THE

Conducted by

B. B. EDWARDS.

BOSTON:

PRINTED BY PERKINS, MARVIN, & CO.

1835.

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Reprint and digital file May 26, 2000.

This document is scanned from an original copy of the American Education Society’s Quarterly Register, which served as a digest of the diverse facets in American Education and its outflowing effects worldwide. The society was comprised of leading Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth and Princeton Alumni, and served to promote the work both in the U.S. and abroad for educating the people in the Reformation’s worldview of the Bible serving as the only infallible rule of life, which, of course, was the purpose for which these schools were founded.

We have included the Title page, which is descriptive of the original source. The heading includes the year in brackets [ex.1832.] and the page of the original selection featured below.

The reasons for the incorporation of the study of Hebrew into our literary courses are very obvious. All the required helps for the thorough study of the original Hebrew are now easily accessible. The Hebrew literature contains the only records of the history of our race for a long period after the creation. It exhibits full historical annals of a most interesting people. The language is probably the parent of the most important languages of the East. The literature is pre-eminently original—the effusions of truth and nature—the overflowings of genuine feeling—the utterance of undisguised sentiments. The literature has great variety. It is simple history; it is close epigrammatic proverb; it is taunting irony the solemn, elaborate composition of the courts of Susa and Babylon; the tenderness of sweet pastorals. It is the revelation of visions such as mortal eye never saw. It is serious and animated; simple and vehement, now flowing in harmonious cadence; and now abrupt, elliptical, and disjointed.

Above all, it is essential truth without any mixture of error: the thoughts of heaven—refining the taste, enlarging the intellect, winging the imagination, illuminating the inmost soul. If we had only a few of the closing chapters in the book of Deuteronomy, we might value them as a treasure above all price. Did you never mark the repetition—the energy—the pathos—the noble disinterestedness—the unequalled and glorious poetry of the dying prophet and legislator, with which these chapters are instinct?

The objections to the introduction of the study of Hebrew, as it seems to us, can be very easily disposed of. It is said that the minds of a majority of young men are averse to studies so sacred, and that in fact it would be converting a college into a theological seminary. Not at all, it may be replied. There is no system of theology in the story of Joseph, or in the history of Ruth. Ridgely never thought of constructing a corpus of theology out of the wanderings of the children of Israel;. nor Turretine from the wars of Canaan. It is teaching simple, impartial history. It is studying well-conceived, well-expressed, beautiful poetry. Who is the student, that has such a pagan mind as to be unwilling to. study what Homer never reached, what Milton was glad to copy, what Chatham confessed that he had taken as the model of his eloquence, what Sir William Jones declared to be (considered as mere human compositions) the highest efforts of genius.

Another objection is, that the literature of the Hebrews is very confined, being entirely included in the books of the Old Testament. This objection would have some weight, if any man, or college of men, had mastered what

the Hebrew Scriptures do contain. The individual, who has paid more attention to them than any other man in this country, confesses that there are many unexplored regions still before him—that there are several entire compositions yet untouched.

Another difficulty, which has been suggested is, that there is no place for it—the circle of studies in every college is now too large. To this it may be answered, if the Hebrew Scriptures, considered as a mere philological work, are not as important as any other book, we would not plead for their introduction. But it is a well-known fact that our courses of collegiate study are gradually enlarging——thc preparatory schools arc taking higher ground, and allowing the colleges to add to the number of studies. Here then is an opening. Admitting that no book in the present list of studies could be dispensed with, when a new one is called for, David and Habakkuk and Isaiah may be admitted. We think that they ought to make a part of the assigned course of study, in every college in this land. It should not be left to the students to study, at their option, Greek, or Hebrew, or fluxions. Hebrew should be placed on the same ground as astronomy, navigation, or Livy,—not to be neglected by any part of a class.

The ultimate effects of such a measure, I am persuaded, would be most grateful. Our young men would be trained and nurtured in connection and in contact with those principles, which are the only safe guide of human conduct. We should do something towards taking away that root of practical infidelity and indifference to religion, which is every where and mournfully visible. We should be the first Christian notion who set the high example. While Leyden and Oxford are employed in the logic of Aristotle, we should be reading the noble drama of him, who was the wisest of all the children of the East, or the elegies of him who survived the ruins of his native land, and who invests himself in a far more affecting light than Marius does among the desolations of Carthage, or than Cicero at the tomb of thu Syracusan philosopher. An aspect of unknown lovliness and beauty would be diffused over our literature, and fresh charms would adorn the whole face of society.