"i UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES p ■ il •*'•• I SUBJECTS FOR MASTER'S DEGREE IN HARVARD COLLEGE. 1655-1791. TRANSLATED AND ARRANGED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND NOTES, BY EDWARD J. YOUNG. [Repkinted from thk Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Jifne, 1880.] CAMBRIDGE: JOHN WILSt'N AND SON, SSntbcrsilg ^««8. 18S0. SUBJECTS FOR MASTER'S DEGREE IN HARVARD COLLEGE. 1655-1791. TRANSLATED AND ARRANGED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND NOTES, BY EDWARD J. YOUNG. [Reprinted from the Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, June, 1880.] CAMBRIDGE : JOHN WILSON AND SON, 1880. 2tCr SUBJECTS FOR MASTER'S DEGREE 1655-1791. X The subjects discussed at Cambridge by candidates for the degree of Master of Arts, in the century and a half preceding our own, seem not to have attracted the attention of those who have described the ceremonies at Commencement, or who have written the history of the College. A single or- der of exercises, with a parallel English version, reprinted from the American Magazine and Historical Chronicle of 1743, is given in the Appendix to Peirce's History of Har- vard University (pp. 111-113) ; and four similar ones are published, in the original Latin, in Sibley's Biographical ^ Sketches of Harvard Graduates (vol. i. pp. 322, 358, 488, w 693). With these exceptions, the pieces referred to have S remained undisturbed in the dead language in which they V were written, and no one, so far as I am aware, has made a » collection, translation, and classification of them. This is ^ not a little surprising, since several of them bear the names • of men who have become famous in the history of the coun- "J' try^ and since they throw such light on the character and spirit, the thought and temper of their time. It is surely -^interesting to know what themes engaged the minds of schol- »yars who lived in the days of the Colony and the Province, as ^ well as of those who were to take part in the Revolutionary O struggle, some of whom afterward received the highest hon- ors in the gift of the people. It is likewise important, in an historical point of view, to note what views were adopted at 40464(i %" 4 sdu.iK» i.s iM»it ma.stf':r s dkorkk, inr>5-i7ni. successive periods on political, social, Hcientific, and other (|iU'stioiis, !uid to Tiiiirk iIk; prof^rcss which has since been niiidc. The ciulicst propramnif! which has been preserved bears the date of li\i')f>, thirty-five ynars after the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth ; and we are carried back by it, and by those that follow, to an age when the Commonwealth was in its infancy, and when to^jics wore discussed before public assemblies which appear almost infantile to us. Then the opinion was entertained that there really was a philosopher's stone, that it was possil)le to square the circle, and that the planets ex- erted an influence on terrestrial objects. Though astrology was on the wane, questions relating to divination were still debated, alchemy had not given place to chemistry, and modern science had not yet been born. Men argued whether the earth moved, and whether it was the centre of the uni- veree. In medicine, it was taught that a wound could be cured by dressing the implement that caused it. The Bible, literally interpreted, was the rule of faith in regard to all matters. Theological subjects predominated, because the training of ministers was one of the chief objects for which the College had been founded, dedicated, as it was, "to Christ and the Church." The first settlers were Calvinists, who believed in a church without a bishop, and who subsequently demanded a state without a king ; and they were vehemently opposed to the Episcopalians and Roman Catholics on the one hand, and to the Baptists on the other. We smile as we read some of the inquiries that were proposed, and some of the answers that were given. But the speakers merely represented the period in which they lived, and two hundred years hence some of the theories which are now popular may seem equally fantastic, and may afford as much merriment to our descendants as those of our ances- tors do to us. Our forefathers contended for what they deemed vital and essential, and they were animated by a SUBJECTS FOR MASTER'S DEGREE. 1655-1791. 