CHALMERS, THOMAS, D.D., LL.D., was b. at Anstruther, in Fifeshire, 17th Mar., 1780, educated at the university of St. Andrews, and in his 19th year licensed to preach the gospel. lu 1803, be was ordained minister of the parish of Kilmany, in Fifeshire, about 9 in. from St. Andrews. At this period his attention was entirely absorbed by mathematics and natural philosophy, to the neglect of the studies appertaining to his profession. To gratify his love of scientific pursuits, he even formed mathematical and chemistry classes in St. Andrews during the winter of 1803-04, and by his wonderful enthusiasm and lucidity of exposition excited intense interest, and obtained for himself a great reputation. In 1808, he published an Inquiry into the Extent and Stabil ity of National Resources, which proved his capacity for dealing with questions of politi cal economy. Shortly after this, certain domestic calamities, and a severe illness of his own, opened up the fountains of his soul, and rendered him keenly susceptible to relig ious impressions. Having to prepare an article on Christianity for Brewster's Edinburgh Encyclopadia, he commenced an extensive study of the evidences, and rose from his investigations convinced that Christianity was a fact, and the Bible the veritable "word of God." Then the great genius of the man broke forth like sunshine. He grew ear nest, eloquent, devout, and faithful to his pastoral duties. In July, 1815, he was trans lated to the Trou church and parish, Glasgow, where his magnificent oratory took the city by storm. His Astronomical Discourses were probably the most sublimely intellec tual and imaginative that had ever been preached in a Scottish pulpit. They were pub lished in 1817, and had a prodigious popularity. During the same year he visited Lon don, where his preaching excited as great a sensation as at home. But C.'s energies could not be exhausted by mere oratory. Discovering that his parish was in a state of great ignorance and immorality, lie began to devise a scheme for overtaking and check ing the alarming evil. It seemed to him that the only means by which this could be accomplished was by "revivifying, remodeling, and extending the old parochial econ omy of Scotland," which had proved so fruitful of good in the rural parishes. In order to wrestle more closely with the ignorance and vice of Glasgow. C., in 1819, became minister of St. John's parish, " the population of which was made up principally of weavers, laborers, factory-workers, and other operatives." "Of its 2,000 families," says Dr. Hanna, " more than 800 had no connection with any Christian church, while the number of its uneducated children was countless." We have not space to narrate at length how vast and successful were the labors of Chalmers. It is sufficient to say, that in pursuance of his favorite plan, he broke up his parish into 25 districts, each of which he placed under separate management, and established two week-day schools, and between 40 and 50 local Sabbath-schools, for the instruction of the children of the " poorer and neglected classes," more than 1000 of whom attended. In a multitude of
other ways he sought to elevate and purify the lives of his parishioners. While in Glasgow, C. had matured his opinions relative to the best method of providing for the poor. He disliked the English system of a " compulsory assessment," and preferred the old Scotch method of voluntary contributions at the church-door, administered by elders. The management of the poor in the parish of St. John's was intrusted to his care by the authorities. as an experiment, and in four years he reduced the pauper expenditures from £1400 to 2S0 per annum.
But such herculean toils began to undermine his constitution, and in 1823 he accepted the offer of the moral philosophy chair in St. Andrews, where he wrote his treatise on the Use and Abuse of Literary and Ecclesiastical Endowments (1827). In the following year he was transferred to the chair of theology in Edinburgh, and in 1832 published a work on political economy. In 1S33 appeared his Bridgewater treatise, On the .eldapta tion of External Nature to the Moral and Intellectual Constitution of Man. It was received with great favor, and obtained for the author many literary honors; the royal society of Edinburgh electing him a fellow, and the French institute a corresponding member, while the university of Oxford conferred on him the degree of D.c.t.. In 1834, he was appointed convener of the church-extension committee; and after seven years of enthu siastic labor, announced that upwards of z9-300,000 had been collected from the nation, and 220 new churches built. 3leanwhile, however, troubles were springing up in the bosom of the church itself. The evangelical party had become predominant in the gen oral assembly, and came forward as the vindicators of popular rights; the struggles in regard to patronage between them and the " moderate" or " Erastiau" party became keener and more frequent, until the decision of the civil courts in the famous " Auch terarder and Strathbogie" cases brought matters to a crisis; and on the 18th of May, 1843, C., followed by 470 clergymen, left the church of his fathers, rather than sacrifice those principles which he believed essential to the purity, honor, and independence of the church. See articles DISRUPTION and FREE Cituitcli. The rapid formation and organization of the Free church were greatly owing to his indefatigable exertions, in consequence of which he was elected principal of the Free church college, and spent the close of his life in the zealous performance of his learned duties, and in perfecting his institutes of Theology. Ile died suddenly at .Morningside, Edinburgh, May 30, 1847.