide ; but they understood what was needed, and were disposed to do their best towards furnishing a supply. On the 25th of May, 1825, during the anniversaries in Boston, a large meeting was held in the vestry of the First Baptist Church to consider the question of immediate action. Of the proceedings of that meeting we have no record ; but we know that, after a free and harmonious interchange of views, it was resolved that an effort ought to be made to provide a Seminary for Theological education, and the 10 NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION. Executive Committee of the Education Society was requested to take initiatory steps towards the accomplishment of the object. That Committee proceeded at once to carry into execution the wishes of their brethren, thus earnestly and unanimously expressed. The Kev. Irah Chase having resigned his posi- tion at Washington as Professor of Languages and Biblical Literature in the Columbian College, was provisionally ap- pointed Professor of Biblical Theology. A site was pur- chased in the town of Xewton, about eight miles from Boston, containing eighty-five acres, on elevated ground and commanding one of the most delightful prospects in eastern Massachusetts. Upon the summit of the hill was a large dwelling-house with other buildings, adapted to a genteel country residence. The main edifice, ever since known as the " Mansion House," was of sufficient capacity for all the immediate purposes of the Institution. The whole property, with a good title, was purchased for $4,250, a sum consider- ably less than would have been required for the erection of the buildings as they then existed. The necessary alterations in the Mansion House were immediately made at an expense of $3,748, thus rendering the original cost of the premises $7,998. This amount was procured by subscription as fol- lows : — N. R. Cobb $1,070 Levi Farwell ..... 1,070 Jonathan Bacheller .... 1,070 John B. Jones ..... 500 Amount carried forward . . . §3,710 HISTORICAL SKETCH. 11 Amount brought forward . $3,710 Ward Jackson 500 Pieman Lincoln 500 Elijah Corey 400 Jonathan Carleton . 300 Ichabod Macomber 250 Ensign Lincoln 250 John Sullivan 200 Others, in various sums 1,888 $7,998 That property was known as the "Peck Estate." At a later period, a small tract, called the " King Estate," was purchased and added to the property of the Institution. Professor Chase commenced alone the work of instruction, November 28, 1825. On the 2 2d of February, 1826, an act to incorporate the Newton Theological Institution having passed both Houses of the General Court of Massachusetts, received the approval and signature of his Excellency the Governor, Levi Lincoln. In this act, eleven individuals were named as Trustees, and it was ordained that the number of Trustees should " never exceed twenty-five, nor be less than nine." They might hold property, real and personal, to any extent, " provided the annual income of the same shall not exceed twenty thousand dollars." The first meeting of the Trustees, thus invested with the necessary powers as a body corporate, was held in Boston, March 13, 1826, at the house of the Kev. Dr. Sharp, when the act of incorporation was formally accepted, and the 12 NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION, Board commenced its labors. A Professorship of Biblical Theology was then established, and the Rev. Irah Chase was unanimously elected the Professor. At the next meeting, held Ma}- 30, 1826, Professor Chase, from a Committee previously appointed to prepare a Code of Rules and Regulations for the government of the Institution, made a report which was adopted. Among other things it was provided, that — "The regular course shall occupy three years, and em- brace Biblical Literature, Ecclesiastical History, Biblical Theology, Pastoral Duties, and, in short, the various studies and exercises appropriate to a Theological Institution designed to assist those who avouIc! understand the Bible clearly, and, as faithful ministers of Christ, inculcate its lessons the most usefully." The next meeting was held at Xewton, September 14, 1826, when a Professorship of Biblical Literature and Pas- toral Duties was established, and the Rev. Henry J. Ripley, of Riceborough, Georgia, was unanimously elected the Pro- fessor. On the same day was held the first anniversary of the Institution. The small company attending was easily accommodated in a recitation-room in the Mansion House. Two individuals — John E. TTeston and Eli B. Smith — read essays, and received the Professor's certificate of graduation. Their course at Xewton was short, for they had both been connected with other Institutions — the former under the instruction of Prof. Chase in the Theological Department of the Columbian College — the latter at Andover. The next class in regular course graduated in 1828, and consisted of HISTORICAL SKETCH. 13 four, viz., George Leonard, Thomas W. Merrill, Barnas Sears, and Seth S. Whitman. As the number of students increased, it became necessary to make further provision for their accommodation, and accordingly, in 1827, a committee was appointed to devise a plan for a new building, and also to procure the means for defraying the expense. In 1829, the Treasurer reported that such a building had been erected and paid for by sub- scriptions collected, at an expense of $10,594.12. Towards this amount the Hon. Nicholas Brown, of Providence, gave $4,000, and the Treasurer himself was a liberal subscriber. The "Brick Building" is eighty-live feet in length, forty- nine feet in breadth, three stories in height, and contains thirty-six rooms, some of which were till recently occupied by the Library, and a Eeading Eoom called the ".Far well Athenaeum." At the annual meeting of the Board, September 13, 1832, the Professorship held by Professor Ripley was divided, and the Eev. James D. Knovvles, pastor of the Second Bap- tist Church in Boston, was unanimously elected Professor of Pastoral Duties, and, on the 14th of November following, he was inaugurated by public services. That office he held four years, when he resigned that he might become the editor of the "Christian Review." His resignation was accepted, but the Board requested him to continue his services as Professor pro tern, of Sacred Rhetoric and Pastoral Duties until a suc- cessor could be elected. This he did until his death in May, 1838. October 12, 1835, the Rev. Barnas Sears was elected Pro- 14 NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION. fessor of Christian Theology. August 5, 1839, the Rev. Horatio B. Haekett was elected Professor of Biblical Litera- ture and Interpretation. Thus the four Professorships were full, as follows : — Irah Chase, Professor of Ecclesiastical History. Henry J. Ripley, Professor of Sacred Rhetoric and Pas- toral Duties. Barxas Sears, Professor of Christian Theology. Horatio B. Hackett, Professor of Biblical Literature and Interpretation. In compliance with an application from the Board of Trustees, the General Court of Massachusetts passed an Act so altering the Charter of the Institution as to give the Board power to increase its own number from twenty-five to forty- eight ; also authorizing the Board to allow some other body or bodies to elect a portion of its members. These changes were requested, partly to relieve the Board of the odium attached to a " close corporation," and partly in the hope of aAvakening a more general interest in the Institution, by giving it a more popular form of government. This " Act in addition to an Act" was formally accepted, and the Board, after increasing its number to the full limit, proceeded to divide itself into four classes of twelve each, one class to go out of office every year, and their places to be supplied by election, six by the Board of Trustees, and six by the Northern Baptist Education Society. This arrangement was harmoniously carried into effect in 1854, and has been con- tinued to the present time. How much benefit has accrued from it to the Institution it would be difficult to say. The HISTORICAL SKETCH. 