\N .V ^^ ^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 IfUi m ■M lU 122 I.I 125 11.4 11.6 ■■ IHNHH mWKM '■f '^ W Photographic Sciences Corporation ^ 13 WltT MAIN tTRIIT WIMTIII,N,V. UIM (TU)in-4ioa f $ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Inttltuta for Hlttorloal MInroraproduotlons / Inttltut Canadian da mlororaproduotlona hiatorlquaa ^ T«ehnieai and BIbllographle NotM/NotM t«ehniquM at bibliographiquM Tha Inatituta haa attamptad to obtain tha baat original copy availabia for filming. Faaturaa of ttila copy wMd) may ba bibliographioally unlqua, which may altar any of tha imagaa In tha raproduction, or whieh may signif leantly ehanga tha uaual mathod of filming, ara eliaekad balow. □ Colourad eovara/ Couvarturo da ooHlaur rn Covara damagad/ Couvarturo andommagAo □ Covara raatorad and/or laminatad/ Couvartura raataurAa at/ou paUleuMa □ Covar titia miaaing/ La titra da eouvartura manqua □ Colourad mapa/ Cartaa gAographiquaa an eoulaur n n n D Colourad ink (i.a. othor than Mua or black)/ Inera do eoulaur (I.a. autra qua Mouo ou noiro) rn Colourad plataa and/or Hluatrationa/ Manehoa at/ou IHuatratlona an eoulaur ■ound wHh othor matarlal/ naM avoe d'autraa dooumonta Tight binding may oauao ahadowa or diatortlon along intorior margin/ LaraHura aarrAa paut eauaor da I'ombra ou da la iHatBr^kui la hma ite la mania IntAilaiifa •lank laavaa addad during raatoration may appaar within tha tawt. Whanavar pooaibia, thaaa Hava baon omittad from filming/ II oa paut qua cartainaa pogoa Manahaa a|out4aa lore d'uno roatauration apparala a ant dana la taata. mala, loroqua eala Atait peaalbki, eaa pugaa n'ont Additional eommanto:/ Commantairaa tupplAmantairaa L'Inatitut a microfilm* la maillaur axampiaira qu'il lui a *t4 poaaibia da aa procurer. Las dAtaiis da oat aKamplaira qui sent paut-Atra uniquaa du point da vua bibllographiqua. qui pauvant modifier uno image reproduite, ou qui pouvent exiger une modification dene la mithodo normale de fiimege aont indiqu4e ei-deeeoue. to D Colourad pagee/ Pagee do eoulaur p~| Pagee demeged/ Pagee ondommegAee Pegee reetored end/oi Pegee reetaurAee et/ou peCliculAee Pagee diecoloured. stained or foKe< Pegee dAcoioriee. techetAes ou piquAea Pegee deteched/ Pagee d*tach4ea Showthrough/ Traneparence Quality of prin QuaMt* in4gai« ^ i'impreeeion Includee eupplementery meterii Comprend du metAriel euppl4mentaira Only edition evellabia/ Seule MHIon dieponlMe r~n Pegee reetored end/or lemlnated/ Pagee diecoloured. stained or foKod/ Pegee r~\ Pegee deteched/ rri Showthrough/ rn Quellty of print veriee/ rn Includee eupplementery meteriei/ rn Only edition evellabia/ Th( P0( of fllr Off! the eloi Otn fire alo or D Pegee wholly or pertlelly obscured by errete sHps, tissuee. etc.. have been refiimed to ensure tite beet poeeible imege/ Lee pegee totelement ou pertieliement obecureiee per un feulNet d'errete. une peiure. etc.. ont *ti filmAee A nouveeu de fepon A obtenir la mellkiure Imege poesible. The aha TIN Mai dlff^ enti righ reqi Thic Item Is filmed et the reduction retio checked below/ Ce document eet film* eu teuH de riduetion Indlqu4 el-deeeoua. 10X 14X itx ax aix MX y 1IX itx IDX MX ax ax Th« oopy fHiiMd Iwre has bMii raproduoad tiMinkt to th* oMMraalty of : DoufliM Library QiMon's Unlvoralty L'oKOinpMra fHmA f ut raproduK grioo A la Douglas Library Quaan't Unlvaraity Tha iinagaa appaaring hara ara tna poaalbia conaMaHng tna oondnion of tha original copy and In kaapbig filming eontraot spadfloationa. qtiaHty laglblllty tha Laa Imagaa tulvantaa ont tft* raprodultaa avao la plus graiid aaln, oompta tanu da la oondMon at da la notlatA da I'aMamplalra film*, at an oonformM avao laa eondMona du oontrat da Original coplaa In printad papar oovora ara fNmad baglnnfcig with tha frant aovar and anding on tho hMt paga with a printod or Wuatratad Impraa- alon, or tho baek eovar whan appropriaia. AN othor original ooploa ara fNmad h aglwning on tha firat paga wMh a printad or Nhiatratod hnpraa- ilon, and anding on tho laat paga wHh a prinrad or Hluatratad Impraaalan. Laa ana m plalraa origlnaux dont la couvartura an paplar aat Imprimda aont fHm4a an oommonpant par la promlor plat at an tarmlnant aoh par la darnMra paga qui eomporta una ampralnta di m praaalo n ou dINuatratlon. solt par la sacond plat aalon la aaa. Toua laa autraa axamplalraa origlnaux aont fNmda an aommon^ant par la pfamMka paga qui oomporta una ampralnta d'I m praaalon ou d'Muatratlon at an tarmlnant par la damMra paga qui oomporta una taNa Tha laat racordod frama on ooeh mioroflcho •haN contain tha aymbd "^ (moaning "CON- TINUiD"). or tha symbol ▼ (moaning "INO"l, Un daa aymbolos suhrants apparattra sur la darnlAra Imaga da chaqua microfiche, salon la caa: la aymbdo -»> signlfia "A tUIVRE". la aymbolo ▼ signlfio "PIN". Mapa. plataa, charts, ate., may ba fNmad at diffarant reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely bieluded In one expoeura ara fNmad beginning In the upper left hend comer, left to right end top to bottom, es meny frames ss required. Tho foNowIng diagrams Nkietrete tho method: Lee cartae, planchae, taWaeux, etc., peuvem Atre fNmAa A das taux da rAductlon dIffArants. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atra reprodult en un soul cNohA, H est filmA A pertir do Tangle supArieur gauche, do gauche A drolte, et do haut en bee, en prenant la nombra d'Imagaa nAasssslra. Lea diagrammas sulvants INustrent le mAthode. 1 2 S 1 2 3 4 S e INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS \ At THE OPENING of TBI UNIVERSITY OF QUEEN'S COLLEGE, NOVEMBER 8, 1860. BY WILLIAM LBITOH, D.D., rimoirAti. MQWTMPALf PSINTID BT JOmr LOTILL, BT. MX0B0LA8 I860. IXMIT. r^ . VfT"'r"{;tv«»->";«^"pifi:-' \ „,,^-,-^~J^-^.,^_^ 7-T-:~-!, „ ■ ■■■■ ■■ ^;. . - ;# * \ . ,. .