SKETCHES OF THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF PROFESSOR TAPPAN.

[Continued from page 51.]

In June, 1792, the corporation and overfeers of Harvard Univerfity harmoniously invited doctor Tappan to the office of Profeffor of Divinity. This profefforship was founded by Mr. Hollis, merchant, of London, A. D. 1722. In 1747, an addition was made to the fund for fupporting the Hollis Profeffor of Divinity, by a legacy of Daniel Henchman, Efq. of Boston. The election of doctor Tappan evidently accorded with the defign of the generous donors. His character was publickly acknowledged to be fuch, as their ftatutes required. He was a well known friend and advocate of thofe evangelical doctrines, which conftituted the faith of our excellent forefathers, and have been received, as the truths of God, by reformed churches in general. His learning, his piety, and his aptness to teach abundant ly juftified his appointment to that important ftation. To difcufs the motives, which induced him to accept the appointment, is deemed quite unneceffary. It is nothing unufual for a good man of diftinguifhed talents to rife, in obedience to the call of Providence, to a more elevated fphere of action, than that which he firft decupied. But doctor Tappan's Vol. I. No. 4.

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The

attachment to his people was fo ftrong, and he esteemed his relation to them fo intimate and facred, that he did not determine upon a feparation, without long and feri ous reflection, and fuch advice, as deferved his confidence. queftion was finally fubmitted to a very refpectable ecclefiaftical council, of which the late Lieut. Governor PHILLIPS was a very active member. The council unanimoufly voted, that duty and the general intereft of religion required his removal. On the 26th of December, 1792, he was inaugurated, as Hollis Profeffor of Divinity in Harvard College.

To fay that he was very useful in that office would be only repeating the common obfervation. But an attempt to show, in what his usefulness confifted, and by what means it was promoted, may not be wholly uninterefting.

When he was introduced into the Profeffor's office, the religious character of the university was uncommonly diffolute. For fome time the ftudents had received no regular inftruction in theology. Books, containing the poifon of deifm, were eagerly read, and the minds of many were corrupted. The tide of fafhionable opinion began to run in the channel of infidelity. Few dared to be ferious advocates for the caufe of chriftian truth. The great object of

the pious founders of the college was forgotten. The glory of the gofpel was neglected, or treated with profane ridicule. The fabbath was generally devoted to fcience, to vanity, or to indolence. Immorality and diforder, in various fhapes, had become prevalent, and mocked the power of perfuafion and the arm of authority. Such was the moral and religious state of the university, when doctor Tappan entered on the duties of his office. The great object, which he pursued in his publick and private lectures, was to defend the principles of natural and revealed religion, and to lead the students to the knowledge of their Maker and Redeemer. He uniformly appeared to be deeply concerned for the religious interefts of the univerfity. His whole official conduct was calculated to conciliate affection, to excite ferious regard to religious truth, and to imprefs the importance of religious duty. He had a juft conception of the movements of the juvenile mind. Not expecting youth to overlook their pleasure in their love of improvement, he aimed, in his publick lectures, to unite entertainment with information. He happily combined brevity with fulness, and animation with exactnefs. He was didactick, yet perfuafive; profound, and yet pathetick. It was impoffible for young men of liberal minds to hear his publick lectures with the well adapted and fervent prayers, which introduced and followed them, without a conviction, that religious truth could be vindicated by argument, and that christian piety ennobled the foul and yielded the best enjoyments. So fingular was the affemblage of excellent qualities, which appeared in his publick performances at the university, that the niceft crit

icifm could discover nothing inelegant in the ftyle; the moft metaphyfical mind could point out nothing unfair or inconclufive in the argument; the warmest piety was fenfible of nothing indevout; and the coldeft philofophy could bring no charge of weaknefs or enthusiasm.

. It must not be omitted, that doctor Tappan's evangelical fentiments and puritan morals were directly conducive to his religious influence. How oppofite foever the gofpel of Chrift is to the natural tafte of men; it is a truth, confirmed by fcripture and experience, that a ftrict adherence to gospel doctrines and precepts will render a christian teacher the moft refpectable in the view of mankind at large, and give him the greatest moral influence over their minds. The remark has been frequently made by the most enlightened and judicious men in the commonwealth, that, in point of fentiment and manners, doctor Tappan was that, which the intereft of the univerfity required. Now it is well known, that his views of the most important fubjects, fuch as Chrift's character and atonement, God's eternal fcheme and all-directing providence, depravity and regeneration, the diftinguishing nature of religion, and future retribution, were conformed to the views, which the founders of the college and the fathers of New England entertained. They were fuch, as are exhibited in the renowned Affembly's Catechism, which, for the fake of diftinction, has been generally called the orthodox or calviniftick scheme. Such a theological character in the Profeffor was fitted to produce the beft effects on the moral and religious ftate of the inftitution. Had the

