V 
 
 / 
 
MEMOIR 
 
 OF THE 
 
 IligEt §mxm& f obn J^ttariiait, 
 
 D.D LLD., 
 
 FIRST BISHOP OF TORONTO. 
 
 BT 
 
 A. N. BETHUNE, D. D., D. 0. L., 
 
 HIS SUCCESSOR IN THE SEE. 
 
 TORONTO : 
 HENEY ROWSELL. 
 
 LONDON : 
 RIVINGTONS. 
 
 1870. 
 

 (BeThi^roS R, 
 
 Any Profits arising from tub sale of this Work will be devoted to Church 
 
 OrjECTS WITHIN THE DiOCKSE OF TORONTO. 
 
JThfs fttentofr, 
 
 UNDERTAKEN TO PERPETUATE THE NAME AND WORKS OP 
 ONE ACTIVELY ENGAGED FOR NEARLY 
 
 SIXTY- FIVE YEARS 
 
 IN THE ENDEAVOUR TO PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF HIS ADOPTED 
 COUNTRY, AND THE SPREAD OF GOD's CHURCH, 
 
 IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED 
 
 TO THE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF ENGLAND AND 
 
 IRELAND IN THE 
 
 DIOCESES OF TORONTO, HURON, AND ONTAJIIO, 
 
 WHICH CONSTITUTED ORIGINALLY THE EPISCOPAL CHARGE OF 
 
 THE DECEASED, 
 
 BT THEIR FAITHFUL AND HUMBLE SERVANT, 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 — ♦- 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Chap. I. — Parentage. — Early life in Scotland 1 
 
 Chap. II. — Emigration to Canada. — Kesidence at King- 
 ston, — Ordination, and removal to Cornwall, 9 
 
 Chap. III. — The Cornwall Grammar School, 18 
 
 Chap. IV. — Domestic and Parochial life at Cornwall. — His 
 
 Marriage. — Appointment to York, 30 
 
 Chap. V. — Kemoval to York. — The War with the United 
 
 States* 40 
 
 Chap. VI. — Deatli of the Hon. Richard Cartwright. — Ajj- 
 pointment to Executive Council. — McGill College, 
 Montreal. — Loss of his House by Fire, 51 
 
 Chap. "V II. — Effects of the War .-^Emigration to Canada. — 
 Controversy with the Earl of Selkirk. — Mr. Robert 
 Gourlay, GO 
 
 Chap. VIII. — Services as Executive Councillor. — Sir Pere- 
 grine Maitland,and his Administration.— -The Church 
 in York. — Appointment to the Legislative Council,.. 69 
 
 Chap. IX.—Recollections of York in 1820.— State of the 
 Church in Upper Canada. — Episcopal Visitation at 
 Yorki" 1820, 79 
 
 Chap. X. — The Clergy Reserves Question < 87 
 
VI 
 
 PAOE. 
 
 Chap. XI. — Visit to England and his Native Land. — 
 Kesistance to the proposed Sale of the Clergy Reserves 
 to the Canada Company. — roliiical strife in Upper 
 Canada, 9G 
 
 Chap. XII. — The Educational Question. — Prospect of the 
 early establishment of a University. — Second Visit to 
 England, 104 
 
 Chap. XIII. — Death of the Bishop of Quebec. — His suc- 
 cessor, Dr. Stewart. — Upper Canada divided into two 
 Archdeaconries. — Dr. Strachan appointed Archdeaeon 
 of Yoi'k. — Correspondence in England in 1826-7. — 
 Return to Canada, Ill 
 
 Chap. XIV. — The Clergy Reserves Controversy.-rSpeech 
 in the Legislative Council in Defence of his Conduct 
 upon this Question, 1 20 
 
 Chap. XV. — Depr'tni'e of Sir Pei'egrine Maitland. — His 
 successor Sir John Colborne. — Continued Agitation 
 on the Clergy Reserves and University Questions. — 
 Revolutions in Europe, and Political Changes in Eng- 
 land. — Breaking out of the Cholera in 18.32, 129 
 
 Chap. XVI. — Letter to Dr. Chalmers on the Life and 
 Character of Bishop Hobart. — Presentation of a Piece 
 of Plate by his Cornwall Pupils 139 
 
 Chap. XVII. — The Clergy Reserves Question ; establish- 
 ment of the Rectories. — Meeting of Clergy under the 
 two Ai-chdeacons in 183G. — Deputation to the Mother 
 Country determined upon. — Resolution to establish a 
 Church Newspaper, 154 
 
 Chap. XVIII. — Administration of Sir Francis Head. — 
 Correspondence regarding Seat in the Legislative 
 Council. — Death of Bishop Stewart of Quebec. — 
 Previous appointment of Archdeacon Mountain as 
 his Assistant. — The Rebellion in 1837-8. — Decision 
 to form Upper Canada into a separate Diocese. — 
 Destruction of St. James's Church, Toronto, 161 
 
Vll 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 CiiAP. XIX. — Consecration as Bishop of Toi'onto. — The 
 Union of the Provinces. — Settlement of the Clergy 
 Reserves Question in England, 171 
 
 Chap. XX. — Firtt Confirmation Tour. — Primary Visitation 
 
 at Toronto, 180 
 
 Chap. XXI. — Establishment of the Diocesan Theological 
 College at Cobourg. — Laying the Coraer Stone of 
 King's College at Toronto. — Formation of the Church 
 Society. — Confirmations in 1842, 190 
 
 Chap. XXI I. — Opening of King's College, Toronto. — 
 Second Triennial Visitation of the Clergy. — Special 
 Meeting of the Church Society in I'eference to Sales 
 of Clergy Reserves. — Legislative action thereupon,... 204 
 
 Chap. XXIII. — Confirmation Journeys in 1845, 213 
 
 Chap. XXIV. — Resignation of Archdeaconry of York, and 
 Rectory of Toronto. — Triennial Visitation of the 
 Clergy in 1847. — Consecration of the Church of the 
 Holy Trinity, Toronto, 226 
 
 Chap. XXV. — Abolition of the Univei-sity of King's College. 
 
 — Establishment of Trinity College, 236 
 
 Chap. XXVI. — Establishment of the Diocesan Synod. — 
 Laying the Foundation Stone of Trinity College. — 
 Opening of the College, 249 
 
 Chap. XXVII. — Last contest for the Clergy Reserves. — 
 Settlement of the Question in 1854-5. — The Commu- 
 tation Scheme. — Synod of 1856, and Episcopal 
 Address, 263 
 
 Chap. XXVIII. — Division of the Diocese. — Election of the 
 Bishop of Huron. — Visit of the Prince of Wales to 
 Canada. — Election of the Bishop of Ontarfo. — Synod 
 of 1861, :. 273 
 
Vlll 
 
 TAQE. 
 
 Chap. XXIX. — Further efforts in England on behalf of 
 Trinity CoUege. — Death of Chief Justice Robinson. — 
 Movement for a Coadjutor Bishop in Synod, passing 
 a Canon for liis Appointment — Death of Mrs. 
 Strachan, '. 281 
 
 Chap XXX —Synods of 1866, and Election of Coadjutor. 
 
 —Synod of 1867— Sickness and Death of the Bishop 289 
 
 Chap. XXXI. — The Funeral. — Characteristics and Recol- 
 lections. — Conclusion, 297 
 
 Appendix 309-385 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 CHAPTER T. 
 
 Parentage. — Early Lite in Scotland. 
 
 'E have, in various existing documents, brief 
 sketches of the early life of the late Bishop 
 (»f Toronto. He was boru at Aberdeen, in Scot- 
 land, on the 12th of April, 1778; his parents' names were 
 John Strachan and Elizabetli Findlayson. Of liis father 
 little is recorded, save that lie earned a modest stipend 
 as overseer of the granite quarries in t^ie neighbourhood 
 of Aberdeen ; which, as long as he lived, sufficed to main- 
 tain his family in respectability and comfort. His death 
 was sudden and very sad. A blast of the ({uarry had 
 one day been prepared ; and as the time for ignition 
 seemed overpast, the overseer went forwaid to see what 
 was the matter. The blast took place ; a splinter of ro(3k 
 lodged in one of his eyes, and he died two days after, 
 in May, 1794, at the age of 52. He was much respected 
 Rn an honest and trustworthy man, and his death excited 
 universal pity ; so that, at his funeral, there was such 
 a concourse of volunteer mourners that the procession 
 exceeded a quarter of a mile in length. In the midst 
 of Presbyterians, he was attached to the non-jurors ; and, 
 in principle and practice, might be rc^garded as an 
 Episcopalian, 
 
2 
 
 His wife, the mother of the late Bishop, appears to 
 have maintained through life her connexion with the 
 Presbyterians ; but, though differing from her husband 
 in religious creed, she lived with him in the utmost 
 harmony and affection ; and each were kindly tolerant 
 of the other's opinions. It is stated as a curious fact, 
 that she used to make her children every night, before 
 going to bed, sign themselves with the sign of the cross. 
 
 The father's religious predilections were, at an early 
 age, shared by his son, the subject of this memoir, who 
 frequently accompanied him to St. Paul's Episcopal 
 Chapel in the Gallowgate, and was a. gratified hearer of 
 the then Bishop Skinner. Nq doubt, the foundation 
 was, at that time, laid of those partialities which ripened 
 afterwards into so decided and zealous an adoption of the 
 principles of the Church. 
 
 His mother, though without the opportunity of many 
 early advantages, was evidently a woman of superior 
 understanding and acute discernment, as the following 
 extract from her letters abundantly prove. In May, 1801, 
 when this son was so far removed from her, and in a land 
 which was deemed wild and barbarous, she addressed him 
 in these terms : " As God has laid the stress of me upon 
 you, I hope you will not be angry at my advice, which 
 is, prefer not a moral precept to the counsels of Jesus 
 Christ, or the dictates of his apostles ; vainly opposing the 
 dim candle of man's reason to the sunshine of the gospel 
 light, as displayed in the scriptures. My dear son, you 
 know better than I do ; but my earnest desire is for your 
 welfare, soul and body," 
 
 If these are the conceptions of one in whom is the 
 root of a genuine faith, they are the expressions also of a 
 cultivated mind. Not less so are the thoughts and lan- 
 guage of a letter addressed to him in August, 1806 : 
 " My dear son, we are looking every day for a letter from 
 you, and that is all I can expect, for I am now in the 
 
seventieth year of my age, and I cannot think to live 
 long, but I have been blessed with very dutiful and afteo- 
 tionate children. I entreat you, dear son, take heed unto 
 yourself and to the doctrines of Christ; for in doing 
 this, thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee. 
 For all his followers are enquired of by him, and are 
 enabled to speak the word in due season ; and this, I hope, 
 by his assistance, you are. Take not this amiss from 
 your mother, though you know better yourself" 
 
 When his father died, the subject of this memoir was 
 only fourteen years of age ; and as then the whole support 
 of tlie family ceased, he was, as he himself has expressed 
 it, thrown upon the world without a single friend or 
 relation capable of affording him any assistance ; his 
 mother and two sisters reduced by that sudden bereave- 
 ment almost to actual want. When his prospects were 
 thus gloomy, and to all appearance hopeless, he found 
 a timely benefactor in the late Dr. Beattie, of whose son 
 he had been a friend and companion. He found him a 
 situation as tutor in a family who were spending a few 
 months in Scotland, and who had a little boy and girl 
 to be instructed. The little earnings obtained from this 
 short engagement he carried to his mother, and with 
 great delight placed them as a gift in her hands. The 
 recollection of this, he said, often gave him happiness 
 in after years. 
 
 He appears to have entered the University of Aberdeen, 
 in 1794, when he was sixteen years of age ; and, as here 
 the sessions or terms la.sted only five months, — that is, 
 from the latter part of November to the end of April, — 
 the remaining seven months of the year were at the 
 disposal of the students. This was a great advantage to a 
 37oung man situated as he was. He could employ himself 
 in teaching during this interval, and return to his mother, 
 at Aberdeen, with the amount of his earnings; and, 
 without being burdensome to her, avstil himself of. the 
 
College lectures during the winter months. In this Uni- 
 versity there were a number of bursaries, or scholarships, 
 and frequently ten or twelve of them became vacant in 
 a year. They were of small amount each, only five or six 
 pounds per annum ; they were given to those who were 
 found best qualified after an examination in Latin ; and 
 were tenable for four years. One of these Mr. Strachan 
 easily gained ; and through the influence of the Professors, 
 with whom he was a great favorite, he obtained one or 
 two private pupils during the session. This added three 
 or four pounds more to his slender income ; making it, 
 with the addition of his summer earnings, hardly £20 per 
 annum in all. Trifling as this sum appears to be, it 
 enabled him not only to get through his studies at the 
 Univei-sity, but to afford material help to his mother and 
 sisters. And nothing delighted him more than this ; for, 
 he says, " never was there a more excellent mother than 
 mine. She made religion amiable to me, and the source 
 of moral strength." 
 
 The getting employment during the long vacation was 
 always an uncertainty, and a cause of much anxiety. 
 Yet, as he has recorded, God was ever kind ; and during 
 the three years of his stay at the University, something 
 always turned up, and he was enabled to take his degi-ee 
 of Master of Arts. 
 
 After this, he obtained a parish school in the neighbor- 
 hood of St. Andrew's, w^orth about £30 a year. A portion 
 of this he managed to save for his mother, and placed it 
 in her hands at his usual visits in harvest time ; travelling 
 on foot ninety .liles in order to save expense. At St. 
 Andrew's he became intimate with Dr. Chalmers and 
 Professor Duncan, who were about his own age ; and with 
 these eminent men he kept up a frequent correspondence 
 to the time of their death. In this University he joined 
 the Divinity class in April, 1797 ; though, from his other 
 occupations, he was unable to give a very regular attend- 
 
{> 
 
 ance at the usual lectures. He obtained, however, on 
 leaving, this testimonial from Dr. Hill, the Principal : 
 " In efich of the sessions, Mr. Strachan delivered a discourse 
 which appeared to me a very favorable specimen of the 
 acuteness of his understanding, and of hi,, talents for 
 composition ; and from all the opportunities I have had of 
 conversing with him, as well as from the reports of others, ' 
 I consider him a young man of excellent parts, who is 
 qualified to discharge with ability and success the duties 
 of a public teacher." 
 
 At St. Andrew's he soon discovered that liis income 
 of £30 a year, derived from his parish school in the neigh- 
 borhood, — with the maternal claims upon it which were 
 always so affectionately recognized, — was, as he expressed 
 it, rather pinching; so he felt himself obliged to look 
 about for something better. Hearing that the parish 
 school of Kettle, worth £50 per annum, was vacant, he 
 proposed himself as a candidate. He was then scarcely 
 nineteen, and learning that there were five other candi- 
 dates, all much older than himself and of more experience ; 
 and hearing, too, that the examination was to be a very 
 strict one, he felt discouraged, and disposed to withdraw. 
 But Dr. Barclay, the minister of the parish, who had taken 
 a strong liking to him, insisted on his persevering ; bidding 
 him have no fear, but to come up boldly to tlie exami- 
 nation. This Dr. Barclay was the father of the gallant 
 Captain Barclay, who lost both his arms in the contest 
 with the United States fleet on Lake Erie ; and the father 
 also of the Rev. Mr. Barclay, who had charge, from 1822 
 to 1826, of the congregation of the Kirk of Scotland at 
 Kingston, in this Province. His friend's counsels were a 
 great encouragement to him ; but, still afraid of losing 
 credit by a failure, he went to St. Andrews, and waited 
 <iu Dr. John Hunter, from whom he had received many 
 kindnesses, and requested that he would do him the favor 
 of examining him. He did so ; and told him he " was no 
 great things, but would be the best there notwithstanding." 
 
() 
 
 This remark, little flattering as it was, gave him great 
 encoiiragemejit ; for the good Doctor had sifted pretty 
 closely his knowledge of Greek, and Latin, and Mathe- 
 matics, Mr. Strachan realized the predictions of his 
 friends, and proved the successful candidate. He under- 
 took the charge of a school numbering 10(3 pupils, — ^rising 
 sometimes to 120, — many of them older than himself; 
 and, as he said, k-arning every thing. In this condition 
 of things, he bethought himself of th^ system of moni- 
 tors ; for which Dr. Bell and Mr. Lancaster afterwards 
 obtained so much credit. But in attempting this, he 
 frequently experienced difficulty : parents sometimes de- 
 murred, contending that, instead of teaching their children, 
 he made them teach others. It was found hard to convince 
 them that, in teaching others, their sons were effectually 
 teaching themselves. At length, by increasing the number 
 of monitors, and* thus assigning a smaller share of work 
 to each, and by frequently changing them, those objections 
 were quietly overruled, and the system was found to work 
 most successfully. The discipline and order of the school, 
 too, was so excellent, that children were sent to it from 
 other parishes ; and Dr. Barclay and other leading persons 
 of the place, who had preferred having their children 
 taught at home, now sent them to the parish school. 
 Wiikie, the painter, who became afterwards so eminent, 
 was one of his pupils at Kettle. His turn for the art in 
 which he subsequently excelled, was soon discovered by 
 his youthful tutor ; and he urged his father to use every 
 means to have it fostered and improved. 
 
 Mr. Strachan was very happy at Kettle, and out of his 
 increased means was able more largely to befriend his 
 mother. But this state of pleasantness and contentment 
 came soon to be disturbed. Dr. Brown, the minister of 
 the parish near St. Andrew's, in which he had taught 
 school before removing to Kettle, was promoted to the 
 chair of Natural Philosophy in the University of Glasgow. 
 He was an excellent mathematician, and an elegant writer ; 
 
but so exceedingly nervous that he was unable to perform, 
 with satisfactory skill, the experiments required in his 
 department. He, therefore, proposed to make Mr. Strachan 
 his assistant, .as he was considered well fitted for the post ; 
 but, somehow, the arrangement was never carried into 
 effect. This was a great disappointment ; as the obtaining 
 a chair in a University, — to which the proposed appoint- 
 ment would undoubtedly lead, — was, at that time, the 
 highest object of his ambition. A happy opportunity for 
 the ultimate gratification of this hope, was closed as soon 
 as opened. 
 
 In the midst of the conflict of feeUngs thus awakened, 
 between golden visions and their speedy dissipation, an 
 application was received from Upper Canada for a person 
 (qualified to take charge of an academy, which was after- 
 wards to become a college, under the patronage of the 
 government of the Province. The situation, it is said, 
 was first offered to Dr. Chalmers, and then to another i 
 person of literary distinction ; and when declined by them \ 
 it was offered to Mr. Strachan and accepted. He accepted 
 it, as he stated in a letter to a friend, chiefly on account of 
 the situation of his mother and sisters ; whose wants, out 
 of the emoluments of his present situation, he was unable 
 adequately to supply. His prospects of obtaining any 
 thing better in his native land, were remote and uncertain ; 
 and so filial affection constrained him to become an 
 unwilling exile. The promise of £80 sterling per annum, 
 with free board and lodging, and all the expenses of the 
 journey provided, gave him hope that, if his own personal 
 happiness should not be increased, those nearest his affec- 
 tions would not be allowed to want. 
 
 Having formed this determination, and sundered his 
 connection with his parish school, he obtained the follow- 
 ing testimonial from Dr. Barclay, dated. Manse of Kettle, 
 July 20, 1799 :— 
 
 "The bearer, Mr. John Strachan, student in divinity, 
 taught our school, at Kettle, for about two years, with 
 
8 
 
 much approbation and success : always conducting himself 
 with decorum nnd respectability in his private deport- 
 ment ; and is hereby heartily commended to the notice 
 and attention of all into whose hands these presents 
 shall come." 
 
 The wording of this testimonial incidentally disproves 
 the statement which, in various qaarteis, has been aflirmed 
 and believed, that the late Bishop of Toronto was once a 
 licentiate, or probationary minister, of the Church of Scot- 
 land. He merely, as we have seen, attended the Divinity 
 Lectures at St. Andrew's ; but had never taken orders, or 
 received a license to preach, in that church. 
 
9 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Emigration to Canada. — Residence at Kingston. ^-Ordination 
 and removal to Cornwall. 
 
 'ANY, from experience, can fancy what would be 
 the sensations, what the trials, of a young man 
 alone at sea, in a vessel, — one of the ordinary 
 traders of the time, — with a very slender supply of 
 comforts ; without friend or acquaintance to lighten the 
 solitude ; with none but the rude ship's company to 
 converse with. 
 
 There is, it is true, a buoyancy in youth which can 
 surmount these trials. The novelty of all around, — the 
 waste of waters, the wonders of the deep, the halo of 
 brightness with which hope invests the future,— all this 
 would reconcile to passing discomforts, and shake off the 
 depression which separation from the dearest on earth, 
 growing wider and wider every hour, will create in the 
 most cheerful and the most hopeful. 
 
 Those were not days in which the Atlantic was tra- 
 versed with the speed of the present time ; and a slow craft, 
 with adverse winds and calms, rendered the voyage of 
 Mr. Strachan an unusually tedious one. It was about the 
 latter end of August, 1799, when he embarked for Ame- 
 rica ; and it was not until the last day of that year that 
 he arrived in Kingston, Upper Canada, the place of his 
 destination. 
 
 Here, at the outset of what he believed was to prove a 
 life of exalted usefulness and brilliant promise, he was 
 doomed to bitter disappointment. What had been pro- 
 jected regarding an Academy, — by and by to merge into a 
 2 
 
10 
 
 College, — was found to be a fanej only, not a reality. It 
 was amongst the wise plans and purposes of leading men, 
 wishing well to Upper Canada ; but it had taken no shape, 
 it had not even a foundation. Moreover, General Sinicoe, 
 who had devised tl.i praiseworthy scheme, had left the 
 (iountry and returned to England ; and there was no one 
 in the Province of sufficient influence and courasfe to take 
 it up. The feeling amongst leading men rather was, that 
 the Province was not yet ripe for such an institution : the 
 popvdation was thin and scattered ; and there were not 
 many of sufficient means to send their sons to be educated 
 at a distance. A public school of such magnitude as had 
 been contemplated, was therefore regarded as quite beyond 
 the times; as a project adapted to a much more advanced 
 state of society than the country now possessed. 
 
 We can understand the effect of this upon one who had 
 made himself an exile from his native land, in expectation 
 that all was ripe and ready for the school, to the charge of 
 which he had been so specially invited. It is well expressed 
 in a few lines addressed to a friend in England in after 
 years, — "Though gifted with a happy disposition, and 
 disposed to see the best side of things, I was so beat down 
 that, if I had been in possession of £20, I should have 
 returned at once ; but in truth I had not twenty shillings, 
 and was therefore obliged to make the best of it. My 
 situation was, indeed, desolate ; for I knew not a creature. 
 The gentleman in whose house I was to reside, had no 
 convenience for a person of retired and studious habits ; 
 and he seemed reserved and distant in his mannere. The 
 few young men of the town, or rather village, were unedu- 
 cated, and inclined to practices in which I could not join." 
 
 But time gradually allays such temporary ills and 
 disappointments. He soon discovered that the gentleman 
 in whose house he was an inmate, was a person of a 
 superior order of mind; of considerable acquirements; and 
 of great strength and purity of character. He was, too. 
 
11 
 
 an earnest Christie. ., without fanaticism or ostentation ; 
 and a zealous and consistent Churchman. What struck his 
 guest at first as reserve of manners, speedily disappeared ; 
 and increased intercourse, with a congeniality of principles 
 and tastes, made them companions and friends. Such was 
 the late Richard Cartwright, Esq., of Kingston, who, 
 through quiet industry, and unbending integrity, had 
 amassed a considerable fortune ; whose well-stored mind, 
 aided by a memory of uncommon power, rendered him an 
 agreeable and instructive companion ; and whose abilities 
 and worth qualified him to fill various public situations 
 with honor to himself and benefit to his country. Very 
 few survive who knew that gentleman personally ; but his 
 njime is fresh in the memory and regards of the present 
 generation, as one of the pioneers of our social and 
 political state of whom Canadians are justly i)roud. 
 
 For this gentleman Mr. Strachan acquired more and 
 more regard, as their acquaintance ripened. He had a 
 room built specially for his acconmiodation as a study ; 
 and his two eldest sons, placed under his charge as pupils, 
 were left entirely to his control and management. Mrs. 
 Cartwright, too, was so amiable and kind, that he felt 
 himself quite at home in their house. His little school, 
 numbering twelve, became even then distinguished ; the 
 management of the boys, and the mode of instruction, 
 being so superior to any thing they had previously been 
 accustomed to. He went on successfully and happily in 
 this occupation for three years and a half; but as another 
 opening then presented itself for enlarged usefulness, hj« 
 connection with Kingston was reluctantly severed. 
 
 But the friendships he formed there, were never dis- 
 solved in life. With Mr. Cartwright and his family he 
 lived always on terms of aft'ectionate intimacy ; and he 
 was appointed by that gentleman to be the guardian of 
 his children when death should deprive them of his own 
 care. He had another loved and valued friend in the late 
 
12 
 
 Rlv. Dr. Stuart, then the Rector of Kingston, and Bishop's 
 Official in Uj)per Canada. Two of liis sons were amongst 
 his pupils; and both became highly distinguished men 
 at the bar in Lower Canada. With one, the late Andrew 
 Stuart, of Quebec, he maintained a cordial and intimate 
 friendship. From the time that the little school at Kings- 
 t<m was broken up, there was a steady correspondence 
 kept up between them ; and while the tutor was, on many 
 important occasions, asked for his judicious counsels, the 
 pupil, on his part, was not backward in offering his 
 remarks on passing events and opaions. In a letter 
 written by him from Quebec, August 12th, 1803, while 
 yet a youth, we find the following very interesting pas- 
 sages : — 
 
 " If you perceive a greater degree of stiffness than usual in 
 this letter, you must attribute it to the apprehension of my 
 catching myself in the use of a hard word, after the genealogy 
 you have given of them ; though, as the term hard word is a 
 lelative one, and a dozen of such as were so to me might pass 
 unnoticed in a letter to you, I believe I may shake off my fears. 
 The reason you give for the aversion in which hard words 
 without meaning are now held, is very satisfactoiy ; but don't 
 you think that those with meaning, those which are introduced 
 to enable me to express elevated ideas in language una])proi)riated 
 to vulgar ones, or to mark their nice shades, owe their unpopu- 
 larity to a principle more universal ; to that self-love which 
 teaches us to look with dissatisfaction on the pei"sou who, we 
 think (causelessly), makes us feel our inferiority, and which by 
 association of ideas, creates at the same time an avereion to the 
 means which he uses to that effect." 
 
 We shall be excused, we feel sure, for preserving and 
 perpetuating the following extract from the same letter : — 
 
 *' I am happy to learn that Cornwall does not want the 
 apology of nisi si patria sit ; and, indeed, I did not think it 
 would. I reQoUe^tj ^q ^Qine part of our classical reading, you 
 
13 
 
 iiicntioiK'd to us a .surprising circuinstiuice, — the sil(Mic(^ «>f all 
 the Latin Listoiians and i)hi]oso[)hers respecting tliat great 
 natural ])henomenon, the diversity of colour in the human com- 
 plexion ; more ])articularly, as you then observed, since in their 
 commerce with Africa, they had an opportunity of observing it 
 in its greatest extent. Will not the language of Tacitus account 
 satisfactorily for this otherwise astonishing inditferonco ? Ho 
 evidently su])posed an indigenous origin of man ; and he would 
 liai'dly sj)ort so wild a notion unless it were sanctioned by the 
 learned of his time. And if, at his time, it was the current 
 opinion, how much rather at the period of the first Punic wai-, 
 when the Africans, I believe, first became known to the Romans. 
 Now, aJoj)ting this notion, much greater diversity than that 
 under consideration would pass unnoticed. And the differences 
 in man would excite no more surprise than the differences of 
 any vegetable production peculiar to one or other of those two 
 (JUJ^vter.s. The name which the Athenians assumed to them- 
 selves of AutorJithoni, leads me to susj)ect that this was the 
 universal opinion of anti(piity. If so, considering the effects of 
 this or»inion in another point of view, it might have concurred 
 forcibly with moral and political causes to produce that ])atriot- 
 ism in every class of citizens, which so frequently commands the 
 admiration of the modern in reading the history of Greece and 
 Rome ; and which admiration is so much increased by a coui- 
 ))arison of the impassioned views of the lower classes of these 
 people in regard to the duties we owe our country, with the 
 dullness of the feelings of a modern mob on this subject." 
 
 It was, no doubt, owing to the conversation and counsels 
 of his friend Dr. Stuart, that Mr. Strachan, during his 
 sojourn at Kingston, determined on taking Orders in the 
 Church of England. And, once started upon this purpose, 
 we can understand with what vigor and earnestness lie 
 would pursue it. The testimony he received from the 
 Bishop of the Diocese, the first Dr. Mountain, as to the 
 extent and satisfactoriness of his qualifications for the 
 sacred ministry, we shall best state in his own words, 
 contained in a letter to Mr. Cartwright, dated May 20, 
 
14 
 
 1803: — "Tho testimony contained in j'our letter of thp 
 3rd instant, in favor of Mr. Strachan's character and con- 
 duct was, in a particular manner, satisfactory to me. In 
 Mr. Strach.an's examination, and in the conversation I havo 
 had with him, I have found nothing to contradict the 
 advantageous opinion you have formed of him. He 
 appears to be a young man of competent attainments, 
 of fair understanding, and great modesty and worth. 
 I thought it might be acceptable to you to know that I 
 am extremely well satisfied on his subjects, and have 
 therefore been induced to give you this trouble." He was 
 ordained on the 22nd May, 1803 ; and his appointment to 
 Cornwall, as stated in the letter of the Provincial Secre- 
 tary, dated from that day. 
 
 He appears to have entered without delay upon his 
 duties at Cornwall ; and at first in a temporary place of 
 worship, as some time must have elapsed before the church 
 was built. There is a record of the sale of pews early in 
 180G; so that the church could not have been available 
 for service much before that time. His income as clergy- 
 man was only £130 per annum ; a sum, as he stated in 
 writing to a friend, not sufficient to enable him to keep 
 house, and withal to extend the never-failing assistance to 
 his excellent and beloved mother. His personal wants 
 were few, and his habits simple ; and yet, as he said, ho 
 was never beforehand. His means were always largely 
 taxed for the aid of others. 
 
 Amongst the fresh objects of his solicitude, was his 
 elder brother, James. This brother writes on April 10, 
 1801, from H. M. ship " Boadicea," at Torbay ; intimating, 
 though we are without particulars, that he had been 
 making an experiment of naval life. Speaking of the 
 death of another brother, William, he says, in that letter, 
 in reference to the one to whom he was writing, — " how 
 happy I am to have a brother yet, who I hope is, and will 
 be, an honor to the family. I thank you in the name of 
 
ir, 
 
 my mother and myself for your kindness towards her in 
 her old a;:je. The Almighty will reward you for your 
 goodness to an old and infirm parent." Of the interests 
 of this brother he was not forgetful; for the fii*st £100 he 
 liad to spare, he advanced to en.able him to open a book- 
 seller's shop in Aberdeen. This was done with the con- 
 dition that he would live with his mother, who, in her 
 advanced age, required }»rotection; and afford her such 
 pecuniary help as his business would allow. Ho was very 
 successful in this enterprise, and liecanie at Inst a man of 
 good independent means. 
 
 Mr. Strachan's clerical duties at Cornwall weve not such 
 .•IS to occupy his whole time ; so he soon commenced 
 taking pupils, and gradually formed that school which 
 afterwards obtained so much celebrity. Amongst his 
 »^arliest pupils was the late Chief Justice of Upper Canada, 
 Sir John Beverley Robinson, Bart., who went to Inn: in 
 the autumn of 1803, having been previously under his 
 charge for a short time at Kingston. Dr. Stuart, in 
 sending him to Cornwall, mentions him as an " old 
 ac([uaintance" of Mr. Strachan; and such was his master's 
 ajipreciation of him, tfiat he offered to educate him gra- 
 tuitously, if his mother, a Avidow, should not find it 
 convenient to meet the expense. The warmest friendship 
 — founded on mutual admiration — subsisted between them 
 until death severed the tie. 
 
 One after another of those distinguished men followed 
 as pupils at Cornwall, whose names adorn our Canadian 
 history ; some having filled the highest offices in church 
 and state ; and all, with scarcely an exception, evincing 
 through life an elevation of principle, high gentlemanly 
 bearing, disinterested love of country, and a zealous 
 attachment to her time-ho ored institutions. All, too, 
 evinced for him who trained them to such thoughts and 
 duties, a love and veneration which time could not impair. 
 With nearly all he maintained a con-espondence as long 
 
16 
 
 as they lived ; and the few who survive their honored 
 master dwell with the warmest affection upon his memory. 
 
 It was an early desire of Mr. Strachan to select from his 
 pupils those who had a taste, and qualifications, for the 
 sacred ministry. This he intimated to the Bishop of 
 Quebec ; and his Lordship, in February, 1809, replies, — 
 " I have no sort of difficulty in saying that I will receive 
 Candidates for Holy Orders educated by you, and will 
 give them ordination, provided always that I shall be 
 sufficiently satisfied with their attainments, and that there 
 shall be a situation open in which the Government shall 
 consent to place them." In the same letter, his Lordship 
 says, " I am glad that your school — a much more accept- 
 able term in these days than academy — goes on so well. 
 I congratulate you both upon your success and your 
 usefulness." 
 
 Amongst his early Cornwall pupils, the only two who 
 entered the church were the present Dean of Montreal, 
 tlie Very Rev, John Bethune, D.D.. and the Rev. William 
 Macaulay, Rector of Picton. The former was ordained at 
 Quebec, in 1814; and the latter in England, in 1818, after 
 a residence at Oxford of about two vears. That he did 
 not remain to take his Degree at this University, was 
 always a subject of great regret to his early tutor, and 
 much lamented by many of his Oxford as well as Cana- 
 dian friends. There had been another aspirant to the 
 ministry, the late Hon. George H. Markland, of whom 
 Dr. Stuart wrote to Mr. Strachan in 1810 ; statintr his 
 strong desire for the sacred profession, and describing ijim 
 as " a good, indeed an excellent young man." His parents, 
 it appears, were loth to part with him, being an only 
 child ; and the consequence was, the misfortune of his not 
 being brought up to any profession at all. Had his early 
 inclinations been encouraged, Mr. Markland — having excel- 
 lent abilities and very agreeable manners — might ha^'e 
 proved an ornament to the Church, and a blessing to 
 
17 
 
 society. Who can tell what an influence for good this 
 might have imparted to his thoughts and life ; how many 
 gloomy and sad days it might have brightened and 
 solaced ; how effectually it might have turned his aims 
 and efforts to paths of holiness and usefulness ! Pity it is 
 to thwart the earlj- inclinations of youth in selecting their 
 work in life ; the mdre pity, if the direction of these is to 
 serve God and to promote the best welfare of their fellow- 
 men. 
 
18 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 The Cornwall Grammar School. 
 
 (T was. on one of those bright warm mornings in 
 early May, which our Canadian climate occasionally 
 affords, that a lad about ten years of age was 
 making his way to Cornwall on horseback. He was 
 attended by a trusty servant-man ; across the saddle of 
 whose hoi"se was slung a pair of capacious saddle-bags, 
 containing the youth's modest wardrobe and supply of 
 books. This was the only practicable mode of conveyance 
 at that season of the year; and in some places floating 
 "corduroy" bridges rendered the road rather hazardous, 
 especially to so inexperienced a horseman. He was full 
 of glee at the idea of entering the renowned school at 
 Cornwall, and allowed no gloomy presages to overcloud 
 his bright hopes. But there was many a sad day to 
 mingle with the joyous ones that came after ; a monitor 
 of the future life, — a lesson conveyed thus early that 
 even youth's hopeful season is not all serene and bright. 
 The next day was Sunday; and he joined the gathering 
 of boys at the old grammar school-house, nearly opposite 
 the parsonage. Those outside maintained a very staid and 
 respectable demeanour, — standing in groups in their Sun- 
 day's best, or sauntering about within safe distance of the 
 pai'sonage ; whereas, within, there was romping and tumb- 
 ling, shouts of young voices and clouds of dust. But the 
 moment the Principal presented himself in his flowing 
 gown and powdered head at the front door of the parsonage, 
 there was a rush of every boy to the gate of that dwelling; 
 a procession was formed ; and the whole school, two and 
 
19 
 
 two, marched to the church close by, — the master following. 
 On arriving at the church door, they formed two single 
 lines on either side, and the master walked between them 
 into church, — all the boys uncovering. The service -^as 
 conducted with great decorum ; the elder boys making the 
 responses audibly, and the simple, rustic-looking congrega- 
 tion very devout and attentive. Old Mr. S usually 
 
 led the siinging, and maintained it in tremulous, quivering 
 tones ; very few others joining with him. One honest 
 
 member of the congregation Mr. E , invariably stood 
 
 up about the middle of the sermon, and, facing the clerg)^- 
 nian, kept his eyes fixed upon him till all w^as concluded. 
 In the afternoon, — for there was but one service, — the 
 boys had liberty to walk where they pleased ; but they 
 rarely misconducted themselves. There Avas, in fact, gi-eat 
 risk in doing so ; as the "censors" for the week, who gave 
 in their reports on Monday morning, had a column for 
 such as played, or otherwise misbehaved themselves, on 
 Sunday. 
 
 Monday was generally called "black Monday"; as, what 
 from the censors' reports, and the numerous tasks and 
 exercises on that morning presented, a more than usual 
 amount of punishment followed. The youth referred to 
 above, crept quietly in after the school had opened, and 
 was much awed by the sights and sounds he witnessed, — 
 the sounding lash, and the shrinkings and contortions of 
 the unfortunate ones that were made to come under it. 
 But the punishment after all was not very severe, and 
 w*as administered with great temper and impartiality. This 
 ordeal through, the principal came over to where that 
 youth sat quiet and timid ; he kindly shook hands with 
 him, patted him on the head, and assigned him his class 
 and his work. Thus commenced the acquaintance, that 
 by and by ripened into a life-long and never broken 
 friendship, between the late Bishop of Toronto and the 
 writer of this Memoir. 
 
20 
 
 A brief sketch of our school work, as it was in those 
 (lays pursued, will not be uninteresting. 
 
 After Prayers on Monday morning, the "Weekly Register" 
 was read by one of the censors of the })ast week ; mention- 
 ing every class, what they had done during the week, who 
 had been head and foot of the several classes, and how 
 often. On other days, the Register called the " Daily 
 Register," stated in the same form the work of the pre- 
 ceeding day only. Ac the end of each month, a book 
 called the " Book of Merit," was made up from the Weekly 
 Register, in which were inserted tlie names of those who, 
 during the previous month, had been oftenest head in their 
 respective classes, or who had in other respects distin- 
 guished themselves. The performance of voluntary tasks 
 was much encouraged, — such as translations from English 
 into Latin, original poetry, and essays on any subject 
 selected at the writers' own discretion ; and if these were 
 approved of by the Principal, they were ordered to l)e 
 inserted in the Book of Merit. 
 
 There was also a "Black Book," — of much less pon- 
 derous size and pretentious appearance than the Book of 
 Merit, — in which were recorded the names of those who 
 had been particularly negligent, oi* who had disgraced 
 themselves by improper conduct. The records of eacli 
 book were read out aloud by the Principal on the first 
 Wednesday in each month, with remarks from the Prin- 
 cipal of commendatory or disparaging character, as the 
 cases might respectively demand. The "Book of Merit" 
 is still in existence, and has oftentimes been examined and 
 commented upon by old scholars f)f the Cornwall School, 
 when spending a quiet evening with tlieir revered Tutor. 
 With considerate tenderness, the "Black Book" seems to 
 have been consigned to fitting darkness. The records of 
 its pages have not been allowed to recall unpleasant 
 memories of the past; honours and rewards are remembered, 
 but boyish delinquencies and degradations have been given 
 over to oblivion. 
 
21 
 
 The work of each clay commenced with the reading aloud 
 by the respective classes, of a portion of some historical 
 work, or Enfield's or Walker's Speaker, — the principal 
 taking them, with his assistants, in turn. On two days in 
 the week, dictation followed the reading. The master 
 read aloud a few sentences, carefully noting the punc- 
 tuation ; and this, every member of the class was required 
 to write down carefully on his slate. Each boy's perform- 
 ance was then examined, and errors were marked by a score 
 underneath ; those with fewest mistakes took respectively 
 the highest places. If the mistakes were so numerous as to 
 betoken particular negligence, not only was there a 
 lowering of position in the class, but a slight punishment 
 was also inflicted. This proved an admirable method of 
 getting boys into the habit of spelling correctly, — an 
 accomplishment in education not unfrequently overlooked. 
 On one occasion it happened that the dictation was made 
 inadvertently from a chapter that had not been lead ; 
 and, in consequence, every boy's performance was miserably 
 incorrect. The Principal ordered the whole chapter to be 
 committed to memory against Monday morning, — the day 
 of the occurrence was Saturday, — as a punishment for the 
 apparent negligence. This was a hard case but it had to be 
 submitted to. In the interval, however, he had discovered 
 his mistake, and made no demand on Monday morning for 
 the imposition, — greatly to the relief of all in the class. 
 
 The junior Latin classes were very thoroughly drilled. 
 The lessons were short ; but not only had the whole to be 
 construed several times over, but. every noun that occurred 
 had to be declined, and every verb conjugated ; the rules, 
 too, demanded for every variation. Even in the more 
 advanced classes, this particularity, though in a difi*erent 
 way, was maintained. In nouns and adjectives they were 
 asked to state one or more cases in each number ; in verbs, 
 they were asked for the participles or supines, or bid to go 
 through consecutively the second or third j)erson9, singular 
 
22 
 
 or plural, of every tense in every mood, both in active and 
 passive voices. Sometimes to ensure more perfect accuracy 
 and mastering of the subject, they were desired to go 
 through this backwards. 
 
 In Arithmetic and Algebra, the several classes brought 
 up one or more prepared questions on their slates, which 
 were examined as to their accuracy. Then the work was 
 rubbed out ; some one boy was called upon to i-ead the 
 question, and thus commence working it aloud, giving the 
 rules and reasons for every step ; and, as he proceeded, the 
 rest of the class silently worked with him, writing down 
 figure by figure, but ready to correct him, and take his 
 place, if he made any mistake. When the leader had 
 finished, the work on each boy's slate was inspected ; and 
 if any errors were detected, he lost place according to their 
 number. The second question was then proceeded with 
 in the same manner; and sometimes both were worked 
 over a second and even a third time, so as to test every 
 boy's ability and expertness. 
 
 About twenty minutes before the close of the school on 
 each morning, Saturday excepted, the several classes formed 
 for writing, — their respective copy-books placed before 
 them, with copper-plate lines at the head. At the word 
 "Compare," the boys started up, and placed their copy- 
 books on a range of desks, in the order in which they stood 
 the day before They were inspected by the Head-master, 
 and made to take precedence according to their merits, — 
 a copy-book sometimes shifted from a very low position 
 almost to the top. 
 
 The Geography of countries, Natural History, and Civnl 
 History were taught in a peculiar way. These had each 
 their respective days in the week, — always in the afternoon, 
 and the last thing before the closing of the school. On 
 the day appointed for each respectively, not less than 
 twenty questions with their answers were to be produced 
 by each boy, fairly written out. The boy at the foot 
 
23 
 
 then asked a question, upon the given subject, of the 
 boy next above him: if answered, the latter asked the 
 third, and so on through the class. If it happened that 
 the boy asked could not answer, the questioner answered 
 for him and took his place ; and he then continued tc ask 
 questions until stopped by [being correctly answered. If 
 there was any unreasonable delay in a boy's asking a 
 question ^/hen his turn came, he lost his privilege of asking 
 any more ; and any one asking a question that had been 
 asked before, also lost his privilege. In this way the compe- 
 titors soon became reduced in number, and the whole was 
 concluded within a reasonable time. As the chances of 
 success were very poor unless the subject had been well got 
 up beforehand, — for no boy had time to be searching- 
 through his paper for an answer to the question proposed, 
 — it is very evident that no more effectual method could 
 have been adopted for thoroughly impressing on the 
 luemor}^ the subject thus introduced. 
 
 Once a week, generally on a Monday afternoon, there 
 was an exercise in Reading, and a method for improving 
 the Elocution, which probably was peculiar to this school. 
 Two or three boys in their turn, challenged each two other 
 boys to read a passage in prose or verse: this was formally 
 announced a week beforehand and duly recorded, so that 
 every one had ample time for preparation. The challenger 
 came into an open place, and read first; the challenged 
 immediately followed. Judgment as to which was the best 
 reader was not pronounced by the Principal himself, but 
 left to a committee appointed for that purpose. If these 
 by their spokesman gave a wrong judgment, they were 
 sharply rebuked for it; but almost universally their judg- 
 ments were acquiesed in by the Principal. The benefit of 
 such a system to all parties, — the listeners as well as the 
 readers, — is obvious. 
 
 About once in two months there was the public recitation 
 of a debate, for which great preparations were made. Two 
 
24 
 
 leaders on either side of some great question, — say the 
 Slave Trade, — were selected, and they made their choice 
 out of the best S2)eakers in the school, of as many as were 
 required to fill the debate. Every one's allotted speech 
 had to be committed carefully to memory, and some of 
 these were several pages in length; so that, in conjunction 
 with the regular v:ork of the school, it was pretty severe 
 labour. Still the boys took very cheerfully to the task; 
 as the excitement on the day of repetition was intense, 
 not only on the part of the debaters, but of the whole 
 school ; especially at the close, the Principal gave his 
 judgment upon the manner in which each side acquitted 
 themselves, 
 
 I shall notice only one other peculiarity of the school, 
 and this was the Saturday lecture. On this day, just 
 before the half-dtiy's school was closed, a lecture was 
 delivered by the Principal, occupying about fifteen minutes, 
 on Ancient or Modern History, Ethics, or a portion of 
 Scripture, as the case might be; for each of these subjects 
 was taken up in turn. Probably two-thirds of the school 
 were required to hand, in on the Monday morning, a short 
 abstract of this lecture, which was carefully read over by 
 the Principal. Praise was fully bestowed where it was 
 deserved ; but negligence, exhibited in a very poor per- 
 formance, was rebuked, and sometimes punished. When 
 the transcript was particularly bad, the writer was made 
 to learn it by heart and repeat it next morning; and on 
 some occasions, he was desired to stand on the top of a desk 
 and read it aloud, to the great amusement of the school and 
 his own deep mortification. No more effectual cure for 
 indolence or neoflifjence could have been devised. 
 
 Enough has been addressed to shew how patiently and 
 thoroughly the boys of the Cornwall Grammar School 
 were drilled on every subject that formed part of their 
 studies; enough to shew the grounds for the reputation far 
 and wide which that school has gained. 
 
25 
 
 Distinguished men were occasionally visitors of the 
 school; and the annual examinations attracted gentlemen 
 •from Quebec and Montreal on the one side, and York, 
 Kingston, and Niagara on the other. Amongst the 
 casual visitors was the Bishop of Quebec, Di'. Jacol> 
 Mountain, whose first visit to the school was signalized by 
 the presentation to his Lordship of an Ode in English from 
 the three senior boys of the school, and an Ode in Latin, 
 Sapphic and Adonian, from the Principal himself The 
 former was very creditable to its youthful authors; and 
 upon the latter the Bishop thus expressed himself in a 
 letter dated January 25, 1804: — "With respect to your 
 Ode, I find considerable difficulty in giving an opinion 
 upon the merits of a composition, in which you are 
 } (leased to speak so very favourably of me. But I must 
 not refuse to do you the justice, nor myself the pleasure, 
 of saying that, in my judgment, it has real poetical merit ; 
 and contains sentiments which d(^ equal honour to your 
 feelings and your taste. I need hardly add, that the 
 cultivation of this talent, in a moderate degree, and ap- 
 plied to proper subjects, may clearly be placed under a 
 certain class of amusements to which I alluded in my 
 charge ; nor need I, I am convinced, caution you against 
 indulging even this elegant and pleasing talent, to the 
 neglect of more important pursuits, and more prolitfible 
 studies. The very* sentiments contained in this Ode are a 
 pledge to me that such a caution is unnecessary." 
 
 Poetical coriiposition was nmch encouraged in the C/orn- 
 wall school, as being of much value in promoting a readi- 
 ness of conception' and expression, and a more copious and 
 graceful diction. Half-holidays, except on Saturdays, were 
 never granted except on some special occasion or event, — 
 as a great victory on land or sea, the arrival of a new 
 scholar, or the visit to the school of some gentleman of 
 high standing in the country. But a few lines of satis- 
 factory poetry would always ejisure a half holiday, when 
 4 
 
26 
 
 there was nothing else for which to claim it ; and as the 
 school was neVer without ita laureate, his talents were 
 frequently in requisition to ])rocure this boon. Like other 
 poets, he was not always "in the vein,"' and his lines were 
 therefore rejected ; but his successes, on the whole, were 
 more frequent than his failures. The laureate sometimes, 
 and no doubt for satisfactory reasons, refused to write. 
 On one of these occasions, — the poet, we believe, was the 
 late Sir John B. Robinson, — the task was assigned to two 
 or three others who, amongst them it Avas thought, would 
 evoke the passable lines. These young gentlemen, to avoid 
 interruption, betook themselves to the tower of the church, 
 standing at its west end generally with open d<jors. This 
 work proved a failure ; and many a playful gibe and 
 jeer was afterwards flung at the " steeple committee," as 
 they were designated by him to whom they ventured to 
 constitute themselves rivals. 
 
 An appropriate conclusion to these remarks on the 
 Cornwall school, will be a few extracts from a very excel- 
 lent address delivered by the Principal to his pupils at the 
 annual examination in August, 1807; when several of them 
 had completed their education, and were about to prepare 
 themselves for the work in life which they had respec- 
 tively chosen ; — 
 
 " I begin with an observation which, to many of you, will 
 appear a little extraordinary ; it is this, that one of the greatest 
 advantages you have derived from your educalion here, arises 
 from the strictness of our discipline. Those of you who have 
 not already perceived how much your tranquillity depends upon 
 the proper regulation of the temper, will soon be made sensible 
 of it as you advance in yeai*s. You will find people who have 
 never known what it is to be in habitual subjection to precept 
 and just authority, breaking forth into violence and outrage on 
 the most frivolous occasions. The passions of such persons, 
 when once roused, soon become ungovernable ; and that impa- 
 tience of restraint which they have been allowed to indulge, 
 
27 
 
 embitters the greater jKirtion o£ their lives. Now the discipline 
 necessary to correct the impetuosity of the passions, is often 
 found no where but in well-regulated schools ; for, though it 
 should be the first care of parents, they are too apt to be blinded 
 by affection, and grant liberties to their children which reason 
 disapproves. 
 
 *' Next to the due regulation of the passions and inelioration 
 of the temper, which we very justly reckon one of the most 
 important advantages resulting from a well-ccnidncted education, 
 we place those habits of diligence and application, to which you 
 have been accustomed in tlie j)rosecution of your studies. These 
 habits are of the greatest use at every age ; but if they are not 
 acquired in youth, they are very seldom attained. They are 
 certainly the foundation of all future excellence ; for how can 
 any person advance in his professional studies, or transact busi- 
 ness with correctness and despatch, unless he be accustomed to 
 a|)plication ( Never did any one gain pre-eminence without 
 exertion. The memorable example of Demosthenes has become 
 trite, because so fretiuently adduced ; but read the private history 
 of any of those men who have risen above their fellows, and 
 you will find tliat they commonly obtained this distinction by 
 vigorous application. 
 
 " Be careful, my young friends, in the prosecution of your 
 professional studies, to improve the advantages which you have 
 here acquired. Be patient, diligent, and methodical, and you 
 will make rapid and profitable progress. It is to the want of a 
 systematic education, to a confused method of thinking, eai-ly 
 acquired but never thoroughly removed, that we must attrii)ute 
 those numerous inconsistencies and that confusion of ideas, which 
 we find so general amongst those we converse with. The opinions 
 of pei-sons of credit are frequently taken up by men without 
 examination, or deduced from principles in themselves erroneous, 
 because they have never given themselves the trouble of sifting 
 them to the bottom. How contemptible rash opinions, unsup- 
 ported by solid reasons, must appear to an accurate thinker, 
 though delivered with fluency or even elegance of language, it is 
 easy to imagine. By encouraging you to think accurately, and 
 to exercise industry and application, we have endeavored to 
 
28 
 
 protect you from this rock, and to give .solidity to all yoiir future 
 acquisitions. It is only the man who is not afraid to decide for 
 himself, that can discharge any oftice he may hold, with jnohity 
 and lionor. 
 
 "While you are qualifying youi*Helves to discharge with dignity 
 the dtities of your profession, you must not forget that some- 
 thing more is necessary to render husincss ]»leasant. In order to 
 do thi.s, you must behave in a kind and affectionate manner to all 
 who have intercoui'se with you ; a mildness of treatment, a con 
 descensiou to inferiors, a readv obedience to the just commands 
 of superiors, contribute, in ;. markable degree, to make a man 
 content and useful in society. Tt will be obvious to you all that 
 I do not recommend that artificial politeness which decorates the 
 countenance with a smile, whilt^ the heart i.s rankling witif 
 malice ; and which will descend to flatter the wicked and the 
 proud, when interest ap[)roves. No ; the civility of manners 
 which I would recommend, flows from the heart, and is inti- 
 mately connected with all the finer afTections that can aWorn 
 human nature. 
 
 " At the same time that you are animated with the laudaV)le 
 ambition of excelling in your profes.sion, and rendering your- 
 Belves agreeable by your amiable manners, do not neglect to 
 im})rove those correct principles of religion and virtue, which 
 must ever constitute your most solid merit. Impress upon your 
 minds the sublime and affecting truth that there is a God abo\e, 
 our Friend, our Benefactor, the Creator of all things ; and that 
 it is only by imitating His moral perfections, jis brought home 
 to our hearts and affections by our blessed Redeemer, that we 
 can render oui-selves worthy of the rank we hold in the scale of 
 beings, and enjoy solid jdeasure in this life, and in that which is 
 to come. 
 
 " Suffer me, however, to remind you that he who wishes to be 
 a good man, and rise in moral excellence, must begin with being 
 a dutiful child. Obedience to parents, an anxious solicitude to 
 please them and to increase their innocent enjoyments, are indi- 
 cations of an amiable and generous soul. It is the foundation- 
 stone, the test of virtue; and unless it be so founded, it has no 
 value. I shall boldly affirm that the man who does not look 
 
29 
 
 hack with Joliglit at every i»lea.sure he has given his itarenta ; 
 who feels not a most agreeable emotion at the recollection of his 
 exertions to render them happy ; aiitl who experiences no com- 
 punction for acl.i of ilisobedience or neglect, can never feel mnch 
 satisfaction in this world. Chorish, then, this tender filial affec- 
 tion ; it will ju'otect you from vice, when far away from youi- 
 families and homes. When you are assaxilted by temptation ; 
 when the wicked and profligate are attempting to draw you int*> 
 their snares, and to ^'orrupt the pure and amiable principles you 
 liave imbibed ; when your resolution staggers and begins to give 
 way, the tender recollection of your parents will rush upon your 
 minds and arrest your attention. It will dispel the allurements 
 of vice, and enable you to escai)e its toils 
 
 • " Before I conclude, let me recommend the cultivation of 
 friendship. The connexions formed at school frequently continue 
 through life. This ixnion, if founded on virtue, and nourished 
 by similarity of disposition and congenial souls, will be the 
 delight of your future lives. With what fondness do Ave rec(»l- 
 lect the companiolis of our early years ! With what emotion do 
 we look back to those mutual endearments which bound us to 
 one another, — to the noble resolutions we had formed, — and to 
 our determination to continue the friends of virtue and truth ! 
 These are feelings which give us the liveliest pleasure, when 
 most of the enjoyments of this transient scene have ceased 
 to delight. 
 
 " Cultivate, then, my young friends, all those virtues which 
 dignify the human character, and mark in your behaviour the 
 respect you entertain for everything venerable and holy. It is 
 this conduct and these sentiments that will raise you above the 
 rivalship, the intrigues, end slanders by which you will be 
 surrounded. They will exalt you above this little spot of earth, 
 so full of malice, contention and disorder; and extend your 
 views, with joy and expectation, to that better country which ia 
 beyond the grave." 
 
30- 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Domestic ami parochial life at Cornwall. — His marriage. — 
 Appointment to York. 
 
 C^ (^'YE must turn for a little from the more public to 
 the domestic life of the late Bishop at Cornwall. 
 We have many anecdotes of the discomforts and 
 privations he experienced durinnj the early days of his 
 bachelor house-keeping; when it was difficult to procure 
 competent servants, and when a straitened income did 
 not allow of a satisfactory choice. But all this was 
 remedied by his marriage in 1807 to the lady with whom, 
 for more than half a century, he lived in the fullest 
 harmony and happiness. This was the second daughter 
 of the late Dr. Wood, a respect? ble physician of Cornwall; 
 but who had become the youthful widow, with a hand- 
 some annuity, of the late Mr. Andrew McGill, of Montreal. 
 As the event proved, no choice could have been more 
 fortunate. She was a devoted wife and mother, had great 
 personal attractions, was of gentle and amiable manners, 
 and unsurpassed as a house-keeper. A laige family blessed 
 this union ; but out of four sons and four daughters, only 
 uue survives, — a son, the eldest born; the sole inheritor, 
 out of that immerous familv, of the name of Strachan.* 
 
 At Cornwall, in connexion with his large and flourishing 
 school, he paid due attention to his clerical duties. Ser- 
 vice was performed with gi-eat regularity each Sunday 
 morning in the parish church; and the sermons, composed 
 evidently with great care, were listened to with eager 
 attention, and often elicited the admiration of the boys as 
 well as of the ordinary parishoners. "I have heard," said 
 
 * He — Capt. James McGill Strachan,— died on the 22nd January, 1870. 
 
31 
 
 one of his pupils who spent a few years in England, "many 
 attractive sermons here, with much learning and elegant 
 composition; but I rarely came away with the glow we 
 felt at the conclusion of many of our friend the Doctor's 
 animated and practical addresses at Cornwall." In refer- 
 ence to this, we may offer an extract from a letter of the 
 Reverend Dr. Stuart, dated November 2, 1803, and 
 alluding evidently to a visitation of the Clergy. " In 
 regard to Mr. P — 's opinion of your performance in the 
 pulpit, it was much in your favour. The sennon, he says, 
 was an elegant composition, that would have done you 
 credit in the public hall of a college." 
 
 We have to the same purport a characteristic letter of 
 the late Reverend John Langhorn, the good but eccentric 
 Missionary of the Bay of Quinte ; for all that skirts that 
 beautiful sheet of water was embraced in his sphere of 
 duty. To this day many of the old inhabitants speak 
 of his travels on foot ; his plain admonitions in public 
 and private; his catechising the children at the kitchen 
 fire-side, or under a shady tree in summer. One of these, 
 when grown to manhood, mentioned to nie his being 
 suddently surprised by Mr. Langhorn in one of his 
 rambles; put through his catechism carefully; and sharply 
 rebuked because he omitted to kneel down on the dusty 
 road on coming to the Lord's Prayer. The following is 
 the letter he addressed to Mr. Strachan, written in .a clear 
 large hand and with colons and periods almost as large as 
 pepper-corns : — 
 
 "I received yours of August 28, 1807, together with your 
 printed performance. In point of style I imagine you must 
 come the nearest to our Lord Bishop, (who is a lovely writer) of 
 any of the clergy in this Province. The printing of your 
 pamphlet is considerably well done, and I remarked a few errata ; 
 but however proper the language of it may be for your |)upils, 
 to whom it is addressed, I hope you do not use such learned style 
 
32 
 
 in your common preaching. I hope you do not tell youv vulgar 
 hearers of 'misanthropic seclusion, iusulated occurrences,' (kc; 
 and yoxi may believe me, I am right well pleased that we 
 have in our little number a man of your abilities. If I am 
 good for some uses, I do not look upou it I am proper for 
 every purpose. 
 
 " I wonder where you light on all these Deists. I cannot 
 say I ever found out but one here. It is a long time since, and 
 I cannot now jierfectly remember the conversation we had ; 
 but it was somehow thus. He told me he was a Deist ; I 
 asked him .what his rule of religion was. He answered, reason ; 
 then I asked him what would reason teach you, if you should 
 light on a man who shewed you that he had all Nature at 
 his command ] To this, I think, he made no answer, and 
 so the conference ended. I afterwards put Leslie in his hands ; 
 but he turned out a young fellow not of the best of characters, 
 and I do not know what became of him. 
 
 " At page 7, you do not talk about ridicule quite to my satis- 
 faction. One might imagine you condemned all ridicule, which 
 is not reconcilable with Scripture. For we find the figui'e of 
 Irony used with uncommon force by Elijah to the priests of Baal. 
 A parcel of injudicious Americans would have said that Elijah 
 made a mock of religion ; but such a great and extraordinary 
 man knew very well how to conduct himself. I should have 
 been better content if you had said, ' with young and uncultivated 
 minds, unjustifiable ridicule has frequently more weight than the 
 strongest arguments.' 
 
 *' There is another })assage in your pamphlet I would ask 
 you about. At page 20, you say, ' if the Jews, although thf 
 keepers of a law written by wisdom itself, were unable to reach 
 those pure and sublime virtues which sprang from the mis.sion 
 of Christ,' &c. Here T would ask, what great matters have 
 Christians done for these many hundred years that the Jews do 
 not equal them in ] Here I presume you would have obliged the 
 world, if you would have let them see particularly that the 
 morals of Christians were wonderfully superior to those of the 
 Jews. Here is a lame place in your reasoning, I fear. You may 
 consider it." 
 
33 
 
 The coafinement and intellectual toil of a school are very 
 trying to the physical energies; and after a day of hard 
 labou in this vocation, there is usually a prostration of 
 the System which unfits for much other duty. But the 
 subject of this memoir, as all his friends remember, was 
 not one to be thus affected : his robust and vigorous frame 
 was proof against such influence ; and frequently has he 
 been seen, after these trying labours were closed for the 
 day, mounting his horse and galloping off to visit some 
 sick parishioner. His intercourse with the people was well 
 maintained ; and if his visits were not very frequent, they 
 produced a great impression, and were always remembered 
 and spoken of as a high privilege. There was always a 
 pleasant word for father and mother, and uniformly a 
 marked kindness to the children of the household. Even 
 those who looked upon him with awe in the school, shewed 
 a little creeping familiarity when they met him in their 
 parents' abode. 
 
 In 1811, the Degree of Doctor in Divinity was conferred 
 upon him by the University of Aberdeen, in reference to 
 which his friend Dr. Stuart writes, — " I congratulate you 
 upon the honour conferred on you by your Alma Mater, 
 which I do sincerely; and according to Mr. Cartwright's 
 account the manner of bestowing the academic distinction 
 has been as flattering as the raatter itself, being unsolicited 
 by yourself or friends, and conveyed to you through the 
 hands of a person who had been actually your tutor. 
 May you live long to convin(;e the world, that your friends 
 know how to discover and reward modest merit I" 
 
 In the same letter is a reference to the serious illness of 
 their eccentric friend Mr. Langhorn, and the expression of 
 a desire from him to be relieved from the actual discharge 
 of his m' Isterial duties. It will surprise many of our 
 readers to hear Dr. Stuart say, " In the event of the 
 success of his application for leave of absence, I recom- 
 mended Mr. Osgood (provided he would return and accept 
 
 5 
 
34 
 
 the situation) as Mr. Langhorn's Curate, and contingent 
 successor. The Bishop has consented to this arrangement." 
 This was Mr. Thaddeus Osgood, no well known subse- 
 quently in the religious history of Canada ; a quiet 
 inoffensive man ; of earnest piety, and much devoted to 
 the spiritual welfare of the young. Although a Presby- 
 terian in some American connexion, he never in his after 
 life, shewed any violent contradiction to what seemed to 
 have been his early partialities. 
 
 The long intercourse and affectionate friendship that 
 subsisted between Dr. Stuart and Dr. Strachan, was now 
 about to be brought to a close. This excellent man and 
 zealous clergyman died in August, 1811, in the 70th year 
 of his age; of whom his friend has given this brief 
 memoir in the "Christian Recorder," of March, 1819 : — 
 
 " The Reverend Dr. John Stuart was born of very respectable 
 parents in the State of Virginia, in 1741. Of his early life, 
 little worthy of notice is known, excejtt that he soon discovered 
 a strong attachment to serious studies ; a bias which appeared 
 the more remarkable as he was naturally of a lively dispoj^ition. 
 In acquiring the knowledge which was necessary to qualify him 
 for the arduous and important office of a minister of Christ, he 
 met with many difhculties. which a mind less vigorous and per- 
 severing would never have been able to surmount. His father 
 was a rigid Presbyterian, and though sufficiently indulgent to his 
 children in every thing else, he looked for their implicit obedience 
 in adopting his religious system. The doctor incurred his fathers 
 displeasure by thinking differently in this matter. He was 
 startled at a very early period of^ his life, at the dogmatical tone 
 of the Shorter Catechism, which was correctly rejjeated by himself 
 and his brothel's every Sabbatli evening. After much inquiry 
 and reflection, he attached himself to the Church of England, 
 being thoi'oughly convinced of the excellence of her doctrine, and 
 primitive purity of her worship and discipline. But though he 
 Was fully prepared for the ministry, and had attained the legal age, 
 he deferred taking orders, that he might not wound the feelings 
 of an aged and beloved parent. 
 
3^ 
 
 " This magnanimous forbearance he continued to exercise for' 
 geveral years, till his father, struck with the greatness of tlie 
 sacritice, and the iniequivocal })roof which it afforded of the 
 purity of his motives, besought him to foHow his own inclination, 
 giving him his Wessing, and praying sincerely for his future 
 usefulness. After this amiable contention between filial love 
 and parental affection, Dr. Stuart went to England, and was 
 ordained by the Bisho[) of London. 
 
 "Being now a minister of Christ, he left the more attractive 
 path to eminence which his talents might have oj)ened, and 
 devoted himself to the Indians on the Mohawk lliver. He 
 laboured with imweai'ied sissiduity, to inspire them with living 
 Christianity, and he was blessed with a degree of success jiropor- 
 tioned to his active and rational zeal. During the seven yeai^s 
 that he sj^ent among the Five Nations, his leisure hours were 
 em))loyed in translating a part of the New Testament into their 
 language, the credit of which, however, was given to another. 
 
 " The Revolutionary War in America followed, but nothing 
 could induce him to renounce his allegiance to his Sovereign. 
 Leaving his native land, he wjvs appointed Chaplain to a provin- 
 cial regiment, and regarded by officers and men with esteem and 
 veneration. When peace was established he- settled himself 
 amongst his fellow-loyalists in Canada. 
 
 " The last twenty-six years of his valuable life were spent at 
 Kingston, instructing a congregation that was continually increas- 
 ing, and which loved him the more, the better he was known, 
 for his life was a living example of what he preached. He may 
 be truly named the father of the Einscopal Church in this 
 Province, and a most worthy father he was; ever ready to 
 instruct his younger brethren how to surmount the many 
 difficulties which are apt to discourage them on their first 
 entrance upon their ministry. 
 
 "He resigned his spirit into the hands of God who gave it, in 
 August, 1811 ; but he still lives in the hearts of his friends, 
 and shall be had in everlasting remembrance." 
 
 The death of Dr. Stuart necessarily involved some 
 changes in the ecclesiastical arrangements of Upper Canada, 
 
slender as the staff of its clergy was at that time; and its 
 effects upon the interests of Dr. Strachan were of a very 
 marked and important character. They involved nothing 
 less than his removal from Cornwall, and the commence- 
 ment of a ministerial career in the capital of that Province, 
 which was only terminated by his death fifty-five years 
 afterwards, Yet, on the lamented demise of Dr. Stuart, 
 very different arrangements had been contemplated. It 
 was the anxious desire of the Hon. Richard Cartwright, 
 concurred in by a large number of other influential friends, 
 that Dr. Strachan should succeed to Kingston; and this 
 Was a wish he eagerly cherished himself. But Mrs. Stuart 
 had intimated to several friends of her departed husband, 
 her earnest desire that her son, Mr. George O'Kill Stuart, 
 should take his father's place, and be removed there from 
 York, his present charge, " I instantly relieved my excel- 
 lent friend Mr. Cartwright," says Dr. Strachan in a letter 
 to the Bishop of Quebec, "from his difficulty, though not 
 from his regret, by declaring it to be my firm resolution 
 never to oppose the son of my venerable friend, but to 
 forward with all my power, whatever his respected widow 
 might conceive conducive to her comfort. This was a 
 sacrifice not easily made, but I owed it to Dr, Stuart, and 
 I found strength to make it." He went further, and urged 
 Mr. Cummings, the Churchwarden, to call a meeting, which 
 should invite Mr, George Stuart to become their minister, 
 subject to the approbation of the Bishop, and of the 
 Lieutenant Governor of the Province. 
 
 Immediately following this arrangement, was the offer 
 to Dr, Strachan of the parish of York, — an offer voluntarily 
 made by Mr. Gore, the Lieutenant Governor, who enter- 
 tained for him the highest regard and esteem, and which 
 was unhesitatingly sanctioned by the Bishop of Quebec. 
 This oflfer led to long and anxious consideration. Corn- 
 wall, with its flourishing school, furnished an excellent 
 income, and had besides a comfortable parsonage-house on 
 
37 
 
 which the incumbent had spent a considerable sum from 
 his private means. In York, the clerical income was not 
 much, if at all, larger; there was no parsonage; and the 
 chances of a school on a remunerating scale were very 
 doubtful. Moreover, the expenses of living, at the seat of 
 Government, would be much increased ; and the cost of 
 moving, when the means of transport were so few and 
 inferior, would be very serious. 
 
 All these considerations decided him on declining the 
 offer ; but Governor Gore, his unvarying friend, intimated 
 the willingness of the Bishop of Quebec to give him the 
 appointment of Official in Upper Canada, — an office of 
 dignity and responsibility, and to which a suitable income 
 was attached. The assurance of this determined his 
 acceptance of York ; but it appears that Mr. Gore had 
 been too sanguine, for the Bishop of Quebec felt it his 
 duty to confer the appointment upon the Rev. George 
 Stuart, the son of him who had so worthily filled it for 
 many years. The reason assigned was, " the high esti- 
 mation in which the late Dr. Stuart was held, and the 
 laudable motives which induced the son to move to 
 Kingston, at a diminution of his income." What the 
 Bishop had said, and how he interpreted the whole matter, 
 is best given in his own words : — " It appears to me proper 
 to say, that in confessinof to Mr. Gore (by way of account- 
 ing for delay) that I had considerable hesitation in making 
 up my mind upon the appointment of an Official for Upper 
 Canada, in disclosing some of the reasons for that hesita- 
 tion, and in adding that upon th e whole I inclined to Dr. 
 Strachan, but should give the matter further consideration; 
 I did not, in any manner, hint that my final determination 
 in the least degree depended upon any opinion that Mr. 
 Gore might be likely to express upon the subject, or that 
 I looked to, or wished for, any such opinion from him ; 
 but, on the contrary, took some pains to guard against any 
 probability of such a misinterpretation." 
 
3d 
 
 This was satisfactory, as the world outside might inter- 
 pret the matter ; but the disappointment to Dr. Strachan 
 can easily be conceived. In his mind, it completely 
 dissipated those hopes of advancement in which he had 
 been led to indulge ; and perhaps there was never, in after 
 years, that cordiality between him and his Diocesan which 
 had previously existed. He felt himself wronged ; and 
 without the intention on any side of inflicting a wrong, or 
 committing an injustice, we cannot wonder that he should 
 have so regarded it, and that he was unable to control the 
 appreliension that he did not enjoy the full confidence of 
 his Bishop. Many indications exist that it weighed heavily 
 on his mind, and that it was likely to give an entirely 
 new direction to his plans of life. In a letter from his 
 friend and constant correspondent, Professor Brown, of St. 
 Andrews, dated January 9, 1812, there is a reference to 
 an expressed desire on the part of Dr. Strachan for a transfer 
 to some University post in Scotland, — ^growing, no doubt, 
 out of the disappointment to which he had been subjected 
 in Canada : 
 
 "This country," the Professor says, "is still more infested than 
 yours, with miserable factions and illiberal jx)litics both in Church 
 and State; so much so, that the best man cannot hold any 
 prominent office without having his happiness embittered by these 
 causes. Although it is j ust what I expect in ninety-nine out of 
 a hundred instances, I cannot help feeling for you under the 
 fallacy to which you have lately been exposed, both iu a moml 
 and physical view of human affairs. Judging from what I know 
 of your ardent and honourable mind, I suspect you have been too 
 sanguine ; and your superior's conduct has been clearly unguarded, 
 I believe no man of my acquaintance is more honest, or more 
 conscientious, than you are ; but from the language of some of 
 your excellent pamphlets which you have been good enough to 
 send me, I am afraid that you have at times been intemperate ; 
 1 know that, in the present state of society, there is no surer way 
 of giving offence than a fearless discharge of duty at all times, and 
 
39 
 
 in all circumstances It is very possible that the situation 
 
 to which you were so well entitled, might, on trial, not have 
 yielded all the comfort you expected. For the reasons you urge, 
 you were quite right, I think, in declining the other situation ; 
 but comparing the two letters exchanged, you may fairly venture 
 to change places with your superior. There is an old Scotch 
 saying Ihave lately heard, 'Better ane sit, than ane flit.' If you 
 cannot previously be translated to an eligible oflSce in this country, 
 which I most anxiously wish, I do not despair of seeing you in 
 the first ecclesiastical stations in Canada." 
 
 There were, however, subsequent negotiations. The 
 inhabitants of York, headed by Chief Justice Scott, urged 
 on Dr. Strachan his acceptance of that parish ; and as this 
 was warmly seconded by Major-General Sir Isaac Brock, at 
 that time administering the government of the Province, — 
 accompanying it with the offer of the Chaplaincy to the 
 Troops, which would add £150 per annum to the income 
 of the parish, — he at once consented. General Brock, in a 
 letter to the Chief Justice, dated February 24, 1812, thus 
 writes : " I rejoice that Dr. Strachan has consented to come 
 to the capital. I write to the Bishop by this day's post, 
 and request you to assure the Doctor that every possible 
 indulgence will be extended to enable him to repair to 
 York in the most convenient manner." 
 
 This, then, was a settled arrangement ; and preparations 
 for the removal, fraught with so many important futui'e 
 consequences, were vigorously entered upon. 
 
40 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Removal to York. — The War with the United States. 
 
 JOURNEY of 300 miles,— the distance from Corn- 
 wall to York, — was in those days a tedious and 
 expensive undertaking. The only mode of conve}'- 
 ance from Cornwall to Kingston, with a family and heavy 
 lugguage, was by the French batteau, — an open boat of 
 inconsiderable size, with a flat bottom for the purpose of 
 ascending rapids ; in the centre of which, a canvas awning 
 was usually erected for the shelter of passengers from the 
 sun and rain. Between Cornwall and Prescott the beau- 
 tiful St. Lawrence presents a series of rapids, including 
 the grand Long Sault ; and as, in many cases, the boats 
 had to be shoved along with poles, the use of oars being 
 impossible, and sometimes towed by hand, — two or three 
 boats' crews uniting to drag up one, — their movements 
 were very slow. From Prescott to Kingston it was smooth 
 water, and they could row or sail as the wind allowed ; 
 yet to accomplish the whole distance, fully a week was 
 required. At Kingston, passengers and luggage had to be 
 transferred to a schooner; and if calms and head winds 
 were encountered, another week was not unusually spent 
 in reaching York. 
 
 This journey was the more precarious just now, as in 
 the midst of it, took place the Declaration of War b}'' the 
 United States against Great Britain. Without attempting 
 to enter minutely into the causes of this war, it may be 
 enough to remark that, when great nations are engaged in 
 conflict, the less powerful states often innocently suffer. 
 Those, for instance, who desired to remain neutral during 
 
41 
 
 the tremendous contest between Great Britain and France, 
 were exposed to serious inconveniences and losses. The 
 people of the United States,'in particular, who enjoyed an 
 extensive commerce as carriers of the produce of France 
 and other countries, felt the ill effects of the clashing 
 tiecrees of the belligerent powers. This would lead, on 
 some occasions, to annoying and exasperating acts. The 
 United States vessels would sometimes be intrusive ; and 
 those of Great Britain, in self-defence, harsh and exacting. 
 We shall not deny that there were, at times, grounds for 
 complaint on the part of the United States ; but the apolo- 
 gies and concessions of Great Britain were not received 
 with the consideration and respect they would have com- 
 manded, had not the latter been engaged in a conflict, 
 almost for existence, with Napoleon Buonaparte. All 
 remonstrances proved unavailing, and war was declared 
 by the United States against Great Britain on the 18th 
 of June, 1812. - 
 
 On the arrival of Dr. Strachan at York, the war and its 
 probable consequences was the one absorbing topic ; and 
 on Sunday, August 2nd, he took occasion to express his 
 opinions upon the grave event, in a sermon preached in the 
 parish church before the Legislature of the Province. 
 From this, which was published at their request, a few 
 extracts will be interesting : 
 
 " Irritations j.ad been industriously raised between the United 
 States and Great Britain, yet we flattered ourselves that friendly 
 relations would be maintained. We were indeed astonished at 
 the measures taken by the United States to embarass and destroy 
 the illustrious nation of which we form a part, — that nation 
 which alone prevents universal despotism ; but we still cherished 
 the hope, that reason would at length prevail ; that the general 
 interests of humanity would teach them to prefer the good of the 
 world to their private advantage. We expected that a nation 
 fighting for her own existence, resisting the most formidable 
 tyrant that ever lived, and triumphantly arresting his progress, 
 6 
 
42 
 
 would at length obtain their favour ; and that if they had not 
 the magnanimity to assist in the contest, they would, at all 
 events, abstain from weakening her means of victory and defence. 
 We looked f<ir peace, we ])ersuaded ourselves that tlie similarity 
 of manners, habits, and opinions, the warm eomicxions that still 
 subsist between the two nations, the tender recollection that tliey 
 once stood in the relation of parent and child, would have taught 
 the States moderation, and induced them to excuse any little 
 faults on the part of the British, till a time of tranquillity should 
 arrive, when they might be satisfactorily arranged. But no good 
 came ; the darkness increased. 
 
 " The great consolation which will support us during the 
 present unhap})y times, is the conviction that, on our part, the 
 war is just. All defensive wars are just. We were at peace, 
 and war has been declared against us ; we have been invaded 
 Mud attacked, we are consequently acting on the defensive, that 
 is, we are repelling injury. Now the justice of our cause is of 
 the greatest advantage to us : it is, indeed, half the victory. 
 
 '• The very precept, ' Love youi enemies,' presupposes the 
 existence of enemies, and consequently of wars. Yet this pre- 
 cept has been deemed totally irreconcileable with such a state, 
 for it has been triumphantly asked. How can you love those whose 
 destruction you desire, and agauist whom you are fighting 1 To 
 this the Christian may answer, that he seeks not the destruction 
 of his enemy, but his return to justice and humanity. The end 
 proposed by .all wars is peace ; and as soon as this can be obtained 
 on equitable terms by the friend of the Gospel, he wars no 
 longer. The same measure of love is not due to both, neither is 
 it required ; but no conduct on the i)art cf enemies can free us 
 from the obligation of doing them all the good we can, after they 
 have lost tlie power of doing us evil. The punishing our enemy 
 till he be disposed to agree to an equitable peace, can be done 
 without harbouring hatred or levenge. 
 
 ♦' The Christian soldier loves his country. Were patriotism a 
 determination to fmpport our country when in the wrong, were 
 it an inclination to do evil to promote her advantage, then might 
 we admit it to be a narrow and illiberal prejudice ; but the 
 patriotism for which we plead, is an ardent and fixed disposition 
 
43 
 
 to promote our country's good by nil the lawful tueans in our 
 power ; to sacrifice life, fortune, and every thing that we hold 
 most dear, for its security and defence ; not to seek its aggran- 
 dizement by the de[)ression of other nations, or by doing any thing 
 inconsistent with justice, piety, and virtue. It is that warm 
 affection which a good man feels for the happiness of his kindred 
 and friends, extender to the society of which he is u member. 
 
 '• In a free countiy like this, where differences of opinion con- 
 cerning public affairs may be sincerely maintained, great danger 
 arises lest a few designing men should take advantage of any 
 party spirit that may exist, to promote their machinations, and 
 induce by specious pretences the ado])tion of the most pernicituis 
 measures, under the cloak of securing their liberties, and main- 
 taining their independeiice. In order to avoid any thing like 
 this, let us cai'efully avoid all those questions on which we are 
 known to differ ; let us make a joint .sacrifice of all the heats 
 and animosities which those differences may have engendered ; 
 and since we are all anxious to defend our country ^igainst the 
 common enemy, by word and deed, let our only contention be, 
 who shall outstrip the other in this race of glory. 
 
 *• If we fix our attention habitually upon God, and put on the 
 graces of the Christian soldier, we have nothing to fear. Hard- 
 ships and calamities we shall have to encounter ; but our heavenly 
 Father will enable us to endure them, and we shall exj)erience in 
 the heat of battle, His invigorating spirit strengthening our souls 
 and bodies, and teaching us never to forget the duties of 
 humanity even in the hour of victor}', but to raise the fallen 
 foe and to treat him with kindness and respect. It is thus that 
 the Christian soldier softens the horrors of war : he delights not 
 in the anguish of individuals, and approves of no ;',cts of hostility 
 but what are necessary and conducive to the end and object 
 of the war : in fine, he forgets not that he is a Christian amidst 
 the slaughter of the field." 
 
 The tidings of a domestic sorrow reached him very soon 
 after his settlement at York. This was the death of his 
 aged mother, of whose last houi-s his brother, at Aberdeen, 
 thus writes, on the 1st of November, 1812: "Our good 
 
44 . 
 
 and affectionate mother is no more. In my last I told you 
 she was poorly, and for the most part confined to her bed ; 
 for fourteen weeks previous to her death, she was never 
 out of bed above an hour a day. She was very sensible 
 until within a few days of her death. About ten days 
 before her death, she called me to her bedside, and inquired 
 if any letter had come from you. I said there was, with 
 twenty-five pounds. She said, he was always mindful of 
 me, and I have been a great burden to him ; but I will not 
 be so much longer, for I feel my end approaching. Say to 
 him, when you write, that next to my Redeemer he is ever 
 on my mind ; tell him, I pray God to bless him and his. 
 Likewise tell my good daughter that she has my prayers 
 for her long kindness to me ; I trust God will reward all 
 the family. Tell my son that I am well looked to." — She 
 was described by a friend on the. spot, as a woman of 
 extraordinary energy and great force of character. At the 
 commencement of this Memoir we gave some specimens, 
 in her own words, of a strength and cultivation of mind 
 which, with so few opportunities in early life, were remark- 
 able. We subjoin an extract from the last letter she wrote 
 her son in Canada, bearing date April 3, 1811 : "My dear 
 son and daughter, — I am this day 74 years of age. I can- 
 not look for perfect health ; I ought to be thankful that I 
 am so well, and so well supported in my old age. I have 
 to regret tb«t I have been so long a burden to you ; but 
 you do not begrudge me any thing, I know. And now, 
 my son, I hope, although you have got a bit of honour 
 conferred upon you, you will not be proud ; for I have 
 always discovered pride to end with dishonour, but 
 humility is an advantage to religion. Now, my son and 
 daughter, may the blessing of God attend you and your 
 family. Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with 
 thy God, I am afraid this will be the last time that I 
 write you with mine own hand, for I am very frail." 
 York, at this time, was a little town of a few hundred 
 
45 
 
 inhabitants ; the houses all of wood, and of very unpre- 
 tending dimensions. Seven years later, when first seen by 
 the writer of this Memoir, its population hardly exceeded 
 1,000 ; and there were but three brick houses in the whole 
 place. In 1812, it might be regarded as a quiet little 
 parish ; affording sufficient, but not severe labour to the 
 incumbent, and quite within the compass of one man's 
 pastoral ministrations. 
 
