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No. 32.— -Vol. 111.
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OBJECTIONS TO THE AMERICAN
EDUCATION SOCIETY CONSID
ERED.
♦
Continued from <rur Paper of Dec. 31.
FROM THE BOSTON RECORDER.
Objection 2. — “ The money is often be
stowed on those who do not need it.” So
far as this objection may be true, it involves
the moral character of the beneficiaries,
and of the “ three serious and respectable
men” whose “ unequivocal testimony” is
required to their “real indigence.” It ought
therefore never to be uttered lightly, nor
to he admitted as a fact without serious in
vestigation. If it be false, it is a slander to
which no epithet of baseness can he impro
perly applied ; if it be true, it is capable of
demonstralion, and on every principle of
equity might to be made to appear. The
pecuniary circumstances of each beneficiary
are known to the Directors as far as the
above mentioned testimony may be relied
upon; and they not only require such evi
dence of indigence at the commencement
of the beneficiaries’ literary course, but also
n written statement every year, “of his
necessities —of any change in his pecuniary
circumstances —an accurate account of his
necessary expenses, aud of any assistance
that he may have obtained, or may have
reason to expect from other sources.”
Such a statement is indispensable to a con
tinuance of charity. Now, either the Di
rectors are in fault, or the beneficiary, if
the objection be true. We believe neither
to he in fault; and if we are mistaken, will
he grateful to any individual to point out
the instance, by which the objection may
he sustained. If a young man applies for
aid. who is possessed of one or two hundred
dollars, is he to be refused for that circum
stance ? He must expend it, and earn in
some way much more, in order to complete
his education, even though lie receive $75
or SIOO per ann. from the Education Socie
. ty.’ The utmost that this Society proposes
’ to do for any young tnan, is to defray about
’ half his necessary expenses—leaving him
to make up the deficiency by his own indus
try, —the assistance of friends, &c. It ought
not to be regarded an unpardonable sin in
him to possess a little pittance, nor in the
Board of Directors to encourage him by
their proffered charity, to improve that
pittance is qualifying himself for the Chris
tian ministry. Bat in the ears of many, one
or two hundred dollars sounds large, be
cause it is more than they possess them
selves; —they ought to remember, howev
er, that with very rigid economy, a thousand
dollars will scarcely suffice to complete an
education at most of our Colleges.”
Objection 3. —“ Money is often bestowed
on those whose friends would support them
if there were no Education Societies to do
it.” Ills natural to inquire, how Ibis can
be known ? What is the evidence, that a
parent worth SSOOO, with a fiimily of ten
children, would send a sqn to College, if
THE MISSIONARY.
he had no prospect of assistance from Edu
cation Societies ? It may be presumed that
such instances would occur, because they
have occurred, and do still occur; but it is
not easy to prove , that parents who are
able to give their children a publick edu
cation, would do it without being encourag
ed to hope for aid. Are there not many
rich parents, destitute of piety, who would
rifcver advance a cent toward the education
of a pious son for the Ministry, who have
no respect for the office, and no complacen
cy in the effects that are to flow from it.
But if they will consent that their son be
educated for the benefit of the church, and
he possess “ promising talents,” ought not
the churches to educate him? Will not
their exertions for him probably result in
incalculable good to the world ? Is the
guilt of his parents to consign him to ob
scurity and comparative uselessness ? If a
youth has pious parents, able to help him,
who yet refuse to do it, from mistaken
views of duty to othpr members of their
family, they are accountable to God, and
we know’ not how they can stand excused
at the bar of conscience, or of their final
Judge, for taking from the sacred funds of
the church, to enrich their family. We
would not that our souls should be in their
9oul’s stead. Whether they think of it or
not, they are in fact robbing others; they
are taking from those poorer than them
selves to save their own purse strings.
