The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca
The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca
23.x LETTERS, TRACTS, b'r.your Ton to both my clafTes, I have held you in greateftecm ; and I beg leave to tell you, that when I reachedc ut my hand to you, I fcarce expedled fo large ahcfio*aruui^ as you generoufly gave me. My heartwarms whenever I think of you ; and many timeswhen we meet in faculty, we lament and regret deeply,,that fo few who fend their children to our Collegehave your liberal and gentleman ny turn of mind.You, Sir, know the value of ancient and folid literature,and have the heart to encourage thofe who infliiit into the minds of our North-Britifli youth.Though I did not fit down to write this letter im.-mediately after I had yours, yet I have been thinkingevery day upon the anfwer I was to give you ; notthat I intend to difguife or conceal from you any ofour real motives, (for there is no need of that) but Iin what language I fliould write todeliberated a littleyou ; and have fludied to write in fuch flyle and methodas m.ay bed convey my meaning, and be mcilentertaining to you.I will therefore endeavour to gratify your curiofitywith refpe£c to the real mxOtives v/hich influenced usto withdraw from the Blackfriar's, and betake ourfjivesto a chapel of our own. Every new thing, ordepartiure from any old cuilom, is at firft wonderedat ; and as. our reiolution, with rtfpecl to a chapel, isn3w, I find it occafions fome fpeculation ; for feveralothers have been afking me our reafons for it, but Ihid not the fame reafon to- oblige them as I have toobli'^e you.I frankly acknowledge, that diftance from thec Aurch, or v/ant of room in it, the reafons commonlyadigned for any nev/ ereclion, do not take place here.Our college, you know, is juil contiguous to theBlackfriar s j a fifth pr:rt of that church is our ownproperty ; and we have not, thefe fixty years, had asmariy fcholars, in any one vear, a? occupied one-haifof our rocm j fo that we have been in ufe \o ftt a_
LETTERS, TRACTS, ^C, 233great many feats to the citizens, and have rrtade alittle money that way. And yet we have been determinedto take this new ftep by reafons very cogentand fubilantial.I. One reafon of our being defirous to have a cha-that we may thereby be refcued from that un-pel, is,eafinefs, and even difgrace, ujider which we have hithertolaboured. To intermix with thA mob in achurch is difgracefully bringing ourfeives to be, infome fort, on a level with them *, it creates in peoplea belief that we need, ?.nd ought to be in earneit toreceive the fame inflru^tion they are gaping for ; abelief v/hich, though we are at all proper pains toguard againft, yet it Hill remains in fome weak minds.And whether we drive to drive out that notional belief,by a fmiling cheerfulnefs of behaviour during thefervice, or by llceping, or by ftaying av»'ay from church,ftill we are fuiferers j. for either we go to church a-Sundays, or we ftay at home ; if we go, v/e eithergive attention, or we laugh, or we fail aileep : If wegive, or feem to give attention, the people imaginewe are as ignorant and fuperftitious as they are ; andbelides, we weary ourfeives, and hurt our own tem--per : If we laugh, we oiTe.'xi the congregation 5 t\v.:ycall ita contemptuous laugh, a haughty difdain of theminifter, and a manifefl fneering at the orthodoxy ofhis doctrine: If we ileep, we offend them alfo, andbefides give no marks of our fuperiority *, for ileepingin church is a vulgrir thing, prad^ifed by the very beggarsand burn-bearers. Again, if we ftay away fromcliurch, we rnuft either ride in the fields, or walk inthe college-garden, or flay in our rooms : If we rideibroad, the people who know and obferve us imaginewe are profane ; if v/e w:ilk in the college-garden,they make the fame conclufion ; if we ftay in ourrooms, vv'e mufl either read plays or our own fyttems;if our fervants. catch us reading plays, they whifperto every body that we are gracekfs ; if we read out
- Page 189 and 190: SERMONS.ff/pt, and knew that God v/
- Page 191 and 192: perience.SERMONS...Ib^'The lea-port
- Page 193 and 194: This,'SERMONS-l8>and ill founded :
- Page 195 and 196: SERMONS.I&7fare are we counted to y
- Page 197 and 198: SERMONS. 189to pay ? Think on juili
- Page 199 and 200: SERMONS.Iplyou.*' There are'many of
- Page 201 and 202: £Eii:.ioNS. 193lon of my people wl
- Page 203 and 204: SERMON^irpjcf his provldeatbl admim
- Page 205 and 206: SERMONS. 197have yourfelves. Throug
- Page 207 and 208: SERM0N5.I^pab you are at prefent. I