5 pure and lofty purpose to promote the highest welfare of the people. We can trace unmistakably, however, in the titles of these essays, a marked progress, bearing witness to a steadily in- creasing enlightenment as the years went on. A thesis which was defended by one speaker is afterward controverted by another, and a judgment which was maintained in one age is at a later period reversed. With altered circumstances there came naturally an altered state of opinion on many questions. What appeared reasonable and fit in the " day of small things," was rejected as inadequate or inexpedient when the community had increased in power and wealth. Especially do we see this larger spirit of tolerance and catholicity in the religious questions that were propounded. Even when the doctrine remained unchanged, theological asperities were softened ; and, as the war for national independence drew near, men were less disposed to berate each other, since they were all preparing to engage in a contest with the common enemy. Inasmuch as the views put forth by these disputants on theological and other subjects were extremely conservative, it is remarkable that they held and advocated such advanced sentiments about matters pertaining to political science. In the beginning, they did not doubt that a monarchical form of government was the best ; and we know that the leaders of the Revolution did not at the outset contemplate that the Colo- nies should be entirely independent of the mother country.* Afterward, however, when abuses increased, men went back to first principles ; they inquired into the origin and basis of civil government, the foundation and justification of heredi- tary royalty, and particularly " the right divine of kings to * John Adams was in favor at first only of a tcniporaiy independence, to be surrendered again by treaty in case safety, liberty, and peace could be obtained upon honorable terms ; and he said that about a third of the people were opposed to the Revolution. 5 Mass. Hist. Coll., vol. iv. pp. 350, 506. 6 ann.iKCTS for mahtkr's deokkf:. ifioo-iTOl. povorn wronj^." Wo ^atlici IVoiii these pieces hints as to the (lifliciillies which they encountered, especially those arisinjy from the over-supply of paper money, and we see also the brav(! and resolute spirit which controlled them and which cniililrd thciii finally to surmount all ohstacles. The elo- (jucnce of these brief texts enables us in a measure to con- ceive what patriotic appeals were subsequently made by these stirrinjif champions of liberty, and causes us the more deeply to regret tluit their dissertations have not been preserved to us. Among the papers, prepared for these occasions, the titles of which arrest attention, are those relating to the Hebrew language, which even in its punctuation is declared to be of divine origin, and which, it is maintained, will be spoken by the saints in heaven. Since for a long time all undergradu- ates were compelled to acquire a knowledge of this tongue so as to be able to read the Old Testament in tlie original, (which was necessary in order that they might receive their first degree,) and since a Hebrew oration was annually de- livered at Commencement even down to the year 1817, it has been a matter of surprise and wonder to those who know how this study is generally regarded, that such a requisition could be enforced, and that such a general interest could be awakened and sustained in this department of learning. It appears, however, from the diaries and written recollections — which may be regarded as partaking of the nature of pri- vate confessions — of the instructors, that this was far from being to all a fascinating or favorite study. IMichael Wiggles- worth, who taught in 1653, writes: — August 29 : " My pupills all came to me y'' day to desire yy might ceas learning Hebrew : I w"'stood it w"' all y*" reaso I could, yet all will not satisfy y'." thus am I requited for my love ; & thus little fruit of all my prayers »fc tears for y' good." August 30 : " God appear'd somew' in inclining y^ sp' of my pupils to y study of Helirew as I had pray'd y' god would do." SUBJECTS FOR MASTER S DEGREE. 1655-1791. 7 March 7 : "I was much pplexed in mind w* many thoughts to «^ fro, about leaving y'^ colledge, one while ready to resolv upo it almost, and quite another way ; & I know not w' to do, how to line here & keep a good cosciece bee. my hands are bound in point of reforming disorders ; my own weakness & pupils froward ncgligece in y^ Hebrew stil much exercise me. yet for all this trouble god hath bin w"' me in my psonal studys ; for this day I began & finished all y' p' of my synopsis w""" treats about Method." * Sidney Willard, who was Professor from 1807 to 1831, writes to the same effect : — " My Hebrew classes were small, much as they had been in past times. In translating a Hebrew word, the eyes of a pupil would some- times wander, and seize upon the wrong Latin word in the margin for its meaning, producing a ludicrous effect. One of the students, a grave youth, who |iever meant to do anything wrong, acquired the habit of translating the Hebrew word Jehovah into Jupiter. " I suppose there were and are scholars who might excite some zeal in the study of the Oriental languages ; but the general impres- sion is, and ever has been, at our University, that the value of such learning does not repay the labor and pains necessary to be under- gone in its acquirement. I once asked Professor Stuart whether there were many good Hebrew scholars in his classes, and his reply was emphatically and in substance, Veri/ few." f The themes which are brought together in the following pages are in the original expressed in media3val and modern Latin, and the parts were delivered in the afternoon of Com- mencement day by those who three years before had been graduated from the College, the exercises of the candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Arts occupying the forenoon. It is impossible that all the dissertations of the former, printed on the programme, should have been actually spo- ken, since the number of them in some instances exceeds thirty, and in one case reaches forty-five ; and, although our * Sibley, Harv. Graduates, vol. i. pp. 265-268. t Memories of Youth aud Manhood, 1855, vol. ii. pp. 201, 202. 