-«. t^: » - ?!<■ • ■' <(. INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS. \ pBOnMOBS AND StUDIMTI :— It b uBual in older leate of learning, and on oocasionB lucli a» the present, to recal the illuatrious namei of those, who, in other days, adorned their history. Were I addressing an Audience in the metropolitan University of Soot- land,! would,as a matter of course,cite the names of Stewart, Brown and Hamilton; Playfair and Robison; Oullen and Monro, as names of historical interest in Mental, Physical, and Medi- cal Soienoe, and. In the Western Seat of learn- ing, it has often been my lot to hear ttom the most eloquent lips in England, the Just tribute of honor bestowed on the names of Adam Smith, Black, Hutchison, Reld, James Watt, and a host of others, who, as Students or Pro- fessors, reflected credit on the institution where the elements of greatness were dcTeloped, and where the treasures of matured wisdom wereeni- )>loyed in the training of the yo'ithfUl faculties. No student has ever listened to these appeals without having stirred within him a generous ambition to gain an honorable distinction. Tbr spell of these illustrious names was great, and a presence was felt around the venerable walls which they once animated with living voice. I have no such venerable names to appeal to, our greatness is not in the past, but the future. The hoar of antiquity has not yet gathered round our institution. It is still in its tttfency. There are minds that can derive stimulus and Inspiration only ttom the past, but it is fbrtu- nate that others are so constituted that the future If their great animating principle. Reverence fbr the past is one of the deepest senti- ments in our natare, and to attempt to oblite- rate It would be an injury to the best interests of mankind. We cannot subscribe to the senti- ntnt •< let the dead past bnry Its deMl," for a man, though dead, may yet speak, and lostitu- tioni now eitinoi, have not yet exbausted their mouldlntit liilluenoo on soolety. The form m«y ix.ve perUhed, whUe the vital I influence still survives. But, as the wine- fancier sometimes prises the oldest vintage, even for its decay, so many ding to old insti- tutions, when their practical signifioancy is gone. This institution has not, at least, the decrepitude of age, and there is ground to hope that it is possessed of the buoyancy and progressivenesB of youth. An old tree may stand long after it is rotten at the core, and all its vitality gone, but a tender shoot soon dis- appears if there is a canker at the root *, and the fact of the steady advance of this young institution is a proof, that its Constitution is sound, and that an Important tainn is still before It. When we look at the original foun- dation, and the languishing infancy of similar Institutions in the Old Country, we have reason to thank Ood and take courage. The college of Glasgow may be cited as an example.' Mor» than a century after its foundation, the whole University body amounted to only 15 persons, and the whole available revenue was not morjt than the salary of a merchant's clerk at the present day. It was by alike gradual growth, that even Oxford acquired its overshadowing greatness. It is to be hoped that no such long minority is In store for this College, but that It will partake of the rapid growth char* aoteristio of every other institution in this country. In surveying the character of nations} It Is interesting to mark how strikingly national oharaoteristlos i|re correlated to the physical conformation and susoeptlbllltles of the coun- try. How much of Scotland's love of Areedom may be traced to her natural fortlfloatlons, her successive lines of mountain ranges, which 1 have enabled her so often to defy the faivader, / and maintain her independence I How much of Bnglaad'i eommerelal grtataeM It due to her mineral wealth, and her command of th« ^jg^g^ Ooean, aflbrding means of oommnBloatioB ^itftfl^B' all parts of the World I If the fbtora of ft^^^B nation oan then be estims *ed, la (uj iMMorti J .1 •'•.."♦.. f £335 \ by the elements of material greatness, how reasonably may we expect a great future for Canada 1 The idea of vastness and indefinable greatness is everywhere thrust upon you, as you traverse this land. With the impression still fresh, I cannot but speak of the almost over- whelming effect produced by the grandeur of the natural features of this country. I shall not regret that I first entered Canada by its majestic river. It is a fit portal fot so great a country. Sailing for days together with the shore only dimly visible on either hand, and the ship but a minute speck on the vast expanse, one could well realize the feelings of the first navigators who looked with awe upon its mys- terious greatness. How vast must that coun- try be that ceaselessly pours this mighty flood into the Ocean I And how fully realized must this have been, when the inland seas, like the ventricles of a heart, of which the St. Lawrence is the main artery, was opened up, and the boundless plains and forests were explored 1 If Bugland owes much of her greatness to the ocean that surrounds he.r shores, and which ser- ves as a highway to other lan^s, how much more highly favored \t this country, when she has not merely a sea without, but vast seas within, inviting the transport of the treasures of inex- haustible regions of agricultural and mineral wealth I But why do I allude to these elements of material greatness ? Is it that this country must necessarily bear on its soil a people correspondingly great ? Tlie law of correlation demands no such necessary result. The history of the Red Indian is a sufficient