 But now it was shaken and disturbed by the din and 
 turmoil of war; it was the residence of the Commander 
 of the Forces, and the centre consequently of all military 
 arrangements. No sooner was war proclaimed, than there 
 followed the active preparations and energetic movements 
 of Sir Isaac Brock ; and before many months, we had the 
 bloodless triumph at Detroit, and the sanguinaiy, yet not 
 less glorious contest, at Queenston Heights, — having, how- 
 ever, one most calamitous result, the death of the gallant 
 Brock himself. After this, as the wintry season drew on, 
 there was comparative quiet ; but far and near were the 
 notes of preparation on either side, and the thickening 
 anxieties for the coming spring. In such a stirring time, 
 it was not in the nature of Dr. Strachan to be idle : burn- 
 ing with love of his country, and full of indignation at 
 this unrighteous aggression, he was active and judicious in 
 his counsels ; and if he could not take the lead in the field, 
 he was foremost in devising means to ameliorate the 
 calamities which the war was inducing. He was the 
 chief agent iii starting and conducting an Institution, 
 appropriately termed •' The Loyal and Patriotic Society of 
 Upper Canada," which had branches all through the Pro- 
 vince, and was most generously supported. In the winter 
 of 1814, its funds exceeded £10,000; and an appeal for 
 aid to the British nation was warmly and liberally met. 
 The object of this Association was to afford relief to the 
 wounded of the Militia and Volunteers; to aid in the 
 support of the widows and orphans of the slain ; and to 
 
46 
 
 assist the families of those who were called out on military 
 duty. Of this benevolent institution it has been correctly 
 stated, that it contributed more towards the defence of the 
 Province than half-a-dozen regiment:;, from the confidence 
 and good-will it inspired amongst the population at large, 
 and the encouragement it gave to the young men of the 
 country to leave their homes, and take their share in its 
 defence. 
 
 The anxious winter of 1812-13 passed away, and in 
 the early spring the forebodings of the Canadians were 
 fully realized. A systematic and combined attack upon 
 the Province at different points, had been arranged, and 
 at the opening of the navigation was vigorously com- 
 menced. The town of York was amongst the places to be 
 assailed; and on the evening of the 2Cth of April, 1813, 
 an express arrived, stating that the enemy's flotilla was 
 standing towards the harbour. Soon after day-light on 
 the following morning, the vessels — fourteen in number, 
 and their decks crowded with men — anchored about two 
 miles south-west of the garrison, and landed their troops 
 under cover of their guns. They had no other opposition 
 at first, than that offered, in a gallant manner, by Major 
 Givins, at the head of forty Indians and a few inhabitants 
 of the town not enrolled for military duty ; all wondering 
 at the unaccountable delay in sending forward the regular 
 troops to resist the landing. At length about 400 men 
 of the 8th Newfoundland, and Glengary regiments, were 
 brought up, supported by 500 undisciplined militia-men, 
 to resist fully 2,000 Americans, covered by the fire of their 
 ships. The contest was a most unequal one, and the 
 retreat of the British was inevitable. The several bat- 
 teries fell into the enemy's hands ; and at the command 
 of General Sheaffe the magazine was blown up, causing 
 a severe loss to the Americans, and the death of their 
 General Pyke. General Sheaffe, at the head of the regular 
 troops, retreated towards Kingston, leaving the Militia 
 
A7 
 
 Officers to make the best conditions they could for the 
 town. His conduct in this whole affair was severely 
 criticised. No plan of defence seemed to have been organ- 
 ized, and his tardiness when the enemy were landing was 
 inexplicable. The batteries were ill-arranged, and the 
 soldiers disadvantageously placed. No advantage was 
 taken of the panic caused by the explosion of the maga- 
 zine ; and the retreat was made towards Kingston, instead 
 of being directed to Niagara. Here he could have rein- 
 forced the troops assembling to resist the intended attack 
 upon Fort George. In the other direction, the services 
 of the troops were entirely lost. 
 
 The following, from Dr. Strachan to a friend in Scot- 
 land, touching these events, is graphic and interesting : 
 
 "On hearing the tremendous explosion of the magazine, hur- 
 ried home and found Mrs. Strachan gi-eatly terrified, and olf 
 with the children to a neighbor's house. Sent her to a fi-iend's, a 
 little out of town. Go up towards the garrison, which we had 
 by this time abandoned ; find the General and his troops in a 
 ravine, the militia scattering. The General (Sheaffe) determines 
 to retreat to Kingston with the regulars, and leaves the command 
 with Colonel Chewitt and Major Alfen, tw o militia officers ; and 
 desires them to make the best conditions they can with the enemy 
 for the protection of the town. Offer my services to assist them. 
 Go to Mr. Crookshank's house, and meet Major King and Cob 
 onel Mitchell, on the part of the enemy. Our Attorney General, 
 Mr. Robinson, also went with us, and assisted us to discuss the 
 iwints of capitulation. A difficulty arose from a ship and naval 
 store having been set on fire during our negotiation ; this con- 
 sidered very dishonourable. At length a capitulation is agreed 
 upon, subject to the ratification of the Commanding Officer. 
 Soon broken through : Major Allan, though under the protection 
 of a flag of truce, is made prisoner and deprived of his sword. 
 I accompany him to town in fhe'midst of the enemy's column. 
 The militia on our side ground their arms. The enemy return 
 to the garrison, with the exception of the ritle-corps, which is 
 left under pretence of protecting the town. 
 
43 
 
 *' Wednesday, April 28, met Major King at the Hon. Mr. 
 Selby's ; complain of the indignity offered Major Allan, and that 
 the capitulation had not been ratified, nor a copy so ratified, 
 returned in a few minutes according to promise ; and declared 
 that the whole appeared a deception. Major King was sorry ; 
 would do ev'ery thing that lay in his power, and desired us to go 
 to the garrison, and every thing should be amicably adjusted. 
 Went to the garrison, but the comnianding-oflScer, Colonel Pierce, 
 can do nothing. The militia had been detained in the block- 
 house without victuals, and the wounded without nourishment 
 or medicine. Complain to Colonel Pierce, who oi'dered rations 
 for the prisoners. Meet a deputation from General Dearborn, to 
 discuss the articles of capitulation ; find that they cannot parole 
 the militia ofiicers and men. 
 
 " Demand an officer to take me on board the principal ship, 
 where Dearborn was. Meet him coming on shore, and present 
 him with the articles of capitulation. He read them without 
 deigning an answer. Pequest to know whether he will parole 
 the officers and men, and demand leave to take away our sick and 
 wounded. He treats me with great hai-shness ; tells me that we 
 had given a false return of officers ; told me to keep oflf, and not 
 to follow him, as he had business of much more importance 
 to attend to. Complaine^ of this treatment to Commodore 
 Chaimcey, the commander of flotilla, declare that, if the capitu- 
 lation was not immediately signed, we should not receive it j and 
 affirmed that the delay was a deception, calculated to give the 
 rifle-men time to plunder, and after the town had been robbed 
 they would then perhaps sign the capitulation, and tell us they 
 respected pi'ivate property. But we were determined that this 
 should not be the case, and that they should not have it in their 
 ])Ower to say that they respected private property, after it had 
 been robbed. Upon saying this, I' broke away. Soon after 
 General Dearborn came to the room where his deputation were 
 sitting ; and having been told what I had said, settled the matter 
 amicably. The officers and men were released on their parole, 
 and we began to remove the sick and wounded. 
 
 " Spent the whole of Thursday the 29th, in I'emoving the sick 
 and wounded, and getting comforts for them. On the following 
 
49 
 
 clay, the Goveinmeut building on lire, contraiy to the articles of 
 capitulation, and the chvirch robbed. Call a meeting of the judges 
 and magistrates ; draw up a short note stating our grievances, and 
 wait uj)on General Dearborn with it. He is greatly em harassed, 
 and promises every thing." 
 
 Our readers will judge from this extract what was the 
 activity and fearless courage of Dr. Strachan at this trying 
 time; and how much it was owing to his energy and 
 intrepidity that York suffered comparatively so little from 
 an undisciplined soldiery, commanded by a General hardly 
 more refined than themselves. In the amenities and 
 courtesies of life, his subordinate officers were much his 
 superiors. On a subsequent day, Dr. Strachan, while endea- 
 vouring to .rescue some plu-ndered property of a friend 
 from two American soldiers, nearly lost his life. In the 
 heat of the altercation, one aimed his musket at his breast ; 
 and his threat of firing would no doubt have been exe- 
 cuted, had not an American officer chanced to come up, 
 and interpose, and order the surrender of the booty. 
 
 All, during the residue of the summer, was confusion 
 and anxiety, — sieges, battles, alternate victories and defeats, 
 hopes and disappointments. But the year 1813 closed 
 without, a solitarv advantage to the Americans ; without 
 a foot-hold gained by them in any portion of either Pro- 
 vince. The Canadians, therefore, so far from being dis- 
 couiaged were full of confidence ; and as the winter of 
 1814 advanced, cheering news, mail after mail, came in 
 from the older world. The great enemy of England and 
 the scourge of Europe, — the heartless despot whom, in 
 their infatuation, the Government of the United States 
 sympathized with and aided, — having been compelled to 
 make an inglorious retreat from Russia, his army of more 
 than half a million destroyed or dispersed, was now bat- 
 tling faintly for very life ; pursued to the gates of Paris ; 
 and forced soon to abdicate, and choose the island of Elba 
 as his prison. 
 7 
 
50 
 
 The cessation of the war in Europe gave England the 
 opportunity to send several more regiments to Canada; 
 and the war, on our part, was made to assume an aggi'es- 
 sive character, which, if not well planned, nor eminently 
 successful, had the effect of diminishing the strength and 
 frequency of the attacks on these Provinces. The summer 
 of 1814 was signalized by the hard-fought and sanguinary 
 battle of Lundy's Lane, — a victory to the British dearly 
 purchased, but an effectual check to the further advance 
 of the Americans; and it closed with the ill-planned, 
 abortive, and disgraceful campaign against Plattsburg. 
 But we soon ceased to have war, or even its rumours ; 
 for early in the winter of 1815, jjeace was concluded 
 between Great Britain and the United States. • 
 
51 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Death of the Hon. Kichard Cartwright. — Appointment to the 
 Executive Council. — McGill College, Monti'eal. — Loss of 
 his house W fii'e. 
 
 |URING the turmoil and anxieties of the war, there 
 were occuri'ences of a private nature th»t deeply 
 affected the subject of this Memoir. 
 During the summer of 1813, the health of his old and 
 attached friend, the Hon. Richard Cartwright, of Kingston, 
 was visibly failing, and little hope was entertained of his 
 recovery. He was himself sensible that his end was 
 approaching ; and on the 13th of November of that 
 year, he addressed to Dr. Strachan the following touching 
 letter : — 
 
 ^' My infirmities are increasing so fast upon nie, that it would 
 be infatuation in me to ex2:»ect to live long, and I may very 
 probably he called away in a few days. To me this is no other- 
 wise an object of anxiety, than as it may aft'ect my family. 
 I had once flattered myself that in the event now contemplated 
 I should have left them under the guardianship of my son 
 James, whose affectionate heart and honourable principles would 
 have well supplied my place ; but it has pleased God to order 
 otherwise ; and I must devolve this Trust on you, as the kindest 
 and warmest of my friends. I am particularly anxious that the 
 Boys should have such an education as will qualify them for 
 being useful to their friends and their countiy, and by a taste 
 for Literature ensure them an unfailing source of personal enjoy- 
 ment. Mrs. Cartwright, I am sui"e, will readily acquiesce in 
 any scheme you may propose for this purpose ;. and Mr. Robin- 
 son, whom I have joined with you as my Executor, will, I doubt 
 not, lend you his cordial aid. *' * """ * 
 
52 
 
 "Adieu, my dear friend. Before this reaches you, 1 shall 
 have finished my earthly career, which has been shortened by the 
 afflicting events which have in the last three years prostrated 
 iny fairest hopes. I shall without dismay resign my soul into 
 ^ the hands of its Creator, trusting to the merits of our Saviour 
 for all the blessmg which Christianity oflFers to its votaries. 
 
 "I will thank you to look over the letters which I have 
 received from different friends, and especially from my children ; 
 and, after selecting those which you think may be useful to the 
 survitors in inspiring them with virtuous and honourable senti- 
 ments, you will preserve them for their use and destroy the rest. 
 — Of my papers which relate to the public concerns of the Pro- 
 vince, you are at liberty to make what use you please. — May 
 every blessing attend you and youre." 
 
 Mr. Cartwright was a gentleman of cultivated mind and 
 superior abilities, with sterling integrit}^ of character and 
 decided piety. His death "was a serious loss to the Pro- 
 vince, and not less so the Church of which he was a 
 devoted member. Of those he left behind him, two at 
 least are not likely to be forgotten in Canada, — his twin- 
 sons, John and Robert. Both were most estimable men ; 
 the former an honest and able member of the Bar of Upper 
 Canada, and the latter one of its most exemplary and 
 zealous clergymen. There was something })cculiarly win- 
 ning in the character of both these men; guileless as 
 children, full of innocent play and vivacity, with a fund 
 of information and anecdote which gave always an interest 
 and charm to their conversation. To both the best of 
 opportunities for acquiring a finished education had been 
 afforded; for the former completed his legal studies at 
 Lincoln's Inn, in London ; and the latter went through the 
 full curriculum at Oxford, obtaining there his Degree 
 with second class in Classics, and first in Mathematics. 
 Both died comparatively young, — Robert, in the spjing 
 of 1843, and John, in January, 1845. The attachment 
 between these hrotl\ers was something unusually strong ^ 
 
5S 
 
 each being, as it were, a part of the other's self. In life 
 they were rarely separated ; and in death they were not 
 long divided. 
 
 Soon after the death of hi.s old and vahied friend Mr. 
 Cartwright, Dr. Strachan was appointed a member of the 
 Executive Council of Upper Canada. This appointment 
 was made upon the strong recommendation of Mr. Gore, 
 the Lieutenant Govomor, who urged it mainly on the 
 ground of his zealous and valuable services during the 
 late war ; and so highly were these appreciated by the 
 Ministry in England, that they sanctioned it Avith the 
 gi-eatest promptitude and cheerfulness. 
 
 In reference to this appointment, I gladly (piote the 
 words of another biographer of the late Bishop, the Rev. 
 Dr. Scadding : 
 
 "The appointment of a pei-soii in Holy Ordei-s under the 
 Episcopal rank, to such a i>ositiou, would scarcely have happened, 
 had there not been a scarcity of men in the country qualified to 
 fill such a station. The discernment smd decision of mind 
 evinced by Dr. Sti'achan in regai'd to secular as well as ecclesi- 
 astical matters, stamped him as one that might be thus distin- 
 guished by the Crown. lu England, to this day, we .see men in 
 Holy Orders sitting on the Magistrate's Bench. It is a relic 
 of the policy of bygone ages, when ecclesiastics were chosen to he 
 keepere of the Great Seal ; because they, beyond the generality 
 of their contemporaries, were fitted for the office. The i)olicy 
 of the present day, although it has not yet wholly discarded the 
 usage of the past in this resi)ect, is in its tendency oj)posed to, 
 and will ultimately exclude such appointments ; the reason 
 arising from the paucity of qualified men outside the ecclesi- 
 astical ranks, having long since been cancelled by facts." 
 
 Upon this subject it will bo enough to add, that the 
 appointment was not of his own seeking, and at first 
 accompanied with no emolument whatevei'. It was 
 accepted, as he stated in a letter to a friend, because 
 
54 
 
 "it gave him more influence and greater opportunities 
 of promoting plans for the moral and religious instruction 
 of the people." 
 
 Tn the autuuui of 1813. Mrs. Strachan heins: in delicate 
 health, consequent upon the frights and anxieties of the 
 preceding spring, when York was in the hands of tho 
 rnemy, — he sent her and the children to Cornwall, where, 
 being surrounded by friends and relatives, she woidd hav»' 
 every care and attention. But the seclusion of Cornwall 
 proved no safeguard against the a hums of war. The 
 battle of Chrysler's Fami, so honourable to the British 
 arms, was fought on the lltli of November of this year; 
 and it happened that an a<lvanced detfichment of the 
 United States' army encamped within two miles of Corn- 
 wall. Before the result of this battle was known, two 
 companies of American soldiers marched into Cornwall ; 
 and though they were generally very civil to the inhabi- 
 tants, — none but women and children. and a few aged men 
 being left in the town, — they committed some depre- 
 dations, and ])lundered two or three stores of goods which 
 there had not been time to remove. This so alarmed 
 Mrs, Strachan that she subserpiently became seriously ill ; 
 and a special messenger (the present Dean of Montreal) 
 was despatched in all haste to York to bring Dr. Strachan 
 down. In those days the communication by post was 
 about once a fortnight ! He came as speedily as possible ; 
 and Mrs. Strachan was nmch cheered and improved by his 
 arrival. He felt it necessary, however, to remain several 
 weeks; but took the opportunity, before returning to 
 York, to visit Montreal in view of a subject of great 
 moment to the country, and in which he felt a deep 
 personal interest. 
 
 The Hon. James McGill had bequeathed the munilicent 
 sum of £10,000, and the valuable property of Burnside, 
 containing several acres, with a spacious and substantial 
 dwelling-house, for the purpose of establishing a Univer- 
 
55 
 
 sity in which tho English youth of that city and the 
 Province generally might have the advantage of a liberal 
 education. Ah there were to he no restrictions on religious 
 grounds, it was hoped that French, as well as English 
 youth, would avail themselves of its advantages; and, 
 should this prove to be the Ccasc, a greater cordiality and 
 harmony would gi'ow uj> between the two nations in 
 Lower Canada. It wns believed, too, that through this 
 means the English language would gradually gain the 
 ascendency ; and from this would follow the gradual 
 abrogation of those many feudal laws and customs to 
 which, notwithstanding their practical inconveniences, the 
 French people clung with so much tenacit}'. Nor was 
 there much, in the existing institutions of learning belong- 
 ing to the French Canadians, that was calculated to 
 enlarge the mind, and fit them to appreciate and grasjj 
 the improvements in laws and arts that prevailed in other 
 nations, and were the result of a more advanced culture 
 and inquiry. In their three Colleges, then existing, they 
 aimed at little more than preparing young men for the 
 priesthood of their Church ; and in their system of general 
 education they wcr^, at least, a century behind the age. 
 
 Of this munificent bequest Dr. Strachan was named a 
 Trustee by the testator, with an intimation of his desire 
 that he should be the first Principal of the College when 
 established. It was long before the intentions of the 
 founder could be realised: long before " McGill College" 
 could assume a shape and name. The money so generously 
 bequeathed was refused by his heirs, and held back till 
 the law extorted it from them ; and, after this obstacle was 
 removed, many weary years elapsed, — either from dila- 
 toriness or the want of business capacity in those entrusted 
 with its management, — ^before it could be got into practical 
 operation. It is almost needless to say that when the 
 College could be opened, the position of Dr. Strachan was 
 such as to render it impossible for him to consent to 
 
56 
 
 )>ccome its Principal, and ho meet the wishes oi' liis 
 departe*! friend. 
 
 The journey to Montreal we have reference to, was the 
 hejjfinning of his active thoughts upon the estahlish.nient 
 of tliis College; for although his aims and projects foi- the 
 advancement of education were naturally directed with 
 UK^re earnestness to Upper Canada, he never lost sight of 
 the large advantages to the youth of the Lower Province, 
 which w^ere promised by the beneficence of his friend Mr. 
 AfcCiill. On his return to York from Montreal, he ad<lresse<I 
 a letter to his friend Professor Brown, of St. Andrew's, 
 asking him f(n- some suggestions upon the subject, so that 
 he might be enabled, as soon as required, to draw iip a 
 rational and useful plan of conducting a literary establish- 
 ment of this character ; what rules of discipline woidd l)e 
 advisiible, when the students might be composed of Roman 
 Catholics rjid Protc^jtants ; and, assuming that at first it 
 might be necessary to start on a limited and partial scale, 
 wdiat branches of education should at the outset be pre- 
 ferred. He went on to request the draft of a scheme for a 
 [Jniversity in its entireity ; expressing a belief that, whilst 
 its tendency would be to harmonize the antagonistic 
 elements of the Canadian population, it would be so supe- 
 rior to any institution of the kind in the United States, 
 that our youth need not be exposed to the contagion of 
 the loose politics and unsound religion that were believed 
 to be inculcated in most of the Colleges of that country. 
 
 During the winter of 1815, the house which Dr. Stra- 
 chan occupied at York was unfortunately consumed by fire. 
 In reference to this, he w^rites thus to a friend : 
 
 " I happened to be out, visiting the Hospitals, and before I 
 got home the roof was in a blaze. Almost all my papers and 
 manuscripts ai'e gone ; and this I consider my greatest loss, as 
 the other things that wei*e broken or stolen, though amounting 
 to a large sum, may in time be replaced. I bore the calamity 
 vith my usual firmness, and we are a^Jn comfortable. ^Irs. 
 
57 
 
 Strachau stood it woudeHully well ; and, though exposed for a 
 time to many ])nvations to wliich we had not been accustomed, 
 we all had excellent health." 
 
 This, and a subsequent misfortune of the same character, 
 induced him to embark in the large exi)ense of providing 
 a house of his own ; an<l chere was completed in the sum- 
 mer of 1818, tlio large and comfortable residence in which 
 he lived <lurinjj: the remainder of his life. This had become 
 so familiar and endcare<l a spot to the rhurchmen of th»' 
 Diocese, that, in contemplating a suitjible iiiemorial to 
 mark their a}>preciation of his worth and services, the 
 purchase of this as the Episcoj)al residence in all time to 
 come, was seriously entertained. There were obstacles, 
 however, to the consummation of this purpose which it 
 was found impossible at present to surmount ; but it was a 
 satisfaction to feel that the present, though only tempo- 
 rary, appropriation of the home of our late Bishop, is one 
 that meets in some degree the intention of a Memorial. 
 At present there is conducted there the Seminary for the 
 instruction and religious training of the daughters of 
 Churchmen in this Province, which, with his own consent, 
 bears the name of " The Bishop-Strachan School"; a school 
 which, from the efficiency of its management and the 
 patronage already extended to it, promises to realize to 
 the full, the object of its establishment. 
 
 To his friend Professor Brown, of St. Andrew's, with 
 whom he maintained a steady correspondence as long as 
 he lived, he expressed himself with the freedom of inti- 
 macy on various domestic matters ; giving an account of 
 his children, their progi'ess at school, and for what profes- 
 sions or other employments he designed them. Sometimes, 
 too, he w\as equally free in offering his advice to his friend 
 on these private concerns, — in relation to which we shall 
 venture upon a short extract from one of his letters : 
 
 * ' I have for these two years past looked with anxiety, in the 
 literary and philosophical columns of intelligence, for your name, 
 8 
 
58 
 
 but in vain : no work is yet anaounced of yours. But you must 
 recollect that your ties are now much stronger than ever, and 
 that it becomes necessary to prepare against al' possible contin- 
 gencies. What provision is there for Mrs. B. and the young 
 child, in- case any thing happened to you ? The small annuity 
 you possess dies with you. Why not publish some of your pro- 
 jected works? Your discoveries in Mathematics would, in all 
 probability, sell well. A few volumes of your Sermons wouJd 
 have an uncommon sale, and might alone constitute a fund 
 sufficient for your pur[>o.se. You will have the goodness to 
 excuse my freedom ; but your talents are so great, and the means 
 of .assisting your circumstances ai'e so much in your jwwei*, that 
 I know not how you can reconcile it to yourself to remain in 
 obscurity. Are you determined to continue in retirement, or to 
 break through the cloud, and assume your proper station on the 
 theatre of life 1 " 
 
 Br. Strachan also corresponded pretty i-egularly with 
 Professor Duncan, and Dr. Chalmers. From a letter of the 
 latter, written about the date of the present stage of this 
 narrative, the following extract cannot fail to be interestinc; 
 to our readers : 
 
 "There is almost nothing occurring here at present that is 
 worthy of being mentioned. We expect, in time, a pretty large 
 accession of new Churches, which, if tilled by effective men, will 
 turn out a great blessing to our population. Every thing, how- 
 ever, will depend on the patronage, and the pure and right 
 exercise of it ; for unless they get ministers who will attract and 
 influence the great mass of the })eople, the object of these 
 Churches will be altogether frustrated. 
 
 " There is a popularity that is vain and transitory, and alto- 
 gether contemptible as an aim. But have you never thought, 
 that if Christianity in its true form be accommodated to the 
 real wants and inwardly felt necessities of our nature, then a true 
 statement of it may stand distinguished from an erroneous one, 
 by the homage of a responding movement which it draws from 
 human being.s. 'This man has told me all I ever did,' says the 
 woman of Samaria. 'These men,' said the converts of old 
 
59 
 
 'know all that is in our heaiis.' And in like manner, he who 
 now-a days truly ex]X)unds the religion that was framed by Him 
 who knew what was in man, may obtain the testimony that — 
 *Here is a man speaking to me. There is something within 
 which he has got hold of, and by which he has a hold of my 
 attention and conviction, and finally of ray entire conversion to 
 the |)ower of the truth.' 
 
 " I need no collateral evidence for the doctrine of Atonement, 
 and utter depravity of man by nature, and his alienation from 
 God, and his need of regeneration by the Spirit, because they 
 flash directly upon me from the authentic result of our faith. 
 But then I further see that these are the doctrines which the 
 common peo2)le heard gladly ; and under the influence of th ni 
 they are turned to newness of life. 1 cannot but look ujK)n this 
 as a coincidence that was to be looked for ; as a proof of the 
 wisdom of Him who has adai)ted the remedy to the disease, the 
 operation to the subject." 
 
60 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Effects of the War — .Emigratiou to Canada. — Controversy with 
 the Eai"l of Selkirk. — Mr. Robert Gourlay. 
 
 [C^-^AR is a gi-eat cahuuity, and it produces injuries to 
 individuals, and frequently to comnuinities, which 
 no after thrift or industry can compensate ; yet 
 war, especially to a new country, has its indirect benefits. 
 The brave soldiers and sailors who fought in our defence, 
 and who, on their return home, discovered that their active 
 services were no longer required, gladly accepted grants of 
 land in Canada ; and diffusing, as they did, a knowledge of 
 the country, — the healthfulness of its climate, the fertility 
 of its soil, its mineral wealth, and boundless ca])abilities 
 for manufacturing enterprise, — amongst their friends at 
 home, who were realizing there but a scant subsistence, 
 many were induced to emigrate and try their fortunes 
 here. 
 
 A large importation of sturdy settlers, chietly from 
 Scotland, very soon transformed a wilderness of foreyt into 
 fruitful fields and thriving villages, in the country compris- 
 ing what was recently the Bathurst District. This was 
 the beginning of the emigration enterprise; since then, it 
 has come in with a continuous flow, — latterly, it is true, in 
 streams more scant ; so that our population, numbered 
 then by a few tens of thousands, has, in the course of half 
 a century, swelled to millions. 
 
 It seems that there were other portions of this continent 
 under British rule, besides Canada, to invite the settler ; 
 at all events means were taken to entice them in a differ- 
 ent direction. The Earl of Selkirk, a Scottish nobleman, 
 
61 
 
 had conceived the project of forming a settlement on the 
 Red River in the Hudson's Bay Temtoiy. Various opin- 
 ions were formed at the time, as to his Lordship's .inten- 
 tions in undei"taking this settlement. Some believed that 
 his motives were pure and philanthrophic, prompted simply 
 by the desire to better the condition of some of his poorer 
 countrymen ; but the impression amongst leading men in 
 Canada prevailed very strongly, that one obje(»t of his 
 emigration plans was aggression upon, and the linal su}»- 
 planting of the North West Fur Company, in favour either 
 of the Hudson's Bay Company, or of some selfish project 
 of his own. This movement was naturally viewed by the 
 North West Company with gi-eat suspicion and jealousy ; 
 and in the effort to counteract it, contentions arose of a 
 very gi-ave character. 
 
 The writer of this chanced to be at M<3ntieal, enjoying 
 one of his school vacations, in the summer of 1816, when 
 the news arrived of the captuie of Fort William by Lord 
 Selkirk, and the arrest and imprisonment of some leading 
 members of the Company. Montreal was dee])ly agitated, 
 though somewhat divided in opinion, ujion this quarrel. 
 The North West Company, having their head-c^uarters of 
 business iu that city, had naturally a large number of sup- 
 porters ihere; while not a few, from disappointment or 
 jealousy,. — for the "North- westers" were tlie leaders of 
 society in Montreal, — ^had their partialities on the other 
 side. The excitement was intense when the news arrived 
 of Lord Selkirk's high-handed proceedings ; and there 
 could hardly have been more anxiety and distress, if news 
 had arrived of some teri'ible reverse in war. 
 
 Dr. Strachan was not one to stand neutral in a case af- 
 fecting so vitally the interests of the colony ; and so he 
 threw himself with chardcteristic energy into the contest. 
 With his innate keen perception of acts and motives, he at 
 once arrayed himself with the opponents of Lord Selkirk, 
 and wrote a very powerful and able pamphlet, exposing 
 
62 
 
 his unfair acts and schemes, and maintaining the right and 
 justice of the position assumed by the North West Com - 
 ])any. 
 
 The collision between the high contending parties, — in- 
 volving some lamentable acts of violence and bloodshed, — 
 was at last to be settled by the peaceful arbitrament of 
 law. In successive courts of justice, the case was ably 
 argued on both sides ; and once, in his enthusiasm, a leading 
 member of the Company, exclaimed in reference to one of 
 their advocates, — " The Attorney-General (Robinson) is an 
 ornament to the world." At this stage of its history. Dr. 
 Strachan WTote as follows to an old and dear friend in 
 Scotland, on the 1st December, 1818 : — 
 
 " It was not altogether procrastinijtion that prevented me from 
 answering your most welcome favour dated January last ; I was 
 anxious to await the issue of some trials between the Earl of Sel- 
 kirk and liis opponents, — the issue of which, and the evidence ad- 
 duced, would establish the guilt or innocence of the contending 
 parties. 
 
 " The arts made use of by his Lordship to contaminate or ob- 
 strtict the coui-se of justice, and to turn the proceedings of the 
 law into engines of oppression, have exhibited wonderful talent 
 and great resource, which, in a better cause, might have been 
 productive of much good. But, as you are on friendly terms with 
 his Lordship's relatives, I shall be extremely brief on this subject. 
 
 " First, then, all the miseries that have happened in the inte- 
 rior of tliis continent, the death of Mi*. Semple and his followers, 
 &c.y were proved most clearly to have originated with the Earl 
 of Selkirk ; that his instructions were even more violent than his 
 servants durst put in execution. 
 
 " His Lordship at length finding all his acts discovered, and 
 that he was soon to be called to give an account of his conduct, 
 when no subterfuge would avail him, has fled hastily to England. 
 
 *• I must likewise remark that my controversy wiih his Lord- 
 ship respected his colony only, and the deceptions he was practis- 
 ing on the poor people in Scotland, to induce them to emigrate. 
 
(]3 
 
 ** My motive was entirely disinterested, and had nothing to do 
 with the Earl's rivalship with the Nortli West Company, or the 
 propriety of the Fur Trade. On this contest I was a neutnil 
 spectator, taking no step on either side ; though 1 knew then, as 
 well as I do now, that his Lordship was the aggressor. 
 
 "^My pamphlet was sent to my brother in Aberdeen to be 
 transmitted to you for perusal, and any alterations in style you 
 pleased to make ; but it has been printed without this benefit. 
 The facts, however, can be incontestably proved, and much more 
 than I thought it necessaiy to advance : my object was to give 
 an op|)ortunity to myjioor countrymen of judging for themselves, 
 by seeing both sides of the question. In this point of view it has 
 done some good ; and this consoles me for his Lordship's implaca- 
 ble hati'ed, and incessant calumnies, which I value not a straw. 
 
 *' The letter to his Lordship was published before I became a 
 public character, otherwise I should not nave thought it prudent 
 to meddle in the business ; for I knew that the disputes already 
 commenced were daily assuming a more serious aspect, and mv.ht 
 sooner or later arrest the attention of Government. 
 
 " I could say much on this subject, and feel confident that, if 
 the matter were fully explained, you would be with me in every 
 particular ; but I have no desire to disturb your tranquillity. 
 
 *' The narratives and documents which wei'e sent you, I have 
 likewise seen. They are full of the grossest misrepresentations, 
 and every fact suppressed that made against the writer. More- 
 over, great care was taken to distribute them before the trials of 
 tlie persons particularly implicated, and amongst the people that 
 chiefly compose the juries ; neverthelcs*?, when the trials were 
 iiad, the facts came out entirely different. 
 
 " I ciiri assure you that his Lordship was not abandoned by 
 the Government, till he himself abandoned justice arid humanity. 
 I am willing to believe that, when his Lordship commenced tliis 
 undertaking, he had no intention of doing many things which he 
 has since done ; Init from the first I believe it was a deep laid 
 scheme to ruin the trade of the North West Company, — an en- 
 terprise unworthy of a British jjcer. But enough, and more than 
 enough, of this. Let it not, 1 beseech you, disturb your peace. 
 I have no personal enmity to Lord Selkirk, though I dislike his 
 
04 
 
 plans. Let Mr. Haskett and I, though differing upon this sub- 
 ject, remain your dear friends as before.'' 
 
 Up to the present period, such a thing as political con- 
 tention was utterly unknown in Upper Canada. There 
 was l>nt one simple public jjolicy ; and all seemed to co- 
 alesce in upholding it. If anything was ever obtruded 
 that savoured of opposition to public opinion, it was re- 
 garded witli amazement if not with alarm ; and the abettor 
 of it viewed as an eccentric or ^lerv^erse being, who should 
 be ridiculed or avoided accordinir to the character of his 
 pretensions. 
 
 People are often advised that this is an unhealthy and 
 pernicious state of things, and that a iiiffle now and then 
 of the public tranquillity is wholesome and beneficial. The 
 effort therefore is made, and it is frequently succesful, to 
 make people believe that the political system they have 
 been quietly living under so long, is unsound and despotic, 
 at the same time that they have felt themselves free, con- 
 tented, and pros}>er()us. They are persuaded that they 
 have been all along under an unhappy delusion, and that 
 he is to be hailed as a friend and benefiictor who comes 
 forth to waken them out of it. 
 
 Early in the year 1818, there arrived in Canada a Mr. 
 Robert Gourlay, — a Scotch radical of the most decided 
 stamp, and fresh from the tuition imparted by the political 
 riots in several towns of his native country during the 
 preceding year. He came brimful of specifics for the cure 
 of every political malady ; and if he did not discover any 
 thing in Ui^per Canada that required the application of 
 his skill, he was not slow in conjuring up imaginary dis- 
 eases, and dictating a suitable remedy. 
 
 He sent broadcast through the province, various docu- 
 ments designed to throw light upon our political state, 
 and retrieve us from the political wretchedness into which 
 he assured us we had fallen. He was a fluent and taking 
 
65 
 
 writer, though a heavy and ungainly speaker ; and the 
 printed sheets he circulated far and wide very much aston- 
 ished many of our quiet-going population. As, however, 
 there was on the surface of these documents an apparent 
 anxiety to develope the natural resources of the country, 
 and give a spur to our arts and commerce, many intelli- 
 gent and educated men viewed them at first with favour, 
 and appeared disposed to give him a fair support in carry- 
 ing out his views. 
 
 But it was not so easy to impose upon Dr. Strachan. 
 11*3 had not lost all recollection of what Scottish radicalism 
 was, and there was still some memory of the specious way 
 in which advances are made by political charlatans to gain 
 over partisans. So he felt it his duty to denounce Mr. 
 Gourlay as a fire-brand and a demagogue ; and he warned 
 his frien<ls in various parts of the Province against giving 
 him any countenance. In writing to a friend in Scotland, 
 about the close of the year 1818, he says : — 
 
 " There has been here for about a year past, a Mr. Gourlay, 
 from Fifeshire, trying to get us by the ears. He has done a good 
 deal of mischief in the province by his seditious publications, ex- 
 citing discontent amongst the people. I saw through him at 
 once, and opposed him with my usual vigour ; upon which, the 
 press groaned with his abuse of me. By this he destroyed much 
 of his influence. All my pupils, now leading chai-acters in many 
 parts of the Province, opposed him sternly. A character like Mr. 
 Gourlay, in a quiet colony like this, where there has been little 
 or no spirit of inquiry, and very little knowledge, can do much 
 harm ; and notwithstanding the check he has received, he has 
 already done great mischief. I tried to infuse more energy into 
 the administration of the Government; but it was too feeble 
 until Sir Peregime Maitland arrived. Mattera are now falling 
 back to their old peaceful state ; and, as we have in truth no 
 grievances, the people are regaining their senses." 
 
 In a subsequent letter, after speaking of Lord Selkirk, 
 whose death had recently taken place, in the following 
 9 
 
CG 
 
 terms, he adds what is quoted in reference to Mr. 
 Gourlay : 
 
 *' In regard to the personal interest wliich yon have discovered 
 in Lord Selkirk, I consider it laudabl(\ My predilections were 
 once in the same channel ; hnt his conduct placed his character 
 and views in a new light, and T became his opp<jnent. I feel, 
 however, that I was oidy opposed to him in jmnciple ; and 
 while I disjipproved of his plar.s, and lamented that a person of 
 his brilliant attainments should have stooped so low, 1 enter- 
 tained no dislike for the man. That I was right, events have 
 shewn ; since his death, the Hudson's Bay Company have com- 
 promised matters, and united with the North West, — allowing, 
 in the arrangement, more than half the interest to the latter. In 
 a moral point of view this nnion is to be applauded, as it will 
 put a stop to all the feuds and crimes that were continually hap- 
 pening in the interior of this continent. It will likewise prove 
 favourable to the Indian nations. The rival Companies were in 
 the habit of supplying them with great quantities of ardent 
 spirits, in order to maintain their influence ; but now acting as 
 one, they will find it their interest to carry very little of this 
 poison to their savage friends. 
 
 " But if I am disposed to draw a veil over Lord Selkirk and 
 his transactions, now that he is gone, I feel very differently 
 towards Mr. Gourlay. This man I must always consider as a 
 wicked and malignant person ; wlv^ 'aid no regai'd to the truth, 
 and composed and published the Most venomous and unfeeling 
 slander. It was not his politics tnat I regarded, but his venom- 
 ous attacks on the characters of all who dared to differ from him 
 in opinion. In this resj)ect he was a perfect despot ; for he 
 allowed no man the liberty of thinking but himself, and the 
 moment that any of his friends ditfei-ed from him, this unworthy 
 apostle of freedom denounced him. I had no pei'sonal commu- 
 nication with the man, nor did I know for a long time that 1 
 was offensive to him. This I discovered by seeing long para- 
 graphs in the newspapers, in which my character was ti-aduced 
 in the most infamous manner, and my name coupled with every 
 thing that was base and mean. But the general indignation 
 
07 
 
 rose against him ; and as I had warm friends amongst the most 
 respectable ranks in eveiy part of the Province, his attacks on 
 me ultimately led to his banishment." 
 
 From the days of R<jbort Goiirlay .politicians in ( 'anada 
 took sides, and we had, though on a small scale, an organ- 
 ized opposition in our Legislature. And where this is 
 composed of honest and disinterested men, it is not to be 
 lamented. Differences of opinion are insej)arable from 
 the constitution of human nature ; and while the party in 
 power are thus kept in check, and made to proceed more 
 warily as well as with more zeal for the public interests, 
 these collisions of opinion, with the discussions they pro- 
 voke amongst intellig(.'nt men, stimulate inquiry and lead 
 to the acquisition of information that may be turned to 
 the account of the general good. 
 
 Though born and educated a Tory, the writer of these 
 pages has learned to respect a wholesome opposition in 
 Government. There is a danger to the political, as well 
 as physical and moral health, in an vmbroken monotony, — 
 a dead level of feeling and sentiment. There would follow 
 too surely a stagnation of thought, a prostration of energy. 
 This, too, contracts the intellectual vision, and bounds its 
 grji.s}) and conceptions within a narrow range. Persons, 
 for example, wedded by association and habit to a particu- 
 lar set of political opinions, arc led to apprehend that the 
 adoption of a })olicy essentially opposed to what they have 
 been always instructed to maintain, must end in revolu- 
 tion, — a disorganization, of the social stmcture, the prostra- 
 tion and overthrow of the public interests. 
 
 How deeply and widely was this apprehension felt in 
 regard to the influence of the Reform Bill in England in 
 1831-2 ! But though this may have been followed by 
 some social ills, it has not shaken in the least the stability 
 of the Throne, the influence of the Peerage, or the moral 
 power of the Church. On the contrary, energies have been 
 
68 
 
 evoked which have given to all three a weight and influ- 
 ence they never possessed so legitimately before ; and 
 since the abolition of the Corn Laws, the effects of which 
 were vieweci with so much alarm, there has been a pros- 
 perity and content in the Empire to which, for centuries, 
 there has been no parallel. 
 
 So we in Canada, who were educated with a different 
 bias, dreaded much the effects of Responsible Government, 
 as unsuited to a colony ; but this, though it has been at- 
 tended with some practical evils, and engendered a large 
 amount of corruption in the administration of the Govern- 
 ment, has, without a doubt, shaken us out of a state of 
 political boyhood, into one of manly energ}'^ and enterprise. 
 It has taught us, as it were, to walk without support, — to 
 swim without bladders. 
 
 In regard to Mr. Gourlay, he was unquestionably a man 
 of coarse feelings and violent temper ; but time has shewn 
 that there was some mental aberration provoking this un- 
 seemly acrimony. A relative of his mentioned to me in 
 Scotland in 1831, that in a freak of annoyance and spite 
 he once left his home and hired himself to break stones 
 upon the highway. In the autumn of 1838, when time 
 had mellowed his feelings, and his native asperity seemed 
 all but gone, he called upon me, and spoke in a manner, 
 though calm and gentle, yet so wild and incoherent, that 
 we saw p.t once the intellectual wreck he had now become. 
 
 Poor Mr. Gourlay ! The time had come about when he 
 found himself alone and a stranger in Canada. After all 
 the bitterness and commotion he had excited, he had be- 
 come an object of pity to those whom, in bygone years, he 
 had forced to be his enemies, but who were now willing to 
 soothe him in his misfortunes, and befriend him in his 
 necessities. 
 
69 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Services as Executive Councillor. — 8ir Peregrine Maitland and 
 his Administration. — The Church in York. — Appointment 
 to the Legislative Council. 
 
 /^^^HE subject of Emigration engaged, at this period, 
 11/ a good deal of the jiublic attention in Upper 
 Canada; and the ([iiestion which just now most 
 perplexed the Government was the granting of lands to 
 in-coming settlers. Amongst the latter was n considerable 
 number of half-pay officers, ' oth of the Army and Navy ; 
 many of whom, — especially of the latter, — became excel- 
 lent settlera, and turned their lands to profitable account. 
 The wiser portion of these jmrchfised cleared farn)s in the 
 front townships, which they were able to obtain at a 
 moderate cost ; and there they lived comfortably amidst a 
 re.spectable population, and without any serious loss of 
 their old social advantages. The transition from the com- 
 forts and refinements of their mother-laud was thus less 
 sensibly felt : they became better contented with their 
 new lot ; and generally a church alid school were accessible. 
 They drew, of course, the lands to which they were enti- 
 tled, and |3erformed what was called the "settlement 
 duties." This meant, the clearing, in a very slovenly way, 
 of a certain proportion of the lands gi-anted, and the 
 opening of ^heir share of the roads contiguous to their 
 farms. Great complaints were made that this was money 
 thrown away ; for this partial clearing, — little more than 
 the slashing down of trees, — was attended with no present 
 benefit either to the public or to the proprietor. Still, it 
 was necessary to enforce actual settlement, as far as pos- 
 
70 
 
 sible; and it was difficult for the Executive to devise 
 metans by which this could ho eftecttMl with advantage to 
 the country, and justice at the same time to those who 
 received these grants of lands. 
 
 Tt seems, too, that the question of admitting settlors 
 from the United States was just now very eai'nestly dis- 
 cussed; and here the clear judgment and })ra(rti('al know- 
 ledge of Dr. Strachau proved to be of great vahu'. What 
 his views upor^ this subject were, are best expressed in his 
 own language, in a letter to Colonel, afterwards Sir John 
 Harvey, bearing date June 22nd, 1818 : — 
 
 " Allow nio to give you u hiief notice of the tru^^ state of the 
 controversy coucerniug the julniission of settlers from the United 
 States; which I do in contidence, depending upon your discre- 
 tion to bear it iu mind, should you think it necessary hereafter 
 to write u{)OU the subject. 
 
 " General Simcoe, being very extensively accjuainted in tiie 
 States, and knowing that great numbei's of the inhabitants were 
 still loyalists, and desirous of coming into the country, encou- 
 »aged them to remove into the Province, and procured for all that 
 appeared in Upper* Canada before June, 1798, and who could 
 prove their adherence to Great Britain, valuable i)rivileges. 
 Many of these i)ersons had formed connexions in the United 
 States, and were anxious to bring them in likewise. General 
 SimcoC; though very hostile to the Americans in general, admit- 
 ted this, — at fii'st sparingly, afterwards more generally. This 
 relaxation was gradually extended ; and during the time of his 
 successor, President Russell, peoj)le were received promiscuotisly 
 from the States, without let or hindrance. This became a sub- 
 ject of great complaint throughout the Pi'ovince. 
 
 " General Hunter endeavoured to cl^eck this indiscriminate 
 introduction of Americans, and to bring matters back to the rule 
 on which General Simcoe acted. The same policy was continued 
 by Governor Gore previous to the late war, notwithstanding the 
 reception of several memorials from different Districts, exhibiting 
 its impolicy. 
 
n 
 
 "During the war, the u nger of the proiuiscuous introduction 
 of settlers from the States, wa.s most severely felt. In several 
 Districts, where they were the majority, or supiiosed themselves 
 to be so, rebellion was organized. This was particularly the 
 ea.se in the London District, and would have been still more 
 so in the Honie District, but for the prompt energy of a few. 
 In the Newcastle District, the disposition to rebel was great; 
 but finding themselves too near Kingston and York, they were 
 afraid to attempt an open outbreak, but deserted in great 
 numbers. In the County of Leeds, nearly three hundred militia- 
 men deserted to the enemy. 
 
 " These defections, and the danger to which they exposed the 
 loyal inhabitsints, were fresh in our minds when peace was 
 restored ; and so it was deemed wisa to check emigration from 
 the United States for a time, initil the passions on both sides 
 were a little cooled, and until a sort of foundation, or nucleus, 
 could be formed of emigrants from the mother country in the 
 new settlements ; by which they might acquire a British tone 
 and character. After this, to slide gradually, and quietly, into 
 tlie system pursued before the late war. 
 
 " This judicious plan did not correspond with the selfish views 
 of some great land speculators, who wished the immediate and 
 promiscuous admission of Americans, that they might have a 
 market for their land. Tliese foolish pei-sons conjured up the 
 13th of George II. to their aid, — a law which respects foreign 
 -protestants only, and has no reference to Americans; and if it 
 had, no American would com])ly with the conditions it requires. 
 The modification of this law bv the 30th George III. mav be 
 construed to extend its .ju'ovisions to the Americans ; but not 
 one of them has ever complied with these provisions. The truth 
 is, they have been j)ermitted to hold lands by an indulgence 
 which cannot be defended by law ; and as they have never .con - 
 foi'med themselves to the conditions required, nothing could be 
 more foolish,' im])olitic, and dangerous than calling the matter 
 up. It would bring up several delicate questions aijout the Oath 
 of Allegiance, and who are, or are not, subjects ; questions 
 which had better sleep. At the same tit e, no pei-son from the 
 States would consider his title secure, or je able to bring a writ 
 
72 
 
 ♦^f ejectment against another who had got jxissession of his 
 property. In short, the avoiding of a great number of legal 
 difficulties appears to have been the object of Government, and I 
 am well assured they had no other feeling, nor could have had 
 any other on the subject." 
 
 Consequent upon the war, several changes had taken 
 place in the administration of the Provincial Government. 
 When the war broke out in 1812, Mr. Francis Gore, who 
 had been for some years the Lieutenant Governor, felt it 
 his duty to surrender the administration of the Govern- 
 ment into the hands of one who could combine with it the 
 command of the military forces; and consequently both 
 the civil and military government of the Province were 
 assigned to Major General Sir Isaac Brock. Soon after the 
 close of the war, Mr. Gore returned to Upper Canada, and 
 resumed the administration of the Government. This 
 gentleman was held in high estimation at the capital, for 
 his social as well as official qualities ; and with Dr. Strachan 
 he was always on the most friendly and intimate terms. 
 Upon his departure from the Province, about two years 
 after, the administration of public affaii*s devolved upon 
 the senior member of the Executive Council, the Hon. 
 Samuel Smith ; and perhaps no one was more ready than 
 Mr. Smith himself to acknowledge that the delegation of 
 such a responsibility by the rule of seniority, is not the 
 happiest arrangement that could have been devised. It 
 was regarded as a cause of general congratulation, when 
 it was announced that the appointment of Lieutenant 
 Governor of Ujiper Canada was conferred upon Major 
 General Sir Peregrine Maitland. In a letter to Mr. Gore, 
 dated December 8th, 1818, Dr. Strachan writes of him 
 as follows : — 
 
 "Sir Peregime is a most amiable and pious man, and comes 
 out most anxious to do all the good he can. Hasarrived hero 
 
73 
 
 with some ideas respecting the Executive Government not founded 
 on sufficient evidence ; but he now sees things more clearly. He 
 is a man of great talent, and much simplicity of manner and 
 habit j at the same time he is firm and i-esolute. Those who 
 presumed upon his favour because they had taken umbrage at 
 you, found themselves totally mistaken. On that ground he 
 was very high indeed. He is thoroughly tiie gentleman, and 
 speaks of you, when occasion introduces your name, with great 
 respect. We are at no pains to conceal our attachments, and he 
 has too much good sense to be offended : on the contrary, he 
 prizes us the more. This gentlemanly trait of character endears 
 him to us all. 
 
 "Accustomed to the promptness of military command, he has 
 been sometimes a little too hasty in taking steps which had been 
 usually the result of con.:iultation ; but this has been entirely 
 from inadvertence, and not from any desire to assume extraor- 
 dinary power. He "s yet new in civil matters, but his diligence is 
 incessant, and in a short time he will be completely master cf 
 them. 
 
 " His great anxiety to look into every thing, injures his 
 health, which is extremely delicate. He kee})s much to himself ; 
 has no particular adviser ; and inquir 's, and thinks, and decides 
 for himself. 
 
 " He has been so very short a period here, that it is as yet 
 impossible to draw exact conclusions ; but as far as I can judge 
 from many C(mver&atious with him, he will grow upon acquain- 
 tance, and beget stronger and stronger attachment In all this I 
 may be niistaken, more esj>ecially as 1 cannot pretend to any 
 ps^rticular intimacy ; but hope that I judge correctly. 
 
 '•'The truth is, that his remark upon are presentation, in which 
 your riume was coupled with something improper, won my heart. 
 On hearing this, I had said, ' The thing is utterly false. Governor 
 Gore had been too cood to the writui and to the friend whom he 
 rcciimmeuded.' He tuined mildly, and said, 'that remark is the 
 very thing which would have induced me to refuse the j^rayer.' " 
 
 The following letter, addressed to Colonel Nichol, will be 
 read with interest. Many in the Province will recollect 
 10 
 
74 
 
 the Colonel as an active and talented man, but who 
 uniformly tcok up the opposition side in politics, and 
 was rather fond of antagonism to the ruling powers. He 
 was a well-read man, and a pleasant companion; and 
 although he was a warm politician and very outspoken in 
 his opinions, he seemed to have had no personal enemies. 
 His tragical death, from being precipitated on a dark 
 night, with horse and light waggon, over the heights above 
 Queenston, awoke universiil sympathy and regret. The 
 letter that follows, is dated February 23rd, 1819 : — 
 
 " I. have an opportunity of franking your brother's manuscript. 
 The subject is handled with ability, and does him great credit. 
 I hope that he will find it his interest to remain in this country ; 
 it is a gi'eat benefit to have a man of talent among us. Owing, I 
 believe, to the writing, it was not read by the Governor ; but it 
 was most favourably reported to him, as indeed it richly deserved. 
 
 ** It has been whispered, since your departure, that you are to 
 commence jouv parliamentary career, 1 . with moving a vote of 
 censure on Governor Gore ; 2, that the right of granting lands 
 belongs to the Assembly, or Paiiiament, and not to the King or 
 his Eepresentative in Council. 
 
 '* I suspect that these ai*e fabrications of your enemies, and I 
 have said so : but as they were repeated, I beg to know whether 
 1 am right. 
 
 "At present you stand well in this qnai'ter, and your abilities 
 enable you to do much good to the Province, as well as to your- 
 self. I should, therefore, be sorry to see them wasted upon 
 matters that are sure to raise contention, and that cannot fail of 
 being most injurious, without producing any good. 
 
 " .\s to the first, it would come very ill from you on many ac- 
 counts. If it be for proroguing the House, even supposing him 
 wrong (which I for one am not prepared to do), it was oidy an 
 error of judgment : his right to do it, when he thought proper, 
 is undeniable. 
 
 "I could say muoh on the inexpediency, as well as injustice 
 of such a resolution, independently of the lui pleasant feelings it 
 
75 
 
 must excite ; but I am afraid of missing the post, and therefore 
 pass to the setoiul. — the absui'dity of which excites my 
 astonishment. 
 
 " Thirty years ago this Province was a wilderness. The King 
 gives small portions of it to the refugees, to disbanded soldiers, 
 to a few immigrants, and some aliens ; and now these persons, still 
 living on his Majesty's bounty, turn round and tell him that he 
 had no power to give them what they now possess, for the land 
 is entirely their own, 
 
 " My conclusion is, that the whole is a fabrication to lessen 
 your weight with your friends, and to induce a belief that your 
 influence in Parliament will be exerted in raising disturbances, 
 and not in bringing forward and digesting excellent measures, so 
 necessary for our peace and prosperity. 
 
 " Being one of those who have always been anxious for your 
 success in life, and ready at all times to do justice to your 
 talents, I should regret extremely to be obliged to differ from 
 you on political grounds ; more especially as we commonly 
 agreed till the resolutions were brought forward. 1 shall only 
 add, that, in every thing else, I have been more zealously your 
 supporter than most of those whom you supposed warmer 
 friends. 
 
 "When I differ in 0[»iniou from any of my friends, I tell 
 them so candidly, that we may perfectly understand each other ; 
 and this must be ray apology for this l«^tter, unless you are 
 pleased to add my anxiety to appear more effectually in your 
 defence " 
 
 Mention has already been made of the " Loyal and 
 Patriotic Society," designed for the relief of sufferers b}^ 
 the war. The funds contributed for this object were ver}-^ 
 considerable; large subscriptions were obtained in the 
 Province ; and some aid was sent by generous individuals 
 in the mother country. A vast amount of good was 
 effected by means of this Society ; and now, in 1819, it 
 was found that there was a surplus at its disposal of 
 £4,000. Colonel Nichol, disappointed in certain views 
 
76 
 
 of his own regarding the appropriation of this fund, con- 
 tended for its distribution amongst such individuals as 
 should shew that they had been sufferers by the war. 
 Dr. Strachan very wisely opposed this proposition ; and as 
 his remarks have a useful, practical bearing, and may be 
 serviceable at all times, we tpioto the following from a 
 letter to a friend in Eng-land : — 
 
 " To guard against misconception and evince our adherence to 
 the principle upon wliich the Society was originally constituted, 
 we have made some little alteration in the resolutions first 
 adopted, in regard to the application of our snrj)lus. They now 
 stand as follows : 
 
 "Resolved 1. That of the remaining funds of the Loyal and 
 Patriotic Society, £2000 be appropriated to the erection of an 
 Hospital at York, in tlie Home District ; and two several sums 
 of £100 each, to such other two or more Districts of this Pro- 
 vince as shall, within a year, raise the largest sum in aid of such 
 appropriation for the erection of two other Hospitals. 
 
 "Resolved 2. That the Directors of the Hospitals thus 
 erected, shall at all times be prepared to answer the orders of 
 the Treasurer of the Loyal and Patriotic Society to the amount 
 of the interest, annually, of the sums thus given them. 
 
 " You will perceive that these resolutions, in fact, fund the 
 money and insure the interest of it, — to be exj)ended in relieving 
 actual distress of sufferers by the late war, or finding hem an 
 asylum within the Hospitals. Acd, in order to make the bene- 
 fit general as well as permanent, other two Hospitals are contem- 
 plated; one, we presume, at Niagara, and the -other at Kingston. 
 We did not designate the places in our resolutions- to avoid 
 giving offence to the other Districts. 
 
 At those two places, as well .as here, the Lieutenant 
 Governor intends giving great assistance ; but, without this 
 money, the buildings could not be erected for many years. I 
 am persuaded that the subscribers, if the matter were explained 
 to them, would highly apj'rove the plan adopted by the 
 Directors, as it gives a permanency to their benevolence, infi- 
 
77 
 
 nitely more useful than to expend it upon promiscuous claimants, 
 by whom we should in many cases be deceived. During the 
 War it was easy to ascertain proper objects; but after five years 
 of peace, this is impossible, except in the case of those who have 
 been severely wounded. For such the Hospitals afford an asy- 
 lum ; or if thty have families, a small pension could be given 
 them out of the interest."' 
 
 Few in Toronto are probably aware of the manner in 
 which the G<?nernl Hospital in this City was started ; 
 an institution which, notwithstanamg some mishaps, is 
 destined, we trust, to extend to future generations, the 
 blessings it has conferred upon the past. 
 
 Political and other secular matters necessarily engaged 
 some portion of the time and energies of Dr. Strachan, 
 but the interests of the Church occupied the largest share 
 of both ; and to the forwarding of these, whether local or 
 general, his characteristic vigour and activity were faith- 
 fully applied. In a letter to the Secretary of the Society 
 for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, dated 
 January 5th, 1820, we have an evidence of this; and the 
 contents will be interesting, as eliciting pleasant com- 
 parisons between the one humble wooden Church of thost 
 days, and the numerous, substantial and capacious ones 
 that exist now : — 
 
 '* I mentioned, in my last, that our Church had become much 
 too small for our increasing congregation, and that it was being 
 enlarged. The repairs and additions cost ,£17 00, a sum which, 
 large as it is, was subscribed for with great alacrity by the p.r- 
 ishionei's, on condition of their being repaid, from the sale of the 
 pews. Th.'s sale took place last January ; and such was the 
 competition that they sold for more than covers the debt. The 
 Church is sixty-six feet by sixty, with a neat altar and a steeple. 
 
 *' The Hon. George Crookshank, the Receiver-General, pre- 
 sented rich silk damask coverings for the pulpit, reading, and 
 clerk's desks, and the altar table. 
 
78 
 
 " The commimicauis have increased from thirty-five to sixty - 
 tour. There is a flourishing Sunday School consisting of upwards 
 of thirty girls and fifty boys. The girls are taught by three 
 young ladies, — grand-daughters of the Hon. The Chief Justice. 
 Tliere is likewise a Sunday School attached to the Chapel in the 
 country, where I preach once a mouth. Once every quarter 
 these Schools a'"e brought together and examined, presents of 
 books given them by His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor 
 and Lady Sarah Maitland, who interest themselves exceedingly 
 in promoting the advancement of time religion.'* 
 
 Towards the end of the year 1820, his appointment as 
 Legislative Councillor took place. The manner in which 
 it W{is made, is probably not much known ; so we subjoin 
 his account of it in a letter to the Bishop of Quebec : — 
 
 " The great addition made to the Representation of this Pro- 
 vince in the House of Assembly, by the law passed last wintei-, 
 has induced His Excellency Sir Peregrine Maitland to recom- 
 mend some new members for seats in the Legislative Council. 
 His Excellency pl?ced me among the number, without any pre- 
 \ious consultation ; as it was necessary for him to have a confi- 
 dential person in the Council through whom to make communi- 
 cations, — a service which the Chief Justice is frequently prevented 
 rendei'ing on account of his position as Speaker." 
 
 The acceptance of this honour was attended with some 
 pecuniary sacrifice, as it rendered necessary his resignation 
 of the office of Chaplain to the Legislative Council. To 
 this situation a salary of £50 ])ei- annum was originall}' 
 attached ; but for the past four years it had been 'raised 
 to £100 per annum. The Chaplaincy thus relinquished, 
 was confen-ed upon the Rev. William Macaulay, then 
 Incumbent of Cobourg, and was held by him for several 
 years. 
 
79 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Recollections of York in 1820. — State of the Churcli in Upper 
 Canada. — Episcopal Visitation at York in 1820. 
 
 % 
 
 PERSON Avhose memories of Canada cau bear him 
 back to the war of 1812, and who has had oppor- 
 tunities of marking the course of events in sub- 
 sequent years, will have many pleasant reminiscences ; 
 and the record of them will be profitable, as well as inte- 
 resting, to a later generation. 
 
 The writer of this Memoir came first to York in the 
 autumn of 1819, to place himself under the care and direc- 
 tion of Dr. Strachan, as a Student of Divinity, and to 
 connect with this pursuit, such assistance in the Grammar 
 School as a youth of nineteen could be expected to render. 
 His journey was from Montreal, and, what with the inter- 
 changes of stage and steamer, open boat and lumber waggon, 
 and halts on the way for needful repose and the greeting 
 of friends, it occupied fully a fortnight. 
 
 The first drive was from Montreal to Coteau du Luc in a 
 heavy limibering stage ; the progi'ess of which, from the 
 rough condition of the roads, the delivery of mails a,s we 
 passed along, watering the horses every three or four miles, 
 and other inexplicable stops, was very slow indeed , so that 
 it was quite dark when we entered an open boat at the 
 Coteau, to be rowed up to the head of Lake St. Francis. 
 Those who came unprovided with warm wrappings, found 
 this exposure for a whole night, in the month of Septem- 
 ber, very trying; for it was sunrise on a cold frosty 
 morning when we reached McDougall's, the appointed 
 stopping-place. 
 
80 
 
 There we entered another stage, and drove on, over a 
 very rough road, to Cornwall ; where, at one o'clock, we 
 breakfasted. This done, we j-enewed our stage fT-avelling, 
 — on a better road, and the St. Lawrence and its successive 
 rapids close on our left, — and got to Prescott between two 
 and three the following morning. From Prescott to Kings- 
 ton, and thence up the Bay of Quinte to the Carrying-place, 
 there was a small but comfortable steamer, which made 
 about six miles an hour ; quite as much as was effected by 
 the more pretentious " Frontenac," on Lake Ontario. From 
 the Carrying-place, we had to get on westwards by private 
 conveyances as well as we could. 
 
 To rest for a few days at what is now called Cobourg, — 
 then a small, straggling village, and without a name, — was 
 a pleasant change ; for even then, including the well- 
 informed and hospitable Kector, there were in the neigh- 
 bourhood several intelligent and agreeable families. From 
 Cobourg to York, with a few exceptional bits, the road was 
 perhaps the worst in the Province, and nothing but a 
 strong lumber-waggon could have borne you through. It 
 was very indifferent through the nine-mile woods, east of 
 Newcastle ; quite as bad from the present site of Bowman- 
 ville to where Oshawa now stands ; ami, what with cor- 
 duroys, and stones, and mudholes, it w<is indescribably bad 
 from the western extremity of Whitby, till, crossing the 
 Highland creek, we reached the heights of Scarborough. 
 The road leading across the ravine of the Rouge, and 
 especially its eastern hill,^would have startled and per- 
 plexed even our Abyssinian heroes. Through the township 
 of York it ran upon a dry sandy soil, with tall pines on 
 either side almost to the river Don; and although these 
 ancient pines incofiveniently obtruded their roots in many 
 places, this part of the road was, on the whole, a pretty 
 good one. We had glimpses, too, of the broad Lake, as we 
 drove along; and from the Scarborough heights could dis- 
 tinctly see the blue line of land on the southern side, 
 trending from Niagara westwards. 
 
81 
 
 "We crossed the Don over .a strong wooden bridge ; and, 
 after half a mile's drive, alighted at Mr. D. Forest's Inn, 
 the best in the place, — though Jordan's, nearly opposite, 
 notwithstf.nding its low shabby exterior, was the more 
 popular one. I then made my way to the boarding-house 
 where I was to reside, — on the north side of King Street, 
 a little east of Nelson Street ; and. although a mean looking 
 habitation, it was i)retty comfortable, and the (company, — 
 law-elerks and clerks in Government offices, — was intelli- 
 gent and agreeable. There were a few .scattered houses on 
 King Street, as fiir up as the residence of the Lieutenant 
 Governor ; and on Front Street, at long intervals, they 
 reached nearly to the old garrison. There were also a few 
 on Duke, Yonge, and Queen Streets. There were but 
 three brick edifices in the town, and, exclusive of the 
 military, the population was about 1,200. 
 
 Though inferior in size and condition to many ')f our 
 present villages, York took a high rank as to social position. 
 From its being the Seat of Government, the society was 
 excellent; having not less than twenty families of the 
 highest respectability, — persons of refinement, and many 
 of high intellectual culture. T(» these were added a small 
 sprinkling of military. For the size of the place there 
 was a large amount of hospitality exercised, and on a 
 handsome and bountiful scale. 
 
 The Goverimient-house Wiis the precise building used 
 as such until its destruction by fire a few years ago ; and 
 the arrangement and planting of the grounds was all done 
 under the direction and supervision of Sir Peregrine Mait- 
 land himself He and lady Sarah took the lead, of course, 
 in the hospitalities of the place. They had their regular 
 tlinner parties during the Parliamentary Sessions, and once 
 or twice a year there was a grand evening party with 
 dancing, which gathered in all the respectability of the 
 community in a mass. Sir Peregrine was reserved, but 
 cjui-teous and agreeable ; had not a shade of supercilious- 
 U 
 
82 
 
 ness ; and would at times be veiy nnimatcd in conversation. 
 He was particularly so, if the conversation turned on the 
 work of the Church and the si)rcad of religion ; for he was 
 a sincere and devout Christian, and thoroughly loyal to 
 the principles of the Church. Lady Sarah was of a more 
 lively te: iperament, but remarkably gentle and amiable. 
 She upheld her position as became a Duke's daughter ; 
 but, like a genuine member of England's nobility, had no 
 pride, and maintained an intercourse on very kindly and 
 familiar terms with the ladies of the ])lace. 
 
 The unpretending, old-fashioned wooden house of Chief 
 Justice Powell, with its two-storied verandah facing the 
 Bay, was a great attraction to residents and visitors; 
 because it contained a lively, amiable and hospitable 
 family. And the residence of the Rector of the parish, — 
 then the best in the place, and afterwards by courtesy the 
 palace, was renowned for its frequent and elegant hospi- 
 talities. So, too, the abode of Attorney General Robinson^ 
 then of small dimensions; but whose inmates possessed, 
 what they ever after maintained, the esteem and love of 
 all that knew them. 
 
 But there must not be too nice and exact a recapitulation 
 of all who, fifty years ago, were pleasant and exemplary in 
 York ; yet, if they are not named in these pages, there is 
 no dimness whatever in the memory of their kindness and 
 their worth. 
 
 The public buildings were not out of keeping with the 
 modest pretensions of the town in general ; they presented 
 no envy-provoking contrast with the abodes of individuals. 
 The Court-house was a small unpainted wooden building, 
 a little to the north of King and east of Yonge Street, — 
 the site, and sun-burnt aspect of which, some of our old 
 inhabitants may I'emember ; and the Gaol was a homely 
 and rickety structure on the south side of King Street^ 
 where now some of our proudest si: ^ps are exhibiting their 
 attractive wares. The Parliament-house was a cottage- 
 
83 
 
 * 
 
 looking etlifice, near the intersection of York and Welling- 
 ton Streets; afterwards transfonned into piiLlie offices, 
 and subsequently into a private residence, with neat and 
 tasteful grounds about it. 
 
 The District School-house was a capacious wooden build- 
 ing, standing on an open common a little in rear of St. 
 James's Churchyard. On entering it for the first time, 
 with the reverend Principal, on a bright Sej)tember 
 morning, fresh school-boy feelings were wakened up at 
 the sight of forty or fifty hap})y young faces, from seven- 
 teen down to five years of age. There was a class of only 
 two in Greek, who took up Horace and Livy in Latin ; 
 and there were three Latin forms below them, — the most 
 numerous and most sprightly reading Cornelius Nepqg. 
 None were much advanced in Mathematics ; and, with the 
 exception of the senior two, had not passed the fourth 
 book of Euclid. Every thing was taught on the same 
 plan as at Cornwall ; but at York the pupils were much 
 less advanced, and the Head-master rarely took any share 
 in the actual work of instruction. I had had the oppor- 
 tunity of seeing both Schools ; and though the glory of 
 the former was never approached by the latter, still there 
 are reminiscences connected with the school at York more 
 fresh and lively than could be awakened by the more 
 celebrated one at Cornwall. With the school-boys of the 
 former, — now in the sere of life, and owning children and 
 grand-children, I can exchange daily greetings; but few 
 are left who were my associates in the latter : one by one 
 they are dropping fast away. 
 
 The Church has already been referred to, with the 
 improvements effected at a considerable cost during the 
 preceding year. It stood on +he site of the present Cathe- 
 dral of St. James ; and, as has been stated, was of wood, 
 painted with a blueish leaden colour. As you entereil, 
 you found yourself in a building almost square. The aisle 
 leading from the front door was bounded northwards by 
 
84 
 
 the Governor's large H(|uare pew; ami midway it was 
 iutersected by one running east and west. Bounding this 
 on the east was the chancel ; and in front of it the pulpit, 
 reading-desk, and clerk's pew. All around, except on the 
 chancel side, were wide, homely-looking galleries. There 
 was no Vestry, and the clergyman robed and unrobed at 
 the foot of the pul{)it stairs in sight of the congregation. 
 
 At morning service there was usually a large congrega- 
 tion, and a very devout and orderly one it was. The elder 
 members were most of them au<lible in the responses; but 
 very few of the younger ones followed their example, or 
 knelt during the prayers. Theic was no organ, and the 
 singing wa,s very indifferent. In the afternoon, the con- 
 gregation was veiy thin ; and once a month omitted, that 
 the Rector might give his services at an out-station on 
 Yonge Street, — not far from the spot where the Church of 
 York Mills now stands. On the intervening Sundays, in 
 the morning, this country church was served by Students 
 of Divinity from town ; they reading the service and a 
 printed sermon. The attendance even on these lay minis- 
 trations was very good ; and that the people a{)preciate«l 
 them is evident from the fact of their sending in a horse 
 on Sunday mornings, for the conveyance thither and back 
 of the Student who was to officiate. He was also usually 
 invited to dinner after service l)y some (me or other of the 
 farmers near b}' ; and amongst these was a person of con- 
 siderable reading, and somewhat democratic ideas, who 
 bore in the neighbourhood the designation of "gentleman 
 Wilson." 
 
 There was. at that time, throughout TJpi)er Canada but 
 a mere sprinkling of clergymen ; though the members of 
 the Church bore a la^ ^.> proportion to the general popula- 
 tion, and every where its ministrations were veiy cordially 
 accepted. There were, in those days, but few Presbyterian 
 places of worship, — not one either in York or Kingston ; 
 and the ministers of that body were correspondently few. 
 
Ho 
 
 Where they were without tl»eir own ministrations, they 
 almost universally attended the services of the Church of 
 England ; and very many never afterwards forsook them. 
 The Metho<lists were a more numerous hody, and had at 
 that time a large chapel in York, which was pretty well 
 filled on Sunday evenings. About the close of 1820, a 
 minister of the British connexion, Mr. Pore, commenced 
 his services in an u]i})er room where the St, Lawrence 
 market now stands. One of their preachers was a Mr. 
 Fenton, a man of ready utterance, who afterwards forsook 
 the body, and became the clerk of St. James's Church. 
 This person occasionally indulged himself in writing short 
 critiques, in pencil, on the sermons delivered just above his 
 head ; and as these morsels of criticism were usually left 
 in his pew, and were oftentimes not very flattering to the 
 preacher, they created a good deal of amusement. The 
 Roman Catholics, at this time, had no regular i)lace of 
 worship ; but soon after, their ])riek church nefir the Don 
 was erected. 
 
 To extend our view a,s regards the positioi^of the Chur(;h 
 of England in Upper Canada, it will surprise many to hear 
 that, in 1820, the first clergyman you came to, west of 
 Toronto, was at Ancaster. On the Niagara peninsula there 
 were three, — at Niagara, Chippawa, and Grimsby. Going 
 westward from Ancaster, you found none until you reached 
 Amherstburg and Sandwich. All that vast interval, — now 
 comprehending a large Diocese with nearly ninety clergj'- 
 men, — was, as regards the ministrations of the Church, a 
 blank. 
 
 Going eastwards from York, the first clergyman we 
 (;ame to was at Cobourg ; and north of this, in Cavan, 
 another was settled. Then a blank, until we reached 
 Kelleville ; then Bath and Kingston. A blank again until 
 we came to Brockville ; and in rear, there was one at 
 Perth. The next wa.s at Williamsburg, and the last at 
 Cornwall ; sixteen in all. There were besides, a chaplain 
 
86 
 
 to the forces stationed at Niagara ; a chaplain to the navy 
 at Kingston ; and a clergyman at the latter place in charge 
 of the Grammar School. 
 
 There was a memorable gathering of the Clergy of 
 Upper Canada at York in the summer of 1820, at a visita- 
 tion of the first Bishop of Quebec, Dr. Jacob Mountain. 
 Sixteen were present, including the chaplain to the forces 
 from Niagara ; and they were addressed in an admirable 
 charge, which riveted the attention of every hearer, by his 
 Lordship the Bishop. During this visit, a confirmation 
 was also held ; and a very considerable number of lx>th 
 sexes were admitted to that rite. An address was presented 
 to the Bisho}), congratulating him upon so large an assem- 
 blage of the Clergy, — for it was the largest that had ever 
 been gathered in Canada, — and the first steps were then 
 taken for organizing the Corporation for managing the 
 Clergy Reserves. They had but a small revenue to deal 
 with, — merely the rents from the leased lots ; but it was 
 considered the hopeful beginning of good days for the 
 CxteiLsion and strength of the Church. 
 
87 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 The Ci "gy Reserves Question. 
 
 ^^KHE Clergy Reserves Controversy is a prominent 
 ill; subject in Canadian history ; and, from its bearing 
 upon the moral condition and general welfare of the 
 Province, it cannot fail to have a commanding interest, in 
 thoughtful and religious minds, for many generations to 
 come. The" subject of this memoir took a leading and 
 native share in this controversy : his position naturally 
 threw him into the forefront of the contest ; and a para- 
 mount sense of duty, which the din of surrounding warfare 
 could not weaken, constrained him to adhere to his post 
 until nothing was left to contend for. 
 
 Reflections of a grave character are forced upon us in 
 contemplation of the issues of that contest. We look back 
 with sensations of deep disappointment and regret; and 
 we look forward with saddening apprehensions for the 
 future of our rising country, as to its moral and religious 
 condition. 
 
 Many, from personal observation, are familiar with the 
 moral and religious landscape of England. Those who 
 have traversed its beautiful scenes, — hill and valley, shady 
 groves and green meadows, the noble mansion and the 
 trim cottage, the smooth roa^is and the bounding hedge 
 rows, its perfection of cultivation, its exhibition of magnifi- 
 cence and wealth, — could not fail to notice, as a feature of 
 singular attraction amidst the exquisite scenery that is on 
 all hands presented, the constant occurrence of the church 
 spire or tower surmounting the sacred edifice of humble or 
 
88 
 
 capacious dimensions, with tho neat vicarage or rectory 
 beside it. Tf these tower up as guardians of the land, as 
 monuments at least rif its religious civilization, further 
 «^>bscrvation and incpiiiy will attest that the univ«Tsal 
 pastoral care which is thus provided, has proved a protec- 
 tion and sfifeguard of the countiy better than bristling 
 fortresses and legions of soldiers. 
 
 Almost beyond memory or record, Kngland hsis enjoyed 
 this advantage ; and we can now judge fairly whether the 
 grand results have been realized which its parochial system 
 was designed to confer. There have been alternations, 
 doubtless, in the extent of the blessings imparted by the 
 Church of England. Every institution, even the most 
 sacred, will have its period of lassitude and langurn- ; there 
 will, perhaps, be an internal degeneracy, as well as hurtful 
 (tutward influences ; but if the system be a sound one, — its 
 origin holy, its purjK>se philanthrojHC, its tendency sanctify- 
 ing and ennobling, — it will soon recover the vantage- 
 ground it may have temporarily lost. Men, in such ranks 
 and in such a cause, will not all be degenerate ; the ('on- 
 scientious renovator, the honest reformer, will from time t<» 
 time start up, and waken the powers of revival that are 
 inherent in the body. Long Mars abroad, protracted civil 
 commotions within the kingdom, enfeebled necessarily the 
 work and influence of the Church ; but peace has unifonnly 
 brought it all back. 
 
 No one of impartial jud[;nicnt will deny that the pre- 
 eminence of England amongst the nations of the world, in 
 mateiial power as well as in moral influence, is largely 
 owiniT to the diflusion of that sober moral tone and health- 
 fill spirit of subordination, which a wide-spread religious 
 teaching, j>rovided by her established Church, has steadily 
 maintained. In a country which possesses so much civil 
 liberty as England, and where eriucation is so thorough 
 and so diftused, there will always be an eftectual check to 
 anything lik(; a projiensity to spiritual despotism ; to any 
 
attempt at fettering the conscience. The national sanction 
 of the teaching of the Church has never compelled any 
 man to surrender his individual judgment ; has never hin- 
 dered him from adopting any other mode of religious 
 ministrations which his tastes or convictions might prefer. 
 But the Cliurch thus established an<l sustained has ensured 
 a general and continuous religious instruction to the inhab- 
 itants ; an instruction which, with all its collaUiral inliu- 
 ♦•nces for good, they c(»uld not universally and steadily 
 have enjoyed without a i)ublic provision for its mainte- 
 nance. Without this, there would be a supply only where 
 the appetite and the demand existed, and wh jre people, 
 having this desire, possessed the means of gratifying it. A 
 world-wide experience shews that such desire aftfir reli- 
 gious instruction does not universally pervade a jieople. 
 Many are o[>posed to the restraints it inculcates ; and, in 
 the mass of communities, if it cannot be obtained without 
 individual cost to themselves, it will not be sought after 
 or secured. The nation, then, is bound to provide what 
 individuals will not, or cannot, do for themselves. 
 
 It is worth our while, and will not be out of phux*, to 
 trace uj) this national duty to its origin. Without referring 
 to the vast extent of inferential proofs, we may confine 
 f)ur-selves to evidences that are direct and [)ositive. When 
 the land of Canaan was ho far conquered by the Isnielites 
 as to admit of the partition of the country amongst its 
 conquerors, there was, by the Divine direction, an equit- 
 al)le division ma<le ; but the exclusion of one tribe from 
 the possession of any property in land, was remarkable. 
 No allotment was made to the tribe of Levi ; but, in lieu 
 of this, the other eleven tribes were required to give a 
 tenth of the produce of their lands for the sustenance of 
 that portionless trilje, so as to enable them to devote them- 
 selves exclusively to the sei-vice of the Lord, 
 
 It would, therefore, in all coming time be felt and recol- 
 l<;cted, that it was no sjKjntaneous gift on the part of the 
 12 
 
90 
 
 eleven tribes, when they jwirl to Levi the tenth of all they 
 earned. Each of those tribes ol^tainod a share of what, in 
 fairness and equity, belonged to Levi ; what was taken 
 from Levi added just so much to their own possessions. 
 So, in rendering a su[)port to the priestly tribe on the 
 terms which God exacted, they were making no gratuity ; 
 they were giving back, in another shape, what had been 
 annexed, over and above their legitimate share, to their 
 own possessions. 
 
 This was a Divine arrangement as e(|uital>le as it was 
 wise ; and, with ca pious reverence on the side of Israel, 
 and an undoubting faith on the })art of Levi, it came into 
 force without a murmur of discontent. By this wise ordi- 
 nance, sealed thus, as we may say, with the seal of heaven, 
 the temple-gates were always oiten ; the fires on the altar 
 were never quenched. Sacrifices were never wanting,- - 
 the daily recun-ing tyi)es of that gi'cat offering in which 
 they were at last to merge. Through these symbolic 
 duties, their sins day by day were at<^)ned for, in view of 
 Him who was to make the offering perfect; and never, as 
 agos passed, would there be wanting a man tf) stand thus 
 before the Lotit, — a present mediator between the living 
 and the dead. 
 
 But was the 2>rovision thus ordained, to have its applica- 
 tion U* Jews only ; or was the obligation to have no weight 
 with the followers of Christ ? No where, in the New 
 Testament, do we find a prohibition of this duty ; no 
 where do we discover another rule substitute*! i'or that 
 which, in all preceding times, had prevail* id i'or the sus- 
 tentation of the Church of God. In days when Christians 
 were nearer to the fountain of their ])rivileges, they 
 thought and acted by that rule. They religiously made 
 these appropriations ; believing that they were bound 
 by the obligation, and that the practical reason for them 
 still existed. Under the Saviour's dispensation, there is 
 an altar to be served, and a priesthood to maintain ; and 
 
91 
 
 there could be no better mode of sustaining these, than 
 the ordinance which God lias left us for the purpose. 
 
 We arc not to fancy that the provision made for the 
 maintenance of this great blessing in our father-land, — 
 namely, the [)arochial system, a church and ])astor every 
 where, — was originally a amtpuhonj one , that it had its 
 origin in state enactments, or in the arbitrary mandates of 
 kings. This is by ru» means the truth ; but the appropria- 
 tion of a tenth for the sup])ort of the Church, as existing 
 in our mother country, was the voluntary act of her pious 
 sons and daughters centuries ago. They, from a constrain- Z' 
 ing sense of Christian duty, fixed this charge upon their t 
 own possessions ; and they transmitted them to their x 
 posterity with tJiis condition affixed to them for ever. The -^ 
 law of the land so far interposes, as to guard rightful pos- 
 session wiiere any venture to infringe upon it. It suffers 
 not any selfish holder of the soil to appropriate wholly to 
 himself what, by a solemn stipulation entailed upon him, 
 he is bound to give a j)art of to the maintenance of reli- 
 gion. 
 
 This, then, is a princi])le, — this an action, divinely 
 derived. The wisdom of the Almighty devised it; His 
 goodness promjited Him to bring it into exercise. Its 
 object was, the present welfare and everlasting happiness 
 of men. And we cannot wonder that it should have had 
 its weight Avith the King and Parliament of England, in 
 providing for the v/elfare of their subjects in the Colonies. 
 
 Canada was cc^nquered by Great Britain from the 
 French ; and the territory thus acc^uired was at the 
 dispo.sal of the Crown and Parliament of the Empire. 
 
 Just respect was shewn to public and private property 
 in Lower Canada ; and this extended even to their reli- 
 gious institution.3. There was no disturbance of, no 
 infringement upon, their ecclesiastical possessions. But 
 Upper Canada was, comparatively, a wilderness; and in 
 disposing of its unappropriated and uncultivated lands at 
 
92 
 
 the absolute will of the Government, no private rights or 
 privileges couhl l>y i)ossil)ility he afToctefl, The (iovern- 
 ment, witliout injtiry to any (nio, could make any dispoHai, 
 any reservation, of thene laiKJH they chow, for political 
 purpoH(!M or religious ohJectM, 
 
 The jfririeij)l(! of an eHtahlinhed provision for the support 
 of religion, so long settled and so long acted upon in our 
 mother country, and }>roductive of such wide-spread and 
 ])rice]ess benettts, naturally awoke a sense of the obligation 
 to make the same provision, wherever it was practicable, 
 in the Colonies. A(;cordingly, as early as the fourteenth 
 year of the reign of G(?orge III., there was, in the IiDperial 
 Act, Caj». 8.% a reference to this obligation, in these words, 
 — " It shall be lawful for His Majesty, his heirs and suc- 
 cessors, to make such ])rovision for the en(;ouragement of 
 the Protestant Religion, and for the mainti-'iiance Jind sup- 
 port of a Protestant Clergy, as he or they shall from tinu* 
 to time think it necessary and exj)edient." — And seventeen 
 years later, in the thirty-first of the reign of that king, 
 when it was detennined to form Upper Can.'ida into a 
 separate Province, an<l sup[)ly to its inhabitants hii exact 
 transcript of the British Constitution in Chun-h and State, 
 it was expressly jn'ovided that one-seventh of all the lands 
 of the Province sliouM be reserved for the suj)[»ort an<l 
 mainUjnance of a Protcsstant Cleigy. 
 
