St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-01-26
The Threatened Place of the Chris
tan Minister in Education.


Conference at Randolph. June 9, 1909, by
Rev. Thomas Chalmers, D. d.
The Christian minister has had an
honorable place in the affairs of human
civilization for sixty generations. As
maker OF history. the clergyman has
been second only to the warrior. Beside
the name of Constantine stands the
name of Athanasius. Beside the name of
Godfrey stands that of Peter the Hermit.
Beside that of Frederick Barbarossa
stands that of Hildebrand. Luther faces
Charles the Fifth, John Knox faces Mary
Stuart. For Henry Plantagenet there is
Thomas Beckett; for Mary Tudor, a
Thomas Cranmer. The influence of the
minister of religion in the early days of
this country far surpassed that of the
military expert as a maker of history.
The Rev. Thomas Hooker was more
nearly the father OF American democracy
than Thomas Jefferson. 1t was he who,
in reply to Gov. Winthrop's letter defend
ing the restriction Of the right to vote
laid down this democratic principle a
hundred and fifty years before Jefferson
appeared on the scene in the same con-
test:-"In matters which concern the
common good. a general council, chosen
by all, to transact businesses which con-
Germ all, conceive most suitable to rule
and most safe for relief of the whole
The minister's influence on politics and
his activity in affairs of government was
mighty factor in the days of Chrysos-
tom, Ambrose, Savonarola, Huss, Calvin,
and ZWingle. His ideals were clear cut,
his courage unshakable and his spirit
aggressive for the improvement of the
social order. He interpreted his mission
by the light of the careers of Elijah,
Isaiah, John the Baptist and Jesus of
Nazareth. He felt himself to be in the
world as a warrior of the Lord to undo
the designs of the evil one and to make
righteousness and peace to cover the
earth as the waters cover the sea. The
peace he held in mind was the peace he
considered worth fighting for. But the
minister has been driven, in the main,
from the field of politics. 1t no longer is
considered his legitimate domain.
remnant fingers in the English constitu-
ton in the membership of the bishops in
the House of Lords. But for hundred
years and more the minister has been
told to confne his career to the quieter
pursuits of education, philanthropy and
the pulpit. The lawyer and the journalist
have taken his place in politics.
l have referred to the clergvman's old
time influence in politics, his place being
usurped by the lawyer and the journal
list. 1 have now to record the beginning
of a movement which promises, if unre-
sisted. to eliminate the clergyman from
the educational field as well. The move
ment is already on. The minister of
religion is being driven from positions of
wide educational opportunity and his
place is gradually being filled by the
lawyer and the business man. OF four
men called within recent months to the
presidency of leading New England col
leges, three have been lawyers, and have
been called to positions never held by
lawyers before. Harry r. Garfield, the
new president of Williams college, A.
Lawrence Lowell, the new president of
Harvard university. and S. w. Mccall,
the man who recently declined cleo
ton to the preside acy of Dartmouth, are
lawyers. Two of these men succeed min
listers. The only New England college
presidency to be filled from the pulpit
during this period is Smith college for
girls.
Our chief function is educational. We
are teachers and the world is crying for
teachers. 1t is our business to see clearly
and report what we see. And when all
has been said, the pastor has the best
educational opportunity our civilization
affords. 1t is limited in area, perhaps,
but IT is deep. And taken as a body the
Christian ministry comprises within the
area of it's influence the great bulk of the
population of this country.