THE PRINCETON
SEMTI-CENTENNIAL JUBILEE,
MDCCCLXII.








A
DISCOURSE
ADDRESSED TO
THE ALUMNI
OF THE
tfiixuitreh      heho gil     d ieinax,
APRIL 30, 1862,
ON OCCASION OF
THE COMPLETION OF ITS FIRST HALF CENTURY.
BY WILLIAM B:. SPRAGUE, D. D.
WITH AN APPENDIX,
CONTAINING NOTICES OF THE OTHER COMMEMORATIVE EXERCISES.
A L BAN Y:
STEAM PRESS OF VAN BENTHUYSEN.
1862.








TO THE
REV. CHARLES HODGE, D. D.,
SENIOR PROFESSOR IN THE
PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY,
-THIS DISCOURSE
IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED,
IN TOKEN
OF GRATITUDE FOR THE EMINENT SERVICES
HE HAS RENDERED TO THE CHURCH,
OF FERVENT WISHES FOR THE CONTINUANCE OF HIS
LIFE AND USEFULNESS,
AND OF GREAT PERSONAL REGARD AND FRATERNAL GOOD-WILL,
BY HIS FRIEND AND CLASSMATE;
W. B. S.








DISCOURSE.
FELLOW ALUMNI AND DEAR BRETHREN:
It would be an offence against the proprieties
of the hour, against the instincts of nature, and
even the dictates of religion, to suppose that our
hearts were not now moved by a common impulse,
and our thoughts flowing in the same channel. In
coming back to this endeared spot, to keep this
commemorative day, we have, I suppose, by common consent, left all matters of private and individual interest behind us. We have come to unite
in an offering of reverence, and gratitude, and
filial devotion to the mother who has cherished
and trained us, and then dismissed us with her
blessing, and sent us forth to our work. We have
come to offer to God thanksgiving, not only for
his manifold tokens of kindness to ourselves, in
the various fields we have occupied, but for that
unbroken stream of bounty and grace, which,
during all these years, He has been pouring upon
our beloved Seminary. We have come to look on




6
each other's faces again in the land of the living;
to refresh our spirits by the interchange of kind
thoughts and grateful remembrances; and though
we shall meet the graves of many of our brethren
on the field we are to traverse, and cannot but
pause in tenderness and sadness by the side of
them, yet the transition to the glorious world
beyond is too easy to allow them to cast upon us
more than a momentary shadow. It is chiefly a
work of the heart then, in the form of communion
with each other, and, may I not add, with a portion of the General Assembly and Church of the
First Born, that we are assembled here to perform.
The occasion, you perceive, gives me no choice
of a subject. There are numerous topics, bearing
more or less directly on the general subject of
Theological Education, from which I might perhaps select, without doing any great violence to
the occasion; but I am sure you would regard any
abstract discussion as but a poor response to the
distinctive claims of the day. In your heart, if
not with your lips, you would be quoting Solomon
against me, where he says, "To every thing
there is a season." You would say, Other themes
for other places and other times; but here, today, the only befitting theme is the PRINCETON




THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. I do not complain of the
restraint which the occasion imposes upon meI am rather glad to be shut up in so green a
pasture.
The thought which I propose now to illustrate,
is at once the most general and the most obvious
that suggests itself in connection with the occasion-namely, that THIS INSTITUTION IS A MIGHTY
POWER-mighty in its ELEMENTS, mighty in its
OPERATIONS.
The first element of this power is to be found
in the spirit in which the Institution originated. The
spirit of any age, or of the Church, or any portion
of the Church, at any given period, is never a
matter of accident, or the product of causes that
have had only a brief existence —on the contrary,
it has had a long train of antecedents, and is the
result of the combined influences of many minds,
and perhaps of several generations. The Presbyterian Church in this country, from her beginning, was marked by true Christian nobility: on
the very first page of her records are names which
will always remain proof against the oblivious
influence of time. While she was yet in her
minority, unhappily she stood forth before the
world as a house divided against itself; but, even




- 8
then, she had her noble spirits on each side; and,
though they were not working harmoniously, the
Head of the Church was overruling their independent and even conflicting movements for the
correction of her errors, and the ultimate increase
of her energies. As the re-union marked a bright
period in her history, so it proved a starting point
for yet more signal triumphs; and though, in coinmon with every other Christian denomination, she
had a thorny path to traverse during the War of
the Revolution, yet, besides showing herself baptized with the fire of Christian patriotism, she
was prosecuting her appropriate mission up to the
full measure of her ability. And in the generation that came out of that conflict, as well as in
the one that immediately succeeded, our Church
had many choice spirits, to whose influence in
guiding, controlling, elevating, it were not easy
to fix a limit. Here we reach the point where
the great idea of establishing a Theological Seminary, to meet the increasing wants of the Church,
was first developed. Three generations at least
had performed their work and passed away, leaving the results in a widely extended ecclesiastical
body, in an elevated tone of public spirit, and in
a just appreciation of an enlightened as well as




9
earnest ministry. And now that the fulness of
time for this great work had come, not only was
the general state of the public mind, in a good
degree, prepared for it, but there were men found
suitable to conduct the enterprise; —men who
united to a sober, comprehensive, far reaching
intellect a heart in which the love of Christ and
of his Church was the ruling passion. The Presbytery of Philadelphia, of which Doctors GREEN
and JANEWAY were prominent members, had the
honour of originating the overture to the General
Assembly, in which this noble conception was
embodied; and it was certainly highly creditable
to the catholic spirit of the Assembly of 1809, that
the Chairman of the Committee, to whom this important subject was referred, was Dr. DWIGHT,
President of Yale College, who was a delegate that
year from the General Association of Connecticut.
The report of the Committee was marked by great
wisdom, and suggested three different ways in
which the exigency might be met-namely, the
establishment of one Seminary that should be
central in the Church; or the establishment of
two, —one in the North and one in the South; or
the establishment of one within the bounds of
each Synod. Agreeably to the suggestion of the
2




10
Committee, these several plans were referred to
the consideration of all the Presbyteries, with a
request that they would respectively signify their
preference at the next meeting of the Assembly;
and, when the returns came to be made in 1810,
the question was decided in favour of the one
central institution. The next step was the drafting of a Plan of the proposed Seminary; and to
this service Doctors GREEN, WOODHULL, ROMEYN,
MILLER, ALEXANDER, RICHARDS and ARMSTRONG-all
men of note in the Church, and some of them
men of extraordinary power —were designated.
Of the instrument which they produced, (said to
have been from the pen of Dr. Green,) I will only
say that it was worthy of the honoured names
affixed to it. Thus it appears that, while this
Institution had its origin in a watchful regard to
the interests of the Church, its foundations were
laid by some of the master-builders in Zion; and
I am sure you will agree with me in recognizing
in this fact one of the leading elements of its
power.
I find another in the felicitous selection of the
place where the Institution should be located. It
might seem, at first, that the prevalent idea of
the Presbyteries, which was also sanctioned by




11
the General Assembly, that there should be one
great central institution for the accommodation of
the whole Church, was not very rigidly adhered
to, inasmuch as the position actually selected had
a large majority of Presbyteries, as well as a
much more extended territory, South of it. This
arrangement doubtless had its origin in the spirit
of fraternal conciliation, and in the general desire
to accomplish the greatest amount of good. It
was perceived at once that this place offered facilities for the establishment and growth of such a
seminary, that were to be found nowhere else;
and to this weighty consideration our fathers were
willing to sacrifice all personal preferences. Besides, they were well aware that they were making provision for the Church as she then was,
and not as she would be at some distant day; and
doubtless they foresaw what has actually come to
pass,-that, as she extended the bounds of her
habitation, she would plant other similar institutions to meet her increasing necessities. Nor is
it to be supposed that they wholly ignored the
fact that this place is easily accessible from the
New England States; for there was a relationship
existing then between our denomination and the
Congregationalists of New England, that has since




12
ceased; and, though the Andover Seminary was
at that time in successful operation, it was doubtless anticipated-and the event justified the anticipation-that many young men from among our
Northern neighbours would prefer an education
here to one in their own well-endowed and honoured Institution. These, it may be presumed,
were some of the considerations that led the
Assembly to that more liberal construction of the
expressed will of the Church, that fixed the
Seminary so far North of the actual centre of the
domain of Presbyterianism.
But what were the particular circumstances
which combined to give this place an advantage
over any other that could be selected? First of all,
it is a lovely spot; where nature has been even prodigal of both her bounties and her beauties; where
there is a healthful atmosphere to breathe, and rich
prospects to gaze upon and admire. So, too, it is
a retired spot, and therefore favourable to study, to
devotion, to the general culture of both the intellect and the heart. It cannot be denied that a
Theological Seminary, in the midst of a crowded
population, has some advantages peculiar to itself;
particularly in the opportunities it affords for
active usefulness in ministering to the spiritual




