User:Jnestorius/Dublin University Regius Professor of Divinity

< Regius Professor of Divinity

The Regius Professor of Divinity in the University of Dublin was established in 1607 as the "Professor of Theological Controversies". The endowment was increased in 1674 by letters patent of Charles II. The title "Regius Professor" was specified in 1761 by letters patent of George III. The School of Divinity was founded in the late 18th century with the Regius Professor as its head. The School's link to the Church of Ireland was controversial after the Irish Church Act 1869 disestablished the church, although in 1911 letters patent in 1911 quelled debate for some decades. From the 1960s, vacancies in the School of Divinity went unfilled, including the Regius Professorship in 1982. The School of Divinity was replaced in 1978–81 by a non-denominational School of Hebrew, Biblical and Theological Studies (renamed the Department of Religions and Theology in 2004) although the statutes mandating a School and Regius Professor of Divinity remain unrepealed.

The second-ranking person in the School of Divinity was the Archbishop King's Lecturer in Divinity (from 1906 Archbishop King's Professor of Divinity ). It originated in in 1718 when William King, then Archbishop of Dublin, donated £500 to fund a lecture.

1867 calendar
A lecture in Divinity appears to have been established in the University almost immediately after its foundation; but for want of an endowment it did not, or man years, assume the form of a regular University Professorship. In 1607, Dr. James Ussher, the celebrated Archbishop of Armagh, was appointed Professor, being at that time a Fellow of Trinity College. In the year 1674, by Letters Patent of Charles II, date 9th May, the Professorship was more largely endowed out of the lands then given to the College by the Act of Settlement, and the Professor was recognised by King's Letter as an officer of the University, chambers being assigned to him in the College, "to be enjoyed by him without any obligation of performing such ordinary disputations, common-places, or other exercises, which Masters of Arts and others who have chambers in the College are obliged to perform."

By the Statute of Geo. III., De Professoribus, &c., in the year 1761, the Professor was constituted Regius Professor of Divinity, and the office placed under the following regulations:
 * 1) That the Professor be elected from the Senior Fellows of the College, within three months after knowledge of a vacancy, by the Provost, or Vice-Provost, and major part of the Senior Fellows, under the name of the Regius Professor of Sacred Theology.
 * 2) That the Professor so elected, immediately after his election, shall vacate his Fellowship, resigning all right, power, and privileges of a Fellow.
 * 3) That all Bachelors of Arts (except those who are engaged in the study of Law and Medicine), and all Masters of Arts of the first and second year, shall be the auditors of the Divinity Professor.
 * 4) That the Professor shall deliver at the beginning of each Term a Prelection, laying down and explaining the order and subject of the studies appointed for that Term. He shall lecture twice a week during Term, explaining the Holy Scriptures, and discussing the controversies with the enemies of Christianity and of our Church. He shall lecture and hold Examinations in Ecclesiastical History, and shall appoint books, with the approval of the Provost and Senior Fellows, in which the Students are to be examined. He shall prescribe Exercises in Theology, and act as Moderator in disputations for Degrees in Divinity. He shall also preach before the University in defence of the Christian religion, on four Sundays in the year, to be appointed by the Provost, or, in his absence, by the Vice-Provost.
 * 5) The Professor, after his election, is admitted and confirmed in his office by the Chancellor or Vice-Chancellor, and may hold the Professorship for life, with a power of having a Deputy appointed in case of sickness or infirmity.

By another Statute passed in the year 1814, the endowment of the Professorship was still further increased, and the following additional regulations, amongst others, were enacted:-
 * 1) That the Professor, in addition to the duties already prescribed to him by the Statutes of the College, shall read annually four public Prelections in Divinity, at such times and in such places as the Provost and Senior Fellows shall prescribe, and that the said times and places so prescribed shall be entered in the College Register, and public notice given of them.
 * 2) That the said Professor shall hold an annual examination of the Students in Divinity, during the month of November, for two days (to be appointed by the Provost and Senior Fellows), during four hours each day; in the morning of the first day in the Old Testament, and in the afternoon in the New Testament; in the morning of the second day in Ecclesiastical History, and in the afternoon in the Articles and Liturgy of the Church of England. [The regulations connected with this Examination were altered in the year 1858. Vide ante, “Prizes in the Professional Schools,-Theological Exhibitions”]
 * 3) And whereas, by the former Statute the Provost and Senior Fellows were limited to elect a Professor of Divinity from among the Senior Fellows, they are permitted by this new Statute to elect any Fellow of the College, whether Senior or Junior, into the said Professorship, provided the Fellow so elected shall be a Doctor in Divinity, and shall be the best qualified amongst the candidates for the said office, always preferring, in cases of equal fitness, the Senior in rank among the Fellows to the Junior.
 * 4) And further, that the Professor of Divinity so elected shall hold the Professorship during his natural life, unless removed, according to the Statutes of the College, for neglect of duty or other offence, or unless he be promoted to a Bishopric. And the Deputy who may be appointed during the temporary incapacity of the Professor shall (unless he may at any time choose to resign) hold his office during the continuance of the incapacity of the Professor, and until the 20th of November next ensuing after said incapacity has ceased, and due notice be given that the Professor is ready to perform the duties of his office; provided said Deputy shall continue a Fellow, and shall perform all duties to which he is bound as such.