8 sru.iKCTS lull MAsi i;i:'.s di.i.kkk. KiO.VlT'Jl. futliors were acciistoinod to long seinioiis and long prayers, they would liiirdly luivc listened ])aticntly to so many trcf^ tisfs, on such iibstract and tcclinical to[)ics, written in a for- eign idiom, and prononiicrd on a midsummer day, after they had ahcady attended the formal exercises of the morning. I 'resident .Iosei>h Willanl states that there was seldom an opportunity for more than two or three candidates to speak, because much of the time was taken up in giving the degrees. I'he order of exercises with the names of the speakers was printed on one side of a quarto or folio sheet, the heading of which was Quccstiones pro Modulo DisciUiendce in Comitiis Puhlicis a Laurece MagiatraliH Candidatis ; * and the proceed- ings were concluded with an Oratio Gratulatoria or Valedic- toria. Many of the questions which were then discussed have now ceased to be of any general or special interest ; and the extracts which are here given are such as are most important and characteristic, either from the nature of the subject or the renown of the author, and such as, with the accompanying notes, present a faithful picture of the times. Questiojis relating to Society and the State. Is temporal dominion founded in grace ? Neg. 1692, 1697, 1700, 1715. Can Jesuits be good subjects ? Neg. 1697. Is a monarchical government the best ? Aff. 1698. Should beggars be tolerated in a state ? Neg. 1698. Are the Americans Israelites ? f Neg. 1699. * From 1655 to 1668 the title was Qucestiones in Philosophia ; and from 1655 to 1694, Per Inceptores in Artibus. After 1700 tlie formula above given was adopted, and was generally used until the end of the century. t A similar question has of late been agitated in Great Britain, and many pamphlets relating to it have been issued, of which the following is a specimen: SUBJECTS FOR MASTER'S DEGREE. 1655-1791. 9 Is want the bond of human society ? Aff'. 1704. Are Christian kings the guardians of both tables of the divine law ? Aff. 1711, 1723. Is it jiossible that dominion can be acquired without possession ? Neg. 1713. Should the oath of fidelity to lay magistrates be taken by the clergy as well as by the laity ? * Aff. 1714. Is the royal power absolutely by divine right ? Neg. 1723. Does a college education incapacitate a man for commercial life ? Neg. 1724. Is agriculture the most honorable of all secular employments ? Aff. 1725, 1755. Is civil government originally founded on the consent of the people ? Aff. 1725. Can the price of articles for sale be regulated by law ? Aff. 1725. Is a knowledge of military affairs desirable and praiseworthy in any member of a college ? Aff. 1727. Does the issue of paper money contribute to the public good ? Aff. 1728. ^ Is agriculture unbecoming a gentleman ? Neg. 1728. Is the importation of goods which are much more valuable than those which are exported detrimental to the state ? Aff. 1729, 1734, 1748, 1786. ^ Are polished manners an ornament to a man ? Aff. 1729. Is unlimited obedience to rulers taught by Christ and his apostles? Neg. 1729. Is a college education of service to one who travels ? Aff. 1730. Thomas Hutchinson.* Is the voice of the people the voice of God ? ' Aff. 1733. " 181st Thousand. Forty-seven Identifications of the Britisli Nation with the Lost House of Israel ; showing the tribe of Dan to liave settled in North Ireland, the Welsh to be a tribe of Israel, the people of South Ireland to be the Canaan- ites, America to be identical with the nation of Manasseh." * In 1760 chief justice and in 1771 governor of the Province of Massachu- setts. He published the History of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay. 2 vols. 1764, 1767. 2 10 Sl'Fi.lKCTH Ff)U master's DKGKKK. lO'in-ll'.n. Is the (■(iiis(:iiit (l<|in(i:ili(>M nf |ta|Mr iiHHioy most disastrous to com- Illt rcr f Air. i7;m. Can a mai,'isti:it<' lawfully pn-vc-nt Hul>j«M:ts from carrying on business on any «lav of the wi-ek (•.\Are intelligences composed of matter ? Aff". 