 There i« a vagueness in the expression " Protestant 
 dergy," as the term is now understood ; but there was no 
 misunderstanding, here or (dsewhere, when the Act con- 
 taining those words was passed. Jn no Imperial Statute 
 was tlie wor<l "Clergy" ever applied U> any other than 
 ministers of the established (yhurch of England ; and that 
 such was the understanding of the term in this Province, 
 is evident from the following statement in the preamble to 
 an Act of the Legislative Assembly in the year 1821, — 
 " That whereas His Majesty has been graciously pleaj«jed to 
 reserve ibr the support of the Protestant Clergy in this 
 
99 
 
 Province, oiie-.seventh of all landH granted therein, doubts 
 have been suggested that the tithe of the prochice of the 
 land might still be legally demanded by the incnmlx-nt 
 duly instituted, or Rect4^»r of any parisli, which doubt it is 
 important t/» the well-doing of the (V)lony to remove," — It 
 is obvious that the tenns here employed have an exelusivi* 
 reference to the Church of England, an<l that the provision 
 which is here deeme<l a substitute for tithes, was consi- 
 dered to belong to that Cliurch alone. 
 
 Such was the universal and uncontradicted impression 
 until the year 1822. Then it was, for the first time, 
 affirme<l that, whereas the Chun^h of Scotland is estab- 
 lished in a i^ortion of the Emjiirc, the tf^rm " Protestant 
 Clergy " should be considered U> con)[)rehend the ministers 
 of that communion. This was zealously assei-ted, and just 
 as zealously opj)Osed, Numerous pamphlets were written 
 on })oth sides; and amongst the defenders of the claims <4' 
 the Church of England, was a minister of th(; British Wes- 
 hiyan connexion at Kingst<jn. Earl Bathurst, Secretary of 
 StaU; for the Colonies, announced in July, 1825, that His 
 Majesty's Government couM not depart from the natural 
 and constitutional construction of the Act of 1791 ; and in 
 this Despatch, the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada 
 was directed, with the advice of the Executive Council, to 
 ( nstitute such Rectories as were recjuired, and to aj)pro- 
 priate such ])orti(ms of the Clergy Reseive Lands as were 
 needed for the support of the same. We make some 
 extracts from a rej)ort of Council, date<l Novenibcr 21 
 1825 :— 
 
 " They are convinced of the propriety of dividing the Province 
 into parishes v> itli as little delfiy as j)08sible, not only because it 
 appears nece.ssi ry before the new syHtcm of land-granting goes 
 into operation, which implies such division to have previously 
 taken place, but as giving a religious character to the country, 
 
 "On reference to the Surveyor General it is found that a 
 numerous class of townships ar« those of nine miles by twelve, 
 
94 
 
 containing about 09,000 acres : — one-seventh of which, or ahout 
 0,800 acres, is tho approjjriation set ai)art for the maintenance 
 of a Protestant Clergy, 
 
 AsMuniing only two parishes for each of these townships, it is 
 Imnihly submitted that the appropriation be divided into three 
 [»iirts ; and, after forming any such township into two parishes 
 by a division as convenient as circumstances will admit, that 
 three thousand and three hundred acres, or one-third of tlic 
 aj»propriation be attached as an endowment to the Parsonage of 
 each, from the liosei'ves appertaining or belonging to such parish, 
 and a similar ]»ro[M^rtion be observed in townships of f>ther 
 dimensionH, 
 
 "That the remaining one-third, consisting of about 3200 acres 
 be reserved in the ]»oHS(«sion of the Corporation for general pur- 
 poses ; the same to be sold when it shall be deemed for the 
 interest of th«! Church, tho ]>roceeds of such sale to be funded in 
 the British Stocks, and the interest only to be aj»plied to the 
 sui)port of a Protestjint Clergy. 
 
 " That a general fund, gradually accumulating as sales of this 
 one-third take place, will be fijund exceedingly convenient for 
 the support of clergymen in j)arishes until their respective endow- 
 ment« ))ecome available, and likewise to supply salaries to the 
 clergymen established in such towns and villages as may, from 
 time to time, grow up in different partw of the Province, and for 
 which iliere is no particuhir j»rovision. 
 
 " Such general disposable fund becomes further necessary fruiu 
 this circumstance, that many townships were settled before 1701, 
 and therefore contain no Reserves ; othei-s in which the Reserves 
 form a block in tlie middle, and cannot therefore be [)rochictive 
 for a long time, — consequently the clergyman of such must, in 
 the interval, be supported out of the General Fund." 
 
 Such way the lleport prenentod to the Lieutenant- 
 Governor, Sir Peregrine Maitland, about the close of the year 
 1825, by his constitutional advisers; but His Excellency 
 did not feel that he could just then, take upon himself the 
 responsibility of acting upon it. Delay, as the seciuel 
 shewed, rendered such action more difficult j and when 
 
95 
 
 the questioa caine iindev local parliamentaiy k'gi.slatioii, it 
 became iiiijiiacticable. 
 
 There were thousaiKlx outside the j)al(! of the (Jhiireh <»f 
 England who believed then, what they will candidly con- 
 i'vHH now, that the neglect to act practically upon tht'it reconi- 
 rnendatiou Avas a public nii.sfortune. They will honestly 
 admit, we are persuaded, that the lixtnl and permanent 
 estaVjlishmeut in every townshij) of the Province, of one or 
 more clergyiueii of the Church of England, — of men who 
 would combine with piety and zeal a liberal education and 
 some social refinement, and who, bound by the wholesome 
 restraint of Scriptural articles of faith ami a »Sci'if»tural 
 form of worship, would present an unvarying front of 
 opj)osition to erroneous doctrines and the capricious 
 desire of change, — would have proved a large and lasting 
 blessing to the land. Such was the ]>ei*suasi(>n of him 
 whose eventful life is recorded in these pages. He looked 
 forward with hope to the day when here as in our mothe* 
 country, we should see the Church-spire mingled every 
 where with the fair and fertile scenery of th(? land ; the 
 Church on hill and valley ; tlie Church in every handet. 
 And with the Church, the settled pastor, pursuing from 
 week U) week his round of i>ious ministration, — the youn*' 
 his anxiety, the poor his care, — every duty urged and 
 practised to draw men to the love of God and the love of 
 one another. What an exchange would this be for the 
 spiritual ban-enuess which lies so widely round us, — for 
 the stretch of fertile lands on every side, ahnost without a 
 token that God is worshipped there, or even recognized ! 
 
96 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Visit to England unci liis native land. — Resistance to the pro- 
 l»osecI sale of the Clergy Reserves to the Canad.i Company. 
 — Politica! strife in Upper Qanada. 
 
 f^^HVj citation of the document in the la-st cliapter, in 
 ij / reference to the appropriation of the Clergy Re- 
 serves, — though not unseasonably introduced, — was 
 a little in advance of the regular order of events in the Life 
 V>efore us. Early in the year 1824, Dr. Strachan was ena- 
 ))led to gratify a wish, long cherished, of visiting his native 
 •land, and greeting once more those friends of his youth who 
 were ever held in affectionate remembrance, and with 
 whom he maintained a steady correspondence. Often, in 
 his letters, had he reverted to this wi.sh ; but obstacles to 
 its accomplishment were constantly occurring. There 
 wnti the difficulty of procuring a substitute during his 
 al)sence, for so important a parish as his must be adequately 
 supplied ; and there was the serious difficulty of meeting 
 the heavy expense. Repeated lo.sses by fire, the building 
 of a new house, and the accumulating cost of an increasing 
 family, had created latterly an unusual pecuniary pressure» 
 The first obstacle was removed by the opportune arrival 
 at York of a son of an old and distinguished Scottish 
 friend, Dr. Brown, of Aberdeen, who had taken orders, an<i 
 enjoyed a small benefice, in the Church of England. He 
 wjis a gentleman of fair attainments and prepo.ssessing 
 address ; and while, in giving him this temporary employ- 
 ment, reasonable justice would be done to the parish, a 
 kind service would be i endered to the son of an old and 
 
^7 
 
 valued friend. The painful issues of this arrangement, 
 and all the complications that followed, we need not dwell 
 upon. Suffice it to say that the engagement with Mr. 
 Brown was brought to an abrupt termination in the month ' 
 of April following; and the ecclesiastical authorities at 
 Quebec made the necessary arrangements for the su})piy of 
 the duty at^York until Dr. Strachan's return. 
 
 The second difficulty was relieved, if not entirely 
 removed, by^^the desire of the Lieutenant Governor and 
 his advisers that Dr. Strachan, while in England, should 
 afford to the Imperial Government information and advice 
 on various matters of great interest to the Province, which 
 could only be done effectually by personal representation 
 and discussion. For the rendering of these services there 
 was the promise of compensation, in part at least, of the 
 very "heavy pecuniary outlay atten<lant in those days upon 
 such a journey. 
 
 A journey in winter to New York entirely by stage, 
 and a voyage across the Atlantic in a sailing vessel, — for 
 there were no railways nor ocean steamers then, — occupied 
 so much time, that it was the end of March before he 
 arrived in London. A letter to a friend in Scotland, dated 
 May 30, explains briefly a portion of the public duties 
 which now engaged him : — 
 
 "The littU; jtorsonal buHiiies.s I Imd cut out for myself, was in 
 iny own mind <|uitc of a secoiultiry nature ; and not even so 
 arranged until after I liad determined to visit you and my rela 
 tious. But our Lieutenant Governor, Sir Peregrine Maitland, 
 wished mo to deliver certain despatches, and to give an account 
 of tlie state of the Colony. This produced communications with 
 the Colonial Office, and there is no end to the references wliich 
 they have from day to day made. 1 thought that I had answered 
 all their iufjuiries, Avheu intelligence was received of the absurd 
 ju'oceedings of the Legislature of Lower Canada, upon which, 
 tiovernment have revived the jn-ojeet of uniting the two Pro- 
 vince«. In view of tbiH, they have called tipon me to meet the 
 13 
 
98 
 
 Attorney General of Lower Canada, who happens to be here ; 
 and to prepare between us the draft of a Bill which we considered 
 best adapted to the purpose, and most likely to render the mea- 
 I sure effectual, while it gave as little cause of noise as possible. 
 " This was a business of difficult performance ; for though the 
 Attorney General and 1 are old friends, yet we did not agree on 
 many of the points. After many meetings and much delay, we 
 came to a conclusion only yesterday, and gave in the draft of the 
 Bill, marking the clauses on which there was a difference of 
 opinion. I am now preparing, as quickly as possible, my reasons 
 for feupporting certain clauses, and rejecting others ; which will 
 occupy me three or four days." 
 
 His long and anxious yearnings were at last gratified ; 
 and we are happily furnished with a brief sketch ofhi.H 
 visit to some of the scenes of his early attachmimt, in a 
 letter to his friend Professor Brown, hearing date, August 
 28, 1824, — closing with some of those shrewd remarks, 
 indicating great knowledge of human nature, which cannot 
 fail to be useful as well as interesting : — 
 
 ** I stopped at Kettle, and found Mr. Barclay from home, but 
 expected early in the evening ; and Miss Barclay, his eldest 
 daughter, a most amiable and interesting girl, begged me earnestly 
 to wait for the return of her father, which I at length consented 
 to do. In order to amuse me. Miss Barclay proposed a walk to 
 the village, to see my old friends if any still remained. Most 
 of my old friends are dead. I find several acquaintances, but 
 not one with whom I was in any degi-ee intimate. Those who 
 recollee-ijd me were very much pleased, and all hoped I would 
 preach for them on Sunday, — * never mind, though you're nae 
 just as we are.' Mr. Barclay received me with great cordiality ; 
 and, as was natural, had many questions to ask about his son in 
 Canada. I remained all the Sunday : the family doing every 
 thing in their power to make it pleasant. After breakfast ou 
 Monday, I proceeded to St. Aiidrews, where I arrived before 
 dinner, and took up my residence with Mr. Duncan. His 
 brothers were all in town ; wl^icH m^de it very pleasant, as they 
 
»9 
 
 and I were always very friendly. It was a matter of astonisliment 
 to me to see so little change upon them. In the evening wc 
 called on Dr. Chalmers, from whom I received a cordial welcome. 
 We talked of St. Andrews, of its present inhabitants, and of yon ; 
 and I must protest that I never heard any person mentioned in 
 more affectionate terms than you were. They said that in your 
 removal to Edinburgh, one of the principal charms had departed ; 
 that you were the soul of conversation ; and each deplored in 
 the strongest manner, and in a way most convincing to my mind 
 of its sincerity, his individual loss in your departure. * * * 
 
 '' Not being troubled with any suspicions myself, I take jieople 
 Hs I find them ; and consequently, get on very easily with 
 society. Perhaps, by adopting the same method in future, you 
 may find it advantageous. From considering the whole matter, 
 as far as I am able, I have come to the conclusion that you will 
 be happier at St. Andrews than in Edinburgh ; that pa.st diffi- 
 culties have arisen chiefly from your too refined expectations. 
 Your extraordinary talents and great sensibility place you so far 
 above the people around you, that what apf>ears reasonable to 
 you, — and is so when duly considered, — seems to them extrava- 
 gant, or is perhaps above their comprehension. You must there- 
 fore, in order to sail calmly and pleasantly down the stream, 
 condescend a little to people of less feeling and less information, 
 and cease to expect those delicate attentions from persons who 
 are incajiable of feeling them, and you must conform to those 
 established customs in society which are in daily ojjeration. It 
 is true many of these might be dispensed with, were you still a 
 bachelor,— for no man can visit you without wishing to visit you 
 again,— but where ladies are concerned, there is never any abate- 
 ment. Tlierefore you must sacrifice something of time and per- 
 sonal trouble to give dear Mrs. B. that place in society which she 
 so richly deserves, and could so well adorn, and which a little 
 exertion on your part can easily assure."' 
 
 The parting with this old and loved friend is thus re- 
 ferred to iu a subsequent letter : — 
 
 " I felt quite a vacancy in my heart, — a sort of desolation 
 much greater than I had experienced on leaving Aberdeen,—* 
 
100 
 
 when I parted from you and Miu Browu on the pier at New- 
 haven. I had indeed not slept so well as usual, and did not feel 
 (juite well. Perhajw we were to j)art for ever; there was little 
 chance of my return ; the jdeasure of our short renewal of jier- 
 sonal intercoui'se had passc^d away as a dream. J waived my hat 
 occasionally as long sis you wen; in sight ; and when you dis- 
 appeared, I tried to read Millar's book. I got actjuainted with 
 no j)ei*son on board, being silent and dull the whole way. The 
 weather during our voyage was not boisterous, but rainy and 
 consequently disagreeable ; so we were obliged to pass our time 
 principally in the cabin. The jjassengers a])peared rather a 
 sulky crew ; but as I set them the example, I couhl not com- 
 plain." 
 
 During his stay in London, Dr. Straclian had many con- 
 ferences witli Earl Batlnirst, the Secretary of State for the 
 Colonies, and with Mr. VVilmot Horton, tiie earnest and 
 intelligent Under-Secretary, on tli<; religions and political 
 prospects of Canada. Both were <leeply alive to tlie impor- 
 tance of the provision made, in the Clergy Reserves, for the 
 future maintenance of the Churcli in this Province, and 
 protested in the strongest terms, against any interference 
 with tlie exchisive and iindeniahle claims of the Church of 
 England to that endowment. They also acquiesced in the 
 K opinion that a division of the Diocese of Quebec, — then 
 comprehending all Canada, — at as early a period as possible, 
 was imperatively called for ; so that each Province slK»uld 
 have its own Bishop. Biit tlie present difficulty was the 
 want of funds to provide an income for a second Bishop. 
 The Imperial Government could make no further grant for 
 such a purpose ; and local resources were not at present 
 available. The idea, at first, was favourably entertained 
 that, upon the demis<; of the then Bishop of Quebec, — 
 which, from his age and increasing infirmities, was con- 
 sidered to be not far distant, — the Episcopal income, £3000 
 sterling, per annum, should be divided; allotting £2000 
 per annum to the next Bishop of Quebec, and £1000 
 
101 
 
 to the Bishop of Upper Canada, Why this very reason- 
 able proposition, — which would have been so cheerfully 
 {icquiesced in by the excellent Dr. Stewart, — was not 
 ultimately carried out, it would be difficult to explain. It 
 was felt by Dr. Strachan, when tlie time so soon arrived 
 for putting it into practical operation, that strange influ- 
 ences were at work to extingui.sh all hope of his own 
 elevation to the proposed new See, — his claims to which 
 the united voice of Churchmen in Upper Canada would 
 affirm to be paramount. . With this opinion there is every 
 reason to believe that the Colonial Minister concun'ed ; 
 but how it came to be counteracted, and the necessarj' 
 division of the Diocese suspended, it is better not to 
 attempt to account for. 
 
 That the Church in Upper Canada might obtain some 
 immediate benefit from the Clergy Reserves, Dr. Strachan, jK 
 while in England, projiosed that the Clergy Corporation a 
 should be empowered to sell one-half of the lands thus 
 appropriated ; to fund the money deriv^ed from their sale ; 
 and to apply the interest towards the suppoit of the 
 Clergy. To this ])roposition the Home Goverament lent 
 a friendly ear ; but while it was under consideration, the 
 Canada Land Company was started, and they offisred to 
 purchase at once the half of the Clergy Reserves. But the 
 price they oftered was so low, that Dr. Strachan felt it his 
 duty to oppose the sale ; upon which it was determined 
 to send out five commission ei-s to value the land, — two to 
 be appointed by Government, and two by the C*ompan\' ; 
 a fifth to be chosen by the whole. 
 
 The commissioners came to Canada in the spring of 
 1825 ; and when their valuation of the Clergy Reserves 
 was madd known, it was strongly protested against by Dr. 
 Strachan, as much too low. At his instance, the Clergy 
 generally united in the remonstrance ; and the Govern- 
 ment, in the face of such an opposition, declined to carry 
 out the sale. Subsequently the arrangement of the dilfi- 
 
102 
 
 culty was left to the late Mr, OnH and Dr. Strachan ; and 
 after a long and tedious negotiation, it was determined 
 that the Clergy lands should not be sold, — the Huron 
 Tract, as it was termed, being purchased by the Company 
 in their stead. 
 
 Fully £150,000 were saved to the CTiureh by this inter- 
 po.sition, or rather to the Province ; for all know how 
 little the Church has benefited by this energy and deter- 
 mination on the part of her able and untiring champion. 
 
 The present was a critical period in the political history 
 of Upper Canada ; at all events, the general election in the 
 summer of 1824 had very much changed the complexion oi 
 our local Parliament. Party spirit exhibited itself strongly 
 in many quarters : the Attorney General Robinson nar- 
 rowly escaped defeat in York by a very inferior opponent ; 
 and from the constituencies westward, a large radical 
 element was infused into the House of Assembly. On 
 the 18th April, 1825, Dr. Strachan writes thus, in a letter 
 to a friend : — 
 
 " We have just closed a long and tedious Session of the Pro- 
 vincial Parliament. There has been much debate ; not a little 
 (Hssention ; and after all, little or no good done. Our House, the 
 Legislative Council, had a serious difference with the House of 
 Assembly on a question of privilege, which was at length settled 
 after a good deal of trouble. As a large share of the business of 
 the Upper House falls upon my s'loulders, there is of course not 
 a little responsibility with it ; ar . for the exercise of this I am 
 praised or blamed according to the caprice of the editors of the 
 newspapers. — 1 sometimes think of your nerves, when dema- 
 gogues and radicals are railing against me ; but their calumnies 
 never deprive me of my appetite, nor of my sleep. In all my 
 affaii-s I have one simple principle to guide me ; which is an 
 honest desire to do as well as I can. I have, therefore, no com- 
 punctions of conscience, no qualms to settle : their calumnies 
 pass me like the idle wind, and I turn for them neither to the 
 right hand nor to the left." 
 
103 
 
 This, too, was but the beginning of the storm — the 
 gentle pattering of the rain- drops before the roar and 
 fierceness of the tempest. With civil strife came the 
 acrimony of theological contention, — the eager onslaught 
 upon what the Church deemed her rightful inheritance, 
 and the bold and unflinching defence of one all but 
 unaided champion against a host of foes. 
 
 But before the outbreak there wjis a parti.al lull. Dr. 
 Strachan had again to proceed to England on public busi- 
 ness, and sailed from New York in March, X82C. Such 
 was the important character of the work entrusted to him, 
 that his absence was protracted until late in the summer 
 of 1827. 
 
104 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 The Educational QticHtioii. — Prospect of the early Establwhnient 
 of a UniverHity. — Second Vi»it to England. 
 
 /^HE war that had ju.st been kindled, on the right to, 
 llj / and the dispcsal of, the Clergy Reserves, and all th(; 
 anxieties and labour it entailed, did not Ijy any 
 iiiean.s exclude from the thoughts and energie.s of Dr. 
 Strachan, the great question which had led to his emigra- 
 tion to Canada, and which had ever since unremittingly 
 engaged his interest and attention. This was the (question 
 of Education, — to supply the means of diffusing sound 
 .•md useful knowledge through all classes of the com- 
 munity ; to impart it to the htimblest, as well as to the 
 highest, of the population ; to ada])t it to the various 
 grades and conditions of tlie people ; to classify the insti- 
 tutions of learning so as to meet the wants and aspirations 
 of all. 
 
 The establishment of a University, in which a com- 
 pleteness and finish could be given to education, was 
 always in the foregi'ound of these plans and contem- 
 plations. But the antecedent steps to this culminating 
 point it would havo been unwise to have neglected. There 
 must be the elementary and * preparatory knowledge 
 supplied in its fitting grades, before the benefits of the 
 highest seat of learning could be available or ])racticable. 
 And these prelirainaiy necessities were never overlooked. 
 The first movement in this direction had been made by 
 General Simcoe in 1792, when he expressed to Mr. Dundas, 
 the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the expediency of 
 
105 
 
 immediately adoptin<^ practical measures for the estab- 
 lishment of a University in Upper Canada, The same 
 thing was urged in a letter to the Bishop of Quebec in 
 170.), in which he states that the people who have the 
 means of governing themselves, "must become sufficiently 
 (^a])able and enlightened to understand their relative situa- 
 tion, and manage their own power to the public interest. 
 To this end a liberal education is indispensably necessary." 
 
 General Simcoe was recalled from the Government of 
 this Province in 1797; but its Legislature did not lose 
 sight of the object he had so much at heart. Not long 
 after his departure, they addressed the King with a petition 
 that a portion of the waste lands of the Province should 
 be appropriated to the support of Grammar Schools and a 
 University ; and very soon, authority was given to appro- 
 priate /5()(),()00 acres for this purpose, — one-half for Grammar 
 Schools, and the residue for the endowment of a Uni- 
 versity. 
 
 It was impossible, at that time, to obtain a price for 
 these lands whicli would have sufficed for the endowment 
 of even two Grammar Schools ; but in 1807, mainly 
 through the exertions of Dr. Strachan, an Act was passed 
 f»)r the . estal)lishment of a Grammar School in each 
 District of the Province ; and very soon, three superior 
 Schools, — at Cornwall, Kingston and Niagara, — were in 
 successful operation. In process of time, similar Schools 
 were established in the capital towns of the other Districts 
 of Upper Canada. 
 
 The means for the education of those who were not in a 
 condition to avail themselves of the instruction afforded in 
 the Grammar Schools, were at the time very meagre and 
 unsatisfactory. This class of the youth of the country had 
 to get, as they could, a very simple and indifferent educa- 
 tion. In our towns and villages, and here and there in 
 the country, there were schools of a very humble order, — 
 the teachers sometimes men of respectability, but of ten - 
 14 
 
lOG 
 
 times the reverse ])otli as to acquireinents and habits of 
 life. The scholars were of both sexes, from lisping children 
 to grown-up young men and women ; and the majority of 
 these attended only in the wititor months. The remu- 
 neration to the nuisters was small and fluctuating, and 
 derived entirely from the pu[>ils ; no government aid 
 whatever was contributed to this clsiss of schools. 
 
 The duty of ameliorating this condition of things forced 
 itself early upon Dr. Stracha ; and, very nmch through 
 his influence and exertions, a Law was passed in January, 
 1824, making a. certain grant to each District for Common 
 School education, and appointing a Boanl in each I>istri<tt 
 to examine and admit teachers, and to make an equitabh? 
 distribution within their bounds, of the funds allotted 
 thereto,' A somewhat better class of school-masters Wfus 
 by this means obtained, and a larger number of schools 
 were opened; but there was this defect in the organizsiticm 
 of the system, that no a<lc(iuate provision was ma<le for 
 the superintendence of these schools, — no anangcment foi* 
 a periodical visit to them, so as to ensure the j)ioper atten- 
 tion of their conductors, and to examine into and remedy 
 complaints where they were preferre<l. The organization 
 was then much too bare, if it has since br-come, as many 
 think, too complex and expensive. 
 
 The existing arrangements for a preparatory (,'ducation 
 were, however, on the whole working well ; th«iy were 
 fairly paving the way for the establishment of the long 
 contemplated University. No doubt this, when fully in 
 operation, would have an^important influenc(! upon the 
 inferior institutions of learning. The standard of educa- 
 tion would be elevated ; and both in the Conuncm and in 
 the CJrammar Schools, there would be an effort to meet 
 the more a<lvanced acquirements which the University 
 would exact, 
 
 A person conversant with the working and influence of 
 the Universities in the mother country, would feel strongly, 
 
107 
 
 aii<l work z«*alouHly, for the t'HiaMiHhin«*nt of a .similar 
 iiistiiutioii licrc. Tliern is no rnlriilatiii*^ tlio moral and 
 social power wliirli Oxford and ('aml>rid;^«', for instance, 
 have cxertod. It is somothing t«» Hccuro, hy their moans, 
 a clft.ss of men competent from their afujnin'mcntM to Hil 
 the Hcveral learned profeHsion.s, — to hrin^' the light and the 
 refinements of s<;ienco to the practical duties which the 
 lawyer, the physician, and the clergyman Inis each in his 
 vocation, t<j discharge; hut a host of men arc benefited 
 outsid(f thos(! jM'ofessions. The nobility and gentry, who 
 enter into no [trofession, are educat<Ml then;; they acquire 
 th"ro the knowledge and the dis<nplinary training that 
 (jualify them to be magistrates and legislators. The a.s.so- 
 ciations of those early days serve much to identify them 
 with other.s, not of their own onler, throughout tlui; land, 
 — with the memliers of the several professions, and with 
 these of less social standing, but of equal literary 
 acquirements. The Universities have thus j»roduce<l a 
 wonderful blending of clas,ses ; they have .served in a large 
 d(;grc(! to break down those barriers which, keeping men 
 distinct, would have excluded them from working in com- 
 bination for their country's good. With what an eager 
 ho[)e, with what an untiring energy, would one, alive to 
 all these advantages and with the oppoi-tunity apparently 
 at comn;and, strive to have them imp.arted and perpetuated 
 in this new country ! 
 
 About the close of the year 1825, it Wcas determined that 
 steps should be adopted which would easurc the early 
 accomplishment of this great boon to Upper Canada. The 
 Lieutenant Governor, Sir Peregrine Maitland, was induced 
 to address a Despatch to Earl Bathurst, soliciting the 
 sanction of the Impei'ial Government to an exchange of 
 the wild and remote lands allotted for the support of edu- 
 cation, for such other lands in the po.ssession of the Crown, 
 as would command an earlier and more advantageous sale. 
 It was stated that the lands thus set apart, "though they 
 
4 
 
 ^ 
 
 108 
 
 possess the a*lvantage of >»ein<:» in larj^o Mooks, lie in tracts 
 at present remote from ftettieinents, and a considerable 
 portion of them is not of the tirnt finality." It was then 
 suggested that if the Imperial (Jovernment "Hhould see fit 
 to allow th.'it an etjual (juantity of the he^st of theso lands 
 should be exchanged for that portion of the ( Vown Reserves 
 which remains to th^ Government as being under lease, 
 the latter could almost immediately be disposed of, at an 
 average price of not less than ten Hhillings per acre, and a 
 sum thus be produced that would admit of the immediate 
 establishment of a University on a scale that would render 
 it effective." 
 
 As matters in regard to the establishment of a Univer- 
 sity had now come to so critical a point, it was thought 
 advisable that no opportunity or means of ensuring its 
 success shouM be lost. Despatches often remain long 
 unanswered ; and after all, however important the sub- 
 jects may be to which they refer, they are often unsatis- 
 factory. So it was determined to send home a special 
 emissary to bring this great question to a favourable issue; 
 -» and as none other so suitable could be found, Dr. Strachan 
 was called upon to proceed to England, and have, if pos- 
 sible, every ol)stficle removed to the immediate accom- 
 plishment of this gieat Provincial undertaking. 
 
 He left York, on this important eiTan<l al»out tlie middle 
 of March (1820), — spending i night on the way in the 
 parsonage at Grimsby, and leaving there his second son, 
 George, in charge of the writer of this narrative, then the 
 Incumbent of that parish. The winter roads were then 
 breaking up ; so it was a long and weary journey to New 
 York. But the passages homewards were usually short; 
 and ho arrived in London about the 25th of April. 
 
 He entered without delay upon the duty he was com- 
 missioned to discharge, and he pursued it with accustomed 
 i vigour. On the 31st of March, 1827, the following 
 i Despatch from Earl Ba^hurst was transmitted to Sir Pere- 
 grine Maitland : — 
 
109 
 
 " I have the honour to inform you that His Majesty has been 
 plenneil to grant a Royal Charter hy Letters Patent, under the 
 Great Seal, for eMtablishing at or near the town of York, in th*^ 
 I'rovince of Upper (.'aiiada, one College, with the stylo and privi 
 leges of a tJniver-ity, for the education and instruction of youth 
 in Arts and Faculties, to continue for ever, to )»<; railed King's 
 Col Inge. 
 
 *' f am further to accpiaint you that His Majesty lias been 
 pleased to grant XIOOO per annum as a fund for erecting the 
 buildings necessary for the C<»llege. to be |)aid <Mit of the moneys 
 furnished by the Canada (company, and to contiinie during th<' 
 term of that agreement. 
 
 •* 1 have to authorize you, on th(j receipt of this De.-patch, to 
 exchange such Crown Reserves as have not been made over to 
 the Canada Comj)any, for an equal |)ortion of the lands set apart 
 for the purpose <»f education and foundation of- Cnivei-sity, as 
 suggested in your Despatch of Deceniber 10, iJ^Ii.), and more 
 fully detailed in Dr. Strachan's JlejKjrt of March 1(>, 1 820, and 
 you will proceed to endow King's College with the said Crown 
 Reserves with as little delay as possible." 
 
 Coinidete success, tlieii, hud ciowuud the ettorts of Dr. 
 Strachan ; an<l tlio day-dreaui ()f his youtli ;iud of his 
 mature iiianh(K)d was at length realized. Ujiper Canada 
 was to hove a University : it was adequately endowed ; 
 and a Royal Charter was obtained for it. This Charter, 
 it was affirmed at the time, was the most open and liberal 
 tlmt liad ever been granted ; inasmuch as it was provided 
 that no religious test should be aj)plied to any persons 
 admitted as students or as graduates in the said College, 
 excepting only to graduates in Divinity, wlio were to ]je 
 subject to the conditions enjoined for degrees in that faculty 
 at Oxlbrd. Establi^ied and time-honoured principles c(»uld 
 not be altogether abandoned; iu any such Institution 
 sanctioned by the Crown, its religious features must be 
 maintained ; that grand safeguard to its wholesome work- 
 ing could never be relinquished. And if this influence 
 
110 
 
 must be made to pervade it, it woul<3 be simply dutiful on 
 the part of His Majesty's Government, to concede the 
 administration and control of the Institution to tlio estab- 
 ■* lished Church of the Eini)ire. It was, therefore, provided 
 that the seven Professors in the Arts and Faculties should 
 be members of the Church of England, and should sub- 
 scribe the Thirty-nine Articles ; that the Bishop i\n' the 
 time being of the Diocese in which the University was 
 situate, should be the Visitor ; the Governor, or Lieutenant 
 Gfjvernor for the time being to be Chancellor ; the Presi- 
 dent to be a clergyman inholy orders of the United Church 
 of p]ngland and Ireland ; and that the Archdeacon of York 
 in this Province, for the time being, should, by virtue of 
 such his office, bi3 at all times President of the said 
 College, 
 
 There was, no doubt, an imwise and needless stringency 
 in some of these provisions ; and to the writer of these 
 pages Dr. Strachan himself affirmed, on his return from 
 England, that he had expressed to Lord Bathurst his 
 (jbjection to the provision last cited, — that the Archdeacon 
 of York should, ex-ojfficio, be President of the University ; 
 and he stated also his doubts whether it was judicious to 
 require from the members of the College Council subscrip- 
 tion to the Thirty -nine Articles, These, however, were 
 arrangements that could be modified, without doing 
 violence to the religious influence by which it was intended 
 that the University should be controlled; and without 
 excluding the Church of England from that general go- 
 vernment and supervision to which all felt that she was 
 entitled. 
 
Ill 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Death of the Bishop of Qnoboc. — Tfi.s Successor^ Dr. Stewart. — 
 UpjK'r Canada divided into two Archdeaconries. — Dr. 
 Stnichan appointed Archdeacon of York. — CorresiK>ndence 
 in England in 182G-7. — lletnrn to Canada. 
 
 JpiURING the summer of 182.5, an event occurred which 
 5|rj had been for some time expected, — the death of 
 C_y Dr. Mountain, first Bishop of Quebec. Though he 
 liad not attained to extreme old age, — being, when he 
 died, in his 7oth year, — his constitution had been for many 
 years much broken ; and at no time, though robust in 
 frame, was he equal to the labour and the privations which 
 visitations of his vast Diocese, extending from Gaspd to 
 Sandwich, demanded. We may repeat now what was so 
 justly said of this distinguished prelate, in a brief sketch of 
 his life published in the "Church" newspaper in June, 
 1838: — "He was eminently a scholar, a gentleman, a com- 
 panion, a domestic guide and comforter ; and unite<^ in a 
 most remarkable manner, qualities which commanded 
 respect and reveren'ic, with a cheerful affability, and often 
 a j)layfulness, which th^-ew a charm about his society, and 
 made him, as it were, tl-e centre of a system, to the whole 
 of which he imparted light and warmth. In his performance 
 of the functions ])roper to tlie Episcopal office, the com- 
 manding dignity of his j)erson, the impressive solemnity of 
 his maimer, and the felicitous })ropricty of liis utterance, 
 gave the utmost effect and development to the beautiful 
 services of the Church. In the pulpit, it is perhaps not too 
 much to say, that the advantage of his fine and venerable 
 
 / 
 
 / 
 
112 
 
 cospect, — the grace, the force, the solemn fervour of his 
 <lelivery, — the power and happy regulation of his tones, — 
 the chaste expressiveness and natural significance of his 
 action, combined with the strength and clearness of his 
 reasoning, — the unstudied magnificence of his language, — 
 and that piety and rooted faith in his Redeemer, which 
 was, and shewed itself to be, pregnant with the imi)ortance 
 of its subject, and intent upon conveying the same feeling 
 to others, — made him altogether a preacher who has never, 
 in modern times, been surpassed." 
 
 He was succeeded by the Hon. and Rev. Charles James 
 Stewart, D.D,; whose coming to Canada is described as 
 follows in the narrative from which we have just quoted : 
 — "In the year 180G, the Bishop of Quebec, then in England, 
 was visited by the Hon. and Rev. Charles Stewart, brother 
 of the Earl of Galloway. He ex])ressed his desire of being 
 employed in the Canadas ; and his otters of service having 
 l>een accepted, he entered upon the arduous duty of a mis- 
 sionary in a remote station upon the borders of Lake 
 (.'hamplain." Here for many years he pursued his simple 
 duties, patiently and laboriously; and long will they, 
 amongst whom his first ]nis.sionary years were spent, 
 remember the warmth of unaffected piety, the devoted 
 earnestness, and the boundless benevolence of heart, b}' 
 which his faithful declaration of the Gospel message was 
 uniformly accompanied. About the year 1820 he resigned 
 the special charge to which he had so long devoted him- 
 self, and at the instance of the Bishop, became Visiting 
 Missionary of the Diocese, — going from one end of it to 
 another on horseback, accompanied by his servant, and 
 informing himself of the condition and wants of the several 
 parishes as he passed along. In 1825, the Archdeacon of 
 Quebec, was commissioned, while in England, to procure a 
 division of the Diocese, — Dr. Mountain having proposed to 
 assign to Dr. Stewart the episcopal charge of Upper 
 Canada, together with one-thiixl of his income. This pro- 
 
113 
 
 ])osal was fully agi'eed to by Hi.s Majesty 'h Government, 
 and the arrangement was about to be carried into effect, 
 when it was inteiTupted l)y the Bishop's death, and Di*. 
 Stewart succeeded to the whole charge of the Diocese. A 
 division under some other arrangement, was, it appears, 
 for the present abandoned. On the strangeness of this, we 
 have already briefly commented. 
 
 During the summer of 1824, when Dr. Strachan fii-st 
 visited England, an arrangement had been agreed to foi- 
 the division of Upper Canada into two Archdeaconries, — 
 one, the Archdeaconry of Kingston, to comprehend all that 
 portion of the country lying between the western extremity 
 of the Newcastle District and the eastern extremity of 
 of the Province ; the other, the Archdeaconry of York, to 
 (;omprise all the territory from the commencement of the 
 Home District eastwards to the western extremity of the 
 Province. The latter Arch<]eaconry was promised to Dr. 
 Strach.'in; the former being assigned to Archdeacon Stewart. 
 But it was not until the 28th June, 1827, that the Bishop 
 of Quebec was advise<l by the Colonial Secretary, that the 
 Letters Patent, authorizing this division, were issued ; and 
 that Dr. Stuart was to be instituted into the Archdeaconry 
 of Kingston, and Dr. Strachan into the Archdeaconry of York. 
 
 Duiing a residence of eighteen mc^riths in England and 
 Scotland, there were many personal incidents and public 
 events which Dr. Strachan would naturally refer to in his 
 correspondence. Tin; leaders of this narrative will, we 
 feel assured, ])e)-us(' with interest such reflections and 
 observations as we (^an extiact from letters written during 
 that interval. 
 
 On the li)th June, 182(>, he writes to a fiiend as follows, 
 on a scene familiar doubtless to many of our readers, but 
 by the greater number never witnessed : — 
 
 " Since 1 wrote, 1 have been to Oxford to stje the Couinieniora- 
 tion ; but uufortunately acme of my principal friends were absent. 
 15 
 
114 
 
 I did not, however, lose my journey ; as I had an opi)ortunity of 
 making some interesting inquiries, and of seeing {how ])ul)lic 
 ceremonies are conducted in so eminent a seat of learning. The 
 Commemoration was held in the theatre, which can hoM about 
 three thousand persons. It was nearly full, about one-third 
 of ladies, elegantly dressed ; the students in the upper galleries. 
 This public exhibition is considered a Saturnalia. The young 
 gentlemen hiss^ or applaud, all the professors and officers of the 
 University as they enter and retire. The Vice Chancellor for the 
 year seemed very much disliked, for the moment he appeared, 
 there was such a hissing and groaning as was indeed quite tre- 
 mendous. Then came in a popular professor, and he was loudly 
 applauded. Similar conduct was manifested to others. After 
 quiet was restored, the University Orator pronounced a Lntiu 
 oration in praise of benefactors ; but as he had lost all his upf)er 
 teeth, and is very old, it was difficult to undei'staiul a word he 
 said. Next, a young man rej»eated a prize Latin fM)em ; and as he 
 articulated admirably, we could follow him very tolerably. Home 
 of the verses were excellent ; but it was rather long for a public 
 recitation. Then we had an English essay on fiction ; very good, 
 and exhibiting no inconsiderable aouteness. After this, there 
 was a short j>oem of about fifty lines in English, — very poor 
 indeed. The Degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred upon Sir 
 Kob(!rt Inglis ; and others followed of inferior note. The 
 moment the business of the day was concluded, the hissing and 
 applauding recommenced, and I made my escape." 
 
 The following refer to visits to various friends in Scot- 
 land ; and .are extracted from letters bearing date October 
 9, and October 18, 1820 :— 
 
 *' On Monday last I set out in the coach for Newhaven ; Mr. 
 Hamilton, my ward, saw me on board the steamer ; and at two 
 o'clock, I was iu the manse of Kettle. Here I was received with 
 great kindness, and could not get away before Wednesday morning. 
 I reached St. AndrevvS before dinner, and found Professor Duncan 
 expecting me, and ready to greet me with all the warmth of 
 former friendship. Dr. Chalmers soon after came in, and was 
 
115 
 
 rejoice<l at my arriviil lie intended to have spent the evening 
 with us; but Mrs, Chalinei's, who hud hsi'U about all day, took 
 ill, and soon [)resented him with a daughter. He came over for 
 a moment to inform us of this happy event. 
 
 ** On Thursday, Mr. Duncan invited the Hunters and Dr. 
 Cliahncrs to dinner; and these gentlemen met very courteously, 
 and the ])arty was highly agreeable. Being seated next Dv. 
 Chalmers, I had much conversation with him, but chiefly in 
 reference to the situation of his brother Charles. 
 
 " I dined on Friday with Dr. James Hunter ; Mi-s. Hunter I 
 had not seen since her marriage. On Saturday I dined with Dr. 
 Chalmers and Professor Duncan, at old Dr. Hunter's, where we 
 had a good deal of pleasant conversation. On Sunday I preached 
 before Dr. Chalmers, ikc, in the chapel, and on the whole j>leased 
 them. To-day I set out for Dundee, and expect to reach 
 Aberdeen on Thuraday evening. I have been much gratified by* 
 the kindness I have experienced here. 
 
 '• I left St. Andrews on Tuesday, the 10th, — Dr. Chalmers 
 and Professor Duncan accom[)anying me to the pier. On 
 Wednesday, at Dundee, I went with Mr, Kerr, a writer, to 
 Meigle, to see William Scott, brother of our late Chief Justice, 
 whose mind is enfeebled. I chose to go without giving notice, 
 that I might see how he wiis treated. I carried with me his 
 father's and brother's watches, some rings, and other little mat- 
 ters. I found him poorly in health, but had i-eason to be satisfied 
 with his treatment, I, however, made arrangements for still 
 further increasing his comforts ; and as he was getting old and 
 frail, I raised tlie sum paid to the persons who board and lodge 
 him nearly one-half. He was delighted with the things I brought 
 him ; and the people were not less delighted at the augumentation 
 of their allowance, one quarter of which was paid in advance. 
 Mr. Kerr of Dundee, who is our man of business and of good 
 lepute, has the general trharge and attends to the payment of 
 expenses. We have left plenty of money in his hands ; and all 
 the instruction I gave him as to its application, was simply this, 
 to treat William Scott, as he would treat his own brother in the 
 same situation. 
 
 "We returned in the chaise to dine in Dundee; but the 
 arrangements necessary, and the settling of accounts, prevented 
 
116 
 
 my getting to Aberdeen until Friday evening, the 13th. 1 found 
 here a letter from the Colonial Office, wishing my speedy return ; 
 I therefore expect to be in Kdinburgh on Saturday <!vening, and 
 in London on Tuesday." 
 
 He arrived in Lonrlon on Tuesday, the 24th, at hali'-past 
 ten in the evening, and, writing to Professor Brown, Nov. 
 7, lie says: — 
 
 "I found my8(;lf sitting snugly by the fire in my own lodgings 
 about eleven. My landlord iu-ouglit nie up a large parcel of 
 letters from Canada, all of which 1 I'ead before going to bed. 
 The contents were jdeasant, exce[)t of one mentioning the death 
 of our adopted datightcu;* which, though long expected, is yet 
 a great afflictiim. She was »t> kind, so gentle, so affectionate. 
 Neither I nor Mrs. Strachan had any difference, even in feeling, 
 Ijetween her and our own childrei.. In many respects Mrs. 
 Brown resembles her ; not unlike in looks ; the same winning 
 modesty, the same retiring character, the same kindness of disposi- 
 tion. But this subject is painful. She was good, and has gone 
 to a better world, leaving a disconsolate husband, and one child 
 quite an infant. * * * * 
 
 " The Under-Secretary for the Colonies being at ljright<jn, I 
 went down to converse with him on many points which I had in 
 charge from the Colonial Government. T had an agreeable inter- 
 view of three hours with him ; and as we lodged at the same 
 hotel, there was no escaping nie." 
 
 The extraets tliat follow are from a letter to the same 
 gentleman, dated January 29th, 1827 : — 
 
 "There appear to be a great variety of opinions regarding the 
 war. Some think that it will come to nothing ; others believing 
 that Spain will commit aggressions, and that France is ready to 
 assist. I ara rather inclined t(> the former ; because the King of 
 France must feel that it is his interest to remain at peace, and 
 not again risk the prospect of a second exile. He is now too old 
 thus to begin the world. Was there ever so imprudent a speech 
 as that of Mr. Canning ] It indeed carried the House and 
 
 •The late Mm. Guy Wood, of Cornwall. 
 
117 
 
 country with him ; but eloquence is not reason, and now most 
 people condenm it in toto. It was calculated to irritite France, 
 without any benefit whatever ; and in the published edition, it 
 becomes rather a new speech than the one pronounced in the 
 House of Commons. i> * * * * • 
 
 " I have not been idle since my return : havin<j written a 
 pamphlet on Emigration of nearly 100 pages, and an appeal of 
 24 |)ages in favorr of our College. I have also veiy nearly 
 finished an abridgement of the Emigration Report of the House 
 of Commons Comnittee, which 1 undertook at the re(juc»t of the 
 Under-Secretary for the ColoTiies, Mr. Wilmot Korton ; and for 
 this service I am to get an Act of Parliament passed resjxfcting 
 the Colonies, which I have much at heart, and should rejoice 
 above all things to be able to carry out with the Charter of the 
 ITnivei-sity. That Kei)ort I reduce to less than one-seventh of 
 its original bulk, retaining everything useful. It contains nearly 
 400 folio pages : my work will be about 1.'30 octavo. 
 
 " 1 dined at Mr. William Horton's, a f(!W days ago, with Mr. 
 Malthus, the famous writer on fwpulation, and a Mr. T<;cke, 
 celebrated in the literary world, Lockhart, the Editor of the 
 C^iiarttu'ly, was also thenj. We had much convei"sation, and on 
 a variety of subjects ; particularly emigration, and the rapidity 
 f)f the increase of population. I did not find so much acuteucsH, 
 or (»riginality of remark, as I exj)ected. Mr. Malthus is rather 
 an I'.gly man, and speaks very thick and through his no.se. I 
 found no difficulty in taking a reasonable share in the conver- 
 sation ; and was enabled to make some remarks, from being so 
 long abroad in a growing country, that served to throw light on 
 the subjects discussed. * * * 
 
 '• I frequently see Mr. Campbell, th«j poet. He goes, down to 
 Glasgow, sometime in April, to be instfdled Rector, ft appeals 
 that a good deal of ojiposition was made to him on the part of 
 the Professors ; which I think foolish, as he is a (Jlasgow man. 
 But everybody does foolish things now and then, as well as th<5 
 Professors at Glasgow." 
 
 On the 2Lst of April, 1827, he writes as follows; just 
 afttn* the break-up of Lord Liverpool's administration : — 
 
118 
 
 " I am liappy to tell you, tliut f had the good fortune to 
 accoriij)li»h tlic iiioHt rnateritil partH of my mlsHion, before the 
 cvmh iimongHt the mitii.stry took [>lace. My University Charter 
 issued on the 22m\ of March, and I have had a i\iw eopie.n 
 printed. 
 
 " I «hould now be on my way to Canada, but 1 got a JJiH 
 introduced, in February, into Parliament, to enable the Crown to 
 Hell a portion of the Clergy Reserves ; as they are at present 
 totally un[)roductive, and a cause of clamour Jis being a barriei- t<» 
 iirij)rovement. I was anxious to avoid the great question that 
 has been agitated in the Colony about the meaning of the words 
 "Protestant Clergy," and confined myself sin ply to the pow(M- of 
 sale. But Mr. Stanley (the late Earl of D* rby) came forward 
 with a motion to investigate the whole matter, and of consc;- 
 qucnce the second reading of my Bill is put off to the first of 
 May. In the meantime, the old Ministry has fallen to pieces ; 
 and whether the ncnv Ministry will attend to my business, or 
 not, remains to bo seen. 
 
 " There is no conversation here but about the Mirnstry ; the 
 ex-Ministers say that they have been very ill-used. The King, 
 tlicy afTirm, never asked them to form a Ministry, nor made any 
 e<»mmunication that it was his Royal pleasure to aj)point Can- 
 ning Premier. The first intimation of this step was from that 
 gentleman himself, in a note addressed to each, not, it is said, 
 couched in partictilarly warm terms. This raised their indigna- 
 tion ; and they, 1 ajipreherid without much consideration, 
 resigned. Lord Melville, I have reason to know, had not made 
 up his mind an hour before he sent iu his resignation. Mr. 
 Canning finds much difficulty in arranging his administration, 
 and Parliament will find itself in a strange position when it 
 meets. It is confidently sjiid that Mr. Canning cannot stand any 
 time. I have no great ojjinion of his judgment, but I am rather 
 disposed to think that he will maintain his ground ; because 
 Lord Eldon is too old to take an active part much longer in 
 politics. Lord Bathurst, though a man of talents, is shy and 
 also of feeble health. The Duke of Wellington and Lord Mel- 
 ville are no 8j)eakets, and Mr. Peel is supjwsed to be wavering 
 between the two parties. 
 
119 
 
 " I got Lord Batluirst to givn directions concerning the 
 oiidowmcnt of our University, a few days before he resigned ; 
 and one of tlu very last Despatclics that his L'n-dship signed was 
 one settling our Courts of Law upon a basis wliich^ I bad drawn 
 up ; for, you see, we Colonists are obliged to turn our attention 
 to everything. 
 
 " [ have also been actively employed in clainung nssistujiee 
 from the great Church Societies towards forming a Library for 
 our University My ajiplication to the Society for the Propaga- 
 tion of the Cosjiel in Foreign Parts, has been successful; but 
 the Society for Promoting Christian Kn()wledge has demurred. 
 Here I was opposed by the Bishop of Chester (Blomfield) ; but 
 not being of a disposition to give up, I brought the matter for- 
 ward tlii-ci' tinjcH. On the two first attemjits I saw matters 
 going against me, and had the address to prevent the (|ucstii)n 
 troinj' to a vote. The third time I mustered all mv strength, and 
 «-arried a vote of reference to the Committee to consider n:y 
 ]>ropositiou faii'ly. This body will re])ort to the Society on the 
 ist of May, and I hope to beat the Bishoj).* 
 
 " In my application for Books to the University of Oxfonl, F 
 have failed : they are afraid of a precedent. The Church Mis- 
 sionary Society have behaved very well, having resolved to give 
 us i.'2(M) per annum, — £100 to a Professor of Indian languages, 
 jind .£1<M) for two .scholarships of £~)0 each, to educate tw(» 
 young men as Indian Mi.ssionaries. I went down to Canibridgi*. 
 to try what could be done there ; but I am not very sanguine. 
 The Vice Chancellor was very polite ; but iiothing can be done 
 till after Term commences in May." 
 
 Finding several acquaintances returning to Canada by 
 one of the London and New York line of Packet-.ships, he 
 •ijcterniined to adopt that route; and accordingly sailed from 
 Portsmouth, — where those vessels always touched, — on the 
 the 5th July, 1827. In a few weeks from that date he 
 reached his happy home; and the tranquillity there was all 
 the more grateful, from the storm of war which speedily 
 assjiiled him from without. 
 
 •■ *Tlie Society at a subsequent meeting voted £600 for thia object. 
 
120 
 
 CHAPTER XTV. 
 
 Tl»« Clergy Rp«(>rvt'H Cnvirovi^rny . — Hpecch in tlio Lpgwlative 
 Council in (h'fcuci'. of his conduct u|)on tlii.s Qncwtion, 
 
 /^I^N occaHJon oi' tlje flcatli of the Biyhop of Quebec, 
 w9 y rclato'l ill the last chapter, Dr. Strachan, as would 
 liave been expected, ])ieaelie(l a funeral .sermon. 
 In this was a veiy pleasinfj portrait of tlie dej)arte<l 
 prelate, and an allusion to other members of his family 
 wliicli we cannot lefrain from repeatin<( : — 
 
 "The Churches, thinly Hcattercd over this vawt country, bear 
 a Btrikin;^ resemblance to the small congregations of [)rimitive 
 (Christians in the days of the Apostles; but it is to he hoped 
 that, through the blessing of Cod, the intervening space will soon 
 bo adorned with now Congregations, till tlie whole jMjpuhition 
 shall become united in one holy communion. And when this 
 hii[)py j)eriod shall arrive, how muny pleasing associations will be 
 coupled in their minds with the recollections of the first Bishop 
 of the Diocese, wlio gave life and order to that religious establish- 
 nuiut which guides tliem to salvation ; impressing, as he did in his 
 dilfen-nt charges, on the attention of his Clergy, — the duty of 
 ] (reaching redemption, the doctrine of the atonement, the satis- 
 faction made for sinners by the blood of Christ; the corruption 
 of human nature, the insufficiency of man unasKistcd by Divines 
 grace ; the efficacy of the prayer of faitli ; and the purifying, 
 directing, sustaining, and sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit. 
 Now that he hath departed, let us have tL^sa things in remem- 
 brance. 
 
 "As a preaeher of the GosimjI, our late venerable Bishop must 
 have been heard, to form an adequate concepLion of his superior ^ 
 
121 
 
 t'xcelleiicc and coinniandiiig eloqueuc*'. The dignity of liirta|»|rt,'ur- 
 Htice, the chaHte propriety of hi.s action, the clearne^H of h'w voice 
 and rich ineh)di«'« of lii»4 tones, the earneHtncH.i of his manner, 
 added to the sublimity of the truthn he delivered in the mont 
 pure and pernpicuouH language, were never to be forgotten, and 
 never failed to make a dec[) imj)reaHion on hiH audience. In 
 England, he was couMidered one of the most imprcHsive and 
 eloquent 2»reacherM that the Church could boaxt ; and watt 
 earncHtly Holicited, when laHt in IauuIou, by the nianagen* of 
 charitable inntitution.s, iiotwith»tanding h'lH advjinccd age, t<» 
 preach their annivei-sary Hcrmoiw, With the recpiotttw of wjnie he 
 coni[)lied ; and h(^ has published a discourse, dtilivercid before the 
 Hociety for Recovering Drowned Pei-sons, which may be justly 
 pronounc(!d one of the most beautiful and interesting sermons in 
 the English language. 
 
 *' In his social and dom(^stic intercourse, the Bishop's manners 
 were particularly jdeasing ; uniting with great affability and 
 cheerfulnesH of disposition, those qualities which command respect 
 and secure esteem. All found themselves at ease in his presence ; 
 for so far was he from being a restraint on the young and lively, 
 that his occasional playfulness encouraged tlujir openness and 
 gaiety, while the dignity of his general deportment prevented the 
 innocent delights of the social circle from degenerating into 
 levity. 
 
 " His Lordship was singularly hai)py in his domestic relations. 
 Mrs. Mountain, in every respect worthy of such a husband, is in 
 her manners amiable and engaging ; in her religion sincere, active, 
 and cheerful ; in charity unbounded, without regard to sect oi- 
 nation; exhibiting in her whole conduct Christian lovo jim it 
 w(!re embodied. Who, that has lived in Quebec for the last 
 thirty years, can hesitate in bearing testimony to the unwearitjd 
 goodness of her heart, and the sweetness of her temj)er ; and who 
 that approached her, did not feel the influence of her Christian 
 purity and incessant benevolence, stealing upon the heart, and 
 inspiring him with similar sentiments and dispositions ? Every 
 day was an encomium on her character, as it never passed 
 without acts of charity and parental affection. It was her piety, 
 uniform and cheerful, — her meekness of disposition and anxiety 
 16 
 
122 
 
 to <lo gofxl, — which I'luh'anrd hor to nil her (v'lviuh, and guvc ht'r 
 huHlmixl and hor chlhJrcn ho many years of ihv most refined 
 donjostic felicity. 
 
 " Nor was the late liishop less blessed in his children, consist- 
 inj( of four sons attd two (laughters. Of the former, three have 
 foHowed their father's profession ; the fourth, wiio has chosen a 
 military life,* resembles the late Jiii-hop more than any of the 
 rest, not only in exterior form, but in the ((ualiticH of the; heart 
 and understandiit The writer of this was so forcibly struck 
 witli his noble bearing at a very early age, a« to enU'rtain the 
 most iiromising hojK-s of his futun; eminence, — ho|»es, that he 
 will not fail to be greatly distinguished, should opportunities for 
 the exertion of his talents ever be pn.'senti^d." 
 
 Tn this Sermon i.s given a brief Hketch of his Lordsliij/.s 
 labours in his vast Diocese, with a statement of the satis- 
 fjK'tory ]»rogress of the Church, lujtwithstaiiding the gi'oat 
 difficulties and discouragements which any Bishop, in those 
 days, would be compelled to encounter. The Clergy were 
 f(-w in number, and scattered over a range of 1200 miles; 
 and getting from place to i)lace was difficult and pre- 
 carious, — the conveyance by hind being in heavy o])en 
 waggons, and by water generally in birch canoes. Tln^ 
 population, too, was scant and scattered ; and few had tlie 
 means of contributing anything to the support of a clergy- 
 man. The Reserves were wholly unproductive, and tlu^ 
 Societies at home were comparatively feeble in resources. 
 All these were obstacles to the energy and effect of a 
 Bishop's duties, which can hardly be understood in -4h« 
 jjresent days of the country's gi-eat advancement. 
 
 ('onnected with this succinct account of the episcopal 
 work of the first Bishop of Quebec, a Table or Chart was 
 published, exhibiting the number of the Clergy of the 
 Church of England, — with a statement of their increase 
 from the date of the Bishop's arrival in Canada to the time 
 
 * The l»te Colonel Arnjine Mountain. 
 
123 
 
 of his fleath ; nnd tho namos of the Clorgy of the Kirk of 
 Sfotlntifl iiiiiiiHt«'ri?i;^ in t.liis PioviiH-c. Tin- snitstanco of this 
 rhiirt was rcptililislic*! in Enjjjlantj, as a irii'uh' to tho actual 
 rcii^Mons comlition of the country, now that jaildic attt-n- 
 tinn was HO cnt'r^^otii'ally inv(»k<'(l to th(; Huhjrct tlierc; iMid 
 wht'ii uM-nihrrs of the ITousc of Coninions wnc (h-niandin;^' 
 that inquiry into th«! sui>j«'ct, in view of tlie Ch;rgy Reserves 
 ))nn»eity, slioul'l l>e rigorously made. 
 
 ( ireatexee|)tion was taken to this Eeeh'siastical ( 'hart, and 
 its facts were most uncercnioniously impugned, not only in 
 Canada hut in EngUmd. Dr. Lee, tlio Modeiator of thfl 
 <»en«.'ral Assembly of tlie Kirk of Scothmd, was amongst 
 the most violent of its a^^sailants in the niotlua* countiy, 
 and he went so far jus to pnuiounce it a tissue of misr(!|)re- 
 sentations. That the grounds of his statements were m(»st 
 unsatisfactoiy, and the sources of his information most 
 un-trustworthy, may Ik; inferred from his assertion, in a 
 Memorial to the Colonial Secretary, that all the communi- 
 cants of the several congregjitions of the Church of Engian<l 
 in Upper Canada, amounted to only 118; in answer to whicli 
 Archdea<'()n Strachan affirmed that at his last celebration 
 of the hoi}' communion in York alone, their nundjer was 
 108 I This was followed uj) by a declaration of Mr, Hume, 
 that out of forty-four members of the House of Assenddy 
 in Upper Canada, only two belonged to the Church of 
 England ; whereas eighteen at the least professed to belong 
 to that Church. 
 
 But the attacks upon the Chart, and its author, within 
 the two Provinces, were much more numerous and far 
 more violent. We do not by any means affirm that the.se 
 were entirely unprovoked. Principles and feelings, based 
 upon ti'uth and promi)ted by honesty, are often expressed 
 with a freedom and plainness which cannot fail to be 
 offensive to those to whom, or of whom, they are spoken. 
 Nor is it always possible to avoid some exaggeration when, 
 in pleading zealously a good cause, facts and incidents are 
 
124 
 
 adduced to strengthen argument and maintain a position. 
 The Ecclesiastical Chart, its author himself admitted, 
 shewed some inaccuracies ; and while the best was made 
 of the case of the Church of P]ngland, in reitresenting her 
 condition in Canada, there was, it can hardly be denied, 
 some lowering and disparagement of the status of other 
 bodies of Christians. 
 
 One of the first who puV)licly assailed the Sermon and 
 the Chart within the Province, was a gentleman who sul)- 
 scribed himself a "Methodist ]^-eacher." His Review of 
 those publications was marked by no inconsiderable 
 ability ; yet characterized by a warmth and irreverence of 
 expression which a maturer experience would doubtless 
 have corrected. This was replied toby a young clergyman 
 who signed himself a "Member of the Church of England;" 
 and in the Kingston newspapers, — in the Chronicle on the 
 one side, and the Hi'vahl on the other, — the warfare 
 betwixt those two champions of opposite causes was, for 
 long months, vigorously carried on. It was from no lack 
 of zeal and industry on their part, if the Churc;h on the 
 one side did not come out triumphant, or anti-])relacy on 
 the other. They applied themselves earnestly and intelli- 
 gently to their work ; they were necessarily stimulated, 
 on each side, to nmch research ; authorities and arguments 
 nmltiplied as they advanced; and if, in their comnmni- 
 cations, there was a large sprinkling of not inapt Latin 
 <|Uotation8, the public mind was accustomed to this in the 
 parliamentary speeches of a Canning, a Brougham, and a 
 Peel ! 
 
 This particular controversy, — bearing chiefly upon the 
 (piestions of Episcoi)acy and Church Establishments, — had 
 pretty well spent its force before the return of Archdeacon 
 Strachan to Canada: but his arrival was the signal for 
 more direct and personal attacks. These thickened and 
 increased in vehemence as time adv^anced ; and now, in the 
 fury of the onslaught, the lead was taken by memben: of 
 
125 
 
 the Kirk of Scotland. The sfcorm was one of unprecedented 
 fierceness; but its character, and the way in which it was 
 borne, will be })e8t described in Archdeacon Strachan's own 
 words, in a letter to a friend in Scotland dated 12th A}>ril, 
 1 828 :— 
 
 " Having gotten nito an interminable papjr war, T have 
 abstained for some time from corresponding, in the hope of its 
 being brought to a close. This war was chiefly i)roduced by a 
 J )arcel of questions sent out by Dr. Lee to this country, to be 
 answered. Some of these were proi)Osed by the Commission 
 of the General Assembly, and some by Dr. Lee himself. Among 
 the latter was one in which my name was mentioned, and which 
 a{)jieared to imply doubt as to the correctness of the stiitemcnt I 
 had made to the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies. This 
 roused the fury of the whole Fresbyterian body, — who, in an 
 evil hour for themselves, commenced the controversy about the 
 Clergy Reserves, — and they were joined by all denominations. 
 'I'he position I occupy in the Colony, and my uncompromising 
 spirit, naturally ])ointed me out as the chief object of attack. 
 For many years I have excited the jealousy of the opponents of 
 the Government, and not a little of their hatred. The.se passions 
 were not diminished by the successful issue of my last journey to 
 England, — having obtained all the objects for which I had gone 
 home. The flood-gates of a most licentious i)ress were opened 
 upon me ; newspapers in both Provinces, day after day and week 
 after week, poured out the most rancorous calumnies and abuse 
 against me. Having very good nerves, I permitted them to rail 
 on ; and, conscious of my integrity, I maintained an invariable 
 silence. I am, indeed, so situated, that I cannot, with ])ropriety, 
 enter into a newspaper controversy ; nor can I descend to the 
 language made use of in such publications I was likewise dis- 
 posed to give my enemies time, that I might see how far their 
 passions would carry them ; and I looked for a reaction in my 
 favour from the efforts of my numerous friends in different jiarts 
 of the Province. For a time, however, the clamour and false- 
 hoods and abuse were issued with so much violence, that I verily 
 believe my friends and well-wishers were frightened, and dreaded 
 
126 
 
 to enter the lists, oi' make any attempt to resist the torrent. 
 Meanwhile T contintied silent ; no clamour, no falsehood could 
 alter ray plan. Persons, who had been under the greatest obli- 
 gations to rae, wrote violently against nie, — exposing ])riv;)ie 
 letters and communications ; but I remained silent. At lengrh 
 some j)apcrs appeared on my side ; their number increased ; and 
 having the better of the argument, they gradually drove our 
 enemies from the field. 
 
 " But although I considered that I could not, with dignify, 
 enter into a newspaper war, yet so many things had been said 
 against nu; that I felt it dutiful at last to break my silence, by 
 giving, in my place in the Legislative Council, a full re|)ly to all 
 that had been asserted against me. The Speech which I deliv- 
 ered upon that occasion, is considered a most triumphant refuta- 
 tion of the calumnies of my enemies." 
 
 The Speech here referred to was delivered on (jth of 
 March, 1828. It eouiprelicnds a general defence of the 
 .statements contained in the Ecclesiastical Chart, with the 
 admission of a few inaccuracies. It exhibits, in calm 
 language, what he had endeavoured conscienti<nisly to 
 edect in England for the permanent welfare of the Church, 
 and the establishment of a University on principles as 
 liberal as the British Government felt themselves justified 
 in sanctioning. 
 
 In the course of the Speech is adduced the opinion of an 
 able and rising lawyer in England, — who afterwards be- 
 came a Judge, — on the Clergy Reserves Question ; and this, 
 as a singularly able justification of the views of those who 
 maintained the exclusive right of the Church to that 
 property, our readers will not regret our adducing : — 
 
 " I am of opinion that the provisions of 31 Geo. HE. are appli- 
 cable ordy to the Clergy of the Church of England. Whatever 
 might have been the original meaning of the expression, ' A 
 Protestant Clertiy^ in 14 Geo. III., it apj)ears to me that the 
 subsequent instiuctions and message of His Majesty, recited in 
 
127 
 
 31 Geo. Ilf., together with the provisions of that Act, (and 
 especially that which speaks of institution and of the spiritual 
 jurisdiction of the Bishop) jjlaiuly point out that the expression 
 is to be understood as referring to the Clergy of the Church of 
 Kngland only. ^A Protedmd Cleryy ' evidently means one 
 single and entire body of jiersons : now, the Clergy of the 
 (JInirch of England, and those of the Kirk of Scotland can never 
 \\n-\\\ on(! body. If, therefore, the Clergy of the Kirk of Scotland 
 be let in, there is no reason why any other denomination of Dis- 
 senters should not also be admitted ; and the words *yl Protes- 
 tant Clcrijy ' must then be taken to iUean Protestant ministers, 
 ov teachers, — which appears to me to b^ absurd. The expression 
 was used in contradistinction to the Romish Clergy ; and 
 although I am not prepared to say that an establishment, similar 
 to the Kirk of Scotland, might not have satisfied the words of 14 
 Geo. III., yet I am quite convinced that it would not have 
 satisfied those of the 31 Geo. III. Being of opinion, therefore, 
 that the Acts contemplate one single body of Protestant Clei-gy, 
 I have no doubt that the Clergy of the Church of England are 
 that body ; and the erecting the Provinces into a Bishopric, and 
 everything done since, plainly shews that such is the right inter- 
 pretation. I am also of opinion, that the Governors of the 
 Provinces, acting under His Majesty's direction, cannot legally 
 make any appropriation to the ministers of other Churches. I 
 think that nothing short of an Act of the Legislature, confirmed 
 in England, can authorize them to do so. The Charter of April, 
 1819, would create a difliculty in the jtassing of any such Act ; 
 and without a new Act, that Charter alone would almost decid«? 
 tlie (|uestion." — (Signed) John Patteson. Temple, May 20, 1824. 
 
 There is a touching reference in the Speech to the 
 acrimonious personalities in which many writers indulged, 
 and the severance of old friendships to which this unhappy 
 controversy gave rise. The impression it made, both upon 
 the House and throughout the country, was very favourable. 
 Public opinion underwent a decided improvement; and, in 
 the Legislative Council, a Resolution was passed, without 
 a dissentient voice, declaring that, " in relation to a certain 
 
128 
 
 Letter and Ecclesiastical Chai-t, said to have been addressed 
 by Archdeacon Strachan to the Under Secretary of State 
 for the Colonies, and in his agency in procuring the Charter 
 fur the University of King's College, he hath explained his 
 conduct, in relation to the same, to the Scitisfaction of this 
 House." 
 
129 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Dejjarturo of Sir Peregrine Miiitluud. — His successor Sir John 
 Colboriie. — Contii)ucd Agitation on the Clergy Reserves and 
 Univei-sity Questions. — Revolutions in Europe, and Political 
 Changes in England. — Breaking out of the Cholera in 1832. 
 
 '^'''N the summer of 1828, there was a new Election in 
 Upper Canada ; and the hustings cry was the Clergy 
 Reserves and the University. The position main- 
 tained by the Church of England, headed by Archdeacon 
 Strachan, was declared to be dangerous to the civil and 
 religious liberties of the Province ; and the University, as 
 constituted by its Charter, was considered as throwing the 
 benefits of a superior c' ucation exclusively into the hands 
 of the members of the Church of England. 
 
 The fallacy of these assertions it is not necessary for us 
 now to controvert; nor is it incumbent upon us, at this 
 distant period, to shew the unreasonableness of disputing 
 the right of the Crown and Parliament of Great Britain 
 to dispose of their own property, — acquired by conquest 
 when there was scarcely a settler in the Province, — in 
 such manner as, in their wisdom, would be now and 
 hereafter most advantageous. 
 
 But unreasonable and untenable, or not, such was the 
 ciy rung from end to end of the Province, by aspirants for 
 seats in the Legislative Assembly. The passions and preju- 
 dices, as well as the selfish feelings of the people, were vehe- 
 mently appealed to ; and even their fears were worked 
 upon by pourtraying the civil and religious despotism 
 which a " Dominant Church " would be sure to establish. 
 17 
 
130 
 
 All those arts, in short, were seflulously and flexteroiisly 
 employed, which persons conversant with electioneering 
 tactics, can so well understand. They had a marked 
 success^in the ])resent instance, and a sweeping majority 
 were"returned arlverse to the views of C*hurchmen, and of 
 Conservatives generally, on those two (piestions. 
 
 The Lieutenant Governor of the Province, Sir Peregrine 
 Maitland, was spared tlie discomfort of meeting this 
 formidable opposition; for tabout the close of the year 
 1828, he was transferred to the Government of Nova 
 Scotia ; and, as the latter was an older colony, it was 
 regarded as a promotion. We need but briefly advert 
 again to Sir Peregrine Maitland. He was personally an 
 excellent man, and had very good abilities an<l nmch 
 acquired knowledge ; but he was of too quiet a spij-it for 
 the turbulence of the time that had arrived ; and it needed 
 ♦ more energy of character, and a more free an<l populai' 
 manner than nature had endued him with, to guide through 
 the troubled waters the little vessel of state entrusted to 
 him. 
 
 He was succeeded by one with more vigour, but less 
 ability ; of more popular manners, though with a less clear 
 or discriminating judgment, — Major General Sir Jf)hn 
 Colborne. He was every inch a soldier ; and events 
 proved that he was rarely at fault, when called upon to 
 discharge the duties of the profession to which he had 
 given his best years. He was a man, too, of pure and 
 honourable ndnd ; with decided religious impressions ; and 
 most anxious for the welfare and advancement of the 
 Church of England to which he belonged. 
 
 He came to the country with some opinions and pre- 
 judices, which the course of events very speed'^y induced 
 him to change. He was not long in discovering that the 
 alleged grievances of the political party now in the ascen- 
 dant, existed mainly in their own imaginations ; and that 
 the selfish exactions and don^i^ee^ing arrogance of the 
 
131 
 
 " Family Compact," as they were termed, were more a 
 fancy than a reality. 
 
 His favourite idea, in regard to the establishment of the 
 Church, was to mark out parishes where there was a 
 sufficient population, and appropriate to each a suitable 
 endowment in land ; assigning to their respective incum- 
 bents, besides, a small stipend in money, derived from the 
 general j)rocecds of the Reserves. In regard to the residue 
 of this property, he was disj)osed for any compromise that 
 would bring peace to the public mind, without too great a 
 sacrifice of what might be deemed vested interests. 
 
 On the subject of the University, he did not dissent 
 from the justice and expediency of appropriating the 
 endowment by which it was to be maintained ; nor did he 
 appear to desire that the (Charter should be more open than 
 it was. But he differed from many, — and from Archdeacon 
 Strachan amongst the number, — as to the expediency of 
 pressing the .immediate establishment of this highest seat 
 of learning; when, as he contended, the means provided 
 for an essential preliminary education, were so very unsatis- 
 factory. None of our Grammar Schools, at the time, 
 enjoyed a very high reputation ; and he considered that 
 steps should at once b(! adopted for elevating the standard 
 of education, and so ensure (qualified pupils for the curricu- 
 lum of a tJniversitv. This led to the establishment of 
 Up|>er (Canada (College, — at first, more pointedly to desig- 
 nate its object, named Minor College ; and this Institution 
 he got into operation in a marvellously shoi't period after 
 its first inception. In one year, indeed, after his arrival in 
 Canada, all the arrangements for its practical working were 
 made, and the staff of Masters on the spot. 
 
 At first, it was thought he desire<l the abolition of the 
 Grammar Schools, and that this collegiate institution should 
 be made to supersede them all, — new Colleges of the same 
 character to be elsewhere established, as circumstances might 
 require. But this idea was strenuously controverted, as 
 
182 
 
 likely mo«t seriously to limit the oppoiiunities of obtaining a 
 liberal education in a countiy of such vast extent as Canada. 
 Moreover, whatever soundness there might be in the argu- 
 ments of Sir John Colborne upon this ])oint, — and we admit 
 that they were not without force, — it would have been 
 cruel to the j)Cople of Upper Canada, suddenly to have 
 abolished the District Grammar Schools. 
 
 The carrying out of his favourite jn'oject by establishing 
 Upper Canada ( 'ollege, necessarily retarded the inauguia- 
 tionofthe University; and all that was done for many 
 subsequent years, was to (juarrel over the details of its 
 Charter, and have it modified, if possible, into such n 
 sha})e as would meet the popular demands. 
 
 The year following, 1830, proved a year of revolutions 
 in the older world. The King of France was dethroned, 
 and the dynasty of the Orleans succeeded to that of the 
 Bourbf)ns. The latter was too feeble and antirpiated to 
 meet the spirit of the times ; and the former had hardly 
 the enjoyment of even one generation of royalty. But the 
 revolutionary spirit did not stop with France ; it speedily 
 penetrated across its north-eastern l)ord(irs into the Low 
 Countries ; and, in a few months, these were divided into 
 the two kingdoms of Holland and Belgium. There were 
 shakings of other nations, and threatenings of other ciowns; 
 l)ut the ferment passed gradually away, and events rela])sed 
 into their old courses, 
 
 England did not altogether escape the general commo- 
 tion. There was a new Parliament consequent on the death 
 of George IV. and the accession of the now King, William 
 the Fourth ; the ancient Tory domination was overthrown, 
 and the Whigs succeeded to office. There was a promised 
 Reform of Parliament ; and the country, — wiser than their 
 continental neighbors, — was content to await the consti- 
 tutional means of redressing its grievances. In the exhi- 
 bition of these tlie Church did not escape ; there were 
 undefined complaints of exorbitant and unequally dis- 
 
133 
 
 tributed wealth ; Jind thero woh the aftirniation, — not 
 altogether groundless at tlie time, — that the Church was 
 not faitliful to her trust, and afforded not tliat evidenci' 
 of zeal and l)iety in her Clergy, without wliieh the grand 
 end of her establishment was not answered. 
 
 The appi'ehen.sion was felt tiiat this disquiet in England, 
 and the nninnurings especially against the Established 
 ( 'liurch, would seriously damage its j)osition here ; and give 
 strength, nwd perha]»s success, to the opjjosition it was 
 encountering. It is true that this was just now in some 
 de;jree abated. On the demise of George IV. a new Parlia- 
 merit must be elected in Canada; and the new House, as 
 )es|)ected Conservative tone and friendliness to the Church 
 of Krigland, was a decided improvement upon the last. 
 
 From the force of these apprehensions, the Bishop of the 
 Diocese, Dr. Stewart, wa.s strongly urgerl by Archdeacon 
 Strachan and others to proceed to England; as, from family 
 connexion, he had influence with several of the Ministry, 
 and It would be desirable in discussions that might arise 
 upon Colonial Churcli matters, — heated and out of tone as 
 the pul)lic mind was, — to have some influential perscm upon 
 the s[)ot to furnish information, and aftbrd explanations 
 where there might be doubt or difficulty. It was arranged 
 that the writer of this Memoir should accompany the 
 Piishop to England, having given to those topics of contro- 
 versy much attention and study. They sailed from New 
 York on the 24th March, 1831, but did not arrive in London 
 until the 30th April. 
 
 No measure, adverse to the Church in Canatia, was 
 initiated by the new Government; and, from the political 
 lull in the Colony, no such nieasure was forced upon their 
 attention. Lord Goderich, at that time Oolonijil Secretary, 
 was personally most friendly ; and was desirous of being 
 I'urnished with a scheme, by which a suitable support could 
 be assured to the Church in Upper Canada out of the 
 Clergy Reserves property, so an to leave the Crown in 
 
134 
 
 possession of a reasonable portion to bo applied to other 
 religious interests. This was made out with much care, 
 and very well received. Much consultation was had, too, 
 with Lord (ioderich in regard to the University, on the 
 exclusiveness of whose charter he had been so nuich 
 . assailed; and his Lordship made a proposition which I 
 strongly advised the Bishop to accept. This was, to divide; 
 the University endowment; giving one-half to the Church 
 of England, with her present Charter unchanged ; and tin; 
 Cfther half to the Province for the establishment of a Uni- 
 versity entirely satisffictory to the Colonial mind. Others 
 of more weight and experience offered different advice; ; 
 y; and much to the disappointment of Lord Ooderich, the 
 ^ Bishop felt himself obliged to decline tfic proposal. Events 
 have shewn that it would have been wise to have accei>ted 
 tli<; offer of Lord Ooderich. 
 
 This plan having failed, his Lordship on the 2nd of No- 
 vember of that year, transmitted a Despatch to Sir John 
 Colborne, suggesting certain modifications of the Charter. 
 These were discussed from time to time, and were at 
 hiTigth substantially adopted. It was now provided thnt 
 "th(! Judges of His Majesty's Court of King's Bench shoidd 
 be Visitors of the (jollege, in the place and stead of the 
 Lord Bishop of the Diocese ; that the President of the 
 University, on any future vacancy, should be appointed by 
 His Majesty, without requiring that he should be an 
 incumbent of any ecclesiastical office ; that it should not 
 be necessary that any member of the College Council, or 
 any Professor, should be a member of the Church of Eng- 
 land, or subscribe any articles of religion, other than a 
 declaration that they believe in the authenticity and 
 Divine inspiration of the Old and New Testaments, and 
 in the Doctrine of the Trinity ; and that no religious test 
 or (pialification bo reejuired of any ])orson admitted or 
 matriculated as scholars within the College, or of persons 
 admitted to any degree or faculty therein." 
 
135 
 
 About iliiH jK^iod, tli<! Aididfaeon indulged himself in a 
 little icspite from the lianusHing Hn<l manifold toiln and 
 anxieties of his offiee, by making a trip to Halifax. This 
 he briefly deHcribes in a letter to a friend in Scotland : — 
 
 "1 liiive juMt returned from a long journey ; having gone as fur 
 MH Ifalifiix, the CHpital of Novji HcotiH, diMtant from York 1400 
 niilcH, — not indeed no much uh this, in n direct line, but in the 
 way J foiuid it necoHHury to go, 1 took with me my eldcMt 
 daughter, Elizabeth, to shew her a little of the world, Firnt, we 
 went to New York, 000 miles ; thence to Boston, 200 ; thence by 
 Hea to Halifax, four or five hundred miles. At sea we were ail 
 sick, and the ship was like a hospital. At Halifax we remained 
 eight days, chiefly with Sir Peregrine Maithjnd, who was for- 
 merly our Governor, and has been transferred to Nova Scotia. 
 This Province hits a strong resemlilance, in its rocky coast and 
 vast heaths, to old (^'aledonia. 
 
 "As I was nearly u» sick as my daught<jr iu coming from 
 Boston to Halifax, 1 determined to try the other route, for there 
 is but one other. Accordingly, I proceeded acros.s the coimtiy 
 to Anna|)olis on the Bay of B^undy. On my way, I stopped two 
 days with the Bishop of Nova Scotia ; who is a good Tory, as all 
 sensible men are. He has a fine family, and is quite the gentle- 
 man and no fanatic. Having finished our visit, wo came to 
 Ainiapolis Eoyal, — once the capital (»f the c(»untry, when the 
 French were in iM)sses8ion. It lies at the head of a most beautiful 
 and extensive basin, communicating by a narrow throat with the 
 Bay of Fundy, and capable of containing all the fleets of the 
 world. It is, nevertheless, falling into decay ; as it has Halifax 
 oil the east, and St. John's on the west, to contend with ; and 
 both these possess greater advantage as depots for the surrounding 
 country. 
 
 "We crossed the Bay of Fundy, 30 miles, in a most miserable 
 steam-boat, and reached St. John's late in the evening. Hero 
 we were detained two days, and on reaching Eastport, the fii-st 
 town in the United States we come to, we found that the 
 packet had sailed to Boston. Not easily bafHed, I found a shij) 
 for Portland, 113 miles from Boston ; and as the land road was 
 
13d 
 
 wrotchecl, I wiuj induced t« commit myself again to the wavcH. 
 \V<! had bad wcHth<'r, were dt'tiiined by win<l and stormH live 
 days in a wretched veHMcl, and at lawt got to I'ortland in a UnnpfHt 
 of wind and rain. Finding the road good from this phiee to 
 Boston, and cmite siek of the sea, we went by hmd to tiiat city. 
 This is one of the finest 1 have yet seen in tlie United States, 
 and the society is more English. 1 remained there a few days, 
 and was very much jdeased, receiving great hospitality. From 
 this the way home is direct and without difficulty." 
 