15 conviction, however, was soon produced that it would be inconvenient for so large a body to meet as often as the business demanding its attention might require, and pro- vision was made, in 1854, for the annual election of an Executive Committee of six, afterwards increased to eight, who with the Treasurer were intrusted with the full powers of the Board during the intervals between its meetings, and required to report their doings annually to the Board for revision and confirmation. This system has thus far worked well, and as yet, in twelve years, no act of the Executive Committee has been repudiated or even criticised. While this process of change in the constitution of the Board of Trustees was going on, another of still greater im- portance was effective in the gathering of resources for the support of the Institution. An effort to raise a permanent fund of $50,000 having failed, it was resolved to make an attempt to collect $100,000, as better suited to meet the necessities of the Institution, and more likely, therefore, to insure the liberality of intelligent donors. For this purpose, the services of the Eev. Horace T. Love were secured as agent, and, in 1854, he reported subscriptions to the amount of $117,298.38. Of these the Treasurer, in 1864, reported as collected the sum of $100,390.51. Of this amount $10,- 000 were set apart as a fund, the income to be expended for the increase of the Library. The income of the remainder was devoted to the general purposes of the Institution. At one period, when the resources of the Board were too limited to meet its necessary expenditures, some portions of the land were sold for house lots. But the estate is still 16 NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION. eighty acres, with the Institution buildings thereon. Among these buildings are two professors' houses, erected by sub- scription, in 1834, at a cost of $3,330 each. Subsequently a third house was built, at an expense of about $3,500 ; but it has since been sold. Three scholarships have been established of $1,000 each, as follows : — 1. The Knowles Scholarship, founded by the Boston Young Men's Education Society; present value, $1,833. 2. The Read Scholarship, founded by James H. Read, Esq., of Providence ; present value, $2,010. 3. The Davis Scholarship, founded by the Hon. Isaac Da- vis, of Worcester; present value, $1,000. In addition to the other resources are the following special funds : -■ — The Tripp fund of $1,000, bequeathed by Susan Tripp, of New Bedford, the income of which is dispensed by the Fac- ulty to aid poor students. The Ripley fund of $500, bequeathed by Mrs. Abigail Ripley, of Boston, for the same purpose. The Fenelly fund, consisting of a house and land in Bos- ton, bequeathed by Mrs. Elizabeth F. Gurney, of Boston ; estimated value $8,000, one half of the annual income to be paid to the Boston Fatherless and Widows' Society. The largest amount given by will, was of certain real estate in Boston, by Misses Catharine and Elizabeth Doubt, of Boston, which was sold for $14,575, and, as the income of the bequest was for general purposes, the avails were in- cluded in the permanent fund of $100,000. The Institution has had in its financial affairs a varied HISTORICAL SKETCH. 17 fortune. In 1835, it was free from debt, and was in funds $6,000. In 1852, it was in debt $16,000. It is now with- out debt, and has the resources above named. Its finances have been managed by the Treasurer with extraordinary skill that has commanded the admiration and repeated acknowl- edgments of the Board, and given full satisfaction to the patrons. A few individuals have kindly remembered the Institution in their wills ; but the number has been less, and the amounts bequeathed have been smaller, than those have hoped who have had the oversight of its interests. To place the Insti- tution on a firm basis, and provide for it an adequate support, it needs a large addition to its endowment. For many years it had to depend mainly on occasional and precarious sub- scriptions to meet its current expenses ; and even now its income is insufficient, and special efforts have to be made to raise funds in order .to do justice to all concerned without incurring a debt. It is therefore respectfully and earnestly suggested to all such as are disposing of the thousands which God has intrusted to their stewardship, that they consider and honor the claims of this Institution. Its fate is no longer problematical ; it is destined to live and do great good. But that it may achieve the results contemplated by its founders, it must have more ample resources, and these are in the hands of many who profess to be the friends of Christ, and to have consecrated to him their all. The salaries of the Professors were for several years $800 each per annum. After a time, they were allowed the use of a house, or $250 for house-rent. As their necessities in- 18 NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION. creased, and the available means of the Board would permit, the amount was gradually augmented until it reached the sum of $1,700, with the addition of a fixed sum for house-rent — the point at which the salaries now stand. The Board are anxious soon to see the day when they can enlarge the com- pensation of the Instructors to an extent more nearly com- mensurate with the value of their labors and with the expenses to which they are necessarily subjected. " The laborer is worthy of his hire," and these laborers are worthy of more than they receive. The Presidents of the Board of Trustees have been as fol- lows : — Rev. Joseph Grafton, from 1826 to 1835, when, on account of advanced years, he resigned ; Rev. Daniel Sharp, D.D., from 1835, until his death, June 23, 1853; Rev. Alexis Caswell, D.D., from 1853 to 1854, when he was unanimously re-elected, but declined ; Rev. Baron Stow, D.D., from 1854 to the present time. The Secretaries of the Board have been : — Rev. Francis Wayland, jr., D.D., from 1826 to 1827; Rev. James D. Knowles, from 1827 to 1832 ; Rev. Henry. Jackson, D.D., from 1832 to 1837; Caleb Parker, jr., Esq., from 1837 to 1854; Rev. George W. Bosworth, D.D., from 1854 to the present time. The Treasurers of the Board have been : — Levi Farwell, Esq., from 1826 to 1844; Gardner Colby, Esq., from 1844 to the present time. The present Professors are — Rev. Horatio B. Hackett, D.D., of Biblical Literature and Interpretation; Rev. Alvah Hovey, D.D., of Chris- HISTORICAL SKETCH. 19 tian Theology ; Rev. George D. B. Pepper, of Church His- tory ; Rev. Galusha Anderson, D.D., of Sacred Rhetoric and Pastoral Duties. The other Professors, elected at different periods, and not already mentioned in this sketch, were Rev. Robert E. Patti- son, D.D., Professor of Christian Theology; Rev. Albert N. Arnold, D.D., Professor of Church History; Rev. Ar- thur S. Train, D.D., Professor of Sacred Rhetoric and Pas- toral Duties. As the number of students was increasing, and also the number of volumes in the Library ; and as a better chapel and more suitable lecture-rooms became necessary, a sub- scription of $30,000 was obtained, and in 1863, a Committee, consisting of Messrs. Gardner Colby, J. Warren Merrill, Thomas Mckerson, and George S. Dexter, was appointed to erect a new building according to a plan furnished by Alex- ander R. Esty, Esq., of Boston, and unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees. The corner-stone was laid, June 29, 1864, with appropriate religious services, in which the Rev. Drs. Irah Chase, H. J. Ripley, Barnas Sears, H. B. Hackett, R. E. Pattison, and A. N. Arnold, participated. After protracted and vexatious interruptions, for which the Building Committee were not responsible, the edifice was completed in a form and style every way creditable to the Committee, as well as to Messrs. A. R. Esty, the aichitect; David H. Jacobs, the mason; George W. Cole, the carpenter, and William A. Roffe, the painter. Owing to the increased expense of labor and ma- terials, the