13
wants of the ignorant and depraved; but is it not
at least questionable whether these advantages
are not more than counterbalanced by the distraction and turmoil, and especially the manifold
temptations to a spirit of worldliness, incident to a
great city? But this Institution, though exposed to
few disturbing influences, is far from occupying a
too secluded position-here and hereabouts are all
the advantages for social enjoyment and culture
that any student can reasonably desire. And then
it is to be borne in mind that this quiet place is
about equi-distant from the two largest cities on
the Continent; that as either can now be reached
in a couple of hours, so the advantages of both are
easily accessible; and that our students can procure books, or any thing else, from either of these
cities just about as readily as if they lived on
Broadway or Chestnut Street. But probably the
controlling circumstance that led to the selection
of this spot, was that here was already established
a great literary institution, which had, from its
beginning, been identified with the Presbyterian
Church; an institution whose history was, to a
great extent, the history of illustrious names; and
whose fame and influence had already penetrated to
the extremities of the land. When the Seminary




14
was born, the College threw a protecting arm
around her, as if she had been an adopted child.
The College Library was our library. Our recitation room was in one of the College buildings.
Our place of worship was the College Hall. Onethird of the preaching we listened to on Sabbath
morning was from the venerable President of the
College. Our evening discussions were often enlivened by the wit and genius of one of the College Professors,-I mean the lamented LINDSLY.
In short, it is not too much to say that the benign
influence of the College was all-pervading. As
the Seminary grew in years, she grew also in
strength, and, after a while, she went up and took
possession of her own noble home; and, in process of time, she became independent in respect
to all her accommodations. But she has never
cut loose from the College in any such sense as to
forget her early debt of gratitude, or to decline or
undervalue the benefits of an enduring intimacy.
The Professors in the Seminary and the Officers
of the College have always been fellow-helpers in
every good work; and I venture to say that there
are few who cherish a more grateful remembrance
of CARNAHAN, and DoD, and HOPE, than our surviving Professors who were associated with them.




15
The truth is that the two institutions have, in
various ways, ministered to the advantage of
each other; and each of them holds a higher place
to-day,-the one in the world of Letters, the other
in the domain of Theology,-than if they had not
been walking together for half a century in one
another's light.
There is yet another circumstance, worthy of
being noticed, that designates this place as peculiarly fitted to be the seat of a Theological Seminary —I refer to the fact that it is the depository
of so much venerable dust. Our fathers, in fixing
upon this spot, did not forget that the graves of
BURR, and EDWARDS, and DAVIES, and WITHERSPOON
were here; and that the illustrious SAMUEL STANHOPE SMITH was lingering in the twilight of life,
just ready to be gathered; and, if they could have
thrown themselves forward, fifty years, they would
have found that family of honoured graves more
than doubled. Those graves are the silent representatives of some of the brightest spirits which
have emigrated from earth to Heaven; and, to
every minister of the Gospel, and every candidate
for the ministry, they speak most impressively of
being faithful unto the death, and of the crown
and the throne, with which fidelity shall be re



16
warded. Is it not a privilege to be living within
a few moments' walk of a group of monuments,
that have names inscribed upon them, which are
as household words all over Evangelical Christendom? Is it not reasonable to believe that many
a young man who comes hither to be trained for
his sacred work, while he sits with docility and
delight at the feet of the living teacher, sometimes gets a fresh baptism of spiritual influence by
waiting at the graves of the glorified dead? Is it
too much to suppose that the very atmosphere of
this Institution has been rendered more pure from
its connection with the memories of these departed
sages and saints?
Enough, I trust, has been said to show that the
power of this Seminary is derived partly from its
favourable position. A yet more important element of this power is the character of the minds that
have controlled it.
The conception, the beginning, even the establishment, of a great institution is nothing more
than the opening of a field for gifted and well
trained minds to labour in; and unless the services of such minds can be put in requisition, the
design of the institution can never be accomplished. Great moral enterprises do not work out their




17
legitimate results by mere mechanical force: even
the Almighty Architect of the Universe, though
He has been pleased to subject the Kingdoms of
both Nature and Providence to fixed laws, yet
never, for a moment, withdraws his eye from the
minutest of his works, or leaves a single event to
occur without his guiding and controlling agency
— surely then it were preposterous to imagine that
human wisdom should breathe into any of its
plans or its works a principle of life, which, if not
absolutely self-sustaining, would require but little
care or effort for its preservation.  After this
Seminary had been created, by an Act of the General Assembly, and the whole Church had pronounced the work very good, the enterprise might
have been rendered utterly abortive by being
confided to an inadequate supervision and direction. But, instead of that, the same noble spirits
that had projected and founded it, became its
Guardians and Professors; and, as they passed
away, others, upon whom their mantles fell, entered into their labours; and thus the Seminary
has passed the perils of youth, and reached a vigorous and prosperous manhood. Never could this
point have been attained but for the large measure of intellectual foresight, and comprehensive3




18
ness, and accomplishment, of love to the Church,
of reliance on the wisdom, and power, and grace
from above, and of harmony of counsel and effort,
which have characterized those to whom the destinies of the Institution have thus far been conimitted.
If we glance at the list of the Directors of the
Seminary, the first name on which our eye rests,
is that of the venerable ASHBEL GREEN, —whose
majestic bearing seemed to say that he was born
to rule; and who, during many of his later years,
stood as an almost solitary representative of the
ministry of a preceding generation. His commandingo presence fitly represented his force of
intellect and force of will. He was sternly unyielding in his regard to what he believed right,
and in his opposition to what he considered wrong;
and some of his demonstrations might have indicated, especially to those who saw him only at a
distance, that there was an excess of iron in his
moral constitution; but those who were privileged to get nearer to his heart, and to witness
the air of graceful kindness which he diffused
around his own fireside; who knew the comforting words that he uttered to the sorrowful, and
the encouraging words that he addressed to the




19
desponding, and the large charities that he dispensed to the poor, needed no other evidence that
there was strung in his bosom a chord, not only
of high generosity but of tender sympathy. Besides serving the College in this place, in the relations of both Professor and President,-the latter
for a long course of years, he exercised his ministry, for a quarter of a century, in connection with
one of the most influential churches on the Continent, and at a period which identified him with
some of the leading events of both our civil and
ecclesiastical history. He shone, perhaps, nowhere
more brightly than in the pulpit. His discourses
were simple and natural in their construction;
of a deeply evangelical and practical tone; full of
appropriate and luminous thought; and delivered
with an air of dignity and impressiveness that
scarcely left it at any one's option whether or not
to be an attentive hearer. The clouds of old age
had settled around him some time before his departure; but I believe they were at no time so
dark and heavy but the beams of the Sun of Righteousness passed through them into his soul. It was
an auspicious omen to the Seminary that such a
veteran in wisdom and piety should have had such
a place assigned to him, and especially that he




20
should have occupied the chair of the President of
the Board of Directors for so long a period.
The name of Dr. Green, at the head of the list
of Directors, is followed by more than a hundred
other names, some of which are associated with
princely liberality and public spirit, others with
the highest order of pulpit eloquence, or executive power, or both combined, while most of them
have commanded, in a high degree, the respect
and confidence of the Church. In looking over
this honoured list, I find not a few, who, for their'
exalted character as well as faithful services, are
well worthy of grateful commemoration; and, but
for the invidiousness of making a selection, and
the fear of exhausting your patience, I would
gladly pay a passing tribute to a goodly number
of them. Indeed, there are two bright names on
this catalogue, which have so lately become associated with the grave, and which, withal, suggest
such precious memories, that I am sure you would
not be willing that I should pass them without at
least a kindly commemorative word. Need I say
that I refer to VAN RENSSELAER and MURRAY.
CORTLANDT VAN RENSSELAER had his birth and
education amidst decidedly Christian influences,
and yet amidst those temptations to a life of indo



21
lent ease, which are always incident, especially in
this country, to a condition of great opulence
and worldly consideration. Happily, in his case,
Christianity early assumed the dominion in his
heart, so that he passed safely the ordeal to which
Providence subjected him, and came out of the
walks of the most elegant refinement into one of
the humblest of all the fields of ministerial labour.
And that mission of good-will to the poor slaves
he would gladly have continued, but for the
appearance of certain clouds in the distant horizon,
that have since covered the whole heavens, and
are now discharging their contents in a tempest
of fire. We find him next engaged in planting a
Presbyterian Church in a beautiful village in this
neighbourhood, where none had before existed;
and, after a few years of self-denying and eminently useful labour there, he took the responsible
position of Secretary of the General Assembly's
Board of Education, which he held until the disease of which he died had well-nigh run its course.
As he was not only a Director, but an alumnus,
of the Seminary, so he was always devoted to its
interests; and the office which he held during the
greater part of his professional life,-discharging
its duties not only most faithfully but gratuitously,




22
placed him at the head of one of the great fountains of influence by which the Seminary is sustained.  Who that knew him will ever forget the
fertility of his mind in projects of Christian usefulness, and the exuberance of his charity in carrying them into effect? Who can forget the kindliness of his smile; the meekness and modesty of his
spirit; the firmness with which he adhered to his
own mature convictions, and the graceful facility
and generous indulgence with which he met the
adverse opinions of others; his practical obliviousness of worldly rank; his wit, sometimes taking
the form of a delicate innuendo, and sometimes
doing the work of a two-edged sword; his zeal
and energy, shrinking from no sacrifices, halting
at no obstacles, and revealing a heart deeply in
communion with Him, who, though He was rich,
for our sakes became poor? His death was the
signal for mourning much beyond the limits of his
own communion. The marble that marks the place
of his grave, might well bear the inscription," An exalted specimen of sanctified humanity."
But scarcely had the mind of the Church been
withdrawn from the heavy calamity sustained in
his death, before the tidings were flying over the
land that NICHOLAS MURRAY, a kindred spirit, had,




