Page:American History Told by Contemporaries, v2.djvu/283

  CHAPTER XIV — INTELLECTUAL LIFE 90. "The History of Yale-College" (1698-1717) BY REVEREND PRESIDENT THOMAS CLAP (1744)

HE Design of founding a College in the Colony of Connecticut, was first concerted by the Ministers ; among which the Rev. Mr. Pierpont of New-Haven, Mr. Andrew of Milford, and Mr. Russel of Branford, were the most forward and active. They had sundry Meetings and Consultations, and received several Proposals or Schemes relating to the Constitution and Regulation of such a College. The first Plan was very formal and minute, drawn up by some Gentleman in Imitation of the Protestant Colleges and Universities in France, founded by their general Synods. In which it was proposed, 'That a College should be erected by a general Synod of the consociated Churches in the Colony of Connecticut. . . . That the Synod should agree upon a Confession of Faith to be consented to by the President, Inspectors and Tutors. That the College should be called the School of the Church. And that the Churches should contribute towards it's Support.'. . . in the mean Time, in the lesser Conventions of Ministers in Associations and Councils, and in private Conversation, ten of the principal Ministers in the Colony, were nominated and agreed upon by a general Consent both of the Ministers and People, to stand as Trustees or Undertakers to found, erect and govern a College, viz.