The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-03-30
FrOs, the Northampton Gasstts.
UNITARIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMI
NARY

FROM the Northampton Gazette.
UNITARIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMI
NARY.
About 20 years ago the orthouo1H IN
gregationalsts founded a theological semi
nary at Andover and few years sihee tue
BaDt;sts established Theological seminary
at Newton. The funds for these schools
were contributed by individuals nothing
was asked of the State but charter, and the
State has no concern with them. The Uni
farians for some years have had Theolog
;ral Seminary at Cambridge, connected in
some degree with Harvard University. Last
week statutes for establishing this Semina-
nv as the Theological Department of the
University, and for the appointment of Pro-
fessors, &C., were presented to the Over
seers of the University, assembled in the
Senate chamber, 1.-THE Senate forms part
of the Board of Overseers) and after some
discussion, adopted. Ifw understand this
subject, Unitarian Theological School is
now made constituent part of the Univer-
sity of the Commonwealth-isp placed under
the patronage of the State, and will be sup
ported in part by funds derived from the
State.
The statutes were adopted bya vote of
"a to 10. Among the IL who voted in the
negative, was one Unitarian clergyman,
Rev. DR.. Lowell of Boston. He wished
that the Theological School might be locat-
ed in aplace remote from the University,
said he would not vote ta make the connec-
ton between them more Intimate than it
had been, but would cheerfuliy vote for
proposition wholly to disconnecr them.
We bear no i'll will to Unitarians-we
do not intend to misrepresent their doings,
but we do believe that this kind of connec-
ton between church and state ought not to
exist in this Commonwealth it seems to US
violation of that part of our constitution
which says I" No suhordination Of any one
sector denomination of Christians to anoth-
er shall be established by law"
We will put one question to the people
OF all denominations. Ought this State, or
its legislature, or senate, to be concerned
in endowing, regulating or overseeing a
Divinity School, whether Trinitarian, or
Unitarian, or professedly of no denomlna-
ton?
The following remarks are fiom the
Christian Waterman, candid Baptist pa
per. They were written before the recent
statutes were adopted:
1t is in our opinion absolutely wrong and
morally unjust, to take the public money
for the purpose of raising any one. denomi-
nation above another. And were the at
tempt to be made in favor of the Baptists
the denomination to which we are more es-
peeially attached, we would oppose the
scheme with all our strength. We were
actually surprised that such plan should
have been brought forward by the Corpo-
ration. The friends of the college have en-
deavored to send abroad the impression,
that the University is not of sectarian
character, and have disclaimed the charges
as a calumny. How can they vindicate
their assertion? We presume it will not be
denied, even by the friends of the College,
that the Theological Seminary at Cam
bridge IS strictly Unitarian. Its officers
and directors are, we believe, all Unitari-
ans. We do not complain of this, if they
will keep it distinct from the University.
Nor dc we dispute the right of unitarioas
to establish Seminary for Theological in
struction in their own opinions, if they will
do it at their own charge. But we do SOL
EMMY protest against their uniting their
sectarian institution with the University Of
the State, and thus taking the public mon
ey to support Unitarian teachers, or the in
strnctors of any one denomination.
Our brethren, the Unitarians, many of
whom we honor as men of talents, have had
much to say against what they conceive 10
be an exclusive spirit in the orthodox but
we ask their consciences if this project of
taking the money of the State to support
their seminary, is not an exclusive spirit of
the highest character? What superior
right have they to the Shaking Quakers, or
any other denomination, to the property of
the Commonwealth We coDjure them as
gentlemen, and honest men, to abandon the
object, and to come forward, with the mag
nanimity and generosity of other denomina-
tions, to support their Theological Semina-
ry from their own private funds. When
the people generally shall be made ac-
quainted with the design against which we
contend, will they not feel greved if not in
dignant, that an attempt should be made
thus to sequestrate the public money for &
particular sect. And should the scheme
now operating succeed, and the new Pro
fessors be supported with the public money
more cash will be Immediately called fol
from the civil rulers
From the Boston .4dr eTtiSer.