THE WORK OF THE BAPTISTS IN CANADIAN EDUCATION by Arch Magee A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Education of McGill University 1943 THE WORK OF THE BAPTISTS IN CANADIAN EDUCATION I* INTRODUCTION II• BAPTIST BEGINNINGS (A) The Background of Ideas (B) The English Baptists (C) The Baptists Come to the New World III, THE MARITIME PROVINCES (A) The First Canadian Baptists (B) The Pioneer Schools (C) Permanent Foundations Laid (D) The First University IV. BAPTIST WORK IN ONTARIO AND QUEBEC (A) Early Tears (B) The Canada Baptist College (C) The French Baptist Movement (D) The Pre-McMaster Era (E) The Founding of McMaster University V« THE WESTWARD MOVEMENT (A) Baptist Beginnings in Western Canada (B) The Pioneer Schools In Western Canada (C) The Western Colleges; Brandon and Okanagan VI. PRESENT STATUS VII* CONCLUSIONS APPENDICES 1* An Act Incorporating the Trustees of the Queen's College at Horton. 2. An Act to Unite Toronto Baptist College and Woodstock College under the Name of McMaster University. 3. Excerpts frcm the Will of Senator William McMaster. 4. Comparative figures from The Canada Census 1941. I. BIBLIOGRAPHT INTRODUCTION... The purpose of this treatise is to present a study of the contribution made by Baptists in Canada to the development of education in this country. It aims to give a broad treatment of the subject without overlooking significant details. In the pre­ paration of such a study it will be necessary to refer to the background of ideas and their historical unfolding. For this reason, therefore, reference is made to the writings of church historians, reports in contemporary newspapers, articles in religious periodicals, records of proceedings, legislative enact­ ments, and quotations from religious and educational leaders. Hie literature in the field Is meagre and is largely limited to incidental references in books on other subjects. An organized bibliography is appended. It should not be forgotten that the Baptist denomination is one of the largest Protestant groups in the world. It numbers about thirteen million communicant members, and probably fifty to 1. sixty million adherents. A very large number of these are to be found in the United States and their ratio to the total population in Canada is comparatively small; nevertheless, as this study will show, they have made a worthy contribution to educational effort in this country. Unlike most other denominations, the Baptists do not trace their origin to any particular founder. On the contrary, many streams of thought arising independently have contributed to the formation of the Baptist Denomination of today. 1. Baptist year book of Ontario and Quebec 1942. Definition of Baptists Baptists as a denomination have never adopted a formal creed. A number of "Confessions of Faith* such as the "New Hampshire Confession" and the "Philadelphia Confession" are widely, used, but not binding. Universal among Baptists is the dictum that: "The Word of God is the sole and sufficient guide in all matters of faith and practice". In matters of theology and ecclesiology great emphasis is laid upon the teachings and practices of the early Christian Church as recorded in the New Testament. In theory at least any religious belief or proceeding that cannot be found, expressly or implicitly, in the New Testament is to be rejected. One of the results of this principle is the Baptist system of Church government. In the Baptist view the local group of baptized ("immersed") believers, and that only, is the unit. It is autonomous, independent and complete. It may, however, voluntarily associate itself with sister churches for the furtheranee of common interests. This results in the formation of Associations (churches in a limited area, or for a particular linguistic group), of Conventions (churches in a number of Associations regionally related), and finds its 1. fullest expression in "The Baptist World Alliance". Baptists believe that they find taught in the New Testament great principles whieh motivate their action. If Christ Jesus died for the least of men, and if it shall not profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul, the worth of the individual, of personality, is beyond our measuring. 