This is ungenerous; it is cruel; it is wick
ed ; and it is bad policy too—for that Pro
vidence ot God which never sleeps, will
infallibly take from them in one way or
another, more than they thus take from the
poor of the church. But we contend that
the misconduct of parents, from whatever
principle il proceeds, ought not to interrupt
the flow of this sacred charity. In the first
place, it is believed, that instances of such
misconduct are very rare, and a few in
stances of abused charily ought not to pre
vent any min from being charitable; if
others are infatuated and left to do wrong,
it is no reason why wc should do wrong, and
we cannot refuse to aid in the education of
pious youth for the ministry.; according to
our ability without doing wrong ; i. e. ad
mitting that we are enlightened on the sub
ject. In the 2d place—all the young men
that are educated by the Society, are de
voted to “ Christ an • the Church”—they
are not educated for their own ease, emol
ument or honour, but to endure hardships
as good soldiers of Jesus Christ—to fight
the battles of the Lord—to suffer weariness,
puinfulness, watchings, fastings, &c.; they
are to be set for the defence of Zion, for
the protection of the saints, for the over
throw of the enemies of that cause w hich is
equally dear to every Christian ; for rear
ing the standard of the Cross or the hills of
idolatry; for bringing all nations to the
obedience of the faith. This is a work to
which every Christian i3 hound to contri
bute, and to which he can contribute in no
way more effectually, than by assisting in
the education of pious youth, if those
youth have no property of their own, they
cannot educate themselves. If their pa
rents are able and will not give them the
needed assistance, it may reasonably be
expected, that the property they hold in
reversion for these charitably educated
children, will ultimately flow into the treas
ury of the Lord; for when such young
men have given themselves, soul and body,
to the service of Christ, it is but a small
thing to give their property also.
Objection 4.—“ Young men of talent 9
and zeal, do sometimes procure an educa
tion without patrimony, and without publick
or private charity; therefore others can
do the same.”
What will the objector reply to such
reasoning as the following ; Washington,
the most distinguished general that has
ever commanded the armies of the United
States, had no regular military education ;
therefore, other young men may be as well
qualified for command without military ed
ucation, as he was. Again—Dr. Carey
passed through no regular course of classic
al study previous to going to Calcutta, hut
has since acquired such knowledge of the
Oriental languages, as to he made Professor
in the College of Fort William, and to be
come one of the most able translators of the
Scriptures, therefore other young men may
do the same, aud our Universities may he
regarded as useless institutions. What
some young men of talents can do, others,
of equally valuable talents cannot do. We
have known some youth who bad talents
enough to obtain an education without the
aid of friends or charftable institutions, who
had no talent whatever to make that edu
cation useful. We should be far from urg
ing this as an argument against economy or
industry, but it might be urged against
those virtues with as much force as thp
argument contained in the objection has,
against educating pious youth for the min
istry by charity.
It is very certain that an education is not
to be obtained without money, nor money
to be obtained by miracles. Those yonth
who have strength of constitution enough
to pursue their studies successfully, and yet
depend on their own resources for entire
support, are few in number, and those who
have the happy art of living above mean
ness, and yet spending almost nothing, are
GO YE INTO ALt THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE.— Jesus Christ.
MOUNT ZION, (HANCOCK CO. GA.) MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 1822.
fewer still. The talent of getting or saving
money ist not to be despised; it is highly
deserving of cultivation among ministers as
well as others; but we have never regard
ed it as a talent, characteristick of a very*
strong mind, though sometimes found in
connexion with such minds; nor as deci
sively characteristick of a weak mind. As
many men, destitute of “ talents and zeal,”
do in fact obtain an education without the
assistance of friends, as those that possess
talents ; therefore it is no proof! of talents
as the objection supposes, to pais through
a regular course of education without
charge to friends and pnhlick charities.
But a young man who relies wholly on
his own industry, must of necessity be often
embarrassed—his mind must become dis
tracted by the variety of his cares; and
very peculiar energy t>r dulness atone, can
prevent him from falling into a state of de
pression extremely unfavourable to the
prosecution of his main ohject. The loss
of much lime is unavoidable. And if he
can gain a given portion of knowledge in a
given time, while much of his mental ener
gy is wasted in devising “ ways and means”
for his support, how much greater the por
tion of knowledge be might gain in the
same time, if his whole intellectual
strength might be devoted to a single object.