 Nothing oecurrod, Hpucially aHectiiig the int(;ri^sts of 
 (.'liurcli mid State in Canada, for Honm time ; but in tin; 
 Hiunuicr of 1832, tlio Province was viHitod l>y a .scourge 
 unkm)wn in all its previous history, and the cause of dis- 
 tress and sorrow far and wide. This was the Asiatic 
 Clujlera, which broke out in Quebec in the month of June, 
 (•onveye<l in one of the emigrant ships: and there, and in 
 Montreal, it was atten<lcd with an unprecedented mortality. 
 It soon reached Kingston and York, and it careered west- 
 wards to the extremity of Upj)er Canada, Its ravages, and 
 the panic it created, are thus graphically described by the 
 Archdeacon, in a letter to a friend abroad, dat^d the 22nd 
 September, 1832 :— 
 
 ** We are just beginning to breathe from the Cholera. Next 
 to Quebec and Montreal, this jdace suffered most ; some indeed 
 say that it has been more fatal here, than in any other place on 
 tln! continent. The stream of emigration has been very great 
 this season ; upwards of i)0,000 have already landed at Quebec ; 
 and four-fifths of this number direct their course t<:> U[»per 
 Canada, — the majority of them reaching this place. The journey 
 from Quebec (GOO miles) is so long and tedious, that it exhaustH 
 the little pittance they had on landing ; so that a great ])ortion 
 of them arrive here penniless. The terrible disease attacked 
 them as they journeyed hither ; many died on the way ; othc^rs 
 were landed in various stages of the disease ; and many were 
 seized after they came aniong us. In short, York became one 
 general hospital. We had a large building fitted up comfortably 
 
187 
 
 f(»r the rocoption of the Cholera putientM ; but the cases were mo 
 nutneroti.s tliat iiiiiDy couM not he conveyed to it, and remained 
 at their own houses, or lolgingi* It is computed that out? in 
 four ot the adultn of this town were attacked, and that one-twelfth 
 of the whole population died. Our duty, an you will understand, 
 throwH UH, Clergymen, into the very niidwt of such calamities ; as 
 at no time, more than during such contagious s!cknes.s, do peojde 
 require the consolations of religion. Unfortunately, my assistart 
 in the parish was attacked a day or two after the disease appeared 
 among us, and became so nervous that I could not send him to 
 the Cholera hospital. The whole fell, then^fore, upon me ; and 
 often have I been in the malignant ward with hIk or eight expi- 
 ring around nie. The foulness of the air, U)o, was at times 
 overpowtu'ing ; biit I have always, by the blessing of God, found 
 my nerves equal to the occasion, and it seems as if this summer 
 I was stronger than us lal, and fully equal to the increase of 
 labour thrown upon me. The disease has now almost entirely 
 ceased ; but it has left many blanks in our society, and, what is 
 still more painfid, about one hundred widows and four hundred 
 children, — all strangers in a strange land, and dependent ujkjm 
 the charity of those amongst whom the Providence of God has 
 thrown them. * ;> * 
 
 *'Wc are building a magnificent Church, 149 feet by 80 ; 
 which, on a i)inch, will accommodate three thousand people. Th«; 
 foundation stone was laid l)y His Elxcellencv, the Lieutenant 
 Governor, on the 7th June last, and now the loof is being put on. 
 
 "The University remains in statu quo; it is so easy to do 
 evil, and so difficult often to do good. I shall soon get too old 
 to care anything regarding it; however, I have done my duty 
 by it and by the Church." 
 
 York WJ18 full of the praiscfi of Archdeacon Strachan for 
 his wonderful energy and kindness during the melancholy 
 period of the Cholera visitation ; and so strong was the 
 feeling of admiration for his exertions, that at a meeting of 
 several of the inhabitants, it was resolved to present him 
 with a piece of plate as a memorial of tLair respect and 
 gratitude. This was a handsome silver va.se of the value 
 _ 18 
 
138 
 
 of £100; and, graven on the tripod, it is recorded that it was 
 presented as a " Memorial of their respect and gratitude, 
 for his fearless and humane devotions to his pastoral duties 
 during seasons of great danger and distress from the 
 visitation of an apalling pestilence." A suitable address 
 a(X'ompanied tliis presentation ; and the following exti-act 
 from the Archdeacon's reply deserves a lasting record : — 
 
 '* The great exertions which I was enabled, through the Divine 
 blessing, to make during the raging of the pcHtilence, and which 
 have called forth this spontaneous expression of your fiiendly 
 attachment, were, I believe, far easier to me than they would 
 have been to many of su))erior merit, but of weaker nerves and 
 less j)hysical energy. 
 
 "Not that I was insensible to the danger to which I was 
 exposed, in my frequent communication with the sick and dying ; 
 but being in the discharge of a most important duty, — a duty 
 which, in my opinion, admits neither of choice nor deliberation, 
 of which our holy Church requires the immediate performance, 1 
 committed myself to God, and proceeded luulisniayed by any 
 apprehension as to pei-sonal consequences. 
 
 " The ways of God are often dark and mysterious ; but an 
 abiding confidence in His moral government, through Christ, will 
 teach us that all things work together for good to them that lov»^ 
 God. Ai. ' reflecting persons must feel, that such awful visitations 
 as we have experienced, by drawing out the lively exercise of the 
 Christian virtues, unite the truly religious more closely even in 
 this world, and produce in tlieir minds a growing inclination 
 towards the life to come." 
 
 Towards the close of the .summer of 18.*32, the Bishop of 
 Quebec, (Dr. Stewart,) held a visitation of the C'lergy of the 
 Diocese both at Kingston and Yoric. There was a good 
 attendance at each place; and his Lordship delivered a 
 charge, dwelling chiefly upon the acts and results of his 
 recent visit to England. The visitation sermon at York 
 was preached by the Archdeacon ; and the lull in contro- 
 vereial strife gave liim the opportunity of expressing some 
 kind sentiments in regard to the various other religious 
 bodies of the Province. 
 
139 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. . 
 
 Letter to Dr. Chalinois on ilie Life and Character of Bishop 
 llobart. — Presentation of a piece of Plate by his Cornwall 
 
 Piipilis. 
 
 SHORT time Ix'foi'e the breaking out of the Cholera 
 in U|)j)er Canada, Avchdeacon Strachan published a 
 Letter to his friend Dr. Chalmers, in Scotland, on 
 the Life and (Hiaracter of Bif*hop Hobart of New Yoi'k. 
 This highly distinguished prelate <lied at Auburn, a village 
 in his Diocese, in the summer of LS30, — having been seized 
 with a severe, and as it })roved fatal, illness while engaged 
 in his e})iscopal <luties. It Iiappened, providentially, that 
 at this sad time he had the iiui'sing, care »nd affectionate 
 attention of Dr. and Mrs. Rudd, two of his oldest and most 
 attached friends. 
 
 This publicati<in was remarbal)ly well received, and was 
 pronounced at the time the most interesting and attractive 
 that had ever come fi-om his pen. Bishop Hobart had long 
 been a warm friend of the Archdeacon's ; and the leading 
 points of his active and useful life gave opportunity for 
 dilating upon topics which excited much interest at the 
 time, and on which the Church was at variance with the 
 general tone of religious thought in America. 
 
 Bishop Hobart was raised to the Episcopate at a time 
 when the Church in the United Sta-tes was comparatively 
 feeble, and when little effort had been made to present her 
 <'laims before tliQ world. Her enemies took advantage of 
 this supineness, and pursued their attacks with unusual 
 violence. At this juncture Bishop Hobart came to the 
 rescue. 
 
140 
 
 "A defender had arisen," says the Archdeacon, "whom they 
 knew not of. Dr. Hobart, unfurling the bainier of evangelical 
 trjxth and apostolic order, marched with fearless intrepidity to 
 the front of the battle, and put the enemy to flight. Thousands 
 were astonished to find that the claims of the ' Protestant Epis- 
 copal Church/ both in j)urity and government, could be so firmly 
 established, and that she was so strongly entitled to the character 
 of primitive and apostolic. A more general and correct know- 
 ledge now exists among the people of our communion in the 
 United Htates, respecting the government of the Church, the 
 beauty and excellence of her forms, the purity of her princi(>les, 
 and the spirituality of her devotions, tharr even in England ; 
 and all this chiefly owing to Dr. Hobart's judicious and powerful 
 labours. Instead of reposing any longer on loose opinions, taken 
 up without examination in these matters^, people were roused to 
 their consideration by his cogent reasons, apt illustrations, and 
 powerful appeals to ecclesiastical history, which proved, beyond 
 controversy, that the government of the Church, the orders of 
 the ministry, and thoir regular succession from the Apostles, 
 were not questions of slight mouuuit, or to be treated safely 
 either with silence or contempt. 
 
 " Truth is never sown without fruit ; and the claims of the 
 Church to a near affinity with that of the A})0stles, soon began 
 to he acknowledged by numbers who had hitheito been her 
 enemies. Many admitted, with true Christian candour, their 
 total ignorance of such matters till thus forcibly brought before 
 them. The Americans are an acute and inquiring ])eople ; and 
 the discussions on Church Government and Forms of Prayer 
 have awakened, in the minds of many, recollections of what their 
 fathers had been. On others, who had their denomination to 
 choose, the information drawn out by these debates came as a 
 stream of benignant light, and a feeling in favour of the good old 
 ways was widely engendered. This being the case, it only 
 required an active superintendence and a commanding mind to 
 reap the most abundant harvest. This requisition Dr. Hobart 
 most amply satisfied. When he was ordained in 1798, New 
 York State contained but twenty Episcopal clergymen ; and in 
 1811, when he vrajS raised iq the mitre, only tweuty-tUi'*:'?- ; giving 
 
141 
 
 ill thirteen years a miserable increase of three ; while, during the 
 following nineteen years of his Episcopate, the increase was one 
 hundred and eleven ! " 
 
 Fi'oni a .sense of duty, Bishop Hol>art «k'cliiie(l that 
 union with other* religious Ijodies which is so often urged 
 on the plea that the Christian cause, for its more extended 
 influence, demands the united effort of all its ])rofessois. 
 He repudiated, in short, that sort of " Evangelical Alliance," 
 which, under many aspects, meets with well-meaning sup- 
 porters; but which, while it obviously rests upon an 
 unsound basis, has never exhibited any very encouraging 
 [practical results. 
 
 •' Bishop Hobart," suys the Archdeacon, '• highly disapproved 
 yf litTcrent denominations uniting for religious purposes. He 
 ])laced himself, from the first, in mild but firm oppositif)n to the 
 Bible Society. He considered such an institution, so far as his 
 commtinion was concerned, totally unnecessary, because every 
 good which it ju'oposed might be nmch better and more con- 
 veniently accomplisiied by the orthodox Society already belonging 
 to the Church; and should this Society deem it expedient to 
 circulate a larger proiwrtion of Bibles than had been hitherto 
 done, it was fully in their power to increase their subscription 
 for this purpose. He deemed the Bible Society further objec- 
 tionable, bec:iuse, having the same object as the Bible and 
 Prayer Book Society, it became, from the first, a sort of rival, 
 — absorbing funds, inasmuch as our jieople assisted, which in 
 jiistice belonged to the latter." 
 
 '* Our distinctive princij)les, and the foini of our Church V 
 Covernnient, preclude its members, in my ophiion, from joining ^ 
 [>roniiscuously with other denominations for religious jjurposes ; ^ 
 although many do so, whose purity of intention I have no reason 
 to question, whatever I may think of their judgment and con- 
 sistency. With her ministers this duty is stronger, or rather to 
 join such is altogether incompatible with their sacred office. 
 Bishop Hobart did not merely admit, but insisted on the impor- 
 tance of disseminating such religious tracts as exhibited views of 
 
142 
 
 Divine truth in accordance nitli the sentiments of onr Church, 
 and explained her institutions ; but iu regard to Tract Societies, 
 he most judiciously observed, Hhat a union here with our 
 Christian brethren who differ from us, must inevitably, to say 
 the lesvst, endanger our religious system, eitlier by circulating 
 sentiments in dissonance with our distinctive, principles ; or, by 
 keeping them out of view, in a general association of connuandiug 
 influence, lead to the belief that they are of little importance." 
 
 Bishop Hobart's. .strength of body wa^; not e(|ual to the 
 energies of his mind, and it began to give way under his 
 various, extensive and incessant labours. Thorough repose. 
 and change of air and scene were recommended; and at 
 the instance of his friends he sailed for England in Sep- 
 tember, 1823. During his absence, whicli continued for 
 about twt) y(nirs, he made the tour of England, Scotland, 
 and Ireland, and visited France, Switzerland, and Italy ; 
 and returned, thorougl dy renovated in health and spirits. 
 
 *' Soon after his arrival," says the Archdeacon, "he gave free 
 vent to his feelings of love and affection for his friends, his 
 ))arishioners, and his native land, in a discourse from the pulpit ; 
 which, being afterwards published, attracted no small degree of 
 notice in England as well as in the United States." [Tliis sermon 
 «'Xf)ressed strong objections to the union of Church and State, 
 and dilated with some severity on the social condition of England, 
 especially as regarded the lower orders.] " I honour most cor- 
 dially that devotedness to his own native land, which makes a 
 man cherish and love it above all other lands. But the Bishoi>, 
 as his best friends confessed, went too far. Not .satisfied with a 
 genei'al exj)iession of his preference, he entered into detail ; and 
 here he failed. His opjjortunities of observation in England 
 were not sufficient to enable him, acute as he was, to get to the 
 bottom of all points upon which he speaks and decides with the 
 utmost confidence ; and he seemed to have forgotten that his 
 Church could not have flourished and increasftd as it has done, 
 but through the aid derived from the support given to it by our 
 monarchs, while it was [)art of the establishment of the empire. 
 
143 
 
 " I dined alone with Bishop Hobart on my way to England^ 
 in March, 182G, and the conversation turned on the sermon, 
 whiclx had not been long published. I expressed my regret that 
 it liad ever seen the light, for it was the only one of all his works 
 I could not approve of. I told him I wasprei)ared to admit that 
 it was extremely difficult for a ])erson, boj-n and bi'ought up in 
 the United States, to appreciate the vast benefits of an Estab- 
 lished Church, with its |)arochial ministers distributed through 
 the whole country in settled residences, and with a given space * 
 in which to labour for the temi)oral and eternal happiness of the 
 population. By this means all the people have access to religious 
 instruction. A reverence is thus kept up in their minds f(»r 
 what is pure and holy ; and their number being small, ana living 
 iis it were together, the Clergyman soon becomes acqxiainted with 
 every individual, both old and young, and is able to visit them 
 frecpiently at their own houses. He becomes their friend and 
 mlviser, the compo.ser of differences, the promoter of peace aiul 
 •'ontentinent, the catechizer of the children, the encournger of 
 iiulustry, sobriety, and all the virtues that make man ])rosj)('rous 
 and haj>py hero and hereafter. 
 
 "As the comparison is bi^tween England and the United 
 Htates, 1 shnll confine m.yself, 1 said, to these two countries. The 
 Church of England is commensurate with the natural boundaries v 
 of the country. This consists of about 5o,000 square miles, 
 containing 14,000,000 of inhabitants, and is divided into about 
 i 1,000 parishes. The number of Clergymen actually employed 
 in parochial duties are not fewel" than 10,000. This gives an 
 average of about 900 souls, or about 200 families to each Clergy- 
 nian It is evident that the moral effect of such a body of men 
 daily mixing with their people must be very great, more 
 especially as they arc quite independent of them for subsistence. 
 
 "Let us now look at the Episcopal Church of the United 
 States, and see what moral effect it can have on the poptilatiiui, 
 as a source of (Christian instruction. To give you every advan- 
 tage in this matter, I shall confine myself to the State of New 
 Y«)rk, where the E|»iscopal Clergymen are more numerous, in 
 projjortion to the population, than in any other State, and super- 
 intended undoubtedly by the most active Bishop. In this large 
 
 +- 
 
144 
 
 State, the Clergy of the Episcopal Church are in Tinmber 13G ; 
 the population 2,000,000, or upwards of 14,000 souLs to each ; 
 the square miles about 40, 000. Hence the ])arishes, if we may 
 so denominate them, contain 338 square miles each, and are 
 ratlier equal, to an English county than an English parish. The 
 iiiriuence of the two Churche.*, ns confined to Enghiml and New 
 York, is as one to seventy ; and if the comparison be taken with 
 all the States, it becomes much more favourable to England. 
 Such iniluence on the manners and habits of the people is next 
 to nothing, and yet you extol your Church above that of Eng- 
 land, and exclaim against establishments ! 
 
 '• Add to this, the dependence of your Clergy upon the i)eople 
 for sui)port, — a state of things which is attended with most per- 
 nicious conseqvonces. The congregations frequently take offence 
 at tlieir pastors witliout a good reason, and in such cases tlie 
 latter derive no protection from the Bishops, who are equally 
 helpless with themselves. The result is, that they too frequently 
 sink below the rank which they ought to hold in society; and wliat- 
 ever be their personal merit, they fail to command that respect 
 from a vain, and thoughtless, and undiscerning people, which is 
 necessary to secure attention to their instructions. It is not 
 unusual to hire Clergymen by the year or even half-year ; and 
 such things excite no particular attention. It may be that, 
 accustomed from their childhood to temporary engagement ••, the 
 (Jlergy j)artake of that restless disposition and desire of change so 
 common in new countries, and think little of going with their 
 families from State to State, in search of a new settlement. It 
 cannot be supposed that Clergymen so situated, will at all times 
 sjieak with that fearless disregard of consequences which the i)ro- 
 per discharge of their duties may often require. The difference, 
 then, of the two Churches is this, that, while in England the 
 country is partitioned into parishes, over which a spiritual head 
 is appointed, to be the moral and religious instructor of its 
 population, and to add new converts to the faith by familiar and 
 daily ministrations from house to house ; the Church in the 
 United States j)resents only a few verdant s])ots bearing marks 
 of recent cultivation, distinguished chiefly by their contrast with 
 the barrenness of the surrounding waste. 
 
145 
 
 " I admit tliut tlie progroHS of tlie Episcopal Church in th*' 
 United States has been wonderful ; — and I should have rejoiced 
 in concurring entirely in the animated praises you pronounce 
 upon her, had you noc condemned ecclesiastical Establishments, 
 and placed her in her infancy above the Mother Church. In 
 this you greatly err ; an<l when you picture to your fancy 
 England studded with Parish Churches, regularly served in all 
 the beauty of holiness ; and turn to this country with a Church 
 at vast intervals, and a Clergy not .sufficient to stipply the wants 
 of one-twentieth of the po])iilatiou, you must feel the advantages 
 of an ecclesiastical Establishment. In England you behold the 
 genius of true religion entering into every family ; but here, 
 unless in .some favoured spots, you behold the spirit of false 
 religion, infidelity, error, and superstition travei-sing the length 
 ajid breadth of the land, and withering, with its pestilential breath, 
 public as well as domestic and pcjrsonal happiness and virtue. 
 
 " ' Come,' said the Bishop, *you are becoming too severe.' On 
 this the door opened, and a man from the Catskill mountains 
 was introduced, who told the Bishop that their Missionary's time 
 had almost exjiired, and that, being few in ntimber, they could 
 not engage him for .six months longer, unless some aid could be 
 granted them from the Missionary fund ! The good Bishoj) pro- 
 mised the necessary assistance ; and, on his departure, said with 
 a smile, * how unlucky that my country friend should come, in the 
 midst of this discussion, to .shew the nakedness of the land !' He 
 confessed that I had placed ecclesiastical Establishments in a 
 |>oint of view which was in some mea.sure new to him ; but, 
 made uj) as the United States are of all j)08sible denominations, 
 there was not the smallest probability that any one would ever 
 be recognized by the Government ; and he was ])lea.sed to con- 
 clude the conversation with observing, that he could not fall into 
 more friendly hand.s, (alluding to a threatened review of his 
 sermon,) and that whatever his opinion might be on ecclesias- 
 tical Establishments, he loved with all his .soul the Church of 
 England." 
 
 We must venture on one further extract from this 
 interesting and valuable pamphlet : — 
 19 
 
140 
 
 " I dare not dwell on the last illnpNs, and happy and edifying 
 deatli of Bishop Hobart, for they have been described with an 
 affectionate eloquence which few can hope to equal. The narra- 
 tive of his closing days and the sermons ])ieached (»n his death, 
 which have l)een collected an«l [)nblished, are well d('s<^rvii)g of 
 perusal. Honourable as they are to the hearts and heads of the 
 writers, the talents they display reflect the greatest credit on the 
 Clergy of the American Episcopal Church, and shew that the 
 lamented prelate's mantle rests on many of liis brethren. The 
 grief and sympathy excited by his death through all jtaits of the 
 Union, were only exceeded by that manifested on the death of 
 Washington. He apjteared rather t)ie jiropci'tv of the nation 
 than the head of a single denomination of Christians. Never 
 was there such a funeral in New York :' the magistrates, the 
 Clergy of all denominations in the city, and many from other 
 Dioceses and renu)te jtarts of the country, rich and pooi-, young 
 and old, hastened to follow to the grave the remains of this dis- 
 tinguished and beloved servant of Cod. Tt w.'us as the funeral ol 
 Jacob." 
 
 It wouhl have been deemed Htninf,'e, if tlie life of l)i', 
 Strachaii ba<l passed away without HOTne niaiked tok«'ii 
 from his Cornwall ])iipilH of tlu; est<'em ami afi'eetion in 
 whieh he was held by them. They, one and all, aeknow- 
 ledged the benefits they had received at his achnirable 
 seliool ; th<!y were many in number throughout tlu^ two 
 Provinces, though some were in far distant lands ; and 
 several occuj)ied very higli and iuHuential ])ositions. Hut 
 the debt of gratitude was not forgotten ; and in the 
 summer of 1833, it was expressed in a substantial and 
 most gratifying manner. Two years j)revious]y, a few of 
 his pu[)ils, — including the late C^hief Justice Robinson, — 
 happened to meet at Cornwall ; and they took advai:tage 
 of the occun*enee by repairing to the old Distii<;t School- 
 house, and, after some conference, passing Resolutions, 
 determining that "A Piece of Plate should be presented to 
 
 *His retnaiiiR had been conveyed thither frum Auburn, 
 
147 
 
 Arc]i(lo!K;on Strachan by those gentleman who were under 
 his tuition at Cornwall, .is a tribute of resi)ect for his 
 (tharacter, and a memorial of their grateful recollection of 
 his anxious and unwearied efforts to improve their minds, 
 and to impress uj)on them sound moral and religious 
 principles, and of the sincere and steady friendship which 
 he has manifested for his pupils in their progress through 
 life;" and making the necessary arrangements for carrying 
 out this purj)ose. It took some time to communicate with 
 all the parties interested, widely scattered tis they were ; 
 but (tn the 2nd of July, 1833, they were prepared t<» 
 present to* their honoured tutor this token of their 
 I'overence and affection. This was a massive silver Epergne, 
 value 230 guineas; the base of which, particularly chaste 
 and elegant in its proportions and design, sui)ports four 
 classical figures, rej)resenting Religion, History, Poetry, 
 and Geography ; and surrounding a column, around which 
 twine the ivy and acanthus, the whole surmounted with a 
 wreath. Within the scjuare of the pedestal, not exposed 
 to view, are engraven the names and place of residence of 
 the gentlemen who presented this tribute.* 
 
 *lt will he iiitereatintf to our readers to Imve thcw in full : — 
 
 .loHN B. RoBiNsos, York, Chief Jimtice of Ujtpe) Civutda. 
 
 .!<iiiN UtrriiUNK, Montreal, Rector of Montreal. 
 
 R. 0. Anokiwox, York, Teller, Bank of Upper Canada. 
 
 (tKoiuiK KiuouT, York, JuiUjc <\f District Coiirt of Niagara. 
 
 J. O. (!iii:wETT, York, Senior Draftxinan, Sarwijor General's Department. 
 
 Samcel p. Jaiivis, York, Deputij Secretary and Rcffinfrar, IT. C. 
 
 .). B i/lACMiLKY, York, Judge of Kiiig'it Bench, U, C. 
 
 Tims. O. UiDouT, York, Canhier. Bank of /''. C. 
 
 RoBKiiT Stanton, York, King'n Printer. 
 
 <J. S. Boui.ToN, ColMJurg, Barrixter, M. I'. 
 
 W. B. RoniNsoK, Newmarket, M. P. 
 
 Jonas Jones, Brockville, Judge, Dintriet Court, Johnstown Distrirt. 
 
 Jf)HN Radenhuhht, York, Surveyer General's DejMrtuient. 
 
 \V. Macaulay, Pietoii, Rector of Picton. 
 
 .\. N. Betiiune, Cobourg, Rector of Cohourg. 
 
 Henrv Aherne, Vaudrieul. 
 
 John Craweorh, England. 
 
 James O. Betiiune, Cobourg, Cashier, Branch, Baiik If. C. 
 
 Jameh Duncan Qibb, Montreal. 
 
 Oeorgb Qreoory, Montreal, 
 
Of these, fourteen were present on the interesting occa- 
 sion ; and answers wtjrc received fr«jni several others 
 expressing their regret at not being able to attend. The 
 following is the Ad<lress accompanying the presentfllion, 
 read by Chief Justice Robinson : — 
 
 " Dkak and Venehahlk Hik, 
 
 '* In presenting you With h Piece of Plate hh h nieniorittl of 
 their roHpect and esteem, your j)iipil», whom you educated at 
 Cornwall, are performing an act most agreeable to their feelings. 
 It is now long since our relation as Tutor and Hcholars has been 
 dissolved, but amidst the vicissitudes which the laj)se of more 
 than twenty years has prtjsented, we Imve never ceased to reflect 
 with gratitude upon your unwearied efforts to cultivate oiir 
 minds and strengthen our undei-standings, and above all to im- 
 plant in our hearts those principles which alone can make us 
 good Christians, faithful subjects to our King, and independent 
 and upright members of society. 
 
 "Our young minds received then an impression, which has 
 scarcely become fainter from time, of the deep and sincere 
 interest which you took, not only in our advancement in learn - 
 
 Fred, Onirrin, Montreal. 
 
 A. B. C. OuoY, Quebec, BairMcr, M. P. 
 
 A. Jones, Pre«cott. 
 
 .loHJf Macaui.ay, Kingston. 
 
 .7. McLean, Kingston, Sherij, Midi. DM. 
 
 Arch. McLean, Cornwall, Speaker n/ Hotme of A»»emhly. 
 
 J. McDoifELL, Montreal. 
 
 Duncan McDonell, Coniwall. 
 
 Donald McDonell, Coniwall, 
 
 AtiEx. McLean, Cornwall. 
 
 .1. 8. Macaulav, W(x>lwicli, Capt. li. B. 
 
 0. H. Mahkland, York, Inspector General, U. C, 
 (i. Mitchell, Pcnetangiihhinc. 
 
 Thos. RicHARt^80N, Indls. 
 
 Wm. Stanton, Africa, D. A. Com. deiU. 
 
 V. VanKouohnet, Cornwall, M. I'. 
 
 1. Weathirheau, Brockville. 
 0. C. Wood, Cornwall. 
 
 A. WiLKiNBON, Cornwall, Barrister. 
 D. J. Smith, Kingston. 
 James Macaulay, Cornwall, M. D, 
 T. Pyke, Halifax. 
 
149 
 
 ing and Hcience, but in nil tlmt euncoroed our hnppincm, or could 
 a<f«'ct our future proHpccts in life. 
 
 " TlioH*' who have since had the pleanure of frciiuent intcrcour*»r 
 with you, have found you ulwaya the winio warm, hincere, an<l 
 couMtatit friend, ever ready to rejoice in their prosperity, and to 
 extend your advice and aMsistance amid/st the doubts acd diffi- 
 culties which have occasionally crossed their path. Those whom 
 the various pursuits of life have s('parated from you during this 
 long interval, have never felt less assured of a jtlace in your 
 esteem ; and we all unite with the most cordial satisfaction in 
 thus acknowledging the gratification we receive from our early 
 recollections. 
 
 "At the period when most of us were withdrawn from your 
 care, we received your parting benediction, and your pattu'nal 
 counsels for our guidance in life, expressed in terms which made 
 a lasting inipressicm. Now that, so many years have intervened, 
 and years so full of eventful changes, it must, we are persuaded, 
 be a source of much pleasure to a person of your l)enevolent and 
 friendly dis[)osition, to find that Pi'ovidence' has spanid so many 
 of those whose character you laboured to form, and has blessed 
 them vary generally with health and prosperity. 
 
 ** On our parts, we beg to assure you that we can scarcely call 
 to mind an occasion, in all the years ttiat have passed, which has 
 given rise to stronger feelings of satisfaction than we experience 
 at this moment in delivering into your hands a niemorial of our 
 long cherished affection and res[)ect." 
 
 The Archdeacon, deeply moved, replied hh follows : 
 
 "My Dear Friends : — That my heart should be full on this 
 inttnx'sting occasion is natural, 
 
 " Such a niemorial of your affection and respect brings back 
 in a stream of joy the days of your education at Cornwall ; 
 a period, doubtless, of great anxiety, but, from the largo promise 
 which you then exhibited, of far greater satisfaction. 
 
 " The feelings of ardent friendship which you manifested for 
 one another when about to separate, and which produced a solenai 
 pledge of your determination to apf)ly the knowledge and high 
 
150 
 
 ])nncii>le8 you had ncquircd in promoting the good of Rociety, 
 foine iorclMy to v\y mind at this happy luomcnt, when, T can 
 most truly attirin, the pledge ho nobly given han been more than 
 redeem(;d . 
 
 " Ah you never ceased, during the long period that has ehipsed 
 since our relation of Teacher and Scholar was dissolved — pregnant 
 HH it has been with so nuiny vicis8itu<les — to reflect with gratitude 
 on my humble endeavouiT* to cultivate your minds, strengthen 
 your understandings, and implant in your hearts thosi! principles 
 whicli alone can make us good Christians, faithfid sid)jects, and 
 tipright niembcrH of society, I ntay, with honest pride, declare 
 that, during the same ])eriod, my haj)piiu.'ss has been greatly 
 increased by witnessing from year t() year the phasing and en- 
 couraging residth which attended your progress in the busy world. 
 
 " Have I not beheld you rising to eminence in your several 
 profession.', gaining the confidcmco of all aroimd you, looked u|) 
 to in the societies in which you move, and (pioted uh examples 
 to the rising generation? In this Province, you are filling the 
 liighest situations with an advantage to the community which is 
 universally acknowledged ; in Lower Canada, in England, ami 
 wherever you have gone, you have won the highest favour and 
 distinction. 
 
 ".Surely I have great cause to bless that kind Providence 
 which, notwithstanding my numerous deficiencies, has graciously 
 made me the instrument of planting those sentiments and virtues 
 in your bosoms, which, fostered by your diligent care, are now 
 yielding fruits so ])recious and abundant. 
 
 " That 1 should cherish a deep and unwearied interest, not 
 only in your advancement in h^arning and science, but in all that 
 (joncerned your happiness, and could affect your future prospects 
 in life, was certainly to bo ox[)ected ; for I was strongly impressed 
 from the first with my responsibility as your teacher, and I felt 
 that, to become really useful, I must become your friend. It has 
 ever been my conviction, that our scholars should be for the time 
 our children ; and that, as parents, we should study their charac- 
 ters, and pay respect to their peculiar dispositions, if we really 
 wish to improve them ; for if we feel not something of the tender 
 relation of parents towards them, we cannot expect to be suc- 
 cessful in their education. 
 
151 
 
 *' It was on this principle that I endeavoured to proceed, — 
 strict justice tempered with j)arental kindness, — and the present 
 joyful meeting isvinces its triumph. Tt treats the sentiments and 
 fcciinf^H of scholars with proper C(MiHiderati«ui ; and while it gives 
 the heart and aflectlons full freedom to shew themselves, in tiliil 
 gratitude on the one side, and fatlierly affectittn on the other, it 
 proves that misparing labour, arco'jipani»'d with continunl anxiety 
 for th»! learner's progress, n«'ver fails to iusun* suei-c-ss ; t^) Ix'get 
 cstcciii, iind to pi'f»duc«! a friendship lictwcen master and seholur, 
 which time can never dissolve. 
 
 ''Tohehold so niajiy gentlemen, educated in Lh<! same jtlace, 
 ahsenddiiig after so huig a period of separation to honour their 
 teacher, is an event of rare occurrence ; hut it will he (dothed 
 with a public as well as with a pi'ivate interest, should It encourage 
 faithful teachers, ami cheer them in their arduous employment hy 
 multiplying meetings similar to theses, and introducing a more 
 alfectionate intercourse through life between them and their 
 pupils. 
 
 " In my occasional communications with you sinc(! vnir 
 entranci^ into active life, 1 should have deprived myself of a most 
 productive source of delight, had I not rejoiced in your increasing 
 prosperity, and volunteered my best advice and assistance to any 
 who chanced to be in doubt or difficulty. Every increase of 
 your ha[)piness I felt to be an increase to my own, and to forward 
 your luuiourable objects has ever been to me a favouritjj employ- 
 ment. Nor can I claim for this the slightest ])raise, for in pr<»- 
 moting your inter<'st T was promoting my own ; nor should I 
 havii bcjcn less ready to forward the laudable views of those who 
 have been far removed from the sphere of my influence, had 
 opj)ortunities offered. 
 
 '* Toward.s those who have surpassed me in station and ability, 
 I can most sincerely avow that my feelings have been those of a 
 fond parent rejoic ng at the elevaticm of his children. 
 
 " The dee[) impression made on all our hearts at the hour «»f 
 your departure from Cornwall, this meeting refreshes and renews. 
 Yim plighted mutual friendshi}), and promised the reign of virtue 
 and religion in your hearts ; and amidst blessings and prayers for 
 your future happiness, I undertook to become the centre of your 
 
152 
 
 coniinunications ; and what more happy result could the most 
 sanguine have anticipated, than to find so many sj)ared in health 
 and prosperity by our merciful Creator, to meet together on this 
 happy occasion. 
 
 " Accept, my dear fric^nds, the warm acknowledgement of a 
 heart totally unable to give utterance to the emotions with which 
 it is agitated. Deep and lasting as my existence, will this proof 
 of your sincere friendship be retained. It tells me, by sweet 
 experience, that there are moments of virtuous enjoyment which 
 would 1)0 cheai)ly purchased by the longest life of honourable and 
 laborious exertion, — moments which are granted to very few in 
 this transitory world, and for one of the most exquisite of which 
 I am this day indebted to your abiding affection." 
 
 A few days before the occurrence of this really hap})}' 
 event, the following letter was addressed to the Archdeacon 
 by Chief Justice Robinson : — 
 
 " It is our wish, if it be agreeable to you, that immediately 
 after presenting to you the piece of plate, wo should iinite in a 
 shoi't prayer, offering up our hearty thanks to the great Giver of 
 all good for Jiis merciful protection of us, and for the measure 
 of health and prosperity bestowed upon us since we left Cornwall, 
 and entered upon the various duties of life; beseeching pai-don 
 fur whatever we have, in that time, done or thought contrary to 
 the Divine commandment ; and praying that we may be assisted 
 and enabled to maintain such a course through this life, that, at 
 the close of our eai'thly career, we may meet in a happy immor- 
 tality." 
 
 Thh suggestion, emanating from one who never failed to 
 recognize and acknowledge the loving-kindness of our God, 
 was gladly acted upon ; and very pleasant, as well as very 
 solemn, was the sight of so many humbly kneeling in prayer 
 amidst the joy and congratulations of that happy hour. 
 
 Of this beautiful memento of the gratitude of the Corn- 
 wall pupils, we shall only further say, that it was most 
 appropriately bequeathed by the owner to Trinity College, 
 
153 
 
 Toronto,— an institution which he felt to bo the culmina- 
 tion of his life-long efforts on behalf of education, and 
 which fairly claimed to be the place where, from generation 
 to generation, should be exhibited this well-earned tribute 
 to the righteousness and success of those endeavours. 
 
 20 
 
154 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 The Clergy Reserves Question ; establishment of the Rectories. — 
 Meeting of Clergy under the two Archdeacons in 1S36. — 
 Deputation to the Mother Country determined upon. — Re- 
 sohition to establish a Church Newspaper. 
 
 W 
 
 ^I^P to the commencement of 183G, nothing, subsequent 
 to what has been detailed, occurred in tlie life of 
 Archdeacon Strachart, outside the (juiet progress 
 of his ordinary duties, that demands any special recoril 
 or notice. The Clergy Reserves Question was still open ; 
 nor was there, so far, any expressed declaration of the 
 local House of Assembly adverse to the vote passed some 
 years before, that these lands should l)e withdrawn from 
 the support of religion and appropriated to "jnirposes of 
 ordinary education and general improvement." 
 
 By desire of Sir John Colborne, the Executive Council of 
 Upper Canada w'ere required to take into consideration, 
 and report upon, the following portion of a. des])atch from 
 Lord Goderich, dated April 5th, 1832 :— 
 
 "I am happy to find that your [U'actical views, founded upon 
 pei*sonal knowledge and experience, are so coincident with those 
 which, upon a more speculative view, I have been led to enter- 
 tain. I quite concur with you in thinking that the greatest 
 benefit to the Church of England woidd be derived from applying 
 a portion at least of the funds under the control of the local 
 government, in the building of Rectories and Churches, and, I 
 would add, in preparing, as far as may be, for profitabl*^ occupa- 
 tion that moderate portion of land which you i>ropose to assign 
 in each township or parish for ensuring the future comfort, if not 
 
155 
 
 the complete maintenance, of tlic Rectors. With thivS view, it 
 a[)pears to me that it would be most desirable to make a 
 beginning in thi.s salutary work." 
 
 The Lieutenant Governor, Sir John Colborne, was now 
 about to leave tlie Province ; and he felt it his duty, 
 l)efor(j resigning the government, to take action in the 
 course reconnnended by the Colonial Secretary. The 
 following Minute of Council was adopted on the loth Jan- 
 uary, 183G : — 
 
 " Pursuant to the views of Lord Goderich, shewn by his des- 
 patch of April ii, 1832, in which he conciu's with your Excel- 
 lency, and expresses his desire that a moderate portion of land 
 should be assigned in each township or parish for ensuring the 
 future comfort, if not the complete maintenance of the Rectors, 
 the Council caused the necessary steps to be taken for the j)ur- 
 pose of setting apart lots in each townshiji throughout the 
 Province. 
 
 " Much delay has been caused by their anxiety to avoid inter- 
 fering with persons who might liave acknowledged claims to any 
 of tae Reserves to be selected, either for lease or purchase. 
 
 '' A dirticulty in completing what his Lordship most aj)pro- 
 priately calls ' this .salutary work,' wius also caused by the Crown 
 Otficers not concurring in the form to be used in the instrument 
 by which the endowment is to be contirmed ; which left the 
 Council to decide as to the mode to be adopted for that purpose. 
 
 " These obstacles have now been surmounted, and it is respect- 
 fully recommcmded tliat no time be lost in authorizing the 
 Attorney Gener.d to prej)are the necessary instrument to secure 
 to the incumbents named in the annexed schedules, and their 
 successors, the lots of land there enumerated, as having been 
 ••espectively set apart for Glebes." 
 
 The allocation here recommended was made, and about 
 400 acres were assigned to each of the parishes throughout 
 the Province; thus constituting, what subsequently excited 
 .so much clamour, the " Fifty-seven Rectories." It hap- 
 
156 
 
 pened, liowevcr, that the" endowment of forty-four only 
 was completed; so that thirteen were excluded from the 
 inten<led benetit. 
 
 The establishment of tliese Rectories was used for some 
 time, amongst otlier alluged grievances, as an election-cry ; 
 and at last the legal validity of the act was tested. The 
 question was submitted to tlie several Courts of Law; and 
 able judgments were given by each, establishing the vali- 
 dity of the Kectories. There have been threats subse- 
 quently of Legislative interference ; but the Act lecently 
 passed, authorizing their sale' will no doubt be so far acted 
 upon within the ten years to which the privilege is limi- 
 ted, JUS to shut out from sight this ancient grievance. With 
 perhaps half-a-dozen exceptions, they are of little compar- 
 ative value ; and only in these instances, do they jifford 
 by themselves a sufficient maintenance to the Clergyman. 
 
 Sir John Colborne, in terms most virulent, has been 
 blamed for this act; but he has been blessed for it, too, by 
 thousands. He has thus contributed one of the little 
 helps which, through a protecting Providence, have been 
 furnished for the stability of the Church in this Province; 
 and the act which assures this happy result, it is certain 
 that he never regretted He reliiKjuished his Government 
 during the winter of 1 830 ; and it has been well said that 
 " Upper Canada never beheld a more beautiful or touching 
 moral spectacle, than the triumj^hant departure of Sir 
 John Colborne through the snows of an inclement winter 
 followed by the affectionate reverence and esteem of the 
 thousands who thronged his path to gi-eet him with a 
 respectful farewell."* 
 
 In the month of October of this year, 183G, a meeting 
 of the Clergy of the two Archdeaconries of Upper Canada, 
 suggested by Dr. Strachan, was held at Toronto. The 
 health of the Bishop of Quebec, Dr. Stewart, had become 
 
 * Church Newspaper, Jauuarj , lii3S. 
 
157 
 
 so enfeebled that he was advised to return to England, 
 with little hope that he should ever be able to resume his 
 duties in Canada. Under these circumstances, it was felt 
 desirable that the Clergy in a body should deliberate upon, 
 and adopt, the best means of protecting those interests of 
 the Church which, at this moment, were so seriously 
 imperilled. The meeting was a large one, and in many 
 respects proved to be an important one. It was deter- 
 mined to send a Deputation of two prominent Canadian 
 C'lergymen to England and Ireland; and the Reverend 
 Messi's. Cronyn and Bettridge were selected for the ])ur- 
 pose. Both were men of sufficient Colonial experience to 
 make known our wants ; and both were gifted with readi- 
 ness and elo({uence of speech. It was important to en- 
 lighten the minds of Churchmen at home U[)on the great 
 question at issue, — our tenure of the Clergy Reserves pro- 
 |)erty, and the efforts in so many quarters to destroy it. 
 It was important, too, to make known the extent of our 
 spiritual destitution, — the churches required, and the 
 Clergymen to be supplied ; and pending our chances from 
 the Reserves, to obtain a present aid for the relief of those 
 necessities. All this was set forth by the Deputation with 
 great energy and ability ; and, if })resent substantial results 
 did not eijual our expectations, there can be no doubt that 
 the information so carefully and widely diffused on the 
 condition and prospects of the Church in Canada, served 
 in a large degree to awaken the sympathy and generosity 
 of our fellow Churchmen in England and Ireland, and 
 gained to the Society for the Propagation of Gospel, — the 
 chief stay of the Church in the Colonies, — a large increase 
 of support. 
 
 There was some discussion, during this meeting, on the 
 introduction of Synodical action in this country, and the 
 general feeling of the Clergy was favourable to it. It 
 was, hcwcver, much too soon to adopt anything like decisive 
 acti(>ri in the matter. Before the separation of the meet- 
 
158 
 
 « 
 
 ing, it was determiued to attempt tlie establishment of a 
 weekly ncwsi)ai)er in sujijjort of the interests of the Church 
 in Canada ; and a Committee was api)ointe<l, with Areh- 
 deacon Strachan at its head, for making the necessary 
 arrangements. After some consideration, tlu^ Editorial 
 management of the proposed journal was otil'retl to the 
 writer of this Memoir ; and after some hesitation, and no 
 little ai)prehension and misgiving, he resolved to under- 
 take it. Any reluctance to assume such a responsibility 
 was not unnatural, after the failure of so many attemjits 
 in the same direction. The " Christian Sentinel," — a 
 monthly publication, conducted at Montreal, — was the first 
 Church periodical undertaken in Canada. It was a vt.Ty 
 ta-editable journal of the kind, — for the first year under 
 the Editorial management of the llev. B. B. Stevens, 
 Chaj)lain to the Forces ; but a monthly })ei-iodical, neces- 
 sarily containing long, and, as many would deem them, 
 heavy articles, would not maintain the interest of the 
 reading community, and so in about two years it dropped 
 for want of supj)ort. There was a subsequent attempt at 
 a weekly, under the same designation, edited by the late 
 Rev. A. H. Burwell, at Three Rivers ; but this, too, awoke 
 little or no interest, and it hardly survived a twelve- 
 month. 
 
 To start a new j)eriodical, after such discouragements, 
 was felt to be somewhat of a bold undertaking ; but the 
 prudent course was adopted of issuing a " specimen num- 
 ber," in May, 1837, to be followed up if a sufficient number 
 of paying subscribers could be secured. The result (ix- 
 eeeded all expectation ; for on the 24th June following, the 
 second number of " The Church " was issued with a list 
 of 030 subscribers, — and many agents and Clergymen still 
 unheard from. In al)out three months the subscribers in- 
 creased to 1000. 
 
 The tone of this journal was decided, as regarded the 
 assertion of the principles of the Church ; but it was 
 
159 
 
 conducted with a studied moderation, and was theicforo 
 treated with respect on all sides. Party spirit in the 
 Church was then hardly known ; there was, therefore, 
 mutual confidence, and the support of the Clergy was 
 unanimous. The paper, at first rather a diminutive sheet, 
 was enhirged on the issue of Volume II., and again at the 
 commencement of Volume III, — the subscribers steadily 
 increasing. Many able contributors, in prose and verse 
 were secured ; amongst them, men now of leading ])ositiou • 
 in Church and State. 
 
 From ](S41 to 1843, the editorial management of " The 
 ('hurch" was assumed by Mr. John Kent, who had been a 
 valuable contributor to its pages from the commencement. 
 The excitement, however, amidst the clash and din of 
 jiarty strife, was too nmch for him; and the paper came 
 l)ack to the first editor, who held it again, under many 
 diflicultics and discouragements, for nearly four years. 
 With repeated changes in the editorial management, — 
 sometimes without any management at all, — it gra(hially 
 lost ground, and died out a»bout the year 185G. 
 
 There can l)e no doubt of the great value of such a 
 paper to the cause of the Church, if conducted with 
 moderation, judgment, and a reasonable share of ability. 
 The inHuence of "The Church" newspaper was most salu- 
 tary during its earlier years. It diffused throughout our 
 local population a large amount of much needed informa- 
 tion; and, being extensively circulated in England, it 
 (!au.«ed our Colonial Church questions to be better under- 
 stood . by influential men in the mother country. This 
 became quite discernible in the debates upon the Reserves 
 (juestion in the Imperial Parliament; and we were assured 
 from various quarters that to this was owing, in no small 
 degree, the favourable settlement of this question which 
 was effected in the summer of 1840. To this more special 
 reference will by and by be made. 
 
 The effect of a religious journal, temperately conducted 
 
160 
 
 and with a widening circulation, upon the secular press of 
 the day, was also apparent. Tlicre was a more courteous 
 tone ; there was an abatement of personalities ; and more 
 caution an<l taste in selection. The " Church," too, set 
 the example of taking in English new.spapers and period- 
 icals, from which to cull for ourselves, and not adopt 
 extracts second-hand at the taste or caprice of others. On 
 tlie whole, we look back with refreshment, cind even an 
 excusable pride, uj)on what, with all its drawbacks and 
 tiefects, was really a useful and influential journal ; oik? 
 that provoked our own members to zeal and unanimity in 
 tlie promotion of Church enterprises, and which caused those 
 outside us to understand better our motives and principles, 
 and gain for them consideration and respect. 
 
 We have made this rather long digression, becau.se it 
 fairly pertains to the life of the late Bishop of Toronto. 
 He wsis prominent amongst its projectors: he aj)preciated 
 the value and importance of such a journal, and he always 
 gave it a warm and generous support. 
 
161 
 
 CHAPTER XVIIT. 
 
 Administration <>f Sir Frames lleiul. — Correspondence regarding 
 Seat in the LeglHlative Council. — Death of Bishop Stewart. — 
 Previous Appointment of Archdeacon Mountain as his 
 Assistant. — The Rebellion in 1837-8, — Decision to form 
 Upper Canada into a separate Diocese. — Destruction of St. 
 James's Church, Toronto. 
 
 >'/ IR John Colboriie was succeeded in the Government 
 of Uj)per Canada 1 )y Sir Francis Bond Head, who 
 arrived in Canada early in the winter of 1836. If 
 we have had as Lieutenant Governors men of more [>rac- 
 tical pur[)o.se and action, we never had any of more spirit 
 and activity ; liardly any, perliaps, more quick-sighted and 
 far-seeing. He came to Canada with the conception that 
 real grievances existed, growing out of tlie mal-adininis- 
 tration of the Government ; for that so much complaint, 
 so violently exi)ressed and apparently so wide-spread, 
 should be without adei^uatc cause, was hardly to be 
 believed. He a]>plied himself diligently to the investi- 
 gation of these grievances, inviting the free expression of 
 the opinions of both parties ; and the conclusion at which 
 he arrived was, that these existed more in name than in 
 reality ; and that, if something was withheld by the party 
 in power that might reasonably be conceded, more was 
 exacted by their opponents than could constitutionally be 
 granted. On various points, he and the House of Assembly 
 soon came into collision ; and as a coercive step on their 
 part, the usual supplies for carrying on the Government 
 were refused. This was an unprecedented step, and was a 
 21 
 
102 
 
 great shock to the loyal feeliii^^ of the country. Petitionii 
 were j)oiired in, conveyed by respectaljle deputations, from 
 every part of the Province, solicithig lliH Excellency to 
 dissolve the House of Assembly, and allow a fresh appeal to 
 the |)Coj)le. This, in obediejice to the poj)ular demand, was 
 granteil ; and in the House newly elected, a large majority 
 were su})portei-s of the administration of Sir Francis Head. 
 Not long after his arrival in Canada, a correspondence 
 took place with the Colonial Secretary in reference to th(! 
 seat held by Archdeacon Strachan in the Legislative Coun- 
 cil. Lord Ri[)on, in a Despatch to Sir John Coll)orne, of 
 Hth November, 1832, — referring to remonstrances from th«5 
 House of Assendjly, — advises that " the Bishop (of Regi- 
 opolis) and the Archdeacon should altogether abstain from 
 interference in any secular matters tliat may be agitated 
 in the Legislative Council," and adds, 
 
 "Whether, even under this restriction, their holding sucrh 
 seats is really desirable, is a question upon which I am 
 fully prepared to listen with the utmost attention to any 
 advice which I may receive from yourself, from the House 
 of Assemlily, or from any other competent authority. 1 
 have no solicitude for retaining either the Bishop or Arch- 
 deacon on the list of Councillors, but am, on the contrary, 
 rather predisposed to the opinion that, by resigning their 
 seats, they would best consult their own personal comlbi-t, 
 and the success of their designs for the s|>iritual g(jod of 
 tlie peoi)le. But any such resignation must be voluntary, 
 since the office is held for life ; and, were it otherwise, no 
 consideration would induce me to advise His Majesty to 
 degrade the Bisho}) or the Archdeacon I'rom the stations they 
 occupy, exce])t on the most conclusive proof of misconduct." 
 
 In an address of the House of Assembly to Sir Francis 
 Head, dated 5th February, 1830, it is declared, 
 
 "We have had the mortification to see the Bishop of 
 Regiopolis and the Archdeacon of York, neglecting their 
 
100 
 
 higli aiul spiritual fimctioiiH niul imm of houIm, juhI cliiij^Mii^' 
 to tlieir Heats in tlie LegiHlativo Council, and «lovotin<:j tlioir 
 time ami talcntn to i)olitical .strifin and secular inoasures, in 
 direct ojiposition, and contrary to the express desire and 
 pleasure of His Majesty, as set foi'tli in the said Despatch 
 of P]arl Ri[)on. .and at the same time permitted to hold and 
 enjoy offices of emolument and profit. We, therefore, 
 trust that your Excellency -will take immediate steps in 
 fulfilment of the <^riu;ious wishes of the Kinfj, to carry into 
 effect his hcnevolent intentions, and as desir(^d hy the 
 great ])ody of th<! ))eo])le of this Colony, hy calling upon 
 the said Bisho)> and Archdencon, either to withdraw from 
 the Legislative Council altogether, or resign their othei' 
 ofl[ices, an<l forever quit all (;laim to any other salary, i)en- 
 sion, or other emolumen,t they now hold or enjoy during 
 the ))leasure of the (Joveinmcnt." 
 
 From the characteristic reply of the Archdeacon, dated 
 '2'2n(\ Fel»ruary, 1830, we make the following extracts : — 
 
 "The nituiitioti.H oi* Executive and Legislative Councillor were 
 conferred upon me without .solicitation, as marks of Royal appro- 
 bation for services openly rendered during a ])oriod of difficulty 
 aiifl danger, and wliicli wew tliouglit at the time important. 
 1 have held the first for more than twenty year-s, and the .second 
 sixteen year.s ; and am not aware that, in di.schargiiig the duties 
 which they imjjosed Uj)on me, I have done any thing deserving of 
 censure. On the contrarv, I feel that T have been useful to tlie 
 Colony. 
 
 "On ts being connnunicated to nu) last sunmier that Lord 
 Clenelg f.ad expres.se(l his surprise at my occasional attendance 
 at the Executive Council, I did not hesitate a moment in senditij? 
 in my resignation ; for although his Lordship's desire was rather 
 implied than expres,sed, I felt that, as there was a certain euioL 
 unient attached to the situation, I could retire from it with 
 honour. I did not do this, however, because I found myself, 
 after more than twenty years' service, less able to perform my 
 duty, or because I acquiesced iu the opinion that there was any 
 
104 
 
 roiHonablo ground for my excliiHioii, but boeau.s(! an Executivo 
 Councillor cotiUl not liopo to be u.sefiil, and could not Horve with 
 sa^lHfaction, unless ho could feci the asHuranco that he jiosso.ssed 
 the confidence of the existing adniiniMtration. My resignation 
 was made without condition or stipulation, rcnioiiHtrance, oj- 
 complaint. 
 
 *' In regard to the Legislative Council, I was ap[)ointed to a 
 seat in it in 1820, — not the f]i>it instance of an ecclesiastic being 
 jiominated ; since the late Bishop of Quebec had, from an early 
 period, been a member of the Legislative Council of that part of 
 the Diocese in which he resided. 
 
 '* For some yeai-s, while the number of Legislative Councillors 
 was very limited, my attendance was more of thts ordinary cha 
 racter, though of course by no means so constant as that of many 
 other nu'niber.s. 13utt for some years before the despatch of 
 Lord Kipon was written, and since that period, my attendance 
 and my conduct in the Legislative Council have been such as 
 comported with the sentiments expressed by his Lordship."' * ''• 
 
 " I think his Excellency must i)erceive, and I trust his Majes- 
 ty's GovernuK^nt will not fail to admit, that tlu! violent and 
 threatening nature of the Address of the House of Assembly^ 
 of which an extract has been sent to m(!, renders it not very easy 
 for me to pei'severe in the line of conduct which I had previously 
 presciibed to myself. 
 
 " It is due to the independence of the body of which 1 am a 
 member, and to my own individual character, that I should not 
 suffer myself to be driven by violence and menace from the seat 
 to which my Sovereign has aj)polnted me, and in which it cannot 
 be shewn that I have acted in .'iny manner injuriously to his 
 service, or to the best interests of i\w. country. And as respects 
 the language which, I regret to s(u>, the Assembly has thought 
 proper to apply to me, it leaves me no honourable alternative but 
 to abide with firmness and constancy by the decision which his 
 Majesty's Government may think consistent with justice and the 
 principles of the Constitution. 
 
 "I appeal also to every honourable mind, whether my resig- 
 nation,- if I were inclined to present it, could, under existing 
 circumstances, be deemed voluntary, or otherwise than degrading. 
 
1G5 
 
 " However iminful it is to mo to act in opposition to tlif 
 iinjjlicd dcsiro of his Majesty 'k late Principal Secretary of State 
 li»r the CVilonies, 1 cannot .submit to be thus thrust out with 
 imli;^iiity and violence from a situation conferred upon me by tin- 
 Kin;; as a mark of honour, and which it is my unquestionable 
 ieiral ridit to retain for life. In the situation in which I am 
 pluciMJ, I can perceive no honourable alternative but res|»ectfully 
 and (irmly to maintain my post." 
 
 Lord (Jicnelg, in lii.s reply, IGth April, 183G, admitted 
 that tlu! Arehdeacou had " urged Honio weighty reasons in 
 support of his refusal, and that nuioh had 0(;eurred to 
 riMider it <loul)tful whether a dnc; re^^ard for liis own honoui* 
 did not forbid tlio resignation of Ids seat in the Legislative 
 C.uneil." 
 
 Prior to the return of the Bishop of Qucbce, Dr. Stewart, 
 to Kiiglainl, arrangements had been concluded for tin- 
 appointment of Archdeacon Moinitain as his assistant; and 
 he was con.secrated to that ofiice, with the title of Bishop 
 of Montreal, on the 14th February, 18.30. Ho did iwtt, 
 however, reach Quel)ec until the month of August following. 
 As BLshoj) of Montreal ho had no separate jurisdiction, nor 
 was any Sec; constituted under that title; hut all Ids 
 epis('opal acts were hy commission from the Bi.shop of 
 Quehee. The understanding had been that the lattei- 
 should eoniine lumself to the charge of Upper Canada; 
 while the labours of the Bi.shop of Montreal were to be 
 limited to Lower Canada; it having l)een further provided 
 that, on the occurrence of a vacancy, he was to assume the 
 tdiarge of the whole Diocese. 
 
 The Bishop of Quebec was taken to his rest, after a 
 painful and lingering illness, on the 19th July, 1837, at the 
 age of .sixty -three. In him the Church in Canada lo.st a 
 pure-minded and zealous overseer, and the Clergy an 
 affectionate father and generous friend. In the exercise of 
 the episcopacy ho maintained the simplicity of life which 
 had characterized him as a humble missionary in a secluded 
 
IGfi 
 
 portion of the Diocese. He ever shewed, whether in situa- 
 tions humble or exalted, that he had no will but His who 
 bade his disciples "follow him;" that he was actuated by 
 no ambition but that of beinij the honoured instrument in 
 the hand of his Lord and Saviour, of bringing many to tho 
 " knowledge of the truth." The charge of the whole 
 Diocese now devolved upon tho Bishop of Montreal, Avho 
 immediately entered upon its extensive and laborious 
 duties with all the assiduity, zeal, and ability which had 
 marked his past career in subordinate but very influential 
 positions. 
 
 But if all was serene and prosperous in the condition of 
 the Church, it was not long so in our social and political 
 state. The new House of Assembly, elected in the sunnner 
 of 183G, at the command of Sir Francis Head, was in its 
 character so conserv^ative that it seemed utterly to crush 
 the hopes of that discontented portion of the comnmnity 
 who were styled Reformers. Without fully enlightening 
 the world as to their grievances or their desires, they were 
 loud in expressions of dissatisfaction with the powers tliat 
 be ; and the alienation of feeling was even stronger in 
 the Lower than in the U[)per Province. Unable to attain 
 their objects by those constitutional means which are 
 accessible to every British subject, and which, if pushed 
 with a patient assiduity, are generally in tho end successful, 
 they had recourse to violence, and attempted to gain their 
 end by force of arms. The movement appeared, through 
 concert, to be simultaueous in both Provinces ; but their 
 means of getting u\) a rebellion in the face even of tlie 
 ve/y £t!W trooj>s that Canada coutaine«l, and in opposition 
 to the loyal and determined feeling of a large majority «jf 
 the }Kj{)ulation, were niiserrbly insufticient, and theatUT nt 
 Hooii proved al)oiiive. Slight, in itn com|wtrati ve propor- 
 tioiLs, ttH the outl*reak was, it wa.s attended, nevertheles.-!, 
 with M»nn' <al;imitouM cireiimMtuneeH. S«'V«'rul \jduable 
 lives were UmI ; ttud acts of uiiscliief and atrocity mMu 
 
1G7 
 
 perpetrated, which only manifest themselves in a disorga- 
 nized condition of things. A few weeks snfficed to quell 
 all armed resistance in Lower Canada; and less than a 
 month elapsed from the first tiring of a rebel gun on Mont- 
 gomery's Hill to the dislodgment of the mingled rabble of 
 rebels and sympathizers from Navy Island. But the 
 trouble was j)artially renewed the following autumn, by 
 the landing of a few hundred sympathizers from the United 
 States led by a refugee Pole, and their seizing a windmill 
 a little below Prescott ; but after a short bombardment, 
 they all surrendered at discretion. There was an outbreak, 
 too, of French Canadians at St. Eustache, which a few 
 troops and half a battery of artillery speedily quelled. 
 Several re>^^'ments of troops were sent meanwhile to 
 Canada, and tiie preparation was complete against evt;ry 
 attem})t to disturb the i)eace. Now and then then wer«'. 
 instances of outrage and malignity which were very ex- 
 asperating; but by the close of 183!), everything settled 
 d(»wn into perfect tranquillitv. 
 
 To investigate our political ills and jiropose a remedy 
 for them, the Earl of Durham was w'^-nt as a sort of Lord 
 High C'Ommissioner to this country , and his views were 
 embodied in a " Rei»ort," too generally remembered, and 
 too nnich criticized, to render it nece.ssa!y or desirable 
 here to otter any opinion upon its meiits. 
 
 The influence of this rebellion upon the interests of the 
 Church in C'anada, was rather remarkable. The fact was 
 elicited that, amongst those who took up arms against the 
 Covernment, there was scarcely a single meM'^r of the 
 Cliureh <»f England; stj that, in the mother country, tin- 
 impression was most gratifying as t<» the eH'ect of the 
 pritsciples .mil teaching of the national Church. Th«' 
 influence upon the public mind in England was wry 
 strong in consinjuence; an«l tlu' Propagation Siniety, wh<>st' 
 hiissionaries the Church of England Clergy in Canada 
 nlm*»>^t exiJUNively wi*re, ex|»erieHtt*d a wi»nderful jt*?iiis<'t. 
 
168 
 
 tation. Contributions were freely given to a Society, of 
 the value of whose work there had been so practical and 
 gratifying an evidence; and their increased resources 
 enabled them to add considerably to our staif of Clergy 
 during a few following years. It also aftected materially 
 
 V the views of the Clerg}' Reserves question amongst leading 
 people in England ; and prepared the public mind for that 
 settlement of it which the Imperial Government imder- 
 took in 1840. 
 
 Our local Parliament, in the spring of 183'), attem})ted a 
 
 .- solution of this long- vexed questic»n, by re- investing the 
 Clergy Reserves in the Crown ; so that the dis[)osal of 
 them might come from the Sovereign de noco, and be 
 
 > absolute and unquestionable. But the mere majority by 
 which this issue was obtained in the House of Assembly, 
 was not likely to intluence the Home Government to the 
 acce})tance of the surrendered trust ; yet it no doubt led 
 them to the grave consideration of other means for the 
 final arrangement of the question. 
 
 The death of Dr. Stewart, Bisho}) of Quebec, and the . 
 succession of Dr. Mountain to tlie charge of tlie whole 
 Diocese, revived the project so long entertained, of eflei^t- 
 ing its division by constituting each Province into a sepa- 
 rate Diocese. Sir Francis Head tMitered warmly into th<' 
 subject, and addressed Lord CJleiielg on the exp(Mliency of 
 carrying out the arraiigeUK'nt. This was favourably v*- 
 <oived, and the eonsent of th<' Archbisljop of ( 'antiTJuiry wan 
 readily given. But it was distinctly stated from tlu' rom- 
 mencement, that it would not be in the power of tlio lloni** 
 < lovernnient to piovide for the new Bishopric any jMMMnijuy 
 4'nioiun>ent or otlu r endowment. The Bishop of I^ucIh'c 
 Dr. Stewart, had, during his life-time, voiunUuily ;ij»pro 
 priate<l a connidiTable poriion iji'liin 'uicituw U» the support 
 of his )-U4ijutor; liut, after h'-* diitth thiM ineoim di'.|.jM^| 
 of <'our>«', and it tlnicf«ir» bi im iie<i'>,ii\ luj ih |. h<«fi 
 of Multireel Uj r^'tniu tlMi iiti^*^ii<{ *itJi. h«'d Ut tl*» Ai^ h 
 
I(i9 
 
 (leaconry and Rectoiy of Quebec, — providing out of these 
 a salary for his Curate in the parish. Through the exer- 
 tions of Sir John Pakington £1000 per annum was voted 
 by the Imperial ParHanient to the Bishop of Montreal, so 
 that he might be in a condition fairly to meet the expenses 
 of his ]»osition. No such gratuity, however could be 
 extended to Ui)per Canada ; but Archdeacon Strachan, 
 influenced by the example of Dr. Mountain, stated to 
 the Colonial Secretary that " the matter of salary need 
 form no inpcxliment to the immediate appointment of a 
 Bishop for Upper Canada, as he should be content to 
 remain in that respect exactly as he now was, till the per- 
 plexing question of the Clergy Reserves shoidd l»e settled, 
 when it would be in the power of Her Majesty's Govern- 
 ment to make another and more satisfactoi'S' urranirt*- 
 ment." In addressing ilie Lieutenant (Jovernor, Sir 
 George Arthur, upon this subj«'<^t, the An-hd«'acon says, 
 fFeb. 20th, 1H31)) :— 
 
 " 111 milking this jti'ojtosal, I can with truth a.ssiu\: you tliat I 
 am by no incauH inKeiisii»l(> to tho i»i'o|»ni»ty as w«'ll as nee<»HMity 
 of grantiii;^ atl«'«|uate |)i-(»visiuu for thf decent KU|>|M>rt of the 
 K|>isco|tal oftio' in this ribin;,' Coliuiv. |»iit, |M'rKiiad('il that th»* 
 int4*ri'8tH of th«' Churcii ar*' siiirciin;^ fnua the wai.t of KpiH4'o|»Ml 
 .su|KM'int<>n(J-'ncf, which hitM for soint; time \teon (»iru«-Htiy d<'Mir-«*«l 
 hy inatiy of her nu'nibei-H, niu\ una'iinioiiMly l»y the ('h'rj<y, 1 
 thought my pt-o|»(iHiti<)ii mij^ht aeeihiate the remo\ai of Uiat wunt 
 liy a few yeuiH, ah'I than proiuoU-, in no Hmail <Jej(rre, the MahiUry 
 inHiteMce of ( 'hrinltan laintiph* throughout lh<- I'n.viin.- i'litii 
 it it*', ill the jMiWer «>f llec JMajejity'H (juverniiMlil 0> mik' « Iwtf 
 mttutt'iu-Utry sirritnf;! luetit for t\,> ;ii»jM)rt ui' th« K\HM»*\ml <>Hi<-( 
 HI lhi» l*i'i«%iiM'e than the oni- now |*ro|M<M'<|, it tn luy ijuty U» nut 
 
 rodli 1)1 
 
 Wl<* :• ii iM known Umt the ii»4;oiitf* ttfMvn frhMv tll^ 
 
 Are)' i I w«it tUum$-*tnUni t*> r»'ly f«#r j»»rb«f»»« tumtf ^««»i», 
 
 •li'i n*it 1 CKMW) vmitiu) ytt mumu. mui iAm^ tmi 
 
 "i titi- I i>K- nil MlbiwtMiiM warn t«* Im( ma<f«* Ui him 
 
 II 
 
170 
 
 in the parish, it will be seen that the present provision for 
 maintaining the cost and dignity of the See of Toronto was 
 a very-slender and very inadequate one. But he assumed 
 it in hope of a more satisfactory arrangement, and in the 
 issue he was not disappointed. 
 
 It was now a settled thing that Upper Canada was to 
 form a separate Diocese, with Toronto as the residence of 
 the Bishop. But in the prospect of the early accomplish- 
 ment of all that was required to make the boon complet*', 
 there was a calamity to deplore, affecting churchmen of 
 the province at large, and those of the City of Toronto in 
 particular. This was the destruction by fiio of the Church 
 of St. James, tlie future Cathedral, on the morning of the 
 7th January, 1839 ; a church that had been completed only 
 six yefirs bef(»re, and at a Cs«st and strain from which th<! 
 parishoners had not yet been able to relieve them.selves. 
 This was a great grief to tlie Archdeacon ; as judginl from 
 his firnt Utt<'rs depicting the calamity, almost an ovei- 
 pow'cring one, — the sudden wreck of ;i nolth* .structur*^ 
 which it ha<i c<jst him m» much toil and anxiety t4> raise. 
 Hut the first slim-k oviT, he lM»und«Ml to the renie<lv with 
 winiU'A hojKifulneHS and 7j'ii\. Two dayH after tli< de^tnic- 
 tion of the church, a public meeting of the congregatioti 
 WMM held ill the City Hull; and a iuniifiou<^ lejh'il wtM 
 ^mmmUftl by the ArchdesMon emiMxiyifig a phuj i'ny thi* 
 t« 'ti-r.iti<»ii of tluit wi-^red edifiee Ut i^ fonnfr-r <o!i»UM»<liofjM.. 
 iHtw nitil iM'Auiy 'Hiin wn>* Htibrnittf^i Ut jn < "llilMilt•'e 
 l•flf*i>ftitx^l by the liM . tin;.' of which tlie HiAu'ttuf ( ! 
 i\f H .ft W. H t HMgiMr , wm* iluununu Tlwir r*|*«#ri »«# 
 tm^ i mtUM Hi A«nlMm)Uftit Mte< ins.' •ifUM- fMiriMiMifWfk; immI 
 H wi ik il mwit mi U» n^Uu ' h mithm^^dmf.im 
 fc«MMiiii«Kl «rtth til- '-""iMM«it,ii 
 • MM* Mi mm»Sm iS^m. 
 
 e w wueafciL- BMj .. '^ 
 
171 
 
 - CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Consecration as Bishop of Toronto. — Union of the Provinces. 
 — Settlement of the Clergy llesei"' t;s Questioii in England. 
 
 /i^ARLY in the suininer of 1839, Archdeacon Strachari 
 \wTj proceeded to Enghmd, and in August following was 
 consecrated Bishop of Toronto, — a Diocese coni- 
 j)riKiiig the whole of Upper Canada. At the same time the 
 Hon. and Rev. Dr. Spencer was consecrated Bishop of 
 Newfoundland, — the islands of the Bermudas being asso- 
 ciated with thj»t episcopal charge. The sermon on the 
 o<.*casi«jn was preached l»y the Rev. Edward Scobell, and 
 was published by desire of the Archbi.shop of Canterbury. 
 From this we make the following interesting extracts: — 
 
 " We tte* with joy the iocrttaMtng exertiooM which the Ch* vh 
 IM now umkiii*;, both in iUt ministry Hud laity, — for the Church ix 
 ttf tUf tuo, — to th»' Jjlory of i'uHi. Tin* nK»t of Jt^**** m-ciiih 
 iiior«' iiiatitiV«t »H Hii tiini^n tttu'Hig the iMtiph' The M>tiia<l i;* 
 Koiiig out iti<>r<- into alt i;tu'i» , and going out roon* loudly, 
 vUmrly, .nwl «rt4. x-utly. Th*' Church mnmrn iu«>viii;| ii|(iiiii in I***!- 
 ft«ttv« atPMigtfc. Hbe ^unMiM <Hit It^er UHighM Ui tiw »ea, mimI Ihv 
 \tt.ity\t*m to tlw riv«-f. AimI thin iij#|i»*}»r« in t»o wiiy t^tr*- jfrati 
 ^pwytiHUt lA tW mi»fitmi*tmtmt «f WtAn^m Ut tit** Chim-ii«^ i^ mir 
 I 'wlwi i Ml fif^riipi iaadb. Wi(M«i • Mdb(*|(, • (%t»rek» htm, 
 M" r^nii it «w Imt MAirf, M iniw|— i «i4 tkmUmml Wttl»rMit 
 
 if M* te «fi «HH|» m villi i«^jt4i«. H faw k^ 
 
 gn ^ ^^1^,^^^ ajiiii ill J — * ^j^^y^^^^j . » < -.- 
 
172 
 
 "Go forth, Right Reverend Fathers, in the Divine, the evan- 
 gelical, the invincible resolution of the great Apostle of the 
 Gentiles, to the Churches to which you are appointed. Go 
 forth ; and let that spirit be in you which was iu Christ Jesus, — 
 meek, ]mtlent, charitable, bold, persevering ; full of Chrislian 
 love, full of holy consolation ; and then, like him, ye shall 
 assuredly go forth, conquering and to contjuer. 
 
 "And although a vast and trackless ocean shall roll between 
 us, yet the Church in Christ is never divided in s]>irit. The 
 Church hei'e shall have saintly comnuniion with the Churches of 
 your distant dominion. The mother in her mansion will not 
 forget her daughter in the wiklerness. Prayer shall be made 
 unceasingly in the Church for you. And if we never meet again 
 iu this world ; if that be the counsel which God will bring to 
 pass ; may we assemble at last ai'ound the great white throne, 
 and our names be fcmnd written in the I^mb'w book of life."' 
 
 The I^islntp of Toronto rea<;he«l his home on the 9th 
 Noveinlier, IhUJ), and his return was weleonieil with great 
 joy and atfeeticai. Tw«» itays earlier, on his way to Toronto, 
 he niad<' a shoi*t stop at Kiii;;ston, an<i ren-ived there a 
 warm Adoress fr«»iii the ( 'lerjjrv of the town and •K'ii'hlMiin- 
 ImmmI, headid l»y Arehdearoii Stiiart. Th«'y con^fiHtiiiatt'd 
 lti^ Loidsliip ii|Mtii hin stdeetion to till ih*' hi;j^h and rei>*|NHi- 
 sildi' orti«'«* to whii'li hi' ha<l Ixen lalh •! r* eoj^ij/jnj; in 
 thii* Uh' valnal'h' H^rvisrw h*' \uu\ r* nd. i* .1 tln' Provim* l.v 
 hiw »'«! in til' (inix* .,j ;4< h« nil ) dteatcn ioid tin- U u* hu 
 h<' h«'l «<.iii<Mid ii|«4ai ili«' ( Itiiri'li in th' t'uiiitig mihI 
 inMinii'tion u( mt tiiMny who nr*- int^ nHrvtiiif ht*r wttii »ml. 
 ttitiUtv Ntfi mmmmm. Wttii mu-U |»I«'4, vi-n $J»r«<figli 
 
 n j. n ,1 of immtiy knif fimm," k «?•«• wA{ mui **• 
 o-Miiiiot f»i) U* M ifr wt4l tm iXm* f««l4ir»> [mm^ttrim t4 tiic 
 
 In An aMmm wM^k «r# * liMi III T*mm^, • 
 
 iN> 'htf*- «ift^ kirn tmitmk. 0mm wm aM ^ mmmmU» »m4 
 
 wlff^^li^^lKtm' ' ■^BPBIipWiPPIII^w 'P" ^'^i ^WW? MRRIPIr P^i^ 
 
173 
 
 years ; from a review of the many public services and acts 
 of privji'i* kindness wliicli, in that long interval, he had 
 jK-rfornied. The Bishop, in reply, adverted to the noble 
 effort ; exerted l)y his congregation in restoring the church 
 so recently destroyed ; and expressed his admiration of the 
 zeal and liberality which, in little more than six months 
 from stiirting actually u])on the work, had brought it 
 almost to conn)letioH. Tn the warmth of his feelings lie 
 declared that, with every acknowledgnient of devotion 
 and energy' elsewhere, he repeated n(>\v what he had been 
 proud to afHrm when far away, — that there were "no peopie 
 like his jteo})le ! ' He was, indeed, excusable in the utter- 
 ance of such ])raise ; for, on the '2'2ud Decembei-, he was 
 instalh'd in the new church, now the (athedral of St. 
 .lames, erected u|Mjn the ruins of the tine and sui»stantial 
 xtrueturt which was destroved bv tire «»n the 7th Januarv, 
 hardly twelve uiontiis before In th*- eonrsi- of hissirmon 
 iijM»n the iNH^sioii. his Lordnjiip Miid : — 
 
 " ) <')UiiK*t l«'t |MHH tliiri tnt\ttnrtniiHy of itutiriii;; tiie prcMiii 
 iip|M'at'iUu'i' of till* iiiti'i'liM of till- i-liiii-i'h ; iiiiil hIih-|i | roiiAitl^'i 
 |,<# Im- wuii«i<'rfully iuij»i'ov« •!, Tlu'iv »» muv lijjfit, find : '•<■*•. r 
 «liMtribuiii»u of mhiimI, ihitn in fin- oM ■ iiiiri'lt ;o«i| (If 
 tutum tiX » nrwfilf Mtylif of |»ili.H, iai- <oii|||)mii«<iJ i, n ii< .• i«m- 
 
 »»l l twr i. wiM ftmAi\f ttmni, AinI m\mm Mm dburl iktm ibii Imm 
 
 »'U\miiiA mam lAm mmih^fmflim mmmnmi Im mmAimnd, h MMMi 
 iwwiMjr AfUbo mmrf mm fiMi |pM«t ^iniMw mi 1^4* im4k %» ll»> 
 
 l» iMMiiilip ■mi l I' mm tmi, mmi wUk mm %mmH mt4 ^mm- 
 §m n' li 'tm i m tiMdb §» III** AUm^tf §m km 
 §^ mt0mm Mb M i i i iJig fcr Iflw rtiifcy i»< 
 
 
174 
 
 About three weeks before liis return, his ;y oungest daughter, 
 Agnes, — for many years very delicate, — died at the age of 
 seventeen. Wlien he left for England, it was with gi-eat 
 anxiety on her account; but not without hope that the 
 remedies suggested on the submission of her case to a 
 distinguished medical man in London, would, with the 
 natural elasticity of youth, triumph over the disease 
 But it was otherwise ordered; and the loss of this child 
 clouded much the joy of the Bishop's return. In a letter 
 written to me immediately on his arrival, .liter sj)eaking 
 of the comfort and sjitisfaction he felt at the welcome he 
 received, and the bright pros[)ects of a useful administra- 
 tion of the charge connaitted to liim, he sjiys, " But <lear 
 Agnes Ijaunts me at every stej) : the iujage of this ble.ss«'d 
 chiKl is before me, wherever I go." And we wonder not 
 at th»'««i vivid and ]>ainfui memories; for she 'v-an one «»f 
 thr sweetest, gentlest little creatures living; guileless ;i> 
 MU infant, and always |»}itieiit and cheerful under tiu- 
 liiigering snHerings hhe had to endun*. 
 
 'I'lie iHtlitieal atnioHphiie. too. waM lurid and stormy. 
 Mr Poult tt 'J'hoiiiMdi afierwardf* \jtn*\ Sydenham had 
 \it^'U m'Ui out to etfeet tie- union of the Pfovim'es.- the 
 ip^ifl |«»inH4-eH. it WMM iM-JitM'd at hom , for our |M*tiiiiiil 
 iiit ; that wliieh wnuid Inn;;.' diM'or'iant liiatiiiat^ luU* 
 t\ |.i«(ti. iii_' •oiitiiiiiiiity "i (iit'i« »- biii<i 
 '• t< r,i. In view ti( i\i< ' ! i"««it)«»ii it 
 
 k. Hi !«»ih Vntvintvm, it ^^ly 
 
 \ \mfkM iif m tmm mm inliiMiMte >*-<rtiM 
 
 It iMna 
 HTIitiii iImmi fip'j i w'f wm m4%mmmii tm hmg ngfi* m ^hf pmr 
 
 mtti k Mitt ■■l*i» mm ^^M^ ^^^^^n^. li^rf it m^ ^ 
 
 ■ ^ iMt *■ I Jl f ,-i.i ,M jg ^ ^1 _^|^ ■■ —M ^ItifcfcA A * _.._.. A 
 
175 
 
 majority, rnd an immense preponderance of the Roman 
 Catholic persuasion,— the apprehension was not unnaturally 
 entertained, tliat there couM not, hy amalgamation, be any 
 real union. The laws of each Province were different, and 
 their respective creeds were essentially at variance ; and it 
 was thought that hy attempting to bring them into a 
 closci- iKtlitical afiinity, there would follow an cxasperati«.n 
 of nnitual jealousies, and a real wiilening of the breach 
 b.'tw.M-n them. Dr. Strachan contended for a genernl 
 union of the Provinces, such as has now been effected ; 
 and he jtublished ii pami)hlet upon the subject, strongly 
 nn'lij" thisconfederacvof all the Colonies of British North 
 America. He argued that combination on a scale so limited 
 as the mere uni(»n of Upper and Lower Caui'.da,- where 
 til ' elements to be consolidated wen* in su«-h direct an- 
 tit^oiiism,— could have no goo*! practical effect; whercHM, 
 if it was felt neces>:ny that the isolation now existing 
 jshonld bi' remedied, let th le b»' >[u-h a coalition an w<add 
 be.n down all |»ait\ , stctionai, or national prejiiilici- 
 
 The jaeseiit project, la. ke« I by ImjMrial authoi it s , wn>. 
 ihtrilue.d to the HoU-«e . it' .V^^'inblv by meH>,«g.- <»|) the 
 7th heecljilrti |HH!f The (|Ue^ti<»I» WU"« .'«bls debated HI 
 
 Itoth H«»n»M-«, aini in •fp|M»«»iti«iii to the earne-t pL.t^st^uf 
 *Hiie «#♦' our leading iiieri, wa« carrietl in » h'\i by lai;.'e 
 iMMjfiiritit**. 
 
 <»n th»' <Uh ittfiiMry. INM* « tui-tum^*' *»« mnl do%* ij ' \ 
 
 |iif«i)*i*Ntitg a piMti ft*r tliw tkmA m^tihmms itt 
 
 vmmd ■' '^ '= ?!**• iM §m ^ m^mm^mf^'i ■■• 
 
 .jiayl * J. I MlliMltlil' tWJwftBiJSMi lii l^kMUUtk. *M ^^ MMMlM. nilfilliiiT 
 
170 
 
 vested in tlie Executive (lovernment, und out of the 
 jiiinua. interest should be |iaid all stipends lieretofore 
 assigne*! to the Clergy of the C'hurehes of England and 
 So(»tland, or to any i»ther religious bodies or denominations 
 t»f Christians in the Province. It was further proposed 
 tliat out of any income in excess of . icli ])ayments, one- 
 half sh<ndd annually be ]>aid to the Clergy of the Church»'s 
 of Kugland and Scotland in the Province ; and that the 
 residue of such aniuial fund should be dividc<l amon;; tlie 
 tithcr religious IkmUcs or denominations (»f ('liristiaiis then 
 recognized \>y the laws of tin* Province. 
 
 The Hishoji of Toronto |iuiilished, on the I."»th «»f tin* 
 wnne montli. a ntrong protest against the pro|KiMM| Act, in 
 the form of a Past<»ral addrcsid to the < 'lergy and I.«'iit\ 
 of the hiiNM'M' ; iiH being ealculute*! to deprive the Church 
 of Kngbuid in <'an<idH of neiuly three-fourths of her lawful 
 pio|j«'rty. — Ut rendiT Uw < lergy utijM'ndiarie^ jtud de|M-nd 
 I'tria i <Mi the (oh»iiiiil <«<tverniiM'tit. uiul to filter .iimI 
 |M't'tMilllili* ciidie<*«i diviwioii tind diMord ffe tid%i«*ed tti« 
 yi (.. I (I tidopiiiMi of p'(iti«ni!» HptiiiMt tiiiM MieMtiin U* i\m 
 
 illlperiHl f •■ • iMiif }i! iiliMi [t»- mtmtrt^i tbeni that the »iNfMii 
 
 mmwrn* WM1I4I t«f ^tmrmm^i t*t m kit^ «*xt«^t l\ Hie frieiMU 
 
 Ut tili* l*«4tl«ltHl < lltlMt IN tiM* miiftn i l < oiilitn He f»H » 
 
 MiWiflMlMI #wt tl*«<w' tftitt«^l retmmtftMf^^ «rii«i(t| h«\« 
 tkmr imthmmu.. . tmd tmmm' U» liw C lMiPiii 11 mmli m-t* 
 
 {ttiiiiii nil tibv liiMllntf hmumIimni int^c Mift fiii> IM vMt^ 
 *-mmmi hf m i B i || i »ii| «f fl li* in f ti ^ LiUJii li ii'nr 
 
 • ' .>4«^. >-• •-'-.. -r vriiltfiiB wm tkm rnenf ii% nliAnimi- T^ 
 
 ^BWP " ^^W^^^^Hl^^F ^^^^^^p ^HIMF^ H^^^W^ ■ i^B. fpW^^j^HHl^^HIW^W^v^ tHHHiiMMr W sW^HB^B 
 
 wii|ii.nii|i ^ ta •«* ^ 
 
177 
 
 ment of tliis harassinjDf question ; anrl, in liis speech at the 
 Prf»ro^'ation, he sai<l : — 
 
 " By the Jiill which yoii h;ivr p;u«.s«;fl for tho (Us|h)s;iI of the 
 Clergy Reserves, you have, so far as your eonstitutional |K)wers 
 itdiiiit, set at rest a questiim which, for yeai*s past, has convulsed 
 MK'iety ill this Troviiice. In fraiiiing that measure, you have 
 consulted alike tin- West interest> of religion, and the future jM'aee 
 Hn<l welfare nt" the jK.'(»ple, for wlmse service you are called U|k)H 
 to Icgislai"' ; an<l I rely on your efforts proving successful, not 
 withstanding any attempt whii-h may l>e made to renew excite- 
 ment, or to rais«' op|Mtsition to your deliln'mte and reconled 
 iiidj;iii«'nt,'' 
 
 I'lie >,ili'_'llili< »\IM tl;iti<»iis of hJH Kxeeljeiiev W»Te nut. 
 however, realiz***! ; and the result sheweil that tlie opfMwi- 
 tioii which the HiMhoj* Hti«I other iih-iiiImth of the < 'hiireh 
 frit It thi'ir duty t<» <»rt'fr V> thin n^Mtl'mUtry iiM*«Miir»*. w«*i 
 Blither iinju?*tirti*hle ii«»i' fniiih-wt. 
 
