The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

280 LETTERSj TRACTS, IrV,cern ;the clergy are ordinarily the people who fludylongell, and inquire deepeft into fcience *,they do it,or begin to do it, at the univeriity ; and when vacancieshappen in univerfities, generally fpeaking, theycan only be fupplled from the clergy, or by fuch ashave been educated to be clergymen. But the edu-^cation we propofe is compendious, and of generalufe ; our fchool will not keep any ftudcnt from theuniverfity, who is intent on making a great figure bydeep and metaphyfical refearches; and we are furethe profeiTors are more difintcrefted than to wifh anyicholar fliould confumc four or five years at their collegeswithout being Ijetter accomplilhed for converfation,or more prepared for the employment by whichhe propolcs to live.We allow the excellence of profefied fcholars, andfhall leave it to colleges to fill their heads with materialsfor argumentation. Yie propofe no fuch thing;and therefore we perfuade ourfelves that the m.aflers-,who love every branch of knowledge, will encourageGur plan, and give us their beft advice ; and we fubrnitit to themfelves, if it would not be worthy thegeneroiity of fuch patrons of fcience to apply fomeportion of their large revenues to begin and carr^ onfhould feem to interfere a littlefo ufeful and nccefiary a proje(9:.But though, contrary to our intention, our planwith that of the univerfity,or threaten to keep fome fcholars from them.,this ought not to difcourage us, nor to put the proleflbrsinto any ill humour : Scnfible that they needfuch a motive to roufe them to more a6livity, theyihould, for their own honour and ufefulnefs, wifli usfuccefs. Both they and the teachers of tlie academywill the more exert themfelves, when they know thattheir honour and their intercll too depend upon theiractivity and diligence.It isa vulgar error to believe that teachers of religion,different from the cftablifhed one, are in allre*