1656. Is form derived from the power of matter ? Neg. 1659. * In consequence of the great depreciation of the currency attendant upon the overissue of paper money, a ream of paper at this time cost SoOO, and a quill cost $1.50. "Our experience of such evils, great as they have been, is hardlv sufficient to enable us to compreliend the miseries of our fathers, under the blighting influence of that deluge of continental and provincial paper, which seemed to sweep off, in its progress, the whole property of the community." Samuel A. Eliot, Sketch of the History of Harvard College, 18-18, pp. 80-88. 14 SUBJECTS FOR MASTER'S DEGREE. 1055-1791. Is |irivutioii a cause of juivlliiiii,' in nature?* Nc},'. lG5y. Is tlio act of (creation eternal ? AIT. IGIJO. Neg. 17;"»'», 1708. Is lliero a conciiirence of tlic first cause willi tlie second in every ac- tion ? Atr. 1(3 GO, 1715. Is any created substance immaterial ? Neg. 1665. Is all good necessarily self-comniunicativc? AfF. 1 668. Does the will always follow the last dictate of the intellect? Neg. 1676. Afl". 1686, 1692, 1700, 1710, 1722, 1730. Does qenus exist outside the intellect? Aff. 1082. Is Pneumatics a science distinct from Metaphysics and Theology ? Aff. 1688, 1709, 1715. Is doubt the beginning of all indubitable philosophy ?t Aff. 1690. Does extension belong to spirits ? Aff. 1694, 1703. Neg. 1725. Can an injury be done to one who is willing to suffer it ? Aff. 1704. Is there a snmmuin malum ? Neg. 1709, 1715. Is the object-matter or material of sin metaphysically good, morally indifferent ? t Aff 1720. Is physiciU necessity essentially different from moral necessity ? Aff. 1729. Do synonymous words often bring in a difference of ideas ? Aff. 1730. Is the pleasure of reflection equal to fruition? Neg. 1733. * Cold may be said to be caused by the absence of heat ; but can tliis ab- sence, which is merely a privation, be regarded as a positive cause? t " As I desired," says Descartes, " to give my attention solely to the search after truth, I thought that I ougiit to reject as absolutely false all opinions in regard to which I could suppose the least ground for doubt, in order to ascertain whetlier after that there remained aught in my belief that was wholly indu- bitable." Discouis de la Mctliode, 1037. J Are the material objects with which sin is committed in themselves good, and as to their moral character indifferent ? SUBJECTS FOR MASTER'S DEGREE. 1655-1791. 15 Can independent beings be created by God ? Neg. 1734. Does a cause exist necessarily prior to its effect ? * Neg. 1740. Aff. 1748. Do all things, according to their nature, continue in the same state forever 'i Aff". 1740. Is the spirit of man distinct from his soul ? * Aff. 1758. Are the feelings the medium between nature and human knowledge ? Aff. 1759. Can thought originate from matter, however modified ? Neg. 1761. Is metaphysical infinity to be distinguished from mathematical infinity ? Aff. 1701. Is it possible for the will to choose either of two things, both of which are equally good ? Neg. 1768. Does man in a state of nature enjoy the greatest happiness ? Aff". 1781. Questions relating to Science. Is the starry heaven made of fire ? Aff. 1674. Does a shadow move ? Neg. 1687. Is there a stone that makes gold ? Aff. 1687. Is the material of celestial and of terrestrial bodies one and the same ? Aff. 1688. Does the diversification of bodies arise from motion ? Aff. 1688. Does motion take place without a vacuum ? Aff. 1693. Is the quadrature of the circle possible ? Aff. 1693. Are atoms indivisible solely because they are imporous ? Aff. 1693. Were comets created in the beginning ? Aff. 1703. * Does an3'tliing have necessary existence as a cause, until it has actually been followed by an effect ? It", HI'FMKCTS roil master's nKOIlKE. 1055-1791. Can ihi'IhIh l»n changed info ono another ahcrnately ? Afi: 17 ().•{. Is thi! niajinctic power of the earth the |iriMciple of gravitation? Atr. 17(18. Aro there perpcnilicuhir parallels ? Neg. 171.'{. Is the earth the centre of the universe? Ne;,'. 1717. Are luminous rays corporeal ? * Atr. 1717. Are the northern lights meteors? Atf. 1722. Do bodies, falling out of a right line to the centre, descend towards the east ? Aft". 1725. Is there an immense space outside the world, wliich is eternal and necessarilv existing ? Aff. 1729. When places are in the same latitude, is the shortest course from one to the other on the same parallel ? Neg. 1730. Can the rising of vapors be explained by the principles of electricity ? Aff. 17-10. Was there a rainbow before the deluge ? Neg. 1759. Aff. 176G. Do the spots which have been observed on the surface of the sun arise fi'om volcanic eruptions ? Aff. 17G1. Does the pleasure of science consist more iu acquiring than in possess- ing it ? Aff. 1702. Do the heavenly bodies produce certain changes in the bodies of animals? Aff. 17 02. Is the daily motion of the earth round its axis annually accelerated ? Aff. 1705. Can vegetables be reduced to water by means of art and nature ? Aff. 1705. Is the elasticity and consequently the salubrity of the air diminished by drawing electricity artificially from the clouds ? Aff. 1705. Are all bodies (metals and stones not excepted) produced from seed ? Aff. 1707. * The corpuscular theory of liglit is here maintained, although the uiulula- tory theory was pubUshed in 1690. SUBJECTS FOR MASTER'S DEGREE. 