 TIm' Mihjeet wan tJlk^'H Up hy tie- llii|M'riHl iWliMliient 
 fh«* «"i?<««iiit; Hpriiij; and th«* Hoii**' uf LitpU profMtMeil th^ 
 fiAlitw'iu.: *jiif-.ti«»tiH \t, th*' Jndjr**'* 
 
 ^1. Hht'lMi th. «..»^«, 's frtjUartaiit i'Ur^y. iii liH- .'♦! ihm. 
 ffl., 4I1. M, ttti\H>i»* r«it^ <di:»r tk«tt ilt*" CtMjgp mC iIm* l%Mti4 
 
 .. ^ uriBiliipy tlbr^ t<fc«t «€ tm^ m 41 *4 lAtavm im mA mMm^ 
 yiwyMi^ a i yi M g fW ir to fim Ligi ii ul i "! C* 1 ■ miil «i>< 
 
 ^M ^^^^M ^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^m ^^^ ^M^HMMit C^u^^^^^ ^gA|^^^S|. 
 
 lal- mill '«nHii 4lir wlvtdP vif #M) KilMWWIIii'r 4 * i i m# . •• «d|. . 
 
17S 
 
 ftirided iti England, togethfir with the proceeds hereafter to be 
 received from the sale of all or any of the said Keserves, or any 
 j»art thereof, did, in making such enactments, or either of them, 
 exceed their lawful authority 1 " 
 
 On the 4th May, 1840, the Judges delivered tli(!ir reply 
 in the House of Lords, — all the Judges exce])t Lord 
 Denhanri and Lord Abinger having met to consider the 
 questions propos(^d to them by the House. To the first 
 question they answered, — "We are all of oj>inion th.at the 
 words 'a Protestant ('lergy' in the til Geo. HI., ch. 31, are 
 Jarge enough to iYiclude, and do include, other Clergy than 
 the Clergy of the (Jhurcli of England"; aitd when their 
 Lordships asked, "If any other, what other"? the Judges 
 answered, " The Clergy of the Chinch of Scotland." 
 
 To the second question the Judges sai<], "We are all of 
 opinion that the etteet of the 4 1st section of the statute 
 is '[n'OHjiectu.'c only; and that the power thereby given to 
 the Legislative Coiincil and Assembly of either Province 
 cannot be extended to aflect lands which liave been (ijvead// 
 allotted and aj)[)ropriated under fornnn* gi-ants." 
 
 In answer to the last (piestion, the Judges sairl, — " We 
 all agi'ee in opinion that the Legislative (Jouncil and 
 A.ssen?bly of Upper Canada have exceeded their authority 
 in passing an Act to 'provide for the sale of the Clergy 
 Reserves, and for the distribution of the proceeds thereof,' 
 in respect of Ix^th the cmactments specified in your Lord- 
 ships' question; and that the sales which have betni, or 
 may be, effected in conserjuence, are contrary to the 
 provisions of the Statute of Ceo. HI, and therefore void." 
 
 In their answer to the second (iuostion, the Judges 
 sustained tlie view afiirjned by leading Churchmen in 
 Canada many yer before; and in the month of March. 
 1838, the writer o" < lis memoir, as editor of the "Churcli" 
 newspaper, recorded it as his persuasion " that if this 
 special point were submitted to the Judges of England, 
 Hucli would be their unqualified award." The delegation 
 
179 
 
 to the Provincial Parliament of the power to "vary oi- 
 repeal," clearly excluded them from any legislation upon aj)- 
 propriations of Clergy Reserves already made. They might 
 henceforward "vary" the proportion of reservation ; or they 
 might stop all further allottment of land for such object. 
 
 Adopting the opinion of the Judges as the basis of 
 legislation, the Bishops of the United Kingdom, supported 
 by leading members of the House of Lords and Commons, 
 were determined to bring this vexed question to a settle- 
 ment; and accordingly on the 7th August, 1840, an Act 
 was ]>assed to "jirovide for the sale of Clergy Reserves in 
 th^ Province of Canada, and for the distribution of the 
 proceeds tliereof" The decision, in substance, was that 
 the njoneys invested in England from the sale of one-fourth 
 of tlie Reserves authorized Ijy Act of Parliament in 1827, 
 should 1)6 divided between the Churches of England and 
 Scotland in the proportion of two-thirds to the former and 
 one-third to the latter; and that the whole of the unap- 
 propriated lands, — amounting to about 1 ,800,000 acres, — 
 should bo sold, and the proceeds divided into two equal 
 parts ; one-half to be given to the Churcli of England and 
 Scotland in the proportion abo^'e mentioned ; and the 
 remaining half to be applied by the Governor and Execu- 
 tive tJouncil foi'the purpose.=j of public worship and religious 
 in.struction in Canada. 
 
 The follow^ing declaration in the "Church" newspaper of 
 3rd October, 1840, expressed no doubt the .sentiments oi' 
 Clergy and Laity generally through the Province, — "Now 
 that a settlement of the ([Uestion has been definitively 
 made, we shall feel it a duty to inculcate obedience to it 
 as the law of the land, and to render it as beneficial as 
 possible for the object intended. It is with all well-dis- 
 posed persons a subject for congratulation that a topic of 
 grievance has thus been removed, and most heartily do we 
 hope and pray, that it will not soon be foDov/ed by 
 another equally groundless and disquieting." 
 
180 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 First Confirmation Tour. — Pjimary Visitation at Toronto. 
 
 ,^5^HE Bishop of Toronto, after due notice of his arrange- 
 11 I inents, commenced his first Confirmation Tour on 
 the 24th May, 1840. His first visit was to the 
 Niagara District, — comprehending the present Counties of 
 Lincoln, Welland, and Haldimand, — where the parishes of 
 eight Clergymen were visited, and 139 persons confirmed. 
 At, Niagara, where he officiated on Sunday, the SOth, to 
 ci'owded and attentive congregations, he received a wnrm 
 address, to which he replied in coiTCsponding terms. 
 
 He returned to Toronto early in June, and after a few 
 days' interval, proceeded on his journey through the por- 
 tion of i}w Diocese north of Toronto. The i)arishes of 
 eight Clergymen were visited, and 152 confirmed. He also 
 consecrated two churches and one l)urial-ground. 
 
 On the 8th July, after a rest of five <lays at Toronto, the 
 Bishop commenced his confirmation journeys eastward, and 
 visited forty parishes and .stations, served by thirty-two 
 Clergymen. The most remote was distant about 300 miles 
 from Toronto ; but from the necessity of diverging in 
 many cases from the main road in older to reach the 
 .several congregations, the amount of travelling was very 
 much increased. This journey occupied nearly two months, 
 and 800 persons were confirmed. At Picton a very grati- 
 fying address was presented to his Lordship ; and the 
 interest of the occasion was increased by a deputation of 
 ladies placing in his hands a sub.scription list, guaranteeing 
 £50 per annum towards the support of a travelling mis- 
 
181 
 
 sionary in the District of Prince Edward. At Cornwall, 
 he was in the scene of his first ministrations in the Church; 
 ari'I in his reply to the affectionate address presented tf» 
 him l>y tin; [)arishi oners, he nsed these tonchinj^ words :— 
 
 "It is now twenty-eight year» since my separation from you 
 to<jk place ; but it is still as fresh on the tablet of my memory 
 as at the hour of departure, and attended with many ])lea8ing an 
 well as melancholy associations. 
 
 " This church I assist*. ^ to build ; in this desk and pulpit, 
 and at this altar, I ministered to your spiritual waTits. Some of 
 my ancient friends are still before me ; and many of my childrejj 
 in the Ijord, whose faces I first beheld at the baptismal font, now 
 [iromising niend>ers of the congregation, are wjeking my remem- 
 brance These form a delightful sjKJCtacle, for which I ought to 
 be thankful ; and yet, even at such a moment of enjoyment, 
 melancholy reflections will come forward. 
 
 " I look around, and see many seats now vacant, or occupied 
 by strangers, which were once filled by those who smiled on my 
 early days, and amidst my cares and troubles nev<?r failed Uf 
 extend the friendly hand, and offer the fatherly counsel, and 
 greet me with the kind word and the look of encouragement and 
 approbation. 
 
 "Although no person can be more sensible of his many infir- 
 mities and deficiencies than I am, yet I am greatly strengthened 
 and encouraged by the warm recej)tion which you have given m<', 
 and which is accompanie<l with so many endearing and delightful 
 recollections." 
 
 On the 7th September, the Bishop resumed liis travels, 
 — going westwards from Toronto; commencing at Wel- 
 lington Square, and extending to Sandwich. The jmrishes 
 of thirty-four Clergymen were visited, and nearly 700 
 persons confirmed. Sul>sequently, confirmations were held 
 in Toronto, and its inunediate neighbourhood, — making 
 Uie whole numlu-r admitted to that rif^) during the pres<."nt 
 year, fully 2000. 
 
 These were not completed until the middle of October ; 
 
182 
 
 l»ut the remarkable result was tlie visitation in one season, 
 with a very few exceptions, of the entire Diocese, — tlK^n 
 exten<linf( from Sandwich to the Ottawa. P'ew men couhl 
 have nmlergone this continuous and scarcely interru[)te<l 
 lal)Our of five months, with health unim})aired, and spiritH 
 and energy nnhroken. For it was a lahonr of no ordinary 
 character. The amou!it r)f travelling was enormous ; and 
 nil performed in an open v<'hicle. The roarls in many 
 cases were extremely rough; stony or swam])y, with now 
 and then miles of log bridges without any covering oi 
 i.iivth, over which the (carriage Jolted violently and moved 
 at a snail's ]>{ice. It embraced, too, the hottest ])ei"iod of 
 the year; an<l oftentimes the fare by day and the accom- 
 modation at night were of th(» coarsest, nidest chanactcsr. 
 
 'I'he.se were trials of the bodily frame; )>ut they were to 
 a most s<*rious extent inci'cased \)y the discharge of the 
 duties whicli gave occasion to these journeys. Scarcely' a 
 day passed without one Confirmation service ; and very 
 frequently there were two. The Bishoj) invariably preached 
 on these occasions ; and after the Confii-mation scrvi(^e, 
 addresserl the candidates at considerable length. These 
 ad(h'esses were always very impressive ones; they wcm 
 simj)lc and ])ractical, an<l touched closely the sympathi<'s 
 and feelings of the young. In urging all to the Saviour, 
 aii the only hope of the sinner, he was careful to set before 
 them those eveiy-dpy duties, of personal holiness of con- 
 iluct and the subjection of wicked and hurtful passions, 
 which are the oidy practical test of a genuine Christian 
 faith. To liring these as closely home as possible, and to 
 enlist both parents and children in one common aim, and 
 turn this renewal of the baptismal vows into a household 
 blessing, ho uniformly pressed upon the confirmed the 
 duty of bei/ig hereforward more loving and obedient to 
 their ])arents, and more afiectionate to their brothers and 
 sister.^. There was always, too, an inculcation of that out- 
 bide sympathy and work which serves to prove that Chris- 
 
183 
 
 tians arc a brotherhood; that they must not selfishly lock 
 up their care ami kindness within the home circle, or 
 limit them to the community in which they happen to 
 Jive. 
 
 In the (•i)urse of this extensive tour, many interesting 
 ?>nd j)leasing incidents occurred. Amongst the candidates 
 for confirmation at Ancaster, then under the charge of the 
 Rev, Dr. McMurray, was a gt'iitlenian far advanced in life, 
 Mr. Job Lodoi', who liad but recently become a member of 
 the Church, and had generously advanced the sum re([uisite 
 to buy off all claimants u))on St. John's Church at that 
 fJace, so that it might be exclusively the property of the 
 Church of England. Originally it ha<l been built as nfrcc 
 ( 'hurch ; to which all denominations were to have access, 
 an<l which ajtpears to have been used in turn by religion- 
 ists of almost every name. The Bishop in his address to 
 the conlirmod, sj)oke particularly to those of maturer 
 years, and aj>[)arently near the close of their earcier ; and 
 he exjuessed himself so tenderly and kindly to such as 
 thus late in life made an open profession <»f their faith, 
 that Mr. Lodor was melted to tears. 
 
 At Calt, previous to the Confirmation, two persons «»f 
 middle age, — one of them a very influential individual in 
 the neighbourhood, — received the holy Sacrament of Bap- 
 tism un<ler circumstances which manifested very cheerfully 
 the growth of sound Church principles. It appears that 
 tlie individual alluded to, had, in early life, received bap- 
 tism from the hands of some minister not episcopally 
 (jrdained ; but having, after careful reading and enquiry, 
 ai'rived at the conviction that none but a person thus 
 ordained has a valid conunission to administer the Sac la- 
 ments of the Cliristiaii Church, they felt a distrust of the 
 efficacy of the ordinance as thus conferred, «nd ex})resscd a 
 strong <lesire for its regular and authorized comnmnication. 
 
 Antecedent to the Divine service on this occasion, 
 another jjleasing incident occuiTcd. An aged member of 
 
184 
 
 the Church, a Scottish Episcopalian, on his first introduc- 
 tion to the Bishop, knelt down before him and solicited 
 his blessing. Thei-e was something in this ))lc.'ising 
 occurrence whicli inipressively called t(j mind the dnys of 
 patriarchal sim])iicity, and which implied a dutiful recog- 
 nition of the high and s<acred character of an overseer of 
 the Church of God. 
 
 In the old Mohawk Churc^h at Bi-aiitford, after tlx' Con- 
 firmation service, the chiefs of the tribe came fbi wttrd and 
 addressed the Bishoj). This address, sj)oken in their own 
 language, was translated, sentence by sentence, into Kngliph 
 by an intei'preter. They expressed their congiatnlations 
 upon the visit of a father of the Church, for whicli they 
 «aid they felt a strong attachment. They declared their 
 thankfulness for all that had been, an«l was still doing, for 
 themselves and their children ; and concluded with a Avell- 
 meriterl commendation of the valuable and faithful services 
 of their Missionary. His Lordsliij) made them a short, 
 bnt touching reply. He alluded to the gallantry of their 
 nation, and rejoiced that they had exchanged the weapons 
 of war, and the roving habits of hunters, for the implements 
 of husban«lry, and the peaceful pursuit of the arts of a 
 civilized and Christian life. He exhorted them to a faith- 
 ful use of their religious privileges; and, commending 
 th«*m to the blessing of God, took each severally by the 
 hand and bade them farewell. 
 
 In the congi'egation at Tuscarora, on the following day, 
 together with the Indians confirmed, were sevo-al negroes, 
 who were connected with, and lived on terms of great 
 amity with their red brethren. Amongst the number con- 
 firmed, meekly kneeling by the side of Africans and Indians, 
 was the wife of the Missionary. In the course of the after- 
 noon, there was occasion for the performance of the funeral 
 service, and nothing could exceed the solemnity with 
 whicii it was conducted. The ritual of the Church, of 
 course, was used ; but we were struck with the peculiar 
 
185 
 
 iiiipressiveneHs of tlioir custom of singing a funeral liynin 
 ♦luring the progress from the church to the gi-ave. Every 
 voice .Heeme(' to unite in it ; and iU plaintitl' mehxiies 
 were borne away far over the hilLs and through the forest. 
 
 On the 12th April, shortly before setting out on this long 
 tf>ur, tlie Bishop held his first Ordination in the Cathedral 
 Church of St. Jan)es, at Toronto ; when four were ordained 
 Deacons, and four were admitted to the Priesthood. On 
 the 25th October, soon after that laborious summer's work 
 was ended, a second Ordination was held ; when two were 
 added to the number of Deacons, and one to that of 
 Priests. 
 
 The Bishop of Toronto held his primary visitation of 
 the Clergy of his Diocese, in the Cathedral Church of St. 
 James, on Thursday .9th September, 1841. Sixty-one 
 Clergymen were pi'esent, and twenty-five absent, — making 
 the whole number 80. Nine of these had been admitted 
 to Holy Orders by the Bishop himself; so that the whole 
 number of Clergy, at the time he assumed the charge of the 
 Diocese, was 77. The Charge of his Lordship to the Clerg>' 
 on this occasion, must have occupied about an hour and 
 a half, and its contents were varied and interesting. " It 
 adverted," s»ys the "Church" newspaper, "to every promi- 
 nent topic affecting the Church, — to its rise and growth in 
 this Province, — its position with reference to sectarians, — 
 its temporalities, — its wants, and the best means of supply- 
 ing them,— -the dulies of the Clergy in administering th«i 
 sacraments, and catechizing and educating youth, — in fine, 
 his Lordship scarcely left a subject of any importance 
 untouched. At the commencement of the charge, the 
 venerable Prelate appeared to labour under powerful emo- 
 tion, as if bowed down by a sense of the very great 
 responsibility resting upon him, and his voice somewhat 
 faltered ; but he quickly regained his entire self-possession, 
 and delivered himself to the end, with an energy expressive 
 
 of the strongest sincerity and zeal." 
 24 
 
186 
 
 Fi'oni this valuable docuiiu'iit, a few extracts cannot fail 
 to ho interesting to our readei's : — 
 
 " The history of the Church iu this Diocese, though douhtless 
 
 resembling that of iriiiny other Colonies, is not without pcculiiir 
 
 x4 interest. For many years after its first settlement, as the favourite 
 
 y asylum of suffering loyalty, there was but one Clergyman of the 
 
 Church of England within its extensive limits. This was the 
 
 W Rev. Dr. Sttiart ; who may be truly j)ronounce(l the father of 
 
 the Chui'ch in Upper Canada, and fondly do I hold hiui in affecr- 
 
 tionate remembrance. 
 
 "In 1792, two clergymen arrived from England ; but so litth' 
 was then known of the coinitry, and the little that was published 
 was so incorrect and so unfavourable, from exaggerated accounts 
 of the climate and the terrible privations to which its inhabitants 
 were said to be exposed, that no jNIissionaries could be induced to 
 come out. Even at the commencement of 180.3, the Diocese 
 contained only four Clergymen, for it was in the s[tring of that 
 year that I made the fifth. 
 
 "In 1819, the Clergy of this Province had increased to ten. 
 In 182.5, they had risen to twenty-two ; in 1827, to thirty.; in 
 18.'}.3, to forty -six ; and our number is now about ninety. Still 
 our spiritual wants are many. More than forty Mission ai'ies 
 could at this moment b6 most usefully employed ; and earnest 
 applications are daily being made to ine, from various villages 
 and townshi})s, for resident Clergymen. My primary visitation 
 through the Diocese occupied from the latter end of May to the 
 middle of October of last year. In my progress, I was able 
 to go to every parish at which a Clergyman resided, with the 
 exception of one or two which it was impossible for me to reacli, 
 on account of their peculiar situation and difhculty of access, 
 without a greater sacrifice of time than [ could then spare. 
 
 "In passing through the Diocese, I beheld the Clergy every 
 where active and laborious, living in good feeling and har- 
 mony among themselves and with their flocks ; seeking out our 
 peoi>le in the wildemes.s, forming them into congregations and 
 paiishes, and extending on every side the foundations of our 
 beloved Zion. Is it not a blessing of inestimable value, that 
 
187 
 
 already more than three hundred places of worship aro ojiened 
 every week in Western Canada in which the Clergy discharge 
 their high and holy functions, — in offering up prayers, reading 
 tlie Scriptures, preaching the Gospel, administering the Sacra 
 ments, and catechizing the children } Such ministrations are 
 beyond all pi-ice." 
 
 " During the last year the perplexing (juestion of the Clergy 
 Reserves has been finally settled. Whether the best course was, 
 or was not, taken in that settlement, it would be of little import- 
 ance now to enquire. It was, l)eyond doubt, most desirable that 
 an end should be put to the unhappy controversy which 
 had arisen on the subject. Those who have desired to see the 
 interests of the Church protect«!d and her efficiency increased, 
 have at least the satisfaction of reflecting that, before the decision 
 was come to, every consideration, which it was just and necessary 
 to keep in view, was zealously and anxiously brought under the 
 notice of Government and of I'arliametit, It only remains for 
 us to urge, in a just and Christian spirit, whatever may seem 
 best for turning to th«5 gi'eatost advantage, in support of what we 
 believe to be the true religion, such pi'vileges and provisions as 
 are still left." t 
 
 After describing the peculiar position of the Ciiurcli of 
 England at that time ; how she stood then, as in former 
 times, the acknowledged Imlwark of the Protestant faith, 
 against Papal despotism and superstition, and the safe- 
 guard of Gospel truth and order against the heretical and 
 disorganizing principles of many modsrn dissenters, he says 
 with much warmth and elo<|uence, — 
 
 " She seems like a city on a hill, conspicuous to the whole 
 world, assailed by millions of enemies unable to prevail, exhibit- 
 ing a s[»otless model of the primitive Church, and holding the 
 faith which was once delivered to the saints. She will never 
 grow old, but will stand alone in the world, — immutable amidst 
 every vicissitude, immovable amidst every fluctuation, — one con- 
 stant star in this universe of growth and decay, unfadmg and the 
 same, — one august, incorruptible, and glorious verity, shining 
 with celestial light oyer the ocean of uncert/ainty and change. 
 
188 
 
 This model of the ])riinitive Church, so beautiful and porfect, 
 rHnn(»t fail to suggewt that a d«'j>arture from AfK>8tolic Ufiages and 
 ptiticiplfs in th(! prolific cautse of all the herc^ieH ainl diviHionx 
 which deform and disgrace the Chri^jtian world. 
 
 " It is n(!cesi;rtry, then, for all of ii.s to have our minds deeply 
 and affectionately imbued with the distinctive prinei|)le8 of our 
 Church, and to be armed with her creeds and articles, that we may 
 be prepared against her foes, and through the channel of her 
 beautiful ministrations, to bring home with effect the truths of 
 the Gospel to the hearts of our people. Thus understood, and 
 brought forward, the Church of Eugland will in time become the 
 centre of uni^y of all that is good and wise, pure and holy, — the 
 city of habitation, not only to those who make their cscai)e from 
 tht! Roman Babylon, and the thousand sects who arc wandering 
 in the wilderness, but to all the nations yet immersed in )*agan 
 idolatry. 
 
 " Your whole energies must be employed, so far as the influ- 
 ^;iice of precept and examj»le can effect, to gather within the pale 
 of the Church the population of your pcirish or district ; to make 
 the sons and daughtei's of the Lord the sons and daughters of the 
 Church, members and children of th'j sanxe religious family ; and 
 ia cdvvy the living spirit of the Gospel into every cottage, hamlet, 
 and town within your missionary bounds, that the whole I'ro- 
 vince may be imbued with the spirit of C'hrist, Till this is in a 
 great measure done, the people will, in a religious view, continue 
 wretched and feeble ; for the laws are negative in their effectH, — 
 it is religion alone that instils j)Ositive gfXid, and breaks the 
 sceptre of seltishness. It is only the practical influence and 
 ojHjratiou of faith and piety that can soften the heart, and intro- 
 duce those sacred charities and protecting virtues which are ever 
 blessing and ever blessed." 
 
 His Lordshi}) proceeded to give some useful iristructiouM 
 on preaching, and the duty especially of cultivating the 
 talent of preaching extempore ; as occasions would arise in 
 which the use of a wntten sermon would be impossible. 
 He urged, too, a faithful attention to the rubrical direc- 
 tions of the Church, particularly as regards Baptism and 
 
189 
 
 the Chnrfhing of Womon. Ho pressed a careful regard to 
 the instniction of the yoiiri;^', an<l the great vali'o of public 
 catechizing, — strongly recommending also the xealous 
 iiphfdding of Sunday Schools. And even thus early, there 
 was a reference to the imj)ortance of Diocesan Synods ; 
 hut a free acknowledgment that, as yet, liis infonnation 
 nj)on the sul»j(?ct was not sufficient to enahlc him to suggest 
 any plan for bringing them into practical oj)eration here. 
 The fol)owin<c were the concludin;; words (»f this Ion;' and 
 
 o o o 
 
 able Charge : — 
 
 "Now, my reverend l>rethreu, I trust t!iat you will Ix'iU- in 
 mind tbe imjHjrtant matters which I have brought before you, 
 and that they will be the frequent subjict of your meditjitions 
 and prayers. If the holy A|X)stlcs, with all their gifts and 
 ;,'race«, needed the prayeis of tlieir fellow ('hristiauH, how much 
 more have we need to pray lor one another, that the word of God 
 may have fr«vj course, and our ministry bo blcosed to his glory ! 
 In this Diocese, contiiining nearly half a million of inhabitants, 
 there are many denominations move or le>w active in their ooera- 
 tioiis ; often opjx)sed to, and rarely moving in harmony witli the 
 Church, or with one another. In dealing with them, we re(juire 
 to be wise as serjicnts and hannless \s doves ; firmly, but without 
 offence, maintaining our distinctive principh-s, and clothing oui- 
 selves with all those Christiati graces which belong to faith, 
 piety, order, and jxjace. Ho prepared for doin^ the work of 
 Evangelists, we may, with holy boldness, look forward to the 
 time when the whole Province will become the garden of the 
 T»rd." 
 
190 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Establijihment of the Diocesan Theological College at Cobourg. 
 
 — Laying tho Corner-stone of King's College at Toronto. 
 
 — Formation of the Church Society. — Confnm.ition in 1812. 
 
 CHE opposition to thu C'hartei- of King's (College Uni- 
 vorsity wa.s faint, tliou/^'h persovering, since tho 
 ])eriod we last noticed the agitation regarding it. 
 [n 1832 it was proposed by Lord (Joderich, as the best 
 -^ means of quieting the jmblie discontent, that the (Jori)ora- 
 -f > tion should surrender their lloyal (Charter, together with 
 V -^ the endowment ; on the assurance from the Imperial 
 (?overnment that, in the re-construction of the University, 
 no part of that endowment should ever be diverted from 
 the education of youth. This was met by a decided refusal ; 
 and, in the reply of the Council to the Sec 'tary of State 
 for the Colonics, it is easy to trace the nervous style of the 
 subject of this Memoir : — 
 
 " If tho objections entertained by the Council against the 
 surrender of the Charter wer«; not insurmountable, no stronger 
 inducement could be offered thati the reqtiest which his Lord8hi[)'H 
 desjjatch conveys. For the Council cannot fail to be sensible that 
 such a request can have been dictated only by a suj)|)Osed necessity 
 for departing from established principles, in order to prouKjte th<! 
 |>eace and content of the Colony. With the opinions, however, 
 which the Council entertain, and with the opiK)rtunity of forming 
 -r those opinions which their residence in the Colony atibrds them, 
 /A they could never stand excused to themselves or otheis if they 
 should surrender the Charter, 8up|x>sing it to bo within their 
 })Ower, so long as there is an utter uncertainty as to the measures 
 that would follow. The moral and rehgious state of more than 
 
. 191 
 
 200,000 BritiHh subjectn in at present involved in tlie pro|)er 
 (lispOHal of tliose qucHtionH ; and before many years will have ela[)sed, 
 nunc than a million will he affected by them. The ConnciJ, 
 then'fore, what<,'ver resnlts may be obtained l»y other means, 
 eoiild not jiiHtify to thenjs(;lves the assuming the responsibility of 
 erKJanj^ering the very existence of the Institution, They feel 
 bound to look b(;yond the movements and discussions of the 
 j»aMsing moment ; and could not, even if they concurred in tin- 
 view of the pn-sent ex[KHl?ency, consent to pull down the only * 
 foMndjition winch at jn*esenl exists in Upper Cana<la for the 
 advancement of youth in niligiou and learning, upon a system 
 whieh has not yet been repudiated in any part of His Majesty'i* 
 ilommions." 
 
 Iftho destruction </f the University was not, Hooner ov 
 later, inevitable, it was certain that the rel'KjlonH l»a«iK 
 upon wliidi it was meant to be framed, could not long be 
 maintained. The distrust thus awakened, and the appre- 
 liefision that it could never possess tlie full confidence of 
 the Church, as a place of preparation for the Ministry, h-d 
 to the foundation of the Diocesan Theological College at 4 
 i>)bonrg, which was started under thf; following circum- 
 stances. 
 
 In the month of October, 1841, the following Clergymen, 
 ( 'haplains of the Lord Bishop, — viz.. Rev. A, N. Bethunc, 
 Rf'V. H. J, Cirasett, and the Rev, H, Scaddinff, — were 
 rerpiested to draw up, and n^port to his Lordship, some 
 plan by which the Students of Divinity in this Diocese 
 might be brought under a systematic course of iriiitruction 
 in Theology, preparatory to their being admitted to Floly 
 (jrders, and pending the establishment of a regular Col- 
 legiate Institution. Tlie report having been submitte*!, the 
 following announcement was made by the authority of the 
 Lord Bishof), in the " Church " newspaper of Nov, 27th 
 1841 :~~ 
 
 " The Lord Bishop of Toronto has been pleased to apj^oint 
 the Rev. A. N. Bethune, Rector of Cobourg, and one of his 
 
192 
 
 Chaplains, to bo Professor of Theology in this Diocese. 
 ( 'arididates for Holy orders will in future be expected to 
 ])laco theniselves under the instructions of the Professor, 
 for the purpose of jmssing through a prescribed course of 
 Theological study; l)Ut they nuist ])reviously j)ass an 
 exjimination before one of the Bishop's Chaj)lains, to ascer- 
 tain their con»j)etency to enter with advantage on the 
 api)ointed line o^ reading. At the end of the course, such 
 .students as are api)roved by the Professor, and can pioduee 
 the necessary testimonials, will be permitted to jjreseiit 
 themselves as candidates for Ordination." 
 
 It was accordingly announced that this school for Theo- 
 logical instruction would be oj)ened at Cobourg on the 10th 
 January following. During the first term of the Institu- 
 tion, ending at Easter, seven students were in attendance ; 
 and almost immediiitelv after, four more were added. 
 After the long vacation, there was a further increa.se, and 
 the number in October following stood at seventeen. During 
 the whole period of the continuance of the Institutifui, the 
 average attendance of pupils was fifteen. 
 
 At the commencement. Lectures were given only three 
 times a week ; but subsequently, they were delivered daily, 
 Mondays only excepted. These embr.aced the Greek Tes- 
 tament, both Gospels and Epistles ; the Thirty-nine 
 Articles ; the Evidences of Divine Revelation and of Chris- 
 tianity in particular, com))rehending such as arise from 
 undesigned coincidences; the Old Testament History, 
 critically reviewed ; the Liturgy, including dissertations 
 on Fonns of Prayer, and on the ancient Liturgies ; Church 
 Government, comprehending the Scriptural, as ^ye\\ as 
 pati istic testimonies ; Ecclesiastical History, and select 
 portions of several of the Greek and Latin Fathers. Besides 
 these, sermons were recjuired to be written by each student 
 at stated periods ; which were read by the Students them- 
 selves, and commented upon by the Professor, before the 
 whole body. 
 
193 
 
 The subjects thus marked out would require, it was 
 estimated, the attendance of Theological Students for full 
 three years ; which was the period of residence, with few 
 exceptions, exacted from all who entered. 
 
 The Students were required to attend daily Morning 
 Prayer at the place of Lecture, — Sundays being excepted, 
 when they attended the parish Church. A distinctive 
 dress, of cap and gown, was worn by the Students, under 
 the same regulations as at other Collegiate Institutions, 
 
 Classes in the Sunday Schools were uniformly allotted 
 to the Students, as a becoming and useful exercise prepa- 
 ratory to the ministry ; and to several, — making the 
 selection according to age and more particular qualification 
 for the duty, — the performance of Divine Service was 
 assigned in various places which could not be regularly 
 included in the ministrations of the officiating Clergyman, 
 The Students were permitted to live in lodgings approved 
 of by the Professor; and in some few instances, they pro- 
 vided apartments, and the expense of maintenance for 
 tiiemselves. The whole number of members of this Insti- 
 tution admitted to Holy Orders from its opening in 1842 
 to its close in 1851, was forty-five ; and, with few exceptions, 
 they have proved themselves amongst the most hard- 
 working and most successful of our Clergy, 
 
 The .administration of the Government of Canada by 
 Lord Sydenham, was brought to a melancholy close by the 
 sudden death of his Lordship on the 19th September, 1841. 
 He was succeeded by Sir Charles Bagot ; who, being a 
 University man and of highly cultivated literary taste, 
 took a warm interest in the fortunes of King's College, and 
 determined upon iis being brought into practical operation 
 at as early a period as possible. On the 2nd April, 1842, 
 he paid his first visit to Toronto, the seat of Government 
 being then at Kingston ; on the following day, he 
 held a levee at Government House, which was very numer- 
 ously attended ; and on Saturday, the 23rd, St. George's 
 25 
 
194 
 
 Lay, the corner-stone of King's College was laid by Hiy 
 Excellency in person. The ceremony was thus beautifully 
 described in the "Church" newspaper of the following 
 week, at that time edited by Mr. John Kent : — 
 
 '* 1'he vast procession, with His Excellency, the Chancellor, — 
 tlic Lord Bishop of Toronto, the President, on his right, and the 
 Chief Justice, the senior Visitor, on his left, — proceeded on foot 
 tlirough the College Avenue uj) to the University Crouruln. Tin; 
 countless array moved forward, to the sound of militaiy music, 
 in the most jierfect order, and in strict accordance with the i)r('!- 
 concerted arrangements. The sun shone out with cloudless 
 meridian splendour upon perhaps the fairest scene that Canada 
 has ever beheld ; one blaze of banners flashed upon the admiring 
 eye. The Governor's rich Lord Lieutenant's dress, the Bishop's 
 seemly vestments, the judicial ermine of the Chief Justice, the 
 splendid convocation robes of Dr. McCaul, the gorgeous uniforms 
 of the suite, the neat accoutrements of the very numerous fire- 
 men, the national badges worn by the office-bearers of the different 
 Societies, and what, on such a day, must not be omitted, the red 
 cross on the breast of England's congregated sons, the grave 
 habiliments of the clergy and the lawyers, an<l the glancing 
 lances and waving plumes of the 1st Incorporated Dragoons, — all 
 formed one moving picture of well-ordered civic ])om[) ; one 
 glorious spectacle, which can never be remembered btit with 
 satisfaction by those who had the good fortune to witness it. On 
 marched the long and glittering line through the ^fine budding 
 plantations of the Avenue, innumerable groups studding the side- 
 walks, but not marring the outline of the procession. As it 
 drew nearer to the site, where the stone was to be laid, the 43rd 
 Regiment lined the way, with soldiers bearing arms, and placed 
 (m either side, at equal intervals. When the site was reached, 
 a new feature was added to the interest of the ceremony. Close 
 to the spot, — the north-east corner, — where the foundation-stone 
 wjis to be deposited, a temporary building had been erected for 
 the Chancellor, and there,* accompanied by the officera of the 
 Univei'sity and his suite, he took his stand. Fronting this wa.s 
 a kind of amphitheatre of seats, constructed for the occasion, tier 
 
195 
 
 rising above tier, densely filled with ladies, who thus commanded 
 H view of the whole ceremony, lietwren this amphitheatre and 
 the ])lace where the Ohancell()r stood, the procession ranged 
 itself." 
 
 An Address to his P^xcelloncy the Chancellor was then 
 read l)y the Bishop of T<^ronto. Appropriat<; prayers 
 followed, from the Rev. Dr. McCaul and the Rev. H. »T. 
 (jrrasett. The Hon. L. P. Sherwood then presented to the 
 Chancellor the gold and silver coins, and the bottle in 
 which they were to be placed; and the Hon. W, Allan, tlie 
 Cliarter and papers. The Hon. W, H, Draper, the Attor- 
 ney General, read the Latin inscription upon the plate; 
 followed by the Hon. R. 8. Jameson, Vice Chancellor, who 
 read an English translation of it. 
 
 The beautiful silver trowel was handed to his Excel- 
 lency by the Hon. Capt. J. S. Macaulay ; and, the fourula- 
 tion-stone, weighing nearly two ton.s, having been let 
 down into its place, his Excellency comjdeted the usual 
 ceremony. The Artillery fire<l a salute of nineteen guns, 
 and Noil riohin Domlne was then finely executed by the 
 Band of the 93rd. The Bishop dismissed the assembly 
 with an appropriate prayer, and the usual blessing; arid 
 "God Save the Queen" closed the ceremony, — the immense 
 multitude testifying their joy at the consummation of this 
 great event by giving three cheers for Her Majesty, three 
 for Sir Cliarles Bagot, three for the Lord Bishop, and three 
 for the Chief Justice. 
 
 To none was this a more joyous day than to the Bishop 
 of Toronto. He felt as if that which was his day- 
 dream when, a mere youth, he loft his native land, and 
 which, after setting foot upon the country of his a<Joption^ 
 had been an absorbing thought, an undimmed hope, — was 
 now accomplished. The University, for which he ha/1 
 toiled so long and endured so much, was in fact com- 
 menced; and he was to see now the culmination of his grand 
 plans for the thorough education, — intellectual, moral, 
 
196 
 
 and religious, — of the youth of this rapidly growing Pro- 
 vince, 
 
 But there was other work before him, more strictly in 
 connexion with liis Episcopal duties. On the 28th April, 
 1842, in less than a week after the imjHising ceremony 
 Just described, the foundation-stcjne, as it may be termed, 
 of another institution was laid,— '""he Church Society of 
 THE Diocese. 
 
 For many years we had in operation within the Diocese, 
 J)istrict Branches of the Society for Promoting Christi.an 
 Knowledge; established for the purpose of distributing 
 the Holy Scriptures, Prayer Books, and other religious 
 publications, at a cheap rate. And as far back as 1829, 
 A we had a Society established at Toronto, for the civiliza- 
 j tion an<l conversion of tlie Indians, and for extending the 
 ministrations of the Church to destitute settlers in the 
 Province through the means of Travelling Missionaries 
 A good work was being accomplished through both these 
 Agencies ; but it was thought best to give concentration to 
 the efforts thus employed, and to emljody all our Church 
 work of that character in one organization. This, too, 
 would mlmit of the introduction of other plans of b<!nevo- 
 lence, which ought not any longer to be delayed ; such as 
 aid to su])erannuated Missionaries, ]>rovision for the 
 widows and orphans of deceased Clergymen, and some 
 pecuniary encouragement to Students in Divinity. 
 
 The meeting for the purpose of fonning " The Church 
 Society of the Diocese of Toronto," was held in the City 
 Hall on the day above named. Thirty-five Clergymen, 
 exclusive of the Bishop, were present, — many of them 
 having come fi'om a considerable distance. The attend- 
 ance of lay members of the Church was also very large ; 
 comprising the leading gentlemen of the City and neigh- 
 bourhood, and several influential gentlemen from different 
 parts of the Province. The chair was occupied by the 
 Lord Bishop, and the fir/3t resolution moved by Chief 
 
197 
 
 Justice Robinson. He was followed by Mr. Justice 
 Hagerman, the Rev. R. D. Cartwriglit, the Rev. A. F. 
 Atkinson, the Rev. Dr. McCaul, the Rev. R. S. C. Taylor, 
 Mr. Alderman Dixon, the Rev. A. N. Bethunc, the Rev. B. 
 Oonyn, the Rev. C. Matthews, John Kent, Es(]., the Rev. 
 J. Short, G. P. Ridout, Esq., Capt. J. S. Macaulay, and the 
 Rev. S. Givins. The meeting commenced at 3 o'clock, and 
 did not terminate until nearly 8; but, in the language of 
 the " Church " newspaper : — 
 
 •' Long as it was, it was marked throughout by an interest of 
 the most solemn and gratifying nature. Several of the speakeis 
 were exceedingly happy and powerful in their appeals. The Chii'f 
 Justice who proposed two Resolutions, was lucid and argumen- 
 tative, and unfolded the details of the plan with his accustomed 
 j)ei-Hpicuity and ease. His sentiments were warmly coloured with 
 hope and he avowed his detern)i nation to devote him.self with uu 
 earnest zeal to the furtherance of the important object, of whicli 
 his own provident and comprehensive mind had already seen the 
 necessity, and for carrying out which he had himself ]m)posed a 
 scheme of tlie most permanent and expansive character. Various 
 other gentlemen, clerical and lay, expressed them ^-es in succession 
 with the best effect. It was delightful, indeed, to behold the 
 spiiit of unanimity which rested upon the proceedings of the day; 
 to trace the same mind, in essentials, running through all ; to 
 mark that, while the Bible was prominently and distinctly put 
 forth as 'containing all things nece.ssary to salvation,' — 'the 
 ]>rinciple of Divine right,' to use Dr. McCaul's emphatic phrase, 
 'transmitted by ajjostolical succession,' wa« recognized as neceasaty 
 to the perfect constitution of a Christian Church. No one cotdd 
 fail to perceive, from the tone of the whole meeting, that a firm 
 attachment to the principles of the Reformation was a character- 
 istic of the Canadian Church ; and that amid.st the conflicting 
 errors of the day, there was a solemn determination in the Clergy 
 and Laity to adhere to the Evangelical truth and Apostolic order, 
 and to continue steadfast in the ' old paths.' 
 
 "The 28th April, 1842, is, indeed a day to be remembered by 
 every Churchman as a signal epoch in the annals of the Church. 
 
198 
 
 Henceforward he may look for a gr»»^ier unity of action, — a 
 greater development and concentration of rcHources, — and a 
 liajipy co-operation between tlic Clergy and tlie Laity. Here i.s 
 a field now oi)cned for all the best and holiest energien of every 
 Churclnnai.' Here he can devote himself to the xniited objects 
 of religion ; or can single out some particular channel into 
 which he may wish all his time and talents should flow. Here 
 will be the Churchman's BlhJe Society ; here will be his Truct 
 Society ; here he will find the wants of his communion exhibited 
 in every form ; and his only difficulty will be not to discover, 
 but to select out of many pressing cases, one peculiarly calling 
 for his aid. 
 
 "It was with great rejoicing that we witnessed the laying of 
 the foundation-stone of King's College ; but our gratification was 
 much more vivid and homefolt, when we viewed the Bishop of 
 the Diocese, surrounded by his faithful Clergy, and many of the 
 most eminent and virtuous of the Laity, giving shai)e and organi- 
 zation to a Society, which embraces the spiritual welfare of the 
 niost numerous religious denomination in the Province. On the 
 first occasion, we felt as members of the State ; on the latter, our 
 warmest rmotions as Churchmen were enkindled, and visions con- 
 nected with a future and eternal state thronged thick upon the 
 mind. 
 
 "]t is devoutedly to be hoped that the pious excitement of 
 Thursday last, may not be suffered to grow cold and decline ; but 
 that a work commenced under such happy auspices, may be 
 systematically, resolutely, and successfully peraevered in ; that it 
 may be aided by the unremitted personal exertions, the' large 
 offerings, the prayers and the exemplary lives of the Laity ; that 
 it may be enforced and carried forward by the Clergy wherevfti a 
 single congregation is formed ; that it may prove to them a valu- 
 able auxiliary in spiritual matters, a strong support under every 
 discouragement, and a relief of those temporal wants which press 
 so heavily upon their unrepiuing heads ; and that thus sustained 
 by the united efforts of the Clergy and Laity, and watered by the 
 dews of God's blessing, it may continue a source of immortal 
 consolations to this and innumerable generations ; an offshoot not 
 unworthy of its gloi-ious parent stems, the venerable Societies 
 
199 
 
 for Promoti. ■ Ob'nstian Knowledge and for Prcj)agatiug the 
 Gospel in Foreign Parts." 
 
 The good work, so auspiciously undertaken, was not 
 permitted to stand still. Large and influential Committees 
 were immediately appointed to canvass the different wards 
 of the City for subscriptions ; and a general meeting of 
 the supporters of the Society wjis held in Toronto on the 
 1st June following to make the necessary arrangements 
 for completing its organization throughout all the Parishes 
 of the Diocese. Without loss of time, the Bishop himself 
 appointed, and presided at, meetings in several of the 
 principal Towns of the Province, and was very successful 
 at Cobourg, Kingston, Brockville, and afterwards at Lon- 
 don, in establishing District Branches of the Society, and 
 otherwise giving vigour to its operations. A Depository 
 was soon after opened in a commodious house on King 
 Street, under the charge of the late Mr. Thomas Champion ; 
 and throughout the country at large, a most liberal and 
 cheerful support was given to the Society. 
 
 Scarcely was this important work fairly set on foot, 
 when the Bishop started upon another Confirmation tour, 
 lie left Toronto for this purpose on 19th July, 1842 ; and 
 after consecrating the church at Penetanguishine, he pro- 
 ceeded with his party in canoes to Manitoulin Island. 
 There were various interesting adventures in the course of 
 this journey, as described in the Bishop's journal : — 
 
 " On Friday, 29tli July, our party lauded upon one of a group 
 of Islands called Foxes' Islands, the rain pouring down in tor- 
 rents. It was found not a little difficult to select places for 
 pitching the tents, the rock being so very high and uneven, and 
 no soil into which pegs could be driven. In this emergency, the 
 tents were held down by large stones placed upon the ropes, in 
 lieu of pegs driven into the ground; but with this arrangement 
 there was not a little danger, should the wind increase, of both 
 tents and inmates being blown into the lake. The party dined 
 in one of the tents ; and notwithstanding the furiousness of the 
 
200 
 
 8torni and the smallness of the accoramoJalion, they were very 
 comfortable and clieerful. The raiii continued with increased 
 vehemence during the night, and found its way into tlie Bi.shojt's 
 tent, but a hollow place in its centre fortunately served for n 
 reservoir, and many ])ail.s of water were emptied from it on tlu? 
 following morning. Nevertheless, the violence of the wind 
 caused it to beat through the canvass ; and his Lordship, even 
 under this shelter, was obliged to resort to the {irotection of an 
 umbrella, to i)revent his being thoroughly wet. Several casual- 
 ties happened during the night ; three of the tents were blown 
 down, and the inmates had to make the best of their way, in 
 their night clothes, through the dai-kness, exposed to the wind 
 and rain, to some of the other tents which withstood the tempest. 
 Early in the mornnig, the whole party assembled round a lai-ge 
 tire to dry themselves, and amused themselves in recounting the 
 adventures of the night. Tlie encampment the following evening 
 was not a little picturesque : nine tents were pitched, and as 
 many Brea lighted up ; the canoes were all drawn ashore, and 
 commonly turned over with their bottoms upward. Groups were 
 seen round each fire, and, as the darkness increased, shadows 
 were flitting from place to place, while some of the men were 
 seen rolled up in their blankets and sleej)ing on the bare rock. 
 The party never dined until they stopped foi* the night, — some- 
 times as late as nine o'clock. The table cloth was spread ou tlie 
 smoothest i)art of the rock, and the guests squatted round in 
 eastern fa.shion, with candles or lanterns, according to the amount 
 of wind, to illuminate the feast ! On the first night of encamp- 
 ment, it was discovered that one of the canoes was manned by 
 converted Indians. Before going to rest, they assembled to- 
 gether, and sung a hymn in their own language, and read some 
 prayers which had been translated for their use. There was 
 something indescribably touching in this service of praise to God 
 upon these inhospitable rocks : the stillness, wildness, and dark- 
 ness, combined with the sweet and plaintive voices, all contri- 
 buted to add to the solemnity and beauty of the scene." 
 
 After confirming at the Manitouawning, the Bishop and 
 his party left for Sault Ste. Marie. On the 14th August, the 
 day before their arrival there, 
 
201 
 
 '• Service was lu^Ul on a very beautiful inlarid, covcrt'd with 
 tree» and shrubs, juniper and rose bushes, and many wild flowers. 
 A clenn smooth lock, overhanging the lake, was chosen for the 
 place of worship, which possessed, besides, the advantage of a 
 freer air, — the day being hot, — and of lieing distant from a Hre, 
 which was rapidly spreading, by means of the dry Uioss. over the 
 island. The audience manifested the greatest attention, and all 
 apjx^anul tt) be struck with a deep feeling of the solemnity of the 
 scen<s and of the wiseness of the provision which called upon 
 them, in this wild and romantic corner of the earth, to pause 
 upon their journey, and to worshi]) their heavenly Father through 
 his son Jesus Christ.'* 
 
 From the Saiilt Ste. Marie, where his Lordsliip confirmed 
 fifty })ersons on the 21st August, he proceeded to Michilli- 
 mjickinac. There he took the steamer for the village of 
 Sutherland on the beautiful river St. (Jlair : Sandwich, 
 Amhertsburgh, and Colchester, were subsequently visited ; 
 then Chatham, and the Indian mission at Mnncey Town, 
 under charge of the late Rev. J. Flood. 
 
 '* On the 7th September, the Indians assembled in great num- 
 bei-s. It was to be a great day, as the great Chippewa chief 
 Cunatuuy, was to be bnptixed and confirmed. In the two 
 villages, (of Munceytown and (Chippawy) there are still several 
 pagan Indians ; and yet, strange to say, they all attend the 
 service of the Church. While they continue pagans, they paint 
 their faceS, and refuse to kneel. The conversion, however, of the 
 great chief is expected to operate favourably ; and from their 
 provei'bial love of truth, — stronger, it is said, among the Indians 
 than amongst the Persians of old, — it is anticipated that they will 
 be readily impressed and i)ermaDently retained. When some 
 doubts were expressed as to the coming of the Bishop, the Indians 
 exclaimed, * What, is he not Chief of the Church 1 he can never 
 have two words ; he is sure to come ! ' Ths school-house, though 
 large, could scarcely contain half the number of jiersons assembled, 
 and they stood in groups about the dooi-s and windows. The 
 chief was baptized^ and appeared tp be well acquainted with the 
 26 
 
202 
 
 nature and importance of thi.-t Holy Saciaraent ; it had, indeed, 
 been for years a matter with him of deep consideration. H« 
 was, after his baptism, confirmed with four others," 
 
 The Bishop prrx^eedt^r! from iH-nee to Goderich, a little 
 town beantifiilly Hitiiatod on the banks of La kn Huron, and 
 ronimandinff a most extensive view of that noble inland 
 sea. Confirmations were litdd here, and subsecpiently in 
 Adelaide, the township an<l town of London, and the 
 village of St. Thomas, at that time under the [jastoral 
 charcre of the Rev. Mark liurnliam. In reference to this 
 parish and the labours of its Minister, the following admi- 
 rable remarks oecnr in the JJishoj/s journal : — 
 
 " The Huccess attendant upon Mr. llurnham's lubours, — latterly 
 so very marked and striking, — he ascribes under the Divine 
 blessing, to a more clear and earnest develo[j.uent on liis part of 
 the distinctive principles of the Church ; the bringing her claims 
 more plainly and decidedly before his people, as the d(;j)ository of 
 divine truth and tlio channel of heavenly grace. While he jwr 
 formed his duty conscientiously, with all calmness and wal, Jis a 
 minister of Christ, but without bringing forward prominently the 
 government, order, and peculiar excellencies of the Church, — the 
 nece-ssity of communion with lier by those who expect the i)rivi- 
 leges and ble.ssings of the Redeemer's sacrifice, — matters, lie said, 
 went on with regularity and smoothness ; his people were discreet 
 and decent in their Christian walk ; but they seemed scarcely 
 conscious of any difference between themselves and the sectaries 
 around them. It was not until I 9 jwinted out distinctly and 
 em})hatically the nature and privileges of the Church, — Ikt c1os«; 
 resemblance to the Apostolic pattern, — the many important and 
 decided differences between her and other ' Protestant denomina- 
 tions,' — that his congregation began to feel they were a distinct 
 and privileged people ; that the jKjints in which they diflered 
 from others, were not of small, but of essential moment ; and 
 that they manifested themselves no longer lukewarm in her 
 service, but ready to contribute with their substance, as well as 
 by their example, to the advancement of her holy cause. 
 
2()n 
 
 " It HccinH, indi'ctl, (Iii'm Lordnliip further oW-rvpM,) a iimtt*'r <»f 
 jKwitivc lujfairiK'HH uiul (lixlioncHty to withhold from th»! jiooplc 
 irwtniotion u|K)n all that concern.s their npiritual weal. They have 
 a right to he informed not only of what constitutes the Hoinidnexf* 
 of faith, but of whatMoever alrto may Horve t^> promote unity of 
 belief and unifonnity of practice, — whatnoever may helj) to keep 
 them a united body, and cause them to whun those divisions, ui>on 
 which every A[)Ostle, and Apostolii. -""U, jironounced so severe a 
 eond«'rn nation. That Christian steward can scarcely be said to 
 give every man his |K)rtion, — to bring out of his treasures things 
 new and old for the edification and welfare of Christ's heritage, 
 if, while he is faithful in preaching a Crucified Redeemer, he 
 omits all explanation of the foundation, order, government, and 
 discipline of that Church wliich bears so near a connexion wit!? 
 the Saviour as to be called his spouse, and in relation to which it 
 18 said, that they who are grafted into the Church are grafted 
 into Him." 
 
 From St. Thomas, the Bishop proceeded to Duiiwich, — 
 visiting liis ohl frierul, Col, Talbot, on the way ; and con- 
 firming there, had a long drive r)f twenty-six miles to 
 Richmond, in the townshij) of Bayham. After this, he 
 confirmed at Woodhonse and Brantford ; and from thence 
 paid liis second visit to the Indian missions at Mohawk 
 and Tuscarora. There fo]lowe<l, in course, Confirmations 
 at Paris, Gait, Guelph, Bundas, Ancaster, Binbrook, and 
 Hamilton ; and this last accomplished, he arrived in 
 Toronto on the 3rd October, He had scarcely been at home 
 since the 13th June ; and during the whole course of these 
 arduous journeys and laborious services, had never expe- 
 rienced a day of sickness, or been prevented by any accident 
 from discharging his duties or keeping his various appoint- 
 ments. During the .summer lie con.secrated two Churches 
 and one burial ground; confirmed 756 persons; and 
 travelled upwards of 2500 miles. 
 
204 
 
 CHAPTER XXIT. 
 
 Opening of King's College, Toronto. — Second Triennial ViHita- 
 tion of the Clergy. — Special Meeting of the Church Society 
 in reference to Sales of Clergy KeserveH. — Legislative action 
 thereupon. 
 
 FTER the laying of tho foundation stone of the 
 TTnivcrsity of King'n College, no time was lost in 
 making i)re|mration for its actual work. Pending 
 the completion of the building of whicrh a connnencernent, 
 as we have seen, had been made, it was dctermiru'd, if 
 possible, to j>ro(rure some temporary place in which the 
 business <»f tin; University could be carried on ; and, 
 hai)pily, the Parliament buildings in Toronto, which wei*e 
 now unoccupied, were allowed to be used for that purpose. 
 Three Professors, — the Rev. Dr. Beaven, Mr. Pottei*, and Mr. 
 Croft, — were obtained from England, in order to complete 
 the staff immediately requisite ; and on the 8th of June, 
 1843, tho University was jmblicily opened. 
 
 "The solemnities of the day (we quote from the 'Church" 
 newspaper,) commencred with the performance of Divine 
 Service in the College Cliapel ; which, with its veiy appro- 
 priate black walnut fittings, and sober decorations, pre- 
 sented a most seemly appearance. Addresnes were deliv- 
 ered in the Hall by the President, the Lord Bishop of 
 Toronto, — the Vice-President, the Rev. Dr. McCaul, — and 
 the Hon. Chief Justice Robinson, and the Hon. Justice 
 Hagennan, two of the official Visitors of the University. 
 On the following day, inaugural Lectures were read by 
 four Professors, viz.; th'i Rev. Dr. McCaul, the Rev, Dr. 
 
205 
 
 Beaven, Profe-ssor Potter, and Professor Croft. The ability 
 displayed ))y the speakers and lecturers on both days, is 
 said, by those who were present, to have been of a very 
 hi^h order in every respect, and to have added fresh lustro 
 to the theological, literary, and scientific character of that 
 host instructor of Britons, — the Church of the "Empire," 
 
 Twenty-seven students matriculated on the occasion, and 
 the business of the University commenced in good earnest. 
 All s(M!m(!d bright on its horizon ; but the past mutterings 
 of discontent were remembered, and the hopes of its 
 future were not without anxiety and apprehension. There 
 was an undisguised jealousy of its connection with the 
 Church, in the religious instruction interfused with its 
 ordinary work ; and the fear was outspoken at the time, 
 that this might too soon revolutionize the whole Institu- 
 tion. "A fear of some such misfortune," said the Chief 
 Justice, in his admiraVde address, "is my only fear; but 1 ><' 
 ti'ust that the wisdom of the Govermeni and the Legis- J. 
 lature may guard agninst the dangc^r. It becomes us at 
 least to entertain the hope ; and may God in his goodness 
 avert this and all other evils from the University of King's 
 College." 
 
 The annual meeting of the Church Society, — the first 
 after its formation, — was held during the same week at 
 Toronto. 1'he Bisho[) presided, and a large number of the 
 Clergy an<l of the influential Laity of the Diocese were in 
 attendance!, 'j'he report of the year's tnansactions was 
 veiy encouraging; for although no Missionary work, under 
 the auspices of the Society, had yet been instituti'd, the 
 establishment of the Depository with a good su[>])ly of 
 books was an important achievement. There had been 
 sold during the past year 17,233 Books and Tracts ; and 
 the collections an<l sales during that period amounted to 
 £183G. 
 
 On Thursday, Cth June, 1844, the Bishop of Toronto 
 held his Second Triennial Visitation of the Clergy of the 
 
200 
 
 Diocese in the Cathedral Church of this city. Seventy- 
 four Clergymen were present. Tlie Visitation Sermon, 
 which was a very eloquent one, was preached by the Rev, 
 William Macaula}^ Rector of Picton ; and aftci* a recess of 
 half an hour, following the administration of the Holy 
 Comnninion, his Lordship, delivered his Charge. From 
 this able address, occupying two liours .and a half in the 
 delivery, we shall make such extracts as more particularly 
 hear upon the work and life of its author. 
 
 We have already given some account of his Confirmation 
 journeys, and their results, in 1842 ; of what he effected in 
 the following year, he says : — 
 
 " My journey in gi* during the litst summer commenced ou tlie 
 10th Juno, and ended on the 2l8t October. I visited i\ut 
 Niagara and Home Districts, and those of Simcoe, Colborne, New- 
 castle, Victoria, Prince Edward, Midland, Eastern, Bathurst, and 
 Dalhonsie, My travels were not quite so extensive as those of 
 the j)revious year, but there was much more actual duty to be per- 
 formed. The Confirmations at seventy-eight stations were 2923 ; 
 Churches consecrated, five, and burial grounds, two ; sermons and 
 addresses delivered, liJS ; miles travelled, 2277." 
 
 His Lordship, since his consecration, had held regulaily 
 two Ordinations every year at Toronto. The results of 
 these are thus shewn : — 
 
 •'In October, 1839, when I returned from England to take 
 charge of this Diocese, the number of the Clergy was 71 ; they 
 have since increased to 103. Many changes and casualties have, 
 in the meantime, taken ])lace. Some have removed, to employ 
 themselves in other portions of the Lord's vineyard ; and a few 
 have been called to give an account of their stewardship, and, it 
 is hoped, to receive a blessed reward. <'*♦**•* 
 
 " While I saw much to call forth our thanksgivings to 
 Almighty God, in passing through the Province, from beholding 
 the vigorous progress of the Church wherever she found an open- 
 ing, — th« Congregations that were forming in all directions, — and 
 
207 
 
 Chufches, of a simple and cheap structure, that were rising in 
 every District, — there is auotlicr aspect which the Diocese 
 presents of a far ditferent character, and in whicli it exhibits, I 
 inuHt in sorrow confess, a melancholy picture. 
 
 ** In this view, the map of the Diocese of Toronto, notwith- 
 standing what has been done, presents an appalling degree of 
 spiritual destitution. To the District of Ottawa, comprising nine 
 townships, or more than a thousand s(]uare miles, I have not yet 
 been able to send a single resident Clergyman. In the Wellington 
 and Victoria Districts, each containing twelve townships, — in all, 
 nearly three thousand square miles, — we have only two Clergy- 
 men. In other directions large [Kn'tions of the country remain 
 entirely without Gospel privileges, and have never seen the face 
 of a single Clergyman. Some again are visited occa.sionally by a 
 travelling Missionary, or the nearest resident Clergyman ; but 
 such visits are, from necessity, rare and at long intervals. Nothing 
 liyj)p(Mis for months, nay, for years, in many of our townships, to 
 renn'nd the inhabitants of the existence of the Church of God." 
 
 He expi'CH.sed himself in gi-atoful terms of the iininifi- 
 eencc on our behalf of the Society for the Propagation of 
 the Gospel in Foreign Parts, in sustaining even at this 
 moment half of our Missionaries, He also thankfully 
 acknowledged the bounty of the New England Society in 
 supporting two Missionaries amongst the Indians, and in 
 defraying the expense of a large and promising School of 
 Industry for Indian boys and girls at the Mohawk Mission 
 luiar Brantford. And lie dwelt with great energy and 
 hoi)efulness upon the Missionary Society just instituted 
 amongst ourselves, and which i)romised in a large degree 
 to supplement what it was not in the power of benevolent 
 associations in the Mother Country to supply. Valuable 
 remarks followed upon the organization of tlie Church, the 
 beauty of its Liturgy and the spiritual value of its Sacra- 
 ments ; and he dwelt largely and forcibly upon the practi- 
 cal duties of the Ministers of that Church. The following 
 are always pertinent, and always instructive : — 
 
 4 
 
208 
 
 " Be not regardless of your dress and apjwaranco in Church, 
 and especially with respect to your clerical habiliments. I need 
 scarcely add, that I greatly disaj)provc of your [jerforfning Divine 
 Service, or celebrating any of the offices of the Church, without 
 the surjjlice. When you are decently robed, renien)ber that the 
 eyes of the congi'egation are upon you, and therefore it becomes 
 you to take heed that you appear neither affected nor indifferent,. 
 The worship of God should be conducted soberly, gravely, and 
 affectionately ; in a manner suitable to those whoj)ray, and to th»' 
 majesty of Him who is addressed in prayer. Many of your 
 ]>eopl(j will form their estimate of the services, as well as of your 
 sense of their value, by your manner and deportment. Your 
 carriage and behaviour should, therefore, in every respect be such 
 as becomes, a man who is about to perform an imjK)rtant and 
 a sacred duty. 
 
 " Eead with distinctness and solemnity ; and have respect, as 
 far as you are able, to the character of the several parts of the 
 service, and suit the tone of your voice to the matter, whether 
 prayer or exhortation, narrative, or authoritative declarations of 
 Scripture, * =f; ■;> * * 
 
 '* Some Clergymen, perhajis tniwittingly to themselves, dwell 
 almost entirely upon the doctrines, to the comparative exclusion 
 of jtractice. Yet faith and practice are never separated in the 
 Scriptures ; which teach us that faith works by love, and to love 
 God is to kee[> hus commandments. Now, we should so preach 
 the doctrines as to make them bear u|)on practice ; and the 
 practice as intimately connected with, and flowing from, the 
 doctrines. The Gos^jcI constitutes one whole, and is not to be 
 divided into separate and ind(!pendent ])arts ; and therefore it 
 concerns us frequently to ask, whether we are declaring to our 
 people the whole counsel of God, — neither adding to, nor dimin- 
 ishing therefrom. To dwell almost entirely, in our jrteaching, 
 upon the doctrines, and sparingly m the duties of morality, ought 
 to be scrupulously avoided. Frequent and earnest appeals to the 
 practical precepts of the Gospel must be made ; minute descrip- 
 tions of temper brought home ; and special expositions of the 
 personal and social duties urged at one time by the most endearing, 
 and at another time by the most alarming motives. * * * 
 
209 
 
 ** The preacher shoukl n(»t too unreservedly represent the com- 
 ruon affairs of life as liostile to our true interests, and declaim, 
 without the requisite qualificfttions, against the world and the 
 things of the world as among the greatest hindrances and deadliest 
 enemies to our sfnritual progresH. There is a m'-nne, undoubtedly 
 in which the world may be so considered, and in this sense it is 
 largely einjdoyed in (Scripture ; but there is another sense in 
 which it is used by the Apostle, when he speaks of those who use 
 this world as not abusing it. The word v)orld has, therefore, in 
 Bcripture two significations, which should be carefully distin- 
 guished. In the one, it is put for the wicked, who relish merely 
 worldly things, and pi'.i-sue only worldly objects ; and in the other, 
 it signifies our field of duty, our place of probation, where, in 
 humble imitation of our blessed Master, we must fulfil the work 
 which has been given us to do, * * '* * # 
 
 *' It is not left for us to decide whether visiting our people be 
 a duty ; for we are bound by (»ur ordination vows to use both 
 jirivate and public monitions and exhortations as well to the rich 
 as to all within our cure, as need shall iequire, or occasion shall 
 be given. Such privatt; visitation of our memlKjrs should be 
 conducted with great discretion, and due respect to the modest 
 privacy of domestic life. Our object being t<> do good to the 
 souls and bodies of men, win^ should be taken not to turn our 
 visits into frivolous convei-sations, nor into public Church-like 
 assemblies ; for this would prevent the salutaty effects we have 
 in view. Public worship is better conducted in the Church than 
 in a [»rivate house, where we seek to win friendly confidence and 
 affection, and to meet face to face as a man talking to his friend. 
 We desire to int<;r€st the kindly feelings of the family at their 
 own fire-side, 
 
 " In this way, the Clergyman gains by degrees the hearts of his 
 people ; and when, by his p(!rsonal attention!* and frankness of 
 conversation, he has acquired their good-will and confidence, he 
 will be able, gently and almost imperceptibly, to instil good 
 thoughts and principles into their minds, ****** 
 
 '• I am aware that such a laborious task as this, consideririg 
 the great extent of your charges, is very difiictdt, and in moat of 
 your missions can only be imperfectly accomplished. That 
 27 
 
210 
 
 diffictiltiu8 will intervene, — that your \min will not at all times 
 be well taken, and be sometimes offensively repelled, I am well 
 aware ; but believe me, this will seldom hapjien, and when it 
 does, you must not desjKind. Disinterested kindness almost 
 invariably begets kindness ; and it is our duty to be instant in 
 season, and out of season, and to go from house to house, and to 
 take an interest in the affairs, teni|)oral and spiritual, of our 
 |)eople, if we are anxious to win them to Christ. It is not easy 
 to set any limit to the influence for good which you may acquire 
 in your general missions from such jirivate visiting, added to the 
 regular ministrations of the Church.' 
 
 Our readers will recollect that a Hettleinerit of the Clergy 
 K(!serve8 qucHtioii was effected by the Imperial Government 
 in the Hummer of 1 840 ; and that, ]>y this arrangement, the 
 proceeds of one-half of the lands then unsold wore to be 
 divided between tlie Churches of England and Scotland, 
 in the pro[)ortion of two-thirds to the former and one-third 
 to the latter. The property thus allotted was to be sold 
 under the direction of the local Government, and the interest 
 only of the amount realized paid over to those Churches. 
 — It was discovered that these lands were being sold, in 
 many cases, at prices much below their value, and that, in 
 various instances, salens were unnecessarily forced ; whereas, 
 by a reasonable delay, good j»rices could be obtained. 
 Moreover, the charges for management were excessive ; so 
 that, from these two causes, an immense sacrifice of the pro- 
 ])erty of the Church was inevitable. The Bishop of Toronto, 
 therefore, felt it his duty to summon a special meeting of 
 the Church Society, in order that measures might be 
 adopted for arresting this extravagant waste, and of obtain- 
 
 ■^ ing from Government the power of selling and managing 
 
 > these lands ourselves. 
 
 This meeting was held at Toronto, on the 2l8t Se])teni- 
 ber, 1843, and was attended by a large number of influen- 
 tial gentlemen in town, and by representatives from various 
 District and Parochial Associations throughout the Diocese. 
 
 ^ 
 
211 
 
 A number of Resolutions were passed, accompanied by 
 excellent speeches. In the course of his address, the Chief 
 Justice dilated upon the ruinous waste caused by the 
 system adopted for the disposal of these lands, " It appears," 
 he said, " that the receipts on account of s^!es up to the 
 close of the year 1840, amounted to £186,574 ; the expenses 
 .attendant upon the collection of which were £19,857, or 
 nearly a ninth of the whole. In the year 1841, the amount 
 collected for Clergy Reserves was £14,504, and the expenses 
 of collection £2,679, or about a sixth of the whole. In the 
 year 1842, the sum collected on this account was £18,028> 
 and the expenses £5344, or nearly a third of the whole 1" 
 
 A petition to the Queen was adopted at this meeting, 
 praying that an Act might be passed providing for the 
 assignment to the Church of England of her share of the 
 Reserved lands, and authorizing the Church Society of the 
 Diocese to propose a system, subject to the approval of Her 
 Majesty's Government, for the disposal and management of 
 these lands. Subsequently, petitions on the same subject 
 to the Canadian Legislature were adopted ; extensively 
 circulated ; and signed by about 8000 persons. In the 
 Legislative Council, these petitions were referred to a 
 Select Committee ; which, on the 8th May, 1846, reported 
 in favour of the prayer of the Petitioners. They declared 
 it to be their opinion that this prayer is " reasonable and 
 just, and that the injury which they wish to avoid is one 
 which all who feel a sincere concern for the religious 
 instiiiction and character of the people, should be equally 
 aiixicus to i)revent. It would (they affirm) be a matter of 
 perpetual reproach to this Legislature, if the improvident 
 sacrifice of a provision intended for such objects is allowed 
 to proceed." 
 
 The suV)ject was taken up, and warmly debated, in the 
 House of Assembly ; and amongst the ablest supporters of 
 the Petition of Churchmen was the Hon. W. H. Draper. 
 In a long and eloquent speech, he went over the whole 
 
212 
 
 ground ; dwelt upon the reasonableness and justice of the 
 prayer of the Petitioners ; and dissipated to the winds the 
 flimsy objections urged against it. The solitary objection 
 of the slightest prominence w.as tliat it was dangerous by 
 any legislation, to re-open a (jucstion that had finally been 
 set at rest, and renew an agitation that might be perilous 
 to the interests of the Petitioners themselves. On the 
 22nd May, 1840, the motion of the Hon. Henry Sherwood, 
 that the House do concur in the address to Her Majesty 
 respecting the future sale and management of the Clergy 
 Reserves, was lost by a vote of 19 to 31. Amongst the 
 latter were fifteen French Canadians. Six years later, the 
 absorption of the whole by the Provincial Legislature, and 
 their application to secular puq)oses, was moved by the 
 very individual who was most prominent in deprecating 
 the re-opening of a question that had been finally settled ! 
 
213 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 ('onfirmatioii .Io\irticys in 1845. 
 
 /^UR readers will not exi)cct that we should give in 
 11 y detail, or even at much length, the accounts of the 
 journeys for the holding of Confirmations through- 
 out the Diocese made by the late Bishop of Toronto ; 
 although the published journals of these visitations supply 
 many statistical fficts of great value in respect to the 
 physical improvement as well as religious progress of the 
 country. We must, therefore, content ourselves with a few 
 extracts, which will be insti*uctive as well as interesting. 
 
 On a hot and dusty day in July, 1845, the Bishop visited 
 Binbrook, and returned to Hamilton in the evening. The 
 conversation turned on the progress of the Church in the 
 Diocese ; and the Bishop remarking that this was more 
 rapid, as a general rule, in the new settlements than in the 
 old, and in the towns than in the country, accounted for 
 this fact in the following manner : — 
 
 " At the first settlement of Upper Canada, the U. E.* TiOyalists, 
 — most of whom were members of the Church of England, — 
 constituted the great majority of the inhabitants. But, instead 
 of being placed in contiguous neighbourhoods, where schools and 
 ministrations of religion might have been supplied with compara- 
 tive ease, they were scattered over many districts, and so pooi- 
 and few in number at any one point, that the attainment of these 
 advantages was impossible. And when, after a long intervening 
 sickness of heart from hope deferred, these great blessings came 
 
 ^United Empire. 
 
214 
 
 to be despaired of, they by-and-by ceased with many to be viewed 
 with concern or anxiety. This was the more to be deplored, 
 because the Government had manifested much kindness in their 
 > caac ; but the expense attending the assistance awarded to the 
 -! patriotic settlers at their scattered localities, in conveying j)ro- 
 •» visions, farming utensils, &c., cost more than the supply of these 
 •^ articles, even with the addition of schools and churches, would 
 ^ have done, had the settlements been judiciously concentrated. 
 There was, for many years, scarcely any commerce in the Pro- 
 vince ; and the little produce which the inhabitants were able to 
 raise by their hard labour, — since cattle and horses were for a 
 time out of the question, — commanded very low prices, and 
 forced upon them habits of extreme [)arsimony, in order to obtain 
 even a small portion of what, before the American Revolution, 
 they had considered necessaries of life. Hence, when their cir- 
 cumstances were somewhat mended, they were unwilling to con- 
 tribute towards the support of schools and the ministrations of 
 religion, of which they had so long been de])rived, and for which 
 many of them had lost both taste and regard. In such a sad 
 state of things, their children grew up without instruction ; and 
 a deadness to Christianity has, in some cases, been perpetuated to 
 the present day." 
 
 Many of our readers will have noticed the realization of 
 this statement in the languid and declining condition of 
 the Church in some of our oldest settlements ; in some of 
 our wealthy farming tracts where the old inhabitants, with 
 traditional attachment to the Church, have died out ; and 
 in some of our older villages whence life and vigour seem 
 to have evaporated with the migration of the young and 
 enterprising to fresher scenes. Recalling this fact, we shall 
 feel it to be a mistake to say that pecuniary aid for the 
 support of the Church should be denied to such places, 
 and given only to new and distant settlements. 
 
 The following interesting account is given of a visit to 
 the Tuscarora Mission under the charge of the Rev. Adam 
 Elliott:— 
 
215 . 
 
 " TIiIh mission comprchendH three tribes, tho Tuscaroras, 
 DolawarC{<, and Cayugas, The greater nnniber of the first liave 
 lf)ng been converted, but tlie Delawarcs were for the niost part 
 pagans until within a few years : now, liowevcr, through tho 
 indefatigable exertions of Mr. Elliott, they are nearly all con- 
 verted ; and^even the Cayugas, who have so long ke])t aloof and 
 clung to their idolatry, are beginning to relax from their ]>reju- 
 dices, and to discover the Divine origin of Christianity, and the 
 futility of their own religious belief. J\Iany adhere to the idea 
 that their religion came from heaven, and that spirits appeared 
 1^ them and forbade them to change ; yet, with all their charuc 
 teristic shrewdness, they confess themselves unable to bring 
 forward j)roof or argument. As the Missionary is making 
 progress with the young, — for they are very desirous of having 
 their children educated, — the ])arent8 are gradually reached 
 through them. A great attraction with them is the Mechanical 
 Institution, where they soon leani to construct the ordinary 
 farming utensils and other implements of daily use, established 
 at the Mohawk village ; an institution highly creditable to the > 
 New England Society, at whose expense it is maintained. 4. 
 
 "Thirty-four Indians were confirmed on this occiission, — 
 several of them very old. One woman in particular must have 
 v^xceeded eighty ; and amongst the number was a lame warrior 
 of the Delaware tribe, a i)erson of great shrewdness, and, till 
 lately, a stem j)agan. A great taste for sacred music was dis- 
 cernible in the congregation. A choir has been formed, and 
 they have learned music by note. They had their books before 
 them, and it was pleasing to see them turn to the tune and sing 
 from the notes. What was still more remarkable, one of them 
 had constructed a bass-viol, on which he played and kept time 
 with great accui*acy. The Missionary informed us that many of 
 his peojjle had a great faculty in learning languages, and he 
 brought forward a chief who afl&rmed that he knew almost all 
 the Indian dialects in North America. He was naturally 
 eloquent ; and, in a short conversation, made many shrewd 
 remarks upon the peculiar situation of his countrymen, and their 
 relations with the white population and the Government." 
 
216 
 
 The following pleasing cpiHode occurs in the account of 
 his Confirmation journey westwards : — 
 
 "While we were resting on the little gallery before the door 
 of the inn, there came up a rough waggon half-loaded with boaniM. 
 The driver drew up to water hJH * team,' and wit down on the Htej»H 
 near the Binhop. lie st'cmed intelligent, but di(wipate<l and can- 
 worn ; and the Binhop entered into conver8atio:i with him, and 
 asked him the way to the Church at Dereham, the road to which 
 was re[»resented as rathe Titricate, but could obta'n lio informa- 
 tion from him ujKm this |)oint. As is not unusud, the man, finding 
 himself treated kindly, entered into a sort of history of his lift'. 
 He said he Imd come into th^^ Province at an early day, and had 
 by his industry acquired an excellent farm ; had married a wife, 
 to whom he was much attached ; and had had two fine children. 
 He bta ted further that his wife and children, some years ago, were 
 carried of: by the 'lake fever ;' and ever since he had been list- 
 less, perhaps reckless, and could never bear t« stay at home, and 
 attend to the usual business of his farm. He chose rather, he 
 said, to employ himself with his waggon in c<jnveying loads from 
 ))Iace to place ; but he was afraid that this loose way of life had 
 introduced him to bad company, and, as a consequence, to intem- 
 perate habits. 'Alas,' said the jMjor man with some emotion, 
 • what am I to do ? I see my two brothers, with their wives and 
 children, living comfortably on their farms ; and when I visit 
 mine, there is none to welcome me ; while the remembrance of the 
 time rushes on my spirit when I, too, met joyful faces, and had a 
 happy fireside : I feel forlorn,' he added, 'and am eager to get away.' 
 
 " There was evidently a deep well of feeling in this man, who 
 had thus become, as it were, a cast-away. We all got interested, 
 and the Bishop, with much affection, endeavoured to turn his 
 attention to better things and better hopes. * Why, my friend,' he 
 asked him, * have you not, under this chastening, had recourse to 
 religion, — to prayer, reading your Bible, thoughtful meditation, 
 and attendance on the means of grace ? All this might, with the 
 Di^'ine blessing, do much for you.' * I have often gone to meeting,' 
 said the man, 'but found no comfort. The old members were all 
 satisfied with thenj^lves, and looked upon me with contempt. 
 
217 
 
 Th«-y CHllt'd theniMcIveM *' the choMen few"; told me the day, and 
 even the hour, when they were converted, or, as they term it, when 
 they got religion ; and yet, in my dealings with them, I found 
 I. either truth nor hone»ty, I ffit none of those things, and 1 am 
 unable to believe that a man can be religious without being good.' 
 The BiHhop agreed thut such couM not be religious i)CO|>Ie ; and 
 tljen r<*mon«trated gently with him on his present way of life, 
 and exhorted him to keep to liis farm. F'in<Iing, too, that he had 
 a I'ible an«l Prayer liook which belonged to his wife, he seized 
 ufK>n his tender f(;elingH for the departed, and urged him to use 
 them diligently, evening and morning, and after a little time he 
 would, with God's blessing, derive comfort from such a course, 
 arid be enabled, with His help, to jwirt with those irregular 
 habits into which he had fallen The man went Mway a|)parently 
 much encouraged; and our waggon being ready, we pursued our 
 journey. Were this man :n the neighbourhood of one of our 
 Clergy, who could see him occasionally, instruct him in the truth, 
 and h-ad him to public worshij), and habits of piety, he might, we 
 may reasonably hop«?, still be recovered ; but, unhappily, v/<» have 
 no Clergyman within twelve miles of the farm ujion which he 
 <»ccasionally resides." 
 
 Of his visit to Westminster, the Bishop has occasion to 
 speak in this pleasant strain : — 
 
 " In this place we have another example of what a willing 
 heart and persevering energy can do. We owe this Chuicli 
 almost entirely to the vigorous and unwearied efforts of Mrs. 
 Watson : a lady who came to Canada princi])ally with the view 
 of establishing her nephews on land. On arriving at this settle- 
 ment, where a jmrchase had been made on her behalf, she found 
 it entirely unprovided with religious ordinances. She accordingly 
 gave ten acres on which to build the Church : she aj)pealed to 
 her friends in England for assistance ; and now she has the satis- 
 faction of beholding her efforts crowned with success. Her piety 
 is active and unaffected ; and the good she has done and is doing, 
 in promoting the cause of religion in her neighbourhood, is beyond 
 price. A few such persons in every District, and their waste 
 places would soou rejoice and blossom." ^ 
 28 
 
218 
 
 He speaks in the same encouraging manner of the 
 Church at Morpeth : — 
 
 " We owe this Church, so far as it has proceeded, ahnost 
 entirely to the liberahty of five zealous farmers, though not more 
 wealthy than many around them, and they deserve to be honour- 
 ably mentioned. First, John and Freeman Green, two brothers. 
 John gave the site for the Church, Parsonage, and I^uiial- 
 ground, consisting of six acres in a very eligible situation, and 
 fifty dollars in money. Freeman gave one hundred dollars ; 
 Walter Patterso!i and John Degrand gave each one hundred 
 dollars , and so did David Cesner, although living five miles 
 distant, — because he considered the position central for the 
 settlement. Now, considering the station of the jiarties, and 
 the low i)rice of produce for some years past, these contributions 
 may be considered very large ; and there is no doubt that they 
 will yet do more, and, by influencing their neighbours, contrive 
 to finish the Church. Some of them arc from Dunwich, where 
 they had been accustomed to see a still greater liberality, and 
 certainly the example was not lost tipon ^hem. To encouragf? 
 them, I paid over the liberal donation of £2o sterling made by 
 Lord Morpeth for the benefit of this Church, — a very seasonable 
 help towards completing their sacred edifice, and likely to crown 
 with success the exertions of these honest and right-hearted 
 ])eople." 
 
 The following remarks and incidents connected with the 
 Bishop's visit to Walpole Island, are very interesting : — 
 
 "Walp<jle Island seems to be a continuation of the shallows or 
 fiats of Lake St. Clair, and to have been formed from dojjosit* 
 from the upper lakes. The soil is altogether alluvial, and the 
 surface is so little raised above the river that the greater portion 
 is covered with water, when the lakes and rivers rise. This they 
 seem to do periodically, although the exact cycle has not yet been 
 ascertained. It is a curious fact, the cause of which has not vet 
 been solved, that when the waters of the large rivers and lakes 
 are high, the small lakes and rivulets in the interior which have 
 no communication with them, arc likewise high. Thus, for 
 
219 
 
 ioBtance, Lake Simcoo, the inuHt elevated of all the lakec, empties 
 itself by the River Severn into Luke Huron, with a fall of from 
 Htventy to eighty feet ; yet when the waters of Lakes Superior, 
 Miiron, Erit!, and Ontario, are high, Lake Simcoe is high also. 
 This periodi(!al rixe of all the waters of this section of the Ameri- 
 can continent, has never yet been satisfactorily accounted for. Tt 
 is attributed, indeed, togreat<;r falls of snow occasionally happening 
 in the North West ; but this might bear u|M)n the great lakes 
 which are directly connected with it, but can have no influence 
 upon tlie smaller interior lakes where no additional snows and 
 rains appear to liave fallen. 
 