Though it may’ be proper and commen
dable in some individuals to refuse the pat
ronage of Education Societies when they
have no other resources hut their own in
genuity, it will not follow that the same
course wrould be equally commendable in
all. Many would become premature vic
tims of the grave. Othets would sink into
insignificance through the force of mere
discouragement; and nearly all would find
difficulties of magnitude enough to retard
their progress materially. Desirable as it
may be for the relief of publick charity',
that indigent youth should support them
selves in a course of education: it is a well
ascertained fact, that they never will do it
to such an extent as to supply the increas
ing demands of the churches. On this
point, we believe the experience of the
past to be satisfactory evidence. They
must be encouraged with the expectation
ot charitable aid, or no inducement can pre
vail on them to submit to the pecuniary
burdens necessarily connected with a pub
lick education. Nor is this reluctance an
unreasonable one ; nor does it indicate any
want of Christian zeal. It is rashness, or
dinarily, in a young man to contract a debt
of SIOOO or SISOO before he commences an
active course, from which he may expect
emolument, and especially when he has m
view the ministry from which he can never
derive but a bare competency for the ne
cessary purposes of life. And in one shape
or other, such a debt must be contracted by
nearly every indigent young man, who en
joys no patronage, ft is highly proper
that every young man intending to devote
himself to the ministry should be encourag
ed to make the utmost efforts for himself
that health and wished-for success will al
low ; it is also necessary that he should
possess a spirit of self-denial, and be ready
to make sacrifices of inclination and interest
to duty; and these are points to which the
attention of the Directors has been abun
dantly directed, as their “annual reports”
and “circular letters” will show; but we
can never admit that the piety or zeal of a
youth ought to be called in question, from
the circumstance thfct he is unwilling to
plqnge into a labyrinth of difficulties, out of
which he can see n if way of escape, when
the whole Christian publick is as much
bound to make provisions for the perpetu
ity of the ministry as he is; as much bound
to devote a portioniof their substance to his
education as he is to devote the talents God
has given him to the enlargement of the
church.
We have onfy to observe farther on this
objection, that the Edecation society aids
only such as apply for aid, and prove their
need of it; of course young men are still at
liberty to obtain an education, without
laying themselves under unpleasant obliga
gations to charity ; they are not urged to re
ceive alms, nor considered disrespectful
when they decline any encouragement that
may be given them by the friends of the
Society ; so that the existence and enlarge
ment of the Society, need create no uneasi
ness to those who fin) one young man in a
hundred confident enongh in hit own resour
ces, to avoid obligations which are gladly
incurred by the remaining ninety-nine.
Ojection 5.—“ Many who receive assis
tance from the Society, are not benefitted
by it, being rendered thereby less frugal.”
It is an easy matter to bring forward alle
gations of this sort. Their foundation is
usually mere rumour. The testimony of
those who have the beneficiaries under
their care, flatly contradicts them. We
have often heard stories, full marvellous
enough for any gormandizer of fairy tales,
or legends of witchery, respecting the
prodigality of charity students; and those
stories have been examined, the truth has
been • found out, and the poor scholar who
had a friend kind enough to loan him a
horse and chaise for a journey that he could
not have taken on foot, but at the hazard of
his life—& another who wore a watch, the
valuable remembrance of some absent but
endeared friend—and another who ued a
decent balfworn coat, that had been given
him by an opulent relative, have all been
acquitted, as having done thereby nothing
worthy of death or of bonds !
That these young men are liable to im
providence, there can be no doubt. That
they do not always expend what they re
ceive, in the most advantageous manner is
highly probable. Eut older men sometimes
mistake their true interest; and if a few,
among 250 young men mistake theirs, does
it prove the whole number, or even the
few , to be prodigals?—But, as before ob
served, all these young men are obliged ev
ery year, to render their accounts to the
Board—to state the whole of their receipts
and expenditures in detail; if they are ex
travagant therefore, the Board must be ac
quainted with the fact: and in two or three
solitary instances, when extravagance has
been discovered, or even suspected, they
have instantly suspended any further ap
propriations. But it has hitherto been the
happiness of the Board to find almost no
just ground of complaint; on the other
hand, they have had satisfactory evidence
of a disposition among their beneficiaries,
not only to avoid every species of extrava
gance, but also “ the very appearance of the
evil.” If there be any just ground howev
er, for such a charge as the objection con
tains against any individual or individuals,
we venture to say that the Board will be
grateful for information, and lose no time
in their inquiries and decisions on the case.
