An act to incorporate the Central TheologicalSeminary

Sec[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That John Tilson Jr.[,] James Lamb, A. Alexander of Alton, Winthrop S. Gilman, Joseph Duncan, David A. Smith[,] & Tristram P. Hoxsey and their successors, be, and they are hereby created a body corporate and politic, to be Styled and known by the name of “The Trustees of the Central Theological Seminary,[”] and by that Style and name to remain & have perpetual Succession. The Seminary Shall remain permanantly located in Macoupin county Illinois. The Number of Trustees Shall not exceede twelve exclusive of the professor of Theology, who shall ex officio be a member of the Board of Trustees, but no other member of the faculty Shall be a member of the board. For the present the above named individuals Shall Constitute the Board of Trustees who Shall fill the remaining vacancies at their discretion

Sec 2. The object of the aforesaid Corporation Shall be to promote the general interests of education, and to qualify young men for the office of the Gospel Ministry, by giving them Such instruction in the holy Scriptures, as may enable them to perform the duties of that high and holy vocation, acceptably & usefully in

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the world

Sec. 3. The corporate powers hereby bestowed Shall be Such only as are essential or useful in the attainment of Said object, and Such as are usually conferred on in Similar bodies corporate, towit: To have perpetual Succession; to make contracts; to Sue & be Sued; impleade & be impleaded; to grant & receive by its corporate name; and to do all other acts as natural persons may, to accept, acquire, purchase[,] ^lease^[,] or sell property, real[,] personal[,] and mixed in all lawful ways, to use, employ, manage[,] and dispose of all Such property; and all money belonging to Said Corperation in Such manner as shall Seem to the Trustees best adapted to promote the objects aforementioned, to have a common Seal and to alter or change the Same; and in connexion with the original founder of the institution, during his natural life time, to make Such by laws for its regulation as are not inconsistent with the Constitution and laws of the United States or of this State, and to confer on Such persons as may be considered worthy Such honorary degrees as are usually Confered by Similar institutions

Sec. 4. The Trustees of the corporation Shall have authority from time to time to prescribe &

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regulate the couse of Studies, to be pursued in Said institution and in the preparatory departments attached thereto; to fix the rate of tuition, and other necessary expenses; to appoint professors and Such other officers & Agents as may be needed in managing the concerns of the Seminary; to define their powers, duties[,] & employments; to fix their compensation; to displace & remove either the professors, officers[,] or agents as Said Trustees Shall deem the interest of Said Seminary may require; to fill all vacancies among Said professors, officers[,] & agents; to erect necessary buildings; to purchase books and other Suitable means of instruction & to make rules for the general management of the affairs of the institution and ^the^ regulation of the conduct of the Students.

Sec. 5. The Trustees for the time being Shall have power to remove any Trustee ^or professor^ from his office of Trustee ^or professor^ for any dishonorable or criminal conduct; provided that no Such removal Shall take place, without giving to Such Trustee ^or professor^ notice of the charges exhibited against him, and an opportunity to defend himself before the Board; nor unless two thirds of the whole number of the trustees, for the time being, Shall concur in such removal. The Trustees for the time

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time being in order to have perpetual Succession Shall have power as often as a Trustee Shall be removed from power office, die, resign[,] or move without the State; to appoint a resident of this State to fill the vacancy in the board of Trustees occasioned by Such removal from office, death, resignation[,] or removal from the State; A majority ^of the trustees^ for the time being, of the Trustees Sall be a quorum to do business

Sec. 6. The Trustees Shall faithfully apply all funds by them received or Collected, or hereafter to be Collected ^& received^ according to their best judgment in erecting suitable buildings in Supporting the necessary professors, officers[,] & agents; in procuring books, maps, charts[,] and other necessary apparatus to aid in the promotion of the general objects of the institution: Provided that in case any donation, devise[,] or bequest Shall be made for particular purposes, accordant with the objects of the institution; and the Trustees Shall accept the Same, every such donation, devise[,] or bequest Shall be applied on ^with the^ express condition of the donor or devisor

Sec 7 The treasurer and agents of the institution if required by the Trustees Shall, before entering upon the duties of their appointments, give bond and Security to the corporation in Such penal sum as the

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Board Shall approve. All process against the Corporation Shall be by Summons, and the service of the summons Shall ^be^ by leaving an attested copy with the Treasurer of the Seminary, at least Thirty days before the return day thereof

Sec 8. The Trustees and founders of the Seminary Shall enjoy the right exclusively of prescribing the general System of Theology to be taught, and the course of Study to be pursued; but no Student, who is a professor of religion in any of the generally acknowledged protestant denominations Shall be excluded from the privileges of the Seminary on account of denomination, but immorality of Conduct Shall always be a justifiable ground of exclusion

Sec. 9 The lands, tenements[,] & hereditaments, to be held in perpetuity, by virtue of this act, by the said Seminary, Shall not exceede Six hundred & forty acres: Provided however, That if donations, grants[,] or devises in land Shall from time to time, be made to said institution over and above said Six hundred & forty acres, which may be held in perpetuity as aforesaid, the Same may be received and held by the corporation for the period of ten years from the date of every Such donation, grant[,] or devise; at the end of which time, if the Said land over and above the Said Six hundred and forty acres, Shall not have been sold

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by Said Corporation, then and in that case the Said lands so donated, granted[,] or devised, Shall be Sold by the Auditor of the State, and after deducting the necessary expenses for Such Sale, the proceeds Shall be paid to Said corporation