 •'We made [after service on the island] a hasty dinner with 
 Mr. and Mrs. Keating; and an it Mas by this time getting dark 
 and threatening rain, we hurried to get across to the main shore. 
 In our Ijaste we did not perceive, till we cast off from the land 
 and were in the stream, that our canoe was too small for^ur 
 number and the water within an inch of iis <!dg(!. Had there 
 been any wind, wo should have bean in the greatest danger ; 
 but, blessed be God, by using every precaution, sitting quiet, 
 and maintaining a careful balance, we gr»t over safe. The Indian 
 who paddhid us across, seeing the storm ajiproach, hastened back, 
 and had scarcely reached the island when the rain, and thunder 
 and lightning commenced in a terrific manner, 
 
 '* As there was no sort of accommodation whatever at the small 
 tavern where we had left our horses and waggon, wo were com- 
 |)elled to move forward in the hope of reaching an inn a few 
 miles further up the river St. Clair. By this time it was growing 
 dark, and before we liad ])roceeded half-a-mile, the rain came 
 down in torrents, and the thunder and lightning became so fro 
 ([uent and terribhi, that our horses trembled and could scarcely 
 keep their legs. The darkness also became so great that, excej^t 
 from the flashes of lightning, we were unable to see the road. 
 Having crept forwards about a mile and a half, — the storm con- 
 tinuing without intermission, — we descried, from a friendly flash 
 of lightning, a farm-house, and happy were the party when I 
 conwnted to stop. It was now late, for we had consumed much 
 time in making this short journey, and the inmates of the house 
 were nil sound asleep. After knocking for some time, they at 
 
220 
 
 length opened the door and let hh in. We stated our diHlress and 
 the causes that made us diHturb them, — which indeed were suffi- 
 ciently visible from our miserable and drowned ajjpearance, — and 
 upon hearing our story, they received us kindly, and did all in 
 their power to make us comfortable." 
 
 But this wjis Tiothing in coinj)arisoii with the difficultioH 
 encountered on the journey from Owen Sound to Guelph. 
 To the former place the Binliop luul gone by steamer from 
 Manitfjulin Islarul, At starting, he says : — 
 
 " We found the roiid very lougli, and getting worse as we 
 proceeded. It ran ah)ng a stony ridge, which seeuiw to have 
 been chosen in preference to the low grounds wl»ich, in many 
 places, were low and nuirshy. Be this an it may, what with 
 large stones, deep crevices between them, roots of trees, and deep 
 holes, the shaking of the waggon became intolerable." After con- 
 firming at two phices, the latter thirteen miles from Owen Sound, 
 " we left for Edge's at half past four ; and, though scarcely nine 
 miles otr, with little hope oi' getting then;, as the road was 
 becoming more and more impracticable. After bounding from 
 stone to stone, the rain meanwhile falling in torrents, and occa- 
 sionally a deep hole by way of variety, we found darkness rapidly 
 ajiproaching, and were glad to crave shelter for the night from 
 Mr. Smith, who, with his wife and teti sons and one datjghter, 
 had tjiken up land from Governmentt and wiis gradually clearing 
 a good farm. We no doubt put the family to much inconvenience, 
 yet they made us heartily welcome, and insisted that we .shouhl 
 occupy their beds, such as they were, and doing all in their power 
 to make us comfortable. 
 
 ** We rose next morning as soon as we could see, and the rain 
 having abated, we got ready for o\U' journey. A mile onwards 
 there is a very long, deep slough, full of roots and loose stones, 
 through which the Smiths told us it would be impossible for the 
 horses to drag the waggon, and they very kindly offered to accom- 
 pany us and assist us in getting i)ast it. We found their account 
 of it by no means exaggerated, for we were obliged to take the 
 horses from the waggon t and even then they plunged so much, and 
 
221 
 
 got 80 deep in the mud, that they were in the greatest danger of 
 .sinking over their heads. The jwor animalf, when they at length 
 reached the firm soil, trembled and looked much frightened. The 
 waggon was dragged thnnigh by three of the Smiths, the driver, 
 and two men whom I had hired to attend us on this perilous 
 journey. The Smiths returned home, and we sent forward to 
 Edge's to request that they would meet us with a yoke of oxen 
 at a bridge over the river Saugeen, which was said to be very 
 insecure, and at the further end of which was a slough much 
 worse than the one we liad just i)assed. We soon came to tho 
 bridge, where we alighted ; and after examining it, and carefully 
 mending some of the holes, by using great caution we got tlu* 
 waggon and horses safely across. But they had no sooner left it, 
 than they sunk so deep into the mire that we thought they should 
 \n' lost. After some labour, we got their harness off, and se2)arated 
 them from the waggon, and then, on our cheering them, (for they 
 a[>iKuired frightened and ready to give tip,) they were roused t<t 
 IVesh exertion, and at length W(} got them upon hard ground. 
 Had it not been for the two men who attended us, and the driver, 
 the poor ajjimals would have been inevitably smothered. 
 
 "After extricating the horses, we waited patiently for the oxen. 
 — tlie waggon in the meantime floating on the slough, the 
 wheels having sunk ludow tlie hubs. At length we heard them 
 coining down the hill beyond us, which was thickly covered with 
 trees; and from the noise, one of our attendants, an American, 
 jirounounced the driver to bean Irishnian, and therefore knowing 
 notliing about the management of oxen. Of the correctness of 
 this judgment we soon had abundant experience, for the Irishman 
 was unable, without the aid of the American, to 'hitch,' as they 
 call it, the oxen to the waggon, and nothwithstanding our remon- 
 strances would insist on driving them himself. The consecpienct; 
 was, that he drove them between two large trees, alleging that 
 there was sufficient room for the passage of the waggon, although 
 it was quite evident that he was mistaken. The oxen struggled 
 through, the one a little ahead of the other; but when the waggon 
 came up, it was jammed immovably between two trees. * I guess,' 
 said the American, * that you have got into a pretty bit of a fix.' 
 The poor Irishman was much mortified ; but comforted him.self 
 
222 
 
 with observing that he had never driven oxen but twice before. 
 The American was desired to take charge, and as there was no 
 alternative, one of the trees was ordered to be cvit down. This 
 was, however, a work of time, for we had no axe, only a toma- 
 hawk ; and a work of skill too, for there was no little danger of 
 the tree falling on the waggon, or doing other damage. But the 
 American was experienced in such matters : the tree was skilfully 
 felled ; and the oxen having been again attached to the waggon, 
 struggled through the swamp and reached the bottom of the hill. 
 The road up the declivity was so wet and slippery, and withal 
 ' so deep, that the poor oxen were put to the exertion of their 
 utmost strength to reach the top. This was a severe trial to us all, 
 ■^ but it was useless to murmur. We had been seven hours getting 
 i over nine miles, and it was j)ast ten when we reached Edge's 
 house. At eleven we had service : the Congregation numbering 
 seventeen, and only one person was presented for Confirmation. 
 
 '* We proceeded on our journey at half-past one, and had not 
 advanced far when we found the road, or path, obstructed by a 
 large tree, which a settler had just cut down and was in the act 
 of dividing into lengths. We found much difficulty in getting 
 round through the wood : we asked very civilly why he had 
 blocked up the road ; but instead of answering, he smiled and 
 seemed to enjoy our difficulty. We thought him rude and inso- 
 lent, but he had no such meaning ; for going a little further on, 
 we stuck fast in a bad mud-hole, and in a moment we saw the 
 chopper running to our assistance. Luckily, two other men came 
 up who were on their way to fish in the River Saugeen, and who, 
 seeing our distress, very willingly offered to help us. With these 
 additional hands, we managed to relieve the horses, and to drag 
 the waggon along till we reached the hard ground. The two 
 fishermen volunteered to accompany us two miles further, where 
 there was the worst slough, they said, U[)on the whole road 
 between Owen Sound and Fergus. There were several bad spots 
 before we reache<l this, — the king of mud-holes, — which it cost 
 us no little trouble to get over. We now began to dread these 
 sloughs, and the |)Oor horses trembled when they saw one. A t 
 length we reached the famous mud-hole, pronounced by the set- 
 tles so formidable. We made a halt to beat up for additional 
 
223 
 
 recruits : oxen were not to be had, nor was it quite clear that 
 even they could have got through with the waggon, the swamp 4. 
 waH so long, so deep, and so intersected with fallen trees, roots v 
 und stonos, 1 held the two riding horses, and all the party, in- 
 i'huling the Rev. Mr. Mockridge, the verger, and fotir settlers 
 w honi we had collected, beside^i those who had come with us, went 
 to work, and with strong arms pulled the waggon through. We 
 had taken fourteen hours, including the service, to travel 
 seventeen miles. 
 
 '* We did not reach Mr. Beatty's, our next appointment, till 
 nearly 7 o'clock, although, in ignorance of the road, I luid 
 appointed three o'clock for the service. The people, however, 
 judging more wisely of the obstructions on tho way, did not 
 begin to a.ssemble till after G o'clock, and we overtook many of 
 them MS we passed along. The service commenced immediately 
 on our arrival ; the house was crowded ; and tho congregation 
 were much affected by the prayers, sermon, and address to the 
 candidates for Confirmation, — these last being only three in num- 
 l»er. What with the largenens of the congregation, and th«! 
 attention and feeling which they manifested, I felt myself more 
 than rewarded for all the difficulties and toils I had endured." 
 
 The trials of th^ two following days were not so formid- 
 able, and Elora was safely reached on the evening of the 
 29th August. In the course of his journey, the Bishop 
 frequently heard complaints from the people in the newly 
 opened settlements. 
 
 ** They would speak bitterly and feelingly of their grievances ; 
 that they had no mill within many miles, and had sometimes to > 
 carry on their backs their wheat to be ground, and U) carry it -i 
 home again in flour in the same way. Mere trifles, he would 
 reply. I was in the Province when it contained scarcely a mill 
 in any part of it, and the [leople had often to travel more than a , 
 hundred miles to get their wheat ground ; and as this could only V 
 be done in winter, they used to bruise their corn and wheat in 
 tho interval between smooth stones, and make rough bread of it 
 ia that way. Others would complain of their hard labour ; and 
 
224 
 
 lie would a«k them, in reply, how long they would have had to 
 labour at homo before they obtained, what they now poHHessed, — 
 a freehold of 100 acres of land ? 
 
 *' An Irixhman wan detailing hin many grievanqeM with some 
 eloquence; but it had conic out that he had been a hodman, 
 attending ma«onH in Glasgow before he came to Caiuida. I. said 
 nothing until he had expatiated upon all his difficulties, and had 
 come to a full stop. T then took tip an axe, and asked him if 
 this was as heavy as a hod of brick ? The Irishman appeared 
 surprised, and said, * surely not.' * How many years,' 1 replied, 
 'must you have carried the hod to the top of the highest building 
 in Glasgow, before you could get a farm like the one you are now 
 cultivating V 'You are right,' said the Irishman, with the honest 
 frankness of his countrymen : ' at home there is no prospect oi' 
 bettering our situation ; sickness and old age, too, arc frightful ; 
 but here we have jdenty to cat and drink, good hopes for oui* 
 children, and a comfortable old age for ourselves.' It waM easy, 
 after this, to turn the conversation to their religious condition ; 
 urge upon them family woishij> and Sunday-schools ; learning 
 portions of the Psalms, and repeating them as sources of consola- 
 tion ; reading the Scriptures regularly, and remembering to kcc)) 
 holy the Lord's Day." 
 
 This was a most laborious Confirmation tour ; commen- 
 cing on the 14th July, and, after unremitted travelling and 
 services, ending on the 8th September. About IGOO miles 
 by land and water were traversed; and notwithstanding 
 the great extent of country to be visited, and the number 
 of appointments to be kept, — some of them far distant the 
 one from the other, and others separated by roads or paths 
 all but impassable, — the Bishop was enabled by Divine 
 favour, to keep every one of them, and through judicious 
 aiTangemdnts and active travelling, was late only two or 
 three times. In these touching words, he says, " I have 
 much rejison to be thankful : the Cliurch prospers ; and my 
 journeys and fatigues arc every where sweetened by cordial 
 welcome and respect. In every house we enter, there is 
 
225 
 
 the kind hand and happy look to greet us ; anrl surely, 
 under sucli circumstances, labours and perils might be 
 cheerfully endured, were they threefold greater than 
 they are." 
 
 29 
 
226 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 Kesignation of Archdeaconry of York and Rectory of Toronto. — 
 Triennial Visitation of the Clergy in 1847. — Consecration 
 of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Toronto. 
 
 ''N the course of the summer of 1840, a commumcatiou 
 was received by the Bishop of Toronto from th<^ 
 Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign 
 Parts, that the Society as Trustees of tlu^ Church of 
 England's share of the Clergy Reserves Fund in "this 
 Diocese, had voted to him a salary of £1250 sterling, per 
 annum; on condition that he should resign all Qther 
 ecclesiastical preferment. By this arrangement, which the 
 Bishop at once accepted, the Archdeaconry of York and the 
 Rectory of Toronto became vacant ; and the Bishop was 
 pleased to appoint the Rev. A. N. Bethune, D. D., to the 
 fonne r, and to recommend to the Governor General, at that 
 time the patron, the Rev. H. J. Grasett, M. A., for the 
 Rectory of Toronto. These latter appointments, however, 
 were not officially announced until the mouth of March 
 following. 
 
 On Thursday, 3rd June, 1847, the Bishop held his third 
 Triennial Visitation of the Clergy of the Diocese in the 
 Cathedral Church of St. James. Eighty Clergymen were 
 present ; and, to quote from the Church organ of the day, 
 " the Bishop, seated in his Episcopal Chair, and suiTOunded 
 by the Archdeacons and other Clergy of the Diocese, 
 proceeded to deliver his Charge, which occupied about 
 three hours and a half, and was attended to with the most 
 intense interest by both Clergy and Laity. The several 
 
227 
 
 import.ant topics wlii^h tho Address embraced were ex- 
 plained and iIlu.strato«l with a clearneas and precision, and, 
 in many cases, witli an empLasis well calculated to make 
 a deep iirij)r(\ssi()n. The several interests of the Diocese, — 
 its extent, revenue, number of Clergy, and future propects, 
 — were all lucidly and circumstantially dwelt upon. The 
 present state of religious feeling, both in and out of the 
 Church, at Jiorae and abroad, was adverted to with 
 singidar prudence, discrimination, and ability ; but, at the 
 same time, we are persuaded that no part of his Lordship's 
 Charge was listened to with more deference and respect, 
 than his truly paternal, kind, and affectionate address 
 to the Clergy towards the close." From this long and 
 able document, wliich is doubtless in the hands of very 
 many members of the Church in Canada, we can make 
 but a few quotations. 
 
 His Lordship stated that, in the yeare, 1845 and 184G, 
 he had contirmed at 197 stations, and that 4358 candi- 
 dates had been presented for that rite. He says : — 
 
 ** It is very pleasing to remark, that a very great change has 
 been for some yeai-s gradually manifesting itself in regard to the 
 holy ordinance of Confirmation. Our people now almost uni- 
 versally believe and recognize it to be an Apostolic institution, 
 and, to all who receive it, a most beautiful aud impressive con- 
 summation of their baptism. 
 
 " The frequent administration of this interesting ceremony 
 has been es2)ecially blessed throughout the Diocese, aud has had 
 the most salutary effects upon the minds of many, whose views 
 of the true foundation and principles of our Church were very 
 confined and unfruitful. Following up the holy conceptions and 
 aspirations which the frequent witnessing of Confirmation is cal- 
 culated to produce, they have formed more correct opinions of 
 the sacred functions of the Church of God, in her Divine appoint- 
 ment to regenerate man and to mould him for heaven. 
 
 "'I was delighted,' said one of the most promising of my 
 younger Clergy, ' to hear jwany of my congregation observing 
 
228 
 
 w 
 
 that they were much affected at beholding the ordinance of Con- 
 firmation administered for the first time, — displaying, as it does, 
 the EftiBCopal authority, which is one of the marks of the Catho- 
 lic Church. Tn one case, where I liad heen unable to persuade 
 two young persons in a family to Vjecome candidates fbr Confirma- 
 tion, they expressed great w)rrow, after witnessing the ceremony, 
 that they had not yielded to my advice, and professed their deter- 
 mination to be confirmed, God willing, at the next opportunity.' " 
 
 He speaks thus of two Institutions in the Mother 
 Country, whose iiu^stiniaV^le services to all the Colonies of the 
 Empire, and to this one in particuhir, are never to be 
 forgotten : — 
 
 " Tlie two Societies, the grtjat hanchnuids of the (Jhurchi con- 
 tinue their nui-sing care to tlii.s Diocese with increasing energy ; 
 the Propagation Society in supporting neaily one-half of our 
 Clergy, besides granting many special donations ; the Society for 
 Promoting Christian Knowledge, in bestowing Bibles, Prayer 
 Books, Religious Tracts and Books of the most excellent descrip- 
 tion in the most abundant measure, and affording munificent aid 
 towards the erection of churches. Their exertions seem to keep 
 pace with the multiplying demands iipon their benevolence. 
 They feel that they are engaged in a holy cause ; and, so feeling, 
 remit not, but I'edouble their labours. The field of their opera- 
 tions is already immense, and continually enlarging, and so is 
 their responsibilit}'^ for the judicious application of the means at 
 their disposal. Their success is indeed wonderful, notwithstand- 
 ing the many obstacles which stand in their way, from without 
 and from within, to their freedom of action in carrying the 
 Church of our fathers to every quarter. For one hundred and 
 fifty yeai-s have they been employed in this vast field, and during 
 the whole of that period the true Missionary strength has been 
 gaining strength amongst them, while its present activity is a 
 pledge of onward progress, and of still greater things to come." 
 
 He speaks, too, in this well-deserved strain, of another 
 Institution to which this Province is under great obliga- 
 tion : — 
 
229 
 
 *' The New Englimd Society, establislied by Royal Charter in 4- 
 the reign of Charles the Second, continue to support their ' 
 niissionM among the Six Nation Iiuliann, with unabated care and 
 liberality. Their two Missionaries are ever at their posts, and 
 are eticouraged by a fair measure of success : the ninnber of 
 tndians still pagan are rapidly diminishing, and the School of 
 Industry is attracting more and more the attention of the different 
 tribes, and a])peai-s in a very flourishing condition." 
 
 Oil the Church hh a bulwark against heresy and schism, 
 he expresses himself in this earnest and jn-actical manner: — 
 
 '* Ever since the Reformation, there has been, in matters of ''" 
 religion, a want of veneration for sacred things. Instead of A 
 deferring to the authority of the Church, au absolute independ- 
 ence of her lijis been too frequently assumed. Ifenco the low 
 apj)reciation of the past, and the readiness with which Dissenters 
 oust olf all regard for the forms and usages of the Church of the 
 A{»ostles, 
 
 " The same wild spirit invades social life. To honour father 
 and mother, and to cherish for them the most affectionate lovo 
 and resi)ect in their persons and characters, are virtues which aj)peat' 
 to be rapidly passing away; and when the domestic affeetions 
 (lisaj)pear, the true happiness of society vanishes with them. 
 There can be no love and unity in families where the children 
 defer not to their parents ; and as society consists of families, the 
 same spirit will teach disrespect for superioi-s, and, in time general , 
 insubordination. It is the discipline of home, sanctified by reli- 
 gion, which qualities lis for the duties of civilized life. Filial 
 affection bears much, because it loves much. Now the Church 
 must live in families before she can be truly efficient ; and it is 
 the neglect of religion in families, and the consequent deteriora- 
 tion of the domestic virtues, which disturbs the Church and 
 multiplies division. For, as the Church is daily born anew in 
 baptism, so must she ever be renewed in Christian homes ; but 
 the total relaxation of domestic discipline leads to excess of >r 
 private judgment, to extreme arrogance, and contempt for autho- 
 ity. Hence we find Protestant denominations without number. 
 
290 
 
 Every one hath a psulni, hath a doctrliio, hath an intorpretation ; 
 nn«i in our frar of formn, we forgot that thuro can hf, neither 
 re;^nkrity nor ortU'r without forniH. This rtrckh'.s.s Hpirit of 
 unbridled inde|>ondenue han created much t.irbid<!nce and diHorder ; 
 and these again have been increaHed and extenibnl by the rapid 
 If^rowth vf the population, for the religionw instruction of which 
 the (Jhiirch Iuih been unable to provide." 
 
 We cIoHo our oxtmc^ts fioni this viiliuibh; clmr^'o with the 
 following words of a<lMnrable exhortation, wliieh (Church- 
 men now would be wise to take to heart and acrt upon : — 
 
 " iJut disniissing thes«! elenientn of earth, let uh hjok to our- 
 selves, and remember that we have a gr(nit and imj»ortant work 
 before us, — the evangjilizing of this vast country. Let us not then 
 fall out by the way. "We have already tot» many enemies and 
 oj posers to admit of division in our own household, Knennes 
 numerous and i>oweiful exist, whom wo can only exi)ect to com- 
 bat with success, by using the weapons furnished by the Chiu'ch 
 in the true spirit of luiity r.nd concord. We are all servants of 
 the same IVTaster ; let us stand together in faithfulness of jiurpose 
 and in steadiness of action. Have we not to contend with infi- 
 delity and worldliness on the one hand, and all the I'rotean forms 
 of dissent on the other ? Is it not, then, cur duty to rise abovo 
 difficulties, and exert ourselves to the utmost in promoting 
 the advancement of the Church of God in this Diocese ; that 
 (.'hurch which is not human in her constitution, but heavenly ; 
 and neither takes her rise from earthly powei*s, nor de[)ends UfM»n 
 them for her continuance. Empires and kingdoms fail; the eaith 
 itself shall pass away,-^— but tlie Church of the living God shall 
 continue forever. Her name, her offices, her services, her powers, 
 her spiritual endowments, are for eternity. How awful the 
 responsibility which attaches to us, lier ministers ! The woi-ship 
 we offer, is the commencement of the worship of eternity, and 
 our ministrations the beginning of services which are to continuo 
 for evermore." 
 
 Ther3 was a circumstance of a personal character con- 
 nected with this Visitation, which ought not to be left 
 
231 
 
 unrecorfled. On the evening of that day, there was a 
 Hpecial choral Kervice in the Chapel of tho University of 
 King's College, jit which iiiost of the Clergy in town were 
 prcHent ; and in regard to tluH, we nhall be excused for 
 repeating the irnf)res8ionM of an eye-witness. " The service," 
 he says, "was admiiably conducted, and the impressions 
 left u])on the minds ;i!»<! spirits of those who ])articipated 
 in it, were of the most gratifying and refreshing nature. 
 There is something in the humble, plaintive tone of sacred 
 song, conducted by the rule ot the ancient chants, singu- 
 larly in accordance with the natural outpourings of a 
 penitent spirit. The voice of supplication for the manifold 
 good gifts of a gracious God, is appropriately expressed in 
 that unambitious strain of devotional melody. The Amen 
 (»f the choristers and people, following the dirge-like 
 petitions of the minister, has a peculiarly impressive effect; 
 while the united and full vf»ices of all in the anthems of 
 praise, shadows ii\ the mind, feebly, though cheeringly, the 
 image of that scene in the realms of glory, where ten 
 thousand times ten thousand of the redeemed lift up one 
 bui*st of grateful thanksgiving and homage to the Lord 
 of all." 
 
 After this service, the Clergy repaired to the residence 
 of the Eiahop to partake of the hospitalities customary at 
 these triennial assemblages. Besides the Clergy, wore the 
 Judges, the Heads of Departments, the Corporation, the 
 Vice-Presidents, and Standing Co\nmittee of the Church 
 Society, and many other gentlemen of the city, — forming 
 altogether a very large, and most intelligent and agreeable 
 party, 
 
 "Soon after the company had assembled, a beautiful and 
 massive Silver Inkstand wfis present(!d by the Archdeacons, 
 in the name of the C-lergy, to the Lord Bishop, as a slight 
 but heartfelt token of their regard, dutifulness, and affec- 
 tion. The presentation was accompanied i^-'ith a few 
 appropriate remarks, very feelingly expressed, from the 
 
232 
 
 Venerable the Archdeacon of King8t(jn ; an<l his Lordship, 
 in r(^ply, was pleased to express his warm sense of the 
 kindness which prompted this testimony oi' the love and 
 esteem of his Olergj- ; that it was enhanced by the fact of 
 itfi presentation by his Archdeacons, the senior of whons, 
 the Archdeacon of Kingston, had been his friend for nearly 
 half a century; and the junior, the Archdeacon of York, 
 one whom he had known, and, as it were, brought up, from 
 his infancy ; that such gifts from a Clergy to their Bishoj* 
 might not be usual, but that as he felt himself in the cha- 
 racter of a fond father surrounded by an attached family, he 
 gladly and thankfully accepted the one now so kindly 
 offered him, that when they were separated to their honujs 
 and their duties, he might have before him continually a 
 remembrance of this holy day, — like a gathering together 
 (»f his beloved children in the Lord, whose welfare, comfort,, 
 and usefulness were at all times amongst the things nearest 
 to his heart, and foremost in his prayers,* 
 
 This handsome and appropriate testimonial was, after the 
 death of its late owner, placed in the hands of the present 
 Incumbent of the See by Captain and Mrs. Strachan ; with 
 their request, that it jnight be regarded as their gift to all 
 succeeding Bishops of Toronto. This act of thoughtful 
 kindness is highly appreciated by the i)resent Bishoj), and 
 will, n»^ doubt, he equally valu(;d by all those into whose 
 hands it may hereafter come. 
 
 In the autumn of tlie present year, an event occurred of 
 deep and pleasing interest, — the Consecration of the Church 
 of the Holy Trinity in this City. This unusual interest 
 was awakened by the peculiar circumstances under which 
 the Church was started and complete<l. But these are 
 best told in the Bishop*s own words : — 
 
 *' On my return from visiting the Missions wcHt of Toronto in 
 September, 1845, I found a hitter from the Lord Bishop of 
 
 "Vhurdi Newi^apor, June 11, 1S47. 
 
233 
 
 Kipon, the perusal of wliicli difiHipated in a inomont the eon-, 
 tinned fatigue I liad heoM enduring for several montliH. Hin 
 Lordwhip Htated, that he liad the pje'innre to inform me that «ome 
 munificent individual, entirely unknown to him, had deposited in 
 his hands the sum of jE^liOOO sterling, which the donor wished to 
 he appropriated to the building rf a Church in the Diocese of 
 Toronto, to he called the Church of the Jfoly Trinity, — the seats 
 of which were to be free and unaj)propriated for ever; the patron- 
 age to be left entirely to the Bihlioj) of the Diocese, as well as 
 situation, Bacramental plate, suiplices, and other things needful, 
 were, at the same time, promised, md have since been furnished. 
 
 " The only conditi(m imposed is, that a yearly re[)ort of t». 
 progress and circumstances of the Church is eitlmr to bo printed 
 in the Annual K('|)f»rt of the Society for Promoting Christian 
 Knowledge, entitled 'Holy Tiinity Church Ileport,' or to be sent 
 to the Ilev. II. Hwale, M. A., Little Yorkshire, who will whew it 
 to the benefactor, * I have not the most remote conjecture,' 
 adds the Bishop, * who the donor is.' On consulting with 
 several of my Clergy and other friends of the Church, all of 
 whom were filled with joy and admiration at this noble manifes- 
 tation of Christian charity, they concurred with one voice that 
 the Free Church shoidd be built at Toronto, by far the most 
 p0)»ulons city in the Diocese, and in a locality mo.st likely to 
 embrace the largest portion of the poor. 
 
 '* Measures were immediately tak(!n to find a site for tlie 
 Church, eligible for the purp(»se intended, and to jtroceed witho'it 
 delay to its erection, Tn the selection (»f a [»ropcr site, we met 
 with some difficulty ; several wen? offered, but they were not in 
 the desired locality, and the price demanded by the proprietors of 
 such as might have been deemed eligible, was ho great as would 
 have trenched on the wished for endownumt. From anxiety on 
 this subject, however, we were Hf»nn relieved by the Hon. John 
 Simcoe Macaulay, retired Lieut. Colonel of the Uoyal Engineers, 
 who bestowed n[>on iis gratuitously, the very spot which we had 
 all believed to be tlu; most appropriate, at a sacrifice to himself 
 of more than £•'){)(). 
 
 '* In due time, the sacramental plate for the C/hurch, and also 
 for private communion with the sick, with table cloths, napkins 
 80 
 
234 
 
 and Hurplices, &c., all of which arc very much admired for their 
 tasteful elegance, reached us in safety. But what created still 
 greater admiration and still deeper feelings of gratitude, were the 
 magnificent gifts, and their beautiful appropriation, for rejoicing 
 on the day of the Consecration of the Church, with which these 
 things were accompanied. First, the donor desires that £iiO ster- 
 ling be presented at the Offei'tory on the day of the Consecration 
 of the Church of the Holy Trinity, should tlic Holy Communion 
 be then administered ; if not, on the first occasion on whicli 
 there is a Communion. Second, That tlie same sum bo offered 
 to 8Uj)ply gifts and rejoicings for the poor on the day of consecra- 
 tion. Third, That the like sum of £W Sterling be offered for 
 the beautifying of the Font ; or, should that be completed, foi- 
 any internal decoration for the more devotional observance 
 of Divine Service. Such a complete act of chfirity, and so 
 thoughtful and delicate in all its arrangements, and descending 
 with holy foresight to the most minute things which miglit in 
 any way tend to the devotional oVjjects of the gift, is scarcely to 
 be found in the history of the Christian Clinrch, Wealth is 
 indeed a blessing, when it is thus de\ oted to so noble a purpose 
 as the extension of Christ's kingdom." 
 
 The Church of the Holy Trinity was consecrated on 
 Wednesday, 27th October, 1847. Tliei-e was a consi- 
 derable attendance of the laity, and about twcnity of tlie 
 Clergy present. The Bishop preached an cariioHt and 
 appropriate sernion ; and after tlie offertory, which did not 
 much excet^d the large gift of the; fonndcr devoted to it, 
 the Holy Conununion waH administered. 
 
 For s(!veral years this Church was served by the 
 Reverends H. IScatlding and W. Stennett, Masters in 
 Upper Cana<la College;; the formej* receiving a very small 
 remuneration for his sevvices, jiikI the lntt<'r affurdiiiir 
 them without any charge. 
 
 But it was soon discovered that tlnn'e were re(iuirements 
 to be met, and duties to be discharged, to ensure the holy 
 puq)0ses for whicli this Church was erected, that would 
 
235 
 
 claim the undivided time and energies of its ministers. For 
 the Ileal thf'ul proHpcrity of any Congregation, assiduous 
 ])astoral visitiiig must follow th(5 Sunday ministrations. 
 The classes of the eommunity which would cliiefly desire 
 to avail themselves of the free accommodation of the 
 C.'hurcli of the Holy Trinity, would be looking for the 
 symj)athy, the consolation, the counsel, the instruction, 
 from day to day, which, amidst the many trials and fluctu- 
 ations of the world, all alike require. To hold hack these, 
 would be to weaken, and jmralize at last, the influence of 
 this Church, — so nobly ]>rojected, so munificently accom- 
 plish lmI. 
 
 With this view, the Rev. W. Stewart Darling was, in 
 18.51, appoint(Hl Assistant Minister in this Church ; and so 
 multiplicnl, and multiplying, were found to be the calls and 
 claims upon his time and energies, that in a few years 
 another had to be associated with him in the work. 
 
 Far and wide, the faithful and diligent attention of Mr. 
 Darling to his arduous duties has been recognized and 
 honoured ; and the result has been that the Congregation 
 of this Chuich has grown into gi-eat strength and influence. 
 It is crowded on the Lord's day ; and on the many occa- 
 sions of week-day ministrations, the attendance is most 
 satisfa(^tory. The communicants, too, are very numerous, 
 and the celebrations of the Lord's Supper are frequent. 
 There is a hearty worship, and zeal and unanimity amongst 
 its members ; all realizing, more .and more, the gi'eat results 
 which the generous founder of the Church anticipated, in 
 laying at the feet of its chief Pastor so munificent a gift 
 for the spiritual benefit of the i)oor. 
 
236 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 Abolition of the University of King'« College. — Establishment of 
 
 Trinity College. 
 
 CHE Bishop of Toronto was now about to fight his last 
 battle for the University of King's College ; which, 
 after the exertions of almost a life-time, he had seen 
 in full and .successful operation. It was not jmrsuing its 
 course under the letter and direction of the original Charter: 
 we have already cxplainoNJ what saci'ifices were agreed to, 
 to remove public prejudice so far that the College might 
 start upon its active work. It was agreed that the influ- 
 ence of the Church of England within the Institution 
 should ))e abridged, if it was not altogether removed. Those 
 great i)rinciples were still ui)held, which no Churchman 
 could consent to sacrifice. The Word of God was not 
 banished from its halls ; the voice of prayer and praise wa.^ 
 permitted to invoke a daily blessing upon the intellectual 
 culture and the moral training ; and the lessons of religion 
 were communicated to such as chose to receive them, only 
 according to the teaching of the Church of England. 
 
 We have given someaccount of its opening in 1843, and 
 have made some allusion to the character of its religion .s 
 services. The College, after all, was thoroughly English in 
 tone and style ; the changes effected were, practically, 
 merely sentimental ; they had no bearing or influence u})on 
 its work or its spirit. It was becoming highly ])opular, 
 too; the education inii)arted was of a superior order ; and 
 a gentlemanly tone pervade<l the un<lergraduateH, — promi- 
 sing a haj)py influence upon the social life of the country. 
 
287 
 
 Exhibiting these advantages, and with nothing to disturb 
 religious liberty or awaken soetarian prejudice, it was 
 gathering in its alumni from all creeds and denominationK ; 
 it was gaining reputation and strength in the min<ls of all 
 the intelligent people of the country. But it was this wry 
 priisperity that hastened its ruin. It roused the jealousy 
 of old and inveterate opponents, who began t<* fear that, if 
 not soon assailed and undermined, its foundations would 
 be strong enough to bear any shock, and conic unharmed 
 from any assault : that, supported by the public oj)ini()n it 
 was gaining over so fast, it would, with its ample endow- 
 ments, bid defiance to all that the intrigues or the force of 
 enemies could employ against it. Its political opponents, 
 — for it really had no othei', — gave it, therefore, no peace ; 
 session after session in the Legislative Assend»ly, the 
 attacks u])on it were renewed ; and though many of these 
 were feeble an«l ill-directed, reiterated assaults, backed by 
 the influence naturally exerted by the popular l)ranch of 
 the Legislature, proved too much for an Institution which 
 had only its own merits to rest upon, an<l few defenders 
 beyond its own walls. 
 
 In the autumn of 1843, a measure w<is introduced into 
 the Legislative Assembly, "providing for the separate exer- 
 cise of the Collegiate and University fun(;tions" of King's 
 College, and for "incorporating certain other Colleges and 
 Collegiate Institutions with the University; and for the 
 more efficient establishment and satisfactory govermnent 
 of the same." 
 
 This was protested against, in a strong memorial, by the 
 Bishop of Toront(). He declared that, — 
 
 " The leading object of the Bill is to place all forms of 
 oi-ror upon an e(iuality with truth, by ])atronizing e(pially 
 within the same Institution an unlimited number of sects, 
 whose doctrines are absolutely irreconcilable ; a principle 
 in its nature atheistical, and so monstrous in its conse- 
 (piences, that, if successfully carried out, it would utterly 
 
238 
 
 destroy all that is pure ami holy iri niorals and religion, 
 and load to grwiter coriuption than any thing adopted 
 during the niadnesH of the French Revohition, when that 
 nnhap[)y country abjured the Christian faith, and Met up 
 in itw Htead the worship of the goddess of reason. Such 
 a fatal departure from all that is good, is without a paral- 
 lel in the history of the world ; unless, indeed, some resem- 
 blance to it can ))e found in Pagan Rome, which, to please 
 the nations she had confpiei'ed, condescended to associate 
 their impure idolatries with her own." 
 
 Another leading objection advanced, was the act, which 
 had so disloyal an aspect, of destroying a Royal Charter, 
 and perverting the object of an Institution which was 
 guarded by an authority so sacred. He contrasts this con- 
 templated spoliation with the more honourable coui-se 
 adopted by the Government of the United States, on their 
 separation from the Mother Country. He reminds them 
 that, — 
 
 " The endowment of King's College, New York, was left 
 untouched by the Revolution, and remains at this day in 
 the sole possession of that Institution: the only cliange 
 was the name, which, ai'ter the peace of 17<S2, was altered 
 from King's to Columbia College. So far were our neigh- 
 bours from breaking down, or even molesting literary 
 institutions, that they have at all times been zealously 
 disposed to su])port and buiM them up ; much less have 
 they attemi)ted the monstrous novelty of (combining all 
 sorts of religious sects in one great institution. On the 
 contrary, they have been liberal in bestowing grants on the 
 (Jolleges of dift'ereut persuasions, each separate from the 
 other ; and they have been most scrui)ulous in all that they 
 tHd to guard and protect the rights of conscience. They 
 felt that to establish and build up requires wisdom and 
 ability; but to break down what is useful, venerable, and 
 holy, requires, instead of ability and talent, the mere 
 exertion of arbitrary and reckless power," 
 
289 
 
 Again, with great truth he affirms, — " This measure un- 
 settles all property, by depriving the University of King's 
 College of an endowment which is the gift of the Crown, 
 and thus it introduces a precedent, most destructive to t^^e 
 very existence of society. If the patents for land arc to 
 be touched, there is an end to the permanency of any 
 Institution, and public and private property is alike plaecd 
 at the mercy of a reckless and changing majority." 
 * The abettors of this new measure had by no means given 
 the subject very accurate consideration ; for, after a slight 
 discussion the Bill was found to be so clumsy and ini- 
 pra(;ticable in its details, and in many respects so puerile 
 and absurd, that they were glad to withdraw it from the 
 ridicule and merriment it was creating. 
 
 The very weak Conservative Government, — weak be it 
 understood, in the number of its supporters, not in talent, 
 — which came into power in 1844, and held office for about 
 three years, made some attempts toward re-modelling 
 King's College ; but while unwilling to go to the revolu- 
 tionary lengths of their predecessors, they failed to guard 
 the great principles of the Institution, and, without con- 
 cilating enemies, they alienated many friends. 
 
 Early in the year 1848, the Conservatives were displaced 
 from ])ower ; and their o[)p()nents, the " Reformers," as they 
 were styled, were in possession of the reins of government. 
 They soon addressed themselves to the University question; 
 and in the following session an Act was passed, so com- 
 })letely altering tlie features of the original Charter, that 
 these could no longer be recognized. The nanie of " King's 
 College" was dropped, and that of "the University of 
 Toronto" adopted in its place; and liow essentially the 
 princij)les of the former institution were changed, will be 
 evident from some of the enactments adopted in the new 
 constitution, which we shall cite. 
 
 It was ordained that there should be "no Faculty of 
 Divinity in this University," and that there should be 
 
240 
 
 "no professorship, lectureship, or teachership of Divinity" 
 within it. 
 
 It Wcas enjicted also that " no person should be qualified 
 to be appointed by the Crown to any seat in the Senate, 
 who shall be a minister, ecclesiastic, or teacher, under or 
 according to any form or profession of religious faith or 
 worship whatsoever." 
 
 It was further ordained that " no religious observances, 
 according to the forms of any religious denomination, 
 should be imposed upon the members or officers of the said 
 University, or any of them." And, finally, that " no 
 loligious test oi- qualification whatsoever, from scholar, 
 stu<lent, fellow, or otherwise," or from the holder of " any 
 office, professorship, mastership, tutorship, or other place 
 or employment whatsoever in the same, shall be required." 
 
 The Act, establishing the University of Toronto on this 
 basis, — denuding its predecessor, with a Royal Charter, of 
 every thing that bore the form, or remotest shew of 
 religion, — came into force on the 1st January, 1850, 
 
 lu this emergency, the members of the Church of Eng- 
 land, with their Bishop at their head, had a trying but 
 simple duty to discharge, Viewing this marked slight of, 
 this veiy trampling upon, the Christianity which was 
 meant to be ingrained into the principles and very essence 
 of their highest hall of science, they could not do other- 
 wise than part company w4th it forever, and establish a 
 University of their own, in which the blessed teachings of 
 our Christian fjiith should be prominently interwoven 
 with its secular lessons. They must have a University in 
 which, while their youth were trained for the honourable 
 occupation of the world's offices of trust and usefulness, 
 they should have that accompanying instruction in reli- 
 gious truth, which is the only security for sound principle 
 and upright dealing in the common duties of life. In 
 the words of the late Dr. Arnold, happily adduced by the 
 Bishop himself " science and literature will not do for a 
 
241 
 
 man's main business ; tlioy must be used in su})or(li nation 
 to a clearly perceived {Christian end, and looked upon as of 
 most subordinate value. In fact the house is spiritually 
 ('nij)ty so long as tlie pearl of great price is not there, 
 although it may be hung with all the decorations of 
 earthly knowledge," 
 
 To the proposition, that (colleges' established by the 
 several bodies of the Province should " affiliate " with the 
 Toronto University, and leave all to this, except the 
 religious instruction of their respective members, the 
 Bishop would give no countenance. The slight aid or 
 relief thus afforded, would, he considered, form an excuse 
 for restrictions and interferences which, when most 
 galling, it might be difficult to yhake off. He i)rotested, 
 too, against this thrusting forth of Christianity from the 
 temple, that she might take her abode in porches, and 
 corners, and allc^ys, where she would be shrouded from 
 view, or buried from sight, as something to be ashamed 
 of He felt that she should assume her proper position, 
 and occupy the highest room ; that she should fonri part of 
 the nourishment and vitality that courses through the 
 heart and trunk, and not merely be linked with a number 
 of feeble and sickly appen<lages, grafted hither and thither, 
 in unsightly variety upon the lusty and expansive tree. 
 
 These were sentiments which lay at the heart's core of 
 the great mass of the Churchmen of Ui)per Canada. With 
 all but unanimous voice they demanded the establishment 
 of a University, framed upon the principles becpieathed to 
 them from their forefathers, and which have won for their 
 mother-land a world-wide renown. 
 
 In the month of January, 1850, the Bishop of Toronto 
 addressed a stirring appeal to the Clergy and Laity of his 
 Diocese ; calling upon them to aid by their contributions 
 the establishment of what had now become a necessity, — 
 a Church University, — and heading the subscription- 
 list with a gift of £1000, 
 
242 
 
 From this Pastoral Appeal, we must mal^< a few ex- 
 tracts. They deserve a pcrinatu'nt record, and a wider 
 . circulation; and may re-awaken the energies^!" old friends, 
 and rouse the sympathies of new ones on behalf of the 
 (!!ollege, the estfihlishment of which so spee<liiy followed 
 this appeal. Ht; says : — 
 
 •' It is surely the duty, hh \^ell as tlie firivilege, of every 
 Churchman in the Diocese, to asHJat, aw far as he is able, in sup- 
 plying the v;ant which the Church now feels in the destruction 
 of her Univei'sity, and which, if not 8uj)plio(l, will, in a short 
 time, arrest the ha])py progress she is making through all parts 
 of the country. Let not, then, the friends and members of the 
 Church look for rest till proper means are found for the religious 
 education of her children. We have fallen, indeed, on evil 
 times, and the storm has overtaken us, aggravated by the [)ainful 
 reflection that we have contributed largely, by our want of unity 
 and consistency, to bring it on ourselves ; yet we must not bo 
 discouraged, for, though the watei's threaten to overwhelm us, 
 we are still the children of ho[)e. Never perhajis, in the history 
 of the Church, did a single case more comi)letcly prove the influ- 
 ence of party spirit in corruj)ting the heart, and warping and 
 entangling the judgment, till it had acquired a moral obliquity, 
 incapable of distinguishing right from wrong, truth from false- 
 hood, than the destruction of King's College. 
 
 " What makes this act of unscrupulous injustice the harder to 
 be borne, is the conviction, which I think we must all feel, that 
 if any one of the religious denominations in this Province, dis- 
 senting from the Church of England, had received from their 
 Sovereign a Poyal Charter, founding a University in connexion 
 with their faith, and had received at the same time the free gift 
 of an endowment for its support, any attempt by the Colonial 
 Legislature to abrogate their Chartei', and to wrest from them 
 the endowment conferred by their Sovereign, would have been 
 promptly^ discountenanced by the Executive Government, and 
 firmly resisted, as being unreasonable and unjust. If any had 
 been found to make such an attempt, (which assuredly the Church 
 of England would not have dore,) they would have been told at 
 
243 
 
 once, that whatever opinions they might havo formed of the 
 j)olicy or impolicy of the nieuHuro, the grant could not btit be res- 
 pected, and the faith of the Sovereign maintained. And I am 
 sure, my brethren, that neither you nor I would have regretted 
 to nee those principles upheld by which alone either nations or 
 individuals can expect long to flourish. We should havo 
 remarked, too, in such a case as I have supposed, another mor- 
 tifying difference : the members of any other religious denomina- 
 tion whose rights had been iinjuHtly attacked, as ours were, would 
 not have .sought a vain p<)i)ularity by abandoning them ; they 
 would have been found united as one nmn in their defence." 
 
 Tho following remarks are of a practical character; and 
 it is not even now too late to act upon them : — 
 
 "There are, it is believed, about four hundred organized town- 
 ships in the Diocese ; and were only one lot of two hundred 
 acres to be contributed as an average in each township, it would 
 form an endowment of ^?ghty thousand acres ; and this, by good 
 management, with ])ri''ate contributions in money, and the a.ssist- 
 ance of the two venerable Societies, would become sufficient to 
 enable us in a very short time to begin operations, and gradually, 
 ius the property leased, to extend the University, as has been done 
 in like cases in Eurof)e and America. 
 
 *' Or, taking it otherwist; ; — there arc, I presume, about '200,- 
 000 adherents of the Church of England in Upper Canada, or 
 40,000 families. Now, were each family to contribute two 
 pounds, or two acres of good land, a very hand.some endowment 
 would be the result. 
 
 " But as there are many poor, and some to whom God has not 
 given generosity of heart, — let us take one-fourth, or only 10,000 
 families, and claim from each, for the love of God, six pounds in 
 money, or ten acres of good land, iis may be more convenient, and 
 the University will be established. The difficulty, therefore, in 
 the way of endowing a Church University, is not so great as 
 those, who have not considered the sulyect, may suppose ; and 
 although we may not obtain the subscriptions in land, or in 
 money, of ten or even of five thousand at once, yet we shall, with 
 
244 
 
 OckI'm blcMHing, obtain more in tiuH? ; and hh the IiiHtitution we 
 contemplate in not for a short pcjiixl, but for centuries, we can 
 afford time, and be content to odvance to maturity by degreew. 
 But why shouhl we not hope that tlioCliurch, among hor 200,(100, 
 will produce one thousand noble souls, ready to come ibrward 
 with at least one hundred acres each, atid in a moment compleU^ 
 the endowment ?" 
 
 Expressing liis belief of aid from the ^'oai ('hinc]i 
 Societies of the Mother Country, and that in att('ni[»ting 
 this University no Utopian Kcheino is devised, he ])roci'eds 
 to urge the duty of establishing it u|»on high moral and 
 religious grounds. He says : — 
 
 " TJjo Churoh ought to do nothing by halves. Her University 
 must comprise an cntirs system of education, based on rf^ligion. 
 Every branch of knowledge cherished at Oxf(U'd and (Jambridge 
 must b'j carefully and substiintially taught. She must also have 
 her Eton, or Grammar School, to sujtply her with students : the 
 whole to be placed under tlin guidance of the Chiireh, that her 
 religious instruction may have no uncertain sound. Wo desire a 
 Univei'sity, which, fe<l by the heavenly stream of j)nre religion, 
 may communicate fuel to the lamp of genius, and enable it to burn 
 with a brighter and purer flame. Thus the Arts and Heiences, with 
 all that adds real embellishment to life, will be studied with m<»re 
 perseverance and order for moral ends ; and the faculties, under 
 such training, will become so pure and unclouded, that |>ercei)tion 
 will be infinitely more vivi<l, and I'ise to far greater elevation ; 
 and all will be bound together by that j)ur(! jtrinciple of love, 
 which the Scriptures tell us is the beginning and end of all our 
 being. For this reason, we shall have in our Uni\ersity daily 
 habitual worship, that we may possess a conscious feeling of 
 the Divine presence ; and this will ])roduce such an ardent 
 aspiration after goodness as will consecrate every moven»ent. 
 Hence the religious })rinciples thus developed, will prove of 
 themselves a system of education infinitely su[)erior to all others. 
 
 " Having done all in my power, I shall acquiesce submissively 
 in the result, whatever it may be ; and I shall then, and not till 
 then, consider my mission in this behalf ended." 
 
245 
 
 This appeal wjih promptly and generously ro.s[)onde(l to ; 
 an<l ))ef()rc the month of April about £2.>,0()0 were suh- 
 Mcrihcd in tlie Dio<!eHc of Toronto alone. 
 
 Hut the resources of a new country could not be con- 
 si<lered ecpuil to such a demand ; there was in Canada the 
 spirit, but not the power fidly to cairy out this great 
 undertaking. The Bishop, therefore, resolved upon ox- 
 terttling the ap[)eal to our fellow Cliurchnien in Engltmd ; 
 believing that there would bo as much sympathy there 
 with so noble an effort, as there wouhl be indignation that 
 v/e were conij)elled to resort to it. The Imperial Govern- 
 ment had sanctioned the se<]uestration of the royal gift 
 by which King's College was founded; and the peoidc of 
 England would feel a sort of responsibility to rn.ike goo«l 
 tln^ loss. 
 
 On the loth A})ril, IH'A), at the ngc of 72, tlie Bishop 
 left for England ; followed to the steamer by a large body 
 of the in]»a)»itants of all classes and conditions, from the 
 (■hief Justice of the Province to the bronzed labourer ; and 
 he set sail amiiist the cheers and plaudits of all. He was 
 about to a<ld another trophy to his long-earned fame, and 
 to establish for liimself a monument which future genera- 
 tions would contem])late with gratitude. 
 
 The Bishop, on his arrival in England, felt it his duty to 
 ])lace himself in corresj)ondeHce with Earl Grey, Secretaiy 
 of State for the Colonies. He asked, first, the disallowance 
 by Her Majesty of the Act recently passed in Canada for 
 the abolition of King's College ; and requested, if this peti- 
 tion could not be acceded to, that a Charter mifdit be 
 granted by Her Majesty f(^r a University in Upper Canada 
 strictly in connexion with the Church of England. He 
 further prayed that a Quec 's Letter might be granted, 
 authorizing collections on this behalf in the several Parish 
 Churches of the United Kingdom, 
 
 Earl Grey, who was very courteous in his acknowledg- 
 ment of the Bishop's proposals, expressed the impossibility 
 
24G 
 
 of entertaining the petition for tlic <li«allo\vancn of the 
 Provincial Act complained of, as the cOiifinnation of this 
 Act had already taken i)lacc. He stated, too, his fear that 
 it wouM be impossible to comply with the request for a 
 Queen's Letter, as great difficulty was now experienced in 
 extending this privilege to the Society for the Propagfition 
 of the Gos])el in F<n'eign Parts; but he spoke encourag- 
 ingly of the granting of a Charter to a new Colh'ge to be 
 conducted on CJhurch of England principles, — assuming 
 that the draft of this Charter should, after examination, be 
 regarded as unobjectionable. 
 
 The Bishop, too, felt it desirable to secure the ])Owerful 
 influence of Sir Robert Peel in carrying out his })lans; but 
 his interviews with that lamented statesman are best des- 
 cribed in his own words : — 
 
 " On Friday, 7th June, I called on the late Sir KolxMt 
 Peel, with a letter of introduction from Chief Justice 
 Robinson, of Upper Canada, for I was anxious to interest 
 so great and good a man in the ol)ject which had brought 
 me to England. Soon after I sent in my card and letter, 
 the servant came and told me Sir Robert wns very sorry 
 that he hajtpened at that moment to be particularly 
 engaged, but would make an early appointment to see 
 me. 
 
 " On Monday, 10th June, 1 called at tlic time apjjointed. 
 Sir Robert was at first distant and reserved, but, never- 
 theless, courteous and encouraging. He heard, with the 
 most patient attention, my statement of the many struggles 
 and final destruction of King's College, and the est-dilish- 
 ment of a College in its stead, from which religion is 
 virtually excluded. 'It seems a strange and outrageous 
 proceeding, (he said) so far as I understand it ; but I shall 
 require to study the matter, and make myself acquainted 
 with all the details, that I may be fully satisfied in my 
 own mind, before I can ever think of interfering. Indeed, 
 I have so little influence that my interference can, I fear. 
 
247 
 
 be of little use. I suppose that the now institution of 
 Toronto Univorsitv is s(nnetliin£; Jiko the London Colletfo 
 or the Irisli Colleges.' Pardon me, I replied, the London 
 College' preys upon no other interest, and is suppitrtcd 
 from private sou rees : it unhappily drops religion, but it 
 does not go so far as to exclude it hy legal eiiaetnient, ns 
 the Toronto University d»)es. ' That eertainly makes a 
 difference,' It differs also from Hw Irish Colleges in this, 
 — that the Irish Colleges are supported by the CoveiTJ- 
 ment, and their estjiblishment did not interfere with, or 
 injure, any other Institution. But the College or Univer- 
 sity of Toronto is founded on the ruins of King's 
 (College, whose Royal Charter it has rc^pealed under the 
 ])retenee of amending it, and whose endowment of £11, ()()() 
 per annum, though secured by a patent from the Crown, 
 and guaranteed by the pledge of three Kings, it has seized 
 and approj>riated to itself ' Then, if I understand it,' said 
 Sir Robert, ' the Government would have made a parallel 
 ease, had they seized up<m Trinity College, Dublin, and 
 not only destroyed its religious character, but endowed, 
 with its property, all the new Colleges.' Such, I answered, 
 would have been a ease exactly parallel. 'If so,' continued 
 Sir Robert. ' it would seem a case of singular injustice and 
 oi)I)ression, and what could never have taken ])lace in 
 England ; but I must be more fully satisfied on this point.' 
 He then re(piired me to send him a co])y of the Statute, 
 and such other pajjcrs as I thought might eluei<late the 
 subj(!ct, and he promised to give them a careful jx'rusal. 
 
 " On my return to my lodgings, I sent the documents 
 re([uircd, and with the more alacrity, because Sir Robert 
 got evidently interested in the subject, as our conversation 
 proceeded, and became more frank and cordial ; so much so, 
 that I felt that the reserve with which he met me at first 
 had altogether disai)peared." 
 
 About ten days after, the Bishoj) had another interview 
 with Sir Robert Peel, who, on this occasion, received him 
 
248 
 
 with great cordiality, and raid that, after j)erusing care- 
 fully all the documcTits with which he liad hecn fiirni.shed, 
 he considered the case one of great hardshij) and injustice, 
 J[e, however advised the Bisho}) to abstain from presenting 
 any petitions to Parliament, with the expectation that they 
 would interfere in the matter ; and he considered that the. 
 wisest course would be, to direct all his energies to the 
 olttaining of a Royal Charter for the contemplated new 
 0(dlege, The more simi)ly he applied his efforts to this, 
 the more certain would be his success. Sir Robert pro- 
 mised Inm all the assistance in his power; but reminded 
 him that this could not now amount to much. 
 
 On the 9th May following, the Bishop imblished nn 
 address to the members of the Church of England through- 
 out the United Kingdom, which was very extensively 
 circulated, and on the whole met with a very favourable 
 rosj>onse, A xary influential Conunitteo, amongst whom 
 were Lord Seaton an<l JMr. Gladstone, very heartily 
 co-o})erated with him, and large donations came in. The 
 Bishop also visited the Universities, that he might engage 
 their sympathy; attended several public meetings, and 
 earnestly advocated the cause ; and preached oji its behalf 
 hi many of the larger Churches of England. Through all 
 these efforts, he succeeded in ad«ling al)out £15,000 to the 
 funds of the intended University, and he came back to 
 Can.'wla, early in the month of November following, fully 
 determined to start the University, and much encouraged 
 in the belief that, once established, it would soon receive 
 the Royal Charter th.it had been i)rayed for. 
 
240 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 Establishment of the Diocesau Syiiotl. — Laying the Foundation- 
 stone of Trinity College. — Opening of the College. 
 
 /^JKHE year 18-31 was lemarkablc, in the annals of the 
 || ; Diocese of Toronto, for the first actual start in the 
 establishment of a Diocesan Synod. It is not, how- 
 ever to be supposed that this was a sudden conception on 
 the pjirt of our late Diocesan ; or that it had acquired life 
 and energy only just before the attempt at practically 
 carrying it out. 
 
 Early in the year 1832, soon after the return from Eng- 
 land of the writer of this Memoir, he received a letter 
 from Dr. Strachan, then Archdeacon of York, containing a 
 draft of a Constitution for a Diocesan Convocation. This 
 contained fourteen rules, with an excellent preamble, 
 asserting the reasons for the establishment of such a body. 
 He says in this letter : — 
 
 "In the draft transmitted to you, I have confined myself 
 within as narrow bounds as possil^le, and simplified the 
 whole as nmcli as I could. To make it long, might deter 
 the Bishop in limine from entertaining it : the great 
 object is to get it fairly established, and then it will be 
 easy to introduce such additional articles as experience 
 may suggest. 
 
 " I am quite convinced," he adds " that we shall never 
 
 gain much ground in the Province, or obtain that influence 
 
 on public opinion, or with the Government, or with the 
 
 Bishop hinjself, — that we ought to po.ssess, till we have 
 
 32 
 
250 
 
 frequent Convocations, composed of the Clergy and mem- 
 bers from their Heveral congiTtr'^itions. 
 
 " To such assemblies, tho p]j)isco[)al Church in the 
 United States owes almost every thing; and from the M'ant 
 of public meetings of the Clergy and Lait}^ the Cliurdi of 
 England is losing weight with the people, and influence, 
 with the Government. 
 
 He asked for such remarks upon this draft as, after 
 mature consideration, I miglit think it advisable to offer; 
 and he stated that he had nuido a simihir lequest to two or 
 three other Clergymen of the Diocese, on whose judgment 
 he set much value. 
 
 In August, 1832, at a Visitation of the Clergy at 
 Kingston, held by the Bishoj) of Quebec, the sul)ject was 
 discussed, though inftn-mally; and aj)pi'obation of a Diocesan 
 Synod or Convocation was generally expressed. Thtj sub- 
 ject was resumed at Toronto, at a Vif itation hehl there a 
 few weeks later. 
 
 In 1830, at the meeting ]»resided over by the two Ardi- 
 deacons, the question was vc^ry earnestly taken up, and 
 discussed at some lengtli. Some objections were advanced ; 
 but the feeling of the meeting was decidedly in favour of 
 Synodical action. There were, even then, indications 
 sufficiently suggestive that the time was not far distant 
 when wc should be a self-su})porting, and self-reliant 
 C!hurch ; and the impression was a natural one that, in 
 view of such a condition, we should lose no time in pre- 
 paring ourselves to become a self-governing Church. It 
 was natural also to entertain, and give expression to the 
 opinion, that, inasmuch as for the future maintenance of 
 the Church we should have to depend so much on the 
 good-will and liberality of the lay-members of our Com- 
 munion, it was only fair to assign to them a reasonabh; 
 share in its government. 
 
 Nothing definite was adopted, or suggested, subsequently 
 for some years; but in 1851 there were such strong indica- 
 
251 
 
 tions that stc[).s vvuukl be taken by tlio Provincial Parlia- 
 ment for the alienation of the Ch-rgy ReserveH, that the 
 Bishop of Toronto, in i.ssuing to the Clergy of tlie DioceMc 
 the usual summons to his Triennial Visitation, introdueeil 
 the following direct allusion to the iin[)ortanct? and the 
 duty of Synodical action: — 
 
 " It has been sugg('ste<l, and even pressed uj>on me, by 
 many of the most ]>ious jind respectable members of our 
 Connnunion, both lay and clerieal, that the Church, now 
 so numerous in Canada West, ought to ex[)ress her o])inion, 
 as a body, on the posture of lier secular affairs, whenan 
 attempt is again made by her enen)ies to <lespoil her of the 
 small remainder of her property, which hjis been set apart 
 and <levoted to sacred ])urposes during sixty years; and 
 that it is not only her duty to jtrotest against, such a 
 manifest breach of public faith, but to tak(! such ste])s «s 
 may seem just and reasonable to avert the same. 
 
 " Iftaving taken this suggestion into serious consideration, 
 and believing it not only founded on wisdom, but, in the 
 present crisis of the tem])oralities of the Church, absolutely 
 necessary, I hereby request every Clergyman of my Dio- 
 cese to invite the members of his mission or congregation, 
 being regular communicants, to select one or two of their 
 number to accompany him to the Visitation." 
 
 In response to this summons, one hundred and twent>'- 
 i'our Clergymen, and one hr.ndred and twenty-seven Lay- 
 men were present in the Church of th(! Holy Trinity, at 
 Toronto, on Thursday, May 1, 18;>1. On this day after the 
 usual religious sei*vices, the Bisho[) delivered a Cliarge of 
 considerable length. There was tluni a short adjournment; 
 autl the Bisho]), on their re-.issembling, addressed both 
 Clergy and Laity collectively on the secular affairs of the 
 Church. On the following day, after considerable dis(rus- 
 sion several Kesolutions were j>a.ssed, expressing a strong 
 protest against the threatened secularization of the Clergy 
 Reserves; the expediency of applying to the Crown for 
 
252 
 
 tlie establishment of a Diocesan Synod or Convocation, to 
 consist of the Laity as well as the Clergy; and the duty of 
 petitioning the Colonial Legislature to permit the estab- 
 lishment of separate Church Schools. ConnTiittces were 
 ai)pointed to carry these niles into effect. Such was tlu^ 
 practical commencement of Thk Synod of tiik Diooesk 
 OF Toronto. 
 
 The Bishop considered the present a favourable oppor- 
 tunity for laying the Foundation-stone of Trinity College 
 for which ceremonial every necessary preparation had been 
 made. Our readers, however, should be informed that, on 
 the return of the Bishop from England in the autunm of 
 1S5(), a Deputation from the "Upper Canada School of 
 Medicine, — composed of Drs. Hodder, Bovell, Badgley, 
 Hallowell, Bethune, and Melville, — waited upon his Lord- 
 ship, to tender their services as the Medical Ftaculty of tlu* 
 jnojected University, and offering these services gi'atui- 
 tously until the revenues of the University should warrant 
 the payment of a suitable j'emuneration. This offer was 
 (rheerfully accepted ; and as the usual pciiod for the com- 
 mencement of the winter course of study had arrived, the 
 Bishop sanctioned the naming of a day on whi(!li the 
 Fjiculty should commence their labours. They met accoi'd- 
 ingly at the Hall of the Mechanics' Institute, on the 7th 
 November; .and, after Prayers, and an Address from the 
 Bishop, introductory Lectures were delivered by the 
 several Professors. 
 
 On the 13th March, 1851, the tenders were accejjted for 
 the erection of Trinity College; on the 17th of that month, 
 the first S(k1 was turned with solemn and imi)ressive cere- 
 mony ; and on the 30th April, the ( \)rner-st^)ne of the 
 building was laid. 
 
 At one o'clock on that day, a procession of one hundred 
 Cergymen, with the Medical Faculty and College Council, 
 followed by the Bishop and his Chaplains, proceeded to St. 
 George's Church, where Divine Service was performed, and 
 
253 
 
 an appropriate sermon preached by the Archdcp.eo. ;i 
 York. When the service was concluded, the Bishop he 
 (Jlergy, and the numerous congi'cgation fonncd in proces- 
 si(»n at tlie western end of the Church, and proceeded 
 thence down John Street and .along Queen Street to the 
 site of the College. " On its way from the Church to the 
 grounds, several of the gentry in can-iagcs accompanied 
 the procession, and the footways were crowded with pedes- 
 triaiis. The scene was gay and animating in the extreme, 
 jind every thing evinced the deep interest which the 
 ( *hurchmen of Toronto and the Province generally took in 
 the event." On tlie arrival of the procession at the ground, 
 the Bishop, from a capacious platform prepared for the 
 ( icCasion, delivered an Address, from which we make a few 
 extracts : — 
 
 " To found a common seat of kiarning is a proud object of uin- 
 l)ition ; but to establish a College devoted to the cause of God, 
 .md the diffusion of sound learning and true religion tluough so 
 vast a region as Upper Canada, is one of those precious diiitinc- 
 tions which are seldom attained ; and, associated in our imagina- 
 tions, as it must be, with so many gifts and blessings to young 
 and old, it cannot fail to become a source of delightful reflection 
 through life to all of us who now enjoy the privilege of bcinfj 
 present on this happy occasion. 
 
 ** Feeble we may seem to the world's eye ; but what Seminary 
 in the history of literature can claim an origin so pure and holy 1 
 
 " Trinity College is a burst of Christian benevolence, to remedy 
 an intolerable act of injustice, and to prove that all opj)ression is 
 short-sighted, and sure in God's own time to bo overrnlod for 
 good. 
 
 " It is peculiarly the child of the Church ; from her it springs, 
 and under her wing it desires to nestle ; it will breathe as she 
 breathes, and acquire life and energy from the spiritual nourish- 
 ment which she is oixlained to dispense. 
 
 *• So soon as the buildings are completed, Trinity College will 
 become, in all her proceedings, as strictly Collegiate in discipline 
 
254 
 
 unci character as the circumstances of this new country will per- 
 mit ; and its authorities will ever kec[» in view the glorious 
 models of the Pai'cnt State, to which pure science and the 
 Christian faith are so much indebted. From them she will 
 horrow a spark of that living flame by which they have been 
 animated for so many centuries, in order that she may, witli 
 tiod's blessing, kindle similar inspirations in this Colony. 
 
 "And I trust that many around me will be permitted to see 
 'J'l inity College taking an honoured j)lace among the more cele- 
 brated schools of learning, and doing for Canada what Oxford 
 and Cambridge have done for England." 
 
 The Bishop, aftca' this Address, offered up a Praj-er, 
 whicli it is but right to insert in this record of his life ; 
 and it is one which all, interested in the growth and pros- 
 perity of Trinity College, may often dutifully use : 
 
 " O Almighty God, with whom was v isdom when Thou didst 
 prepare the heavens and set a compass upon the face of the 
 depth, look down with fiivonr, we most humbly beseech Thee, on 
 the work which we this day begin. 
 
 " Mercifully grant unto all who are. engaged therein judgment 
 and understanding ; that the labour of their hands and fruits of 
 their counsels may tend to Thy glory, the good of Thy Church, 
 and the well-being of this whole land. 
 
 "Vouchsafe unto those v:, shall sojourn within the walls 
 about to rise from this foujii.tion, minds enlightened by Thy 
 heavenly grace, to proceed in all their doings according to Thy 
 will. 
 
 " Teach by Thy Holy Spirit from on high those who shall here 
 teach ; and cause their instructions to agree with the truth of 
 Thy word and the testimony of Thy Church : that by the might 
 of Thy power, working through the frail instrumentality of men, 
 the Faith once delivered to the Saints may be handed on for ever. 
 
 " Grant to those who shall here learn, docility and diligence, 
 that they may be disciples indeed, willing from their youth to 
 bear t'le yoke of Christ, and fitted by a discipline of purity and 
 prayer to discharge the duties of those states of life which Thou 
 hast appointed for men to walk in. 
 
255 
 
 " Grant that from these walls may go forth, devoted unto Thee 
 and rightly equipped for their work, raessengei-s of the Gospel of 
 Peace ; who sliull aim, under the commission of their Saviour, to 
 win souls unto Thee ; to train their brethren by the Word and 
 Sacraments after the pattern of their Lord ; and to bring back 
 those who err and stray into the unity of the faith and the 
 oneness of the body of Christ. 
 
 " Grant that from these walls may go forth Physicians skilled 
 to heal, and enabled, under Thee, to mitigate the woes which sin 
 hath brought upon the earth: who, in their labour for the hoivlth 
 of the body, shall have I'cgard also to the health of the soul, from 
 a lively faith in Thee tlte Father of the Sjurits of us all. 
 
 " Grant that from these walls may go forth men, who, while 
 they make the statutes and judgments of their fellow-men their 
 study, and consult how they may establish truth and justice in 
 the State, shall have in their hearts an abiding respect unto 
 Thee, the Lawgiver of the worlds, and to the decrees that shall 
 hereafter decide the eternal condition of quick and dead. 
 
 " Grant that from these walls may go forth those who, while 
 they engage in the traffic of the earth, and fulfil Thy will in 
 effecting among men the interchange of the wide-sj)read gifts of 
 Thy bounteous hand, shall know also what is the merchandize of 
 the true riches ; how to increase the gifts with which they have 
 been entrusted to profit withal ; ami how to lay up treasures in 
 heaven. 
 
 " Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord, to each and all who shall 
 go forth hence to labour in their various vocations among their 
 fellow-men, that, to intellects accomplished in wisdom and know- 
 ledge, they may join souls Fdled with a true reverence and love 
 towards Thee ; so that, as jjolished shafts from Thy hand, they 
 may in all things fulfil Thy good pleasure, to the glory of Thy 
 great name. 
 
 " Grant, O Lord, that this building, about to be devoted to 
 learning apd religion, may proceed without let or hindrance, 
 and may be to future generations the fountain, ;inder Thee, of 
 abundant blessings. 
 
 " Visit, with Thy grace, we humbly beseech Thee, those bene- 
 factors who have contributed to the furtherance of this good 
 
256 
 
 work; and stir up other hearts to niunificcnce towards the under- 
 taking on whidi we now enter. CJau.se many among the brethren 
 to vie in real with those who, ia tlie times of oUl, liave founded 
 and endowed in the hand of our fathers tlie seats of learning 
 dedicated to Thee and to the service of Thy Church. 
 
 " And grant, O Lord, that we and our descendants to tlie latest 
 generation, being preserved evermore from the hands of the 
 spoiler, may enjoy these gifts, and ])in*sue our coursn in confi- 
 dence and peace. 
 
 "Hear us, O Almighty (Joel, we humbly beseech Thee, in 
 these our supplications and prayers, for the sake of our only 
 Meditator and Advocate, Jesus Christ ; to whom, with Thee, 
 and the Holy Ghost, the over adorable Trinity, to whom we 
 dedicate our work, be all honour and glory, for ever and ever. 
 Amen. 
 
 Upon the brass plate which covered the usual coins and 
 documents was a long Latin inscription, whicli was admi- 
 rably read by Chief Justice Kobinson. Tlie stone having 
 been laid by the Bishoj), lie was addressed in a brief but 
 excellent speech by Sir Allan MacNab. Then followed a 
 gracefully written Latin ad<lress from the i)upils of the 
 Church Grammar School conducted by the Kev. J. G, D. 
 Mackenzie, and read with great correctness by the head 
 pupil, the late John James Bethune. To this the Bishop 
 made an appropriate reply in Latin. In the Bidding 
 Prayer, read by the Archdeacon of York, was this para- 
 graph, — " That there never may be wanting a supply of 
 persons duly qualified to serve God in Church and State, 
 let us pray for a blessing on all Seminaries of sound learn- 
 ing and religious education, especially ihe Universities of 
 our native country; and, as in duty bound, for the religious 
 foundation of Trinity College." 
 
 The very interesting services of the day were concluded 
 by an appropriate Prayer, embodying the Gloria in Excelsis, 
 by the Rev. H. J. Grasett, and the Benediction by the 
 Bishop. 
 
2;57 
 
 Through the exertion.s of friencls in England, a Provost, 
 and Professors of Classics and Mathematics, were selected, 
 and they arrived in Canada in the autumn of 18.j1, 
 
 On Thursday, 15th January, 18.)2, Trinity College was 
 formally opened. Divine Service was held in the tempo- 
 rary Chapel, at which there was a large attendance ; and 
 this concluded, all proceedc<l to the Dining Hall of the 
 C-ollege, very judiciously irranged for the occasion. The 
 matriculants wore admitted with the usual formalities ; 
 after which the Bishop delivered an Address, giving a brief 
 history of the whole undertaking, and the reasons which 
 KO imperatively led to it. We make from the latter portion 
 of this a few extracts : — 
 
 ** One of our principal objects iu this Institution, will be to 
 bring buck to the hearts ai.vl affections of our yotith the fresh and 
 innocent imjiressions of early infancy. With what deep emotions 
 <lo we find the greatest and best of men recalling, in after life, 
 the blessed influences which they imbibed under the paternal 
 roof ; the holy truth.s comintniicated, and the first faint accents 
 of ])rayer which a i)ious and tender mother whispered in their 
 ears, invoking the ])rotection of their God and Saviour before she 
 consigned them to their nigiit's repo.se. On such sweet and pure 
 recollections they delight to dwell ; for at home all our best and 
 holiest charities and affections begin, and from this centre they 
 extend through an ever widening circle. Our desire, then, is to 
 build upon this holy foundation ; to form our.selves, as far as pos- 
 sible, uito a large household ; and keep as near as may be prac- 
 ticable, to the order and economy of a well regulated family. 
 There will be daily and hourly intercourse between the youth 
 and their insti-uctors ; reverence for superior age and attainments, 
 and a prompt obedience to all their reasonable commands. 
 
 ** There will also be among the young men themselves an 
 affectionate brotherhood, confidential and salutary companionship, 
 noble x'esolutions, aspiring hopes, useful conversation and friendly 
 intimacy, on terms and with an intensity which nothing but a 
 College life will admit. 
 
 " In regard to discipline, we cannot surely be required, in 
 33 
 
258 
 
 1852, to dhew that it is iinneceasary : on the contrary, the expe- 
 rience of all pgcH and conntrien jjoints out the advantage of 
 Hiibjecting the jmsHionattf and cntluiHiustic period of youth to 
 siilutary control, an well as tlu^ great difticidty of rendering it 
 tiffeetiial." 
 
 The Chief Justice, the Hon. J. B. RoblnHoii, foliowetl ; 
 and from his admirable address we quote the following,' 
 .striking ]mMsagos : — 
 
 " Jt in but a few short nionthn since wo saw the close of an 
 anxious and painful contest, of which I shall only say that I be 
 Heve it will some day be acknowledged that it wo\dd have been 
 no less for the advantage than the honour of this Pi-ovlnee if it 
 had had a different termination. Many who, under the saniH 
 circumstances, would have felt, not less keenly than yotu' Lord- 
 ship, the disappointmeJit of long cherished hoj)cs, would have 
 thought themselves well justified if tlu^y had then given way to 
 despondency ; and they would ])robably luive left to another 
 generation the seemingly hopeless task of endeavouring to procure 
 for the members of oiu' Church in Upper Canada the means of 
 receiving a collegiate education, in halls sanctifi(;d by the minis 
 trations of her worship, and within which her fiUth should be 
 acknowledged, and her doctrines inculcated. 
 
 " ft has been long ago said, in a noble sj)irit of philanthropy, 
 that it ought to be the aim of every man, while jjussing through 
 life to leave behind him some enduring proof that he has not 
 lived in vain ; some useful monument of his labours, by which 
 his name may be favourably known to future generations. We 
 thankfully acknowledge that your Lordship, standitig under the 
 roof of Trinity College, and in the presence of its duly ap[)ointed 
 Professors, has fully acquitted yourself of this debt to posterity, 
 while it is at the same time our peculiar advantage to know that 
 jis failures have not deterred, so success will not slacken vour 
 services in this good cause. There is no one, we are convinced, 
 who can be sc influential as your Lordship in whatever remains 
 to be done for placing this institution on a secure and adequate 
 foundation ; nor is there one of whom all the friends of the 
 
259 
 
 Church can say, with SjO much reason, thnt they are sure his 
 utiuoHt excrtioUH will, to Inn latest morneiir, be devoted to its 
 Hervice. 
 
 "OurH in no new faith. It is not from the Reformation that 
 the Church of England dates lier existence. We are not separated 
 from other Christian conimunities in conseciuence of any recent 
 ad()[)tion on our i)art of a doubtful interpretation of some text of 
 Scripture, or any modern scrupUt in regard to forms. Nothing 
 else that we most fondly venerate, — not the glorious flag of 
 Kngland, nor the great Charter of our liberties, has, from its 
 antiquity, so strong a claim to our devotion an the Church. It is 
 tljo Church which, from age to age, the Sovereign lias sworn to 
 support ; centuries have passed since holy martyrs have perished 
 at the stake, rather than deny her doctrines ; and the .soil (if 
 England is hallowod by the dust of countless worthies who have 
 sunk to their rest professing her creed, and invoking blessings 
 on her labours, after lives illustrated by piety and learning, and 
 devoted in the purest spirit to the welfare of mankind, 
 
 " May the honour bo conceded to Trinity College, in the pro- 
 gress of time, of having produced men who, by their learning and 
 virtues, may establish as strong a claim to the grateful admiration 
 of posterity." 
 
 From the Adtlress of of the Archdeacon of York, wlio 
 followed the Chief Justice, we quote a few extracts : — 
 
 " A})art from the paramount claims of heavenly truths, which 
 of right demands the devout attention of every baptized Christian, 
 we can foresee the highest jiractical benefits to society as the 
 result of training in an Institution like this. The teaching of an 
 authorized ministry will thus, in the leading and most influential 
 classes of society, have a kindly and well-prepared soil to work 
 upon ; and the claims of our holy Church will be presented to 
 future generations with more than an hereditary jjrejwssession in 
 its favour. Evangelical Truth would thus be proposed to enlight- 
 ened disciples ; and the tenet of Apostolic Order will bo embraced 
 from no mere bias of party, I it from a rational and settled 
 conviction. 
 
 "And here I may be permitted to express my own high satis- 
 
260 
 
 faction in being allowed this day to resign into the hands of 
 accomplished scholars and divinos, a trust which, during a period 
 often years, I have, as Diocesan Professor of Theology, laboureii 
 to discharge, though with the consciousness ttf many in6rmities, 
 yet with fidelity and z«»al. My recent charge have become to-day 
 membtr "«» of this Uuivei-sity ; and heaven, I trust, will [>rosi»er 
 b4ith. Our prayer will l>e uniteil and earnest, that the pure 
 stream of *' sound learning and a religious etlucation " will issue 
 from this University, a!id water far and wide the wast** plaws <)f 
 our land. And it will 1m» our pniyer that Trinity College will, 
 through all time, uttest iu Christian chanu'ter in the successive 
 geueratiouH of scholars that shall pnH'etnl from its walls . that the 
 hanner of it>t alumni will )k> in the faith of ChriMt, and their 
 watchword of duty — ' UuUne^H to the Lord.' " 
 
 TIh* following ejuiit'lleiit reniurk'^ were <-oiitaiiie<I in th(> 
 Mfhirt'MM of th*' H<'V. Pfovovt Wliitaker. who KjM.ke jjiHt. :- 
 
 ** £vf*rr I^AVdiaii iitiwtng'^t uk Hhouid nurt^iy wt a ChrMlian, 
 IHlittaAMiMi ih** vrukeitc*-'^ of the ChriHtun fiiih ; «Hdi. a* a 
 
 <'ii«r^WMfi« t^ it)|MrBntt« ff«r !)«• )- < <«h,u m,. - ..f ikielyioe aail 
 <^«if4tt*«* whi«*h <ik^iitiif«i(4i <Hir i'hiir>h i><»n ><^ln^ r y f^ pmm 
 hmiim, in (««4f*r tkmt ke m*^ l*** {ireimredl to »• n Utt- MnttiKi 
 
 *4 tkf i«^4H a«i^ tku' nmitth- mmi mmm i|iiiiBi««i tt^mtkmm vt f lir 
 TlUmf, i» M t« W U-mM, hmm wmvimhiA Om* m» 
 
 ^MNm iMMdIitt t» Awl HI jmHUkpmI- MiliMMt iMmv m 
 fym/k, mr m ifiiniliaiiii' tlMliRr. H •• t^ |«» IwfHdl ihm 
 Hmmp am m .i*m» Hw «• !• f/kim mmmi*. Wm mtmm hm 
 
 ^^1^^ '^w' wl^^ " ^M^^W^P W IBWWH'* ,: Wipii^ ffvp IPlPl" .MMBHMVWPi'S'MA till iRMl^ 
 
 tm(fmi iiM« Avr MM«iw«Mik 0mm m ^hl* < 1# i p oaf, ^MHigl 
 
281 
 
 " The foundation of this College is a solemn protest agaiust 
 the pejiaration of religion from education : v.e have joined 
 together again what othei-s had put a&unuer. and what, as we 
 helieve, God joined together from the beginning ; and, in doing 
 this, it becomes us to acknowledge the obligation under which 
 we live to be tnie to our own professions. They, who advocate 
 truth and right, — esj>ecially if it be truth and right divine, — 
 nmst look to it that they do not this unworthily. We are draw- 
 ing a line of demarcation l)etwten ourselves and others, by inciil 
 o:;tiug the doctrines of the Christian faith, and by offering ihn 
 pniyers of the Christian Church within these walls ; we must l>« 
 careful, then, that this lie n«» nifre formal distinctitm, but the 
 ^MfiiM of an eMseutial diti'titMice ; w«> must look to it that thf' 
 d«»ctrin«'s, which we itcknowleilge, inriu«'n««" our prartic*-, — that 
 our lives 'le auswemble U> our pniyerx. 
 
 " A luMthen nioraii^t haw njiid, — 
 
 '• y«*> aea**! e*t iffibut.i. r*i"*^» werrxkiii OflotMi 
 
 imd SM h» Mftxiin tM no (iti«|||lm% an it i« appli.d i>\ hiiM^if tn 
 the rt wia g t wr «i an in<f>itnl, no 4n«btitMi tl>t-^ u 'nM 
 
 mfftkd %m ilw «iMmelar «f m oummmt^y. A miciaty |m« 
 fumtk t ami ^dmrnatmr tlH« w t a wniiii i^wi it,- — ^Am i 
 jl^..^ «riil hm§ pwtiiii i. Witii a*. tlMB, tts flnt 
 
 ii fi«ii la 0m t«» TriiMty CMhp) its immm^fth** 
 
 ■r is MMM ^HM «««k Imi il mm i» iiiJiiiinlhiHiii t« 
 
 11^ liMMINlMillMl flfflw «# 4MiMWilMv «|mI 
 
 CSMrii iHillrfMMi Iw iMMMrf* 
 
2G2 
 
 Thus was Trinity College fairly launclied upon its career: 
 this has been of only seventeen years duration ; but during 
 this short period, it has had a large share of stonn and 
 vicissitude to contend with. We shall pain no one by 
 savinij to what tliese trials areovvinj;; we shall devoutly 
 hope that the worst have been experienced, and tliat, after 
 all, Ti'inity College will prove to the Church and to the 
 Stjite all that its founder designed. 
 
263 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIl. 
 
 Last Contest for the Clergy Keserves. — Settlement of the Ques- 
 tion in 1854-5. — The ComniuUition Scheme. — Synod of 
 185G, and Episcopal Address. 
 