1. Baptist World Alliance: Name of the world wide Baptist Awsociation which ordinarily meets quinquennially. ii Every man, according to the New Testament, has the right and duty to deal directly with God for himself, giving the principle of "soul-competency". If man is second only to God in dignity and is competent and bound to deal directly with God, there inevitably arises the principle of liberty of conscience. No man has the right to compel the conscience of another, hence church and state are eternally independent, each sovereign only in its own sphere. Manfs worth being what it is, he has the right to develop to the best possible degree the natural qualities of mind (inter alia) that he has. This implies the right to do the best that is possible in the time and circumstances in education. Consequently Baptists resisted the imposition of religious tests for University Matriculation, the imposition of taxes or the expenditure of money obtained by taxation for religious purposes, and demanded equal educational opportunity for all. Failing to obtain in some cases because of religious tests the educational opportunities which they desired, wishing in other cases to promote the higher branches of learning for their own religious purposes, seeing the need of even elementary education if the condition of mankind was to be improved, they have or­ ganized educational institutions of all grades, and to these have welcomed - in accordance with their principle of freedom of conscience - students of every religious denomination. The succeeding pages show that Baptist ideals necessarily result if carried to their logical conclusion in the promotion of education. As applied to the development of education in Canada we shall endeavour first to briefly set forth those ideals iii in their historic setting, and in their transfer to this country. Following this will be a more specific discussion of the growth and practical application of those ideals to the problems of the new world. This will be done under three main heads in historical sequence, first in the Maritime Provinces, secondly in Ontario and Quebec, and thirdly in Western Canada. Following that the present status will be noted and conclusiohs presented. iv CHAPTER I BAPTIST BEGINNINGS It is necessary first to trace briefly the origin and development of that body of ideas which distinguishes Baptists. Arising in Europe and early transferred to the new world, these ideas, as far as Canada is concerned came ehiefly through the English Baptists. (A) The Background of Ideas 1. The origin of the "Baptist cause* is obscure. The first definite statement of Baptist principles appears in association with the rise of the Anabaptists, a sect which appeared in Switzerland at the time of the Zwinglian reformation. Dr. Heberle, an impartial German investigator, in considering the probability of the Anabaptist doctrines being derived from sects that ante-dated the reformation writes as follows: "...They urged the putting away of all modes of wor­ ship which were unknown to the church of the apostles, and the restoration of the observance, according to their institution, of the two ceremonies ordained by Christ. Thgy contended against the Christianity of worldly governments, rejected the salaries of preachers, the taking of interest and tithes, the use of the sword, and demanded the return of apostolic excommunication and primitive community of goods. 1# Baptists frequently refer to their denominational activities as a "cause". - 1 - *• 2 — "It is well known that just these principles are found in the sects of the Middle Ages. The supposition is therefore very probable and between these and the re- baptizers of the Reformation there was an external historical connection. The possibility of this as respects Switzerland is all the greater, since just here the traces of these sects, especially the Waldenses, can be followed down to the end of the fifteenth century. But a positive proof in this connection we have not... In reality the explanation of this agreement needs no proof of a real historical union between Anabaptists and their predecessors, for the abstract biblical standpoint upon which the one as well as the other place themselves is sufficient of itself to prove a union of the 2. two in the above mentioned doctrines". Though the origin of the Anabaptist movement cannot be accurately ascertained the characteristics of the Swiss movement are of interest because of the remarkable parallel between the principles of this group and those of modern Baptists. There were many varieties of Anabaptists, but some of the principles which were common to all of them have come down through the centuries to form the Background of Ideas for the present day Baptists. The following are particular­ ly interesting: (q) 2# Jahrbucher fur Deutche Theologie, 1858, p. 276 seq. Q,uoled in Vedder, A Short History of the Baptists p. 1. «•» 3 — (a) They were all convinced that the practice of infant baptism was unscriptural. Today the "believerfs baptism" is perhaps the most distinguishing characteristic of the denomination. (b) They insisted upon a church composed solely of believers and were unanimous in admitting only immersed Christians to the Lordfs Supper. This latter clause led to schisms in the later Canadian Baptist group. (c) Any sort of connection between church and state they repudiated. From this tenet comes the liberty of conscience clause which forms the basis of all Baptist thinking. Though the Anabaptists came into conflict with Calvin who considered disorganized heresy as something that could only be met with the sword and the faggot, his ideas had a profound in­ fluence upon later Baptist thought.