ollege at that time, and
the other a scholar of great abilities, and of the same sentiments with
the Doctor, in some problematical points of divinity, which with great
subtilty had been debated in the schools. Mr. Binning so managed the
dispute and acquitted himself in all the parts of trial, that to the
conviction of the judges he very much darkened his rivals. And as to the
precise point of qualification, in respect of literature, cut off all
shadow of a demur and pretence of difficulty in the decision. However, the
Doctor and some of the Faculty who joined him, though they could not
pretend that the candidate they appeared for, had an equality, much less a
superiority in the dispute, yet they argued, a _coeteris paribus_, that the
person they inclined to prefer, being a citizen & son, having a good
competency of learning, and being a person of more years, had greater
experience than Mr. Binning could be supposed to have, and consequently
was more fit to be a teacher of youth. Mr. Binning being but yesterday a
fellow student with those he was to teach, it was not to be expected, that
the students would behave to him with that respect and regard which should
be paid to a master. But to this it was replied, that Mr. Binning was such
a pregnant scholar, so wise and sedate as to be above all the follies and
vanities of youth, that he knew very well how to let no man despise his
youth, his wit was neither vain nor light, and his fancy was obedient to
his reason, and what was wanting in years was sufficiently made up by his
singular endowments, and more than ordinary qualifications. A Member of
the Faculty, perceiving the struggle among them to be great (and indeed
the affair seemed to have been argued very plausibly on both sides),
proposed a dispute between the two candidates extempore, upon any subject
they should be pleased to prescribe. This being considered by the Faculty,
did quickly put a period to the division among them, and those who had
opposed him not being willing to engage their friend again in the lists,
with such an able antagonist, yielded the question, and Mr. Binning was
elected.(95)

Mr. Binning was not full nineteen years of age, when he commenced Regent
and Professor of Philosophy,(96) and though he had not time to prepare a
system of any part of his profession, being instantly after his election
to take up his class, yet such was the quickness and fertility of his
invention, the tenaciousness of his m