1655-1791. 17 Are the particles of mercury smaller than those of any other known fluid ? Aff. 1767. Does the state of the atmosi^here, whether salubrious or otherwise, depend to a great degree on subterranean effluvia3 ? Aff. 1768. Did the reptiles of America originate from those that were preserved by Noah ? Aff. 1769. Are aquatic animals as liable to diseases as land animals ? Neg. 1770. Is a comet, which only appears after many years, more a foreboding of divine wrath than a planet which rises daily ? Neg. 1770. Can real gold be made by the art of chemistry ? Aff. 1771. Is the sun inhabitable ? Aff. 1772. Theophilus Parsons.* Is the rarefaction of the atmosphere of comets, when they are nearest the sun, injurious to the birds that fly in it ? Aff. 1772. "Were the aborigines of America descended from Abraham ? Aff. 1773. Questions relating to Physiology and Medicine. Is there a circulation of the blood ? [^An motus sanguinis sit circu- laris .^] Aff. 1660, 1699.t Is heat essential to fever ? Neg. 1678. Does the liver make blood ? Neg. 1678. Is the cure of wounds by sympathetic powder lawful ? Aff. 1693, 1708. * He was chief justice of the Supremo Court of Massachusetts from 1806 to 1813. The same view was advanced by Sir William Herschel, who imagined that in the solar atmosphere there was a double stratum of clouds, and that the lower stratum might be sufficiently dense to protect the surface of the sun from the excessive heat produced by combustion in the upper stratum, and thus render it a fit habitation for human beings. t Harvey's discovery of this fact was announced to the world in 1G28. 3 18 HiJiuK(rrs Foii masticu's ukcjukk. Kj.'j.viTfil. Is thoH! :i iii:ij,'iiclii- incllioil uf c-uriii;,' wouikIh? Atr. K'.'.IH. Is tli(^ curt! of (liHcascs wliiili i.s ciillcil chanicteristic, lawful? N.'f,'. lODH. Is then! a universal remedy ? AH'. KV.IH. Neg. 17G1. Arc tliere diseases wliidi are uot cured by Galen's remedies, but only by cliciniciil ones ? AfV. 17(11. \ Is tliorc a synipatluftic powder?* -^ Atr. 17(»;3, 17U8, 1710. Do the moods of the mind follow the temperament of the body ? Atr. 1704. Does the heart make blood ? Aff. 1710. Does the motion of the heart take place through respiration ? Neg. 1713. Are the natural capacities of men equal, and do they become different only in consequence of the different organs of their bodies? Neg. 1722. Atr. 1741. Is cold water the most efficacious of all means for removing fever ? AfF. 1723. -V^" Ought physicians to pray for the health of the people ? Atf. 1724. Is the inoculation of the small-i)ox [va7-iola7-um transplantaiio] into human bodies lawful and safe ? f Aff. 1724, 1784. V- Should the fees of physicians on the Lord's day be counted as their owu Neg. 1727. Aff. 1769. Do medicinal herbs opei'ate by planetary power ? -Y Neg. 1728. Does the pressure of the atmosphere assist the contraction of the chest in the act of expiration ? Neg. 1728. Is there a duct which leads directly from the stomach to the urinary bladder ? Neg. 1730. Aff. 1731. * For a long time it was tliouglit that the powder of sympatliy of Sir Kenelni Digby would cure a wound by being applied to the weapon or instrument tliat produced it. t Small-pox inocuhition was introduced into Europe from Constantinople in 1718 by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. Jenuer's discovery of vaecination was made known in 1798. SUBJECTS FOE MASTER'S DEGEEE. 1655-1791. 19 Are the cause and cure of all natural diseases mechanical ? Aff. 1731, 1747, 1758, 1762. Are the contraction and enlargement of the glands the cause of all fevers ? Aff. 1731. Is a temperate life the best medicine ? Aff. 1733. Is the natural motion of the blood quickened, wh^n progressive motion is slackened ? Aff. 1733. Is digestion effected only by the gastric juice ? Neg. 1734. Is the principal seat of the soul the sensoriura ? Aff. 1736. Was the eating of flesh a natural cause of the brevity of human life ? Aff. 1738. Does the enlargement of the glands and pores of the skin, caused by small-pox, prevent the return of that disease ? Aff. 1738. Should any one practise medicine before he has been approved by some competent persons ? Neg. 1741. Are the motions and phenomena of the animal machine regulated by hydraulic and pneumatic laws ? Aff. 1742. Is the cure of pleurisy best accomplished by bleeding ? Aff. 1742. Is the dissolving of solids in the stomach brought about by attraction ? Aff. 1743. Is the color of the Indians the original color of man ? Aff. 1744. Does the concurrence of the optic axes of both eyes of itself suffice to explain simple vision ? Neg. 1749. Is Peruvian bark the best remedy in curing cases of mortification and gangrene ? Aff. 175(3. Do all diseases arise from obstructions ? Neg. 1762. Joseph Warren.