illustration. This child of nature knew not the greatness of the country in wliich his race was cradled, and caught none of its influence. There must be a moral and intellectual development In man before the moulding influence of the coun- try in which he lives can be felt, and then may we expect that the development may have the stamp of the country's character. The mere meohari\ioal force of the gardener will not make tlu> young shoot grow into a matured branch of requisite form. The vital force of the tree must combine with the external power applied. Thoi-e must be llfls within, as well as a mechanical force without. A dead shoot will not grow into a graoefytUy curved branch, la like maniiar, unless there be an indepen- •nt progrossiro llfb In a petrple, the country will sot fores its grestss!! upoB lh*ei, but with the lift within, and the moulding Influence without, th( ).'• will be % process of aotion and reaction which must necessarily lead to the fulfilment of a nation's destiny. This leads me to the value of collegiate institutions, as calculated to foster the inward life of a people, and fit them to take advan- tage of the material elements of greatness around them. The Universities in the middle ages were as lights amidst the universal dark- ness, and to them are we mainly indebted for preserving Europe flrom barbarism. The first settlers in a new country have, almost neces- sarily, a struggle for subsistence, and while this stern necessity exists, little advance can be looked for ; and when it is long continued, a progressive degradation may ensue, so that therude trapper may differ but little from the In- dian who disputes with him the hunting-ground of his tribe. Even after the stern necessities of Nature are vanquished, it may be long before a people emancipate themselves from the sole dominion of commerce and agriculture. The cultivation of learuing and the fine arts will be regarded as superfluous luxuries, and only such education will be valued as bears immediately upon material interests. But the loftiest type of national character can- not be acquired, while the cultivation of the higher parts of man's nature is over-looked. Nay even the material greatness of a nation can- not be fully developed while there is an incom- plete and unharmoniouB education of the mental powers. It is apt to be overlooked, that thera is nothing more profitable to a nation than intellectual culture. It is mind that confers on matter its highest value. Wherein lies the marvel of that miracle of engineering skill, the spanning of the St. Lawrence by the Victoria bridge 7 It is not in its stupendous piers, not in the hollow metallic masses, forming the high- way, but in the mental power that conceived that magic fbat It is in the wicard power of cul- tivated genius, that deals with rude matter as a plaything, and fbrces the stubborn mass to assume forms and positions most alien to its nature. In the revolutions of the governor of the steam-engine and the alternate strokes of the piston, we see the triumphs of mind over matter, and a triumph of the most profitable kind. In such a case as this, the profit is most obvions, but in all cases of mental cultivation, the profit is as real, though not so direct. Take, for example, the general ouUivation of mind which the legislators and governors of a ooun- tPT Mquire, How nnnrofltable are the services of unenlightened and uneducated men who have the resonroes of a country at thoir command I (i One fatal blander in commercial policy, a single war raahl/ and needlessly entered into, may squander the savings of a people for many years. The institution of TTnirersities, therefore, instead of being a needless expenditure, is a mark of thrift in the people that support them. It is one of the most important agencies for developing the resources of this great country. Without the elevating influence of the University and its allied institutions, this country can never reach the high distinction to which its material resources evidently point. It cannot be matter of surprise, then, that 80 many chartered colleges should already be established, by a wise policy, in British Ameri- ca. It has been objected that the wants of Oanada do not require so many collegiate in- stitutions. But surely a wise government ought to look to prospective as well as present wants. How infinitely stronger would the objection have held in the case of Scotland,when her Oolleges were founded at the four difi^rent University seats. Scotland then had only a handful of people, compared to the present population of Oanada. Her population was much ruder, and the demand for learning much less. Tet we see, at the present day, the immense benefits resulting {torn the establish- ment of so many institutions at that early pe- riud, No other country has benefited bo largely by mental culture, and the poverty of the soil has been more than compensat«iiI for, by the educational advantages which . <.ol- leges and schools have conferred on the i .ass of the population. The power and wealth acquired by Scotland's sons throughout the World are out of all proportion to her small population. But, turning flrom these general questions, let me direct a fbw remarks to the young around me, in rofbrence to the method and spirit with which they ought to pursue their various studies. My remarks must necessarily be very general, and must fail in usefkilness, Just in proportion to that generality. The value of a oollegiate education depends very muoh on the circumstance, that the teacher, byv familiar acquaintance with the pupil, can adapt his in- structions to his special wants, and give preoise and definite instead of vague and general counsel. Still