Search -
Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Thomas Chalmers
Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Thomas Chalmers Author:William Hanna Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF DIVINITY CONFERRED—RENEWED AGITATION ON THE SUBJECT OF PLURALITIES—SERMON BEFORE THE SOCIETY OF THE SONS OF THE CLERGY IN... more » EDINBURGH—DEBATE IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF 1816 ON UNION OF OFFICES- ANECDOTE OF DR. M'CRIE—REMARK OF LORD JEFFREY AFTER HEARING DR. CHALMERS'S SPEECH-SERMON BEFORE THE LORD HIGH COMMISSIONER. The Directors of the London Missionary Society had requested Mr. Chalmers to preach one of the anniversary sermons on behalf of that institution in May 1815. As his compliance would have removed him for a fortnight from Kilmany, and that at a time when his official connexion with the parish was so near its close, this invitation was respectfully declined. It was renewed, however, in the spring of 1816, and relying upon an acceptance, his brother James had written to Mrs. Morton, announcing the expected visit to the Metropolis. " You are mistaken," was the reply of his better informed correspondent, " as to Thomas being in London this spring. He expects to be a member of the Assembly, and therefore cannot accept of the invitation to preach in London. You will require to change your address in writing to him, and direct no longer to the ' Reverend Mr.,' but to the ' Reverend Doctor Chalmers.' Helen writes me that he was quite astonished, as he had no expectation of it, till one of the Professors called and told him that he had been created Doctor by the unanimous voice of the University, which she says is very uncommon, as partiesrun high there." The degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred on Mr. Chalmers by the Senate of the University of Glasgow on Wednesday the 21st February, 1816. His election soon afterwards by the Presbytery of Glasgow as one of its representatives for the ensuing General Assembly might not perhaps have h...« less