cost of the structure exceeded the first estimate 20 NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION. by about $10,000, which sum was obtained by an additional subscription. The design of the building was made with special regard to the beautiful spot upon which it was to be located, just westerly from the brick building erected in 1828-9. It is somewhat irregular in shape, the main portion having an ex- treme western frontage of seventy-four feet, and measuring forty-two feet from west to east. It is finished in two stories, the lower being fourteen feet in the clear, the upper thirteen feet in the clear. The walls are thirty-three feet from grade line to the eaves, and crowned with a "Mansard roof." The tower, sixteen and a half feet square, is located upon the north-western angle, finished with its first two stories the same in height as the main part, and carried above said main part in octagonal form, and surmounted with a spire, making the entire height of eighty-five feet. The first story is ar- ranged with hall (and entrance) iu the centre, fourteen feet six inches wide, with an opening upon the right-hand side leading to the Chapel, which has accommodation for twelve persons, and also liberal arrangements for platforms, and a private entrance for the Professors. This room is finished with panelled ceiling, and is most desirably located in the southern portion of the edifice, well lighted, with ample con- veniences for heating and ventilation, and is every way adapted to its intended purpose. In the tower is a pleasant Reception-Rooui, fourteen feet square ; and just beyond, and opening from the hall, is the Reading-Room, twenty-six by twenty feet, fitted up wdth all the conveniences requisite to make the same attractive and agreeable. HISTORICAL SKETCH. 21 The staircase, which is of most liberal dimensions, gives an easy ascent to the second story floor. Upon this area are three lecture-rooms, each twenty-six by twenty feet, with an ante or professor's room. The lecture-rooms have each accommodations for fifty students, and are well ventilated. The ante-room is fitted up with cabinets and shelves. The stairway continues to the attic story, which (as yet unfinished) is of sufficient height and size to admit of an arrangement of rooms similar to those of the second story. The entrance to the library is from the rear of the main hall, and that apartment is imposing to the eye, being fin- ished twenty feet high in the clear, and cruciform in outline with extreme arms fifty feet in length. This portion forms one of the most attractive features of the edifice. The entire walls are lined with book-cases two stories high, having an iron balcony, with easy stairs to reach the upper story. Be- tween the top of the line of book-cases and the ceiling, space is left where pictures may be hung in a good light. The ceiling is of chestnut panels with heavy mouldings and cornices, the body of the panel being painted light blue. The interior of the library is illuminated wholly through sky- lights in the ceiling, and the whole effect is most pleasing. The form is such that the number of fifty thousand volumes can be well taken care of by means of alcoves extending from the various walls and angles. The body surface of the walls of the edifice is constructed of Newton stone found near the premises, while the base and string courses, stone of arched windows, and for the eaves cornices entire, and for the corners, are of Nova-Scotia stone, 22 NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION. generally known as the Cumberland Bay sand-stone, giving at once pleasing architectural effects by the happy contrast of the two materials. The entrance doorway with the window over it, has well- carved columns and arched stones. The roofs finished with slate and tin, with copper gutters to the same, make a most perfect covering. The interior of all the several parts is finished in natural wood colors, chestnut being used for the same and also for all the doors. There is no painted work about the structure except the window frames outside. The whole building, both external and internal, is con- structed in the most thorough and durable manner, worthy of the purposes for which it is used ; and it may safely be said that, considering the outlay, it is equal, if not superior in architectural merit, to any edifice in the country ; and is such, in every respect, as must be gratifying to the many friends of the Institution. HISTORICAL SKETCH. 25 At the annual meeting of the Board of Trustees, June 27, 1866, a committee consisting of the President, the Treasurer, the Kev. Drs. A. Caswell, and S. R. Mason, and the Hon. J. W. Merrill, was appointed to make arrangements for the dedication of the new edifice by suitable religious and literary services. That Committee provided that the time for the dedication should be at the commencement of the academical year. Accordingly, on Monday, September 10, 1866, the Board of Trustees, the Faculty, the students, and a large number of the friends of the Institution assembled for the purpose in the new building. The following was the ORDER OF SERVICES. PRAYER. BY REV. WILLIAM LAMSON, D.D., OF BROOKLINE. HYMN. BY EEV. JAMES D. KNOWLES. (Adapted.) O God, though countless worlds of light Thy power and glory show, — Though round Thy throne, above all height, Immortal seraphs glow ; — Yet oft to men of ancient time Thy glorious Presence came, And in Moriah's fane sublime, Thou didst record Thy Name. 26 NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION, And now, where'er Thy saints apart Are met for praise and prayer, Wherever sighs a contrite heart, Thou, gracious God, art there. With grateful joy, Thy servants rear This building, Lord, for Thee ; Long may Thy truth be honored here, And all Thy glory see. STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BUILDING COMMITTEE, AND DELIVERY OF THE KEYS TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD. DELIVERY OF THE KEYS TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FACULTY, AND AN ADDRESS, BY THE PRESIDENT. ADDRESS. BY REV. ALVAH HOVEY, D.D. PRAYER OF DEDICATION. BY REV. WILLIAM HAGUE, D.D., OF BOSTON. ORDER OF SERVICES. 27 HYMN. BY REV. S. F. SMITH, D.D., OF NEWTON. Built on the Rock of Ages, Lord, Thy living Church abides secure ; Nations and men may fade away, Thy work of grace shall still endure. This temple, to Thine honor reared, Waits for Thy crowning presence now ; Accept the work our hands have wrought ; We are but dust, — Almighty Thou. Here men of God shall speak Thy praise ; Treasures of thought be gathered here ; And truth, from living lips dispensed, Fall, welcome, on the listening ear. With humble faith, with holy joy, We lay our gift before Thy face ; 'Tis dark, — but for Thy radiant light ; 'Tis poor, — but for Thy heavenly Grace, Then let Thy glorious presence, Lord, O'er all the hallowed work appear ; And let the living record stand ; — The place is holy, — God is here. 4 28 NEWTOX THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION. DOXOLOGY. Praise God, from whom all blessings flow ; Praise Him, all creatures here below ; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host ; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. BENEDICTION. BY REV. A. CASWELL, D.D., OF PROVIDENCE, R. I. Immediately after these services, a meeting of the Board of Trustees, duly called, was held, and a Committee, con- sisting of the President, the Secretary, and the Rev. Hemar Lincoln, D.D., was appointed to publish the proceedings, together with the Addresses. In the execution of their trust, the Committee, after consultation with others, decided to add to their duties the preparation and issue of the forego- ing Historical Sketch of the Institution, and of the process by which their predecessors were led to its establishment. The reasons for such action will be obvious to all the patrons and friends of the Institution. The work could have been better done a few years earlier, when the founders were living, for