* * His name appears with a simple Mr. in tlie class of 1759 in the Harvard College Catalogue. After graduating lie studied medicine, was commissioned as major-general, and was killed in the battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775. " A man whose memorj' will be endeared to his countrymen and to the worthy in every part and age of the world, so long as virtue and valor shall be esteemed among mankind." 20 RUn.IKCTS von MASTKU's DKOItKIO. 1055-1701. V ni'l Atlimi liuvc nn uiiibiliciil rorrl ? / Nc;,'. 17()."», .Itrciny Ik-lknap.* Docs l»y f'iir tlu; grcutOHt part of the mass of llio liuin.in l)Ofly consist of lliiids? Ail". 170.'). Is tlir pcrsjiiiatioii of llii' liiuimn body more acrid in summer than in winter ? Atr. 17GG. Is an excess of eating and drinking sometimes benelicial to the hnman body ? t Air. 17G7. Is the toleration of quacks fatal to the people ? AH'. 1768. Are any diseases conducive to longevity? Afl". 1768. Nf^ Should the nervous fluid be called animal spirits ? / Ncg. 1769. Ai!". 1781. Is there a nervous fluid ? Aft: 1770. Does insanity exist without bodily disease ? Neg. 1770. Does the circulation of fluids in the capillary vessels depend absolutely on the motion of the heart ? Neg. 1770. Is poison generated in the body without putrefaction ? Neg. 1771. Is the motion of the muscles caused by the vibration of the nerves ? Afi: 1771. Does the doctrine of Hippocrates concerning the crises of acute fevers agree with the medical observations which have been made in this climate ? Neg. 1772. Does the power of the arteries alone produce a rarefaction of the blood ? Att'. 1773. • He was pastor of the church in Long Lane (afterwards Federal Street) in Boston, in 1787, and founder of the Massachusetts Historical Society in 1791. Tlie subject which he discussed is treated by Sir Thomas Browne in his En- quiries into Vulgar and Common Errors, 1G16, Book V. ch. 5. A portrait of Dr. Belknap, as well as of Governor Strong and Judjie Minot, may be found in the Mass. Hist. Soc. Proceedings, 1701-183.5. t Tlie Boylston Medical Committee, appointed by the President and Fellows of Harvard University, have proposed a similar topic as the subject of a prize dissertation in 1882, viz. : " The Therapeutic Value of Food, administered againstor bej'ond the Patient's Appetite and Licliuation." SUBJECTS FOE MASTER'S DEGREE. 1655-1791. 21 NlJoes the construction of the organs of the body make all the differ- ence between an idiot and a wise man ? Aff. 1773, 1786. Is the inflation of the lungs by opening the windpipe the best method of resuscitating persons who have been drowned ? AfF. 1773. Is the cessation of breathing and of the pulsation of the arteries a sure sign of death ? » Is^g. 1786. Did the art of medicine ever restore the health of a body when the healing power of nature could not renew it ? AfF. 1788. Is the headache ever an idiopathic disease ? * Aff. 1788. Can the whooping-cough affect a human body twice ? Neg. 1791. Questions relating to Law. Can an atheist appear in court ? Neg. 1690. Is it lawful for a legatee by his own authority to take possession of a legacy ? Neg. 1722. Is a lawyer justified in accepting a reward from the opposite party ? Neg. 1730. Is extortion unbecoming a lawyer? Aff. 1731. Ought an advocate to be convinced that his client's cause is just, before he undertakes it ? Neg. 1733. Aff. 1789. Is it right for an advocate to defend even a good cause by twisting the laws? Neg. 1737. If Lazarus, by a will made before his death, hud given away his pro[)- '^iC^ erty, could he have legally claimed it after his resurrection ? Neg. 1738, 1754, 1769. Ought a judge to decide according to what has been alleged and proved, though it be contrary to his own personal knowledge ? Aff. 1761. Is any one bound to accuse himself ? Neg. 1767. * An idiopathic disease is one that is original and primary, belonging exclu- sively to the part affected, and not occasioned by any other disorder. 22 sunJKCTS von mastku's dkoukk. 1055-1701. Wiis the Hyst(Mn of criinin.il jiirisprudoncc among the ancient Kgyp- tians niorc^ perfect tli.iii any that lias existe-\7U]. Ih it lawful for nny ono to cheat a merchant whf» puis oil" upon him (laiiia;ic(l ^^oods ? Ne^r. 1727. Ls it lawful for any one to le it may be to the people, an injury to religion ? Aff. 1741, 1771. Does he who acknowledges the covenant of Baptism, and rejects the Lord's Supper, implicitly deny his profession ? AfF. 1771. Are disputes relating to theology generally injurious to religion ? Aft: 1781. Does the toleration of every religion tend to promote true religion ? Aff. 1784. Questions relating to Theology^ etc. Does the Deity liave mediate knowledge ? [-4n detnr in Deo scientia media ?] f Neg. 1668, 1679, 1699, 1704, 1715, 1717. Did the first created beings \_protoplasti] lose their natural endow- ments bv the Fall ? Afl^. 1GG9. 