23
by a single step, passed from the fulness of health
and usefulness to his reward. Murray was born
with extraordinary qualities of both mind and
heart; but he was born, and had his early training, amidst the cold shadows of RoImanisin. By a
train of circumstances which were little of his own
devising, he was separated from his earliest religious associations, and was brought across the
ocean, first to cast away his inherited errors, and
then to be baptized with the Holy Ghost. In due
time, he went forth from this School of the Prophets, and, like the great Apostle, whose spirit he
so largely shared, became an earnest and powerful
defender of the faith which he had seemed born
to oppose. For upwards of thirty years, and until
his Master called him home, he was always in the
high places of Zion, and always had his armour
on, ready to obey any summons. He had strongly
marked national characteristics, but they were so
many irresistible attractions. His face reflected
not only his clear and comprehensive intellect,
but his genial, loving and sympathetic spirit. No
child of sorrow, no victim of temptation, no subject of poverty, could ever be brought to his notice,
but his heart, his lips, his hand, involuntarily
opened to administer the needed consolation, coun



24
sel, or relief. In the pulpit he spake words of
wisdom and of weight, and with an air of authority that continually pointed upward to his Divine
commission. In the deliberative assembly his
presence was always recognized as a power.
Through the press his intellect delivered itself of
much profound practical wisdom, and the elements
of conviction were lodged even in the corruscations
of his wit. When his work was done, his hands
were still nerved to do more. The Church gazed
wishfully after him, and felt that one of her strong
rods was broken.
In connection with the Board of Directors, I
may mention the Board of Trustees also, —on
whom  devolves the chief management of the
financial interests of the Seminary. And here
we find another noble body of men, —some of
whom  have been conspicuous in the different
professions, some in the field of judicial honour,
some in the circles of commercial enterprise, some
in the walks of general philanthropy, while all
have been skilfully, watchfully, earnestly engaged
in placing the institution on higher and firmer
ground, by the successful disposition and gradual
enlargement of its pecuniary resources. At the
head of this list, and as a fitting representation of




25
it, stand the justly cherished names of ANDREW
KIRKPATRICK and SAMUEL BAYARD,-both synonymes
for wisdom and purity, benevolence and honour.
Such, then, are the minds by which this Institution, in respect to its outward and more general
concerns, has been controlled;'and, surely, under
a conduct so wise and energetic, it were reasonable to suppose that, by this time, it should have
reached a vigorous maturity. But it is the character, not of its Directors and Trustees merely,
but especially of its Professors, to which we are to
look for the secret of its rapid and healthful
development. I cannot speak of them  all in
detail, as my feelings would incline me, because —
thanks to a Gracious Providence —a portion of them
are yet alive to hear the testimony I should render; but I may say of them, in general, that,
though they have exhibited a diversity of gifts,
yet all have had the same spirit; —a spirit of
singular devotedness to the interests of the Institution-all have been men who have well established their claim upon the gratitude of the Church,
and whose memory the Church will treasure, as a
sacred deposit, in her own bosom. The day will
come-though I would fain hope it may be dis-.tant-when the characters of those who now
4




26
occupy these chairs of honourable usefulness, will
become legitimate subjects for delineation; and I
have no fear that those on whom the office shall
devolve, will find it other than a grateful and
easy one; but, meanwhile, we may be allowed to
linger for a little among the graves of the departed,
and refresh both our memories and our hearts by
calling up some of their admirable characteristics.
First on the starred list appears the venerable
name V0of ARCHIBALD ALEXANDER;-a circumstance
that reflects double honour upon the Church at
that period; for it was alike creditable to her that
she had such a man within her limits, and that
she had the wisdom to place him where his influence would operate with the greatest power. He
came hither with the benefit of a large experience,
both academic and pastoral; and the event more
than justified the high expectations which had
been founded upon his reputation, both in Virginia
and in Philadelphia. The feature of his character,
which was perhaps more obvious and all-pervading
than any other, was a well-nigh matchless simplicity. You saw this, first, in all that pertained to
his exterior-the movemlents of his body, the
utterances of his lips, the very expression of his
countenance, you felt were in perfect harmony




27
with the laws of his own individual constitution.
And the same characteristic impressed itself upon
the workings of his mind. Though the best productions of many of the best writers, in every
part and every period of the Church, lay in his
memory as so much well arranged material, and
though he knew how to appropriate it to the best
advantage, and it had even become essentially
incorporated with his own thoughts, yet it never
interfered in the least with the perfect individuality of his intellectual operations. Whatever he
produced, whether orally or with his pen, had his
own image and superscription so deeply wrought
into it that its genuineness could hardly become
a matter of question. And his simplicity was
perfected in the movements of his moral natureand here it discovered itself in a frankness that
never dissembled; in an independence that never
faltered; in an integrity that would have maintained itself even in the face of martyr fires. In
all the appropriate duties of his Professorship, he
was alike able and faithful. Not only his lectures,
but his less formal communications to the students,-his criticisms upon their performances,
his solution of their difficulties, and, above all, those
never to be forgotten Sunday afternoon talks on




28
practical and experimental religion, all showed a
richness and promptness of thought, and a depth
of piety, which, I am sure, none of us can recall
without admiration. What he was as a Preacher
you who have heard him can never forget; and
you who have not heard him can never know. I
will only say that here, as every-where else, he
was the very personification of naturalness; and
when his inventive and richly stored mind was
set vigorously to work in the pulpit, under the
combined action of physical health and strong
moral forces, he sometimes held his audience by
a power absolutely irresistible. The great and
good Dr. JOHN H. RICE told me that he once heard
him preach to a few people assembled in a private
dwelling in Virginia, when he became perfectly
transfigured, and his audience as perfectly electrified; and he did not hesitate to pronounce it the
highest effort of pulpit eloquence to which he had
ever listened. In his descent to the grave, there
was a beautiful demonstration of his humility, his
faith, his love to God and man,-of all those qualities which had constituted the strength of his
character and the glory of his life.
Dr. Alexander was sole Professor but a single
year. In 1813, the revered and beloved name of




29
SAMUEL MILLER became associated with his; and
the relation, thus established, continued a source
of mutual blessing, and a field for cordial cooperation, for nearly forty years. I will venture
to speak of some of the different phases of Dr.
Miller's character somewhat in the order in which
they presented themselves to me. In the summer
of 1813, and a few weeks only before he entered'
on his Professorship, I passed a Sabbath in New
York, and the excellent report of him which I
had often heard in New England, took me to the
then new church in Wall street, one part of the
day. I saw before me in the pulpit a man of a
perfectly symmetrical form, of a countenance expressive at once of mildness, dignity and intelligence, and altogether, as it seemed to me, of rare
personal attractions. Though his voice was not
powerful, or susceptible of any great variety of
inflection, his utterance was perfectly distinct, and
his whole manner evinced thoughtfulness and culture. His discourse (I speak of it with the more
confidence, for I heard it again after I became a
student here) was distinguished for lucid arrangement, for impressive scriptural thought, for great
propriety and elegance of diction, for being thoroughly exhaustive of its subject, and in some parts




30
for the very sublimity of pathos. It is due to
candour to say that I always regarded this as one
of his most felicitous efforts; and yet, in its general character, it was but a fair specimen of his
preaching. The next time I saw him was three
years later, in his own study, when I presented
to him a letter designed to procure my introduction to the Seminary. His kindly and almost
paternal spirit, breathing through his polished
and dignified manner, awakened in me a feeling
at once of reverence and affection; and this mingled feeling never forsook me in all my subsequent
intercourse with him; and it is the offering which
I love to make to his memory to this day. Those
fine qualities of mind and heart which were so
beautifully reflected in his manners, constituting
him the highest type of a Christian gentleman,
rendered his presence any-where a benediction.
There was a singular grace and fitness in all his
words and actions. He had much of the spirit of
generous conciliation and forbearance, but it was
qualified by an unwavering fidelity to his own
well considered and conscientious judgments. His
character, as it came out in his daily life, was, to
his students, one unbroken lesson of love and
wisdom. And his meetings with us in the reci



31
tation room were as creditable to his intellect as
to his heart: for, while the influence of his bland
and considerate manner, there as every-where,
operated as a charm, we always had presented
to us a luminous, well digested and highly satisfactory view of the subject which engaged our
attention. Dr. Miller lived to feel the infirmities
of age, but not to be the subject of a paralyzed
intellect, or to witness any waning of the interest
of the Church in respect to him. I was one of
those who were privileged to see him, when he
was standing almost in the presence of death. I
never heard such sublime words, expressive at
once of trust and victory, as then fell from his
lips. The chariot was already there; and it was
but a few days after that I heard he had ascended.
There is yet another Professor, who has died
while in connection with the Seminary, and so
recently that the numerous tributes which his
death called forth are still fresh in the memories
of all of us-I refer, as you know, to the gifted
and accomplished ADDISON ALEXANDER. I suppose
I may say, without the fear of contradiction, that
a nobler specimen of the Divine workmanship has
rarely appeared, in the form of a human mind,
than he exhibited. To have possessed any one




