LECTURESHIPS, Endowed. The lec ture platform has provided many opportunities for extended influence and instruction. Recog nizing their value, lectureships are en dowed, mainly, in connection with various edu cational institutions. The income from the in vested funds is sufficient to pay the lecturer for his work and his expenses. Nearly all the educational institutions of England and Amer ica have one or more such lectureships. There is another group of lectureships endowed with sufficient funds wherewith to publish the lec tures, and thus make them of permanent value. We confine this article to this smaller group. The majority of these lectureships are theo logical.
I. English Lectures.— The oldest series of lectures was founded as the result of the bequest of Robert Boyle. Dr. Richard Bent ley was the first lecturer in the long series which was begun in 1691. The Boyle Lectures are in defense of natural and revealed religion. They are delivered in the Chapel Royal at Whitehall. The power of appointment to the lectureship lies with the bishop of London.
The Bampton Lectures founded by the be quest of John Bampton, canon of Salisbury, were given annually at Saint Mary's, Oxford University, for many, years beginning in 1781. They are now given in alternate years, due to the depreciation of the income. The incum bent must be an M.A. from either Oxford or Cambridge University and cannot fill the lec tureship twice. The lecturers are chosen by the heads of the colleges of Oxford Univer sity. The subjects allowed cover almost the entire range of theology.
The Hulsean Lectures founded by John Hulse have been delivered annually at Cam bridge University since 1820. They are con fined to a discussion of Christian evidences or biblical difficulties. John Hulse also gave the endowment for a prize essay.
The Congregational Union Lectures were founded in 1831 and began in 1833. They appear at irregular intervals. They are not confined to particular subjects, but are allowed a wide range in the field of theology.
The Cunningham Lectures were founded by Dr. W. Binney Webster to perpetuate the memory of Rev. William Cunningham, prin cipal of Free Church College, Edinburgh. The lecturer is usually selected from the Free Church of Scotland, but not necessarily. They are delivered in Edinburgh and deal with biblical and theological subjects. The first lec ture was delivered in 1864 by Robert A. Cand lish.
The Fernley Lectures were founded by John Fernley to explain and defend the theological doctrines and polity of the Wesleyan Metho dist Connexion. The first lecture was given in 1870. The lectures are given annually before the conference of ministers of the Wesleyan Methodist Connexion.
The Baird Lectures were founded in 1873. The lecturers are selected by the trustees of the endowment fund which amounts to #500,000 ($2,500,000). The lecturers are chosen only from ministers of the Church of Scotland, and ministers of any other Scotch Presbyterian Church. The lectures have largely dealt with biblical and theological subjects and the church history of Scotland.
The Croall Lectures are named after their founder, Mr. John Croall, and are designed to defend and maintain the doctrines of the Chris tian religion, nand to increase the religious literature of Scotland?) The lecturer is pref erably chosen from the ministry of the Pres byterian churches of Scotland. The lectures are delivered at Edinburgh and were begun in 1875.
The Hibbert Lectures were founded for the purpose of furthering the study of comparative religion. They are delivered at Oxford and London. The lecturers are not drawn exclu sively from England. The first lecture was delivered by Max Muller in 187& Lord Gifford founded the lectures which bear his name. They are delivered at the uni versities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Saint Andrews. The first lectures were deliv ered in 1888. See GIFFORD LECTURES.
The Schweich Lectures dealing with Old Testament subjects have been given at the British Academy, London, since 1910.