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

; butLETTERS, TRACTS, ^C.igigrCiTmg a little from our principal point, we cannottake notice, that fuch a teacher would be of unfpeakableadvantage to thofe in higher life than weare. If gentlemens fons made a competent progrefsin clafTical learning, and were befides inflrurted inthe feveral things propofed to be taught at the aca-more completedemy, we aver they would have a farand genteel fchool education than has ever been publiclygiven in this country.And fuch a teacher of Greek and Latin fliould be,carefully fought for, on account of thole {Indentswho are deligned for any of the learned profeffions,and efpecialiy of thofe who are to be clergymen : Foras education is fo tedious, and is become fo expenfive,we think that divines may and ought to beti'ained up in this method. When they are welLfounded in the languages, they may by proper direc-"tion be taught as much knowledge, and to exprefsthemfelves with as much propriety, precihon, andforce, as divines ordinarily attain, in one third partof the time which they would be obliged to attend adivinity college : And if they were found to be asknowing as college dudents, we do not fee but prefbyteriesmight get over any difficulty in licenfingthem ;provided always their morals be good and theirprinciples orthodox. For v/hich purpofe v/e wouldhave the gentleman who has the* direction of their(ludies found above ail fufpicion, even though hefliould not be fo deep in learning as v/e could wifli.For it would feem, that in divinity it is the genius,or the app-iicatioil of- the iludent, and not the abilityof the profefibr, that produces the elleiSl. We haveheard iome of our divinity profeflbrs mucli run-down,and others as much applauded ; but we could neverfee this difference by the effeiSlsof their teaching, orthat thofe who lludied under the weak profeiTor werea whit inferior to thofe who w^re the fcholars of the*ble one : Nor indeed do we difcern that thefe preach-B b 2.