By the Statute 18 Victoria, passed in the year 1855, the Provost and Senior Fellows are permitted to elect any Fellow or Ex-Fellow, being a Doctor in Divinity, to fill the Professorship in case of vacancy ; and, in like manner, they are empowered to elect a Deputy to the Professor, whether temporary or permanent, from among the Fellows or Ex-Fellows. In case it shall become necessary to elect a permanent Deputy, due notice of such election shall previously be given to all the Fellows or Ex-Fellows, being Doctors in Divinity. In the event of a former Fellow, holding any living or ecclesiastical benefice, being elected to the Professorship, it shall be lawful for the Provost and Senior Fellows, if they think fit, to require him to resign the said living or benefice, before he is sworn or admitted into possession of the Professorship: and if within one calendar month after the date of such requisition, the certificate of his resignation be not lodged with the Registrar, it is enacted that his election to the Professorship shall become ipso facto vacant, and the Provost and Senior Fellows shall proceed to a new election.

1878 Commissioners
The next branch of our inquiry is into the offices of Professors and Lecturers in Divinity in the College and University, the endowments and emoluments either of private or public foundation connected with the same respectively; and into the mode of conferring Degrees in the Faculty of Theology in the University. With regard to the offices of Professors and Lecturers in Divinity, we requested the Board to furnish a list of such Professors and Lecturers; stating In reply we have received the following information: Four Assistants to the Professor of Divinity, appointed by the Provost and Senior Fellows. The Assistants appointed before the year 1870 held the office usually during the continuance of their Junior Fellowship. The tenure of those subsequently appointed is fixed by the Provost and Senior Fellows at the time of their appointment. The duties are, to lecture Students twice a week during each term in the second year of their Divinity Course, and to assist the Professor in the Divinity Examinations. The salary of each Assistant is £50 per annum. Five Assistants to Archbishop King's Lecturer in Divinity, appointed by the Provost and Senior Fellows. We also further inquired as to the dates of the creation of the several offices mentioned in our preceding questions.
 * The modes of their appointment.
 * The tenure of their offices.
 * The duties which they perform; and The salaries and other emoluments which they receive.
 * The Regius Professor of Divinity, appointed by the Provost and Senior Fellows from among the Fellows or ex-Fellows of the College, who are Doctors in Divinity.
 * The Professor holds the office for life, unless guilty of neglect of duty or other offence against the statutes, or unless promoted to a bishopric.
 * The prescribed duties are,
 * to read a Preelection at the beginning of every term, in which the order and matter of the studies of that term are expounded.
 * To give two lectures in every week during the term.
 * To explain the Holy Scriptures in these lectures.
 * To expound also the controversies with all opponents as well of the Christian religion as of the Church of England.
 * To hold lectures also and examinations in Ecclesiastical History.
 * To assign to the Students books, approved by the Provost and Senior Fellows, in which they are to be diligently examined.
 * To prescribe exercises in Theology.
 * To furnish the Provost, at the end of each term, with the names of Students remarkable for negligence or for diligence.
 * To be Moderator in disputations for Theological Degrees.
 * To preach four sermons each year in confirmation of the Christian religion.
 * To read annually four public Preelections in Divinity, at such times and in such places as the Provost and Senior Fellows shall prescribe.
 * To hold an annual examination of the Students in Divinity, for two days, during four hours each day; in the morning of the first day in the Old Testament, and in the evening in tire New testament; in the morning of the second day in Ecclesiastical History, and in the evening of the second day in the Articles and Liturgy of the Church of England.
 * The salary is £1,212 per annum.
 * We have been unable to find the exact date of the creation of the Professorship of Divinity; we have been informed, however, [Mr.Pilkington, Q. 231.] that the first Professor was Luke Challoner, who was one of the three Fellows named in the original Charter of the College in 1591, and that Archbishop Ussher was appointed to succeed him in the office in 1607.
 * Archbishop King's Lecture was founded in 1718.
 * The Professorship of Biblical Greek was founded in 1838.
 * The Professorship of Ecclesiastical History was founded in 1850.
 * The first Assistant Divinity Lecturer was appointed in 1783.
 * The first Assistant to Archbishop King's Lecturer was appointed in 1833.