there are points of general bear- ing and Interest, to which t iball ihortly direct your attention. In a university oourtw th«r« art two distinct classes of study. There is, first, the faculty of arts, the chief object of which is to bestow a liberal education, irrespective of any special professional pursuit. A college education has (iways been regarded as a tine qud non in the case of the learned professions, but it would be a grand mistake to think, that such an educa- tion would be thrown away on those who do uot intend to pursue a professional career. It is not in Law, Medicine, and Theology alone, that a college education is usefhl. The mer- chant, the legislator, the agriculturist, and the private gentleman, can derive equal advantage. For what is this higher education but a means for enabling a man, whatever his occupa- tion or position in life may be, to fblfil his duties with more success, and to occupy his position with greater dignity and influence ? It ought not to be forgotten that the most valuable re- sult of a college education is the mental cul- ture rather than the technical acquirements of learning. No doubt a knowledge of Latin, . Qreek, mathematics, moral and natural philos* ophy has its special uses, which ought not to be overlooked, but, in a course of liberal educa- tion, the great object to be aimed at is the cultivation of the mental powers. We are to look, not 80 much to the knowledge itself as to the power of acquiring knowledge. The technical branches of learning are the mere scaffolding, the training of the fliulties is the solid structure. The scaffolding may be re- moved ; a man may, in after Ufa, forget his Oollege learning, but bis labour has not been lost, if there remain the solid and enduring result, of a sound judgment, steady applica- tion and a refined taste, in short, the capability of excelling, whatever his pursuits In life majr be. I might readily point to men distinguished in the various learned professions, who could not, now, demonstrate a single proposition of; Euclid, construct a syllogism, or construe a difficult passage In a classic author, though cnce proficient in these various departments of college learning. But would it be just to con* elude that their collc/ge course was of no valua to them merely because they have forgotten / the instruments of their training ? No, such a . conclusion would be most nnjustiflable. Men may, amidst, the pressure of proftssional avo- oatlons,lay afide,tbough not wisely, tbeknowl. edge they acquired at Oollege, but they can- not, if distinction is to be gained, dlspenia with these menUl habits and tastei which a ' oollege training oonftrred. The experience of long centurlw hai ibown / 6 / that, for general mental culture, there ii no means to be compared to the study in early life of the ancient classic languages. Not only the memory but the judgment, logical accuracy of thought, and the exercise of a fine taste are necessarily brought into requisition. In no other languages can the nicer shades of thought and feelings be studied with so much advan- tage. Mathematics, though more limited in its range of mental culture, is admirably adapted to train to the more rigid forms of thought and logical deduction. And it is a happy arrangement, that, at the outset of a university career, classic refinement should [ be combined with the more robust exercise of I the logic of geometry. A basis is thus laid for I the more advanced studies ofmental and phys- V, ical science. ,^ ^ Seeing that the main object in a liberal education is the culture of the mind, it is ob- vious that this object would not be gained by a too great range of subjects. The grand object in college training is not to store up as much loose knowledge as you can, but to master thoroughly whatever you attempt. Be ever ready to sacrifice range to thoroughness and precision. It 4s not uncommon to find in socie- ty men who astonish you by their varied knowl- edge, and yet who have no title to be regarded as learned men. On any one subject, they may want sufficient precision to be useful, or mental vigour to turn their knowledge to account, and it is quite conceivable that knowl- edge may be acquired in such a way as to enfeeble rather than invigorate the mental powers. Be ready to submit, then, in youth to the severest mental discipline, necessary to acquire completeness and accuracy of thought. When you pick up a pebble on the margin of the great ocean of truth, do not throw it from you to look at another, before you have thoroughly understood its nature. Look at it on every side, examine its internal structure, analyse it into its constituent elements ; and not till you have thus thoroughly mastered Its nature, proceed to ;>lok up another. This, to impetuous youth, appears to be too slow a pro- cess, but be assured, that, in this way, you will ultimately gain a far wider range, and a far more thorough knowledge than you would by a more rapid but more slovenly process at the beginning. You will require, however, much lelf-denlal to carry out this plan of study. It It a fkr easier task to acquire congenial knowl- edge than to disoipiine the faculties ; far more agreeable to indolent mlndi to engage in mental dissipation and desultory reading, than sternly to restrict yourself to some task, re- quiring the exercise of severe thought, which you must and ought to master. When I speak of limited range and thorough mastery, do not suppose that I speak of limit- ing the range of the mental faculties to be brought into play. The grand object of a liberal education is to bring into harmonious exercise and culture the whole range of the mental faculties, though, to effect this, a wide range of