they could have furnished from their memories many particu- lars which are now irrecoverably lost. STATEMENT B Y GARDNER COLBY, ESQ., treasurer, and chairman of the building committee. Mr. President, — It devolves upon me, as Chairman of the Building Com- mittee, to present to the Trustees the keys of this building. I shall not attempt, on this occasion, to make any extended remarks. Your Committee have now finished the work assigned them, in accordance with the plans and specifications adopted unani- mously by the Trustees. Some delays have occurred in its construction, but they have been owing to circumstances entirely beyond their con- trol. It was thought, at the outset, that the expenses would not exceed the sum of thirty thousand dollars. This amount was subscribed at the time, and has since been collected. Owing, however, to the increased price of building materials and labor, your Committee found that ten thousand dollars more 30 NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION. would be required. I am happy to say that this amount has been all subscribed, and Ave offer you the building to-day free from debt. Your Committee desire to express their satisfaction with A. R. Esty, Esq., the Architect; also, with Mr. George W. Cole, the Carpenter, D. II . Jacobs, of Boston, the Mason, and Wm. A. Roffe, the Painter. They trust that the building, in its construction, in its gen- eral appearance, and in its adaptation to the purposes for which it was designed, will receive the approbation of the Trustees, of those who have contributed, and of all the friends of this Institution. To you, therefore, Mr. President, the representative of the Newton Theological Institution, I have the honor to pre- sent these keys. May this edifice ever contribute to the great and noble end of educating young men for the Christian ministry. £3 eg 5 is? e s •7 ADDRESS BY KEY. BARON STOW, D.D., PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OP TRUSTEES, AND CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE OF ARRANGEMENTS. In behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Newton Theo- logical Institution, I am happy, my clear brother, to transfer to yoa, as Chairman of the Faculty, this cluster of keys. They are not " the keys of the kingdom of heaven" We hold them not, we pass them not to you, as emblems of any spiritual authority. One is our Master, even Christ, and all we are brethren. These are simply the keys of an edifice in which you and your associates, and, we hope, a long line of successors, will teach whatever our common Lord has revealed respecting that kingdom which is not of this world. We have confidence in you all as able and faithful instructors in the profound lessons of that volume which contains " the law and the testimony ," all "given by inspiration of God, and prof table J or doctrine, for reproof , for correction, for instruc- tion in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." We therefore 32 NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION. intrust this building to your occupancy and use, as affording desirable facilities for the more comfortable and more efficient prosecution of your important work. We dedicate the whole structure to him whose prerogative it is to select and appoint and spiritually qualify his own ministers, and we expect that its various apartments, so admirably arranged and adjusted, will be employed by the Faculty of Instruction and Government in the proper training of his chosen ones for effective service in " the ministry of reconciliation.'" Receive these keys from your confiding brethren, that you may open and shut at your convenience. In saying more, I must not trespass upon ground or time that belongs appropriately to the principal speaker ; but, as urgently requested by the Committee of Arrangements, I venture to extend my remarks and communicate some thoughts which may not be regarded as impertinent to the occasion. The history of the Institution, though covering a period not very extended, has some points of interest. Its principal founders have all passed from their service to their reward. Could they be present to-day, we have no greater joy than would be theirs in witnessing this new proof that their suc- cessors are building well upon foundations which they laid in prayer and sacrifice. They were few in number; but they were large-hearted, and acted in the spirit of loyalty to Christ, and with intelligent views of what the well-being of their de- nomination required — " Children of Issachar — men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to ADDRESS BY REV. BARON STOW, D.D. 33 do." They devised benevolently, liberally, not only for their own generation, but for posterity, and after more than forty years their forecast and generosity are appreciated beyond their largest anticipations. In whose mind the idea of such a Seminary first origi- nated, or who first proposed to make it practical, I have never learned ; and, though I was familiar with them all, I never heard one of them claim it as his own, or speak of it as belonging to another. It was manifestly an idea of the period, developed simultaneously in several minds under the pressure of similar convictions, and the honor, not then thought of, we now accredit impartially to a select number " whose names are in the Book of Life" Men of God — we revere their memories. Their record is a sacred deposit in the custody of the present generation, to be transmitted along the future. Happy the age that shall produce a group of equal excellence ! They understood what was especially needed, and put their hearts and hands together, without rivalry or jealousy, to provide the supply. They naturally had indefinite conceptions of what the Institution should be in detail, for they had no experience, no satisfactory prece- dent, in that line ; but they had distinctly in mind the gen- eral idea, that candidates for the sacred office — the ministry of the future — must have a more thorough intellectual prep- aration for their work than w T as attainable by any existing methods. They had no theory that restricted our mission to any particular stratum in the social pyramid, and that, conse- quently, a Baptist Theological Seminary recognizing a more extended service, would be a gratuitous superfluity. They 34 NEWTON THEOLOGICAL IXSTITUTIOX. were fully convinced that if we, as a separate people, were to grow and become effective in the execution of our special trust, we must have a ministry of advanced culture, qualified to be leaders in a progressive age. They put no narrow interpretation upon the great commission, " Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Hardly did they understand their Master as having bidden his servants to evangelize an intermediate class in all nations, leaving to others the spiritual care of the underlying and the superincumbent gradations. There were no others, He made provision for no others, to do the lower and the higher work. To his own people he opened " all the world," including " every creature," as their field, and committed to them a service, unlimited in its range, and involving respon- sibility with respect to man as a race in all his classifications, national, intellectual, and moral. The men of whom I speak regarded the work intrusted to the primitive churches as the appropriate work of their successors, to the end of time ; and, having a service of such breadth and comprehen- siveness, they reasoned rightly that men would be needed for the whole compass of duties divinely specified ; — men who could fulfill all the conditions of the original, unmodified order : — men who could efficiently obey, not only the mathe- teusate and the baptizontes, but also the didaskontes of their commission ; — men who could not only make and baptize disciples everywhere and among all classes, but also be the qualified instructors of such disciples in all the doctrines and ADDRESS BY REV. BARON STOW, D.D. 35 duties of Christianity ; — men who could not only he volu- ble, but