The Intellectual Development of the Canadian People: An Historical ReviewBourinot, John George
History
The Intellectual Development of the Canadian People: An Historical Review
Bourinot, John George
Canada -- Intellectual life; Canadian literature -- History and criticism
knowledge, and necessarily exercising through his profession and
acquirements no inconsiderable influence, not only in a religious but in
an intellectual sense as well--an influence which he has never ceased to
exercise in this country. It is true as the country became more thickly
settled and the people began to claim larger political rights, the
influence of many leading minds among the Anglican clergy, who believed
in an intimate connection between Church and State, even in a colony,
was somewhat antagonistic to the promotion of popular education and the
extension of popular government. The Church was too often the Church of
the aristocratic and wealthier classes; some of its clergy were sadly
wanting in missionary efforts; its magnificent liturgy was too cold and
intellectual, perhaps, for the mass: and consequently, in the course of
time, the Methodists made rapid progress in Upper Canada. Large numbers
of Scotch Presbyterians also settled in the provinces, and exercised a
powerful influence on the social, moral and political progress of the
country. These pioneers came from a country where parish schools existed
long before popular education was dreamed of across the border. Their
clergy came from colleges whose course of study cultivated minds of rare
analytical and argumentative power. The sermon in the Presbyterian
Church is the test of the intellectual calibre of the preacher, whose
efforts are followed by his long-headed congregation in a spirit of the
keenest criticism, ever ready to detect a want of logic. It is obvious
then that the Presbyterian clergyman, from the earliest time he appeared
in the history of this country, has always been a considerable force in
the mental development of a large section of the people, which has given
us, as it will be seen hereafter, many eminent statesmen, journalists,
and _litterateurs_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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