32
faculty in the measure in which he possessed all,
would have been enough to constitute a man of
mark.  His facility at acquiring knowledge of
every kind, and especially language, was perhaps
without a known parallel; and this, in connection
with an untiring industry, gives us the clew to
his vast acquisitions. His genius was alike brilliant and powerful-it was equally at home in the
heights and in the depths-it could breathe in the
zephyr; it could flash in the lightning; it could
ride in the storm. The effect of his preaching
is thought to have been lessened by the rapidity
of his utterance; but his published discourses
are a model in respect to both beauty and
strength.  As a teacher, he not only communicated from stores that seemed inexhaustible,
and with a fluency that never hesitated, and a
perspicuity that forbade misapprehension, but, by
an almost magical influence, he quickened the
minds of his pupils into a fervid enthusiasm,
which was at once a stimulus to their faculties,
and a pledge of their success. He was shy and
distant in common intercourse; but those who
knew him well, testify that he had not only a
large and generous heart, but a strong susceptibility to social enjoyment. For more than twenty




33
years, he shone here, a star of the first magnitude; and the day that saw that star sink beneath the horizon, was a day of deep and widespread mourning.
There have been two other Professors in the
Seminary, who have finished their earthly course,
though neither of them died until some time after
his connection with the Seminary ceased-I refer
to JOHN BRECKENRIDGE and JAMES W. ALEXANDER.
Both of them performed good service here; but,
as each resigned his Professorship after two years,
we must doubtless look elsewhere for the monuments of their highest usefulness. Dr. BRECKENRIDGE was a man of brilliant and attractive qualities, of commanding presence, of an earnest, heroic
and generous spirit, and of great control of the
popular mind. For several years he held the pastoral office in a large city, discharging its duties
with great acceptance and success; but perhaps
the years in which he accomplished most for the
Church, were those in which he was employed in
aid of two of our most prominent objects of
Christian benevolence. Some of his discourses,
and especially of his anniversary speeches, in
behalf of these objects, have rarely been exceeded
as specimens of manly and effective eloquence.




34
Dr. ALEXANDER inherited many of the fine qualities,
not only of his father, but, it is believed, of his maternal grandfather also,-the far-famed Dr. JAMES
W7ADDEL. Like his father, he was a model of simnplicity in every thing; while he had probably more of
graceful culture than his father could claim. He
had a mind of great richness, great delicacy, and
exquisite susceptibility to every form of beauty.
His thoughts always seemed fresh and glowing.
His pen rarely moved but it flew; and yet in the
record which it made, we sometimes recognize
the ingenious speculations of the philosopher, and
sometimes the gorgeous creations of the poet. lIe
was distinguished for habits of sanctity and devotion; but there was born with him, and there
always remained with him, a vein of playful
humour, that he knew better how to control than
others knew how to resist. His preaching was
at once attractive and instructive. Multitudes
thronged to hear him, and not a few met in his
ministrations the converting and sanctifying power
of God. Both these eminent ministers, though
the period of their actual connection with the
Seminary was brief, were yet always on the alert
to promote its interests, and carried a strong affection for it to their graves.




35
Estimate now the evidence which has been presented that the character of the Professors of this
Seminary forms a mighty element of power. Can
any one believe that men of so much intellectual
and moral force can have been here,-some of
them for so long a period,-in the vigorous and
diligent use of their faculties, without making
this Institution one of the strongholds of Zion?
Especially can any one believe this, when the
influence of the Directors and Trustees is taken
in connection with that of the Professors, thus
securing the wisest management, as well as the
most faithful guidance and the ablest instruction?
Yet another element of strength in this Institution is the bounty by which it has been sustained.
We all know that such an institution as this could
never be established and maintained but at a vast
expense. Here is a capacious and commodious
building devoted to the use of the students. Here
are dwellings for the occupancy of the Professors.
Here is a fine, tasteful edifice for the accommodation of the Library; to say nothing of the choice and
extensive Library which it accommodates. Then
again, here are five well endowed Professorships;
and probably about thirty Scholarships, (though
the number is nominally considerably greater,)




36
which meet, in a great measure, the exigencies of
an equal number of indigent students. Surely,
all this could never have been done, if the bounty
of the Church had niot flowed hither as a river.
The Seminary has had, still has, individual benefactors, whose donations are not only honourable
but princely; and though delicacy forbids me here
to pronounce their names, gratitude has already
inscribed them on an imperishable record. And
I cannot forbear to refer to the fact, the announcement of which, a few moments since, has filled us
with admiration and gratitude, that two of these
benefactors have impressed their own bright mark
upon this day, by making it the occasion of an
offering that is itself grand enough to form an
epoch in the history of the Institution.* And the
Church, as a body, or at least no inconsiderable
portion of it, has, with a willing mind, sent hither
large offerings, sanctified by faith and prayer.
* It may not be improper here to state that the donation referred to
was- fifty thousand dollars, from Messrs. ROBERT L. and ALEXANDER
STUART, to be applied, in several different ways, for the benefit of the
Seminary. Another donation, of thirty-five thousand dollars, has been
recently made by Mr. JOHN C. GREEN, for the endowment of a new
Professorship. Each of these gentlemen had so signalized himself by
his previous benefactions to the Seminary, that these generous and
graceful gifts were less a matter of surprise than of thankfulness and
rejoicing. It is well known that the beautiful building, containing the
Library, is but a magnificent item in the sum of the contributions of
Mr. JAMES LENOX.




37
Is it too much, then, to say that the mighty power
in whose presence we stand, has its being, at least
in a subordinate sense, in the spirit of Christian
Charity?
The last element of this power which I will
ask you to consider, is the injluence of the great
numbers who have been educated here, reacting upon
the Institution itself. I do not say that every individual who has had his training on this ground, has
gone away satisfied; for I well know that there
are some, who, if there was nothing on earth to
find fault with, would vent their spleen against
the sun, moon and stars: but I do say with confidence that our students have, with very few exceptions, carried away with them a grateful sense
of the benefits received here, which has manifested
itself, as opportunity has presented, in substantial
acts of good-will. You do not expect a child, of
even ordinary sensibility, to forget his early
home,-no matter how great may be the distance
that separates him from it. You do not expect
even the alien, if he has the heart of a man, to
ignore the hand that has been stretched out for
his guidance, or opened for his relief, as soon as
he has passed the range of its movements —and
not more reasonable were it to expect that those




38
who have been theologically nurtured here, should
forget the helping, forming influence, as soon as
they have passed from under it. I tell you, again,
they do not forget it-and, more than that, it
weighs upon them as an ever present, cherished
obligation, keeping their hearts strong, and their
hands nerved, for any good service it may be in
their power to render. Indeed, they are always
serving the Seminary just in proportion to the
measure of their fidelity and usefulness in the
Church; for they are its epistle, known and read
of all men. Wherever you meet one of its alumni,
you have a right to assume, until it is proved
to the contrary, that you have found one who
always bears it on his heart, and is ready, according to his ability, to lend a helping hand for the
promotion of its interests. Well may an Institution, with such an army of auxiliaries scattered
all over the land, repose securely in a sense of its
own stability.
I have endeavoured to show that this Seminary
is a power mighty in its elements-let us see now
whether it is not equally mighty in its OPERATIONS.
I say, then, the influence which this Institution
has exerted, still exerts, is diversified, and yet harmonious. Its records show that there is scarcely a




39
department of ministerial or Christian usefulness
in which it has not been largely and most creditably represented. Of course its grand object is
to make able and faithful ministers of the Gospel;
and the great business of the ministry is to fulfil
the Divine ordinance in the preaching of the
Gospel. Nevertheless, the sacred office, in respect
to its particular duties, is somewhat modified by a
variety of circumstances; and, in some instances,
it becomes incorporated with other kindred vocations. While the individuals concerned appear
occasionally, perhaps frequently, in the pulpit,
they are entrusted with the supervision and direction of the different branches of the machinery
by which the Church is doing her great work;
and it may be that, while the literal preacher
may seem to be alnost lost, —perhaps in the quiet
round of a teacher's duties, perhaps in the conduct of some grand evangelical enterprise, he may
really be accomplishing more for the Church than
if he could multiply himself into half a dozen
stated preachers. I know not whether the office
of a Christian minister ever combines more of
privation and self-sacrifice with more of efficiency
and glory, than when held by the faithful Foreign
Missionary; —the man who goes forth, in the




40
strength of God's grace, to battle with the prince
of darkness in the very heart of his earthly
dominion. It devolves upon him to strike the first
blow for the deliverance perhaps of a vast empire
from the deepest intellectual and moral degradation; to supply the first material for the mind to
act upon, as it is waking out of the slumber of
ages; to commence the re-construction of the
whole fabric of society, by substituting a Christian
for a Heathen basis-but no less than one hundred
and twenty-seven of our students have become
Foreign Missionaries; besides seven more who
have already been designated to the same officethat is, they have gone, or are going, to carry the
Gospel either to the savages on our borders, or the
far off Pagans,-both sitting alike within the
shadow of death. No man occupies a place of
higher responsibility than he who superintends
the education of young men for the sacred office;
for the influence of his instructions, and counsels,
and spirit, instead of terminating upon them, diffuses itself all over the Church-but this Seminary has supplied twenty-eight Professors to
different Theological Institutions, some of whom,
I need not say, have attained to great eminence
in their respective departments. What vast im



