The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1884-12-31


For the Central Presbyterian.
The Fifth Professorship in Union
Theological Seminary.
Two facts were made conspicuous by
the discussion of this matter in the Synod
at Wytheville. First, it was shown that
no one had clearly defined idea of the
subjects to be embraced in the Fifth Pro-
fessorship; and secondly, that no one
was able to suggest list of subjects that
would satisfy any one else. There was a
general agreement that the object of the
new chair was to give greater promi-
nence to the English Bible. The con-
fusion of ideas was evident whenever
any effort was made to suggest the way
in which this desirable object was to be
accomplished. At length the agent en-
ployed to raise the endowment, was call
ed to the stand. He made two very en-
phatic statements, and drew an infer
ence. Statement No. l. We cannot
safely take it for granted, owing to the
decay of family instruction, that young
men-even those from Christian homes
are familiar with the Bible when they
enter the seminary Statement No. 9.
We can safely take it for granted that
many who take the whole course and
graduate are not familiar with the Bible
when they go out from the seminary.
Intermediates ought to be chair de-
voted exclusively to the English Bible.
1t is not surprising that some of the
friends of the institution were ind gnant
at this presentation of the case It was
in effect to say that the present course
Is SO arranged as to omit the only thing
that it is the especial province Of the
illogical seminary to teach. What is
meant by teaching the English Bible?
Surely it is not meant that the students
need to be taught to read it, or to parse
1T. What is meant is that the students
should be made acquainted with its con
tents. But the contents of the English
Bible are the same essentially as the
contents of the Greek and Hebrew Bible.
1t the object is to give the student a
knowledge of the contents of the Bible,
it does not matter what language is used
to convey this knowledge, provided, of
course, it is language that the students
understand. If any Bible is taught at
all 1T Is, for all practical purposes, the
6hSAlOh OlOiO. 1NOWi SOLu6 vi Iu6 lTl6HUS
OF Union Seminary claim that the Bible
is the very heart and core of the present
course of instruction-the central sun
from which every text book borrows it's
light-the enthroned queen to which
every department of study pays con-
sSant and loving homage. They are
ready to say that if a student goes out
from the seminary without any familiar
ity with the Bible, it is simply and solely
because he goes out without any famil-
larity with the course of study through
which he has Just passed. Such stu
dent, it may be added, will 90 cut with
out any familiarity with the Bible, no
matter how many new professorships are
established for his benefit. The under
signed is not particularly interested in
this phase Of the question.
Apart from the discussion in the SYNOD
there are a few things to be said. First.
If the object in giving greater prominence
to the English Bible, is to modify. with
out enlarging, the present course we have
no objection. This would be putting the
advantages of the Seminary training
within reach OF students whose KNOWLEDGE
OF the dead languages is so scant as to de-
prive them of much that is now taught
only through the medium of those Ian
guages. One happy change has already
been effected in this direction since the
writer's seminary days. Turrettin has
been relocated to a secondary position,
and no doubt he enjoys a much needed
rest. While he reigned in the depart.
ment of theology, perhaps it is not over
estimating the matter to say that the
greater part Of the whole seminary course
was to be reached only through the
medium Of the dead languages, the stu
dents, like the demoniacs Of Gadara.
spent most of their time in the tombs.
But while we have no objection to the
Fifth Professorship on the supposition
that it is simply to modify the present
course, it was made perfectly evident
in the discussion on the floor of Synod
that many if not all the men of COM
handing influence would object most
vehemently to such modification. To