The Virginia Gazette

ACADEMICUS:

A BACHELOR of arts, of three years standing might be entitled to a master's degree, without attending any part of this time at college, provided he ever testified a proper respect for it, and sustained a good moral character. This indulgence would be necessary in an infant country, where the majority are but illy able to support their sons at a college for any great number of years.

I am persuaded that the college of William and Mary, were this or some similar mode of education adopted, would, in a few years, rival any literary institution in the world. This at least is certain, that its reputation would not, as it does at present, depend so much on the idle and dissolute, who may chance to spend some time in it; but from such only as had gone through a regular course of studies, and had been dignified with the honours of the college, would its character be taken.

The charter very properly appoints two professors of divinity; the one to read with the students the scriptures in the original languages, the other to give lectures upon the controverted points of theology. To those who have any regard for religion, the importance of these two professorships must be very evident. Were the design of them attended to as it ought, what advantages might we not expect to reap from them! Instead of clergymen, whose utmost reading extends not beyond Burnet and Pearson who can scarcely construe a sentence of Greek, whose (I mean not to reflect upon these gentlemen, I lament their want of opportunity for greater improvement) our church would be supplied with men skilled in the original languages of our sacred writings, well furnished with arguments in defence of Christianity, and thoroughly acquainted with its doctrines and precepts; and to render them thus useful seems to be much in the power of the visitors. They have already passed a statute entitling a student of this college, who enters into holy orders, to a certain sum of money. They might make his attending lectures in divinity, for such a term as might be thought proper, a necessary condition; and to enable him to continue at college the term prescribed, a few fellowships might be established, and given to such as had taken a bachelor of arts degree, and intended to enter into the church.

It might conduce still more to the advancement of learning in the colony if the charter were enlarged, and professorships of law and physic established. A fuller consideration, however, of this matter, I shall defer to some future time, having already exceeded the limits which I had assigned to this paper.

ACADEMICUS.