The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-03-09
Columbia Seminary.
Fredericksburg, Va.
BY REV. DIR. T. W. HOOPER.

slant personal intercourse of DR.. j. l..
Girardeau, who is now acting as agent
for this institution. l knew him by rep
utation, and several times I had heard
him preach; but now, think 1 know
the man. An inmate of my house, he
made an impression upon us all, such as
only a few comparative strangers have
ever made. We took him. out hunting
cartridges, rode with him, walked with
him, and talked with him, until twelve
o'clock at night Other ministers came
in; and we drew him out on all sorts OF
subjects, from the merriest jokes, the
most thrilling narratives of army expe-
rience, and pathetic scenes of pastoral
life, to the deepest, profoundest disqui-
sitions on the most abstruse subjects oil
Polemic Theology.
He preached for us, in the morning,
for over an hour and half, and gave us
one of the most splendid discourses, which
contained a whole compendium of the
gospel. At night, he gave us sermon
on the judgment, which in descriptive
power and word painting, have never
heard surpassed.
But what has all this to do with Co.
lumbia Seminary? Much every way. I
am more thoroughly satisfied than ever,
that he is to Columbia, what DR.. Dabney
is to Union Seminary, and that with two
such men to teach our students syste-
matte theology. these young men will
feed on "The marrow of modern divin-
ity." And after free interchange of
views with him, am convinced that
Columbia Seminary is essential to the
full equipment and development of our
Southern Church. In spite of all his
personal efforts, there are now twenty of
our Southern students at Princeton, and
Union Seminary, New York. This is
enough to convince us that we must re-
open Columbia Seminary this fall or
else, we must prepare to have our young
ministers educated at the North. Before
the war, tried Northern seminary for
four months, and from my own expert
ence, 1 am prepared, honestly and con-
scientiously, to urge our young men not
to go there.
AS an alumnus of Union Seminary,
Virginia, [ am free to say, that this
would be my preference over all others,
but as member of one of the Synods to
whom Columbia is to be transferred by
the next Assembly, am obliged to feel
an official interest, and think now 1 can
say 1 feel a personal interest in it, such
as | never felt before.
Were Union Seminary in want of funds,
L would not hesitate to ask my session
to allow it's agent to present the cause for
contributions. But happily for us, so ta,'
at least, there is no need of additional en-
dowment. So that, as far as this matter
is concerned, you in Virginia, are in that
state described by the beloved disciple
who have enough, and see your brother
have need and the question comes, if
you shut up your bowels of compassion,
how dwelleth the love of God in you?
From the delicate sensibilities of the
man, know that DR.. Girardeau would
be the last man in the world to ask such
favor. But if DR.. Hoyt in Nashville,
and DR.. Stuart Robinson in Louisville,
could 1nUlte him to come to their churches
and present his cause, would it not be
graceful thing, and brotherly thing,
and very becoming thing, for the breth-
rem in Richmond, and Petersburg, and
Norfolk, and Lynchburg, at least 10 in
vite him to do the same among their
churches f,t
/ know all about the poverty of the
people-for the cotton crop around Selma
was such failure that many planters are
insolvent, and their commission mer-
chants, who made them advances, are
holding the bag" But for~all that, my
own church in the last six months, has
spent 5000 in needed repairs helped six
churches to build their houses of worship.
educated a candidate for the ministry.
subscribed over 800 to the pastors sal
airy of sister church, and after all this,
subscribed about 800 to Columbia Sem