Nations lately become Literary. 345 



to educate for the service of the church, such pious 

 young men as might not be able themselves to 

 bear the expense of an academic course. 6 



But the clergy and others of the Presbyterian 

 church, soon rinding that the provision heretofore 

 made by them for the encouragement of literature 

 was inadequate, began to form designs of more 

 extensive and permanent utility. In the year 1746 

 a plan of a college was formed by a few distin- 

 guished clergymen of this denomination, in the 

 States of New-York and New-Jersey/ aided by 

 some gentlemen of literary character and liberal 

 views, of the same religious communion/ The 



b When Dr. Allison, after a few years, removed to Philadelphia, and 

 was appointed Vice-Provost of the College erected there, his Academy at 

 Neiv-London was transferred to JVew-Ari, a pleasant village in the State 

 of Delaware, where it was put under the care of the Rev. Mt.M'Dowell, 

 a respectable Presbyterian clergyman, who had received his education at the 

 university of Edinburgh. This institution continued for a number of 

 years under the patronage of the Presbyterian Church; and was the means 

 of forming a number of excellent scholars, not only for the gospel ministry, 

 but also for the other learned professions. 



c Among these were, I. The Rev. Jonathan Dickinson, a native of. 

 Connecticut, and an alumnus of Yale College; a man of learning, of dis- 

 tinguished talents, and much celebrated as a preacher. He was for some 

 years minister of the Presbyterian Church at Elizabeth-Town, in New- 

 Jersey, a. The Rev. Aaron Burr, also a native of Connecticut, and a 

 graduate of Yale College, who was called, in I74*» to take charge of the 

 Presbyterian church atNew-Ark, in New-Jersey, and who was so eminent as 

 an able and learned divine, and an accomplished scholar, that he was after- 

 wards unanimously elected President of the college which he was instrumen- 

 tal in founding. He was the father of Aaron Burr, Esq. the present Vice- 

 President of the United States. 3. The Rev. Ebenezer Pemserton, a 

 native of Massachusetts, and a son of Harvard College, a man of respecta- 

 ble abilities and information. He was, at this time, pastor of the Presby- 

 terian church in the city of New-York, from which he removed to Bos- 

 ton, and died many years afterwards, minister of the Old South church 

 in that town. 



d The most distinguished of the lay gentlemen who aided in the erec- 

 tion of this college, by their councils, property and influence, were the 

 three following: 1. William Smith, Esquire, a native of England, 

 who came to America about the year 1715, and received a liberal educa- 

 tion in Yale college. He was bred a lawyer; attained great eminence 

 at the bar, both for erudition and eloquence, and was afterwards one 

 of the Judges of the supreme court of the province. 2. Peter Van 

 Brvch Livingston, Esquire, a native of New- York, and descended 

 from one of the oldest and most respectable families, who migrated 

 thither from Great-Britain. He also received his education at Yale Col- 

 VOL. II. zY 



