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

292 LETTERS, TRACTS, IfTc.crs appear worfe in the pulpit or in compt\ny whowere never at a divinity college at all, feveral' ofwhom we know and elleem.In things that relate to divinity, the learned profeflbrsfeem to think in this manner : For three orfour times, they have chofen Hebrew pro feflbrs, who,except the letters, were fa id to know no more of thelanguage ; and church-hiftory, though they have aprofeflbr of it, has not been taught for many yearspafl : It is fuppofed, that one may teach Hebrewv/ithout knov/ing it ; and that divines may know>church-hiftory without being taught it : Juft as thelittle or great ability of the divinity profeflbr makesno alteration upon the feholar.But if it is fo with refpecSl to divinity and whatrelates to it, the cafe is c^uite different with refpeftto a profeflbr of mathematics : Whether he has orhas not the art of teaching, is maiiifeftly known bythe great or fmall proficiency which his fcholai3make. It is ^Jmpoflible that thofe who fl:udy at oneimiverfity lliould be generally good mathematicians^and that thofe who fl:udy at another fhould generallyknov/ nothing of the matter, if the profeflbjrs were e-qually ikiilful and diligent in teaching. The gentlemanwho has long taught in this univerfity has unqueilionablygreat ability ; but whether he has runover the proportions in too great a hurry, or has employedtoo fev/ hours in teaching, it is a well-knownfa6t, which v/e are forry to mention, that he has hadlittle fuccefs in teaching : There are extremely fewwho have been made mathematic;ians by him. Wemention this, becaufe if the two maflers under v/liofedire^lion tiie academy is propofed to be {hall bethoughtto have too much to do, there may be, withoutany additional expence, a ter.cher of mathematicsalone. If he has only the countenance of the magillrates,fuch numbers will attend him, that he willnot need a halfpenny of falary : And if he has theft