 /^Jf^HE tiuic was now apjM'uaehing when tht^ Bishuj» of 
 ii\ J Toronto was to fitjlit Ins hist battle for tlu^ Clergy 
 Reserves, atid when the controversy was to clo«e 
 u|Mm a (juestiou whieh luul "oeen allowe*! to ilisturb the 
 Province for nearly forty yrars.. We have seen the issn** 
 ofhiH|X'rsf'verinj.'eont<*Ht for Kin^^'s ('olle«fe ; in wliieli, with 
 its ori<^ituil featnns materially chanjfed, there was never- 
 th« !• --^ iHU«'h reUiiiieil that wouhl remind th<' worhi of it^ 
 liN'itig a ChriMtiHii and a ( 'htirrh In^^titntion Btit even {UIh 
 wiw J5«»ne, U|ir<M»t4Mi wholly ; and » im'W » f iMishnHUt was* 
 n«js<'<l ii|M*n it« riiin», with a difl«'rent naiiM- .ind tHMtitinUy 
 tliHinnt |inii«'i|4«*" We do iM»t «|n«>«ti*.n tiif UMHlit »«. 
 ^m tmmutry nt Imr'^v of Ui« 1*nivMMiji <rif Tortmt'*. T^m' 
 UitMitig ? t. Ii!;di|c til the PtwYfawi' ; find u|»l«f 
 
 .iir« Uhm- mi'itrttl n i4Alf of ahh* aihI mmUmn Pm* 
 li in flwittg «ili tltnt t^mUl <■ pmUti^. §nr tW 
 
 «if «i>Mr v«i<iitli . t«it <livf«Hl<H«| ttf it« 
 
 kv ^m mil 11 Hi tl»«w«^^M md ■■-— 
 
264 
 
 Th?^reinnant of our Church property, secured .as we 
 thought inalienably by the settlement of 1840, alread\ 
 fully explained, was aj^ain in jeopardy : another and a last 
 battle had to be fought for this shred of a goodly inheri- 
 tance. Tlie Provincial Parliament, elected in 1851, con- 
 tjiined a strong element of hostility to the Church of 
 England ; and the ciy was revived with as much intensit}* 
 as ever, for the entire alienation of the Clergy Reserves, 
 and the aj>proi)riation to secular jairposes of whatever they 
 eould be made t<» jjroduee. In the sunnner of 18.')2, Mr. 
 Hineks, then in England, addre.ssed a strong letter to the 
 Ciovernu)«'nt of Lord Derby then in power, and urged the 
 passing of a measure by tlie Imperial Parliament which 
 sh<tuld authorize' the Ijegisl.iture of Canada to deal unn- 
 •»trirtediy wi til this pro) uTty. Tin writer (»f this Meuion- 
 hjippened to b<« ill England that Niunmer, and ]ifu\ sevenil 
 e(»nferenee>% with Sir .lolm Ps'kington, the Colonial Si'i-re- 
 tarv, on the fubj.et of iln" ( 'ItTgy Reserves; and in th*- 
 autiinui of tliat year !»«• published in (he T>int» n< v^j>{|)mi 
 a full sUil* iiH III or lii. pi. «>«iit eoiiditioii *it ti)e i|ueHti«iii 
 »ii«i the iiijiiwtiee «»f wiy iiiterfi'fetK'e with projM-rty oi 
 iiiofiey'* Himohit-i I\ ipplieil h\ A«*t <•! Pailiaiiient U> th«* 
 < Imrt'lie*, of England and nd. H< . ..nf, isdi'«i that ll*f 
 
 w tf i< ti. lit iif |H44» wa rde«| a« « Hiutl sful im«voii»bl«* 
 
 >«»i«|.ineni. Mt»<l tlwt if n.<- tilSitm^i in the < ttiindMit 
 1.^ n^iltii n *♦ A mem Hv Ut tw* «». M Hr Frit*', tlir vi^n mntli** 
 iMHi vlit» HMT at0if»A ikmi mtek mH^kmrnmA tk^mli <-^' 
 
 flMHI €llllipMHH^* wBp IBipiWBiB* |liWiWBBBW wy WK^ 1 
 
265 
 
 ment to bring in a Bill, authorizing the Parlicament of 
 Canada to dispose of the Clergy Reserves, but with this 
 restriction, — that tiie proceeds therefrom, in accordance 
 with the original intention of the grant, should be applied 
 exclusively to the maintenance of religion in that Province. 
 They were to be bound to this; but left free as to the 
 manner in which the distribution of the funds should be 
 made. 
 
 A proposal so reasonable, and so just, could hardly have 
 failed of aecejitance by th . Imperial Parliament ; but 
 unhappily, in December, 1852, Lord Derby's administra- 
 tion was overthrown, and th(^ Coalition (Government under 
 Lord Al>erdeen siicceeded. This Government \^ould not 
 adopt tlie views ennunciated by Sir John Pakington in 
 his reply to Sir William Molesworth ; and, in conferences 
 with the J)iike of Xcwcastle and Mr. Sydney Herl)ert, the 
 writer of tliis was assuriNl of th<'ir anxious desin; to givr 
 to th«' C]iur<'h in Canada all that she so reasonably clainuMJ ; 
 but that as publii- nu-n th« v f«'lt it their duty Uj yield to 
 Uu' I> j^isjatiin- of < 'ana<l'i tluj unn'Htri<"te«l, unconditional 
 Ji-jMisal «*f tli<* < i< i^^ Ii.Mi vcs, ;uid of any rtVfntie tfwy 
 «r«>«Jd Im- luadv to vj«ld 
 
 C<»!i>.*''l«i*'nt iijMin thi*» avowwl \mr\mm of tli.> fiii|M'riMl 
 <Mn'('rni«'nt. tixT'^ wa«» a wi«i«*'Mpr«a«l li(|itotiiMi aiiiMtt^t tti*' 
 ffirnii- '>( til.- i lumh in Knixland; aitd, ii4 exwry tnt^tliu^ >4 
 thm Pr tv MiKi >^ it* fcwiiliii Uiroiiurlvrtit 
 
 tibe k «(f »^m*liUum mm m- ■>< 
 
 tst ^ ymim ami Cwwi iti TIm- i«u> MilMfi «f 
 tMH. rwl ttaiiiPil ««rf i'i|pMiHi»iii| mmi imag^f m Ar 
 
 Imh tHMi tttw MIh^ iiAhmp «bmi liip Ahm* iC 
 
2G() 
 
 I was present myself at the whole debate on the third 
 reading in the House of Commons, and very much sur- 
 prised at the weakness of the arguments in support of the 
 Government measure. They could not touch the question 
 on any gi'ound of princijile, and had to be content with 
 arguments for the expediency of the measure they recom- 
 mended. Mr. Walpole was the best speaker on the side 
 of the Church, and Lord John Russell about the weakest 
 against it; Init numbers outweighed the moral strength of 
 our position, and a majority of eighty carried tlie third 
 reading. It was not long before the Lords passed the 
 measure by a considerable majority also; tlie Bishop of 
 Oxford, to our intense surprise and sorrow, voting for the 
 Government Bill. 
 
 He had spoken in fjivour of it on the second reading; 
 and this induced me, before it finally came up in the Lords, 
 lo address liim a letter »>n the subject, — the publication of 
 a few extracts from whicjj will not,! trust, bo considen'd 
 • »ut of pla<'»» : — 
 
 " Your LonLship, I am l»old enough to sny. fails in a«ldii- 
 eiog a single arguuKiit t»» sli«'v.' that tlie( 'anadiau L*gislatur« 
 bave » Mhiulow «.'f right to diinand th*' «oiitn»l ol tli.- ( 'iergy 
 Re»wrv«*ii|, «»r a single wt*rd to pro\.> that this prujH«rtv 
 in u*»t by law or ♦*«piity « \«'iiij>t from tli^ir j«in-Mij<tioii by 
 an jtm^Tior H4iJH»U«*a.tioii and •M-»tl«MiHi»t »»f th«' wholi* 
 «|U«-"*»H»H 'The |»h'« <*f m;u!t -i luuiiit^ in aj! hunm*;! 
 ik^ttliikjm, lym ijh» iit«*ml **upj.«»rt it i- '. _'..»i, u <jf..n»niH% 
 ttSi h)^ A#MMM 4ll' iIm' ri!/}»t '»f jliin/ ^ * h h.-u a p»)»iih?r 
 wttA^iU'ti «l,ai,npiffiiit«» jh»j- ..- ■hhs \u^' \ in t^Mf wiufli. t( 
 iWWbd witAi «fWdi l^*tlity u* ^>\iwt gjr^mi- <|i 
 
 ■im «€ 179%, ^ ^km liiiglAiiMr:- ^ 'm»^ te ' vmf m 
 
267 
 
 was conceded after the period in which a final, and what 
 M\as intended to be an irrevocable settlement of this Church 
 question, was made. What becomes, then, of the plea of 
 consistency, so steadily asserted, in throwing this proj)erty 
 into their hands ? What of the plea of justice, which 
 appears to be the only plausible ground upon which the 
 surrender is proposed to be made ? 
 
 " Flat judltla, raat ccehun, is a heathen adage which 
 your Lordship adduces in support of the course which, 
 in this Cluuch question, you have been pleased to pursue. 
 All we ask is the fair, and fjiithful, and courageous €a])pli- 
 catiMi of that rule. Let justice be done, we say, however 
 terrible the consequences. Let justice be done to the 
 Church and to Protestant Christianity, even if the threat, 
 — which every body knows t«> be an inqjracticable threat, — 
 should be carried out, that the Province of Canada will 
 tlis(jwn the supremacy of this Empire, unless the control 
 of the Clergy Reserves be vested in its Legislature. Let 
 truth prevail, and fiiith U; kept; let truth be maintiiiu'd, 
 and guarantetJM Im* r»*spect4'<l, though tln' ♦■neniy should 
 I'oiiir in like a H(hh\ to d<'.stroy them all, 
 
 " Vour Lordship, witli that cliaritable indulgcinr which 
 btfitH your Htjitioii, e.xpn - < ^ th«' iKijx? that, when once the 
 l«»on of mdf-g'AiTiunent in tiie di.HiH>Kfil <ij th«- < 'I«'rgy 
 lt<-*rv« -^ i-. c»»u<*c<1«m|, the ( 'aiuuliaii L«','isi;iturr will Im- fiir 
 Hiid li' il ill ' iiii;. and a*«tiunf t<» th« Church the 
 
 jat44r' Jiilly ciaiiiiM. There in junt a |i4»H<4i- 
 
 Ml^ 'f it wjII im mt; Inni tiie kt-e d«:diiiL't of that 
 
 Thm t^#ti ' * fjiw (if L'}»|irr i'Muviii > \<]>i ui 
 
 t4 i, CaliiijAiwsi. nmkvm t^, t. -.uhi? -u t4' 
 
 H «M|f '. . fw, • Vm9mms§f. miter it#» It- -x .«! 
 
 «^ ^ ^ ' • r; mmi tfK» cry m 
 
268 
 
 education. We have little, then, in the past Legislation 
 of the Colony, to encourage the belief thr * there would be 
 much respect paid, in the future allotment of this property 
 to its first great object, — the dissemination of Chris- 
 tianity. 
 
 " The spiritual desolation which looms too distinctly in 
 the future, should this unwise measure l)e carried out, was 
 experienced in its full bitterness by the Church in the 
 United States after the successful revolt of the Colonies. 
 And if now there is a goodly array of Bishops and Clergy 
 in that vast temtory, and many thousands of the Laity 
 who gladly seek their ministrations, let it be recollected 
 that as the consequence of an inadecpiate stated provision 
 for the 8upi)ort of religion in that country, and the confis- 
 cation of much tliat had been supplie*], the mendjers of the 
 (!hurch in the United States numln^r only out* twenty-fifth 
 of the wliole population. That tin* < 'Imrch iIhtc has no 
 nationality, no imiv«'rsally iMt inHutiur, <»r ex|»iiiaMiv«' 
 pow«T, is further evident from the t'lwt that nMliiirii^ of iiw 
 inhabitants are the pn-y of niont extnivngant sret^*, »ind 
 even miiliouH profi-HH no n-iigiouK fuith \vli:it>»<M?ver, And 
 thiN In wiiitt i** dentined for ('aiwuia, MJiotild the pre^'tii 
 HM*m*ur«' of (iovernnient b^mnie law " 
 
 An elrtlMinit-*' letter UjHJH tlie wlloii* <|tie<«tio|| of tlw» 
 
 I 'liTgy lt«'»MTv«»« w»« ai|dren*MMi by tlie HiNb'ip of TtinmUt 
 
 U> tlie I hike of Neweiwilf' T)i'tn I hf«d pnblin)ie<l IH 
 
 i^twUm, »ty\ eireuUiU^d HBmimliy mtt*m,i tie I'ttt'^ A 
 |Miiiip}ii<t Ittiil previiMiitl^r Iwip^t |iitl»it«lH*'l nikI em'ulfit'Htl by 
 
 invi»«*H «'>o»if H bH«*f i^U'Uv ut iif fti. iiixwi'ili ttttmH,. ** t*f 
 
 tji. 'jiM -It .!i 11= .ih »!«•«*'»• :- i-i..i: ... : „i aocannir #if 
 
 VHVw m9llf9Kl^l^f nPV ^l^^B^^V^i^ iBmrai ^^ Wr^^^^ ipvvm wVIHPnB 
 
 «f Aal fmm, Hmm wm » litmtE «|i «f Aip 
 
269 
 
 administration, of which Mr. Hincks was a leading mem- 
 ]*cr, and a new and coahtion Ministry, — the first of the 
 Ivind attempted in Canada, — was formed under the presi- 
 dency of Sir Allan MacNab. His principal coadjutor was 
 Mr. Morin; and so the new administration was commonly 
 termed the MacNab-Morin Ministry. Here the questioji 
 of the Clergy Reserves was very soon taken up; and tli«' 
 Bishop of Toronto felt it his duty to address a strung 
 letter to Mr. Morin, deprecating the threatened seeulariziitioii 
 of that property. In this letter it was strongly urged, that 
 sucli dealing with a property set apart for a Protestant 
 Church as was threatened, might conu; to be extended, by 
 and by, to the ])ossessions of the Komish Church ; and th.-tt 
 it woul<l be wis«? in thf ni<*mbers <*f this eomniiHiiou to 
 ;dlo\v no such pri*c«'d»'nt to vxiist for a HjMiliation which t<»<» 
 nsauy wen* anxious to I'tfert. But, likf all fon'v'oing 
 apjK'nls of this<hanMt«'r, thin h'tUT luul litti*' w<'t;ilit with 
 th<* Minihtry or th«- bgi^lattin*. Not that many did h<»f 
 «'!*tiniatc Ht th<'ir right vahi«' the liom-nt inti'iitionH jiiid 
 weighty argumtuit^i of th< BiKliop ; but publie opinion wnn 
 mori' weighty; Ipd, whether right or wrojig. pubJii- unu 
 iit«(-»t rutit i'iU' to thi«, or retirt* from ptiblie life 
 
 Tiii Bill for the liiial m-t'Hhrimium of th. < 'l»f|tv 
 KU^rM'^ w,i4 ((wtivdy diw'U*«*i^l i«i Iwili Hon*** *.i 
 fjiHiiiilt'in Mid it wm »i Umf^ mKm*f*i hs eh mhU- 
 
 iii«J«iitti*** *fht*r** wnm m , ■ 'iit**-', n* »|»ei i»Jly imnt*it^li 
 % iff hif|««-'riail A' ' thiii til* lii|limiiii €4 nil « h I'mFllll. 
 
 mgmm WmtA, iJkmki hm ^t<t ,iumt^ ihmt nwpmi^lm Hmmi 
 
 ami m mm »•• «««* nfn^-* ' -*f ^Mf pfiiMMil ^mm 
 
 #Mfit. mmM §Mf tw ■iiiiitiwiiiWiliii'rf,. 
 
 ..jfc#. ...■■■■^ .■^.■^.„.^.-^,^. iBiiji^i iiirtiki^^r fll^idte^ jK^^dfeji^ 'iiHA 1b& igMii^^i^iHittfli w^tf Ittt 
 
 iMMi. #Mii aM» aimtmig»mv 1» #p ISmhA Hfc* m^ 
 
 iijiili(iii 4f ft riiiiiiiiiiifitiiifiitf^-T[ «i UMmmmm §» • 
 
270 
 
 bulk, — estimating the value of eucli life according to 
 recognized and approveil rules, — was ha[)i>ily hit ui)on; 
 and tlie Government, which had shewn a friendly and 
 liberal s/irit throughout, readily, acceded to the plan. 
 liiHtead, then, of the Clergy becoming stipendiaries of the 
 ( lovermuent as long as they lived, with all the chances of 
 change and loss which in the course of years might occur, 
 a gross sum* of £lH8,.'Hi* sterling was received. This 
 amount, liowever, was not ptit into the }K>ckets of the 
 (.'lergy; but it was handed over t<> the Church Society of 
 the IHoccHO, to be held in trust by them for the perman<-n( 
 U'uetit of the Clmrch, — the Sotnety giving to each Clergy- 
 man a bond guarante<ung the full aniiMint of his stifM-nd 
 for life. It was'aiso providi-d in tins L-«)nd that, whi'it n 
 < 'lergyiruiii ^through age, or bodily or m<iilal iiilirmity, 
 sliould b'TfMiif incujiaciUttt'd for duty, hiw im'oim> from 
 thix fund nixHild i«- piiid him without i«Utt4*inMiit am long 
 (U4 111' live<i. 
 
 At th«* outlet «4 tlii» arraiig. iin lit it wax dii«^»v«r«'«J tluii 
 iIk* incoiiie from IIm' Commuidlioii Kuad, jtMtt m* it tlMti 
 M4M,>i, wttuhi fail wIh'H -.f th«* v"»;i-tt«^ »«x(Miiditur*' )•> 
 f». ' "*'.**<MM) |MT fifihiHu ; « d< " ^ M' 't •^■'^''wilii- 
 
 <«ti«iiuiug yi*r jffJidtial laihiig-ili o< ***-4jf 
 
 f'-f." ft Piy4i«r»l Atidit^w, riiiiDiiiiiiWMiiii', ^'*m 
 
 t«ttt m* h :.HV«Minil4« «lfC«WliMMni 4MMf kftm 
 
 wmm am u, • .. j^tmmi tfMtwmMHlMl hn tibs i*IWifci->- ' <i«» 
 
 Hapds^tli^i ft QMMBit MMMI tlfffttfttm ■■■» HUtm •f'l ' ♦'•M 
 
 ■i^iiTiir ^^^^ ^^^ ^i|^^^^^ H^^^ ^^^ ^Mh^ •'- MWi 
 
271 
 
 a very short time several lives dropped in. From these 
 <;oncurrent circumstances, the income was veiy soon brought 
 up to the level of the expenditure. 
 
 The Bishop, in his Address to the Syno«l in May, IHKJ, 
 ♦•xpresse<l himself thus on tlio subject of the Commutation: 
 
 "After the clo.Ht' of the Synod in (Jctolwr, 18o4, wo were em- 
 ployed iu uriangiug the Coiuimituti(.n, Ut which the Clergy ha<l, 
 U» thi'ii- lasting honour, given their intelligent and free con»<>nt. 
 |{y thin noble and diiinterented act, they have merited the grati 
 tu«le of the Church in Canada for ever, and won for them»elve.s 
 the cordial admiration of true T'liurJimen thnaighout the world. 
 
 *' It had 1»een m, eany niatlir Ut armn^ the numerous (h'taiU 
 of Lhiit great and ini|«»rt4Uit measure, and to nnhice them to nnch 
 a Mlm{M>, for the eon-lderation of the <t«.vernment, that each might 
 apliear in it*« projier pbice, and fhr grounds on which it n-nipi{ 1m- 
 jii«tly appm-iatJ*-!. Vet thi»« vnmt h«»Miur, re<|iiiring i*o much »«kili 
 anil jilelity, ^m, happily iUr u-, willinglv ami x^mUmnly ttiuU-r 
 tak'U \>y the Hon, John Ifdlyard <'ismiTon. and to him the 
 Cliiipeh, on thi« iuu^niiii mm well a*, on m4iiv t»»h»T»», in iniinit^'lv 
 indfUtfHi. But for ht« «it4*Mdy jift«»'ver-«i. .. ,r intilligcne*', 
 
 m4 ufitiriiig jmii^um m <*xaittinHig itvpry •pplMatuMi frum mdi 
 tMliiJilii, m wtil m *>i9dtm, I f«^| pfr«titi«l*«i tkit tW mijamtmmi 
 mmM m^ Ih»«v tHwi m» m^mMf m m well eiAiwtrwi /' 
 
 Ilia WOfli tatag tf» prt fMHT :— 
 
 mA ^ ffnailgaiMi Mi ^.imm mmA ^ hm^ m^it,r--^ mmM 
 9mf mmm»m0m$ mm m mmmm m ^fmmltm mmi •mm&dm m. 
 
% 
 
 .%. 
 
 % 
 
 4 
 
 IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
 1.0 
 
 I.I 
 
 11.25 
 
 112 
 
 ^ U 
 
 t. 
 
 12.2 
 
 140 Hill 2.0 
 
 1.4 IIIIII.6 
 
 ^l 
 
 '/A 
 
 'm 
 
 ^ 
 
 rv 
 
272 
 
 " Many incidents of interest might be selected from my joiir- 
 nal.s, but I will indulge only in one. On iny visit to the Peni- 
 tentiary at Kingston on Sunday, .'5th August, I found that by 
 tlie laudable exertions of the Rev. Hannibal Mulkins, a great 
 number of prisoners had been prepared for baptism and confirma- 
 tion. Accordingly, on Sunday morning at o'clock, I was in 
 attendance at the Penitentiary, It appeared that one hour only 
 was allowed, and there was no authority to grant more. Yet by 
 shortening the address, and some alterations of an unimj)ortant 
 character in arranging the baptisms and confirmations, every 
 thing was done in decency and in order, and without the appear- 
 ance of haste. The number baptized WfW 00, and the number 
 confirmed 80, 
 
 "The s]>ectacle was deeply interesting, and it was hopeful. 
 The numbers si)eak more impressively than words for the care 
 and assiduity of the Chaplain. Indeed the decent and reverend 
 manner in which they Vjehaved, and the interest they seemed to 
 t^ke in the solemnities, proved that Mr. Mulkins had impressed 
 u|K)n their minds, by sound instruction, the infinite importance 
 ol the duties they were now called ui)on to discharge ; and I 
 trust that I am justified in believing that something of the grace 
 prayed for was imparted." 
 
273 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 I Ji vision of the Diocese. — Election of the BiHliop )f Huron. — 
 Visit of the Pnnce of Wales to Canarb. — Election of the 
 BiMhop of Ontario. — Synod of 18G1. 
 
 f^^HE division of tlie Dioceses had become in many of 
 ll / the Colonies a necessity. Their immense extent 
 rendered a watchful and minute personal superin- 
 tendence impossible ; and for this cause even the ordinary 
 routine of episcopal duties could not without difficulty be 
 performed. The expanse of country to be traversed occu- 
 pied a large amount of time that might be more profitably 
 expended ; and long journeys in all weathers, and over the 
 most primitive of roads, and sometimes across rough waters 
 in frail vessels, prematurely wore out the energies of vahi- 
 aV)le men. 
 
 Such division, so imperatively called for, had, on this 
 continent, been first eftecte<l in the Lower or Maritime 
 Provinces. There the ancient Diocese of Nova Scotia had 
 Newfoundland and the Bennudas detached from it on the 
 <me side, and New Brunswick on the other; three Sees 
 being thus con-stituted out of O; e. In 1839, a division of 
 the vast Diocese of Quebec, extending from Sandwich to 
 Gasi>e, was commenced by setting off Upper* Canada into 
 the See of Toronto ; and the subdivision of these began 
 with the estaV>lishment, within the former, of the Diocese 
 of Montreal in 1H.50. During the same year the Bishop of 
 Toronto propo.sed a corresponding division of his own 
 Diocese ; and laid before the Archbishop of Canterbury a 
 plan for the formation of a new Diocese east and west of 
 35 
 
274 
 
 Toronto, and suggesting the erection of a special Bishopric 
 for the Indian country, to be called the Diocese of St. 
 Mar^'. 
 
 It had })een the desire of tlie Bishop to create first the 
 Diocese on the east of Toionto, with Kingston as its 
 centre ; because, in his judgment, it had a i)rior claim, as 
 comprising the older settlements, and also because the 
 western division was less distant, and more easy ol access. 
 It was hoped, too, that a grant from the Colonial Bishop- 
 rics Fund, raised in England, would be made to that 
 proposed Diocese, as the subject had been brought before 
 the great Church Societies on several former occasions, and 
 favourably entertained. B)it no aid, it was discovered 
 could be obtained from that source ; and the intended new 
 Dioceses must each raise an Endowment for themselves. 
 This was fixed at £10,000 cuirency, that an income of at 
 least £000 per armum might be secured to each of the 
 future Bishops ; and so soon as it could l>e ascertained that 
 this amount was .secured, the Imperial Government w^ould 
 sanction the erection of the new Diocese, and a Royal Man- 
 date be issued for the consecration of tin; Bisho]) elected. 
 It was, on all hands, thought not unreasonable that where 
 Dioceses furnished the endowment, they should have the 
 privilege of electing their own Bishops. 
 
 In the mean time, the Bishop of Toronto jjlaced his 
 resignation of the east and west portions of his Diocese in 
 the hands of the Archbisliop of Canterbury, to be used as 
 soon fis the new Bishops should 1>e appointed to relieve 
 him. In 1857, the Synod of Toronto established a canon 
 providing for the election of Bishops, which should be 
 applicable to all future appointments. 
 
 The western division, though later in the field, out- 
 stripped the eastern in the raising of an endowment ; and, 
 in the spring of 1857, it was announced that the required 
 sum of 40,000 dollars was there secured, and that they 
 were prepared for the appointment of a Bishop. The elec- 
 
27.5 
 
 tion of the Kcv. Dr. Cronyn to this office in July of that 
 year is sa liappily described by the Bishop of Toronto 
 that we prefer giving the nanvative in his own" words, 
 as addressed to the Synod of his Diocese in 18.58 : — 
 
 " Soon after the adjounmient of the Hynod last year, it became 
 jiiy duty to call together the Clergy and Delegates of the new 
 Diocese of Huron for, the pur[x).se of electing their Bishop, Such 
 an assembly, and for such a purpose, will mark a new era in our 
 ecclesitistical histoiy. It ..ideed presented a scene of deep 
 interest, and one which stands without a ])arallel since the first 
 ages of the Churcli. For, although, in the primitive times, to 
 elect the Bishop wa" the rule, corru|)tion had crept in and had 
 grown so general and inveterate, that the manner of choice 
 became not only obsolete but filmost forgotten. Its resuscitation 
 therefore, excited wonder and astonishment, and offcsnded many 
 as if it had been a new and unauthorized thing. To behold an 
 aged Bisho[), in this I'emote corner of the world, gathering 
 around him his elders, his clergy, and his lay brethren, for the 
 purjwse of choosing a man well qualitied to fill the high and holy 
 office of Bishop, according to x\.[)0.stolic usage, by the willing tes- 
 timony of the Clei'gy and suffrages of the people, was surely a 
 sjtectacle which could not fail, in its noble simjjlicity and beauty, 
 to make abiding impressions, which exterior jjomp and magnifi- 
 cence could never ecpial. 
 
 " The proceedings were conducted with becoming soleuinity ; 
 and, though of the most exciting character, the choice was made 
 in a manner worthy of the occasion, and honourable to all con- 
 cernec'. No sooner was the name of the successful candidate 
 announced by the presiding Bishop, than all rival feelings 
 vanished away, and a unanimous vote confirmed the choice of the 
 Clergy and Lay Delegates. It was refreshing to witness thf 
 triumph of Christian unity and love, which threw to the winds 
 all the arguments against the free and honest choice of Bisho|)8, 
 which the narrow selfishness of nmny centuries had mustered 
 i>p. 
 
 "The Bishop-elect proceeded to England, where he was 
 received with much kindne.ss and consideration; and having been 
 
276 
 
 ooneecated at Lamboth by his Grace the Archbishop <;f Canter- 
 bury, has litely returned to enter upon the important duties of 
 his Ajmtolic othce. If separated from him in body we are 
 still more united in soul : he is a son of full age gone to preside 
 over his own household, and lo cultivate his allotted portion of 
 the Lord's vineyard, — not to become a stranger, but still to 
 remain our friend and brother, provoking us to good works, and 
 looking back occasionally, with a yearning spirit, to his former 
 associates." 
 
 The u.sual Coutinnation tours were regularly made by 
 the Bishop of Toronto, as in former years ; but as the 
 most noticeable incudents in the progi'ess of these journeys 
 have already been adduced, it would not be desired by the 
 readers of this work that there should be any further 
 record of events and circumstances connected with such 
 tours, not essentially diftering from those already laid 
 before them. 
 
 The S€;paration of the Diocese of Huron from that of 
 Toronto necessitated a division of the ecclesiastical funds, 
 which had hitherto been common to both, on a fair and 
 e(i[uitable basis. That a distribution might be effected in 
 which both parties would have confidence, the late Chief 
 Justice Sir James B, Macaulay, consented to act with the 
 Bishops of Toronto and Huron in settling the terms and 
 details of such distribution. Sir James Macaulay had 
 been one of the pupils of the late Bishop, at Cornwall, and 
 soon after the completion (;f his education entered the 
 Army. On the restoration of peace, he retired fiom tlie 
 military profession, and applied himself with great assiduity 
 to the study of the Law. Without brilliancy of talent, 
 he had great application and soon rose to distinction ija his 
 new profession. His honourable mind and unbending 
 integrity won the respect and confidence of all who knew 
 him ; and it was felt that a liappy choice had been made 
 when he consented to unite in the "Award" between the 
 Dioceses which has since borne his name. 
 
277 
 
 This Award, providing for a corresponding distribution 
 of funds with tlie Eastern Diocese so soon as this should be 
 formed, was formally subscribed by the partie*> concerned, 
 on the 29th September, 1859, and assented to, and adopted 
 by, the Church Societies of the existing Dioceses, and it 
 became a law of the Church in Western Canada. By the 
 arrangement thus concluded, it wa^ provided that the 
 commutation of the Bishop, and the Archdeacons of King- 
 ston and York, should, when it lapsed by their respective 
 deaths to the general fund, be made available to the 
 augmentation of the Ej)iscopal income in each of the 
 three Dioceses, and for ])roviding a moderate stipend to an 
 Archdeacon in each. This was originally the sug'^^estion 
 of Sir James Macaulay; and its adoption gives £400 per 
 annum to each of the three Bishops, in addition to the 
 income derived from the Endowment fund, and £100 per 
 annum tri an Archdeacon in each Diocese. Where it was 
 thought advisable to appoint two Archdeacons in a Dio- 
 cese, it has been amicably arranged that this amount 
 should be divided equally between them. 
 
 The most memorable tjvent in the year 18G0 was the 
 visit of the Prince of Wales to Canada; whose arrival 
 in Toronto took place early in September of that year. 
 A special Synod was asrj.imbled to present an Address to 
 his Royal Highness ; and the members of Synod headed 
 by the Bishop, and accompanied by several Clergymen 
 from the United States, attended the levee. It was pleas- 
 ing to witness the delight they manifested at being per- 
 mitted to pay this respect to the heir of the British throne, 
 and the son of a Queen who is revered and .admired all 
 the world over. The Address adopted by the Synod was 
 read by the Bishop ; and his Royal Highness in clear and 
 unembarra.ssed tones replied asfollo^^s: — 
 
278 
 
 '• T am grateful for the assurances of your loyalty to the 
 Queen, and for the welcome to myself conveyed in yo>iv 
 address. 
 
 "I am a member of the Church of England, and as such 
 I rejoice to meet in this distant land, and in so im])ortant 
 a Diocese, the representatives of that venerable body in 
 whose creed I have been nurtured, and have lived. 
 
 "I trust that Almighty God will guide your cfibrts to 
 maintain the efficiency of the Church under the guidance 
 of the venerable Prelate who has so long watched over you 
 in this Diocese." 
 
 The reception of His Royal Highness was everywhere 
 most enthusiastic ; the citizens of the United States vieing 
 with British subjects in })aying honour to this heir of 
 royalty. The gentle and unassuming inannei-s of the 
 youthful Prince added much to the warmth and affection 
 of the reception he experienced. He attended Di%ine 
 service at Toronto in the Cathedral of St. James, on Sun- 
 day, the 9th September, and was met in the porch of the 
 Church on entering b^' the Bishop and Clergy, drawn uj) 
 in two lines. On passing through, the Prince turned aside 
 to shake hands with the Bishop, and on entering, he was 
 followed by the procession of Bishop and Clergy. The 
 Church was densely crowded, but every thing was con- 
 ducted with great order and decorum ; anything like a 
 tumultuous and disorderly rushing in having been guarded 
 against by the issue of tickets of admission to such as were 
 not pewholders. The Bishop preached from this striking 
 and appropriate text, (Psalm Ixii, 1.) " Give the king thy 
 judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's 
 son." The treatment of the subject was general, and there 
 was a careful abstinence from any personal allusion to the 
 Prince. 
 
279 
 
 The following year, 1861, was chiefly remarkable for the 
 separation of the Eastern portion of the Province from 
 the Diocese of Toronto, and its constitution into a new 
 See, designated the Bishopric of Ontario. His Lordshi]> 
 alluded to this happy consummation in his address to the 
 Synod of Toronto, which nu't about a fortnight after ; — 
 
 " I have now the pleasure to announce to you tl)e tinal separa- 
 tion of the eastern portion of this Diocese by the election of its 
 Bishop, and that it now foi'ins tlic^ Diocese of Ontario. 
 
 " This completes the j>lan which I submitted to the Imperial 
 Government in IS-^O, and establishes three compact and equal 
 Sees out of the former Diocese of Toronto ; nor will they be tof) 
 extensive for the superintendence and government of an active 
 Bishop for many years to come. 
 
 " The final accomplishment of so great a work has not been 
 brought about without much watchf ilnes,s, labour, and anxiety, 
 and the continued effort of eleven year,>: ; but all has been amply 
 recompensed by the successful result. And have we not cause, 
 my brethren, to rejoice in beholding three active Prelates, instead 
 of one, cultivating the same vineyard, and in gratefully antici- 
 pating the accelerating progress of Christ's kingdom in this 
 favoured land. It is true, the plan of creating three Dioceses 
 out of one was at tii-st lightly thought of by the many, as other 
 plans of mine have sometimes been ; but T was encouraged by 
 the few. "We had faith, and felt that the greatest works and 
 most useful designs are in general effected by patient persever- 
 ance, — a perseverance going steadily forward in hope, and ever 
 keeping the desired object in view ; and, instead of quailing at 
 opposition and disappointments, breasting them with increasing 
 vigour, and never cherishing a doubt of a prosperous result. To 
 succeed in all valuable and imj)ortant undertakings requires 
 constant efforts, watching events, and never permitting a favour- 
 able opportunity to pass imimproved." 
 
 During this Synod there was much discussion, and warm 
 expressions of feeling, in regard to Trinity College, with 
 the teaching of which the Bishop of Huron had, in very 
 
280 
 
 strong terms, expressed his dissatisfaction. We do not 
 desire to rej^eat what may be a source of irritation, and 
 effect no possible good. Suffice it to say that tlie Synod 
 affirmed by a very large majority their confidence in the 
 teachln-^ of Trinity College, and their desire that it should 
 meet with general support. The conti-oversy, however, 
 did not cease then : it was often revived, and assumed at 
 times large and unhappy proportions. Yet as there has 
 now been for some years a lull in the storm, and strong 
 and ar»gry feelings appear to be d3'ing out, we are correct, 
 we trust, in believing that, after all, there will be no 
 renewal of th*' strife, and that this child of the old age of 
 the late revered Bishop, as it has not inaptly been termed, 
 will be suffered to pursue its course in peace, and gain the 
 hold upon the Church and the country to which, we think, 
 it is entitled. 
 
281 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 Further efforts in England on behalf of Trinity College. — Death 
 of Chief Justice Robinson. — Movement in Synod for a 
 Coadjutor Bishop, and passing of a Canon for his appoint- 
 ment. — Death of Mrs. Strachan. 
 
 ^RINITY OOLLEGE, in addition to the trials and 
 H / discouragements already referred to, had occasionally 
 its financial difficulties. The site was procured, and 
 tlie buildings erected, through private benefactions ; and for 
 its support from year to year, it had to depend mainly upon 
 the fees of the Students who attended it. It had, however, 
 an income in-espective of these, of £1200 currency per 
 annum, which sum had been allotted to it, with the sanc- 
 tion of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, from 
 the Clergy Reserves Fund. This annual amount was 
 secured to it at the time the Commutation with the 
 Clergy was effected. 
 
 For a few years, up to 1868 inclusive, it received from 
 the Provincial Legislature, as other collegiate institutions 
 did, a grant of ^5000 per annum, — a grant which, we think, 
 has been very unjustly withheld from the educationa 
 institutions of the Province. All the money derived from 
 the sale of the Clergy Reserves, after existing claims and 
 charges were met, ought to have been applied to the 
 diffusion of education, and to purposes of charity; not a 
 penny of it should have been diverted to such secular uses 
 as the improvement of roads and the construction of 
 bridges. It should have been sacredly set apart for the 
 36 
 
282 
 
 moral and intellectual training of our youth, and for the 
 relief of that physical distress in every shape, from which 
 no country is exempt. With all the unrighteousness 
 attending the spoliation of the Irish Church, there is this 
 redeeming feature,— that every shilling of availalde funds 
 derived from that sequestered property is to be applied to 
 alleviating the miseries, and relieving the wants, of the 
 afflicted and poor. 
 
 It is not too much, then, to demand the exercise of the 
 same reasonable justice here ; let grants to educational 
 institutions be chargeable upon the fund originally designed 
 for saci'ed uses ; and let posterity, in this shape, feel the 
 benefit of a gift which was never designed to be absorbed 
 by the present generation, but to l)e a boon and a blessing 
 to the Province for all time to come. If a Church has been 
 disendowed, let there be a recogniticm of a benefit from the 
 spoils, in all future generations. 
 
 But as the exercise of a just dealing like this was not to 
 be relied upon, an effort had to be made for im})roving the 
 finances of Trinity College, and another appeal to the gene- 
 rosity of our friends in the Mother Country was therefore 
 determined upon. 
 
 These repeated appeals to our Mother Country for aid in 
 our Church work, — and a Church College must be reckoned 
 part of this work, — are not so unreasonable a.s at first sight 
 they may appear. Our Church population is largely com- 
 posed of emigrants from England and Ireland, a very con- 
 siderable number of whom have not the means of providing 
 religious instruction and religious ministrations for them- 
 selves. If, therefore, the Imperial Government did not feel 
 themselves justified in continuing the small amount of aid 
 for this purpose, which they had fomierly supplied to the 
 North American Colonies through the Society for the 
 Propagation of the Gospel, it ought not to be regarded as 
 unfair that we should apply to individuals in the Mother ^ 
 Country for the aid which the Government refused, in 
 
283 
 
 maintaining nmongst such fniigrants tho faith nnrl worship 
 of their fathers. 
 
 Again, through the pious foresight of a n.'ligious King, a 
 provision ha*! heen made in this Province for the peri)etual 
 supi)ort of that faith and worship which is established in 
 the Motlier Country. It was the Parliament of the Mother 
 Country which gave to our Legislature the power to alien- 
 ate that property from its original intent, anJ apply it to 
 the lowest and commonest of secular uses. Being thus in 
 a manner responsible for the heavy loss the Church in this 
 Province has sustained, tlie Avealthier inhabitants of the 
 Mother Country ouglit not, — and, we believe, they do not, 
 — gi'udge to this Colony, any aid for religious objects 
 which it is in their power to bestow. 
 
 In a conversation had with the late Lord Herbert, when 
 this measure of spoliation was about to be introduced by 
 the Imperial Government and he felt himself con.strained 
 to avow that he must, as a statesman, su}>port the 
 unrighteous measure, he, of his own accord, declared with 
 energy and feeling, — " jou will now have a strong ground 
 for appealing to the people of this country for aid in your 
 religious enterprises, and, I am persuaded, they will meet 
 your applications with all the liberality you can so fairly 
 and justly claim." 
 
 From such considerations, we could waive our natural 
 feelings of delicacy in sending another delegation to Eng- 
 land for the augmentation of the finances of Trinity 
 College. A happier choice for this mission could not have 
 been made than the Rev. Dr. MacMurray, the worthy 
 Rector of Niagara ; who, from the unaffected zeal with 
 which he pursued his work, combined with a frankness 
 and geniality of manner which amounts to a charm, won 
 the regard, and, we may say, love, of the highest and low- 
 est in the United Kingdom. His mission was attended 
 with very satisfactory results, though these might not 
 correspond with the cordiality and warmth with which he 
 
284 
 
 was so universally received ; and had he been permitted 
 to remain long enough to have completed the circuit of 
 England, probably half as much more would have been 
 added to the £4000 he had succeeded in obtaining. Dr. 
 MacMurray has left such an impression upon the minds 
 and affections of all classes in England, that we must hope 
 he will not hesitate to render such services again, if, for 
 some great Diocesan object, it should be felt <lesirable and 
 perhaps necessary to solicit them. 
 
 The year 1803 was, at its opening, a very gh>omy one to 
 our late venerated Zishop ; for, in the first month of that 
 year, he was deprived by death of one whom, we may say, 
 he had brought up, whose bright and unsullied career he 
 had watched with a parent's interest, and for whom to the 
 last he felt a parent's affection, — we mean, the late Sir 
 John Beverley Robinson, Chief Justice of Upper Canada. 
 The sterling and brilliant qualities of this estimable man. 
 it is not necessary to dwell upon here ; especially {is we 
 have reason to believe that friends are engaged in prepa- 
 ring a Memoir of his life. We shall venture, however, to 
 repeat in these pages what it was my privi^c^^e to say of 
 him in addressing the Students of Trinity College soon 
 after his decease : — 
 
 " On this occasion, it is impossible to withhold some 
 allusion to an event of recent occurrence, — the cause of 
 profound sorrow throughout the Province at large, and an 
 irreparable loss to this College ; I mean its late excellent 
 and distinguished Chancellor. An acquaintance of more 
 than forty years with this invaluable man, has been all 
 along attended with the one unchanged feeling of respect 
 and admiration : nothing, in that long interval, ever arose 
 to check or alter this sentiment. The elo{j[uent Barrister 
 in youth, he was the dignified and upright Judge in 
 mature age. The steady adherent to the principles and 
 duties of the Church in early life, he upheld and main- 
 tained them, with unabated devotion, in advanced age. A 
 
2t5 
 
 stedfast friend in those days when the feelings were 
 warmest and the spirits most buoyatit, he shewed himself 
 the same consistent friend when the energies were dulled 
 by the gathering cares of life, and the romance of its 
 passions and hopes had died away. 
 
 "Born with high natural gifts, — a ])leasing person, win- 
 ning address, quick apprehension, and an even cheerfulness, 
 — he cultivated them all from a deej) and (conscientious 
 sense of the duties he owed to his fellow-men, and to his 
 (rod. To the last he toiled with, and manifested th(; full 
 fruit of, the many talents with which the Almighty had 
 endued him. 
 
 " We have lost in him a most valuable public man, and 
 an ornament and charm of the social circle ; an accom- 
 plished gentleman and a devout Christian. His, too, Avas a 
 career singularly void of ostentation. If he had ambition, 
 — auvi none within proper limits should be without it, — 
 it was never prominently developed. If there was the not 
 urmatural desire of the commendation of the w<;rld, and of 
 its just appreciation of worth, it was a feeling hardly 
 perceptible, — never ostentatiously displayed. 
 
 "His is an irreparable loss in times much more artificial 
 than when his character was moulded; in times when 
 public men of prominence and mark are exposed to .shifts 
 and artifices, which were not usual or necessary when his 
 principles and habits of life were formed. He was amongst 
 the last links with an age and generation, when there was 
 more of the genuine simplicity of thought and action than 
 the spirit of the present times seems to allow. 
 
 "But in mourning over our bereavement, let us be stim- 
 idated by his example. It is a valuable one to those who 
 are still in youth, with the world's hopes and trials all 
 before them ; for in early life he had to surmount many 
 difficulties to gain the eminence of honour and usefulness 
 he afterwards reached. And it is valuable to those who 
 see in him one who, through patient industry and unfiinch- 
 
286 
 
 ing integrity, hus lived blessing, and blessed, by the genera- 
 tions through which Uo i)assed. 
 
 "His was a bright morning; and, after the inevitable 
 storms and troubles of the after day, a serene and unclouded 
 evening, — harbinger, let us believe, of that peace which, in 
 the kingdom of glory, shall be perpetual and unbroken." 
 
 During the Synod of 18G3, the question of the appoint- 
 ment of a Coadjutor to the Bishop of Toronto, now in his 
 eighty -sixth year, was, for the first time, publicly referred 
 to. His Lordship expressed his willingness to accede to 
 such an appointment, so soon as it could with propriety be 
 made ; desiring that, if it were possible, .a selection should 
 be made agreeable to his personal feelings and wishes; but 
 not unwilling to acquiesce in any arrangement that might 
 be deemed beneficial to the Church. 
 
 Early in 1801, he referred, in his private letters, to his 
 deafness and failing sight, and his apprehension that he 
 should soon be totally useless. " This apprehension," he 
 said, " alarms me not a little, and is a trouble I di«l not 
 anticipate. Indeed I was beginning to consider the possi- 
 bility of Confirmation visitations next summer ; not that I 
 have given them uj), nor will I to the very last." 
 
 Towards the close of that year, he writes, " My own 
 position will soon demand my serious attention. So long 
 as the episcopal endowment remains incomplete, and that I 
 can discharge the duties, matters may proceed as they do ; 
 but I begin to dread the Confirmation journeys. * * * 
 The subject is painful, and, at present, I shall say no 
 more," 
 
 An openinj^ was thus given for the free and friendly dis- 
 cussion of the subject at various opportunities; and he 
 readily consented to the adoption of a Canon at the Synod 
 of 1865, providing for the election of a Coadjutor Bishop. 
 
 In the autumn of 18(3.5, the Bishop experienced the 
 heaviest domestic affliction which, amidst his many trials 
 and bereavements, it was the will of Providence he should 
 
287 
 
 endure. He was deprived of his excellent wife, his com- 
 panion in joy and sorrow through a period of fifty-eight 
 years. Mrs. Strachan, who lia<l also reached a good old 
 age, had been for several years in failing health ; but, at 
 the last, worn out w4th many ailments, died peacefully 
 and without pain, in her eighty-first yeai". 
 
 She was an admirable wife, and a most tender and 
 indulgent mother; a warm friend, with strong sympathies 
 for the afflicted, and very generous to the poor. Amongst 
 the educated and refined tliere will not unfrequently be 
 instances of pecuniary straitness and distress; and there 
 was no one who alleviated these peculiar and trying cases 
 with more delicacy and tenderness than the good and 
 gentle Mrs. Strachan. 
 
 Tinder the feelings which this bereavement awakened, 
 he wrote, during the following Christmas week, a letter 
 which we may venture to publish, — developing, as it does, 
 the chastened spirit under the softening, mellowing in- 
 fluence of ajje: — 
 
 " Your affectionate letter has done me much good, a» iudeetl 
 all your letters do. I still fwl sa<lly unhinged by my afflicting 
 bereavement. 
 
 "You do well to remind mc of the glorious privilege which 
 we oil enjoy at this sea.son, and trustfully ought we to congratu- 
 late one another on its annual return. Nor ought I to forget the 
 Hpecial blessings which God has vouchsafwl me, — a h>ng life of 
 almost uninterrupted strong health and vigour, and a general 
 absence from infirmity of body or of mind. These arc all 
 j)reciou8 gifts, for which I can never be sufficiently thankful • 
 and I must try to be so. 1 have employed them, I trust, not 
 luigratefully : my disposition has always been to l(X)k at the bright 
 aspect of what has befallen me, and to fight against murmuring 
 and discontent. 
 
 •* Doubtless, the world is, in one sense, a wicked world, as the 
 Bible tell us. But the beauty in which it was created, has 
 not been altogether defaced : it has still its Ikir aspects ; and, 
 
288 
 
 were there not, on the whole more, good than evil, it could not 
 have continued. 
 
 '* I hope and trust that the state of the Church is improving. 
 It is, indeed, all but as good as we can expect, considering the 
 poverty it has to struggle with, and the many difficulties it has 
 to contend against. It is satisfactoiy, however, to feel that wo 
 are labouring Inrd to find remedies for the obstructions that are 
 in our way, although we may never be able to surmount them 
 all ; nor perhaps is it intended. The life of the Church of God 
 has ever been a life of labour and struggle ; and it must always 
 continue so, for her rest is not here. Yet we can, by our own 
 exertions, with Clod's blessing, moderate the pressure of many 
 annoyances ; and we could introduce many improvements, as, I 
 trust, we have for some time past, been successfully doing." 
 
 He expressed himself, in the same letter, as much affecjt- 
 ed by a remark of Dr. Puscy at a meeting of a Church 
 Congress, that " we should begin to collect and consider all 
 the points about which we agree, instead of all the time 
 contending about those on which we differ, and endeavour, 
 if possible, to form a basis on the points on which we are 
 all at one, and examine carefully whether such basis might 
 not be gradually extended. * * * I believe, (lie adds,) 
 that all who impartially study their own hearts would 
 soon perceive that there M'as no true ground for division 
 and animosity, but much for unity and love ; and, follow- 
 ing up our in<[uiries in this spirit, all serious difficulties 
 would gradually disappear, and all our waywardness give 
 place to candour and good will." 
 
289 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 Synods of 1866, and Election of Coadjutor Bishop. — Synod of 
 1867. — Sickness and Death of the Bishop. 
 
 'E detailed, in its place, the vigour, activity, and 
 courage displayed by the late Bishop of Toronto, 
 wlien, during the War 'vith the United States 
 in 1812 and following years, th ; town of York, now 
 Toionto, was captured. The following remarks on the 
 Fen'.an Raid in 18G6, contained in his Address to the 
 Synod of that year, are characteristic : — 
 
 ♦ 
 
 " From the general excitement which j>ervaded the whole Pro- 
 vince, as the usual time of the meeting of Synod ai)proached, it 
 was suggested to me to post[)one its assembling for a short period 
 till the commotion had in some degree subsided, because many of 
 the Lay Delegates would be otherwise engaged. This appeared 
 so reasonable that I willingly acrjuiesced ; and the more readily, 
 because I felt assured, from past experience, that tlie Canadas 
 were able not only to protect themselves, but to punish every 
 hostile invader. And, accordingly, the whole strength of the two 
 Provinces flew to arms, as one man, at the first call of the Gov- 
 ernment, and the enthusiasm of former times re api)eared in all 
 its ancient lustre. It was a glorious spectacle, ever to be remem- 
 bered and imitated, should occasion arise. 
 
 *' This is indeed a most painful subject ; for bad as the world 
 may be, I verily believe that history can scarcely furnish any 
 similar exam[>le ^f men pretending to civilization attacking a 
 quiet, inoifeusive people, who had never injured them in the 
 slightest degree, in a wanner so brutal and atrocious ; and 
 
2.90 
 
 although it is our duty to rtyoice for our deliverance, yet we have 
 deej)ly to deplore that our .success li!i,s been purchased at an 
 inestimable jirice, even the blooa of many of our noblest de- 
 fendei's, every one of whom was far more precious than ten 
 thousand Fenian murderers and marauders." 
 
 On the .siil)ject of" tlie ap})oiiitniont of a Coadjutor, the 
 Bishop, at the conclusion of his Address, expressed himself 
 as follows : — 
 
 ** I have been considering with much anxi<ity, and not, I trust, 
 without the invocation of the Divine guidance, how soon I ought 
 to avail myself of the [)rovisions of the Canon passed, at the last 
 meeting of Synod, for the election of a Coadjutor or Suffragan 
 Bishop ; which Canon is to receive eonfirmation at our present 
 
 session.'' 
 
 " Mingled feelings and anxieties, — the deepest and strongest 
 having reference to the welfare of our beloved Church, — have 
 affected me, in contemplating the step that should be taken, in 
 view of the intent and pur])ort of that Canon. In regarding, 
 then, what I deem the best interests of the Diocese and the 
 Church at large, I feel constrained to avail myself of its pro- 
 visions, as soon as it is confirmed, and to request that the election 
 of a Coadjutor Bishop be proceeded with, as soon a.s the consti- 
 tution and rules of the Synod will permit. The weight of years, 
 and the infirmities they bring, move me to announce this deci- 
 sion ; for although equal to some duties, still there ai-e others of 
 paramount importance which I am warned not again to attempt. 
 
 " Before we close the session, we shall probably be empowered 
 to fix the period at which that solemn duty is to be entered upon. 
 Entreating, my brethren of the Clergy and Laity, your thoughtful 
 and prayerful consideration of the duties that will then have to 
 be discharged, and that you would, in your quiet deliberations, 
 regard the interests of God's Church in this land as paramoiuit to 
 every other influence, I have only to request that you will now 
 enter upon the duties immediately before you \*ith that candour, 
 zeal, and concord, which has in all past times characterized the 
 proceedings of this Synod." 
 
291 
 
 The Canon above referred to was, after some discussion, 
 confirmed, and consequently became law ; and before the 
 Synod closed, the 19th September following was appointed 
 as the day upon which a special Synod was to be held for 
 the election of a Coadjutor, On their meeting on the day 
 appointed, the Bishop thus addressed them : — 
 
 "I meet you to-day^ upon au occasion of great interest and 
 solemnity ; and we all ajjproach it, I trust, with befitting feel- 
 ings. In delegating to other liancls, as I am about to do, a large 
 sliai'c of the important duties which, during j'ather more than 
 twenty-seven years, I have been endeavouring to tlie best of my 
 ability to discharge, I cannot hut feel, — as I am sure you feel 
 yourselves, — the grave resj)onsibility which is thrown upon you, 
 in jiroviding one who shall undertake this high and arduous 
 office. There will be, in such a case, jjersonal feelings and predi- 
 lections, and prejudices, too, which it may not be altogether 
 possible to suppress ; but all must yield to one absorbing obliga- 
 tion, — duty to God's Church. From Christian ministers and 
 Christian men, nothing individual, nothing selfish, must be 
 allowed to interfere with this. 
 
 *' I ju'ay you then, my brethren, to come to the exercise of 
 this responsibility and solemn trust with singleness of purpose, with 
 imbiassed minds, with calm and thoughtful feelings. Ask earnestly 
 for heavenly direction before you enter upon this sacred duty : 
 regard as a first obligation the welfare of God's Church, and act 
 as you think will best promote its growth, and purity, and expan- 
 sion in this land." 
 
 The subsequent proceedings, — the progress and results 
 of this election, — arc so fully detailed in the Journal of the 
 proceedings of that session, and are .so well remembered, 
 that any special account of them is unnecessaiy here. 
 The number of Clergy and Laity present being unusually 
 large, — 109 Clergymen having been in attendance on the 
 first day, and 97 parishes, each represented by two or 
 three delegates, having voted, — the election itself was con- 
 ducted in the Cathedral Church of St. James. Nothing 
 
292 
 
 could exceed the order and solemnity of the whole pro- 
 ceedings ; nothing in the whole course of them occun'ed, 
 inconsistent with the sacredness of the place, and the 
 graveness of the duty. There was the development, of 
 course, of strong and steady partialities ; but no semblance 
 of acrimony or unseemly stiifo. The result was not 
 reached until 10 o'clock on the night of Friday, the 21st ; 
 and when this result was thus proclaimed by the Bishop, 
 it was with the very generous acquiescence of the Clergy 
 and Laity present, and their very general and kind con- 
 gratulations to him on whom the choice had fallen : — 
 
 *' JVIy reverend brethren, and gentlemen of the Laity, I am 
 greatly gratified to hear that the selection of a Coadjutor Bishop 
 has been made. I congratulate the whole Diocese as well as the 
 Church on the way in which the business has been conducted 
 in this holy edifice, and with great gladness of heart, 1 now 
 declare, in all your hearing, tliat the Yenenible Archdeacon 
 Alexander Neil Bethune has been elected Coadjutor Bishop of the 
 Diocese of Toronto ; and 1 hope that his future life will be what 
 his past has been, — just, and holy, and upright, and, in every 
 respect, worthy of the high station to which he has been called.*' 
 
 The application for the Queen's Mandate for Consecra- 
 tion, according to custom, was made by the Metropolitan 
 of the Province, then in England; but, after some delibera- 
 tion, it was stated by the Earl of Carnarvon, Secretary of 
 State for the Colonies, that such Mandate could not be 
 granted by Her Majesty. His Lordship said, " as the 
 intervention of the Crown is not legally required, either to 
 give to the Archdeacon of Toronto the intended jurisdic- 
 tion, or to authorize his consecration to the office of 
 ■^ Bishop, it would not appear that the proposed Mandate 
 could have any legal effect ; and, under such circum- 
 stances, it would hardly be consistent with the dignity 
 of the Crown, that Her Majesty should be advised to 
 issue such Mandate. It will thus rest with yourself and 
 
293 
 
 the other Bishops of Canada, and will be in your power, 
 under the Canadian Acts of 19 and 20 Victoria, cap. 
 141, and 22 Victoria, cap. 130, to determine, without 
 hindrance or as istance from the Eoyal Prerogative, in 
 what manner the Consecration of the Bishop of Niagara 
 shall ))e effected.' 
 
 The Metropolitan, therefore, transmitted to the Bishop 
 of Toronto, as senior Bishop of the Province, a commission 
 , authorizing him to proceed to the Consecration of the 
 Bishop-elect, who, as Coadjutor, was to possess the title of 
 Bishop of Niagara. The Consecration took place on 
 Friday, 2oth January, 1867, being the Feast of the Conver- 
 sion of St. Paul ; the presiding Bishop, and Consecrator, 
 being assisted by the Bishops of Huron and Ontario, and 
 by Bishops McCoskry and Coxe of the United States. 
 The Cathedral was filled to its utmost capacity, and the 
 whole service was most impressive. The preacher selected 
 for the occasion was the Venerable Archdeacon Patton, an 
 old and intimate friend of the Bishop -elect. 
 
 There was a marked sense of relief in the mind of the 
 aged Bishop, when this solemn ceremonial was happily 
 over ; he felt and expressed much comfort that he could 
 now delegate to another the onerous and important duties, 
 which he confessed he could no longer discharge with 
 satisfaction to himself He attended the Synod at their 
 meeting in June, 1867, but delegated all his duties, 
 including the opening address, to his Coadjutor; and 
 by the latter an Ordination was held early in the spring, 
 and another in the summer of that year. Extensiv(; 
 Confirmation tours were also made, occupying about ten 
 weeks, and resulting in the admission of 2230 persons 
 to that rite. 
 
 The memorable Pan-Anglical Conference of Bishops was 
 held at Lambeth Palace, on the 24th September of this 
 year; and this the Bishop of Toronto was, of course, 
 invited by the Archbishop of Canterbury to attend. 
 
294 
 
 In replying to this invitation, he addressed the Archbishop 
 as f ( )] lows : — 
 
 ' ' I have the honour to acknowledge your Grace's letter of the 
 '22iid February, inviting me to unite with the other Prelates of 
 our Anglican communion in a Conference to he holden at Lam 
 beth Palace, on the 24th Se|)tember next. 
 
 "Never probably since the era of the General Councils of 
 tlio Primitive Church, would a more interesting and important 
 assemblage of the Prelates of the Ch' 'stian communion havi' 
 been held than the meeting which is now proposed. There never 
 was a time when the hierarchy of the Church exhibited a larger 
 array of i)iety, talent, and zeal in it.s members ; and it must V)e 
 felt by all that the deliberations of such a body will ho fraught 
 with the happiest consetpxences to the Christian Church at large, 
 and to our branch of it in particular. 
 
 " With these convictions, it grieves me much to say that to 
 myself, — -just entering uj)on the ninetieth year of my age, — the 
 gratification of joining in this most interesting meeting will be 
 impossible. Your Grace, therefore, will kindly hold me excused, 
 on this ground, from attending : none other than this would 
 allow me to be absent. 
 
 " But if not present in person, 1 shall, — if spared so long, — 
 1)0 with you in spirit ; and my assiduous prayer shall be, that the 
 Almighty and all-wise God may vouchsafe an abundant l>lessing 
 upon your deliberations." 
 
 The writer of this left for England to attend this Con- 
 ference the last week in August ; and on parting with the 
 Bishop discerned nothing, in the state of his health, to 
 awaken the apprehension that he should never meet him 
 in life again. It is true there had been some alarming signs 
 of failing strength ; and in the previous month he had had 
 an attack w^hich prostrated him very much, and the re- 
 currence of which, it was thought, must prove fatal. 
 He was cheery and hopeful, however, at the time of that 
 parting ; and urged in a playful way, that the absence of 
 
295 
 
 his Coadjutor must not exceed two moutlis. " Mind," he 
 smilingly said, " I only allow you to he away two month.s." 
 
 Sunday, 19th October, was the last occasion on whi(;h 
 he attended at the Cathedral. He was slightly ill during 
 fche service, but rallied before its close; and, as if there was 
 on his mind a presentiment that he was never to bo tloM-e 
 again, he bade good-bye to all the attendants of the Church, 
 specially requesting that none might Le overlooked. One 
 by one he shook hands with them all, and prayed that God 
 would bless them. 
 
 He was restless and disconcerted the following days, and 
 on Thursday was taken so seriously ill, that much alarm 
 was felt ; and although he subsequently rallied a little, 
 the opinion of the medical men in attendance was that he 
 could not long survive. The strength of his robust consti- 
 tution was evidently worn out; and there were signs, not to 
 be mistaken, that its dissolution was not far distant. There 
 were returns of vigour and spirit, after intervals of weak- 
 ness and prostration, but these were the fitful struggles of 
 declining nature, — the rise and sinking of the flickering 
 lamp of life. The mind, too, was affected by the weakness 
 of the body : there were wanderings of thought, and words 
 without coherence. There would be a flitting from the 
 past to the present, — from the incidents of years long gone 
 to events of recent occurrence ; and the impressions those 
 memories awakened expressed in hurried words, and rapid 
 transition from one subject to another. There was, t(jo, 
 the frequent recitation of fragments of psalms and hymns ; 
 the broken utterances of prayer; and at times, in firm voice, 
 the repetition of portions of the Creed. 
 
 On the evening of Thursday, the 31st October, the Holy 
 Communion was administered to him by his friend an<l 
 Chaplain, the Rector of the Parish; and then, as all through 
 his illness, every affectionate, soothing, watchful attention 
 was exerted to give ease and comfort to his last hours. 
 The pulsation became gradually weaker, and, at three 
 
2&a 
 
 o'clock in the morning of Xovcmljcr l?it, All Saint's Day, 
 ho l)reathc(l his hist, — his spirit flown to tlio company of 
 fchoso who had toiU'd throiif^di life for the same adorable 
 Master, — another in the throng of that great "cloud of 
 witnesses," who are waiting their reward on the Judgment 
 Day. 
 
297 
 
 CHAPTER YXXI. 
 
 The Funeral. — Chaiacteritjtics and Kecollections." — CuncluHion. 
 
 CHE writer of this enaeavoured to fulfil his promise to 
 reach Toronto in two months from the day of his 
 
 sailing from Quebec ; and he left Liverpool in time 
 to effect this. But a slow-sailing steamer was, for that 
 trip, made to take the place of the one of greater speed 
 which should have sailed, but unfortunately b.ad been 
 crippled on her homeward voyage and was laid up for 
 repairs. On this account, and with constant and heavy 
 head winds, the passage was a few days longer than the 
 ordinary ones ; and he missed reaching Toronto in time to 
 take a last leave of his venerated friend. He had the 
 melancholy gratification, however, of witnessing his calm 
 features in the repose of death, — not a line or expression of 
 the well-known face apparently altered ; but like one who 
 had yielded up his last breath in cheerful contentment 
 that his work was done, and that he was called upon to 
 face a Master whom he had tried faithfully to serve, but 
 on whose mercy and merits alone he after all relied. 
 
 The funeral was fixed for Tuesday, the 5th November ; 
 and, by universal desire, it was made a public one. Pro- 
 fessional men of all orders, — the Judges and leading men of 
 the Bar ; the Physicians of the town ; a large gathering of 
 the Clergy from all quarters of the Diocese, including very 
 many of other religious communions; of the Military, 
 Hussars and foot-soldiers ; the members of the City Cor- 
 poration; th^ officers and njejiibers of the various Societies 
 
 33 
 
298 
 
 of the town ; and others, of all conditions and persuasions, 
 — formed the vast procession from his late residence to the 
 Cathedral of St, James. The Church was darkened, and 
 dimly lit with gas ; and, as the great mass wound tslowly 
 in, the organ pouring forth soft and mournful strains, the 
 scene was indescribably solenm. In keeping with the 
 deep gloom of the building, was the drapery of mourning 
 all around ; and, in the vast throng within, there was not, 
 we believe, one heart untouched by the imposing, impres- 
 sive burial-service, read with a calm distinctness by the 
 Dean. His remains were interred in a vault, expressly 
 constructed for the purpose, beneath the chancel, and as 
 near as possible to the spot where he was Avont to sit 
 within the rails in the discharge of Episcopal duties. 
 
 His successor in the See, — hardly ten months his Coad- 
 jutor, — preached his funeral sermon on the following 
 Sunday ; the Cathedral draped and darkened just as it 
 was on the funeral day. A very large congregation wtus 
 present ; and, in the evening, the same sad subject was 
 eloquently dwelt ui)on by the Rector of the Parish and 
 Dean of the Cathedral. 
 
 Several meetings were subsecpiently held to decide upon 
 a fitting memorial to one who had tilled so large a space 
 in the civil as well as the religious history of the Province; 
 but differences of opinion as to the character and suitable- 
 ness of such a testimonial, have so far retarded the ado})- 
 tion of any. Yet, after all, it is hoped that something 
 may be decided upon to mark, fii-st, the zeal and success 
 of the late Bishop in the cause of Education, — his efforts 
 in this direction culminating in the establishment of 
 Trinity College ; and something, secondly, to be exhibited 
 as a memorial of his energy and ability in the discharge of 
 his duties as a Bishop of God's Church. What would 
 testify the first, has, we think, been happily suggested in 
 the erection of a Convocation Hall for Triiiity College; the 
 supply of which would be a great practical benefit to the 
 
299 
 
 Institution itself, as well as uphold the memory of its 
 founder. To transmit to posterity some visible memento 
 of his pastoral work, a Synod Hall, to bear the name of 
 " Strachan," has been fitly suggested ; and all, we thmk, 
 nmst agree that this, while a useful, would be a most 
 appropriate memorial. 
 
 But we must not omit to mention that, if here we are 
 passive and undecided though not slumbering, there has 
 been commenced in another Diocese a most fitting memo- 
 rial, in the erection of a handsome and substantial Church 
 at the very spot where his first ministrations in the service 
 of his Divine Master were given. At Cornwall, the scene 
 of his first labours as a Minister of Christ, through the 
 untiring zeal and energy of Archdeacon Patton, this 
 C/hurch is now in vigorous progress, and will j)robably be 
 completed before anything in our own Diocese has actu- 
 ally been commenced. The Churchmen of the Diocese of 
 Torontfj will, we trust, tiike this fact to heart. 
 
 The character of the late Bishop of Toronto, in its 
 marked outlines, so fully developes itself in his varied and 
 active life which we have endeavoured to pourtray, th.at 
 reference to its minuter points is hardly necessary. There 
 are, nevertheless, traits and characteristics of his thoughts 
 and habi'.j, — phases of his retired and inner life, — which 
 the world at large, from an observation of his outer walk 
 and work, world hrrdly recognize. A few recollections of 
 such, we shall try co call up and set before our readers. 
 
 And if w*e regard, first, his domestic life, — his relations 
 as a husband and a father, — we shall see in him a remark- 
 able example of indulgent tenderness and self-sacrificing 
 love. Never was there a brighter or more cheerful home ; 
 never one of more unrestrained and playful intercourse 
 between old and young. And while every thing was done 
 to secure the appliances of comfort and elegance, assiduous 
 oare was taken to uphold the associations and habits that 
 serve to refine the character and adapt for the best posi- 
 
300 
 
 tions to which they might be raised in after life. And 
 never was there any sacrifice too great for him to make, 
 that he might secure the advancement of his children, 
 whether they adopted a profession or chose a mercantile 
 life. He was willing, as indeed he did, to hazard a fortune, 
 if that good object could be attained. 
 
 His hospitalities were great, and always on an elegant 
 scale. He early took a lead in this respect, and never 
 relinquished it till the declining health of Mrs. Strachan 
 rendered the continuance of it impossible. He shewed a 
 wonderful adaptedness to the positions in society which he 
 was called upon successively to fill. Nothing, in advancing 
 exaltations, came new or strange to him ; as has been so 
 well said by another, he " sustained, with a graceful and 
 unassuming dignity, all the augmentations that naturally 
 accumulated round them, as the community, of which he 
 was so vital a part, grew and widened, and rose to a higher 
 and higher level, on the swelling tide of the general 
 civilization of the continent." * 
 
 Cheerfulness, as at his fireside, reigned at his board ; and 
 no one relished more a humorous story or a harmless joke. 
 This he encouraged in his youthful guests especially; and 
 no one laughed more heartily than he at a fair sally of wit, 
 or a pleasant anecdote. In travelling, he would recount 
 stores of amusing incidents that had occurred during his 
 earlier acquaintance with the country; and his memory 
 was keen and mirthful of excursions by sailing boat up 
 the Bay of Quints from Kingston, with companions of 
 social notoriety in their day. 
 
 There was a large benevolence in the character of the 
 late Bishop ; and to the distressed and poor he gave with 
 a liberal hand. If he had been favoured with worldly 
 means beyond his hopes, he bestowed a fitting share of 
 them in relieving individual want, and in aiding Insti- 
 
 • Rev. H. Scaddlnjf, D.D. 
 
301 
 
 tutions of piety and charity. He would never hoard for 
 the probabilities or the contingencies of an after day, when 
 he could, by the expenditure of what he had, smooth the 
 present path, and promote the present good, of those around 
 him. And for this cause it was, that, although for nearly 
 half a century he possessed a handsome income, and had ac- 
 quired a considerable private property, he died a poor man. 
 
 He was, too, a philanthropist in another form. He 
 spared no pains, and grudged no trouble, to promote the 
 settlement and advance the interests of those who came 
 introduced to him from the Mother Country, He would 
 pitch upon a farm or locality for them which lie thought 
 would suit ; and forthwith ho would write their friends to 
 send the means of purchasing it. Once an intelligent, 
 honest farmer, by marriage well connected, came intro- 
 <luced to him from Scotland, and engaged his hearty 
 interest. He knew well his wife's friends, and made a 
 great venture in purchasing a farm for him in the township 
 of Dumfries, at double the cost he was authorized to pay, 
 '* I told them," he said, " what I had done, and had done 
 for the laest, and informed theni that I had drawn for the 
 money. They stormed a little about my extravagance and 
 rashness, but they paid the draft ; and the result soon 
 .shewed them that I had acted wisely." 
 
 To one and all of his numerous Cornwall pupils, he was 
 invariably kind. In trouble they never appealed to him 
 in vain ; his counsels were always wisely given, and given 
 with the spirit and affection of a father. He was free, too, 
 in rousing and rebuking, where he discerned any thing 
 like lassitude or want of energy ; in plain terms he would* 
 say they must bestir themselves, and make ventures abroad 
 if they could not succeed at home. One of his enrly 
 pupils, an eminent barrister in Lower Canada, and who as 
 a Member of Parliament had bravely fought the battle of 
 the Constitution there in the troublous times anterior to 
 the Union, once complained to him of the ingratitude and 
 
injustice he was experiencing from the existing govern- 
 ment, and the impossibility of his obtaining redress. " Get 
 into Parliament, m?in," was his prompt reply; "and make 
 yourself heard there. Meet your opponents where you 
 can T)est confront them." 
 
 There was something very cheery and inspiriting in his 
 manner of dealing with difficulties, and making those who 
 proposed them gather up confidence and vigour. He had 
 the happy faculty of divesting trouble of its harsher lines 
 and aspects, and giving to the darkest prospects the colour- 
 ing of ho])e. An excellent Clergyman, in the neighbour- 
 hood of Toronto, somewhat advanced in life, often called 
 upon him for counsel in difficulties, and consolation and 
 direction find in those little trials which the man of refine- 
 ment and sensibility is often made to feel so acutely. For 
 such spirits as these the jostling of the world about them is 
 too rude; they shrink from it, or they pine under it. With a 
 fatherly tenderness, he would explain away the grounds of 
 these troubles, and shew that in most cases the causes for 
 such suflering were imaginary. This good man was wont 
 to say at jmrting, — " I never, my dear Lord, caJl to tell 
 you of my little troubles, but I go away refreshed and 
 brightened. I get a supply of strength and cheer to su])- 
 port me for many an after day." 
 
 The late Bishop was a man without pi-ejudice, and 
 wholly free from party s[)irit. This was evinced in the 
 distribution of the patronage at his command ; for the best 
 he had to give was often bestowed upon those who dif- 
 fered from him in religious opinions. He would not, per- 
 haps, studiously seek out such to befriend them ; but, if 
 their services had been long, ana zealous, and successful, 
 and their claims to advancement were unquestionable, any 
 thing like the tie of party was out of consideration, and 
 the favour he had to confer was cordially bestowed. " We 
 want earnest, working men," he was often heard to say, 
 " and no matter from what section of the Church they 
 
303 
 
 come, I shall welcome them, if they are faithful and loyal 
 to her." The strong doctrinal o])inion.s, however of a por- 
 tion, at least, rf the " Evangelical Clergy," were very 
 ilistasteful to him ; and he often said that Calvinism must 
 lead, in many instances, to infidelity. Of one /f these Clergy, 
 whom he \ery highly esteemed, he used to say " I wish In; 
 would preach upon the Ten Commandments, as well as 
 upon election, faith, and grace. People should be taught 
 how to live, as well as what they are to believe." 
 
 The Bishop nad, in many quarters, the character of 
 being short, and stern, and uncourteous sometimes in his 
 remarks. This was rarely the case ; and seldcmi mani- 
 fested, unless he discerned any thing like duplicity or 
 insincerity in those who were brought into contact with 
 him. He had also a great dislike to any thing like 
 pretension or forwardness ; and could not brook that any 
 one, recently come into the Diocese, should be too free in 
 his counsels or criticisms. Such a one he would put down 
 very peremptorily. But if he ever felt that he had found 
 fault wrongfully, or done any man an injustice by his 
 remarks, none was more ready than he, at the fitting time, 
 to make amends. A Clergyman, now no more, somewhat 
 imi)ulsive and eccentric in his manner, though most up- 
 right and ingenuous, expressed himself once in Synod on 
 the duty of making provision for a vacancy in the See, in 
 a manner which the Bishop considered abrupt and indeli- 
 cate. He accordingly reprimanded him with some sever- 
 ity. The following year, however, — having in the interval 
 discovered that he had misapprehended that Clergyman's 
 meaning, — he said in reference to the action he had 
 proposed : " This suggestion I discouraged at the time 
 with greater warmth than was perhaps necessary, * * » 
 Satisfied that nothing offensive was intended by the 
 reverend gentleman who mentioned the matter, and that I 
 had expressed myself somewhat hastily, I now tender him 
 my apology." 
 
304 
 
 The clearness of intellect and quick perception of things 
 and men for which the late Bishop was remarkable, shewed 
 their natural development in firmness of character and 
 decisiveness of action. Yet he was by no means a man 
 of rigid inflexibility, or obstinate adherence to his own 
 o[)inions. Where, after mature and careful deliberation he 
 had made up his mind upon any subject, it was needless to 
 attempt inducing him to change it ; he would be as uncom- 
 promising with the highest in the land, as with the hum- 
 blest individual who ventured to offer his counsel. But 
 if there was an admitted opening for further consideration, 
 he listened very kindly to what others had to suggest, and 
 very often adopted the opinions of friends in whom he had 
 confidence, in preference to his own. He sometimes, — 
 though rarely, — made appointments to vacant parishes 
 without reference to his usual advisers ; but in other cases 
 where he asked their counsel, he received their suggestions 
 with great respect and kindness, and often adopted them 
 without further discussion of the subject. This was the 
 case not only in his declining years, but at his first 
 entrance upon the duties of the Episcopate, 
 
 About five-and-twenty years before his decease, on the 
 death of one of his Chaplains, I suggested, unasked, the 
 name of a Clergyman to take his place, who deserved the 
 compliment and whose appointment would gratify the 
 much respected friends of the deceased. Without objec- 
 tion or expostulation, he smilingly said, " Make out his 
 commission, and send it to me for signature, and I shall 
 forward it with a few pleasant words," 
 
 He was always prompt and kind in giving his advice to 
 young Clergymen when they solicited it. The following 
 letter is worthy of record, as shewing his readiness, as 
 well as judgment, in offering counsel : — 
 
 "It is not my desire to find fault with you on this occasion, 
 because your proceedings, though unwise, are not, after all, 
 
305 
 
 unuatnral in a young man entei*ing life ; but, as your spiritual 
 father, to advise you not to be liasty in replying to commu- 
 nications which you may deem offensive. Keep them a few 
 days ; then consider whether it l)e necessary to rejV to them at 
 all. If you must answer, confine yourself strictly to facts, and 
 avoid acrimonious language and disagreeable insinuations. Then 
 put by the answer a day or two, and read it as one who must 
 give an account, and perhajts you will not send it at all, or you 
 will so smooth and modify it as to give no just cause of offence. 
 
 "Some such process has been my practice; and experience 
 has often taught me its great vabie. Every one in such cases 
 should inquire of the Lord in the spirit of prayer, and more 
 especially the ordained ministers of the Gospel; and it is most 
 wonderful how soon an earnest reference to the Saviour's example 
 calms all passionate and undue excitement, and opens to us the 
 clear path of duty." 
 
 It was, no doubt, the truthfulness and guilelessness of 
 the Bishop's own nature which drew him so strongly to 
 "little children." As he journeyed on his visitations, he 
 was always attracted to them ; and they, from his playful- 
 ness and powers of amusing, were always drawn to him. 
 On one occasicm, having been invited to the house of a 
 retired army officer to partake of some refreshment after 
 a morning Confirmation, this gentleman became rather free 
 and caustic in his remarks ui)on his Clergyman. This the 
 Bishop felt to be in bad taste, and so he changed the sub- 
 ject as speedily as ])ossible. To preclude its recurrence, he 
 took the two youngest children of thQ house, one on either 
 knee, and chatted with them and drew them out, amused 
 them and was amused, until the repast was ready. He 
 laughed much at this harmless manoeuvre afterwards, as 
 we journeyed homewards. 
 
 The Bishop had a great objection to any thing like a 
 
 studied show or pretence of religion. He disliked "cant"; 
 
 and, from his repugnance to any thing like an affectation 
 
 of sanctity, he might, by some very good and conscientious 
 
 39 
 
306 
 
 men, be thought deficient in i)ersonal piety, and without 
 strong religious feelings. Nothing could be more erroneous 
 than such a conclusion. What he did, and expressed, in 
 this respect, was certainly without ostentation, and perhaps 
 with reserve ; but there was an undercurrent always of 
 simple, genuine piety. This was exemplified ])articularly 
 at the bed-side of the sick, or in soothing counsels to the 
 sorrowful. He exhibited at such times what were the 
 convictions and workings of his own mind ; what was his 
 own deep faith, his own bright iiopes. He might not 
 clothe them in impassioned words ; but there was a solid, 
 sterling honesty in all he uttered, that made its way far 
 more effectually to the understanding and the heart. 
 Often, too, he would speak with an unfeigned humility of 
 his own short comings ; of his confidence in the Saviour ; 
 of the need of God's fatherly indulgence to the very best. 
 He spoke fearlessly of death ; and often, when as yet 
 unshaken in strength or activity by the advance of years, 
 he would speak of his probable decease at no distant 
 time, and express his anxious desire to have every thing 
 so established and settled as to ensure peace and pros- 
 perity in the Diocese after his departure. He was unques- 
 tionably a man of prayer ; and in this he would indulge 
 quietly by the way-side and at any hour, as well as more 
 formally in his secret chamber. 
 
 He was, as all know, a fast friend ; in whose regard and 
 interest neither prosperity nor adversity made any change. 
 He was consistent alike in his treatment of poor and rich. 
 There were sometimes temporary breaks with his old 
 friends, sometimes even with his old pupils ; but in no 
 case was not every wound healed, every hard feeling 
 obliterated, long before he aied. There was not one, we 
 believe, of his wide-spread acquaintance with whom, at 
 the close of life, he was at variance. 
 
 But we must not be too discursive in these citations of 
 characteristics ; we must not, by prolixity, risk the weari- 
 
307 
 
 ness of our readers. We have done, then : we have exe- 
 cuted a task undertaken with cheerfulness and pursued 
 with pleasure, but, we fear, very inado ^^uately accom- 
 plished. It is tlie career of really a great man which we 
 have attempted to describe ; and greater powers, we feelt 
 should have been enlisted to do it the justice it deserves. 
 We have done our best, amidst many toils, and cares, 
 and interruptions ; and we shall be satisfied if, after over- 
 looking its defects in material or composition, it shall bo 
 felt to be a faithful portrait of one fresh in the thoughts, 
 and dear to the hearts, of every Canadian Churchman. 
 We repeat here what was said on another occasion : — 
 " Though we have had his vacant place filled up, we 
 cannot hope to have his loss supplied : in the thoughts and 
 hearts of, at least, the present generation, there will be a 
 recurrence always to the surpassing gifts and work of 
 The first Bishop of Toronto." 
 
 THE END. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 I 
 
 T will, we are persuaded, be considered by our readers 
 a fitting sequel to the eventful life of the late 
 Bishop of Toronto, -which we have attempted m 
 the foregoing pages to pourtray, to record a few of the 
 tributes which, soon after his decease, were paid to his 
 memory. While these bear pleasing testimony to his 
 character and labours, they furnish some few j)articulars 
 that illustrate both, which were not known to, or which 
 rnay have escaped, the writer of the Memoir. 
 
 I. 
 
 The Church Society of the Diocese of Toronto, 
 at their first Quarterly Meeting held after his decease, 
 on November 18th, 1867, adopted unanimously thn fol- 
 lowing Resolutions : 
 
 " Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to take unto 
 himself the soul of our late beloved and venerated Father 
 in God, the Hon. and Right Reverend John Strachan, 
 D. D., LL. D., 
 
 " Be it resolved, 
 
 " That recognizing, as we are bound to do, our solemn 
 obligation to bow in all submission to the wisdom and 
 goodness of Almighty God in his dispensations, we would 
 still desire to express with deep sorrow our sense of the 
 irreparable loss which the Church in Canada, and especially 
 in this Diocese, has sustained by the removal of our Chief 
 Pastor. 
 
310 
 
 "That we gratefully confess how abundant were his 
 labours, and how able, just, and impartial was his admin- 
 istration (»f his extensive Diocese; w»; thankfully recall 
 the wisdom and ])rudence with Avhich his far-sighted and 
 comprehensive })lans were ibrmed, and the vigour an<i 
 promptitude with which they were ])ut in execution. 
 
 "That we bear our respectful testimony to his firmiiess 
 in tlie assertion of every great principle affecting either 
 the doctrine or the 'er of the Church ; to the blameless 
 purity of his life and convei-sation, and to the kindness 
 and courtesy which nuirked his demeanour towards the 
 Clergy and Laity committed to his charge. 
 
 "That we have reason to be deeply grateful to Divine 
 Providence that on the severance of the Diocese of Toronto 
 from the ancient Diocese of Quebec, we were privileged to 
 have set over, to mould and form all its institutions, and 
 to guide it for eight-and-twenty years, a Prelate thus 
 unusually qualitied for the discharge of the arduous duties 
 of the office to which he was called, 
 
 " That we would also recognize with devout gratitude to 
 the Giver of all good gifts, the following more signal 
 instiinces of our late Bishop's provident appreciation of 
 the Church's wants, and of his undaunted energy in the 
 effort to supply them : — First. His establishment of the 
 Church Society of this Diocese in A. D. 1842, by the 
 operation of which the injury which would otherwise have 
 resulted to the Church from the alienation of her State 
 endowments, fifteen years later, was without doubt most 
 materially diminished. Secondly. His founding Trinity 
 College, as a place of education for both the Clergy and 
 Laity of our communion, at a time when the Church had 
 been debarred from availing herself any further of the 
 large revenues provided for the pui-pose of education 
 within this Province, by the beneficence and piety of the 
 British Crown ; and. Lastly, his initiation of our system 
 of Diocesan and Provincial Synods, the introduction of 
 
311 
 
 which has fonned an cpocli in the histciy of the Church, 
 and has placed ourselves aufl our fellow Churchmen in 
 other Colonies, where the same organization has been 
 adopted, in a position, under God's good providence, to 
 maintain within our own borders both sound doctrine and 
 (lodly discipline. 
 
