The New England Magazine, Volume 1, No. 1, January 1886 | Page 2

College, Hartford, (Illust.) Prof. Samuel Hart, D.D. 393
Tufts College, (6 Illust. by F. A. Bicknell) Rev. E. H. Capen, D.D. 99
Veritable Trader, A A. T. S. 529
Wayte, Richard and Gamaliel, and some of their descendants Arthur Thomas Lovell 48
Webster, Daniel, and Col. T. H. Perkins John Rogers 12
Webster, Editorial Note on Daniel 217
Webster, The Life and Character of Daniel Hon. Edward S. Tobey 228
Webster's Vindication Hon. Stephen M. Allen 509
Webster Historical Society Papers.--The Webster Family, (Illust.) Hon. Stephen M. Allen 340, 409
Williams College Rev. N. H. Egleston 485
POETRY.
To a Friend Edgar Fawcett 12
The Mendicant Clinton Scollard 112
Trust J. B. M. Wright 249
The Oriole Clinton Scollard 267
The Singer Laura Garland Carr 339
Trust Arthur Elwell Jenks 373
To Oliver Wendell Holmes Edward P. Guild 413
The Picture Mary D. Brine 421
Hunting of the Stag of Oeno? Clinton Scollard 503
On Hoosac Mountain Edward P. Guild 527
Bonnie Harebells Anna B. Bensel 536
FULL PAGE PORTRAITS.
M. R. Waite, Chief-Justice of the U. S. Facing 1
Madame Sarah Abbot " 99
Edmund H. Bennett " 197
James Otis " 301
Thomas Prince " 344
Henry Barnard " 393
Mark Hopkins " 487

THE
NEW ENGLAND MAGAZINE
AND
BAY STATE MONTHLY.
Old Series January, 1886. New Series
VOL. IV. NO. 1. VOL. I. NO. 1.
Copyright, 1885, by Bay State Monthly Company. All rights reserved.

BROWN UNIVERSITY.[A]
BY REUBEN A. GUILD, LL.D.
[Illustration: Sayles Memorial]
Brown University owes its origin to a desire, on the part of members of the Philadelphia Association, to secure for their churches an educated ministry, without the restrictions of denominational influence and sectarian tests. The distinguishing sentiments of the Baptists, it may be observed, were at variance with the religious opinions that prevailed throughout the American colonies a century ago. They advocated liberty of conscience, the entire separation of church and state, believer's baptism by immersion, and a converted church-membership;--principles for which they have earnestly contended from the beginning. The student of history will readily perceive how they thus came into collision with the ruling powers. They were fined in Massachusetts and Connecticut for resistance to oppressive ecclesiastical laws, they were imprisoned in Virginia, and throughout the land were subjected to contumely and reproach. This dislike to the Baptists as a sect, or rather to their principles, was very naturally shared by the higher institutions of learning then in existence.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: COLLEGE CHURCH.]
In the year 1756, the Rev. Isaac Eaton, under the auspices of the Philadelphia and Charleston Associations, founded at Hopewell, New Jersey, an academy "for the education of youth for the ministry." To him, therefore, belongs the distinguished honor of being the first American Baptist to establish a seminary for the literary and theological training of young men. The Hopewell Academy, which was committed to the general supervision of a board of trustees appointed by the two associations, and supported mainly by funds which they contributed, was continued eleven years. During this period many who afterwards became eminent in the ministry received from Mr. Eaton the rudiments of a good education. Among them may be mentioned the names of James Manning, Hezekiah Smith, Samuel Stillman, Samuel Jones, John Gano, Oliver Hart, Charles Thompson, William Williams, Isaac Skillman, John Davis, David Jones, and John Sutton. Not a few of the academy students distinguished themselves in the professions of medicine and of law. Of this latter class was the Hon. Judge Howell, a name familiar to the early students of Rhode Island College, as the University was at first called, and to the statesmen and politicians of that day. Benjamin Stelle, who was graduated at the College of New Jersey, and who afterwards, in the year 1766, established a Latin school in Providence, was also a pupil of Mr. Eaton at Hopewell. His daughter Mary, it may be added, was the second wife of the late Hon. Nicholas Brown, the distinguished benefactor of the University, and from whom it derives its name.
[Illustration]
The success of the Hopewell Academy inspired the friends of learning with renewed confidence, and incited them to establish a college. "Many of the churches," says the Rev. Morgan Edwards, "being supplied with able pastors from Mr. Eaton's academy, and being thus convinced from experience of the great usefulness of human literature to more thoroughly furnish the man of God for the most important work of the gospel ministry, the hands of the Philadelphia Association were strengthened, and their hearts were encouraged, to extend their designs of promoting literature in the Society, by erecting, on some suitable part of this continent, a college or university, which should be principally under the direction and government of the Baptists."[B]
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
Mr. Edwards, to whom reference is made in the foregoing, was the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia, to which he had recently been recommended by the Rev. Dr. Gill, and others, of London. He was a native of Wales, and an ardent admirer of his fellow-countryman, Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island.