APPENDIX.
[pp 25-31]
March, 1849.
Eighteen months have passed since the foregoing
letters were written, and the Nashotah Mission has therefore
been subjected to a still further test of time. Its course, however,
has been onward, each month has demonstrated more conclusively
the stability of the principles on which it is founded, and enabled
it to exert a wider influence for the Church, through all the
North West. It will be well, therefore, to mark its progress,
and state the points in which changes have taken place.
The
principal of these is, the Incorporation of the Mission by Act
of the Legislature of Wisconsin. This is a charter full satisfactory
in every particular to the friends of the House. It is endowed
with University powers, and every right is secured to it which
is necessary for the entire preservation of those distinctive
Church principles, to advance which it was established. The Trustees,
who can not exceed seven in number or be less than five, have
been appointed, and the whole property of the House has been
transferred to their keeping. The Mission itself, in all its
departments, is governed by a Faculty, composed of the Bishop
and Clerical Members of the House.
The Charter recognizes the following departments
connected with the Mission, viz.: 1. The Divinity School. 2.
The College. 3. The Academical Department. 4. The Parish School.
Of
these, the Divinity School, which was the earliest established,
is always to be the first and controlling in its influence. To
it is committed the entire internal arrangement of the whole
community at Nashotah. To its students the Faculty are to look,
as those most deeply interested both in the spiritual and temporal
affairs of the whole Mission, It is not to be, as in most institutions,
first the College, and second the Divinity Department,
but the latter is to stand first. The principle on which
every thing is founded is, that the whole Institution is to have
no existence apart from the Brotherhood of the Theological Department.
When that perishes, it is felt that all the Church can prize
at Nashotah, must likewise perish. With the students of this
alone, there is manual labor, and a constant home. The members
of the other three departments are excused from labor, and are
pay scholars. With these, when vacation comes, Nashotah ceases
to be a home; but with the first department, its members remain
and pursue their labor the more closely, because studies are
for a time suspended. It is to be separate too, not only as a
department, but in its location. To it will always be attached
the Chapel of the House and the Library, and thus all arrangements
will tend to show that this is regarded as the most important
feature of the Mission. The present number of students is about
thirty.
The College will not probably be
opened for several years, but the Academical and Primary
Schools are already in operation. The latter was begun upon
the Mission premises, December 1, 1847. In the first year it
averaged forty scholars, and we believe the present number is
about sixty. Of these, sixteen are from the lake towns. They
board in families living on the Mission premises, and are entirely
under the supervision and control of the Faculty. This is looked
upon as the nucleus of the Academical Department. The students
are under the charge of four of the Lay-brothers, who each spend
three or four hours a day in the school, while the professor
of languages gives it also his personal oversight. The Rev. President
visits it also once a day, remaining an hour for the purpose
of teaching the catechism. There are several classes in the school
in different grades of religious instruction, the teaching of
which is confined entirely to the clerical members of the Institution.
So great has been the progress of the scholars in secular learning,
that many through the surrounding country who differ from us
in faith, send their children, and even submit to the religious
teaching.
During
the past year the Faculty has been strengthened by the addition
of another clerical professor, who will probably devote his life
to the interests of the Mission. Of him, it is only necessary
to say, that his thorough scholarship enables him to take the
oversight of the department of languages, including the Hebrew;
his aid is also rendered in several branches of the theological
studies, and particularly in that spiritual training of the students
which is to give life and vitality to every thing they require.
The
course or preparation for the candidateship is intended to be
made thoroughly adequate to the mental necessities of one entering
upon the study of theology in its various departments; namely,
as furnishing the requisite amount of mental discipline, a radical
knowledge of the Latin and Greek languages, the primary mathematics,
belles-lettres, history, mental and ethical philosophy. The course
in this department although limited when compared with the paper
course of ordinary colleges, will be adhered to strictly,
will be enlarged from time to time, and embraces the most thorough
tuition as far as it goes. Every thing has a direct reference
to the missionary life.