subjects is neither necessary nor ad- visable. It has been frequently a counsel to youth to select some sphere of thought or knowledge at an earl; period, and through life to devote themselves exclusively to this one thing, as the only means of attaining ultimate distinction. Xo doubt a man must in after life select some special pursuit, or some one sphere of thought, if he would gain the highest emi- nence. But I could conceive no counsel to the young student more unwise than that which would lead him to neglect a full and harmonious discipline of the mind, a discipline which does not necessarily interfere with a special devotion to one pursuit in after life. No man is warranted, merely for the purpose of distinction, to ne- glect the due culture of the mental powers and susceptibilities Qod hath given him, and upon the full and harmonious development of which his dignity, as a being endowed with reason, depends. A man may have a taste and special talent for mathematics, and he may be convinced that he ought to make mathemat- ical studies the aim of his life, and to regard this as the sphere in which be can best fulfil the purpose of his being ; but this does not warrant the youth at college to neglect those other studies which are needful for the due development of his character. Nay, the cor. rectlve of other studies Is all the more needed to preserve him from the onesidedness of char- acter which an all-absorbing taste is apt to produce. It is from a neglect of this salutary caution that we often find a man attaining the highest pinnacle of ambition in one de- partment of science, and at the same time, measured as a man may be, distinguished only for his general littleness of character. When yon meet with a mathematician or physicist, who has obtained a world-wide fame, you are apt to think you must meet with a man whom you must neoesiarily reverence and respect. But how often are you sadly disappointed in finding a maa who bni so grasp cf thcught, no generous lympathieii and in ihort, no true greatness of character commandiDg admiratiou? This most frequently arises from neglect in ear- ly life of such culture as would have corrected this onesidedness, but would not have been at all a barrier to future eminence in the selected path of ambition. It is true wisdom, then, to throw your heart into the studies of the va- rious classes which form part of the course. It is no plea to say that you have no taste for any particular study. This may be tlie strong- est reason for devotion to that study. Tour great defect may be that you have no taste for it, and the very aim of your education is to give you this taste. The course of arts is so arranged that no part can be omitted without serious disadvantage to every one who claims to be regarded as a well-educated man. While it is right that you should have lofty aims, and that a generous and worthy ambi- tion should stimulate you,yet let not dreams of the future prevent you from making present ef- forts. How many have passed through life to no purpose, who might, if it were not dream s of unattainable greatness, have served their generation well. Oommence at once with your task, whatever it may be ; wait not till some more genial mood may come. The best plan of wooing suitable ideas and expression is simply' to commence the work. The very mental exercise required to commence bids difficulties vanish ; and a willing heart makes ready ideas. Beware of making general reading an excuse for neglecting prescribed tasks. There is not a more subtle and dangerous apology for idleness and sloth than desultory reading. Reading is necessary, but only as a means to an end ; it is useful as an aid io pfimulate and direct thought, but, if it is an apology for the want of independent thought and self-exertion, the great end of collegiate training is not gained. But, while mental culture is the immediate object of a university course, there must be a suitable stimulus to the youthral mind. There must be a motive power to generous ardour, otherwise the task will be sluggishly per- formed and no enthusiasm will be kindled. One legitimate motive to study is the pleasure which the very study gives you, and one great object of every man should be to convert du- ties into pleasures. There is also the legiti- mate motive of power. The love of power is one of the grand actuating principles In man's nature, and education is simply the storing fnftnifligt ittelf in th« yariQiig Knowledge, In the ordinary ao- Mti nf noWBP to walks of life. ceptation of the term, is not power, it is often weakness instead of power, and pedantry is an illustration of this weakness ; but education, invigorating the whole intellectual nature of man, is always a power, and in every sphere of life, the educated man is always a centre of power. It is a legitimate enough motive to seek education for the power it imparts, if It be only a power for good. But how often, alas t is a finely cultivated mind only a power for evil, and the talents God hath given em- ployed to subvert His authority ? Seek the power education confers, that you may be fellow-workers with Ood for the promotion of His glory and the best interest of man. Ood needs your services foe the accomplishment of His purposes with man, and the dignity of ed- ucation lies In this, that It fits you for working with and under God. Forget not that, though you never enter the sacred profession of the ministry, you are bound to be priests of God, and to serve Him in the various secular call- ings to which you may devote yourselves in life. Tour education here Is designed to dignify and sanctify those callings, so that they may be subservient to God's glory. But, In order to have