Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/428

To the Trustees of the College and Academy of Philadelphia Gentlemen We cannot omit the opportunity which Doct r Smith's return to Philadelphia gives us of congratulating you on the great success of the Collection which he came to pursue and of acknowledging your obliging Addresses of Thanks to us for the Share we had in recommending and encouraging this Design. Such a mark of your Attention to us will, we doubt not, excuse our hinting to you what we think may be further neces- sary to a due Improvement of this Collection, and the future Prosperity of the Institution under your care. This Institution you have professed to have been originally founded and hitherto carried on for the general Benefit of a mixed Body of People. In his Majesty's Royal Brief, it is represented as a Seminary that would be of great use " for raising up able Instructors and Teachers, as well for the Service of the Society for propagating the Gospel in foreign Parts, as for other Protestant Denominations in the Colonies." At the time of granting this Collection, which was sollicited by the Provost, who is a Clergyman of the Church of the England, it was known that there were united with him a Vice Provost who is a Presbyterian, and a principal Professor of the Baptist Persuasion, with sundry inferior Pro- fessors and Tutors, all carrying on the Education of Youth with great Har- mony ; and People of various Denominations have hereupon contributed liberally and freely. But jealousies now arising lest this Foundation should afterwards be nar- rowed, and some Party endeavor to exclude the Rest, or put them on a worse Footing than they have been from the Beginning, or were at the Time of this Collection, which might not only be deemed unjust in itself, but might like- wise be productive of Contentions unfriendly to Learning and hurtful to Religion ; we would therefore recommend it to you, to make some funda- mental Rule or Declaration to prevent Inconveniences of this Kind ; in doing of which, the more closely you keep in View the Plan on which the Seminary was at the Time of obtaining the Royal Brief, and on which it has been carried on from the Beginning, so much the less Cause we think you will give for any Party to be dissatisfied. Wishing continual Prosperity and Peace to the Institution, We are, with great Regard, Gentlemen Your faithful Friends and Servants London Tho. Cant. 9 April, 1764 Tho. & Richd Penn I as a Trustee approve Sam. Chandler, of this Letter. Wit- ness my Hand, Will. Allen