The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1826-05-31
DOCTOR CHALMERS

~ 4On Cf1dLIHEHOs
The last published letter IS from En-
rope" of Professor Carter, contains the
suhJoined description of the personal
appearance and elocution of the cele-
brated Scotch Divine, DIR. Chalmers.
Without the benefit Of forexnowl-
edge, and by most lucky accident, we
arrived as Glasgow, on the morning OF
the Goth ult. just in time to hear DR..
Chalmers preach his great charity ser
mon, in aid of the funds of the Roman
Catholic Free School, WHICH is a noble
institution, conducted on liberal princi-
pies, and affording the advantages Of ed
ucation to twelve hundred poor chill
dren.
Precisely at o'clock, the Doctor as
ceDded the desk. He is apparently at
the age of about tifty-fye, with short,
thick-se,, clumsy form. and a heavy,
pock-broken face, exhibiting few exter-
nal indications of talent The first SEN
tence he uttered showed, that the re-
tinements of education have not divest-
ed his pronunciation Of the broad Scotch
accent, which is sometimes so marked,
as to render his language scarcely intel
ligible TO an English ear. Ii is not i'm
probable that these national pecuIiari-
ties of dialect have added somewhat to
his popularity with the lower classes,
although he has much more substan-
tial foundation for his fame.
After the usual preparatory exercis-
es, he commenced his exposition of a
passage in the Epistle Of James" For
the wrath of man worketh not the
righteousness of God" His great OBJ
ject was to censure ecclesiastical pride
and intolerance, and to inculcate the
most liberal principles Of Christian char
ity. The peculiarly of his tenets i,
probably we'll known to many of my
readers. He has no other creed thar
the Bible, and processes to belong TO nc
particular denomination of Christians.
Slave to no party-bigot to no sect"
His charity is as wide as Christendom
and his philanthropy embraces the
whole human family. believe thu
Doctors hberaIity, impressed upon the
minds of others by the influence of hi
commanding talents, has been produc
tive of much positive good.
To him was assigned on this occasion
the difficult task of addressing an audi
ence, composed of about equal proper
tions Of Roman Catholics and rigit
Presbyterians. There is an amalgama
ton of the two sects in the board o
trustees, who have the management o
the institution. When he began L
speak with perfect freedom of all sects
and denounce the eternal collisions be
tween them, was unable TO pereeiv,
how he would escape the point 10 which
his doctrines were tending, withou
giving serious offence to one or the 9th
er party, of bis hearers. But be hel,
the balance with an even hand an,
where his ingenuity could not unite hi
boldness severed the Gordian knot
That neither sect might complain o
partially, he censured the defects o
both,
DIR. Chalmers has none of the grace
Of oratory, either as it regards his elo
cution or his gestures. Both of thes
are positively bad.-The effect of hi
preaching arises from vigour ofthough
boldness of conception, and earnestnes
of manner. He throws himself forwar
as if he wnnld pitch he adlong from III
pulpit; he clenches his pocket-hand
kerchief firmly in his fist, and bring
down his hand, as if shifting some on
at his feet; this gesture is uniform, an
sweriDg fully to what Hamlet call
saving the air." and nothing but tn
conviction that it is wholly involuntar
can reconcile it to the hearer; the OF
ator seems convulsed with the throe
of thought, and the grandeur of his pc
RODS, rolling out one after aRother i
rapid succession, leaves the mind littl
time for dwelling on minor consider;
tons.