an abiding Impression of your dignity as fellow-workers with Pod, you must live close to Him and carefully keep up those religious exercises to whioh you may have been trained in pious homes. Be regular in your approach- es to a throne of grace, and, while gaining ac- quaintance with many books, see that your most familiar acquaintance be with the Sacred Scriptures. It has been the glory of Scotland that the education of her sons has been as much an ed- ucation of character as of Intellect. Other national systems may boast of an Intellectual culture of as high an order, but the true test of excellence Is the resulting character and to the formation of character, the grand essential element Is religion. An educated man with- out this regulative principle Is like a ship driven by the gigantic power of steam, but with no rudder to dhrect her course and save her ttom the disasters of shipwreck. While, therefore, the more speolal and formal exposi- tion of the doctrines of our holy religion is reserved for the theological course, every guarantee is afforded by the constitution of this University, that the spirit of the Ohristlan faith win pervade all the departments of a liberal education, and that the moulding in- fluenee of Ohrlfltianitj wUl hfi *nnli$(i tC ths formation of character. . ;.. .,./i. ^,.> ,%^ / ''' Besides the focalty of arts, affbrdhig a liberal education irrespective of any special profession- al pursuits, we have the professional faculties 6f theology and medicine. At the first estab- lishment of the college the grand object in contemplation was the raising-up of a ministry for the service of the Church of Scotland in Oanada. It was obvious, at an early period, that, before this branch could in any measure meet the wants of the Presbyterian population, or assume a national character, it would be necessary to rear a native ministry. The succours of the Parent Ohurch could only be temporary and the organisation of this col- lege contemplated a period, when the Ohurch in Oanada would assume an independent posi- tion in which she could rely upon her own resources as to men and means. It might have been more in accordance with this idea, that one who had experience of the work of the ministry in Oanada and of its wants should be selected as best fitted to preside over the education of her fhture ministers. The feeling of filial regard has however pre- vailed, and one has been selected, more distin- guished for his devoted affection to the Parent Ohurch than for the high qualities requisite for the situation which be has now the honor to fill. I might have scrupled at such an ad- vanced period of life to leave scenes endeared to me by labours of love and the happiest asso- ciations of my life, but I felt that the Church of Scotland had a paramount claim upon my services, and that I could not reject so cordial an invitation to promote her interests by forming a new link between her and the daughter church in this country. I feel honoured, then, by receiving an appointment which is a renewed pledge of aflbotion between the allied churches. Though only fulfilling a provisional pur- pose, by being the medium of the fostering care of the mother ohurch, I feel that my mission is one of no ordinary importance, and, if I can aid. in any measure, in embuing the future ministers of this church with the spirit of the mother ehuruh— with that devotedness and zeal which has made her the glory of Scotland, I shall (bel that I have not laboured In vain. '« W« My duties, as primarins profbssor of theolo- gy, will lead me into more Immediate contact with those of you preparing for the ministry ; and I seise this opportunity of stating what I conceive to be the nature of these duties and the plan by whicu they may he best fuiniied. Theological itudents are required to attend the Hall for two objects; first, to acquire theological knowledge, and second, professional training ; And the value of a theological course will d^- pend very much on whether the former or the latter is regarded as the chief element. Theo^ logical knowledge and professional training are both necessary, but which ought to be chief and which subordinate ? Is the chief duty of the professor to consist in teaching his students (i system of theology or in training them to the practical duties of their profession ? The first is no doubt essential ; but is not the latter the special function of the Theological Hall 7 I have no hesitation in giving it as a long cherished conviction that our theological halls, to meet the wants of the Ohurch, must be looked upon mainly as training institutions, and that they will be practically valuable just in proportion as this idea is realised. I hold that the distinctive feature of our Halls ought to be a practical one, and that the teaching of the science should be only regarded as a means to an end. The press may supersede the teaching, but never the training function of the Hall. Do not however suppose that, while assigning to the scientific study of theology its proper place, I mean to convey the idea that it is less neces- sary, or that the standard of attainmept should be in any way lowered. Never vras there a time when we could so ill dispense with high theological attainments. The public mind, on both sides of the Atlantic, is fermenting with grave religious questions. The speculativa tendency was never more decided, and theolog- ical controversy is no longer confined to dry and bulky volumes flrom which the masses shrink with aversion. The newspaper, the magazine, the novel, teem with theological speculation, put in the most attractive forms. Even works on special theological questions are now written with such literary taste