Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-06-28
THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY OF THE
SOUTHWEST.
rra.a .,,e anr. i.an oh.er yer.

Fr'lia tnn GHri tlln observer.
The nr,I ut u Theological s,tinil
ary ia tliu valley of thr Mississippi
has long heon scri'u-ly felt. Mar
than half century ago, when ou
two theological selninaritss were c.
! tabiiShe'l--ihe one in Prince E,l
ward county, Va, aud the other Il
Columbia, ). O., the centre OF pOpti
latioti of this country was near tn,
Atlantic sea-boarul. They were cen
trally located with reieTencc 10 th,
wants Of the Church at that time
The centre OF population since thei
has moved westward, till ii is nov
near Louisville, Ky, aud larg,
majority OF our candidates for the
| ministry come from west ol Tho
| Allegheny mountains. Those sem
| inaries are now aS remote from
many of the students as would bC
AN institution on the borders Of Can
ada. fi
Then we numbered less that fifty
thousand commandments 1loiO We
have nearly three times as many,
Sill we have only two such instItu'
tiOns. The lack of seminary that
Is accessible 10 our Western candi-
dates results in the loss of soule the
ministry who would gladly enter
II, il the means Of study were with.
in their reach and in the loss OF
Others to the Southwest, who do not
return home, but settle in. the
neiglIborhood where their studies
are pursued. Uut OF seventeen
graduates Of Union Seminary this
spring, eleven settled within the
bounds OF the Synod or Virginia.
The Church will be mnde glad by
the news that the Southwestern
Presbyterian University at Clarks-
vile, Tenn, has undertaken TO
meet the difficulty. AT the meet
ing OF the Board OF Directors last
week, Il resolved with great enthu-
siasIn to establish theological de-
partInent. Rev. DR.. Dabney was
unanimously elected to the chair OF
theology. The other chairs will be
filled by professors, ana the pastor,
on the ground. Rev. DIR. Dabney,
il he should accept, with Rev. Drs.
Waddel, Shearer, Price, and Lup-
ton, will make faculty for n TheO-
logical Seminary that will not suffer
In comparison with any seminary In
the land. The salary that will be
wanted was pledged for three years,
or until the endowment Is raised.
Steps were taken looking To the inn
mediate raising OF an endowment
Ot fifty thousand dollars for the
chair OF theology, The Seminary
will be in full operation rs soUn as
practicable. .fui- lf A--s. D" 80 %
This action was deliberately ta-
ken with sense OF the responsible
ity involved. AS DIR. Palmer
remarked, In announcing the ac-
ton of the Board OF Directors, "they
have burned tho bridgts"-there Is
no retreat--they are pledged 10 suc-
cess or 10 the pillOry-they will
e5tablisha a seminary that VIII be Il
blessing 70 our church in tire South
west, or incur the disgrace Of fail
ure. .4es
1t Is the grandest movement for
this portion Of our Church that has
been undertaken for years. 1t will
receive the cordial support OF the
six synods united in the control Of
the Southwestern Presbyterian Uni.
versity, and we trust, an equally
cordial support from other adjacent
synOds. 1t would have been a great
pleasure Ia the. people Of Kentucky
TO have opened a seminary here for
the use of students In the south. /.
west, and plans to that effect have
been debated Bat as this has not
proven praclIble, we rejoice in The
prospect OF an institution So close 10
US as to be easily accessible from
this, aud all parts Of the Ohio and
NJ Mississippi Valley. sgilamirli 4
IL is earnestly hoped that DIR.
Dabney will see his way clear 10
accept this unanimous and ehthusi-
astie call to the work for which he'I
ia pre-eninently fitted. When he
resigned the chair of theology al
Union Seminary, he had scarcely
from lingering and severe
illness. His health demanded u
change by his removal to Texas
he has Infused vigOr into the Uni-
versity Of that State, his health has
been benefited, he has done a good
work. There are n score of other
men who can teach lhe Texas boys
moral philosophy Just al well az ht';
)ut there Is not another who can
be iOund to fiIi this chair with equal
tbiiity. IL ls stated that the tate
DR.. Hodge said that Dr. Dalney
was the best teacher Of theology in
he world. His old students, be-
ieve it, aud the whole Church viii
be more than glad to see him again
engaged in teaching students for the 4
.Hiul ef.f iB bias ad 4
The opening of a theological course |
will have u happy Influence in en-
the students OF the Uni |
1ersity 10 study for the ministry.
Already the Biblical course Ol DR..
,hearer has convinced many young
nen who had thought the Bible a
Try book, that 1t Is Il precious, in
eresting study. There are already
young Inen Ut Clarks-
lille who are looking forward 10
he ministry. Aud, az Is proved by
at Hampden Sidney
md nc Princeton, the presence Of a
theological faculty will provoke
many more to consider the call OF
he gospel ministry. t., -.TI /