1736. Is original sin both sin and punishment? Aff. 1674. Samuel Sewall.J * Enthusiasm, says Locke (Essay concerning Human Understanding, Book IV. ch. 19), "takes away both reason and revelation, and substitutes in the room of them tlie ungrounded fancies of a man's own brain, and assumes them for a foundation both of opinion and conduct." Robert Hall (Works, vol. ii. p. 200) defines entlmsiasm as " that religious state of mind in which the imagination is unduly heated, and tlie passions outrun the understanding." t Does the Deity have any except immediate knowledge 1 X He was chief justice of tiie Supreme Court of tiie Province of Massachu- setts in 1718. SUBJECTS FOR MASTEll's DEGREE. 1655-1791. 33 Is there an absolute decree of reprobation ? Aff. 1675. Do the attributes of God differ in reality from his essence ? Neg. 1675, 1728. Is the soul transmitted by generation [^sit ex traduce] ? Neg. 1664, 1675, 1684, 1703, 1705, 1708. Aff. 1767. Is tlie knowledge of the angels discursive ? * Aff. 1678, 1688, 1692, 1709. Have the unregenerate a free will to choose spiritual good ? Neg. 1680, 1695, 1701, 1708. Do the angels have matter and form ? Aff. 1680, 1682, 1693, 1694, 1703. Is God's decree God himself? Aff. 1684. Is grace universal ? Neg. 1684, 1701. Is Armiuianism Neo-Pelagianism ? Aff. 1694. Is the Pope, rather than the Turk, to be regarded as Antichrist ? Aff. 1695, 1715, 1762. Can the Gentiles attain salvation by the light of nature ? t Neg. 1695, 1761. Is avenging justice natural to God ? Aff. 1696. Can those who are truly faithful be totally and finally lost ? Neg. 1696, 1724, 1760. Is help sufficient for salvation given to all ? Neg. 1697, 1699. Did Christ die for all, and for each ? Neg. 1698. Does man's proclivity to evil proceed from the principles of an uncor- rupt nature ? Neg. 1698. . Can any one be saved, in any country ? •>C Neg. 1699. Is Christ a mediator for the angels ? Neg. 1700. * Is the knowledge of the angels intuitive, or does it come by " discourse of reason," as the result of passing from premises to conclusions ? t " Much less can men not professing tlie Ciiristian religion be saved in any other way whatsoever, be they ever so diligent to frame their lives according to tlie light of nature, and the law of that religion they do profess ; and to assert and maintain that they may, is very pernicious and to be detested." Westmin- ster Confession of Faith, 1647, chap. x. art. 4. 34 suu.jiccTS FOK MAHTEii's i>i:(;i:i:!o. 1 (;:»:>- 1 70 1. Are tlicrr atlicists, |ir(i|)(ilv so called? i\(--,r. 1701. Is till" liurnaii iiit<;llect tlie iiicasiin! oi' (rutli? Ncg. 17UI. Was man l)y creation niorlal ? Ne.ir. 1701. Air. 17.'JH. "Would tli(! liuman body before the Fall naturally have tended to dis- solution? Neg. 1704, 1730. AfK 1772. Were the j)atriarchs of the Old Testament thrust down into limbo ? * Neg. 1710. Is the keeping of the Sabbath on the seventh day a divine and un- changeable ordinance ? Art". 1710, 1761. Is all sin by its very nature mortal ? Aff. 1710, 1720, 17G5. Does election to life eternal depend solely on the grace of God ? Aff. 1711. Is monastic life a religious state in which one can do works of super- erogation ? Neg. 1711. Did Christ, in his descent to hell, suffer hell torments ? Neg. 1713. Is there an order of rank among the demons ? Aff". 1714. In the hyijostatic union of the two natures [in Christ] do the natures remain distinct from the attributes ? Aff. 1716. Is there any common religion by which all can be saved promis- cuously? Neg. 1718, 1730. Will the visible world finally be burned up ? Neg. 1718, 1765. Aff". 1767. Is Christ a mediator as regards both natures ? Aff". 1719. * Limbo is derived from limbus, "a border." According to the Romanists, besides lieaven which is tlie abode of the blessed, hell which is the locality for the lost, and purgatory which is an intermediate state of purification, there are two other places " bordering " on hell for those spirits who, without any guilt of their own, have died outside the pale of redemption. The limbus infantium is for the souls of unbaptized infants ; and the limbus patnnn is for those saints of the Mosaic dispensation who passed away before the advent of the Messiah. When the work of Christ was accomplished, these last were freed from imprisonment, and tlicir limbo is now empty. SUBJECTS FOR MASTER S DEGREE. 1055-1791. 3o Has a special angel been assigned as a perpetual guardian to eacli of the faithful ? Neg. 1719. Is Christ, the mediator, as a man to be worshipped ? Neg. 1720, 1728. Are philosophy and the study of philosophy to be considered as among the causes of heresy ? Neg. 1720. Is mathematical certainty necessary in matters of faith ? Neg. 1723, Will the day of judgment begin with the blessed millennium ? Aft: 1723. Is Christ, before the day of judgment, a perfect Saviour? Neg. 1724. Did Christ, as a man, after his ascension receive from God a revelation of the dav of judgment ? Aft". 