and ability, and the appetite for religious specula- tion is so strong, that they are read by vast multitudes. The number and the successive editions of such works amply attest the enquir- ing but unsettled state of the public mind. One cannot mingle much in society without finding that a large proportion of the well educated classes are conversant with the questions which arise flrom the apparent con- flict of faith and reason, and the difficulties started by the progress of science. The public are receiving a theological education through the press, snob as at no former time they en- joyed, and a Christian minister, if he is to maintain a position of influence, must keep a- way. ,./. theological' 1 training ; se will i^- rmer or the nt. Theo- :raining are le chief and luty of the students li hem to the ' The first i latter the Ball? as a long gical halls, I, must be istitutiocs, able just in I hold that >ught to be ing of the neans to an aching, bat II. Do not ling to the >er place, I less neoes» lept should AS there a with high c mind, on nting with ipeculative id theolog* ned to dry he masses paper, the ;heological ive forms. questions taste and IB specula- id by vast successive he enquir- blic mind. y without the well with the irent oon- diffloultiei rho public n through B they en- he is to It keep a- breast of the Increasing intelligence. This is no time, therefore, to abate in any measure, the standard of attainment required of candi- dates for the ministry, and above all in a country such as this, where the mind, while stimulated to increased activity, is set loose from the salutary influence of venerable names and institutioub. It will be my aim, therefore, by means of lectures and text books, to give a view of systematic theology and at the same time to make you acquainted with the various forms, but especially the more recent ones, of theological speculation and controversy. But is the idea of a theological course ex- hausted when the student has his mind stored with the doctrines and polemics of theology ? Has the mere communication of theological knowledge fitted the student for the arduous duties of the ministry 7 No, he may feel as helpless at the end of his course as at the beginning, and after a large expenditure of time and money he may find himself scarcely on a level with the layman, who, amidst the active pursuits of a secular calling, has had time to acquire from books a large amount of theolbgical knowledge, and, from his more fre- quent intercourse with the world, a ready and fluent speech. Theology, regarded merely as a science, is only a branch of a liberal education, and, whether taught through the press or the divinity hall, should form a part of the training of every well educated man. But the student attends the hall not merely for a general,but for a professional education. He studies theology as a science, that he may the better acquire the art of applying it, and the grand aim of the hall is to train the student to the practice of this art. When this is overlooked, the scien- tific teaching of the hall may only encumber, in- stead of aiding a minister when he enters on the pastorate. He may have lost by it that direct- ness of appeal which is best fitted to reach the conscience of the sinner, and hence it is that the illiterate preacher, retaining his natural di- rectness of speech, is often more successf^il than the expensively educated clergyman. How often is it the case, that a man profound- ly versed in theological learning, and who can write sermons of matchless exctUenee in their way, fails In arresting the attention of an audience, or producing the slightest effect on the mind or heart — simply flrom the want of early training in the most natural and effective modes of composition and address. Besides 4l.a ...» n^ ....... »I.t__ .1.111 I. „«..> J 1 i.il>__ »uv u& V u. JfAcnuUlUH, BAiii 1« ra«|Uit~QU lU vioiuun the lick, dealing with oaset of coniolence, con- I element of the constitution of this college. ducting prayer meetings, and managing sab- bath schools, missionary societies and other be- nevolent schemes. The instituiion of Theologi- cal Halls implies, that they can impart practical skill iu these various spheres of duty. I do not mean merely, that the principles of homiletica and pastoral theology should be taught, but that the students should, as fi»r as possible, be trained to the performance of the actual duties. -..- The case of the medical profession will il- lustrate my meaning. Scientific lectures are delivered by the professors in the medical faculty, but they would be comparatively of little value if this were all. The science is given, only that a practical training may be based upon it. The hospital, the laboratory, the dissecting and operating rooms, are open to the student, that he may actually practise the science which is taught him in the lectures. The community would be justly alarmed were it aiir,ounced, that the medical faculty gave only lectures, and that students were to be licensed to practice who never felt a pulse, mixed a prescription, or assisted at the ampu- tation of a limb. And is it not a still more alarming consideration, that young men should be appointed to the cure of souls who have had no practical training whatever In the art ? It may be objected that this kind of profes- sional training Is not practicable In the clerical as It Is In the medical profession. I can Indeed conceive circumstances in which there might be difficulty, but I am confident that no insu- perable difficulty win be met in carrying out the plan in connection with this hall. It may also be objected, that, were students to engage too early in pastoral exercises, their studieu would be Interfered with ; but no such diffi- culties should arise, if these exercises form part of their regular training. The very ob- ject of the professor's superintendence is to regulate and duly proportion the science and the practice ; just as in medical education the training consists in properly regulating the practice of the hospital and the duties of the class-room. The combination of the art with the science, as in the medical profession, will tend to fix the principles of the latter more firmly in the mind. The grand distinctive feature of the eduoa> tlon of Scotland, and that on which its success has mainly depended, is the close connection between the church and the school, and I re- I-l.