In
the Latin language the studies are these: in addition to a thorough
acquaintance with the Grammar, (which is furnished the student
in manuscript by the professor in this department, and is illustrated
and explained at the black board,) and with the more primary
books there are; 1. Cornelius Nepos, entire, rendered into English,
and imitations from him in English, rendered into Latin on alternate
days. 2. Three books of Caesar, and the History of Cataline,
by Sallust, or in lieu of the latter, the four Catalinarian Orations
of Cicero, with frequent translations of English into Latin.
3. In Latin prosody, the Latin Rules of Alvarez committed accurately
to memory, and applied in reading three books of Virgil,s Eneid.
4. Livy, the first four books, (about two-thirds of the edition
commonly used,) analyzed with reference to the construction of
Latin sentences, and the use of tenses, and translated at the
same time with severe accuracy, and a due attention to the foundation
of an English style, which it is believed may be better promoted
in this was than any other. The Satires of Horace, entire, with
some of the odes, in which particular attention is paid to the
metres and scanning. Alvarez,s Prosody is continued through this
year. Added to this, there are occasional exercises in the writing
of original compositions in the Latin language, and once in every
month the class spend several hours in the presence of the Professor,
when they are furnished with a piece of difficult Latin from
one of the old authors, which they are required to translate
into English in writing, without any other assistance than a
Lexicon, in the way the examination tests are conducted in the
English Universities.
In
the Greek language the course is equally thorough. The student
is required to recite a synopsis of the Grammar, embracing all
the usual forms, from beginning to end, at one recitation, before
he is allowed to begin translation at all. Then follow, Jacob,s
Greek Reader, two-thirds, the Cyropedia and Anabasis of Xenophon,
six books of the Iliad, and a play of one of the tragic poets.
The Greek course, however, is not yet considered as full.
The
mathematics are pursued through Euclid, and in English studies,
attention is paid to English Grammar and Rhetoric, the Analysis
of Pope,s Essay on Man, composition of original essays, elocution
and extemporaneous speaking. In the natural sciences, natural
philosophy and chemistry, with the use of such apparatus as they
may be able to procure. In history, Taylor,s Manual, with lectures,
and in mental and moral science, the excellent Treatises of Abercrombie.
This
comprises the preparatory course at present, and considering
that every thing here laid down is exacted, it may be
regarded as already not much inferior to that of ordinary colleges.
The scheme of study thus described, is in actual operation
at present, and not merely what is proposed to be done in
the future.
Having sustained a satisfactory examination
in these studies, the student is prepared to become a candidate
for Holy Orders, and to enter upon the study of the various branches
of theology.
The
course of theological study embraces four years, and is
mainly that laid down by the House of Bishops.
In
the first year, the student reads Prideaux, Horne,s Introduction,
and the whole of the Greek Testament critically with Bloomfield,s
Annotations. Hebrew is begun this year, the grammar mastered
with Stuart,s Chrestomathy. The Hebrew course, as recently prescribed
by the Faculty, embraces three years. The first is devoted to
historical prose, with Exegesis; the second to the Messianic
Psalms, with Christology; the third to selections from the four
great prophets, with lectures on Hebrew poetry and sacred hermeneutics.
The
second and third years are principally given to dogmatic theology.
The usual topics, both didactic and controversial, are discussed
by lecture, and in the use of the standard text books. Special
attention is aid to the Calvinistic and Romish controversies,
and the student is prepared as far as possible, not only to unfold
the doctrines of Christianity from the pulpit, but to meet and
repel the various heresies which flourish no where in wilder
and ranker luxuriance than in the West. Especially in moral theology,
and what may be called "subjective divinity, is pains taken
to ground the student in Catholic doctrine. The doctrines of
the fall, of original sin, of the grace of the Holy Spirit, of
the need of an atonement, and of salvation only by Christ,s merits,
and the further doctrines of conscience and the will, the affections,
or those that in general concern man,s nature, are largely dwelt
upon in the teaching of this year.
The
fourth year is devoted to Church history. In the composition
and delivery of sermons, there are weekly exercises of all the
students throughout the whole course.