41
portance attaches to our Colleges,-those nurseries of the very flower of the country's intellect;
and how directly is the hand of those who conduct
them upon the springs of our national prosperitybut of those who have had their training here,
thirty-six have occupied the Presidential chair,
and ninety-four have held Professorships, in these
higher seminaries,-most of them, at the same
time, being, either statedly or occasionally, engaged in preaching the Gospel. Who can measure
the amount of service which they perform for the
Church, who have a primary agency in directing
our great Benevolent Institutions-but twentynine of our alumni have held the Secretaryship of
some or other of these Societies, thus directly
identifying themselves with the progress of the
Gospel at home or abroad. The influence of an
Editor of a widely circulated religious newspaper
or other periodical is exerted so quietly that perhaps the multitude take little note of it; and yet
that same Editor may have a sort of ubiquity in
the Church,-even in the Nation-he may be in
contact with men's minds as a guiding, irresistible
power, where his name has never been heard-he
may sit by his desk, and change the current of
public opinion, or forestall the decisions of eccle6




42
siastical judicatories, without opening his lips; and,
when the Sabbath comes, he may be in his own
or some other pulpit, proclaiming the Glad Tidings,
like any other minister of Christ-but here again,
no less than twenty-nine whose names are enrolled
on our catalogue, have held this responsible position; and among them are several of our most
highly endowed and cultivated minds, —some of
whom weekly, and others quarterly, strike chords
that vibrate, not now indeed to the extremities
of the land, but up to a certain dark, revolting,
bloody boundary. And I must not forget to add
that the Seminary, especially through its Professors, has contributed largely, in other ways, to
our theological and historical literature. If all
the books, which have been written on this ground,
were gathered, they would not only go far towards
forming a library, but among them would be found
some of the best productions, in their respective
departments, that any language can furnish.
But in all this variety there is perfect harmony;not only no interference, but cordial co-operation.
The end aimed at in each of these several departments of active usefulness is the same-all have
in view the intellectual and moral renovation of
the race, in connection with the progress of a pure




43
Christianity. It is like some great piece of machinery, each part of which not only performs its
own appropriate work, but helps to maintain the
harmonious and efficient action of the whole. The
Stated Pastor, the Foreign Missionary, the Theological Professor, the President of a College, the
Secretary and leading spirit of a great Benevolent
Institution, the Editor of a religious newspaper
or other periodical,-each has his distinct office,
while each becomes, in some sense, an auxiliary
to the rest; —sometimes directly,-by supplying
the requisite material for others to work upon, or
becoming identified with some important effort
out of his own immediate range; and sometimes
indirectly,-by an example of vigorous application, or perhaps brilliant success.
The influence of this Seminary, I remark again,
has been a conservative, and yet not an unduly restrictive, influence-it has been adverse to a reckless
spirit of innovation, but favourable to healthful
progress. The tendency to extremes is one of the
qualities that mark the imperfection, not to say
perverseness, of our common humanity; but never,
perhaps, has this tendency manifested itself so
palpably, or in so great a variety of forms, as since
this Seminary has been in existence; and hence,




44
to meet the exigency hereby created, we have the
new and expressive word, Ultraisrm. It is worthy
of remark that this spirit always contemplates,
originally, a good object —it always has its basis
in truth and right; but, from being exclusively
or disproportionately contemplated by an ill-balanced mind, the object either acquires an undue
relative importance, or else it suggests the use of
unjustifiable means for its accomplishment. I will
instance only a single case-that of Revivals of
Religion. A genuine Revival we all recognize as
the richest blessing that God bestows upon his
Church; and, in the multiplication of these scenes,
we get a foretaste of millennial, even of heavenly,
glory. But who needs be told that, in what has
been called a Revival, Fanaticism has sometimes
performed some of her wildest and most revolting
feats; and all the solemnities, even the decencies,
of religious worship have been sacrificed; and
Satan has counted almost as many self-deceivers
as the conductor of the work has counted converts.
7With this spirit, in none of its various manifestations, has this Seminary ever had any sympathyits sound, scriptural teachings have been a perpetual rebuke to it; and the impress of sobriety, which
its students have received here, has, with compara



45
tively few exceptions, been decisive of their future
course. But then, on the other hand, the Seminary has never been alarmed because the world
does not stand still-it has never suggested the
expediency of stopping short of the point of duty,
lest there should be found some temptation there
to pass on into the region of extravagance-it has
never been slow to admit new thoughts, or to
encourage new projects, where they have seemed
to originate in wisdom or tend to usefulness. In
short, it has sought not to stay the advancing
spirit of the age, but to direct it; and sure I am
that the verdict of the whole Church is that it
has been eminently successful.
It is only an extension, or rather a specific
application, of this thought, to say that this
Seminary, while it has been true to the interests
of the Presbyterian  Church, which it represents,
has yet been catholic in its bearing towards other
denominations. That it has always been the faithful supporter and defender of the Presbyterian
faith and order, every one, who has been a student
here, knows from the character of its teachings;
and the whole Church has evidence of it in the
general character of those of her ministers who
have been educated here; in the manner in which




46
the Seminary has been represented, in her highest
judicatory, on questions touching vitally her
prosperity; in the fact that the first Professor of
Church History and Church Government, while
he was yet a Pastor, as well as during the period
of his Professorship, published several elaborate
and highly popular works, vindicating the claims
of Presbyterianism; and, finally, in the many
luminous and forcible articles, bearing more or
less directly on this subject, which have appeared,
from time to time, in the Biblical Repertory.
But, while the Seminary has shown itself thoroughly Presbyterian, in character as well as in
name, it has never assumed that Presbyterianism
is the only divinely accredited form of Christianity-while it has maintained that it is the
most perfect embodiment of Scripture truth, in
respect to both doctrine and order, it has never
set up any exclusive banner; never made its own
Shibboleth a term, either of fraternal communion,
or of admission to its privileges. Even in the
fierce controversy, connected with the second
great disruption of the Presbyterian Church, it
never placed itself in any needlessly offensive
attitude, or counselled to any rash or uncharitable
measures; and I venture to say that those of its




47
alumni, who, by that act, were thrown into another
body, never lost their filial regard for this their
Alma Mater; and that those of them who are with
us here to-day, are just as earnest in their devotion, and just as cordial in their congratulations,
as if the Assembly of 1837 had confined itself to
its ordinary routine of business. But the most
decisive testimony on this subject is to be gathered from our General Catalogue; and, if you will
glance over it, you will find a large number of
names, whose only connection with Presbyterianismn is in having a place there. For instance,
in the very first class, there was a man who came
hither an Episcopalian, and subsequently became,
a Baptist-the same man has been, and, for aught
I know, still is, one of the lights of the Baptist
denomination in the South. No less than fortytwo, who have been educated here, have found
their home, and their field of labour, in the
Episcopal Church-and, of these, three have
become Bishops;-men, known and honoured by
the wise and good of every name; and I doubt
not that their large hearts would respond gratefully to our kind remembrances of them. Ninetytwo have become ministers in the Congregational
Church; fifty-six in the Reformed Dutch Church;




48
thirty-two in the Baptist Church; eleven in the
Associate Reformed  and  United  Presbyterian
Church; seven in the German Reformed Church;
and five in the Lutheran, and an equal number in
the Methodist, Church. A portion of these, indeed,
changed their ecclesiastical relations after leaving
the Seminary; but many of them  did not; and
the flact that they could, without embarrassment,
pursue their studies here preparatory to the ministry, proves, beyond all question, that they found
here an atmosphere, tempered, in a high degree,
by the spirit of Christian catholicism. Their distinctive peculiarities they did not indeed hear
vindicated-they may have even heard laboured
arguments to disprove them; but there has always
been a measure of decorum, and dignity, and generous indulgence, pertaining to the spirit of the
place, that has made it a happy home even for
those whose denominational views are at the
greatest remove from those which are here inculcated.
I cannot forbear to say that this Seminary is
exerting a loyal and patriotic, but not an intemperate
or indiscriminately condemnatory, influence. It seems
to be the order of Providence that every thing on
earth that hath life, whether physical, intellectual,




49
or moral, should have its times for going to sleep.
Thus it has been with American Patriotism-the
spirit, which worked as fire in the bosoms of our
Revolutionary Fathers, had not only lost much of
the glow in which it then manifested itself, but
had so long been exposed to the wild storms of
party, that it seemed threatened with absolute
extinction. Wise and thoughtful men were not
without fears that Patriotism, in respect to a
large part of our population at least, was sinking into her last iron slumber, if she had not actually been arrayed in her death-robes. But the
memorable 13th of April, 1861, put to flight that
delusion. The balls that struck upon Sumter did
a much more potent work than they had bargained
for; for, besides achieving an inglorious triumph
over a handful of brave but defenceless men, who
were on the eve of starvation, they turned the
heart of the whole loyal part of the nation into
steel. Patriotism had now no longer a dubious
existence. Quick as the lightning, she multiplied
herself into a host of bright angels, who were
going to and fro, delivering lessons upon our perils
and duties, and inspiring courage and hope. I do
not mean to intimate that this Seminary had ever
been indifferent to the interests of the country —
7




50
she stands too near the spot where WASHINGTON
commanded, and MERcER fell,* to be readily suspected of that-but until now there has never
been any great occasion to put her to the test:
and, since the occasion has come,-thanks to a
Gracious Providence,-she does her work nobly;not by stepping out of her sphere, but by being a
unit for the country's unity; especially by sending forth mature thoughts, well considered and
weighty arguments, bearing upon the crisis, for
the nation to digest and apply. Patriotism, bold,
earnest, effective, but yet thoughtful and forbearing, has inscribed her name on the walls,
even the very door-posts, of this Seminary; and,
in her light, well may the whole country see light
and rejoice.
But a painful question here forces itself upon
me —How is it that so large a number who have
been educated here, with whom many of us have
taken sweet counsel, and some of whom we have
all delighted to honour,-have identified themselves with an enterprise, designed to lay waste
this goodly inheritance which our fathers bequeathed to us? I know many of them so well,
* The memorable battle of Princeton was fought within a few hundred
yards of the site of the Seminary.