We also inquired the nature and dates of change (if any) made in the salaries, emoluments, or duties of the several offices before mentioned, during the last twenty-five years. We learn from the Registrar that the following changes have taken place in the salary and emoluments of the Regius Professor: As regards the endowments or emoluments of either private or public foundation connected with the study of Divinity in the College, Ave find that there have been no public grants made either by the Crown or Parliament for the purposes of the Divinity School. The private endowments are as follows: The salary since 1833 has been £700 a year—the increase having in that year been granted by the Board as a charge on the Decrements. [Decrements are the fees to be paid by the Students, which are imposed by the sole authority of the Board.]
 * By King's Letter, Car. II., the salary named was £80
 * By King's Letter, 1 Geo. III., the salary was raised to £500
 * By King's Letter, 30 Geo. III., the salary was raised to £700
 * By King's Letter, 54 Geo. III., the salary was raised to £1,300 Irish, equal to £1,200 British currency.
 * Twelve pounds were added as compensation for degree fees by Decree dated 18th December, 1858, pursuant to statute of 18 Vic, making the salary £1,212
 * No change appears to have been made in his duties during the last twenty-five years.
 * In 1718 £500 late Irish currency was given by Archbishop King towards founding a Divinity Lecture for the use of the Bachelors of the College.
 * In 1729 a further sum of £500, being a bequest by the Archbishop, was paid to the College for the further endowment of the Divinity Lecturer.
 * These endowments were invested in the purchase of £388 17s. 8d. Bank of Ireland Stock in 1869.
 * The income arising therefrom has varied from £35 to Â£52 9s. 11d. per annum, and has been applied in part payment of the salary of the Divinity Lecturer.

1906 Comm App to 1st Rep

 * Prof of Irish was associated somehow to Div Sch until at least 1906.
 * Roman Catholic Divinity School offered by governors was rejected by Cullen in 1874, and by Logue in 1901 and 1903.
 * The Law Professor recommended "The exaction of fees fox professional instruction from the Divinity and Law students would help to make up the deficiency [in income], and other obvious economies, such as the reduction for future occupants of the wholly disproportionate incomes now attached to the Divinity Chairs"
 * Statement of the Special Committee appointed by the General Synod of the Church of Ireland to bring before the Royal Commission on Trinity College, Dublin, and the University of Dublin, the present position of the Divinity School connected with Trinity College, Dublin, and the claims of the Church of Ireland upon that School and upon the College and University.
 * Appendix A. Lord Belmore’s Bill of 1879
 * Appendix B. Discussions arising out of Lord Belmore’s Bill **Appendix C. Proposals made by Fellows or Professors of Trinity College for a governing body of the Divinity School
 * Appendix D. Proposals since the University Tests Act, 1873, for the establishment of additional Divinity Schools and granting professional privileges to Divinity Students similar to those now granted to Divinity Students of the Church of Ireland
 * Appendix E. References in the Charters and Statutes of Dublin University to the teaching of Religion, the Divinity School and matters connected therewith
 * Appendix F. Judicial Declarations as to the trusts in the Charters and Statutes of Dublin University
 * Appendix G. Endowments applied to the purposes of the Divinity School

1918 Calendar
Founded 1607 (? 1600) as Professorship of Divinity ; made a Regius Professorship, 1761.
 * Regius Professor of Divinity

Founded as a Lectureship in 1718, changed to a Professorship by a Decree dated December 5, 1906.
 * Archbishop King's Professor of Divinity

Miscellaneous
Reg P and King's Lec signed 1868 petition against ending "Protestant" character of TCD.

Archbp King's Prof salary reduced from £700 to £600 in 1916 owing to war-related income shortfalls.