- Page 209 and 210: s ownSERMONS.20 rand it is all befo
- Page 211 and 212: SERMONS.^03It would not be a defira
- Page 213 and 214: SERMONS. 205liatli a right to worfl
- Page 215 and 216: feign for ever and ever. Sing tlioi
- Page 217 and 218: large," a defirable retreat from al
- Page 219 and 220: SERMONS.2tfin the ^'^cant territori
- Page 221 and 222: SERMONS, 213'tie without form of la
- Page 223 and 224: SERMONS. 215to -the end of the eart
- Page 225 and 226: SJ^.RM0N5. 21,7would be nothing, we
- Page 227 and 228: sER^roNS.219'-^iih, and change at l
- Page 229 and 230: SERMONS. 221any degree be a means t
- Page 231 and 232: SERTMONS. 2125who, the moftof peifo
- Page 233 and 234: SERMONS. 225-old age ; all the prof
- Page 235 and 236: SERMONS. 22.7the treafure and the p
- Page 237: SERMONS. 229^are at his own charges
- Page 242 and 243: 234 I-tTTBRS, TRACTS, ISft.own fyfl
- Page 244 and 245: 535 LETTERS, TRACTS, t9V,deed compl
- Page 246 and 247: 238 LETTERS, TRACTS, Vfc»will be c
- Page 248 and 249: %^0 LETTERS, TRACTS, iffc,aJl tills
- Page 250 and 251: 242 LETTERS, TRACTS, L^r.of tliem m
- Page 252 and 253: ^44LETTER?, TRACTS, life.this refpe
- Page 254 and 255: Z^6LETTERS, TRACTS, i^c\detected, e
- Page 256 and 257: 24SLETTERS, TRACTS, Iffc.Keafonable
- Page 258 and 259: 2^0LETTERS, TRACTS, tlfc.to brighte
- Page 260 and 261: 252 LETTERS, TRACTS, c .\Hudents to
- Page 262 and 263: 254 LETTERS, TRACTS, tfft.for ourfe
- Page 264 and 265: 2^6LETTERS, TRACTS, 's'l\one (who i
- Page 266 and 267: ^58LETTERS, TRACTS, iJ'Cihe even fu
- Page 268 and 269: 200 LETTERS, TRACTS, tffc,oufly ref
- Page 270 and 271: 262 LETTERS, TRACTS, iff^^Page. Lin
- Page 272 and 273: 264 LETTERS, 7R.\CTS, Isfc:And yet
- Page 274 and 275: Ci66 3LETTSRS, TRAt;TS, blV.little
- Page 276 and 277: l6$ LETTF-SSj TBACTS, l:fc.fcif fii
- Page 278 and 279: .Our270 LETTERS, TRACTS, b'r.knowle
- Page 280 and 281: 272 LETTERS, TRACTS, ^C,^one thing
- Page 282 and 283: 274 LETTERS^ TRACTS, 'cfc.of your (
- Page 284 and 285: 12^6LETTERSj TRACTS, ^C:pneuniatolo
- Page 286 and 287: 27 LETTERS, TRACTS, Iffc^Ihiflory o
- Page 288 and 289: 280 LETTERSj TRACTS, IrV,cern ;the
23.x LETTERS, TRACTS, b'r.your Ton to both my clafTes, I have held you in greateftecm ; and I beg leave to tell you, that when I reachedc ut my hand to you, I f<strong>ca</strong>rce expedled fo large ahcfio*aruui^ as you generoufly gave me. My heartwarms whenever I think <strong>of</strong> you ; and many timeswhen we meet in faculty, we lament and regret deeply,,that fo few who fend <strong>the</strong>ir children to our Collegehave your liberal and gentleman ny turn <strong>of</strong> mind.You, Sir, know <strong>the</strong> value <strong>of</strong> ancient and folid literature,and have <strong>the</strong> heart to encourage th<strong>of</strong>e who infliiit into <strong>the</strong> minds <strong>of</strong> our North-Britifli youth.Though I did not fit down to write this letter im.-mediately after I had yours, yet I have been thinkingevery day upon <strong>the</strong> anfwer I was to give you ; notthat I intend to difguife or conceal from you any <strong>of</strong>our real motives, (for <strong>the</strong>re is no need <strong>of</strong> that) but Iin what language I fliould write todeliberated a littleyou ; and have fludied to write in fuch flyle and methodas m.ay bed convey my meaning, and be mcilentertaining to you.I will <strong>the</strong>refore endeavour to gratify your curi<strong>of</strong>itywith refpe£c to <strong>the</strong> real mxOtives v/hich influenced usto withdraw from <strong>the</strong> Blackfriar's, and betake ourfjivesto a chapel <strong>of</strong> our own. Every new thing, ordepartiure from any old cuilom, is at firft wonderedat ; and as. our reiolution, with rtfpecl to a chapel, isn3w, I find it oc<strong>ca</strong>fions fome fpeculation ; for feveralo<strong>the</strong>rs have been afking me our reafons for it, but Ihid not <strong>the</strong> fame reafon to- oblige <strong>the</strong>m as I have toobli'^e you.I frankly acknowledge, that diftance from <strong>the</strong>c Aurch, or v/ant <strong>of</strong> room in it, <strong>the</strong> reafons commonlyadigned for any nev/ ereclion, do not take place here.Our college, you know, is juil contiguous to <strong>the</strong>Blackfriar s j a fifth pr:rt <strong>of</strong> that church is our ownproperty ; and we have not, <strong>the</strong>fe fixty years, had asmariy fcholars, in any one vear, a? occupied one-haif<strong>of</strong> our rocm j fo that we have been in ufe \o ftt a_
Change language