It must be remembered still, that surmise is
not proof—and that common report is not a
proper foundation for judgment. Let eve
ry friend of Education Societies regard it as
his duty to watch over the beneficiaries
within the circle of his acquaintance—to
give them counsel and reproof as they may
need it—to instruct them in principles of
economy, and iunpre99 them with their res
ponsibilities to the church and to God, and
it is presumed that more real service would
be rendered to the cause of Charitable Ed
ucation, than by all the complaints and in
sinuations that have yet been uttered in
publick or in private life.
Objection 6. —“ Beneficiaries of such a
magnificent Society acquire a sense of their
own importance which has a pernicious
moral influence.”
To us, this objection is entirely new ;
and if we furnish no satisfactory answer to
it, in the haste with which we are drawing
to a conclusion, it is believed that a little
reflection on the part of Qur readers, will
save us the trouble of answering it hereaf
ter. What constitutes the magnificence of
the Society we cannot divine. With
scarcely any other funds than are supplied
by the liberality of the publick, from year
to year; unable to grant its beneficiaries
more than 50 or 75 or 100 dollars per an
um, and obliged to require their notes for
half that sura—the epithet “ magnificent”
is surely badly applied. It contemplates a
great object, and extends its patronage ac
cording to its means over the whole coun
try, but its patronage is limited by princi
ples of the strictest economy, and accompa
nied by so many cautions and admonitions
as to render it often irksome rather than
pleasant to receive it. It has indeed a
comprehensive name, and in the ears of an
American a great name; hut it is difficult
to conceive how this can exert “ a perni
cious moral influence” on the minds of
youth. The evil must lie either in the
name or the thing ; and whichsoever it may
be, the objection has equal weight when
urged against any other valuable institution.
Why are not the American Bible Society,
and the American Board of Commissioners
for Foreign Missions, chargeable with en
couraging pride in the objects of their
bounty, as well as the American Education
Society ? Their funds are much larg
er, their operations more extensive, and
for ought we know, a Bible from the press
in Sloat-lane may excite more pride in the
bosom of the receiver than another from
a pres 9in Comhill; or the Chocktaw In
dian may be more liable to pride in consid
eration of a Missionary being sent to him
by a Society that is able to expend $50,000
a year, than the Osage, whose Missionary
is not paid from so full a treasury. But
we are not enough acquainted with a cer
tain kind of metaphysics to discern the dan-
ger.
If we have occupied more space with
the consideration of these objections than
their importance deserves, we will trespass
no further on the patience of our readers,
by apologies. The solemnity and interest
of the object pursued by the Education So
ciety, require that no effort should he neg
lected to remove popular objections, and
inspire the publick with that confidence in
its principles and operations which alone
can insure its success.
By a letter from the Rev. Ebenezer Brown, it
appears there is a gracious revival of religion in
Middlebury, Vermont. He says, “ The most
hardened offenders came to the altar, seeking for
giveness, and desiring an interest jn the prayers
of God’s people. It was an awful timer I never
witnessed so mighty a revelation of the power of
God ; and yet the most perfect order prevailed,
and all was solemn as the house of death ! Indeed
order and solemnity characterize every meeting
for the publick worship of God. About fifty
have been added to our church since my resi
dence here, oiw of which is the high sheriff of he
county.” [Melkoditl Magazine. I
Price J s 3 v so pr - **“• oT 'i
’ e ’ } $3,00 in advance. $
LIFE OF MELANCTHON.
Philip Melancthon, one of the most dia
tingdished instruments in the Reformation,
was born at Bretten, in Saxony, on the
16th of February, 1497. His German name
was Schwatzerd, a name signifying black
earth. It was changed by Capania, his friend
and patron, ioto Melancthon, a word formed
from the Greek, having the same import
with Schwatzerd. Hi 9 father and mother
were both respectable. He was a celebra
ted engineer, and well known by most of
the prioces of his time. She was daughter
of the Mayor of Bretten. His father dying,
from having drank of a well whose waters
had been poisoned, when Melancthon was
only 11 years of age, the care of his edu
cation was assumed by Reuther, his grand
father on his mother’s side.