51
and they have had a place in my heart so long,
that I could not, if I would, answer this question
in any other spirit than that of the most enlarged
charity. The thought, which I am sure it is most
grateful for us to indulge, is, that many of them
have just silently bowed to influences which they
could not control; and that, when the external
pressure comes to be withdrawn, we shall find that,
though they have been in the Rebellion, they have
not been of it. And then again, in respect to the
large numbers, who, we know, have assumed an
attitude of declared hostility to the Government,
who needs be told of the blinding influence of
circumstances; of the mighty power of hereditary
prejudices, of social and domestic relationships, of
long established associations, of the eloquence of
statesmen, of the general current of example, of
the pleas of imagined self-interest, to render both
the intellectual and moral vision so confused that
good and evil shall seem to have changed places?
Who of us can be certain that an influence, which
has been so universal, would not have included
himself among its victims, if he had come within
its range? I am not attempting to make out a
justification of our brethren for having fallen into
this mad and desolating current; —for that my




52
conscience would not allow me to do-but I submit it to you whether there is not that in their
circumstances, which should at least qualify our
censure. As for those who have not only been
educated here, but have been born and had their
home in the North, and are perfectly conversant
with Northern manners, and institutions, and
influences, and yet have pronounced anathemas
upon us in their pulpits,-strengthening the popular delusion that the heart of the whole North
never rests from breathing out threatenings and
slaughter against the South,-it would be too
much to ask for them any large measure of indulgence; and yet is it not better to study them as
an anomalous specimen of the workings of human
nature, than to reciprocate their abuse and crimination? I confess there is not a fact in the whole
history of the Church, that confounds me more,
than that our Southern brethren should, with such
apparent cordiality and unanimity, have lent themselves to this unnatural Rebellion; and yet, I say
again, if we obey the dictates of wisdom, we
shall forbear all bitter and hostile demonstrations,
and shall hold ourselves ready to resume fraternal
relations with them, whenever Providence shall
open the way for it. Or if that day should never




53
come, we shall go down to our graves in a brighter
light, and leave a better example to those who
come after us, if, while we have been true to our
country, we have never cast needless reproaches
upon our mistaken brethren.
I only add that this Seminary exerts a widely
extended and constantly extending influence. It has
drawn its students, not only from nearly every
State in the Union, but from several European
countries; and from almost every College, from
venerable old Harvard down to those comparatively new lights, which the spirit of Christian
enterprise has kindled up in the Far West. Here,
too, there has been a gathering from all the different classes of society-the sons of the rich and
the great have been here-those who have had
their birth and training in the middle walks of
life, where there is least of temptation and most
of comfort, have been here in crowds-those
whose education has been little else than a constant battle with adverse circumstances, have been
here; and, last of all, the descendants of HAM
have not been without an honourable representation here,-a fact to which we appeal with
confidence as proof that this Seminary has never
endorsed the doctrine that, because, unhappily, a




54
dark skin has become with us an emblem of servitude, it therefore necessarily involves the curse
of ignorance and degradation. Now, between
each District, each College, each Class in society,
that is thus represented in the Seminary, and the
Seminary itself, there is opened, in proportion to
the extent of the representation, a channel of
reciprocal influence. And then trace the influence
which this great body of students, gathered from
the four winds, and from such a variety of social
positions, exert, as they go forth to their several
fields of labour. There is not a city of any extent
in the land, where the Gospel has not been sounded
forth by some voice or voices that hail from this
Seminary. Travel in whatever direction you will,
you cannot go far, but that its influence will meet
you, either in the form of the living preacher, or
in the auspicious results of some ministry upon
which the grave has closed. If it were not for
the iron gate which the spirit of Rebellion has
set up, you might'go to the extreme Southern or
Southwestern boundary of the country, and find
churches not a few, which were supplied, the very
last Sabbath, by men whose names appear on our
catalogue. If you make your way into the wilderness, the native home of savages, where, half




55
a century ago, the first sign of civilization had not
appeared, but where now Christianity holds her
well-established dominion, there, again, you will
find that this Seminary has had her full share in
accomplishing these blessed results. And, finally,
if you cross the ocean, and explore the dark
domain of Foreign Paganism or Spurious Christianity, you can scarcely pause in any country,
and look around you, without finding yourselves in
contact with an evangelizing influence that has
emanated from Princeton: and if, before you return,
you visit the land of our fathers, and put yourselves into communion with the great and good
spirits there, you will quickly discover that they
are scarcely less familiar with the masterly biblical, theological, historical, and practical works,
that our Professors have sent forth, than we are
with the choicest of their productions. Verily the
influence of this Seminary has diffused itself every
where, and mingles with every thing! If there
is no part of our own country too distant or inaccessible to be reached by it; if it moves upon the
great deep of ignorance and superstition in China
and India, in France and Italy; if it penetrates
into the very darkest part of the heart of Africa;
and, finally, if it brings us into close fellowship




56
of thought and feeling with the wise and good all
over the world, who will venture, even now, to
fix its boundary?
And yet this has been, still is, a constantly
increasing influence. Some of us remember the
time when this great tree, some of whose branches
now overshadow other countries, was a mere sapling. We knew then, however, that its seed was
good, having been deposited here by the faith and
prayers of the Church-we knew that the most
skilful hands were employed for its culture, and
that the enriching dews of Heavenly grace were
not withheld from it; and we had a right to anticipate for it a vigorous and substantial growth;
but I doubt not that its history has far more than
realized the most sanguine expectations of the
most hopeful of its friends. At the time of my
own admission to the Seminary, in the fall of
1816, the number of students, if my memory
serves me, was about twenty-five; whereas the
present number is one hundred and sixty-eight;
and I hazard nothing in saying that this numerical
increase is a fair index to its general progressive
prosperity. I do not say that each successive year
has been, in all respects, more properous than the
one immediately preceding; but I do say that, on




57
the whole, it has been constantly growing, not
only in numbers, but in resources, in usefulness,
in favour with God and man.
And now, in view of the ground we have so
rapidly passed over, are we not brought irresistibly to the conclusion that the Princeton Theological Seminary is a mighty power,-well worthy
to have attracted us hither on this grateful, commemorative errand? Is there not essentially
inherent in it an energy that must necessarily
work out grand results? And have not those
results already become matter of history, to a
sufficient extent to fill us with gratitude for the
past, with hope for the future?
My friends, could we have a more impressive
lesson of the vanity of this life of ours, than is
found in the fact that, in speaking of this Seminary at the close of the first half century of its
existence, we have seemed to be holding converse
much more with the dead than with the living?
Does not the vast accumulation of stars on our
catalogue, diffusing over it an air of funereal
gloom, invite us to pause, not more in tender
remembrance than solemn reflection? If we
glance at the list of our Directors, we find that
sixty-three out of a hundred and thirteen have
8




58
finished their course; and of the twenty, who constituted the original Board in 1812, one venerated
name* only remains, unassociated with the grave.
On the list of the Board of Trustees, twentyseven out of fifty-two are starred; and, of the
sixteen who composed it in 1825, the name of
only one stands without the significant prefix, —
and he the solitary survivor of the other Board.
Of the ten, who have held Professorships here,
only half survive. Of the twenty-four hundred
and twenty-two, who have received their theological education here, either partly or wholly, no
less than four hundred and eighty-five have gone
to give an account of their stewardship. And
we, my brethren, are all in the current, which
is thus sweeping onward to eternity. When the
Centennial Celebration comes round, who of us all,
think you, will be here to welcome it? There
will be a joyful meeting of kindred spirits then,
but they will belong to another generation. May
our Gracious Master pour upon us the spirit of
wisdom, and strength, and earnest devotion to our
* Rev. JOHN MCDOWELL, D. D., whose untiring devotion to the interests
of the Seminary, as well as of the Presbyterian Church at large, is already
a mattter of history. It was a subject of general regret that he was
prevented, by the infirmities of age, from being present to share in the
services and enjoyments of the Semi-centennial Jubilee.