The
devotional services of the House remain as they were two years
ago, with some little addition. Every Sunday evening there is
a spiritual conference on some subject in practical divinity,
which is made altogether a devotional exercise, to promote in
some measure that growth in grace, and the wisdom that cometh
from above, without which, the brethren of Nashotah feel that
their labor were vain and their hopes vain, and which it is the
primary object of their lives to acquire. A subject (for example,
"humility or "self-denial,) is assigned to the students
at one conference, to be mad a subject of meditation during the
week, and they are to be prepared, when called upon, to declare
the result of their reflections. The Professor then sums up,
and concludes with prayers. The Rev. President and the professor
of languages alternate every Sunday in the Chapel pulpit, and
also preach extemporaneously after prayers every Wednesday and
Friday evenings during Advent and Lent. Their sermons pursue
a regular system of the practical catholic life, discussing those
subjects which are most appropriate to the season of the year.
We
have thus placed before our readers as complete a view as possible
of the Nashotah Mission. There seems to be no limit to the usefulness
of the Institution, if its friends at the East would furnish
means for its expansion. It might occupy the whole diocese for
the Church, not only moulding the minds of the rising generation
by its primary and academical departments, but yearly sending
out men from the theological school who are trained to hardness
and adapted to the labors of the West. But at present this influence
is narrowed by the impossibility of supplying accommodations
for the students who apply. In a letter from the Rev. President,
(dated June 20th, 1848,) he says: "We are crowded with students,
and have now converted into rooms for the Lay-brothers, all our
buildings that will admit of such transformation. I have refused
three or more students this spring, and must refuse all that
apply for the present. This is bad, I confess, but we have no
means whereby to accommodate more, and no means to build. We
have now thirty divinity students, and several more are expected
whom I had engaged to take. What shall be done? Bishop Kemper
wishes for clergy, and those suitable for the West. In a letter
of May 20th, written at Burlington, Iowa, he says: You inform
me you see not how you can take another student at Nashotah,
for want of room. This is deplorable, when I see immense districts
settling throughout the North West"Congregational preachers
and Romish priests crowding into them"and no one appearing
even to tell of the Church. If we are right, we ought to accomplish
much more than we do. I ought to have at least a dozen clergymen
every year to locate. There is a place not more than twelve miles
from Galena, where without moving a step, only turning around,
six Romish Chapels can be counted., And in a letter to the writer
of this pamphlet, (dated Feb. 6, 1849,) the Bishop says: "Buildings
are now exceedingly needed. The determination of the Trustees
and of the Faculty, and particularly of our indomitably persevering
President, to keep out of debt, may greatly delay the
growth of Nashotah, but must afford satisfaction to every friend
of our glorious cause, that there will be no waste of funds and
no breaking up of the Institution. Oh! if the Church at the East
would only give us means, Zion in Wisconsin would soon be flourishing,
glorious, and powerful.
Let
the fact be known to the Church, that young men looking forward
to Holy Orders, are prevented from entering on their studies,
because they can not be accommodated at Nashotah. But ought
these things so to be? Shall the golden opportunity for the West
pass by, and the field be occupied by others, and laborers be
asked for in vain, while they themselves are standing ready,
saying: "Here am I, send me?
We
would propose then an effort in which all can take an interest.
Dr. Muhlenberg has procured the plan, (referred to in one of
the former letters,) which admits of additions to any extent.
In accordance with it, one permanent building could be erected,
consisting in itself, but partly only of a whole, for the sum
of one thousand dollars. This will answer for the theological
department, while at any time a similar one can be erected for
the academical students. Are there not then one hundred individuals
who will contribute ten dollars each, so that this plan
can be carried out during the coming spring? Supply merely the
means for a building, (and building can be done at a cheap rate,
since brick is manufactured on the spot,) and in a few years
Nashotah will have a hundred young men training for the ministry,
instead of thirty. Will not every clergyman who reads this statement,
procure one or more such subscribers among his parishioners?
Are there not ten rich men who can themselves each give a hundred
dollars, and who will not regret the offering "in the hour
of death and in the day of judgment?
We
commend it then to the Church. There are those who in suffering
and toil are laying deep the foundations of our faith in the
mighty West; shall we uphold them? or shall we let them struggle
on, and a whole generation pass away in ignorance, while we will
do nothing that the desolate may stretch out their hands to God,
and "Christ,s sheep that are dispersed abroad, and His children
who are in the midst of this naughty world, may be saved through
Him forever?