- lU.i ILI. __l__l_l. « il — --.._i.l.l juiuo turn tuiB {iiiuutyio lut'uiB iiuu vBBoutmt i' 10 It is intimately and yititlly connected with the Ohurch of Scotland. The Ohurch oflRars the fullest security for the religious character of the university as a whole, while anything liiie sectarianism is avoided. The classes are open to the youth of all denominations, and the governing body have availed themselves of the services of professors belonging to diflfbr- ent religious bodies. This happy solution of the educational problem is efifected simply by placing the religious guarantee in the electing and governing body, which, by the Royal Charter, must be an integral part of the church itsel''. The Ohristian character of the institu- tion is thus maintained, while professors and students are drawn from the various denomin- ations. _^t -., The olo^e connection between the church and the college enables the theological fac- ulty to tell more directly on the life and en- ergy of the church, and accommodate itself to her wants. If there was but a loose connec- tion, we might conceive the Theological Hall sending forth men breathing little of her spirit and lll-fittod for the worlc slie demands of them. The widely spread Presbyterianlsm of the American Continent gives ample proof of the admirable adaptation of Presbytery to the wants of a new country. Much of the secret of this success lies In Its flexibility and adap- tation to the varying circumstances of society. It would be contrary, then, to the spirit of Presbytery to copy in this country, too slav- ishly, any model In Vt old. It would be no compliment to the Ohurch of Scotland, though adopting her standards and breathing her spirit, to limit ourselves to the resources of Presby- tery called Into requisition at home. There is a condition of society here which requires an adaptation, the want of which Is ftlt to no great extent at home. 1 allude to the advan- cing tide of population, to the progress of settle- ments beyond the reach of a regular supply of ordinances. When oflr principal charges were first planted In Canada, it was merely to supply the wants of such of our people as settled In any locality In sufflolont numbers to warrant them In calling a minister and offbring an ade- quate stipend. The Inltlatlvu was more on the part of the people than of the Church, and, when the pooplo did not move, the Church found no outlet for advance. Hut, If the Church is to Miumt a national oharaoter, and miti ib« want! of this country; If her aim is not merely to supply, provisionally, services to the Immo- diaU sttttlen lu this oouatry, but to form part of the national and religions life of the native population, she must advance with the tide and seek, at the very outskirts of civilisation, to form the nuclei of churches and schools. She must have not only ministers to labour in the self supporting centres of population, but suitable agents also at the very extremities, where the population is sparse, money scarce, and the people perhaps indiflbrent. We must not wait to be called, our agents must go unbidden into the wilderness, and sow the seed of the Gospel beside all waters. It will require all the wisdom of the Church to devise the suitable means and agents, and it is but a reasonable demand on the resources of this college to call in its aid in organising such an agency. It gave me much pleasure to hear of the noble efforts, made by the members of the Church, to raise the stipends of the ministers of settled charges to a certain minimum standard ; and I must say that the life and liberality dis- played in the movement contributed not a little in inducing me to cast in my lot with a people who could manifest such Christian generosity. But this movement is not incom- patible with that of Church extension in the wilderness; both movements will act and react fl»vorably on one another. Let us by all means shelter and foster the plants which have al- ready sprung up, but let us not neglect to scatter the seed broadcast over the country, that there may be plants of the Lord every- where, and that the wilderness and solitary place may be glad and the desert rejoice and blossom as the rose. I have said that, at the first institution of this unlverslty,only the faculties of art and theology were contemplated, but It soon became obvious that a medical fkouliy was absolutely neces- sary, and its progress has been so rapid that It much outnumbers the other faculties, aud has attained a leading position in this country. The faculty of law is now only necessary to complete the organisation of the university, and this cannot long be delayed. Though my special duties as profbssor are only in oonneo* tlon with the theological faculty, still those of you engaged in medical studies have an equal claim on my lervices as principal, I cannot presumn to offbr youproft^silonal eoiin- ■el. I can only claim a warm sympathy with your pursuits in the various branches of science ._ LI. I. _...- .t>__tt«> a>in ko