Son of a butcher, his family died when a plague swept England, leaving him an estate.
He
attended Emmanuel College, was ordained, married and sailed for
Massachusetts where he pastored the First Church of Charlestown.
At age 31, he died of tuberculosis on SEPTEMBER 14, 1638.
His name was Rev. John Harvard.
The College at Cambridge was renamed for him.
Ten
of the twelve presidents of Harvard prior to the Revolutionary War were
ministers, as were fifty percent of the 17th-century Harvard graduates.
On
the wall by the old iron gate at Harvard University's main campus
entrance, and noted in Harvard Divinity School's catalog, is the
statement of Harvard's founders:
"After
God had carried us safe to New-England, and wee had builded our houses,
provided necessaries for our livelihood, rear'd convenient places for
God's worship, and settled the Civill Government:
One of the
next things we longed for, and looked after was to advance Learning and
to perpetuate it to Posterity; dreading to leave an illiterate Ministry
to the Churches, when our present Ministers shall lie in the Dust.
And
as we were thinking and consulting how to effect this great Work, it
pleased God to stir up the heart of one Mr. Harvard, a godly gentleman
and a lover of learning there living amongst us, to give the one half of
his estate...towards the erecting of a college and all his Library."
As
106 of the first 108 schools in America were founded on Christianity,
Harvard's declared purpose was: "To train a literate clergy."
Harvard college was founded in "Christi Gloriam," as the founders believed: "All knowledge without Christ was vain."
In 1692, the motto of Harvard was: "Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae" (Truth for Christ and the Church).
The
word Veritas on the college seal references divine truth, and was
embedded on a shield, which can be found on Memorial Church, Widener
Library, and numerous Harvard Yard dorms.
The shield has on top
two books facing up and on the bottom a book facing down, symbolizing
the limits of reason and the need for God's revelation.
Harvard's Rules & Precepts, September 26, 1642, stated:
"1.
When any Scholar...is able to make and speak true Latine in Verse and
Prose....And decline perfectly the paradigims of Nounes and Verbes in
the Greek tongue...(he is allowed) admission into the college.
2.
Let every Student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to
consider well, the maine end of his life and studies is, to know God and
Jesus Christ which is eternall life, John 17:3 and therefore to lay
Christ in the bottome, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and
Learning. And seeing the Lord only giveth wisedome, Let every one
seriously set himself by prayer in secret to seeke it of him Prov. 2,3.
3.
Every one shall so exercise himselfe in reading the Scriptures twice a
day, that he shall be ready to give such an account of his proficiency
therein, both in Theoreticall observations of Language and Logick, and
in practicall and spirituall truths, as his Tutor shall require,
according to his ability; seeing the entrance of the word giveth light,
it giveth understanding to the simple, Psalm, 119:130.
4. That
they eshewing all profanation of God's name, Attributes, Word,
Ordinances, and times of Worship, do studie with good conscience
carefully to retaine God, and the love of his truth in their mindes,
else let them know, that (notwithstanding their Learning) God may give
them up to strong delusions, and in the end to a reprobate minde, 2Thes.
2:11, 12. Rom. 1:28.
5. That they studiously redeeme the time;
observe the generall houres...diligently attend the Lectures, without
any disturbance by word or gesture....
6. None shall...frequent
the company and society of such men as lead an unfit, and dissolute
life. Nor shall any without his Tutors leave, or without the call of
Parents or Guardians, goe abroad to other Townes.
7. Every
Scholar shall be present in his Tutors chamber at the 7th houre in the
morning, immediately after the sound of the Bell, at his opening the
Scripture and prayer, so also at the 5th houre at night, and then give
account of his owne private reading....But if any...shall absent himself
from prayer or Lectures, he shall bee lyable to Admonition, if he
offend above once a weeke.
8. If any Scholar shall be found to
transgresse any of the Lawes of God, or the Schoole...he may bee
admonished at the publick monethly Act."
In 1790, the requirements for Harvard stated:
"All
persons of what degree forever residing at the College, and all
undergraduates...shall constantly and seasonably attend the worship of
God in the chapel, morning and evening...
All the scholars shall,
at sunset in the evening preceding the Lord's Day, lay aside all their
diversions and....it is enjoined upon every scholar carefully at apply
himself to the duties of religion on said day."
On Election Day, May 31, 1775, Harvard President Samuel Langdon addressed the Massachusetts Provincial Congress:
"We
have rebelled against God. We have lost the true spirit of
Christianity, though we retain the outward profession and form of it. We
have neglected and set light by the glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ and His holy commands and institutions.
The worship of
many is but mere compliment to the Deity, while their hearts are far
from Him. By many, the Gospel is corrupted into a superficial system of
moral philosophy, little better than ancient Platonism....
My
brethren, let us repent and implore the divine mercy. Let us amend our
ways and our doings, reform everything that has been provoking the Most
High, and thus endeavor to obtain the gracious interpositions of
providence for our deliverance....
May the Lord hear us in this
day of trouble....We will rejoice in His salvation, and in the name of
our God, we will set up our banners!...
Wherefore is all this
evil upon us? Is it not because we have forsaken the Lord? Can we say we
are innocent of crimes against God? No, surely it becomes us to humble
ourselves under His mighty hand, that He may exalt us in due time....
My
brethren, let us repent and implore the divine mercy. Let us amend our
ways and our doings, reform everything that has been provoking the Most
High, and thus endeavor to obtain the gracious interpositions of
Providence for our deliverance....
If God be for us, who can be
against us? The enemy has reproached us for calling on His name and
professing our trust in Him. They have made a mock of our solemn fasts
and every appearance of serious Christianity in the land....
May
our land be purged from all its sins! Then the Lord will be our refuge
and our strength, a very present help in trouble, and we will have no
reason to be afraid, though thousands of enemies set themselves against
us round about.
May the Lord hear us in this day of trouble....We
will rejoice in His salvation, and in the name of our God, we will set
up our banners."
No comments:
Post a Comment