1724. Are the saints in heaven more happy than if they had never sinned ? Aft: 1725. Should anything that contradicts reason be admitted into articles of faith ? Neg. 1725. Is there a paradise distinct from heaven ? Neg. 1725. Are all the attributes of God, so far as he himself is concerned, one and the same ? Aft: 1727. Are all the sighings for grace, grace ? Neg. 1727. Does the happiness of God, no less than that of his creatures, depend on virtue ? Aff. 1729. Is it essential to a divine revelation that it should contain nothing which is contradictory to reason? Aft". 1729. Will the different dispositions and affections which lead men in this life to various pursuits, aftbrd them special enjoyment in the heav- enly life ? AtF. 1730. Is the trinity of persons in tlie Deity revealed in the Old Testament ? Aft: 1730. Neg. 1738.* * This negative was expunged, and tlie afBrmative was inserted, after the order of exercises had been printed, by vote of the Tresident and Tutors on tlie morning of Commencement Day. See Quincy, Hist, of Ilarv. Univ., vol. ii. pp. 23-25. ?,{} SLiH.Ji'Urrs FoK MASTKu's I (Ko i:i;i:. Ki.-j.-j-lTWl. Do (ho iimiisliinciils of li(,'ll (!(jii.si.st inori; in depiivutioii tli.ui in scmsa- tion [iiKKjis in daiinio (jwim in sen*?*]?* Air. 17;I0. Did tlif iVuit |tri)Iiil)itefl to Adam naturally vitiato the condition of his l)(.dv?t Air. 17;51, \1'\\). Will a friendship formed on earth be lost in heaven? Neg. 17;31. Is it in any degree necessary to salvation to believe every text of Scripture ? Neg. 1731. If Adam had not sinned, would original righteousness have been com- municated to his descendants ? Aff. 1731. Were the angels created in a state of probation? Aft". 1732. Was Christ a mediator before he assumed human nature ? AflT. 1732. Are the blessed in heaven capable of desires and hope ? Neg. 1733. Does the Devil know the thoughts of men? Neg. 1733. Will the damned be punished for sins which they have committed in hell ? Neg. 1733. Does the Deity punish human societies as societies ? AfF. 1734. Did Christ ever appear to men before his incarnation ? Aff. 1735. * A distinction was made b}- the Schoolmen between that future puni.-iliment which consists simply in the pains of loss, and that wliich involves tlie pangs of actual suffering. The former was thought to be chiefly spiritual ; the latter, physical. In hell individuals are doomed to pcena atertia damni et sensiis ; in purgatory they suffer poena temporalis damni et sensus ; in the "limbus infan- tiuni '' they endure pcena damni ceterna ; in the " limbus patrum " they experi- ence only pana damni temporalis. t " The Scripture-account in Genesis rather implies the contrary ; viz. that our first I'arents were to be preserved from death by the continual use of a certain nieilicine (as it may be called) appointed for that purpose, — the fruit of ' the Tree of Life.' And there is nothing improbable in the supposi- tion that this fruit was endued with the virtue of fortifying the constitution — b}- being applied from time to time — against the decays of age. It is not at all iiKicdiblo that the Creator may have bestowed on some fruit such a virtue." Richard Wiiately, View of the Scripture Revelations concerning a Future State- Third edition, 1857, pp. 14, 15. SUBJECTS FOR MASTER'S DEGREE. 1655-1791. 37 In order that there may be a just distribution of rewards, must those who are equally sincere be equally rewarded ? Keg. 1735. Is the second person of the Trinity called the Son of God solely with respect to his mediatorial office ? Neg. 1737. Is it necessary for men to believe any Christian doctrine, on which conduct in no way depends ? ♦ Neg. 1737. Will there be a millennium for the saints on earth before the last resur- rection ? Aff. 1737. If a man is born deficient in one limb, will he be deficient in the same ><^ limb on the day of the resurrection ? ^ Neg. 1738. Have the faculties of men which were depraved by sin been restored by the Redeemer? Aff. 1738. Was sin in the world before the fall of Adam ? Aff. 1738. Can any power except the omnipotence of God terminate the existence of the soul of a brute animal ? Neg. 1740. Was the use of words and letters originally revealed by God ? Aff. 1741. Will a shaking of the whole earth immediately precede the general conflagration ? Aff. 1741. If Adam had remained in a state of innocence, would he have been translated to heaven ? Aff. 1741. Neg. 1772. Did God from eternity decree the fall of Adam, as well as the repro- bation of the ungodly ? Aff. 1742. Is reason adequate to investigate the doctrine that sin deserves eternal punishment ? Neg. 1742. Are there distinct orders among the angels, and have they distinct offices ? Aff. 1747. Will the blessed in the future world, after the last judgment, make use \^ of articulate speech, and will that be Hebrew ? ^ Aff. 1747. Edward Bass.* * He was the first bishop of the Episcopal Church in Massachusetts, and was consecrated in 1797. 404f34^; 88 SUBJECTS FOR master's DEGREE. 1055-1791. Do discords and disputes sometimes arise among the goo