ftudents, fo generally unfettled in their religious principles, difcovered in him, who was feated in the divinity chair, a laxness of sentiment, and a freedom of manners, which did not forbid diffipation; how injurious would have been the effect? It is eafy to conceive that fuch a character, inftead of checking, would have increafed exifting evils. It would have ftill more unhinged the religious principles of the ftudents. It would have annihilated in their view the importance of chriftian truth, and confounded the difference between religion and impiety. Had a Profeffor been introduced, bearing the ftamp of modern liberality, it would have alienated from our univerfity the affection of a great part of the clergy and people of New England, and the confidence of our molt refpectable and exemplary churches. Serious, promifing young men, feeking an education with a view to the gofpel miniftry, would have frequently, if not generally, preferred fome other college, more favourable to their ultimate object. These, and other evils, fo earnestly deprecated by every friend of the univerfity and the christian cause, were in a good measure prevented by the influence of doctor Tappan. Among the Atudents infidelity was gradually confounded, profanity and diffipation were awed and reftrained, open irreligion was put to fhame, and the science of God was ftudied with more seriousness and delight. In the courfe of a few years the triumphant air of infidelity disappeared, and it became cuftomary in all publick performances, to speak of chriftianity in terms of refpect and veneration. Christian parents, feeling confidence in the Univerfity, commit.

ted their fons to its care with fatisfaction. The religious publick extenfively manifefted a growing attachment to that most important literary inftitution, and cherished the pleafing hope, that the youth,. educated there, would not only be inftructed in human science, but guarded against irreligious opinions, and initiated into the true principles of the oracles of God.

The high esteem and ardent love, which he commanded, added much to his falutary influence on the internal state of the university. So much of the father appeared in him, and fo remarkably inoffenfive was he in all his intercourse with the members of college, that a stigma would have been fixed upon any one, who should have reproached him. To reproach him would have been a rude affault upon that facred affection, with which he was cherished and honoured at the univerfity.

It is with regret, that any circumftance is mentioned, which leffened his ufefulness. But the reader must not expect to see in thefe pages the portrait of a man, free from imperfection. For the writer to draw fuch a portrait, even in the prefent cafe, would not be confiftent with integrity. And for any to fuppofe that the cause of God would be ferved by the fuppreffion of truth would not favour of wifdom.

It was an order of Mr. Hollis, whofe generofity founded the profefforfhip, and who had an unquestionable right to prefcribe its duties, "That the Profeffor fet apart two or three hours one afternoon in the week, to answer fuch questions of the ftudents, who fhall apply to him, as refer to the fyftem or controverfies of religion, or cafes of confcience, or the feeming contradictions in fcripture."

The great utility of fuch a practice would fhow the wifdom of the appointment. It would excite attention in the ftudents, and engage them to affiduity in their inquiries after divine truth. It would form in them habits of free conversation, and of profound, connected reasoning on the most important fubjects. Such an opportunity, modeftly and diligently employed, would introduce them to fome parts of knowledge, to which they can have accefs in no other way, and furnish them with fome qualifications for the miniftry better, than any other mode of inftruction. It would lead them to that candid and thorough investigation of every fubject, which is neceffary to the full discovery of truth, and to the expofure and confufion of errour. In this way the Profeffor would obtain a clear infight into the religjous as well, as the intellectual ftate of the students, and thus be under advantages to give them the moft ufeful inftruction and advice. For what reafon the judicious order of Mr. Hollis, abovementioned, was difregarded during doctor Tappan's profefforfhip, we know

not.

It admits no doubt, that a divine, poffeffing his extenfive acquaintance with theological fubjects, his readiness of conception and utterance, his candid judg. ment and condefcending difpofition, might in that way have contributed exceedingly to the improvement of the ftudents, and ultimately to the edification of our churches.

A Profeffor of his abilities and popularity had advantages to be, in many respects, peculiarly ufeful to ftudents in divinity. It belonged to his office to direct their ftudies, and aid their preparation for the miniflry. It is not to be

expected, that young men, who contemplate that profeffion, will readily obtain a due comprehenfion of its facred nature and vast importance. It is not reafonable to expect, that they will fufficiently confider the indefcribable advantage of method in their ftudies, or be able, without affiftance, to adopt the method, which experience has proved to be the best. Through inattention to the nature and importance of the miniftry, and to the proper method of ftudy, many have precipitately entered upon it without the moral, or without the literary and theological qualifications, which are requifite. They who ought to magnify the facred office, frequently fhow by their practice, that they judge it the meanest of all profeffions. A long course of ftudy, and much exactness and readiness are deemed neceffary to the profeffions of law and phyfick. Nay, "every mechanical art requires a courfe of many years, before one can be master in it." But the nobleft and most important of all professions, that which comes from heaven, and leads thither again, that which is employed in the fublimeft exercises, and is most highly honoured by God, is efteemed fo low a thing in the eyes of many, that they think they can reach it with much lefs previous ftudy and preparation, than are neceffary for the most fordid of all trades.* Even they, who have time and inclination for preparatory studies, have often made fuch an injudicious choice of books, have observed fo little order in their studies, have been fo fuperficial in their inquir ies, and fo partial in their inveftigations, that their time has been

• See Burnet's Paftoral Care, chap. &