ALS by Reverend John Niles to Fellow Student of Divinity Sylvester Dana

Very Good. Letter written by Reverend John Niles during his years at Yale College to fellow student of divinity Sylvester Dana. In stampless covers with address reading "Mr. Sylvester Dana, Student of Divinity, Somers" (Connecticut) ; covers have a "paid" stamp and another unreadable stamp (possibly New Haven April…). Very good with light soiling, minor fold tears and a ½" round portion missing from bottom edge where sealed. Letter is dated Yale College, April 9th 1790 (the 0 has a large flourish so it could possibly be 1798). John Niles attended Yale College and joined the church in his later years at Yale; he and a close friend, Lyman Beecher (mentioned in this letter) , stayed on to study theology with the President of the College Timothy Dwight. He later became the first principal of Hamilton Oneida Academy and then became the first resident minister in Bath, New York circa 1808. Sylvester Dana was likely studying divinity at one of the many informal institutions of theological training, called schools of the prophets. The Reverend Charles Backus opened one of the more prodigious schools of the prophets in Somers, Connecticut, providing clerical education to men of the New Divinity movement. Niles remarks at the end of letter "Please give my respects to Mr. & Mrs. Backus and compliments to your fellow students." The short letter contains Niles' feelings about the study of divinity, and "I find the study of Divinity (I know you join with me) exceedingly pleasing. We are now upon the marrow of it; the subject of justification." ; 7 3/4" x 12 3/4"; 1 pp .