59
high calling, so that, before our places on earth
are vacated, we may build some new monuments
of fidelity in his service, which will at once reflect
fresh honour upon the Institution at which we
have been trained, and encourage and animate
those who shall come after us.
I am quite aware that I have passed the legitimate limit of this exercise, and yet I find other
topics crowding upon my mind, upon which, under
other circumstances, I would gladly speak, and to
which I have no doubt you would heartily and
warmly respond. For instance, I should love to
present to you the Seminary in her relation to
other similar institutions, showing you how nearly
she stands at the head of the list in the order of
time, and tracing her influence in the healthful
growth of some of her younger sisters. I should
love to call your attention to the signs of promise
in respect to the future; to show you that it is
scarcely more certain that the order of Providence
will proceed, than that this Seminary will develope
new powers, and gather increasing glory, in her
onward course. I should love, especially, to try to
re-produce, to those of my own classmates and contemporaries in the Seminary who are present,
some of the cherished scenes of those early days;




60
to remind them of the splendour of LARNED'S eloquence; of the charm of NEVINS' wit; of the apostolic simplicity of NEWBOLD; of the thoughtful,
earnest and intensely devout spirit of ARMSTRONG.
But into neither of these fields, attractive as they
are, do I feel at liberty to enter. Nothing remains,
then, but that we leave our united benediction
upon the Seminary, and bid her adieu. We thank
the Directors and Trustees for the wisdom, vigilance, energy, with which they have ordered her
movements, husbanded her resources, and ministered, in various ways, to her efficiency and
strength. We thank the Professors for the ability,
fidelity, constancy, which have ever characterized
their labours, as well as for the cordial welcome with
which they have now greeted us. We congratulate the present generation of students on their
advantages, their attainments, their prospects,
and we counsel them to gird themselves with
strength from on high, that they may be prepared to meet the high demands of the age.
We give and record our pledge to the Seminary
that her interests shall be our interests, and
that, when we forget our obligation to her, our
right hand may forget her cunning. We tender
our acknowledgments to the inhabitants of this




61
ancient and honoured town for the cordial and
graceful hospitality which we have found in their
dwellings, and in which some of us recognize
only a re-production of what we used to witness
in their fathers and mothers, who have fallen
asleep. We ratify afresh our vows of fraternal
fellowship with each other, thanking God for this
happy meeting, and sending our thoughts and
hopes forward to a glorious renewal of our intercourse, where the meeting shall be, not for a day,
but for eternity. The hallowed scenes through
which we are now passing shall never fade from
our memories, —no, never. We will dwell upon
them-we will cherish them-we will embalm
them-they shall make all our thoughts of this
beloved spot more precious; and we will gather
from them a fresh stimulus to the prosecution of
our onward, upward journey.








APPENDIX.*
The Celebration of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the
establishment of the Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church in Princeton, took place on the 30th
of April, 1862, agreeably to a plan, of which notice had
been extensively given. The day was one of the most
beautiful and balmy of the whole year. Many hundreds of the Alumni of the Seminary were present, and
with them many brethren of other denominations, who
joined heartily in all the exercises of the occasion.
There were many clergymen from the Congregational,
the Episcopal, the Ref6rmed  Dutch, the Baptist
Churches, and the several families of Presbyterians,
who seemed as much at home on that delightful spot
and in that goodly company, as if they had not only
been born and nurtured, but always dwelt, in the same
ecclesiastical household.
The Alumni met at eleven o'clock in the First Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Dr. MAGIE, of Elizabeth,
N. J., was chosen to preside, and the Rev. Dr. PAXTON,
of the Allegheny Theological Seminary, was appointed
Secretary. Dr. Magie, on taking the chair, made a few
pertinent remarks, expressive of the great pleasure it
afforded him to mingle in the exercises of the day, and
of his deep sense of obligation to the Seminary, which
he should carry with him to his grave.
The Rev. Dr. YEOMANS, being called upon, led in
prayer.
*This account of the proceedings of the day is taken, substantially, from
the New York Observer.




64
The Committee, who had arranged the meeting,
stated that no order of exercises had been agreed upon,
but that they had prepared a Report, leaving it to
those who should speak on the Resolutions to select
their own topics. The following is the Report submitted, and subsequently adopted:1. The Alumni of the Princeton Theological Seminary,
assembled to celebrate its Fiftieth Anniversary, record with
devout gratitude their sense of the great goodness of God to
this Institution.  We especially recognize his beneficent
Providence in raising up those two venerated men, ARCHIBALD
ALEXANDER and SANUEL MILLER, to become its first Professors,
and in sparing them to conduct its affairs with pre-eminent
wisdom and fidelity for forty years.
2. In the General Catalogue of the Seminary just issued,
we find the following summary of its History:Whole number of Students                  -    2422
Dead -   - 485
Connected with the Seminary the present year -  168
Foreign Missionaries -127
Appointed Foreign Missionaries                    7
Professors in Theological Seminaries   -   28
Presidents of Colleges -                          36
Professors in Colleges -    -94
Directors of this Seminary    -   -   -   -   -  17
Moderators of the General Assembly  -   -   -   -    8
WTe refrain from any attempt to gather up the weighty results which a half century must have accumulated in the
train of an army of faithful labourers like this.  A glance at
the table will show that the healthful influences, emanating
from this source, have radiated far and wide in every direction; that, apart from the spiritual benefits conferred on some
thousands of churches, this Seminary has had an important
agency in moulding our systems of popular education, and
in training the public men of the country, and that many a
Pagan land has reason to bless God that it has been established.  We rejoice in all the good which has been effected




65
through these various channels; and we re-assure our brethren,
especially those in Heathen countries, that they are not forgotten as we gather around our Alma Mater to-day.
3. It is a matter of sincere gratitude with us, that our
Seminary has never faltered in its maintenance of the ancient
faith of the Apostolic Church, and that, through the writings
of its Professors and Alumni, it has made large and valuable
contributions to Biblical Criticism and Theological Science;
achieving for itself a reputation in these departments which
has commanded the respect of the best scholars of Europe
and of our own country.
4. In view of the distrust so often expressed respecting
Theological Seminaries, we deem it proper to re-affirm our
hearty approval of the principles embodied in the plan of this
Institution and illustrated in its history: the system adopted
here commends itself to us, at the close of a half century, as
eminently wise, scriptural and efficient: and the Seminary
was never more worthy of the confidence of the Church than
it is at this moment. In accounting for this result, we may
refer not only, under Providence, to the eminent learning and
ability of the Professors who have filled its various chairs,
but to the spirit of genuine piety which has uniformly perva(led and controlled its entire administration. While keeping well abreast with the age in the general progress of
Biblical science and polite literature, it has been the paramount law of this School of the Prophets to subordinate the
intellectual to the spiritual, and never to exalt speculative
theology at the expense of personal religious experience.
This is the true glory of our Seminary, and herein, under
God, lies the secret of its power and success.
5. In the pervading spirit of our venerable Seminary we
recognize that true catholicity of feeling, combined with an
inflexible adherence to sound doctrine, by which our Church
has always been distinguished. And in this characteristic
we find an explanation of the grateful fact, that our sister
churches are so often represented on its catalogues; as they
9




66
have also sent some of their most honoured sons to take part
in this commemoration.
6. We record with reverence and submission the ravages
which death has made among the Directors, the Faculty, and
the Alumni of our Seminary. May we pay the best of all
tributes to their memory, by following them in so far as they
followed Christ.
7. We offer our united and hearty thanks to the numerous
benefactors of our beloved Seminary. We respectfully remind the Church it has so long adorned and blessed, that its
funds are still very inadequate to its needs. And we propose to our fellow-alumni, whenever the dark cloud which
now overshadows the land shall have passed away, that a
united effort be made to complete its endowment, and establish its financial interests upon a broad and generous foundation.
All the exercises of the morning, with the exception
of the above resolutions, though highly felicitous,
were evidently unpremeditated; and, as no provision
was made to secure the speeches at the time of their
delivery, all that can be done is to barely hint at them.
Dr. HODGE was called upon to speak, as having been
the associate of Dr. MILLER and Dr. ALEXANDER; and,
though he responded reluctantly, from being impressed
with the idea that it was unsuitable that his voice
should be heard on the occasion, his remarks were
characterized by great appropriateness, and by a
pathos that was quite irresistible. He remarked that
when the two venerable men, who had been named,
were made Professors, he was but a mere youth, and
that when he was elected to be associated with them,
he felt like sitting on a stool at their feet. Dr. Alexander took him by the hand as if he were a child, and
in that relation he had always loved to regard him