convincing; — men who could not only arouse the conscience, hut guide it ; — men who could not only, by impassioned appeals, produce temporary movements, but also, by patient teaching, effectuate permanent results; — men who could not only persuade people to believe and act, but also enlighten them as to what and why they should believe and practise. Their fathers in the ministry were eminently successful in the conversion of souls and in the organization of churches. All honor to the men who fought and won the battles of religious freedom, and secured for our principles respect as well as toleration, and made ready to our hands the inheritance we enjoy ; and palsied be the tongue that would utter the first word in their disparage- ment. But they wanted — and none felt the want more keenly or deplored it more openly than themselves — they lacked, without any fault of their own, the desirable ability to impart that instruction which would make their converts strong in Biblical knowledge. The founders of this Institu- tution believed, as we believe, that the ministry of God's Word is the great, the chief, appointed means, not only for bringing men into the churches of Christ, but also, and pre- eminently, for the building up in them of the saintly, the Christ-like, character; as the Apostle Paul has it, — "for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knoivledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." The idea in their minds had not as- sumed a definite form, having reference chiefly to the general 36 NEWTON THEOLOGICAL IXSTITUTION. result — a ministry of higher culture suited to the wants of their children and their children's children ; but, as in all their ways they acknowledged God, their paths were Provi- dentially directed. Just at the right moment, when the whole thing was in embryo, and they were anxiously consid- ering practical questions pertaining to organic forms, the late lamented Professor Irah Chase, released from other engage- ments, appeared among them, and with a wisdom that com- manded their confidence, aided them in shaping definitively the proposed Institution. He had a plan ; the one that gave form and pressure to his own life work ; a plan elaborated by years of patient thought ; a plan that had failed elsewhere because not sustained or appreciated ; a plan constructed with great simplicity and accuracy of adjustment around that one central idea which has been so justly and beautifully delin- eated in the Memorial Discourse on that good man's life and character. That central Idea — Thorough Biblical Instruction, not according to the Analogy of Faith, but according to the Laavs or Exegesis — was promptly accepted as the true one for a Baptist Theological Institution ; and, God be praised, it has never been replaced by another; and woe be to us as a Christian people when it shall come to be lightly esteemed. That Plan was adopted in all its par- ticulars, and has not yet been found susceptible of essential improvement. The enterprise was commenced, and, forty years ago this month, the one Professor gave certificates of graduation to the first class, consisting of two men of eminent worth and encouraging promise. The Institution was located, wisely, as time has shown, on ADDRESS BY REV, BARON STOW, D.D. 37 these grounds, purchased and put in order at an expense of $7,998, and paid for mostly by eleven men.* Early in 1826, an act of incorporation was granted by the State Legislature, which named as Trustees, Joseph Grafton, Lucius Bolles, Daniel Sharp, Jonathan Going, Bela Jacobs, Ebenezer Nel- son, Francis Wayland, jr.. Henry Jackson, Ensign Lincoln, Jonathan Bacheller, Nathaniel E. Cobb ; and to these were soon after added by election, Levi Farwell, Heman Lincoln, Nicholas Brown, Abner Forbes, James D. Knowles. Of the whole sixteen only one survives. They were all good men and true, and their memories are among the brighter, richer ornaments of the denomination. The Eev. Joseph Grafton, of Newton Centre, was the first President of the Board of Trustees, the Eev. Francis Way- land, jr., of Boston, the first Secretary, and Levi Farwell, Esq., of Cambridge, the first Treasurer. Of the services rendered by Mr. Farwell, a recognition is due in some way more fitting than fugitive words. He filled the office of Treasurer until the time of his death — eighteen consecutive years — a period when the Institution was an experiment, and, in many minds, of doubtful success ; when it had no endowment, and when the funds for current expenses were often procured with difficulty. Many a time he stood under heavy burdens, sometimes bending, occasionally well nigh disheartened, yet giving money with a liberal hand, and personal service to an extent little known and imperfectly appreciated. After twenty-two years since his departure, it remains for the Board of Trustees and other friends to give * See Historical Sketch. 38 XEWTOX THEOLOGICAL IXSTITUTION. some significant expression of their estimate of his personal worth and of their gratitude for what he did to sustain the Institution when its wants were many and his fellow-benefac- tors not numerous. To his suggestion, at the close of life, as to a suitable successor, the Institution is indebted for the twenty-two years of faithful, gratuitous service of the present Treasurer. The Institution has had, with those now in office, eleven Professors: — Irah Chase, Henry J. Kipley, James D. Knowles, Barnas Sears, Horatio B. Hackett, Eobert E. Pattison, Alvah Hovey, Albert N. Arnold, Arthur S. Train, George D. B. Pepper, Galusha Anderson. Two of the number have finished their course, leaving a credit- able record. The number of its students, not including the new class just admitted, is five hundred and sixty-three. A portion of these enjoyed advantages less than the complete course — some as compelled by Providential circumstances ; others as withdrawn by influences to which they unwisely yielded. Large contributions to its funds, either by donation or by will, have been few. Messrs. Cobb, Farwell, and Bacheller, among the earlier patrons, together gave, during life and at death, in nearly equal sums, the aggregate of $57,150. Mi- chael Shepard, Elijah Corey, and Nicholas Brown, gave together $19,961. Others have since given generously; but the will has not yet gone to probate that contains the princely bequest ; the subscription is yet to be commenced that shall so enlarge the available income as to put the treasury in an easy condition. The Institution is free from debt, and has, ADDRESS BY REV. BAROK STOW, D.D. 39 besides eighty acres of land and these buildings, a permanent fund of $100,000, and a few endowed scholarships. But not until the Library shall have been largely increased, and an additional building for students' rooms erected, and $100,000 added to the endowment, can the Institution be regarded as suitably provided for, or as standing nearly on equality with kindred Institutions. The Department of Biblical Litera- ture and Interpretation — the fundamental Department — is quite too extensive for any one Professor, even for the un- surpassed veteran who has been twenty-seven years the faith- ful incumbent ; and no one who understands the matter will question for a moment that the interests of the Institution demand in that Department the services of an associate, who shall also be the suitable man for its future head. This is not a fitting occasion for appeal to the financial generosity of the friends of theological education. You are here to review the past, to rejoice over the present, and to welcome impressions that may induce liberal action in the future. You are witnesses of something accomplished ; but you see not all, or the half. You have not within your field of observation the hundreds of men who have gone forth from this hill with the treasured results of sound instruction and healthful discipline, and have blessed this land and other lands with good seed sown and bountiful harvests gathered. Not being an alumnus of the Institution — would that I were ! — I may speak on this point without embarrassment. Many, after serving their generation by the will of God, have en- tered into rest, and the records of their toils and successors are among the most productive investments of the Institu- 40 NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION. tion. In confirmation of this, I need but mention such names as John E. Weston, Eli B. Smith, George Leonard, Jonathan Aldrich, John Taylor Jones, Josiah Goddard, John S. Maginnis, Samuel B. Swaim, Frederick A. Willard, Wil- liam G. Crocker, Dura D. Pratt, Zebdial Bradford, Lemuel Porter, Jeremiah S. Eaton, Jotham W. Horton, and more of scarcely less note. Others of great worth are occupying important fields, and rendering service to our Zion, of which, but for their advantages here, they would have been far less capable. I might refer you for illustrations to high positions in Colleges and Theological Seminaries ; to pastorates in great moral, intellectual, and commercial centres in many States ; to numerous mission stations in pagan countries ; and in all these show you our graduates at work, making their influence felt in wide circles, all for God and his truth. Newton may point to her sons, and to the green spots redeemed by their fidelity from the wastes of apostate humanity, and confidently inquire if the results are not a satisfactory return for the outlay ; if the expenditure, material and mental, is not more than justified by the good accomplished. We had men who said in the beginning, and said still later, that the genius and polity of the denomination required no such instrumentality ; that it would prove a cumbrous and useless appendage. The comparison was to "the fifth wheel of a coach." Well, they were good men, with at least one infirmity ; and from the hills of holiness they may be looking down to-day, willing to correct their few mistakes, and wish ing their names had been enrolled as supporters of an enter- prise which their farther-seeing cotemporaries inaugurated in ADDRESS BY REV. BARON STOW, D.D. 41 faith and prayer ; an enterprise that has largely blessed the churches of our faith, and had the benedictions of countless thousands. The false theories of needed ministerial qualifi- cations, which, for a time, had baneful currency, — theories generated in an age of reactionary processes, — now have few defenders, and even those few are mortified witnesses of the futility of their reasonings. The Institution has seen its periods of darkness and de- pression, when some of its friends were faint-hearted, and spoke gloomily and apprehensively of its fate. But for the last few years it has been emerging into light and more gen- eral favor. Its prospects are richly brightening. No cloud of dark omen hangs over it. The radiance, not of the set- ting, but of the rising, sun now gilds this lovely eminence. You who have been faithful to this seat of sacred learning in its times of discouragement and trial, have now but to perse- vere in well-doing ; and, as some have seen their auguries of evil falsified, and others have had their fears dispelled, so you are entering upon a large realization of your hopes. God bless the Newton Theological Institution. / ADDRESS BY REV. ALYAH HOVEY, D.D., professor of christian theology. Mr. President, — In behalf of the Faculty I receive from your hand the keys of this building, and accept the trust which is signified by such an act. It is, indeed, a grave and high trust : may the Master whom we serve enable us to keep it to the honor of his name, by teaching his most holy truth. To us this is an auspicious day, and I only regret that my distinguished col- league, the senior Professor in this Institution, found it neces- sary to decline standing in this place and responding, with an eloquence natural to him but impossible to me, to the words which you have just spoken. But notwithstanding this re- gret, which I share, though in larger measure, with every one present, I rejoice in this hour, and congratulate the donors, the Building Committee, the Trustees, the members, and the friends of the Institution, on the completion of an edifice so long desired, so commodious and substantial. Compared with the public rooms which we have occupied hitherto, ADDRESS BY REV. ALVAH HOVEY, D.D. 43 those opened to us here fill the eye like halls of a palace, and viewed with reference to the purposes which it has been erected to serve, this building is unsurpassed by any that I have seen. You have been pleased, sir, to remind us of the past, of the origin and history of this school, of the charac- ter and labors of some who have been connected with it either as founders, as benefactors, as teachers, or as students ; per- mit me to look into the future, and say a word in respect to the work and importance of theological education, as under- stood by us whom you have entrusted with the keys of this new building. What and how precious is the gem which you have honored with so costly a setting? What is to be done, by the blessing of God, in this Seminary, for young men who are to be leaders of the church of Christ ? In replying to this question, I shall put aside all " criminal modesty," and utter freely the sentiments of my heart. These sentiments may be naturally associated with the chief apartments of this building, and by virtue of such a connection hold their place, for a time, in memories already charged with profitable thought. As one turns his eye reluctantly from the beautiful pros- pect without, and enters within these walls, the first apart- ment at his right is a Chapel, where officers and students will meet together for the worship of God. Morning and even- ing, from month to month and year to year, will the incense of humble prayer and holy song ascend to the Most High from that sacred place. There shall we present ourselves daily before the Lord, to acknowledge his infinite mercy, and to crave his blessing upon our work. Bowing there in our 44 XETTTOX THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION. darkness, heaven will be near to give ns light. Bowing there in our weakness, heaven will stoop to imbue us with strength. Full well we know that piety, true and healthful, gives heart and hope, vigor and success, to the student as well as to the preacher. Without it the Bible is dark, and the world a riddle : with it, the Word of God is clear and full as a mountain lake, and the nations of the earth a wav- ing harvest ready for the reapers. Hence, there is no room in this building which will be more highly prized than the chapel ; no spot in it which will be remembered with livelier gratitude by the long succession of faithful men who will come up to this place for sacred study, and go forth from it into the great field of labor. Bene orasse, bene studuisse ; yet I need not consume your time by describing the influence of habitual worship upon growth in grace, or of growth in grace upon usefulness in the ministry ; for thus far, at least, we are all of one mind and free from doubt. But while the chapel speaks of communion with God, the Reading-room opposite speaks of intercourse with men. Elec- tric wires, encircling the globe, will report to us in that room, through the daily and weekly press, the progress of human events, the ravages of sin and the triumphs of grace, the hopes and fears and perturbations of living hearts in every nation under heaven ; and this report will kindle in our souls a deeper and broader sympathy with mankind. The mem- bers of this Seminary will therefore be in the world, if not of it : they will hear its many-toned voices, and be touched by its mute appeals ; they will see the lights and shadows that pass over Christendom, will note the signs of the times ADDRESS BY REV. ALVAH HOVEY, D.D. 45 with reference to the spread of truth, and will watch the ad- vancing banners of their King in the distant east and balmy south and golden west. Karely, if ever, will they " The livelong day consume in meditation deep, Recluse from human converse ; " for this