Chapter V THE YOUNG PHILANDER Philander, at the age of fifteen, was a happy, healthy boy, handsome in person, accustomed to all the merry sports of youth, and no doubt guarded by his elders and parents from all unusual care and labors as the youngest of their flock. He says, in his "Reminiscences", that up to this time, he had decided preference for the life of a farmer. His father, like patriarchs of old, had with children "fed his flock by the side of living waters in green pastures" for many years, till now he was old and gray-headed. Most of his children had left him for homes of their own. The thought of such a separation was painful Philander's youthful heart, and for a time he was indulged in the pleasing dreams of being the favored one who should occupy the home farm and minister to the wants of his parents in their declining years. Deacon Chase, and his wife were born and bred in the Puritan faith, but both had kindly, generous natures which disarmed the rigid laws and practices that prevailed in those early days of most of their terrors. The children in their sylvan home in the wild woods, a far from the temptations of large towns, led an innocent life, drinking in with their breath the sweet influences of nature. Deacon Chase must have seen that his youngest boy had within him, if rightly trained, that which might make him "a leader of men," and although his heart would fain keep the child with him for the comfort of his old age, his anxiety that Philander, the last of his sons, "should become a minister of the Gospel" prevailed over his natural affection for the child so precious to both parents. Indeed, it was the constant prayer of these good people that God would incline the heart of the child in this way. As the four sons who had been educated at Dartmouth had all entered upon life in other professions, this desire was very near their hearts. Their prayers were answered in a painful way. Young Philander, while on a visit to his sister in Bethel (Vermont), met with a serious accident, which crippled him for nearly a year, and soon after this he had the misfortune to break his leg, from which he suffered for many weeks. His father took this opportunity to tell his son that this very great trial might be the means of showing him the way of duty, and that he should immediately upon recovery begin his studies preparatory for entering college. He did not add "for the ministry, " but the son knew that this was implied. It seems that obedience to parents was the rule in this family. The boy's preference had evidently been adverse to this plan, but he yielded to the wiser judgment and unselfish sacrifice of his father and mother. The work of hard study was at once begun, and in less than a year this boy passed his examinations. His brothers were his tutors, and they must have been born teachers, for in the fall of 1791 Philander entered Dartmouth. In the year 1793-94, while a member of the sophomore and junior classes, young Philander happened to find a "Book of Common Prayer" It was a rare book in those days, as every churchman now knows; so soon after the Revolution the Episcopal Church and its members were but a "feeble folk" in numbers, and less in influence. The circumstance, trifling as it seemed, was really a very important event, leading to great changes not only in Philander's life, but in the lives of many others. Instead of carelessly looking over the book over and throwing it aside, he studied it, he compared it with the Word of God, and the more he examined it, the more forcibly its beauties appealed to his sense of what the true way of worship. He communicated these thoughts to his family and friends. This was evidently a subject that enlisted all the minds of this wonderfully intelligent family. To them the truth was the great desire of their hearts --- something stable, sure, in worship and belief. This Prayer Book seemed to them, upon comparing it with their former mode of worship, as a light to guide them into the paths of peace and order. "These considerations concerning the liturgy of the Church, joined to her well-authenticated claim's to an apostolic constitution in her ministry, were among the principle reasons which induced so many of the relatives to conform to the Episcopal Church," Instead of repairing the meeting house where his father and grandfather officiated as Congregational deacons, they decided to pull it down and erect in its place an Episcopal Church. This was effected in great harmony; not a voice was raised against the plan in the neighborhood. ( If I am not mistaken; there is also an accounting of this in the "CHASE Chronicles") This is certainly a most remarkable event. It is doubtful if anything like it ever occurred before or since. That a mere youth should have brought this about among his relations so accustomed to Congregational worship is indeed wonderful, but that the whole neighborhood should have consented to this great change seems next to impossible. However, there stands the church today, in which divine service is still held. (Copied verbatuim Laura Chase Smith, granddaughter of Episcopal Bishop Philander Chase) Chapter V to be continued Harriet M Chase hatchase@uswest.net Jehovah Jireh