He was instructed in the Latin language
by John Hungarus, a superiour scholar and
an able preacher of the gospel. In the
academy at Phorhzeim he commenced the
study of Greek, and soon furnished indica
tions of a vigorous imagination, and an in
satiable thirst for solid learning. At the
age of twelve, he entered the University
of Heidelberg, whose professors were, for
the age in which they lived, men of high
celebrity. Here he continued but three
years, dispirited on account of the unhealth
iness of the place, and of the obvious dis
position of the professor*, to retard his
claims to literary elevation, merely on ac
count of his youth. entered at Tubin
gen, in the dutchy of Wnrtemberg, and at
the age of seventeen received his master's
degree. Erasmus, was so impressed with
his attainments, that, writing to a friend,
he say3, “ l am persuaded Christ designs
this youth to excel us all.” At the age of
twenty, he delivered, an elegant oration on
the liberal arts. Soon after he removed to
the Witteinberg University, and was ap
pointed to the Greek professorship. Here
he became the instructer of Luther, and
formed a friendship with this first of He>-
fortners, which continued unviolated either
by the temeriiv and decision of the one, or
the cautiousness and moderation of the oth
er. This intimacy was, in a high degree
propitious to themselves and to the inter
ests of the church of God.
In the schools in Germany, Melancthen
acquired such veneration that he was uni
versally regarded as the reviver of letters.
Almost every subject relating to philology
or science was by him adduced from obscu
rity, and illuminated with the radiance of
native genius and unwearied research.
Ilia writings, and especially’ his clasical lec
tures, on which many hundreds would at
tend at the same hour, created anew era
in literature. His constitution became
enfeebled by the severeness and multipli
city of his labours.
At this period the church of Rome wa9
reposing in all the consequence of authority,
and in all the blandishments of licentious
ness. The piincipal objects of prayer,
were a crowd of saints, with the virgin Ma
ry at their head. Relicks the most pre
posterous were amassed. Indulgences
were procurable for all the varieties of
crime- “Italy,” to use the w6rds of Lu
ther, “ was involved in- the most profound
Egyptian darknesg.”* Aroused by the
memorable disputation that took place at
Leipsick, between Carlostadt, a zealous re
former, and Eckius, an advocate for Popery,
Melancthoo entered on the study of the scrip
tures with fresh ardour. The doctrine of
the gospel opened on his mind with a splen
dour undiscovered before. He wrote an
answer alike mild and keen to the objec
tions of Eckius, promoting by its publication,
most substantially, the Protestant cause.
In the year 1520 he married Catharine
Crappin, daughter of the burgomaster o£
Wittenberg, a lady whose accomplishments
and virtues were a source of sacred pleas
ure. The liberality of Meluncthon was
distinguished. No mendicant retired emp
ty from his door. Candour towards hia
enemies, sympathy towards the sufferer,
condescension towards his doinesticks, and
a strong aod tender affection towards his
wife and children, characterized this emi
nent man. His sincerity wa9 unmingled
with dissimulation, his modesty uncorrupted
with self-esteem, and his humility untarn
ished with the breathings of pride.
In the same year, at the instance of Ec-
kius, (he pope issued a bull against the
intrepid Luther. Under all the embarrass
ment this unavailing attempt induced, Me
lancthon was Luther’s undeviating friend.
If less courageous than bis Christian broth
er, he was not less faithful to the cause in
which they were engaged, or less assiduous
it> promoting it. His “Loci Communes
Theologici” furnish a standing memorial
of the clearness of his understanding, the
correctness of his principles, and the piety
of his heart.f
* One of the monks, at this time, alarmed at the
prospect of the revival of letters and religion, thus
expresses himself. “ Anew language has been
invented, which is called Greek ; guard carefully
against it; it is the mother of every heresy. I
observe in the hands of a great many people, a
book written in this languge, which they call the
A'cii'-Teslamnit ; it ia a book full of thorns and
serpents. With respect to Hebrew, it is certain
my dear brethren, that all who learn it are in
•tantly converted to Judaittn." 1 ' — SitCox'thife. of
MAantlhon.
t The following is his illustration of tfie term