is no hermitage ; this consecrated height quivers per- petually with the pulse-throbs of a moving world ; and never, I am sure, will students who have access to that reading-room be justly accused of indifference to the great questions which agitate society, affecting the honor of Christ and the welfare of men. Going up into the second story, an observer will find three spacious Lecture-rooms. In one of these the Interpretation of Scripture will be taught, and so long as the present officer has charge of this work, — et series in caelum redeatf — it will be done with pre-eminent skill, enthusiasm, and success. By Scripture, I mean the Hebrew and Greek records penned "by holy men of old, who" wrote — for I may change a word without changing the sense — " as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." And when we bear in mind the peculiar character of these records ; their many writers living in dif- ferent ages and scenes; their varieties of style — narrative, preceptive, argumentative, hortatory, poetic, prophetic ; their interdependence and unity of aim in making known the mind of God, with their freedom of spirit, boldness of speech, and regard to present effect in addressing men ; when, too, we bear in mind the stores of knowledge which have been ac- cumulated during the last fifty years in respect to places, per- 46 NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION. sons, usages, and opinions mentioned in the Bible, and the almost marvellous industry and genius which have been brought to bear on the sacred languages, revealing more clearly their beauty and power; when, further, we bear in mind that the best commentaries are, and always must be, founded on the original text, so that half their value is lost to one ignorant of that text, and at the same time remember that the Bible is the only source of perfect truth from which ministers of Christ must draw, and draw perpetually : when, I say, we consider these facts, it is evident, beyond a perad- venture, that Biblical interpretation must hold the first place in every wise course of study for the Christian ministry. The Bible, we have been told, is the religion of Protestants ; and if this be so in any proper sense of the words, the min- isters of that religion cannot know the Bible too well. Other things being equal, he will be most likely to approve himself a workman needing not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, who has become acquainted with the original Scriptures, and has learned to detect and appreciate those finer shadings of thought and feeling — the atmosphere and aroma of every great writing — which can never be perfectly translated, and which give immortal youth and freshness to the words chosen by inspired men. In a second lecture-room above, an attempt will be made, year by year, to teach a Christian Theology ; to prove the Divine authority and inspiration of the Scriptures, to learn from them the cardinal principles of the Christian religion, and to exhibit the relations and harmony of these principles, putting them in order as a system. For related truths must ADDRESS BY REV. ALVAH HOVEY, D.D. . 47 belong to a system. They cannot stand apart, in solitary grandeur, like the pillars of a ruined city ; nor can they dis- agree, and wage an endless war with one another ; but, by their very nature, they must stand together, and every one be stronger for the union. It is, therefore, impossible to com- prehend any one of them without seeing its affinity with the rest, and noting the points which unite it to other members of the system. The scriptural doctrine of regeneration, for instance, pre-supposes that of human depravity, with the sov- ereign grace of God in election, and less obviously, though not less really, every other truth of Christianity ; so that a misrepresentation of this doctrine carries with it in the end a perversion of all the rest. Hence it is, that good men, who defame systematic theology in word, honor it in action. They are borne along by the resistless under-current of their ra- tional and moral nature to seek that very knowledge which they profess to shun. Moreover, if I am not mistaken, the mightiest reaction against modern skepticism springs from a vivid apprehension of the Christian doctrines as related to one another, and forming a consistent whole. It is the policy of unbelief to isolate these doctrines and assail them one by one, now attacking miracles, then inspiration, and anon the deity or atonement of Christ ; it will be the wisdom of faith to bind them together, as a sevenfold cord which cannot be broken. Besides, a good knowledge of Christian theology will give clearness, precision, depth, and soundness, to the preacher's message. It will enable him to lay hold of princi- ples, and set them forth with effect. It will give consistency to his teaching, and diminish the labor of preparation for the 48 NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION. pulpit. It will fit him to shun the by-paths of error, and to withstand the assaults of disbelief. What the world needs, now and always, is a theology catholic but well-defined, as wide-reaching and inclusive of truth as the Word of God, but at the same time as firm and exclusive of error as that Word. What it needs is not an exact interpretation and a lax theology, but an interpretation and theology both exact, both conscientious, both humble, refusing to add anything to or subtract anything from the sacred oracles, and uniting their voices to give steadiness and power to the onward movement of the church. Doctrinal theology must, therefore, hold an important place in every wise course of study for the Chris- tian ministry. In a third lecture-room above, Church History will be taught, — a branch of learning undervalued by some of us. In our zeal for the sole authority of the Scriptures, we have not indeed placed them too high ; but we have, I fear, some- times placed the lessons of God in history too low. The mistake, however, was natural, and is sure to be corrected ; for we are living in an age of historical inquiry, and must adapt ourselves to the wants of our age. Minds of the high- est type and culture are searching diligently after the great events which have signalized the different periods of Christ's reign on the earth, and are seeking to read the Divine thought which those events were meant to express ; it is, therefore, unwise for ministers of Christ to slight this grand movement, and leave its fruits in other hands. They, of all men, should be most eager to know the workings of that truth which they are called to preach ; and most interesting will they find them ADDRESS BY REV. ALVAH HOVEY, D.D. 49 to have been. For Christ is in his church, and every page of its history is replete with instruction. Properly read, it is a mighty argument for the truth of our holy religion ; an argu- ment which has been growing in strength from the day of Pentecost until now, and which, in the end, will crush, as with the weight of an avalanche the puny offspring of skepti- cism. Properly read, it is a faithful monitor, warning us betimes of dangerous passes in religious life and thought, where by-ways diverge insensibly from the way of truth, and charging us to beware of the first and slightest deviation as full of peril. Properly read, it is a powerful incentive to fidelity, revealing the grace of God to his chosen, with the discipline which leads them on towards holiness, and calling upon us to follow, in enterprise and self-sacrifice, the radiant pathway of men who, like Paul, counted not their lives clear unto them. Properly read, it is a vast storehouse of facts, vital and thrilling, which may be used to illustrate the Word of God, — a vast armory of spiritual weapons which may be hurled against the foes of Christ and his truth. Properly read, it improves the understanding, expands the heart, and augments the faith and power of the true preacher. Church history must, therefore, take a high place in every wise course of study for the Christian