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made a change in the general face of our American
world, and as it has removed some difficulties
which were taken into consideration in our former
plan, so it has introduced others which deserve a
very weighty and impartial discussion. The common enemy to our religious liberties is now removed;
and we have nothing to fear from the pride
and domination of the Episcopal Hierarchy."
"A sufficient seminary for all the purposes of common literature, is now already established in the Jerseys,
and will probably be enlarged into an University, and be most favoured by the legislature in that
state. The erecting, therefore, a College, with all
the appendages necessary to justify the appellation,
at Brunswick, appears to be an object at once beyond our funds, and in itself unnecessary. The
question will then recur, what must, what ought,
what can we do? To me, there appears but three
possible methods, which, if not free from difficulties, seem to be upon the whole at least practicable,
and in some measure calculated to answer the
purposes we wish to obtain — either to wait until the
government of this state shall organize the College
in the city of New-York, and then appoint a professor for our Churches in that College, to be supported
by the funds of the College: or, to request,
(which, if done, will doubtless be obtained,) a local
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union with Princeton, where a professor of our nomination, and supported by us, may teach in their
house, and the students have the privilege of their
library; — or, lastly, that our Churches support their
independence, and distinct name and existence, by
erecting at Brunswick — not a College, but a Divinity-Hall, for the sole purpose of teaching Theology."
"I will freely communicate to you my sentiments
upon each of these, not only because you have a
right, as a friend, to know my opinion, but because
I wish to prompt you to an explicit declaration of
your own mind upon the subject, as I am by no
means fixed in my views, but would fain gain all
the advice possible in a matter which is justly considered by all as important, and which cannot succeed
without the joint concurrence and approbation
of the whole."
"With respect, then, to the first thing proposed,
it appears to me the following difficulties are altogether insurmountable — 1. The time may prove
too long for the wants of our Church before the
College in New-York is properly organized. 2.
The old Charter of that College, and the funds
which were given upon express condition of the
operation of that Charter, will create some difficulties: these have still their friends, who will be
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