THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY.
It is time that I should now advert to the origin and progress of
one great instrument of the Church's prosperity in Virginia,—the
Theological Seminary at Alexandria. As Bishop Moore was about
leaving New York for Virginia, in the summer of 1814, Dr. Augustine
Smith, a native of Virginia, who had been for some years
Professor in a Medical School in New York and who was then
about to take charge of William and Mary College, met him in the
street and proposed that the Church in Virginia should establish a
Theological Professorship in Williamsburg, and thus make the College,
what its royal patrons designed, a School of the Prophets.
Bishop Moore encouraged the proposal, and a deputation of one of
the Professors was sent to the Convention of 1815 for the purpose
of promoting the plan. The Convention approved it, and the Rev.
Dr. Keith became the minister of the Episcopal congregation in
Williamsburg, and was prepared to instruct any candidates for the
ministry who might be sent there. During a stay of two years
only one presented himself. On various accounts Williamsburg
was found to be an unsuitable place. The Convention of Virginia
had appointed Col. Edward Colston and myself a Committee to
correspond with the Bishop of Maryland and some leading laymen
in North Carolina, proposing a union with Virginia in the establishment
and management of the Seminary at Williamsburg. From
North Carolina we received no answer. From the Bishop of Maryland[12]
we received a prompt and decided refusal, accompanied with
such severe strictures on the religion and morals of Virginia that
we did not present it to the Convention, but only reported our
failure. Williamsburg especially was objected to on account of its
infidelity as altogether unfit to be the seat of such an institution.
Those of us who were engaged in the resuscitation of the Church
were also said to be extravagant in some of our notions, as is apt
to be the case with those who in flying from one extreme rush into
the other. There was much in the letter but too true of the laity
and clergy, both of Maryland and Virginia, in that and past days.
Having failed in our experiment at Williamsburg, we determined to
make trial of it in Alexandria, by the help of our Education Society
—Dr. Keith, Dr. Wilmer, and Mr. Norris, being the Professors.
The General Theological Seminary was now getting under way,
and its friends were afraid of some interference with its prosperity.
The ground was taken that this was the institution of the Church,
and its claims paramount to all others. Most threatening letters
were addressed to Bishop Moore, calling upon him as a Bishop of
the General Church, bound to guard its unity, to interpose and
prevent the establishment of the Seminary at Alexandria. Happily
for us, Mr. Kohn had bequeathed a large fund for the General
Seminary in New York, where it was located when the will was
written; but, meanwhile, it had been removed to New Haven, and
it was contended that it could not inherit a legacy which was given
to an institution in New York. Bishop Hobart now took the
field in favour of Diocesan Seminaries and wrote a pamphlet on the
subject, claiming the legacy for one to be established in New York,
under Diocesan rule. A General Convention was called to settle
the question, and it was compromised by restoring the General
Seminary to New York, on certain terms, which, as it was foreseen
and predicted, made it and has continued it, virtually, a New York
Seminary. But we heard no more after that of the schismatical
character of the Virginia Seminary, nor have we since that time
heard any other objections of the kind to those established in Ohio,
Kentucky, Illinois, and Connecticut. Our Seminary continued for
several years in the town of Alexandria, until we raised sufficient
funds to purchase its present site and erect some of its buildings.
We are indebted to the zeal of Mr. John Nelson, of Mecklenburg,
for the first moneys collected for that purpose. He visited a considerable
part of the State, and raised a handsome contribution to
it. In the year 1828 I took my turn, and visited a still larger
portion of the State, realizing a greater amount. Other calls
have at successive periods been made, and always with success.
An attempt to raise an Episcopal fund for a time interfered with
and postponed this, but it was soon evident that this was the
favourite with the people, and the other was relinquished.