ministry ; and I rejoice that the great work of teaching it in this Institution has fallen to an officer whose character and ability and labors hitherto give assurance of distinguished success. In the same room above, instruction will be given in Sacred Rhetoric and Pastoral Duties, — instruction which is the nat- ural counterpart and complement of all the rest. For the 50 NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION. minister of Christ must not only know the truth, but be able to express it. He may have the original tongues, the doc- trines of grace, and the lessons of history in his mind; he may be critical, logical, and well-informed ; he may be wise, devout, and zealous, and still not be an effective preacher, apt to teach, able to set forth, as it were, before the eyes of men Jesus Christ crucified among them. The noblest thought may be robbed of its dignity by a mean presentation ; the mightiest truth may be shorn of its strength by a faulty ut- terance ; the clivinest love may lose itself in unworthy speech, as a sparkliug stream disappears in the desert sand. On the other hand, we all know that mere commonplaces of thought may be so expressed as to fix attention and move the heart. We all know that a fluent and impressive speaker can do much for the glory of God and the good of men, with little learning and perhaps no originality. And we all know that the faculty of speech may be cultivated and improved as rap- idly as any other faculty. It is, therefore, well-nigh impossi- ble to overrate the importance of Sacred Ehetoric in a course of study for the ministry. And hardly less important is judicious instruction in regard to the nature and duties of the Pastoral office, and in regard to the government and disci- pline of a Christian church. Intensely practical and interest- ing are the questions emerging at every point in this course of study ; and I have often been amazed at the levity with which candidates for the sacred office forego the benefit of examining these questions with a competent teacher, before entering upon their arduous work. Many a pastorate has been prematurely closed, and many a preacher has been ADDRESS BY REV. ALVAH HOVEY, D.D. 51 made a fugitive for life, trying in vain to escape from the shadow of early mistakes, for want of the knowledge which this course of instruction and study affords. But no officer of the Institution has need of more patience, tact, wisdom, culture, and enthusiasm, than the one who fills the chair of Sacred Rhetoric and Pastoral Duties. I take pleasure, there- fore, in welcoming to this chair — made vacant by the resig- nation of my able and honored friend and associate, Dr. Train — a Christian brother, who possesses, I believe, these qualities in large measure ; whose early training, whose ser- vice in a laborious pastorate, and whose wise and high-souled adherence to the right in times of peril are credentials giving promise of eminent usefulness in the new sphere of labor which he enters to-day. Most heartily do I welcome him to these scenes and toils and opportunities. Thus, Mr. President, every course of study provided for by this Institution has direct relation to the pastor's work ; everything which is not plainly serviceable in its sacred duties is faithfully excluded ; and the student is reminded, at every step of his progress, that a great warfare is before him ; that he is but strengthening himself for a little time, and girding on his armor, in order, thenceforth, to wrestle and fight more vigorously "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spir- itual wickedness in high places." I do not, however, claim that this school is perfect in plan or in administration. Hu- man wisdom will never, perhaps, be able to balance and adjust so well the influences brought to bear on students for the ministry as to give them the best conceivable culture in 7 52 NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION. every direction — in reason, imagination , and memory — in feel- in 2:, taste, and speech. To quicken the religious sensibilities, and secure for them a free and full expression ; to bring the imagination into vigorous use, without disturbing the rela- tions of truth ; to stimulate and employ the reason, making it the ally of faith and the servant of a renewed will ; to keep the mind alert, the heart open, the conscience tender ; to fill the soul with enthusiasm for a lowly, self-denying, but glori- ous work ; to call into action every power for good, and repress every tendency to evil ; and to put the student in possession of all possible resources for his life-work, is a task which no body of men on earth will ever perform. But we will aim at the sun, if we do not reach it : we will attempt much and expect much, though perfection is above. This, then, is the gem which you have honored with so costly a setting. This fourfold course of study and of in- struction it is, which you have seen fit to encourage by erect- ing the building which we are about to dedicate. Future generations will rise up and call you blessed, and the friends of Christ will pronounce this expenditure sagacious and be- neficent. For the edifice in which we meet bears witness to your love of truth, and confidence in the principles held by the founders of this school ; principles which are from above, from the Father of lights, and which will flourish best in the clearest light. For they are simple, self-consistent, spiritual, immortal, and too much cannot be done to present them dis- tinctly before the minds of men. I rejoice, therefore, in this building as an evidence of your faith in God and his truth, and as a pledge of your determination to afford all needed ADDRESS BY REV. ALVAH HOVEY, D.D. 53 helps to our rising ministry in ascertaining that truth, and preparing to diffuse and defend it. Among these helps is a room more spacious, and perhaps more attractive, than any to which I have referred. It is the Library, an apartment which must have gratified every one who has seen it ; for it is chaste, airy, convenient, and beau- tiful, worthy of the architect who planned it, and of the use to which it is set apart. And there can be no great seat of learning without a good Library. God has been pleased to deposit the knowledge of his will in a book ; and nearly all the facts which shed light on the pages of that supreme vol- ume must be learned from books. These are indispensable to theological teachers and students, — the tools with which they must labor in building up the edifice of sacred knowl- edge. We need more of them here. We have not half the volumes which are necessary for the proper examination of many questions lying in our very pathway. The vacant shelves of that Library ought rapidly to be filled with the choicest treasures of sacred learning, and then others should be added, alcove after alcove, until we have in this place a better collection of theological works than can now be found in our land. And when I think of the resources of this Building Committee, with their chairman/acz'Ze princeps ; when I think of other brethren scarcely less able and no less will- ing to aid in every good cause ; and when I see young men of enterprise and intelligence ready to join with their seniors in council and action to make this Seminary a glory and a blessing to our Zion, I augur good for the future. Such men, with means in their hands and love to Christ in their 54 NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION. hearts, will carry on the work so nobly begun ; and here, on this beautiful spot, prepared by the Architect of Nature for such a use, will flourish, through the ages, a " school of the prophets," acknowledging the Bible, and the Bible only, AS THE STANDARD OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE AND DUTY. Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide Treatment Date: Oct. 2005 PreservationTechnologies A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 111 Thomson Park Drive Cranberry Township, PA 16066 (724)779-2111