Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-04-12
AN EVENTFUL LIFE.
DR.. CYRUS HAMLlN AS A PRACTICAL
THEOlOGlAN.

IN 3h'"'NS' ~ ieVN' % LEVINE h SpthTt ~
Memorial Services in Honor of Middle
bury Colleges Former President at
Park Church, Boston, Jan. 6, 1901.
On Sunday evening, Dec. 2, 1898, n
large and sympathetic audience assembled
within these walls to listen to parting in
structions by Secretary Anderson, in be-
half of the American board, to their
youthful missionary, Rev. Cyrus Hamin,
under appointment to Constantinople.
An address was also made by Rev. II. G..
O. Dwight, on visit from the same field.
On Monday following, the missionary,
accompanied by his fragile but heroic
wife, embarked at Fosters wharf. thus
entering upon a life-work of sixty-two
years. And how memorable that career
for its contributions to education, me-
chanics, philanthropy, physical health,
civil freedom and the kingdom of Jesus
Christ. We hear of epoch-making books.
1t were truer to history and reality to
speak of epoch-making men. | cannot
but think of Dr. Cyrus Hamlin, mechanic,
scholar, missionary, educator, statesman
and preacher, as an epoch making practi-
cal theologan. By birth, training and
grace he had many superior quaifica-
tions. He had quick and unerring in
stnct for strategic working principles.
In 1886, when student in the Bangor
Theological seminary, at time of great
personal discouragement, he used all the
time he could command in advocating
temperance reform. He thus early put
into three watch words the vast threefold
campaigns of later years, viz: Light
Love, Law. These were the compact
themes of public and effective addresses
during the remaining months of his
seminary course. Now, under the Illus
trious leadership of Mrs. Mary II. Hunt,
sixteen million children of school age
have scientific temperance instruction,
by law, in every state and territory OF
our Republic, with exception of Georgia
and Utah. What a sheen of light betting
the continent, but all foreseen as con-
dtion of success by the undergraduate
student of divinity.
In splendid cooperation with Mrs
Hunt, the women of Christendom led
now by Lady Henry Somerset, are carry
ing on a campaign, deliberately organ
ized indeed, but with DR.. Hamlin's Sec
ond watch word. With love for their
motto they seek TO win and persuade the
erring ana bring generous help to victims
Of the worlds colossal desolation.
But the young student also fOresaw
that light and love, however wide their
work, would be Intellectual with indi-
viduals who could then be effectually
dealt with only by law and its back
ground of force-that last resort indis-
pensable to the life of the state in many
other directions. This was long before
Maine had its prohibitory law. Such
practical forecast was illustrated in every
stage of DR.. Hamlins entire life. He
always hewed to the line, regardless of
chips, because he distinctly saw the line.
For example, his contention for English
as the best means Of education for use
fulness in church and state on missionary
ground as well as at home. Such clear
vision of ends and working principles
was practical and efficient because of his
extraordinary fertility of resource. Like
the Greek soldier with short sword,
Doctor Hamlin always had the supple
menting forward step.
In the summer Of 1887 he came up from
Bangor to Andover, at the invitation of a
college classmate, for the inaugural adj
dress of Professor Park. Arriving at
the old chapel, they found entrance i'm
possible. Shall he fail of his errand ?
Not he 1t was but the work of few
moments to extemporize from a neigh
boring rail fence secure platform on a
level with an open window, where he
and the cassmate heard every word
with perfect ventilation"; and, before
the audience had dispersed, every rail
was IN place again.
Were his Bebek students IN rags, he
could clothe them. Were Christian con-
verts boycotted by their guilds and in
danger of starving, he could find them
employment and give old Stamboul
stoves, rat-traps and bread, such as they
never saw before. Was cholera raging
in the filthy tenements of an oriental
city, he could prescribe medicines and
save, also, by his example of moral
courage. Were gallant British soldiers
wounded vermn infested and shiverlng
often to death, in clothes from salt sea-
laundry, he saved tons of clothing from
cremation, and hundreds of lives, by eX-
temporized washing machines and Chris
tan labor. Did Jesuts and Russian
hierarchs block his way to site for
Robert College, at his suggestion Ad-
miral Farragut, whose warship was in the
Golden Horn, asked one question of the
Grand ViZier, and in due time Jesults and
Russians saw the stars and stripes immu-
tably floating over noble edifice, for
ever dedicated to learning, liberty and re-
ligion, on the grandest height of all the
shores of the Bosphorus.
By natural and almost necessary con.
necllon In recalling the qualities OF Doc
tor llamlin's strenuous life. we will neXt
note its relentless persistency. His
mother, widowed when he was an infant
heard from the neighbors, what probably
she had learned in other ways, that Soy
rus had "a great deal of grit" The Sui
tan's Grand Vizier thought the same
when he exclaimed, "WOn't that IIamliI
; ever de-" Did committees in Boston OF
councils of the brethren IN Constant
nople call a halt and veto his undertak
!, ings, he could conquer and continue hi
work by his ingenious but honorable
ways of Obeying.
Like all epoch-makers, Doctor Ham
J lin could take the initiative. He coulC
: summarily break with the past, but HI
had one grand distinction from many
restless progressives-he was Away
loyal to fundamental and vital truth
He never said to Captain Drew of IN,
"Euromas," which was carrying him t