67
self; and for him to speak on this occasion was like
making remarks at the funeral of one's own father.
He paid a touching tribute to the memory of both
these admirable men. He had seen them under various
forms of trial, but had never heard a word from either
which the purest angel would have stopped on their
lips, nor any manifestation of feeling toward each
other, which God Himself would not approve. It was
a pleasure to him to bear such a testimony concerning
these holy men in the presence of such an audience,
before he died. The Seminary had now a history,
world-wide, that could not be altered-and who had
given it such a history? Dr. Alexander and Dr. Miller,
whose shoes' latchet he was not worthy to unloose.
The Rev. Dr. CHARLES BEATTY, of Steubenville, O.,
said he was one of the earliest of the alumni, and
reared almost in sight of the Seminary; and, when he
was licensed to preach, Dr. Alexander came to him,
and, taking him by the hand, said " God bless you, my
son;" " and I feel that grasp," said he, " as though it
had been but yesterday."
The Rev. Dr. HOWARD MALCOM, of the Baptist Church,
said there were two features in the character of the
Seminary and its Professors, to which he wished to
bear testimony; and his testimony was as follows:" It is an eminently catholic institution. I am a Baptist. I came hither a Baptist, and went away a Baptist. I never heard any thing here that injured my
feelings. The subject of Infant Baptism was discussed,
but never in an unkind spirit. I have two sons who
are Baptists, and both of them were educated here.
2d. I have never known an institution where personal
piety was more studiously cultivated. The whole sur



68
rounding atmosphere seemed impregnated with the
spirit of devotion."
The Rev. Dr. CHICKERING, of Portland, Me., being
called upon as a minister of another denomination,
(Congregational), said that some who had preceded
him apologized for not having expected to speak, " but
if any have come thus," said he, " I more "-and besides
he had come almost out of breath, for he had travelled
three hundred and fifty miles in twenty-four hours,
stopping four hours in Boston, and one in Jersey City.
He counted it a joy to be there. He had not come as
a denominational representative. New England had
heard of Dr. Miller and Dr. Alexander, and he had
found himself so much at home that he had quite forgotten that he was not an alumnus, and had detected
himself in voting on the Resolutions.  "And," said he,
"I like the name of your great annual assemblage,the General Assembly-it is both scriptural and impressive."
The Rev. Dr. PLUMER repeated the names of many
of the early alumni, who, with the venerated Professors, had gone to the Heavenly mansions; among
whom were the beloved Nevins, and Douglass, and
Graham-but it was not of those of whom he wished
then to speak-it was of his Elder Brother, the LORD
JEsvs CHRIST-to Him belonged the glory of all the
influence and success of the Institution. It was on
his head that he wished to place the crown.
Interesting and impressive remarks were made by
Professor FISHER, of Yale College, who paid a beautiful tribute to the memory of Dr. James W. Alexander;
by the Rev. Dr. BAIRD, who related a conversation that
he had with Dr. Chalmers, in which the great Scotch




69
divine spoke in most glowing terms of both Dr. Alexander and Dr. Miller; and by some others.
The following interesting letter was received from
the Rev. Dr. SWIFT, of Allegheny City:ALLEGHENY, April 18, 1862.
The contemplated meeting of the Alumni of the Theological
Seminary at Princeton:
HONOURED AND DEAR BRETHREN: I feel it a privation to be
unable to mingle my fraternal congratulations with yours,
and share with you in the sacred and congenial pleasures of
this fiftieth anniversary of our venerated Seminary. Surely
you will find it intellectually and spiritually "good to be
there," and may our blessed Lord be with you and refresh
your hearts. When I recur to the fact that I became a member of the Seminary in 1814, about eighteen months after its
opening, and when Dr. Miller had just arrived to assume the
duties of his office, and our entire roll of students numbered
but little over twenty, I am reminded solemnly that, if I were
present with you to-day, I should find few of my cotemporaries to greet. If I asked for Blain, and Blatchford, and
Huntington, and McDowell, and Stanton, and Wood, and
Cruikshanks, and Edgar, and Green, and Searle, and Smith,
and Talmage, and Wilbur and Chamberlain, and Crow, and
Gilbert, and Henry, and Mills, and Judd, and Larned, and
others, this side the grave and of Heaven, I should ask in
vain. The dwelling I might perhaps find, where our class, for
a time, met for recitation in Dr. Miller's parlor, and the other
humble dwelling where Dr. Alexander lived, and where one
of our number instructed his sons, James and Addison, then
but sprightly lads. Without an edifice and without a library,
we borrowed our common recitation room and our books from
the College of New Jersey: and the life of our infant Seminary was a life of faith and of hope, having indeed a pledge
of a continued and growing life in the possession of two of
the ablest and best instructors which Protestant Christendom
then contained.
It was on a spring morning, during the period of our residence in the Seminary, that the village population beheld the




70
novel yet noble spectacle of our little band, without pomp or
music, emerging from the College Campus, and marching out,
headed by Drs. Green, Alexander and Miller, and a few Directors, to an adjacent field, where, with devout supplication,
the first named was to lay the corner-stone of the Seminary
edifice.
In the comparative destitution of funds to erect this single
building; in the fewness of the spectators and the simplicity
of our little, feeble host of students, there was, in that scene,
to the eye of mere worldly aspiration, perhaps an almost
ridiculous absurdity in the act of beginning to build with
such a prospect. But when these venerable men uncovered
their heads, and the words of faith, and prayer, and consecration of all to Christ, broke upon the air of that calm and
tranquil morning; when it was asked, in tones of mellowed
and holy earnestness, that this intended edifice (itself as yet
but the object of faith) might be reared up as a lasting
monument of God's goodness to the Presbyterian Church,
and that, for Christ's glory, it might be the educational
home of many generations of his ministers who should
carry the everlasting gospel to all nations, there was in
those utterances of humble confidence in Christ, and
lofty expansive expectation, a sublimity and power which
every heart must have felt.  That morning the Mediator of the new covenant was there, and ever since He
has been fulfilling the petitions of that hour.  The years
which we have since seen, have, many of them, been years
of disaster and trial to our Zion; and large portions of it,
then represented there, have been sundered from its pale;
and these noble devoted fathers, and almost all the brethren
then present, have passed away; but the venerable Seminary has moved on with unfaltering prosperity, and expanding usefulness: and it is a source of gratitude to God that,
for these fifty years, no one of her Professors has, either by
defection in doctrine or inconsistency of practice, brought the
slightest stain upon her honoured name. Her pupils, also,
have, to a remarkable extent, been free from cases of apostacy, and have faithfully served the Church at home and in
distant lands.




71
Some fifteen or twenty years ago, in a casual conversation, the present senior Professor, with his characteristic
humility and self-distrust, said to me, " When these wellknown and eminent Fathers shall be gone, Princeton, away
from the geographical centre of the Church, will no longer
have the attractions and the central influence which she once
had." I did not tell him what I thought of this. I did not tell
him that I had been present on that morning when its corner
stone was laid, and felt assured that, as to Princeton, her
onward career was then written in Heaven.
In the progress of events, I have been called to co-operate
in founding and sustaining another Seminary of our Church;
and have, with my brethren, rejoiced and given thanks to
Christ for its success hitherto; but I have, in doing this, lost
nothing of my earliest love to Princeton. My faith would
not permit me to think, nor my heart permit me to desire,
that any thing should impair the influence, or impede the
growth, of this our first and model Institution. Much we
may, my beloved Brethren, yet do for it, in our various
spheres of duty, and we who are old, by our fervent prayers.
The close of another fifty years none of us will be here to
witness; but if we are faithfuil, what a glorious epoch may
it be amidst the long hallowed scenes of Princeton! How
many distant lands will have pronounced its name! How
many additional venerated dead will have bound the sacred
memories of the Church to the cemetery which slumbers at
its side!
Beloved Brethren, may our Gracious Lord bless your happy
and sacred convocation with his especial presence, and make
your communion sweet. May your rejoicings for what He
has already done for Princeton be as the gladness of a morning, whose light shall shine more and more unto the perfect
day.
WVith Christian love and fraternal salutations,
Yours, truly,
E. P. SWVIFT.
At the close of the meeting, the Alumni of the Seminary, together with all the strangers present, were




72
invited to the Seminary grounds, where a bountiful
and even splendid dinner had been provided, of which
several hundred partook, the occasion being one of rare
social enjoyment. An hour or more was here spent in
reviving old associations, the ladies, in the mean time,
having been invited to the houses of the Professors
and other citizens, which had been thrown open to all
who were disposed to share their hospitalities.
The interesting scene at the Seminary grounds was
very agreeably varied by an announcement, coming
from the Board of Trustees, that Messrs. ROBERT L.
and ALEXANDER STUART, of New York, had just contributed fifty thousand dollars to the funds of the Seminary, in honour of its Fiftieth Anniversary. It was
received with shouts of applause, and added not a
little to the enjoyment of the occasion.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, the Alumni, according to previous arrangement, re-assembled in the
church, and with them a large number of the inhabitants of the town, and of strangers from various parts
of the country,-filling the edifice to its utmost capacity. The Commemorative Discourse was preceded by
a prayer from the Rev. Dr. JACOBUS, Professor in the
Allegheny Theological Seminary, and followed by
another, from the Rev. Dr. POTTS, of New York; after
which, the Rev. Dr. BACKUS, of Baltimore, offered a
resolution for the printing of the Discourse which had
been delivered, which was unanimously adopted. The
exercises were concluded by the singing of the Doxology, by the immense congregation, and the pronouncing of the Benediction, by Dr. Potts. The multitude
of brethren then dispersed, with their hearts filled
with gratitude and gladness by the hallowed exercises
of the day.