Dartmouth Publicity
(1771 Style)
The following article appeared in the NewLondon Gazette of October 18, 1771, a paper giving the "freshest advises both Foreign and Domes tick":
To the Printers of News-Papers in any of the Governments in New-England.
GENTLEMEN:
By inserting the following you may show your Charity, and do real service to the Godlike Institution, oblige the Publick as well as many Individuals in most or all these Plantations, and may invite not only many Prayers and Thanksgivings to God, but, it may be, also Gifts and Legacies to the Infant College, and will please and oblige (it is presumed) a goodly number of your constant Customers.
Whereas, a considerable Number, by Word or Letter, have signified their desires of an Admission into Dartmouth College in NewHampshire, or the School in that Place; and others, it may be, would be admitted; These certify that the College and some Buildings adjacent are in such forwardness, that in three or four Weeks, they may accommodate 100 Students: and such is the plenty of Provisions in that fruitful Soil that they may furnish one with all Necessaries, except Cloaths and Lodging for about £20 a year. Their admissions are to any form in the School or Class in the College, as they find the Qualifications of the Students. And any young Gentlemen of Genius may go prepared to stay, provided they carry with them Recommendations from some Gentleman of Charac- ter, as of sober, blameless and religious Behavior; without which no Strangers are there, received, nor any , others suffered to continue as Corruptors of the rest, after they are discovered. The vain, idle, trifling and fleshpleasing; the vicious and immoral, the riotous and unruly, had better keep their Distance from that School of the Prophets.
Procul o, procul estote profaniConclamat vates totoque abisistite luco.
i.e. Hence, far hence, o ye profane, exclaims the Seer, begone from all the Grove!
The same classick learning is taught, with some special advantages, at that Seminary, as is to be attained elsewhere. They study the Arts and Sciences as at other Colleges; and if for want of a compleat Apparatus, they cannot so much excel in their experimental Knowledge of the Material Heavens, it is more than compensated by their experimental Knowledge of JESUS CHRIST, which many of them hopefully obtain; and by their happy views of that land of IMMANUEL that is very far off; for the Excellency of which Knowledge, one of the greatest Scholars in the World, counted all his Superior Acquirements in human Literature as Nothing, and for which he was willing to suffer the Loss of all Things.
They there lead a peaceable and quiet life, in all Godliness and Honesty, in a sweet Retirement not only from the Noise and Clamours of the World, but from the Vices and Follies of the Age; enjoy the Means of Grace and all the holy Solemnities of Religion, in their Purity, and not only by these best Precepts, and brightest Examples, but (which is more than all), by the influences of the Spirit of Divine Grace are they guarded from these temptations, which have been too strong for many a promising Youth.
No profane Oaths or Words to offend one's Ears. All idle Words discountenanced. They speak the Language of Men and of Christians.
When a Church was gathered at the College, January, last, of about 33 Members, such were the Influences of Divine Grace that they appeared to rejoice at the Oaths as they that had sworn with all their Hearts, to devote themselves wholly to God, and trust in the Mercy of the Lord and Merits of Christ forever.
The government is parental, tender, gentle and of easy access, commending an esteem founded in Virtue and an exact and cordial Obedience; much beyond what has ever yet been attained by all the haughty majority of Men of no strict Virtue, however supported by the Grandeur and Wealth of the World. They look upon their Head as dignified by Heaven to be the Founder of so glorious an Institution; and that they can have no Man like minded who will so naturally care for their good; Fines are needless and will be thought unjust and unchristian there, as the Rev'd President's power would be more sincerely felt, than all these pecuniary Punishments, by which the Parents suffer for the Sins of the Children; but serve rather to harden than humble or reform the Offenders.
They may be thought by some too remote from the fashionable World, but particular care is taken in their Education to inspire them with a certain manly Sense and Nobleness in their Virtues; a Kind of Frankness and Openness in their Morals, and that Polite and agreeable Simplicity in their Behaviour which soon becomes natural to the Lovers of Mankind.
There is very good Encouragement in a special Manner to those who are desirous to serve God, and their Generation by the Will of God, in the Holy Ministry; and desire to know Christ, in a spiritual and saving Manner, in order to preach Him. Here they may be trained up by the blessing of God, as in the Schools of the Prophets of old, to that Divine Knowledge, and those Holy Exercises which are to employ their future Life. And there are, it is said, about 200 Towns already chartered out, and most of them partly sett led, in that and the adjacent Province, which do now, or will soon want Ministers.
The Wilderness already begins to blossom as the Rose; and not only in a natural, but, a spiritual Sense, seems likely, very soon to become a fruitful Field; a Field which the Lord hath blessed.
