, 1859-12-07

Dr. Rice on tho n. W. 8eminafys
Communicated to the Cincinnati Gazette]
FrEpL1suEn B1 REouEsr.l
EDS. GAzE71E: Although the article lately
copied by you from the Fort Wayne R!puttseaH
(which article was based upon ore il another
paper,} contained come erroEs which were
promptly corrected, it really came as near glT'
ing true idca Of the sentiment Of tho North
ter, pub1ished in your FEidsy's issue: That
article gives IN exceedingly erroneous lmpres-
sion to all those not previously familiar With the
case. It would represent Tint Of nine Synods,
all but two are satisfied with The present organ
ization Of the Chicago Seminary. :.
The facts are these: The Synod Of Cincinnati,
By far the largest one, containing ninety 81
ministers, at its late meeting, resolved that i
"has no.aort peculiar Local iatrtlt in tAI Sf4n1-
nary, taon t1as in <sery other 1Geo|o3c7i Semi.
nary undsr tA< edre Of hs General Asse'"ofy."
Now, thi. Synod did continue to take "pecuhar
for some time utter resolving to surrender It to
the General Assembly, aud pp to tae, fians q ~
pres<nt organisation. Six months ago it stood
ready to give forty Thousand dollars, and nearly
ull its Presbyteries, scattered through hall tEe
State Of Ohio, passed strong resolutions expires;
siye Of deep interest in what they considered
peculiarly their own Seminary. 1t is disappoint~
ment and the entire defeat Of its wishes IN the
organization Of the Seminary, fhat has caused
the Synod Of Cincinnati to feel no more special
inter- st in the Seminary Of the Northeast, than
in thnt Of Danylle.. Ky.. or that ct Princeton,
the Chicago Seminary is known to be strong
and almost universal in the Cincinnati Synod;
although its resolution on the subject IS bFleter
aud less detailed than that Of some Of the other
Synods.
diana passed resolutions Of disapprobation and
withdrawal, and in both cases by votes Of more
than two to one. In the Synod Of Illinois,
stronger r<solutions ogainst TIE Summary located
in il otoa Stdt<, were introduced than into any
other Synod. TAese resolutions reces1ed !scensy
| eot<s. 1tctnty,fre tconn hare carried them
| through.
Nor arc even those Of this Synod who were
unwilling to condemn Chicago, united upon that
Seminary. We arc expressly informed that
| quite numberprefer Danvi!le; that the friends
deed be inferred from the final action, which
| expresses only the same interest in tha Chicago
Seminary as in the more remote one Of Dan
yilIe, ky.
| Ia the Synod Of Chicago, no disapprobration
was expressed, as Dr.. Rice truly represents. It
may be noted, however, that the Synod was sit
ting in Dr. Rice's own church, in presence Of
tic students, and Of the Professors who were
about to be innugurated. This is the only Synod
OF the nine that thought fit to recommend tho
Seminary to the Churches for recuniary aid.
though appeals had been sent forth far and
|
rious to tue meetings Of tue Synods' Bu', ss
is we'll known at Chicago, there is strong dis
sent from the presnt organization With mnny in
that S5nod, amounting to full oue-thifd Of the
body; however, for prudential and wise Tcasons
its expression was withheld.
took no action" DR.. Rice infers that ut either
approves or acqu;esces." This is an e1traordi
nary inference! Indeed it is directly in the face
Of that Synod's known sentiment. It has al'
why's voted with the Synods Of Cincinnati, In
diana and Northern Indiana; and It its las!
expressed decided reluctance to committing the
organization to the Assembly. In addition, wt
have undoubted information thnt no change O.
sentiment has taken place.
The Synods Of Wisconsin, Southern 1ows
and Missouri, as Dr.. Rice observes, "took nj
| action" In the two former there is respccta
Bile minority, to say the least, who feel aggr'er
ed The SFnod OF Wisconsin has its sympa
! Tiles to a considerable extent with Eastern
s;eminarie. in accordance with views expressed
by at least one OF the Presbyteries last spring
that no y. ". Seminary WAS needed.
! In the case Of the Synod Of Missouri tho non
action Was doubtless oriug to the fact that I
minority I've have been informed three -fouEtbs
: of that synod support Danrilc. It has, indeed
. not Of latc..been associated With the other -
mods, except in SO fur as it has been drawn in
S in order to deleat The wishes Of tie Northwest
synods Improving the Seminary, the reality c
> the case is, it can scarcely be said that tuer
l. arc two Of the nine that hare nny strong an
il spccial sympathy with THE Institution. Til
| great body Of those who founded the Seminar
> who sustained 1t for many years, By their pa
i tronage and contributions, and who, last Sprin
t in full confidence that its organization would
2 | such US to l,nrmon;ze tile field, hare felt cor
N strained to Withdraw from its support, by i
rect vote to that effect. It may be remarked
t,o, that tue ssntin.nt ofdisappsoyal is stronge
than the rott, for there were sumo who were ii
willing to appear 10 condemn the work Of th
Assembly, though they disliled it altogether.
:. While then it may be hoped that under II
Is bcredcient orerru!ing Of Providence this Il
" st;tutiou nav one day BECOME source of gre,
r blessin. 10 the North West, and the occasion
y Of present dissatfs notion may be removed {
$ effected by time, yet this end is not to be reac
j. ed by over-strained representations Of unle
in that does not exist That tue chagrin and di
satisfaction is no slight matter, is plain fro
It the painful fact that this Seminary Of tho nil
> Synods, with its large endowment md four NJ
+. fessors, has but ten ur twelve students. thofl
there arc under the care Of these Synoda ii
s. hundred and five candidates for the n.inistr
Ct 1t has onc-third less than New Albany Sen
K nary, with its two Professors aud three synod
:. at the time it was Iisbanded.
~ Dr. Rice is unwilling 10 be regarded as Pr
is self as such-Rs is the case with every ,n'
- living in tie North, almost without except,o
. No doubt he sincerely thinks SO. hut = lar
e body of his. bretherea in the North est thii
1e differently. SoHru- II EST.