 " That a copy of these resolutions be ])resented as an 
 expression of our heartfelt sympathy and condolence to 
 the afflicted family (jf the decease*] Prelate, and to oui* 
 j)resent Diocesan, and be furnished to The C/nirck 
 Chronicle for publication, 
 
 "ARTHUR PALMER, 
 
 " Chairman." 
 
 At the regular monthly meeting of the Corporation of 
 Trinitv Collkgk, held this day in the Library of the 
 (■oUege, the Right Reverend The Lord Bishop in the chaii', 
 the following resolutions were submitted : — 
 
 "Moved by the Rev. the Provost, seconded by Mr. 
 Harman, and 
 
 "Resolved — "That the Corporation of Trinity College, 
 on the occasion of their first meeting after the lamented 
 decease of the late beloved and venerated Bishop of this 
 Diocese — the virtual founder of this College — for sixteen 
 years the President of their body — and the solicitous guar- 
 dian of the welfare of the society whose interests are 
 entrusted to their care, — cannot but give expression to 
 their deep sense of the loss they have sustained, and to 
 the affectionate veneration with which they must ever 
 cherish the memory of one who so fully identified himself 
 with the fortunes of the College, whether in its more pros- 
 perous or more troublous times. 
 
 " Constant in his attendance upon every occasion when 
 his counsel was sought or the weight of his authority 
 required, the late Bishop was no less ready to discover his 
 
312 
 
 fatherly regard for this foundation by gracing it with his 
 presence at every public solemnity and every festive 
 assemblage, even when extreme age might well have been 
 pleaded as rendering his absence inevitable. 
 
 " A benefactor to the College to no small extent during 
 his life, he lias, by his testamentary provisions, given proof 
 of his enduring interest in its welfare, and has strongly 
 indicated how deeply cherished was his desire that the 
 College may long continue to accomplish with increasing 
 efficiency the important purposes for which he laboured to 
 establish it. 
 
 " Remlved — "That the above resolution be communi- 
 cated to the members of the family of the late Bishop, 
 with the respectful assurance of the deep sympathy of 
 the Corporation with them under the loss they have 
 sustained. 
 
 " Resolved — " That as a further mark of respect to the 
 memory of the deceased Prelate, the meeting of the Cor- 
 poration do now adjourn." 
 
 " The resolutions were unanimously carried, and the 
 Council adjourned. 
 
 "CHARLES MAGRATH, 
 
 '' Bursar and Secretary. 
 
 "Trinity Colltje, 12th Nov., 18()7." 
 
 A few days after, a Deputation of Clergymen waited 
 upon the present Bishop of Toronto, with the following 
 address : — 
 
 "To the Right Rev. Alexander Neil Bethune, D.D. k 
 D.C.L., hy Divine permission, Lord Bishop of Toronto, 
 
 "Right Reverend Father in God, — 
 
 " We, the Clergy of the Diocese of Toronto, desire 
 respectfully to approach your Lordship on your assuming 
 the full charge of this Diocese, in consequence of the 
 
313 
 
 demise of our late revered Bishop, with an expression of 
 dutiful submission ; of sincere regard for your person and 
 office ; and of our purpose, by God's help, to do all we can 
 to render your Episcopate a blessing to yourself and to the 
 Diocese. 
 
 " We fully enter into your Lordship's feelings in regard 
 to the heavy and momentous responsibilities, which, in the 
 providence of God, have now devolved upon you ; and we 
 earnestly pray God to grant you grace and strength suffi- 
 cient for the duties of so high and difficult a position. 
 
 " It must, however, be a source of great comfort and 
 encouragement to your Lordship to know, that you so 
 long enjoyed a very large share of our late revered 
 Diocesan's confidence ; that you had a deep hold on his 
 warmest afioctions, and that you have the benefit of a 
 thorough knowledge of his views on all matters of impor- 
 tance in connection with the Diocese. 
 
 "We congratulate your Lordship on having had the 
 honour of taking part in the late Conference of Bishops at 
 Lambeth, from which we anticipate the best results, and 
 in which our late revered Bishop took a deep interest ; 
 and we cordially welcome your Lordship on your safe 
 return to your native land, and to the discharge of your 
 highly important duties. 
 
 "And, in conclusion, we pray that the mantle of our 
 late revered Bishop, your long and tried fiiend, may rest 
 
 upon you. 
 
 "ARTHUR PALMER, 
 
 REPLY. 
 
 "My Dear Brethren, — 
 
 " I pray you to accept my best thanks for the kind 
 
 manner in which you have addressed me ; assuring me of 
 
 your fraternal regard, and of your desire to aid me with 
 
 your hearty co-operation in fulfilling the duties to which, 
 
 4Q 
 
314 
 
 in the ordering of Divine Providence, T have been called. 
 From this assurance I shall, under tlie weight of the 
 responsibility that has now devolved upon rae, feel a 
 strong support and encouragen»ent. 
 
 "We can never fail to bear in grateful memory the 
 manner in which this large and important Diocese was 
 administered liy our departed Bishop ; with how much 
 zeal and self-denial his labours were pursued ; how in the 
 ruler we always discerned the father ; with what patience 
 and gentleness he met the difficulties and tiials that 
 occurred ; with what impartiality and tenderness he de- 
 meaned himself to all. 
 
 " With a full persuasion that gifts and graces are Jiot 
 bestowed on men alike, and that few can hope to reach 
 the example our departed Bishop has bequeathed to us, it 
 shall be my effort, as it shall be my constant prayer, to 
 carry out, in the spirit that .actuated him, the plans and 
 purposes for the welfare of this Diocese and of the Church 
 at large, which ha devoted his best energies to promote. 
 
 " it was my privilege to attetid the recent Conference at 
 Lambeth Palace, and to share in its deliberations ; a 
 Conference, I believe, which will mark an era in the 
 Anglican communion, and from which will accrue large 
 benefits and blessings to our Mother Land, and all its 
 wide-spread dependencies and allies. 
 
 " I thank you for the cordial welcome with whicii I am 
 met on my return ; and very nmch would it cheer and 
 encourage me if I could hope that the mantle which has 
 dropped from our departed father may be seen to have 
 rested on me. 
 
 "A. N. TORONTO." 
 
 " Toronto, November 15th, lbG7." 
 
315 
 
 The Church Society of the Diocese of Huron, 
 passed the following Resolution at a meeting held on 
 the 4th of December, 1867 : 
 
 "Moveil by Ven. Archdeacon BliouGH, seconded by 
 Rev. Canon Bettridge, 
 
 " Mesolred, — That the Members of the CHiurch Society 
 of the Diocese of Huron, availing themselves of this their 
 first meeting since the decease of the late lamented Bishop 
 of Toronto, desire to express to their brethren of the 
 sister Diocese their deej) and heartfelt sympathy under a 
 dispensation, which, though special to Toronto, is felt, we 
 feel assured, with no small emotion, by every Diocese 
 throughout this Dominion. 
 
 " The event which claims our condolence, though, in the 
 course of nature, not altogether unexpected, yet upon its 
 occuiTence filled every heart with grief and called forth 
 from all orders of society and from every religious denomi- 
 nation a manifestation of respect truly impressive, but 
 grateful especially to those who at the period of his death 
 or through times past, enjoyed the Episcopal oversight 
 of so valued and devoted a Prelate. 
 
 " In every expression of esteem and every evidence of 
 respect shewn to the memory of the late Bishop of 
 Toronto, the members of the Diocese of Huron desire 
 to assure their brethren that they most truly and heartily 
 participate." 
 
II. 
 
 We have the following tributes from Clergymen of 
 the Diocene : — 
 
 The Ven, Archdeacon Fuller, in a Sermon preached 
 on the Sunday following his interment, gave a very com- 
 plete but brief aecount of his life ; from this we make 
 a few extracts : 
 
 " At Cornwall the late Bishop spent nine years of his 
 eventful life. Here, on one occasion, he told me he 
 Laboured sixteen hours every day ; that, having the charge 
 of the parish of Cornwall, he had to visit a good deal, 
 both among the sick and well; then he had to prepare 
 sermons for Sunday ; and, he remarked, he had to study 
 every night quite as hard as the boys ; for, said he, I was 
 not much in advance of tiie highest class in school. These 
 duties demanded sixteen hours every d.ay ; and yet, he 
 said, these nine years were the happiest years of my life," 
 
 The following amusing incident is stated to have 
 occurred, on his passage from Cornwall to York soon 
 after the Declaration of War by the United States, in 
 1812: 
 
 " On his way up the St. Lawrence in a small vessel, 
 which contained his family and all his worldly goods, 
 the courage of the late Bishop was put to the test. A 
 vessel hove in sight, which the Captain supposed to be 
 an American armed schooner ; and, it being during the war 
 with the United States, he became alarmed, and came 
 down to Dr. Strachan into the little cabin, and consulted 
 with him about surrendering his craft to the enemy. The 
 Doctor enquired of him if he had any means of defence ; 
 
317 
 
 and, ascertaining that he had a four-pounder on board, and 
 a few muskets, he insisted on the Captain defending his 
 vess^el, — but to no puq^ose, as lie was entirely overcome by 
 fear. The Doctor, finding that he could not induce the 
 Captain to defend his vessel, told him io entrust the 
 defence of it to him, and to stay with his family in the 
 cabin. This proposition was gladly acceded to by the 
 Captain ; and the future Bishop mounted the companion- 
 way, fully determined to defend the little craft to the 
 utmost of his power ; but, (as he remarked when detail- 
 ing this incident to me some years ago) fortunately for 
 me, the schooner bearing down upon us proved to be a 
 Canadian schooner, not an American ; for the four-pounder 
 was fastened to the deck, and it pointed to the starboard, 
 whereas the schooner came to us on the larboard bow !" 
 
 In Chapter V. of the foregoing work, there are 
 several references to the courageous and energetic con- 
 duct of the late Bishop during the occupation of York 
 by the Americans in 181d; but the following, introduced 
 in the Archdeacon's Sermon, was not recorded : — 
 
 * 
 
 "His great finnness of character saved the town of 
 York, in 1813, from sharing the same fate as the town of 
 Niagara met with some months afterwards. The American 
 General, Pike, having attacked and routed the small force 
 defending York, was shortly after killed by the blowing-u]> 
 of the masazine in the Gamson. The Commander-in-Chief, 
 being enraged by the incident, though it was not attribu- 
 table to any of the inhabitants of the town, determined to 
 have vengeance on them, and to burn down the town. 
 This determination coming to the knowledge of the author- 
 ities, they deputed Dt. Strachan to remonstrate with the 
 American Commander, General Dearborn, against this 
 intended act of barbarity. He met him in the Old Fort ; 
 
318 
 
 and I have been told by men who witnessed the interview 
 between these parties, that words ran high between them ; 
 the American General declaring that he would certainly 
 burn the town, and the future Bishop declaring that if he 
 persisted in this atrocious act of b<arbarity, vengeance 
 would 1)0 taken on the Americans for such an unheard-of 
 outrage ; and that Buffalo, Lewiston, Sacket's Harbour, 
 and Oswego would in course of time, — as soon as troops 
 could be brought from England, — share its fate. The ear- 
 nestness and determination of Dr. Strachan moved the 
 General from his barbarous ])urposo, and York was saved 
 from the flames." 
 
 ' The following remarks touching on his educational 
 career, are from the same : — 
 
 "The Bishop had a great faculty of not only attaching his 
 scholars to him, but also of inducing them to apply them- 
 selves assiduously to their studies. He told me that he 
 made it a rule, during the time he kept school, to watch 
 closely every new boy, .and at the end of a fortnight to 
 note down in a book his estimate of his character, abilities, 
 and any thing else about him that was noteworthy ; and 
 that ho had very seldom been deceived in his estimate of 
 the boys who had passed through his hands. 
 
 " He had a remarkable talent for interesting boys in 
 their work ; and by taking a <leep interest in it himself, 
 he led them to do the same." 
 
 The following, in reference to his parochial ministra- 
 tions, are very interesting : — 
 
 " In cases of dangerous sickness, the late Bishop was 
 indefatigable, faithful, and successful. Many of those 
 warm friendships, which were life-long, and have descended 
 to a second generation, were cemented in the sick room 
 or in the house of mourning. 
 
319 
 
 " His conduct during the seasoiL« of Asiatic Cholera, in 
 1832 and 1834, will never be forgotten by those who wit- 
 nessed it. He not onlv discharged the functions of tho 
 Christian minister; but those also of nurse and undertaker. 
 For when no persons, except the medical men, could bt* 
 induced by love or mone}'' to enter the miserable abodes 
 where this mighty messenger of death was slaying victim 
 after victim, this faithful minister of Christ boldly entered 
 them, accompanied by one of his sons (long since dead), 
 and not only ministered to their spiritual wants, bub ad- 
 ministered the medicines left by the physicians ; and, in 
 more cases than one, when the Iffe had left the body, and 
 there was no one to help his son to put that dead body in 
 the coffin, (which that son had brought,) this aged minister 
 performed himself this sad office for the dead ; and, having 
 helped to lift the coffin into the cart, he followed the life- 
 less remains to the gi'ave, and there performed for them 
 the last rites." 
 
 " We learn from the public prints, tliat, whilst a mis- 
 sionary at Cornwall, he took his recreation by visiting, as a 
 missionary, different settlements along the St. L.awrence, 
 forty or fifty miles from his home. In the same way, ho 
 extended his ministrations in different directions around 
 this city, for many years after he came to it. Jle told mo 
 that, on one Sunday afternoon, he had gone to yt)rk Mills, 
 (then Hogg's Hollow,) through a heavy rain ; and, though 
 he found only one person present, he read the whole even- 
 ing service, and preached his sennon, just as if there had 
 been an overflowing congregation. And he remarked that 
 the people, finding so much zeal in the minister, never left 
 him to preach to a solitary parishioner again." 
 
 "The late Bishop was a safe and wise counsellor. 
 Many persons, who have succeeded in this country, can 
 look back with thankfulness to the valuable advice they 
 received from him in early life ; and many who, on falling 
 into difficulties, consulted him, can well remember the 
 
320 
 
 wjiy in which he unravelled those difficulties, and shewed 
 them how they could get out of them. 
 
 " He was always ready to devote time to giving advice 
 of this kind to persons who sought it at his hands ; and 
 many Roman Catholics, as well as others, availed them- 
 selves of this privilege. 
 
 " His Clergy always found him glad to advise them in 
 any difficulties ; and they never repented having followed 
 his advice. A remarkable instance of listening to his 
 sound advice, came to my knowledge since his death. 
 One of the American Bishops had been persecuted by 
 some of his brethren, and was soon to be put upon his 
 trial. He was advised by a clerical friend of mine, — a 
 presbyter of this Diocese, — to lay his matter before our 
 Bishop, and to take his advice as to how to proceed. He 
 did so. They were closeted together six hours ; and, at 
 the close of the conference, the accused Bishop thanked 
 my friend most heartily for advising him to confer with 
 such a Nestor, and told him that he should act upon the 
 advice of the wise old Bishop of Toronto. He did so, and 
 was honourably acquitted." 
 
 The following are the concluding words of the Arch- 
 deacon's discourse : — 
 
 " The late Bishop never spared himself in the discharge 
 of his duties; and it was but recently that he consented to 
 accept the assistance of a Coadjutor. And this, not 
 because he desired relief-, but because the Diocese required 
 more work from him than he was able to give it at the 
 advanced age of eight-eight years. He took a deep 
 interest in the concerns of every Clergyman, and pro- 
 moted his interests, and those of his parish, to the utmost 
 of his power. 
 
 ," His addresses to the confirmed were particularly prac- 
 tical, simple, and impressive. I remember on one occasion, 
 
321 
 
 when an iinnsnally largo number of aged persons were 
 eonfirmcfl, lie was niu(^li afi'ectcd, and s[)oke to them in 
 su(;li a manner that there was not a dry eye in the whole 
 congregation. As he had been an efficient schoolmaster, a 
 wise counsellor, and a most faithful parish Clergyman as 
 far as circumstances permitted, so he made a most efficient 
 Bisho}). 
 
 "As the presiding officer in our Synods, he was dig- 
 nitied, kind, and conciliatory ; yet capable, on occasion, of 
 maintaining his position, and i)utting down any trouble- 
 some member. For years we never had a division in our 
 Synods, so thoroughly did he direct our consultations. 
 Though naturally autocratic, he adopted the Synod system 
 as suitable for our Church in this country, and zealously 
 ]»romoted it. 
 
 *' Lastly, he was a sincere Christian. During the latter 
 years of his life, some of the austerer features in his cha- 
 necter became much mellowed through Divine gi"ace, and I 
 trust that he died in peace with God, and in charity with 
 all men." 
 
 The following is an extract from a Sermon preached by 
 The Reveuend the Provost of Trinity College, in the 
 Chapel of that College on the morning of Sunday, No- 
 vember loth, 1807, — being the next Sunday after the 
 funeral of the Bishop of Toronto : — 
 
 " It is well-known, doubtless, to almost the youngest 
 amongst you, that the long-cherished plans of the Bishop 
 for securing to this Province a system of public education 
 of the highest order, under the control of tho Church, and 
 imbued with her spirit, were defeated by the alienation of 
 ;i vast property from the purposes to which the piety of 
 tl^ British Crown had devoted it. Then it was that the 
 Bishop, in his seventy-second year, resolved to begin anew 
 this great labour of his life, and to exert his utmost ener- 
 41 
 
322 
 
 gies to secure again, for the meinl>er.s of hi« own com- 
 munion, a place of sound learning and religious education. 
 And liere we may fitly pay the tribute of our homage to 
 that resolute conviction of duty and that indomitable 
 courage, which recognized, in disaster and defeat, causes 
 only for fresh hope, for renewed and redf)ubled exertion. 
 We maj'^ best learn from the Bishop's own language what 
 were his feelings and resolves at this crisis. Here, then, 
 are tiie closing words of the Pastoral Letter, which his 
 Lordship addressed to the Clergy and Laity of the Diocese 
 in the spring of 18.50. 'I shall not rest satisfied till I have 
 laboured to the utmost to restore the College (King's Col- 
 lege) under a holier and more perfect form. The result is 
 with a higher power, and I may still be doomed to disap- 
 pointment ; but it is God's work, and I feel confident that 
 it will be restored, although I may not be the happy 
 instrument, or live to behold it. Having done all in my 
 power, I shall acquiesce submissively in the result, what 
 ever it may be; and I shall then, and not till then, consider 
 my mission in this behalf ended,' 
 
 " Nor can those who have been cognizant of the subse- 
 quent history of the College abstain from acknowledging, 
 with all respect and gi-atitude, the unwearied interest which 
 the Bishop discovered, from day to day, in every thing 
 which, in any wise, affected its prosperity. Nothing kept 
 him from his post, when, as a member of the governing 
 body, his counsel had been invoked:'! can bear witness 
 also that, at the cost of great personal inconvenience, he 
 ever cheerfully gave us the advantage of his revered and 
 genial presence at our more public gatherings ; and, from 
 our first annual festive meeting until the last year, he was 
 never absent but on one occasion, when official engage- 
 ments, in a distant part of the Diocese, had rendered Ms 
 presence an impossibility. 
 
323 
 
 " Many will remember how kindly he bent himself, at 
 such times, to the temper of the hour ; and how generously 
 he recognized the endeavours of any who had been 
 attempting to give effect to the gi'eat objects which he had 
 ill view in founding the College. 
 
 " And this was only a small part of the service which he 
 rendered us. He invited, from the very first, a constant 
 reference to himself in every difficulty, and ever listened, 
 with the greatest kindness and patience, to petty details, 
 respecting which it was the desire of the officers of the 
 College to have the benefit of his counsel or the sanction 
 of his authority. The College, too, has had its serious 
 difficulties and troubles, painful and wearisome enougli 
 to those who were principally concerned in them, and 
 whose action had furnished the immediate occasion of 
 them ; but doubly wearisome to others, who were less 
 nearly concerned, and who were called upon to defend 
 conduct, which they had not directly advised — to cover 
 positions, which had been occupied without their distinct 
 knowledge or expressed approval. It is a rare virtue to 
 yield, in such cases, a generous and cordial support : the 
 very fact that trouble and difficulty have arisen often 
 enfeebles the hands, and chills the sympathies, of lookers- 
 on, irrespectively of the real merits of the case : but the 
 Bishop was not a man of this mould ; committed to gen- 
 eral principles, he was not one to quibble respecting 
 details ; he threw the whole weight of his cordial support 
 into the scale in which, as he conceived, the right was 
 poised against the wi'ong. To hw warm heart, and to the 
 calm judgment and unswerving rectitude of one, no less 
 honoured than himself, the College owes a debt of grati- 
 tude, which some of us, at least, it is to be hoped, will 
 never forget. 
 
 " But there is another point, of very great importance, 
 which must not be over-looked by any who would truly 
 and faithfully cherish the memory of our departed Bishop. 
 
324 
 
 What were his objects in the t'oundatio?! of this College ? 
 These, again, we may best learn fi-oni the Bishoi^s own 
 words. In th(; i)astoral letter before mentioned he thus 
 writes : ' Deprived of her University, what is the Church 
 to do ? She has now no seminary at which to give; a 
 liberal education to her youth. What is enjoyed by all 
 the other largo denominations in the Province is denied' to 
 her. Is she to sit down contented with her Theological 
 School at Cobourg, and leave her children to ])erisli for 
 lack of spiritual knowledge ? Or is she to extend its pro- 
 visions and form it into a University capable of imparting 
 a full course of liberal instruction, carefully founded on a 
 religious basis, as has been the case in all seminaries of 
 learnin<j amonfj Christian nations since the ascension of 
 our Lord ?' These words distinctly testify to the object of 
 the Bishop in establishing this College. It was to incor- 
 porate the Theological School, already existing, with a 
 College or University for general instruction in literature 
 and science. 
 
 " I know well, by personal comnmnication with the late 
 Bishop, the great importance which he attached to the 
 purpose which he designed the College to subserve as a 
 place of training for the saci-ed Ministry. In the last con- 
 versation of any length which I held with him, he intro- 
 duced the subject of the Theological Class, inquiring with 
 anxiety as to its probable numbers during the ensuinrr 
 Academical year, and forcibly expressing his opinion of its 
 indispensable necessity to the welfare of the Diocese. Let 
 not those, then, who really love and cherish his memor}^ 
 be content to 'build his sepulchre,' by mere words of vain 
 regret or of empty adulation ; but, much rather, let them 
 rear and enlarge for him a noble and lasting monument, 
 by aiding in carrying out the provisions which, with wise 
 fore-thought, he designed to make for the professional 
 education of the Clergy of this Province. Indispensable 
 as moral and religious qualifications undoubtedly are for 
 
325 
 
 the clue exercise of the .sacred office of the Ministry, they 
 are yet to he regarded simply as a foundation. Without 
 such foundation, indeed, no superstructure of learning and 
 official aptitud*; can be secure ; Init they do not constitute 
 that superstructuie itself, they do not Hpcc'iaibj qualify 
 their possessor for the duties of a Minister of God's Holy 
 Word and Sacraments. Can it be that, in other ])rofes- 
 sions, exercised for the physical or social well-being of 
 mankind, a long course of preparatory instruction is required 
 by law, before a man is .authorized to take charge of the 
 health or of the material interests of his neighbour, and 
 yet that the Church of God may safely and wisely dis- 
 ])ense with a law, recpiiring those who are to become 
 PastoT-s of C'hrist's flock to prepare themselves, by at least 
 two short years of study, for their life-long service ? I 
 liave ventured thus to dwell on what I know to have been 
 the late Bishop's purpose, lying very near his heart,, in 
 respect of the Theological Department in this College, 
 because I wish to pay a real, rather than a verbal, triltute 
 to his memory ; and, because I trust that he, being dead, 
 may yet speak, in this regard ; and that reverence for his 
 sound judgment, and respect for his well-known desires, 
 may ensure the conscientious execution of his designs for 
 the usefulness of this College, and for the benefit of the 
 Dioceses of Upper Canada. 
 
 "I cannot now permit myself to enlarge on my personal 
 obligations to him who has been taken from us, or on my 
 personal appreciation of those noble and lovely features of 
 his character which has been known and admired by nud- 
 titudes. I may, however, say, with simple truth, that, in 
 making, sixteen years ago, the great change involved in a 
 removal from England to this country — a change which 
 compelled the abrupt and painful severance of many of the 
 most cherished associations of my earlier life — I felt that I 
 had found, in the Bishop of Toronto, a second father ; such 
 was his thoughtful and kindly regard for my personal 
 
32G 
 
 comfort and well-being : while, in respect of my official 
 duties, the burden of a new and difficult position was very 
 materially lightened by his indulgent construction of my 
 conduct ; and, laider many a vexation and discouragement, 
 I was reassured by his friendly voice, which proved that, 
 in the expressive language of Holy Writ, 'he knew the 
 lieart of a stranger,' and was ever ready to revive that 
 heart, by words of generous confidence and of unaffected 
 sympathy." 
 
 The Reverend Canon Ramsay, M. A., delivered a 
 Funeral Sermon in St. Paul's Church, Newmarket, on 
 the Sunday succeeding the interment of the late Bishoj). 
 His text was from Psalm cxxxix. 23, 24, — "Search me, 
 God, and know my heart; try me, and know my 
 thoughts ; and see if there be any wicked way in me, 
 and lead me in the way everlasting." The following 
 are amongst the concluding portions of this sermon : — 
 
 " At the approach of death, such a text is most appo- 
 site ; and this leads me to speak of the loss this Diocese 
 has so recentiv sustained. 
 
 '' Tlie iC.'^a Bishop of Toronto was the most aged Prelate 
 in the Church of England, and one of the oldest inhabi- 
 tants of this Colony. At the commencement of his 
 ministry there were only some two or three Clergymen in 
 Upper Canada ; and, at that period, there being not a 
 single classical school in the Province, he opened such an 
 establishment, and most of the persons of note in Upper 
 Canada were educated by him. The great majority of his 
 pupils have gone before him. 
 
 " The Bishop was greatly respected by all classes ; and 
 being possessed of considerable ability, he wa.'j selected to 
 fill the office of Archdeacon of the western portion of 
 Upper Canada. For many yeai-s he might have been 
 
327 
 
 looked upon as the sole administrator of the aflfairs of the 
 Church in this Province. It was, whilst he was Arch- 
 deacon that I became acquainted with him ; and for many 
 years the communications between the late Bishop and 
 the venerable Society passed through my hands as their 
 Secretary. 
 
 " On his coming to England on his being appointed the 
 first Bishop of Toronto, I stood near to him at his conse- 
 cration ; and subsoqently had the privilege of introducing 
 him at my house to the members of our Committee, 
 consisting of noblemen and others, eminent for their piety, 
 and also distinguished in various walks of life. Tliis took 
 place nearly twenty-nine years ago. For ten years after 
 his consecration, almost every mail brought a connnunica- 
 tion from Canada ; consequently I was in close corres- 
 pondence with his Lordship; and, with the exception of his 
 successor, of the Very Reverend the Dean, and of such as 
 were more immediately around him, few perhaps had 
 better opportunities than myself of forming a correct esti- 
 mate of the departed Prelate. 
 
 " As Bishop, he ever obtained the respect both of the 
 Clergy and Laity ; he had had many opponents, but no 
 enemies. This was, to a certain extent, apparent at tlie 
 funeral. Among the chief mourners were the Rev. 1)y. 
 Richardson, of the Episcopal Methodists, the Rev. Lachlan 
 Taylor, representing the Wesleyans, the Vicar-General, in 
 the absence of the Roman Catholic Bishop who was 
 detained at home by sickness, and several other ](!a<ling 
 members of various Christian denominations ; and. thouLdi 
 last, not least, the St, Patrick's Society attended as a 
 body, consisting almost exclusively of Roman Catholics, 
 
 " For the twenty years I have known the late Bisho]) in 
 this country, I had very frequent communications with 
 him ; and, during the whole of that period, experienced 
 the same uniform kindness ; the same judicious, parental 
 counsel and advice ; and one of the last important acts of 
 
323 
 
 hifj Episcopate, which took jjlace only a few months since, 
 related to a distinction conferred upon myself and others j 
 being a marked testimony of his Lordship's approval in 
 the selection made, 
 
 "The late Bishop was i)ossessed of very considerable 
 talents, and was held in high estimation by many of the 
 distinguished men in his day, — among whom I may men- 
 tion Archbishop Whatcley and Dr. Chalmers. He told me 
 only a few weeks back, that himself and Dr. Chalmers had 
 kept up their friendship from boyhood ; and that his old 
 school-fellow and brother Collegian invariably sent him a 
 copy of each of his literary productions, as they were 
 issued from the press. 
 
 "In the administration of his Diocese, he was energetic 
 and untiring; and, although not without some strong pre- 
 judices, he ever manifested a kind consideration towards 
 those from whom he differed ; and I look upon it as a fine 
 trait in his character, that, with reference to such of his 
 (Uergy as entertained somewhat different views from 
 himself, it never made the least diff'erence in his bearinir 
 towards them ; he was ever strictly impartial as an Over- 
 seer of the Church. The Bishop lived in trying times, 
 when })ai"ty-spirit ran high ; and yet, although he ever 
 took a decided and prominent part in public affairs, per- 
 haps there is not one of the magnates of the land whose 
 memory will be more generally, and more highly, esteemed, 
 or held in greater respect, than his. 
 
 "It would afford much comfort and consolation to the 
 dying Bishop to know and feel, that one gi-eat desire near 
 his heart had been accomplished ere he departed hence to 
 be no more seen ; and this was, that his dear friend and 
 brother, the object of his warmest affection, had been 
 selected to fill his place, and would tread in his stejis. It 
 was to myself an affecting reflection, as I stood by his 
 mortal remains, that the last time I was within those Altsir 
 rails, the late Bishop was in health and strength, officiating 
 
329 
 
 there. The next time of my being within those sacred 
 preeincts, I stood by the same Bisliop, not alive, l)ut dead. 
 He has gone to his rest, and his works do follow him ; and 
 we sliall all, sooner or hiter, find a similar resting-place; 
 and may we, as I trust and believe is the case with our de- 
 parted Bishop, sleep in Jesus, to awake to a joyful resur- 
 rection." 
 
 We give the fcjllowing extracts from a sermon preached 
 by The Revehenjj Walter Stennett, M.A., in St. Peter's 
 Church, Cobourg, on Sunday, November 10, 18G7 : — 
 
 " With the early history of every country there are 
 associated names which are destined to be perpetuated so 
 lo..g as that history shall endure. In fact, so intimately 
 are the events to be recorded blended and interlaced with 
 the lives of the individuals, that it is impossible to write 
 or speak of one without the other. Such, my brethren, 
 has been the life of that veneiublo Prelate whom the hand 
 of death has so lately removed from among us. Coming 
 to Canada at the very early period when the original forest 
 grew where now flourishing towns and cities stand, it has 
 been his good fortune to have had such o})portunities of 
 exercising those practical talents which he so lai'gely 
 possessed, as can never again fall to the lot of any one in 
 this Dominion. 
 
 " Connected with the moral and social, as well as with the 
 religious progi'ess of our country ; an earnest advocate for 
 secular and religious education ; and an early partici])ant 
 in plans of foresight, which have largely contributed to 
 the material prosperity and development of Canada, it 
 is not one city or neighbourhood, it is not one county or 
 district, that feels the blank which his death has created ; 
 but over the length and breadth of the land, it is felt 
 nnd acknowledged that a great man and a good has fallen 
 in our midst. 
 42 
 
330 
 
 " But it is not as a legislator that we desire, now and in 
 this place, to conimemor{ite his striking merits. His public 
 services stand written in the archives of the Province ; 
 and the very noble tril>ute to his memory which hiis 
 within the last few days been paid, in the public funeral 
 accorded to him by the un.animous voice of his fellow 
 citizens, attests the general appreciation 'of them, 
 
 " We, as Churchmen, have closer, holier relations to 
 the beloved old man than anything which mere worldly 
 interests could call into existence. We wish especially to 
 remember him as one of the earliest missionaries of the 
 Church, — as the earnest and hard-working Clergyman, — as 
 the bold and vigorous champion of the truth, — as the 
 energetic promoter of every thing that would foster true 
 religion, as taught by the Church of his convictions, — as 
 the indomitable defender of her rights, — and as the watch- 
 ful and kindly Chief Pastor over our portion of the fold 
 of Christ. 
 
 " As the later and bettcr-rememl)crcd ministerial life of 
 the venerable departed connects him with the Church at 
 large in this country, so does Ms consecration as Bishop 
 connect him with the Church at home, and more closely 
 still with every congregation of our communion in the 
 land. For more than a quarter of a century has that 
 great and good man ruled with consummate prudence, and 
 conscientious uprightness, the Church in the chief part of 
 Western Canada. He has lived to see his one gi'eat 
 Diocese divided into three ; and the Clergy, of whom by 
 far the greater part have been ordained by him, largely 
 increased in numbers ; and to almost every congregation 
 in the whole three Dioceses his memory is closely and 
 affectionately linked by the recollection of his venerable 
 hands placed upon the heads of many of them in con- 
 firmation. Among those who worship here, few there are 
 who will not now be able to recall his very form and tone 
 of speech, as with emphatic earnestness he impressed upon 
 
331 
 
 the newly confirmed the solemn nature of the vows they 
 had taken upon themselves ; and none there are (I feel 
 assured) but will join in the words of the text, as they 
 think of that active brain and eloquent tongne, now still 
 and silent in the tomb, — ' Know ye not that there is a 
 prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel ?' 
 
 " But on those who had the privilege of a more intimate 
 acquaintance with him, — who were cheered by his fatherly 
 counsels, encouraged by his kindly sympathy, and sustained 
 in trial by tlie example of his fortitude and energy, — the 
 sense of their loss weighs heaviest. In him the country 
 missionary, toiling in obscurity amid many discourage- 
 ments, found a ready and congenial comforter; for he 
 could tell of his own privations, of the oppositions which 
 he had had to encounter, of seemingly little fruit from 
 years of faithful sowing ; and give such advice and conso- 
 lation as only personal experience could enable one to give. 
 
 " There is still another way in which, as Churchmen, we 
 may view his life, and which it would be great injustice to 
 his memory to omit; and that is in its connection with 
 education in its best and highest sense — education founded 
 on religion. More than half a century ago, before th<js(! 
 who are now the leading men in Canada were born, the 
 subject of a grand public provision for higher education 
 tilled his mind ; and to his perseverance was mainly owing 
 the setting apait of the large landed endowment which 
 has raised the National University to its present eminence ; 
 and when, through imfair legislation, the Church was 
 excluded from that noble foundation, our indomitable 
 Bishoj) began that series of glorious efforts in behalf of 
 religious education, whi(!li has created Trinity College, 
 and placed it on so proud and so enduring a basis — a gift, 
 let us hope, for all time to the Canadian Church — the 
 nursery of our Clergy, the fosterer and directrix of talent, 
 to be devoted in every required way to the better service 
 of God and our country to the end of time. In a<lmiration 
 
332 
 
 at the ways of Providence, which have thus made one man 
 instrumental in founding two noble seats of learning, and 
 at his sagacity in availin/^ liimself of favorable crises, and 
 his wondrous energy and perseverance in overcoming diffi- 
 culties and in scorning discouragements, we must sfiy 
 again, ' Assuredly we know this day that a prince and a 
 great man has fallen in our Israel.' 
 
 "And as there was so much that is memorable in his 
 life, so also is the year, as well as the day of his death, 
 remarkable and suggestive. Usage has given to tlie years 
 of the life of man marked by the multiple of 7 and }), 
 the name of ' the grand climacteric ;' and old superstition 
 attached to this combination of the mystical numbers a 
 certiiin mysterious signification, pointing to some great 
 supposed change in the state of the individual. It is at 
 least interesting to note that the period of our venerablt; 
 Bishop's life in the ministry of Christ's Church is pre- 
 cisely represented by these figures, to which there has 
 been attached, from the days of Pythagoras, the idea of 
 completeness. Well might he, on attaining the grand 
 climacteric of his ministry, exclaim, with all the fervour 
 and sincerity of St. Paul the aged, ' I have fought a good 
 fight, I have finished my course, I have kept tlie faith ; 
 henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of gloiy, which 
 the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day.' 
 Looking back, with undimmed faculties, down tlie vista of 
 sixty-three years, — years of active duty, years of watching 
 in the cause of Christ his Lord, years of successful labour, 
 too, — and seeing how many had gone before him to their 
 rest, well may we suppose the time-worn veteran awaiting 
 in calmness the summons of his Lord, and ^saying, in 
 expectant faith, untinctured wuth impatience, 'Lord, now 
 lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to 
 Thy word.' 
 
 " Again, when we remember the day on which his spirit 
 departed to its rest, may we not reverently believe that, 
 
333 
 
 dimming every worldly retrospect, there arose bright before 
 his mental gaze a vision of the saints in glory. On the 
 morning of the 1st of November, that day to which the 
 Church has given the name of the ' Festival of All Saints,' 
 and which she has for so many hundred years set apart for 
 the solemn contemplation of the bliss of souls in Paradise, 
 who ' have gone to sleep in Jesus,' our aged Bishop lay on 
 the bed of death, ready to depart to join their holy company. 
 Who shall say what thoughts passed through his mind, — 
 conscious, unclouded to the last, — as the first grey streaks of 
 morning lijjht ushered in thus one of those solemn Churcli 
 festivals, whose celebration in liis own Cathedral he was 
 never known to miss. ' For many a year gone by,' Jie 
 might reflect, ' have I on this day preached on the com- 
 munion of saints, and meditated on that grand chapter 
 irom the Revelation of St. John, appointed for the Epistle 
 of the day, where he speaks of the number of the sealed, 
 and sees ' a great multitude, which no man could number, 
 standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed 
 with white robes, and palms in their hands.' 0, may that 
 vision soon be mine I Surely I come quickly ; Amen. 
 Even so ; come. Lord Jesus.' 
 
 " Devoutly and reasonably may we hope that the end of 
 ]»is long and active life was cheered with sweet visions of 
 rest and peace ; that his listening ear may have caught 
 the echoes of the loud voices of the redeemed, crying, 
 'Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne, 
 and unto the Lamb I' and his eyes have seen in faith the 
 glorious company of angels falling down before the throne 
 and saying, ' Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanks- 
 giving, and honour, and power, and might, be \mto our 
 God for ever and ever.' 
 
 " If the hymns and praises of the Church on earth find 
 entrance to the courts of Heaven above, being purified and 
 })resented before the throne of the Eternal by the blessed 
 Mediator between God and man, in what a glorious cloud 
 
334 
 
 of incense of praise must the spirit of the dying Bishop 
 have ascended to God who gave it ; for on the very morn- 
 ing of his cfeath, from many a Parish Church and many a 
 Cathedral in the Fatherland, must these very words have 
 been ascending too ! 
 
 " And is there not in all such thoughts, my brethren, a 
 hallowing and a strengthening influence to help on us who 
 remain, in the race which is set before us ? Among the 
 * cloud of witnesses ' who now look down upon us as we 
 run, there stands (let us reverently hope), our aged Bishop, 
 too. Mayhap he sees some amongst oui-selves of those 
 who in years past received from him the Apostolic rite of 
 ' laying on of hands,' and who promised before God and 
 the assembled congregation to keep their solemn vows, — 
 and seek grace to lead a more holy, a more Christian life, — 
 now forgetful of those promises, forgetful that they bound 
 themselves to serve their Saviour truly, and to seek His 
 strength, especially in the Holy Communion, to enable 
 them so to do. O, remember our Lord's warning to the 
 unrepentant Jews, ' The Queen of the South shall rise up in 
 the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it ;' 
 and think that the Bishop of Christ's Church, who received 
 your solemn promise, shall rise up in the judgment with 
 yourselves, and may condemn you for slighting means of 
 grace, and weakening wilfully your hope of glory. 
 
 " May God grant that all we, who have had in our 
 venerated Bishop so lively an exemplar of what a working 
 Christian's life should be, may have grace to turn it to 
 practical account in an enlarged benevolence, a more 
 enlightened view of duty, a greater earnestness in per- 
 forming it, and increased perseverance in well-doing, 
 knowing that our 'labour is not in vain in the Lord.'" 
 
 A Sermon was preached on the same occasion, by the 
 Reverend Canon Dixon, M.A., Rector of Port Dalhousie. 
 His text was from 2 Sam. iii. 38.: "Know ye not that 
 
335 
 
 there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel." 
 From this discoure we make the following extracts : — 
 
 "At three o'clock on Friday morning, being All Saints 
 Dny, the Bishop of Toronto departed this life in the nine- 
 tieth year of his age. For the week previous, his strength 
 had been gradually faihng ; but to the very last his 
 intellect remained unclouded, and he was confined to his 
 bed only one whole day. In his death the Church has 
 lost a great man ; great in his indomitable resolution and 
 energy : great in his knowledge of human nature and dis- 
 crimination of character ; gi cat in his patriotic love of his 
 adopted country ; and especially great in his earnest 
 devotion and self-denying affection to the Church, to 
 Avhose advancement and prosperity all the best faculties of 
 his mind and body were consecrated. Through the pos- 
 session of these noble qualities, and from the times and 
 circumstances in which his lot was cast, he exercised a most 
 extraordinary influence over both the civil and ecclesiasti- 
 cal affairs of Canada." 
 
 After a review of his early life, both in Scotland and 
 Canada, and after detailing his struggles in the cause of 
 education, the preacher thus referred to his exertions for 
 the physical advancement of the Province : — 
 
 "At the time the Welland Canal was under discussion, 
 the Hon. William Hamilton Merritt, whose labours have 
 so vastly benefited Canada, and more especially this por- 
 tion of it, declared in my hearing that he had been giiev- 
 ously discouraged at the little interest the public seemed 
 to take in his grand work, until a series of letters on its 
 vast importance appeared in one of the leading papers ; 
 letters that exhausted the whole subject. These commu- 
 nications, written in a terse and vigorous style, were copied 
 into other papers, and produced a marked effect upon the 
 
336 
 
 public mind ; and to them Mr, Memtt ascribed in a great 
 dejjree the brilliant success that crowned his labours. It 
 was not for several months that he discovered that the late 
 Bishop was the author. 
 
 "Through the terrible visitations of the Cholera, and also 
 when the ship-fever cut off' so many valuable lives, he never 
 forsook his post; but was unwearied in his visits to the 
 pest-houoes or sheds erected for the sufferers. 
 
 "In his Confirmation tours, he was a most welcome as 
 well as honoured guest wherever he went. ' His love fin' 
 the children of the family, his sympathy with the feelings 
 of the parents, and his anxiety to avoid giving trouble, 
 rendered him a universal favourite. His position -v^iith 
 respect to his Clergy was that of an affectionate father 
 with his children. He took the warmest interest in their 
 labours, and sympathized with them in their trials. The 
 instances are numerous where, in the most delicate and 
 unostentatious manner, he had given relief out of his own 
 moderate means, to those who he feared were in straitened 
 circumstances. 
 
 "There was a singular appropriateness in the concluding 
 words of the Sermon he preached in his Cathedral a few 
 weeks before his death. He ended with these solemn 
 words of St. Paul : 'For 1 am persuaded that neither 
 death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, 
 nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor 
 depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us 
 from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.* 
 These words he uttered in as powerful and thrilling a tone 
 as if he had cast off' the burden of half-a-century, and the 
 whole congregation seemed as if startled by an electric 
 shock. 
 
 "His funeral, — the most solemn and impressive ever 
 witnessed in Western Canada, — shewed the esteem in 
 which he was held by the whole community. From mid- 
 night the muffled bells of the Cathedral tolled forth over 
 
387 
 
 the city a mournful peal. All business was suspended at 
 the time of the funeral. The streets were lined with the 
 regular and volunteer troops, and all the different public 
 bodie.-j turned out to do honour to the remains of the 
 venerated Bishop. 
 
 "O! brethren, in the words of the text, — words used by 
 our late venerated father in God, as a text when he preached 
 the funeral sermon of a gallant soldier and true Christian 
 gentleman, — General Sir Isaac Brock, — 'a great man is 
 fallen this day in Israel.' The glorious strains of faith, 
 and hope, and consolation, fell like the dew of Hermon 
 on the crowd of mourners, proclaiming 'from henceforth, 
 blessed are the dead which die in the Lord ; even so saith 
 the Spirit, for they rest from their labours.' He, our father, 
 our friend, our beloved counsellor, rests from his labours. 
 He loved the Church as the pillar and ground of the 
 truth : the golden candlestick on which are placed the 
 word, the ministry and sacraments, to diffuse light, and 
 joy, and comfort to all within the circle of its influence, 
 and a beacon to those without ; anti he laboured to render 
 the light brilliant and glowing. Earnestly he sought her 
 welfare, fearlessly he defended her claims, vigilantly he 
 shielded her from assaults ; a faithful watchman ever on 
 the alert, telling the towers of Zion, marking well her bul- 
 warks, watching and praying with undying energy that 
 she might be presented to the Lord in 'clothing of wrought 
 gold," resplendent in purity, holiness, and love. He rests 
 from his labours. The aged warrior has laid aside the 
 shield and the bow, the sword and the spear. He has 
 fought the good fight, henceforth there is laid up for him 
 the glorious reward, — the crown of life. We have laid 
 him in the silent tomb, — dust to dust, — but the spirit, the 
 . immortal spirit has returned to God who gave it, and the 
 day is coming, the great and terrible day of the Lord, 
 when soul and body, reunited, shall attain the perfect con- 
 summation of bliss in God's eternal and everlasting glory. 
 43 
 
338 
 
 The trumpet has sounded : earth is rent with wild convul- 
 sions : multitudes, numberless as the grains of sand on the 
 sea shore are pressing forward towards the great white 
 throne. Earth and sea, the two vast sei)ulehres of the 
 human race, have given up their dead. Then shall the 
 aged soldier of the cross hear the thrilling words of Him 
 for whose cause he laboured and prayed all the days of 
 his appointed time : 'Well done, good and faithful servant, 
 enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.' In the words of an 
 eminent Bishop of the sister Church of the United States, 
 who has gone before, and over whose remains they might 
 also be truthfully written : 'He leaves on earth a record of 
 ilistinction, which the purest ambition might rejoice ^o 
 have inscribed upon his tomb : — 
 
 nix office, a BiHliopric. 
 His character, Fidelity. 
 • His rewaril, a Crowii of Life.'" 
 
939 
 
 III. 
 
 The following heart}' trilmtc to the memory and worth 
 of the late Bislio]), is contaiiuMl in the JoimiaJ of Kdnca- 
 f/o/v, for November, 1867 ; — a publication issued monthly 
 by the Rev. Dr. Ryerson, Chief Superintendent of Echica- 
 tion for the Province of Ontario : — 
 
 "Among several remarkable men who have, full of years 
 and honours, passed from us during the last decade, none 
 had distin<ruished himself more than the Honourable and 
 Right Reverend John Stkachan, D.D., LL.D., late Bishop 
 of Toronto : a man remarkable for energy, courage, con- 
 centration of purpose, tact, and perseverance in whatever 
 he undertook, — Ji man remarkable for his success in life, 
 for the fjiithfulness and ability with which he fulfilled the 
 duties of every oltice to which he was succeSvSively called 
 whether as Parish School Master in Scotland, Grammar 
 School Master in Canada, Parish Clergyman, Member of 
 an Executive and a Legislative Council, President of a 
 College, or Bishop of the largest Diocese in British North 
 America — a man as thoroughly Canadian as any native of 
 the country, remarkable for the genial qualities of private 
 friendship, for acute discernment, disinterested and sound 
 judgment as a Counsellor, for self-sacrifice, devotion and 
 tenderness as a visitor of the sick and afflicted — a man 
 without brilliancy of talents or attractions of oratory, but 
 on all occasions occupying the first position in the sponta- 
 neous homage of those around him, by his strong sense, 
 his vigorous understanding, his downright honesty, his 
 resolute firmness, his unflagging industry — a man unre- 
 laxing in his labours and unfailing in his faculties during 
 a ministry of sixty-four years and down to the ninetieth 
 ^ear of his age — a man who bad long outlived the jealousy 
 
340 
 
 of distinctions and the enmity of parties, and who ceased 
 •at once to work and live,' amid the respect and regrets of 
 all classes of the population." 
 
 We extract the following from a small work which 
 appeared soon after tlie decease of the late Bishop, en- 
 titled " The First Bishop of Toronto ■ a Review and a 
 Study," by Henry Scadding, D.D. Cantab:— 
 
 " To the Bishop of Toronto the honour thus belongs of 
 being the first practically to solve the difficulty which in 
 theory besets the admission of lay members into Anglican 
 Synods. His example has been widely followed in difier- 
 ent quarters of the Empire ; and it is probable that the 
 custom thus inaugurated in a Colony will one day p-e"v ai 
 within the Dioceses of the Mother Church. Of course, 
 there, great prejudices have to be surmounted. We 
 happen ourselves to have been present in the Jerusalem 
 Chamber at Westminster, when such an innovation was 
 mooted : to us, knowing as we did, what a reasonable 
 thing in practice the custom seemed, it was curious to 
 hear the consequences which imagination conjured up as 
 objections to its adoption in England. The modern 
 Church-congresses of England have also grown out of 
 the successful Colonial experiment and are pointing the 
 same way, namely, to lay representation in the Councils of 
 the Anglican Church. 
 
 " And who can doubt but that a Convocation reformed 
 and made real, and Diocesan Synods reformed and made 
 real, with the lay element judiciously but frankly ad- 
 mitted, would bring back a fresh youth to the ancient 
 mother at home ? What is the secret of the anarchy of 
 late years in the ancient historic Anglican Church, in 
 respect to doctrine and practice ? Is it not the absence 
 of constitutional government ? It is obvious to the 
 casual visitor, there is no system observed in the work- 
 
a41 
 
 ing of that body as a whole, binding its parts together. 
 Each beneficed presbyter may do as he wills. He feels 
 himself amenable to no central delegation representing 
 the body of which he is a local functionary. In evciy 
 denomination but that which takes its name from an 
 episcopate, there is a real episcopacy, an episcopacy 
 without mystery. We mean that every Non-confomiist 
 body exercises over its members, official and non-official, 
 a superintendence that may be felt. Whilst in the ancient 
 Anglican Communion, there is at present virtually :io 
 government. W^hat, again, has led to the alienation of 
 large masses of the people from the historic Church, not- 
 withstanding its powerful prescriptive claims ? Has it 
 not been the absence, now for a long series of years, 
 of a representative assembly, sympathizing with the 
 people, and having the power and will to deal from 
 time to time, frankly and considerately, with grievances 
 as they have arisen ? Without a Parliament really legis- 
 lating for the people generation after generation, ration- 
 ally and justly, in what condition would be the civil 
 affairs of the parent state ? With the Anglican Com- 
 munion in Canada and the other dependencies of England, 
 it rests, to aid or hinder, as the years roll on, the renova- 
 tion of the parent-communion at home ; to aid, if by a 
 steady and careful acquisition of intelligence on the -"mrt 
 of Clergy and Laity, Synods, general and particular, be 
 rendered fair representative bodies : to hinder, if by the 
 repression of intelligence and the inculcation of theories 
 that are impracticable, they become in their proceedings 
 visibly one-sided." 
 
 " It has often been affirmed that every worthy human 
 life is a drama — a poem ; and that ' every man truly lives 
 so long as he acts his nature, and some way makes good the 
 faculties of himself.' We have been reviewing a career of 
 the kind here described ; a life unusually complete, with 
 strongly marked beginning, middle, and close, earnestly 
 
312 
 
 occupied throughout with the most important human 
 affairs. We have seen an early unfoluing of spccidl 
 powers and aptitudes, and a grand ambition awakened 
 by the consciousness of their possession ; aspirations, as 
 they proved themselves to be in the event, based on the 
 nature of things. We have seen a discipline undergone ; 
 a discipline of long delays, of disappointment' upon disap- 
 pointment ; each issuing in a clearer demonstration of tlie 
 virtue of the man ; of the genuineness of his faith, his hope, 
 his self-control, his fortitude. Finally, we have seen the 
 experience gained in the school of adversity ])ractically 
 applied in the period of prosperity, and eveiy successive 
 elevation in position, and every additional honour attained, 
 used, not for the furtherance of petty or personal ends, 
 but .as a new vantage-ground for securing good to men on 
 the widest scale and for the longest possible period. 
 
 " We have not touched upon private sorrows, all along 
 mingling plentifully with the stream of outward, visible 
 history; bereavements severing at last almost every 
 earthly tie, and leaving their subject, in respect to blood- 
 relationship, all but alone ; although, in other, respects 
 surrounded by 
 
 ' that which should accompany old age, 
 
 As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends.' 
 
 " Hear, however, the noble Bishop himself speak : ' My 
 life,' ho says, in 1860, * has doubtless been laborious, and, 
 I believe, interspread by a larger number of vicissitudes 
 than usually happen to individuals : but it has, on the 
 whole, been happy. And now, when near the close, I can 
 look back without any startling convictions, and forward 
 with increasing hope.' — Charge, 18G0, p. 4. 
 
 " To the student of humanity, and of Divinity too, how 
 beautiful and how consolatory is such a declaration ! To 
 the prime blessing of an organization of the best quality, 
 was added uninterrupted health, and a constitutional 
 
343 
 
 impcrtuibability. His was one of those strongly-braced 
 intellects that can rise superior to troubles which crush 
 the hearts of ordinary men. As often as the emergency 
 presented itself, he could summon to his aid the re- 
 flection — 
 
 ' 'Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brake 
 That virtue must go through. We must not stiut 
 Our necessary actions, in the frar 
 To cope malicious censurers, •wliicii ever, 
 As ravenous^shes, do a vessel follow 
 Tliat is new-trimm'd, but benefit no farther 
 Tiian vainly longing.' 
 
 He had the power to pass at will from one train of 
 thought to another, and so divest himself of a mental 
 burden. What a sense was there of cerebral cobwebs 
 shaken off, for others as well as himself, in the sound 
 of his brief, explosive, hearty laugh, suddenly heard 
 above the murmur of conversation in intervals of business 
 at synodal or society meetings, after dreary discussions, 
 threatening at times to be interminable. It was this 
 superiority to the trials common to men that made him 
 the sisiy he was found to be by many, when involved in 
 serious perplexity and distress. Courageous himself, he 
 inspired courage in others. Of the griefs laid before him, 
 he discovered some view that was hopeful. He often saw 
 something in relation to them, which the immediate 
 sufferer did not. He thus often sent away from him 
 with a lightened heart, those that had come to him des- 
 ponding. The burden that had bowed them seemed half 
 removed by being disclosed to him. 
 
 " From his Charges to the Clergy could be gathered a 
 code of Anglican Divinity, and a manual of canonical life. 
 But while his statements of dogma and rules for clerical 
 practice are definite and precise, he makes them with 
 consideration, as knowing that the persons addressed were 
 accustomed to great liberty of thought and action. So far 
 as related to himself, the theological convictions formed at 
 
344 
 
 the student period of his life, having been happily arrived 
 at under a wise direction, i-eceived only more and more 
 confirmation as years rolled on. He was, in this manner, 
 enabled, as he himself testified, towards the close of his 
 career, to speak at all times with boldness on the special 
 topics connected with his oflice, and ' with an inward 
 satisfaction and firmness of purpose which, under the 
 Divine blessing, has never changed.' ' I have always 
 been aware,' he tells -his Clergy in* I860, ' that the best 
 endeavour I could make to promote unity in the Church, 
 was to seek after inward unity and peace in my own 
 breast ; because it is only by cherishing such graces that I 
 can give consistency to my religious character, and cause 
 its influence to pei-vade and penetrate the Diocese, and 
 shed abroad in it the power of faith and charity.' A 
 profound remark, reminding us of Lord Bacon's words : 
 No pleasure is comparable to the standing upon the 
 vantage-ground of Truth, a hill not to be commanded, and 
 where the air is always clear and serene ; and to see the 
 errors, and wanderings, and mists, and tempests in the 
 vale below ; so also that this prospect be with pity, and 
 not with swelling or pride. Certainly it is heaven upon 
 earth to have a man's mind move in charity, rest in 
 Providence, and turn upon the poles of Truth.' 
 
 " There was a peculiar freshness and naturalness about 
 his published Journals of Visitation. In them, without 
 losing anything of dignity, he enlivens details which 
 might be deemed merely technical and professional, by 
 notices of matters connected with the physical aspect and 
 progress of the country. His Journal of the year 1842 
 was published in London, by the Society for Propagating 
 the Gospel in Foreign Parts, and has passed through 
 several editions. The same features characterized his 
 narratives of the acts of the year delivered in Synod. In 
 the account of his voyage to England in 1850, given in a 
 Pastoral, the touching story of ' Poor Thoiuas ' will be 
 
345 
 
 remembered : a sailor on board the nliip, who had been 
 deprived of both his legs by frost-bite. After describing 
 witli niimiteness the case, ' His fine spirit endeared him,' 
 the Bishop says, ' to all the ])assengers, and, when made 
 acquainted with his simple ])lans, a subscription of fifty 
 [xmnds was raised for his benefit ; and two gentlemen 
 belonging to Liveq)oob with true Christian charity, en- 
 gaged to see it appropriated in such a manner as to ensure 
 the completion of his wishes, and, if necessary, to supply 
 what mii^ht be wantin*'. The matter being thus satis- 
 factorily arranged, Thomas was made quite happy.' This 
 combination of a genial concern in homely, human mat- 
 ters, and a readiness and ajititude for high and comjjlicated 
 occupations, made him ecpially at his ease, whether con- 
 versing with Chin([uaconse in an Indian hut at Ganlen 
 River, crooning to himself some old Scottish air in the 
 liavk seat of an uncouth stage-coach on the Penetan- 
 guishine road, or exchanging courtesies with AUjcrt 
 Kdward, Prince oi' Wales, and the gentlemen of hif^ suite, 
 in the saloons of Government House at Toronto. And 
 herein he exemplified in himself what his well-known 
 views were, in regard to the kind of men fitted to be 
 ' spiritual pastors and masters ' among the people of 
 Western Canada. ' It should make no difference whethei- 
 it is a log or a sofa that you sit on,' we once heard him 
 say, referring to emergencies that constantly occur where 
 things are in the rough. ' I know how to content myself 
 with earthen vessels, as my father did,' said an old Bisho[) 
 of Chichester, in 124.), when Henry III. was withholding 
 the revenues of his See : ' let everything be sold, even to 
 my horse, if there be nee<l.' This was the spirit of the 
 first Bishop of Toronto. It was this singleness of view in 
 regard to duty under all circumstances, that made him 
 intrepid in the midst of peril. The times of contagious 
 sickness, in 1832 and 1847, found him unflinching in his 
 ministrations. In the keeping ^of appointments, too, ihe 
 44 
 
34G 
 
 same fearlessness was sure to be seen. We ourselves well 
 veniember an instance of this, when night and rough 
 weather rendei'ing a long pull in an open boat on the 
 river at the Sault Ste. Marie by no means a trifling 
 matter, the stand taken in respect to a distant engagement 
 was in almost the identical terms used by the Roman 
 general of old : ' It is not necessary for me to live, but it is 
 necessary for me to go.' 
 
 " Such a man as the great Bishop wliose career we have 
 been studying, is no shadow. Neither are the things 
 which such men pursue, shadows. The results of the life 
 of the first Bishop of Toronto are tangible realities. They 
 may be sensibly })articipated in by all of the Canadian 
 people that choose, or in the future shall choose, to avail 
 themselves of them. And he himself is a reality. His 
 example, his written and spoken words, his works and 
 deeds, will together constitute a standard and type to 
 which, in the fluctuations of the future, there will be a 
 recurrence. His name will be one of the things which tiie 
 generations following will not willingly let die. His 
 spirit will be still palpably marching on. 
 
 " He built the principal Chui'ch-edifice appertaining to 
 his own communion four times in succession ; twice as a 
 Cathedral-church for his Diocese ; and, on each successive 
 occasion, with increased grandeur and costliness. ' Twins 
 of Learning' witness for him: he founded two Universities 
 in succession, both invested with the character borne by 
 such institutions as originally instituted, by Royal Char- 
 ter, — procured in both instances by his own pei-sonal 
 travail; the latter of the two by an individual and solitary 
 eflbrt, to which it is not easy to find a parallel. He saw 
 them both in operation, investigating, conserving, an<l 
 propagating truth, on somewhat different lines indeed, but 
 probably with co-ordinate utility, as things are. The 
 very Park, with its widely-renowned Avenue, the Champs 
 Elys^es of Toronto, in which the bourgeoisie of the place 
 
347 
 
 love to take their pastime, are a provision of his, that 
 property having been specially selected by him as Presi- 
 dent of King's College, with the same judiciousness aiid 
 the same careful prescience of the need of amplitude for 
 such purposes which guided him also in choosing the fine 
 site and grounds of Trinity College. 
 
 " The Anglican residue rescusd by his prowes? in the 
 final disposition of the endowments for Public Worship, he 
 so wisely husbanded by a scheme of commutation, that 
 funds, which, in due course, were intended to be extin- 
 guished, were transformed into a permanence, applicable 
 in all time to the aid and maintenance of Anglican 
 interests. 
 
 " The chancel-apse that shelters the grave of the first 
 Bishop of Toronto has acquired a double sacredness. St. 
 James's, Toronto, will be enquired for and visited here- 
 after by one and another from different parts of this 
 Continent and the Mother Country, somewhat as certain 
 venerable piles are enquired for and visited at St. Albans 
 and Winchester, at Rheims and Mayence, for the sake of 
 historic dust therein enshrined. 
 
 "But even without accessories of any kind, without the 
 mystic prefix with which the ages of credulity would have 
 marked his nam.. ; without the symbolism, sensuous and 
 fiorid as of an unintelligent period, or spiritual and delicate 
 as of an intelligent one, the mortal resting-place of the 
 first Bishop of Toronto will have power to fascinate the 
 imagination. As thousjh there burned within it an 
 undying lamp, a steady beam of light will be seen to issue 
 from that sepulchral vault, streaming down the future of 
 the Anglican Church in Canada, drawing and reclaiming, 
 cheering and directing, many faltering steps." 
 
34H 
 
 The following are selected from a short biogi*aphy of 
 the late Bishop, in the "Porfraifs of Brifif^h America iisj' 
 by Fennings Taylor, Esq. : — 
 
 " Dr. Straehan may have been well excused if he regarded 
 liimself as the especial champion and representative of the 
 (^Jhurch in the State, since the peculiar duties which wert^ 
 associated with his appointment were such as he might 
 neither omit nor evade. How thoroughly the Churcli of 
 his choice had become the Church of his affections is writ- 
 ten in almost every page of his published works. How 
 ardently he desired 'to lengtlien her cords and strengthen 
 her stakes,' is seen in every effort of his active life. He 
 neither questioned nor doubted the human blessedness of 
 her office. He believed that the union between the Church 
 and the State which existed in the old country, ought not 
 to be put asunder in Canada, for, with the Earl of Eldon, lie 
 was of opinion ' that the establishment is formed, not for 
 the purpose of making the Church political, but for tlie 
 purpose of making the State religious.' 
 
 "The desire lay near his heart to make Canada resembh* 
 England, resemble her in religion in manners, in character, 
 in institutions, and in laws. 'I'o this end he sought to 
 establish rectories in stated places, to cover the Province 
 with a net work of parishes, and to establish in each par- 
 ish a centre of religious and educational influence, as well 
 as of social and intellectual jefinement. The picture of 
 the future, which his fancy sketched, may have resembled 
 the actual picture wKich Cobbett saw from one of the 
 glorious uplands of his native country, and which he has 
 vividly described in his nervous writings. In imagination, 
 Dr. Straehan beheld a noble Province, divided into paral- 
 lellogi'ams and apportioned into parishes, each parish the 
 centre of an accredited representative of that genial, well- 
 mannered Christianity which is the popular characteristic 
 of the Clergy of the national Church ; the settled abode of 
 
349 
 
 one whose character would be resj)ected and whose influ- 
 ence would be seen in the every day intercourse of common 
 life. His desire was that religion and learning, re-acting 
 on one another, should sanctify taste, elevate morals, purify 
 manners, and blend with the hard and roughening influ- 
 ences of the backwoods, many of the social refinements and 
 home attractions which grow around the old grey Church 
 towers and within the trim parsonages of England. The 
 machinery of Church work through the whole of its edu- 
 cational course, from the cradle to the grave, formed in his 
 mind a vision of present loveliness and future peace. 
 
 " It is true, indeed, that the existence of the University 
 of Toronto, as well as Upper Canada College, are indirectly 
 due to his exertions ; for in procuring a Charter for the 
 predecessor of the first-named institution he laid the foun- 
 •lation of the present University. But though he is fairly 
 referred to in the language of compliment as its founder, 
 nevertheless the honour, so far as we are informed, was 
 neither claimed nor coveted by him. On the contrary, he 
 made little eflTort to conceal his feelings with respect to it, 
 for he complained bitterly not only as one who had been 
 despoiled of his posessions, but as one who had been robbed 
 of his own fair child, and had been oflered in its stead the 
 lean and ill-conditioned oftspring of another, alien in form, 
 unlike in feature, and different in name, whom he could 
 neither press to his heart nor recognize as his own. The 
 University of Toronto wa.s not King's College. In those halls 
 for education which he had striven to raise he dreamt not 
 of a perishable home. The discipline of study, wluch he 
 had hoped to see carried on there, like the discipline of 
 teaching, which was to be continued elsewhere, was pre- 
 paratory only. The matriculants in his esteem were can- 
 didates for immortal honours, for degrees in 'the house not 
 made with hands.' The School, the College, the University, 
 represented the approaches to the Church, and the Church 
 was the vestibule of Heaven. They were essential parts of 
 
350 
 
 a prescribed pathway through which mortal man might 
 pass from 'tlie city of cjestniction' to 'the mount of God.' 
 
 " It is possible to imagine, though it is less eapy to pour- 
 tray, the bitter trial through which he must liave passed, 
 as one idol after another was crushed at his feet, and scat- 
 tered beyond his reach. It is true, indeed, that his mind 
 was severely disciplined to disappointment, for the lamj) of 
 success very rarely brightened his vale of years. Yet 
 though we make allowance for the fact that he was fami- 
 liar with failure, it is not tasy to analyze the emotions 
 which must have visited him as he took note of the 
 gradual growth of the University of Toronto. Even a 
 stranger is struck with the external beauty of that visible 
 expression of applied science. Like a gem of mediaeval 
 art, fittingly set in a frame-work of verdure, it silently 
 commands the admiration it receives. But it is not diffi- 
 cult to suppose that to the eye of the Bishop such unques- 
 tionable charms rather aggravated than diminished the 
 anguish of his heart. It was hard for him to see such 
 perfection of beauty separated, if not estranged from, the 
 Supreme Author and Source of beauty. It was hard for 
 him to see those brave old trees jubilant with joy, waving 
 their glad arms around those curious carvings and dainty 
 fretworks, and not to feel within his nature a root of bit- 
 terness with which they, at least, had no sympathy. It 
 was hard to see such 'a fabric huge, rise like an exhala- 
 tion,' on the very ground, near to the very spot which had 
 been prepared and set apart by him for a purpose so simi- 
 lar, and yet so unlike ; oh ! it was hard to see and not to 
 feel, in the overthrow of hope, how exquisitely painful is 
 the irony of joy. Moreover, it was impossible for his clear 
 mind to be insensible to the fact, that the noble structure 
 which adorned these College grounds, like a jewelled cas- 
 ket, was correspondingly rich in its furniture of thought. 
 There was the requisite machinery, including many of the 
 pleasant and most of the necessary appliances for work. 
 
351 
 
 and there, too, were the human parts, the professors and 
 masters singularly well chosen, to control and direct all. 
 Beauty and culture were there, but the untra veiled heart 
 of the venerable Bishop yearned for its Christian cloister, 
 for the voice of prayer and the song of praise, lor the law 
 and discipline by which learning had been hallowed in the 
 ages of the past. He missed what he deemed to be the 
 pivot of the system, for he saw not the central glory from 
 which all education, in his judgment, sliould proceed. He 
 mourned less for the success of his adversaries than for the 
 slight to his Church, less for their triumph over him than 
 for the missing Shekinah, the rbsent altar, the unoffered 
 morning and evening service, and for what he regarded as 
 the virtual eclipse of faith within those walls. Men may 
 make light of ci'eeds, catechisms, and confessions of faith, 
 they may sneer at prejudices, discredit motives, and 
 ridicide dogma. Nevertheless, the picture of a good 
 man's sorrow is no unworthy subject of contemplation. 
 It is always touching for its sadness, and sometimes 
 eloquent for its sublimity. Such sorrow sobers the sense, 
 quickens the pulse, and touches the soul, for it appeals to 
 our better nature, and reminds us of the goodness from 
 which we have fallen. Thus, thought becomes cleansed 
 and pariiied by contact with heavenly things. It is in- 
 flamed with the brightness of the better land and acknow- 
 ledges the excellence of goodness in this. It throbs with 
 virtue, and thri. Is with immortality. Its yearnings reach 
 from the visible to the everlasting, from 'the life which 
 now is, to that which is to come.' 
 
 "The Bishop's opinions, like his character, were not 
 fashioned in a flexible mould, for they were not made of 
 maleable, but of cast-iron. He was unbending in person 
 and unyielding in action. His opinions were not senti- 
 ments, but convictions ; moral properties of which he 
 deemed himself to be the trustee, t«.nd from which he would 
 not abate one jot or relinquish one tittle. Compromise 
 
352 
 
 v/as foreign to his experience, and concession was unsuited 
 to his temper. Hence he liad little respect for their re- 
 searches, and none for their conclusions, v/ho teach that 
 the liistory of the Church of England, like the history of 
 the Realm of England, is in fact fi history <jf compromise. 
 " But disappointment did not result in despair. Thero 
 was dignity, as well as grace, in tlie way in which he ac- 
 cepted defeat. Indeed, his character never shone to gi'cater 
 advantage than when he snatched a triumjih from an over- 
 throw. His resources were as manifold as they were 
 inexhaustible. At the age of seventy-two he ceased from 
 strife, and bowing obediently to a painful law, he began 
 with renewed industry to build afresh what we regard as 
 the fairest, and what we believe will i>rove to be the most 
 enduring monument of his fame. Sweet to him had been 
 the uses of adversity, for though his contest with the civil 
 power had been obstinate and exhausting, and though he 
 had been worsted in that contest, nevertheless, his ascent 
 from the 'valley of humiliation' was luminous, if not Avith 
 victory, at least with hope. In the strength of acquired 
 wisdom and inherent faith, he appealed to new agencies, 
 and called into use new instruments of work. He took a 
 closer survey of the moral landscape, and examined afresh 
 the most approved codes of Christian warfare ; and he soon 
 learned how to move and combine forces with which, until 
 then, he was presumed to be unfamiliar, and in which he 
 had placed but little trust. Thus was it, that by means of 
 what we may truly call 'the weak things of the world, he 
 confounded the things that were mighty.' Turning from 
 Princes in whom he ceased to place his trust, and from 
 laws, which, like reeds, had broken beneath his weight, he 
 appealed to sentiment and religion, to faith and duty, to 
 individual sympathy, and to individual sacrifice. In the 
 sacred names of truth aiid justice, he invoked the aid of 
 that voluntary principle which he had formerly dis- 
 credited, and sought in the freewill offerings of the many, 
 
3o3 
 
 what he had hoped to find in the muniticence of one. He 
 a])pe!ilod to honour and self-interest, to tlie recollection of 
 wrongs, and the conviction of right, and liis stirring words 
 called into life the latent enthusiasm of gifted souls. His 
 heart was inflamed with the fire he had kindled. He 
 would scarcely give sleep to his eyes, or slumber to his 
 eyelids, until he had erected a College wherein the Divine 
 law should fill the chief place in the circle of the sciences. 
 Thus he turned from the creature to the Creator, from 
 human policy to the Divine Government, from man to God. 
 He shut the statutes that the sunlight might shine upon 
 the Gospel. He endeavoured to 'forget the things that 
 were behind,' that he might, with an untrammelled mind, 
 'reach forward to those that were before,' and being im- 
 pelled by memory and allured by hope, ho moderated his 
 appeal to the intellect that he might intensify his address 
 to the heart. It was a brave siijfht to behold the heroic 
 Bishop playing the roll of a voluntary. It was a brave 
 sight to see one who had passed the period of life allotted 
 by the Psalmist, stooping afresh to take up its burden, and 
 submitting once more to the toils and sacrifices, the trials 
 and disappointments which he had some right to lay aside. 
 It was a brave sight to see one who could be indifferent to 
 })ersonal ease and conventional prudence, to the suggestions^ 
 of comfort and the seductions of policy, setting himself to 
 the duty of building in Canada a monument such as Wil- 
 liam of Wykeham erected at Oxford, not only where the 
 work of education might be begun in the faith of Christ, 
 but where, in the strength of the adorable Trinity, it 
 might be continued and ended to the glory of God. 
 
 "Though there was a sting in his stjle, there was no 
 spite in his nature. He might thro\v his antagonist 
 roughly, but he would pick him up again kindly. Or 
 should the issue of the conflict be reversed, he would ac- 
 cept his defeat with the grace of one who could respect his 
 victor. Being a courageous, he was also a magnanimous 
 45 
 
354 
 
 man. His views were large views, alid when they could 
 be indulged without violence to his religious logic, they 
 were generous views. Thus in his dealings with his 
 Clergy, he recognized great latitude of opinion, for practi- 
 cally he had a just appreciation of the religious liberty 
 which is consistent witli the s})irit and genius of the 
 Anglican Church. His own principles were clear and well 
 defined ; nevertheless, he had a scholar's respect for the 
 learning as well as for the ininciples of other peop'e, and 
 hence he neither required an Islington password nor a 
 Liturgical shiljboleth from Clergymen who desired to work 
 in his Diocese. In common with the great boily of Angli- 
 cans lie may have preferred the principles of Arminius to 
 those of Calvin, but he did not <»u that account brand with 
 an anathema, or blemish with a prejudice, timse weaker 
 Christians who could not receive the full measun; of the 
 Catholic faith. 
 
 "The benevolence of the Bishop was pra<ti.'<'<l with sys- 
 l^*mati«' and dif>criniinating gracel'uIuesH. Misfoitunr rarely 
 iip|M-ul('d to him in vain, and i^nerty .seldom left his l:<>uhe 
 unrelieve<l ; for compiusHioa and charity were as conKpic' 
 iHniM in his rlmrmtUT an fidelity and enduramc With 
 rc'Hpect to proje<U coiini'«t«'d with religion Jiis lilKfrality 
 wa« • prov<*r»*, lli'Te wen- f«w < liui' h«"< or l*arM ma |j«*ji 
 in the Proviiic* in n'j|ard t*> whi<h th«' -^trikin^ imaj(«*ry of 
 th« prophet iiaiiiikkuk could not Irnve Ix'i'ii appiic -d, for 
 •th«* nt'itK? iiiJirht havo cri***! out of Um; w»\\,' hw\ 't\f !«,(ui 
 fiiiifht \m\ vri.d It. Atid <H<'h hMWiifl^i till otJii-r tiuO, 
 
 j! M ri« ' tin-r*' wa« *Iu«* t*- !h< -iJv f <>t \\tf ^4»l whjt^h 
 
 mt*rt' liM gHIa ^"wy with imii w igipfi ii<Jy nffmimi 
 M rtfilliing mom ^tum pi talMii U» t«> mimA, m * Iniit Im hm 
 
 flnRMMRIHMML mMI MMNHl mk UBm WBtt Hi #Vm MII110 j MM Wl 
 ^^H^«4^ ^tmm m^^^^^mttl th^L ^a ^^«m^ tti^e ^^^ if|j,iJ ^^^ 
 
 imip^PvVi^^ ^ww^w wBIHPW^"^^^^* *^^WB^^ ^H» ^HI^^^^WW ^^^W^W? flHViV ^B^w^B ^^^^^r 
 
355 
 
 his blessing to bestow, yet of that little he bequeathed 
 'his dear College' his 'joy of grief,' as a mark of his 
 affection, the valuable library which he had accumulated, 
 and the costly plate which his Cornwall scholars had 
 given to him. 
 
 "In matters of charity and benevolence as well as in 
 matters of general philanthroj)y or local improvement, 
 his were the sajjacious counsels and the strenfrthenini; 
 words, the guiding hand and the generous heart, the ad- 
 vice and co-operation tliat went far towards crowning 
 exertion with success. Moreover, there was a j)hase of 
 charity which shewed itself conspicuously in those exact- 
 ing forms of civic couiage which test our metal, and are 
 perhaps more trying t<i personal endurance than any act 
 of physical darirg. 'The pestilence that walketli in dark- 
 ness, and the destruction that wasteth in the noon-<lf.y' 
 n'jiresent shajK's of evil, liefore which brave men liave 
 (piailed, and from wliicii even valiant men have fletl. Hut 
 Kurli t<'rrors wnmglit no |Kreeptil»le rhange in hins. H'ih 
 holy faith and his «yre<I calling .erve<l hiia with stn-ugtli, 
 and l»«»th wrro harmoniously exhibiiiHl in bin workn. In 
 fulfilling tin- diitii'H vihitli h*'*-iiu'*\ t^» li«' in bin path, h«* 
 wtiM not a<'*'U««tontcd t^i U'tk** tlMMii^ht of <on<M!pi<'n«'i'^ Hi* 
 in'Vu'\(^\ tliiif H»* mIi • "tmiU'rt'il iht' \t\u-'* woulii in»t 
 oMjh#i*k liijii III til. ',. .Jul C lioji'ni mfn»itn» of lH%i ^ 
 liit wi'll-r<*iiM '"'" r.'d iii^nr*^ ^iTutid t** !»•• fv^r almiad, feir 
 tii« only tiiUi i Ih mmU* w»m to r«>fl<«4ihli' hia 
 
 mr^l »«tw'k fUmtr U» lii»» «liity lit ihttn r*onfr««niifi!;i' 
 r, lUi a < 1iri<il4Hii HWMm v^mrm'j^^ he rpj*rom*4i#w| w* <♦»«•, 
 
 p«l MMVf in rfiMBt, A*t Ih- i*3Um\f 4k^- 
 
 &MaMai I^MMi lArillilir liriill Jiggmgmf MA'VMMr v&illMi tfw 
 
 i^wP»WPil™p WmV^^^9&^ ^wiPP»JBPwf •» ^» »^p» mViHHi^PVji »#1W*1«BHK *F^WP^^^^ ^^^*^ 
 
356 
 
 practice what he preached. Religion "with him was less a 
 sentiment than a duty, and thus the pathway of his long 
 life was less beautified with the blossoms than strewn with 
 the fruits of benevolence. He did not seem to age in his 
 tastes or his occupations. His memory kept green long 
 after the memories of his contemporaries became seared 
 and yellow. Youth always attracted him, and his affec- 
 tions turned with especial fondness towards little children, 
 not only because they were tlie best human types of purity 
 and innocence, but because their natures were bright and 
 hopeful like his own. Many will remember with what 
 unalloyed happiness he adapted his conversation to their 
 capacity, as well as the exuberant joy with which his 
 [)resence was looked forward to and greeted by them. He 
 knew liow t<j combine the offices of a Bishop and a frien<l, 
 and he set no WiAit value on the intluence for <joo<l whirh 
 might be exerted by one who could, in his life and conver- 
 Nsitimi, shew the truth of tiie P.sjihuist's <'Xj>eri*'nce, that 
 the ways of rt-ligion are 'ways <if pl«':is;intn«'.ss, and that all 
 luT |)iith.s are jm'sk'c' 
 
 •• But tin* p<Ti<Ml was faMt approaching when h<' was to 
 t^UtHii his ryus oil the M<"ciu's of Wis t«»il and his fniii**. Tin* 
 hahdofttiiM.it in tru«', wan laid with ran -^^i nt]. im >> oii 
 him. but Ik* was not iii<«« -n^ible to itM preHMun*. J lie duti«'H 
 w)ii4h Im' ]uu\ lnT»'t'»fon' l.« «ri cnHbh**] Ut j«'H«»nii without 
 diffiitilt V \»nmf ciUM'tiiig mui «»pj»r«"v*iv. His «iiHHi«ij<i' 
 ii i« )|i-.| f Um' ifiU'riiiiwMiou *»( luiy of th<sH<- du i, uid 
 
 If' n- .ji-ii. fi»r r(*ii4*f«iid > < Jim- Uio- 
 
 } )>ri^fWrtti Jim wtMli.tuM luMiitn-ifd ii aright 
 > • !•-< tod m liM aniwljttt<*r in t!)<- KumnptjU'. *m*' 
 wU^- ..^d U«n htK \m\Hl imt\ wtm hi>« itht^i, wImi Siaoi 
 dmmmi to- »'- 'n^it<t mmJ iyfii|»tttt»iid ia Ui» ]ikam,mmi wtlit 
 whtmt h* ■ u*.! nmifer iHdi mtMtmm, mmi met wH^ ttfSim'- 
 Um. in :**m, Urn Vmumrnk^df" A. 91. Bmmvwm, t^.U, ami 
 
 ■ !■ -I .'1 
 
357 
 
 year, he was on the 25th January, 1867, on the Festival 
 of St. Paul, consecrated as the Bishop of Niagara, with an 
 understanding tliat he should eventually succeed to the 
 See of Toronto. 
 
 "The year which opened thus suggestively, was destined 
 ere its close to fulfil the purpo.se for which its solemnities 
 had made provision. The seasons of flowers, fruits, and 
 faded leaves had passed away. 'The chaplet of the year' 
 was dead, and the 'angry winds' of winter were ready to 
 issue from their icy caves. The autumn festival of All 
 Saints, the l.ast in the annual cycle of the services of the 
 Church, the ' drcai" November day' arrived, when the 
 venerable Prelate, for whom an assistant had been chosen, 
 was to be separated from the cares of his Bishopric, and 
 when his soul, with ' the souls of the righteous' was to 
 pass tu 'the hand of God,' 'where no torment shall touch 
 them,' 
 
 ' To soar iiioac elder Saints to meet 
 Gather'*] Ions; since at Jesus' feet.' " 
 
358 
 
 To the Testimonies of Individuals wo may annex the 
 Tribute of the Public, in the honour which was paid to 
 tlie remains of the late Bishop of Toronto after his 
 death. We cannot control a desire, which we believe 
 will be shared in by Churchmen generally who were 
 acquainted with the character and works of the deceased, 
 to place on record a detailed account of his Funeral, 
 as it appeared in the Church Chronicle of the 1st 
 December, 1867 : — 
 
 "The Funeral of the late Bishop took place on 
 Tuesday, November 5. A general disposition was shewn, 
 both by public bodies and by the -jitizens at large, to give 
 token of their deep respect for the memory of one whost; 
 name had been so long and so honourably associated witli 
 the history, not only of the City and the Diocese, but of 
 the Province of Upper Canada. The same spirit wu« 
 discovered by tlie Volunteer-force ; and the troo|)fi forming 
 the GaiTison received orders from the Lieutenant Gover- 
 nor to line the streets on tlie occasion, while lie himself 
 acted as one of the pall-lH-Mirers, and numernw Statf- 
 iHRcerH appeared in the FnjccsHion. In accordance with a 
 j»r«x*lamation i.s.^u«'d by the Mayor, business whs siisjKiuifd, 
 and th<' sUutM clitsi'tl. FIii^k were exhibited «t hulf-iiiast 
 fioiii many buildingH, and th«' 1x*11h of th«' ('atht*<Jral 
 «'hifii«»d a uiurt!<'d p«'al throughout th«' d«y, tin- girnt 
 Im'II tttiiing an ilw PnM'i'M»«i<in drrw near th«* Church. 
 
 At nur o'iUhU. tlif i'lrnt tU'tJki'hut* lit <*(' th»' (i«iTim»ri, 
 i' i^tinji of tht? 17Ui l<4»ginn*nt. «rnve<i (»ii iho lim* of 
 
 ^nimnnUm. Mul t«M»k iWtr hitAtid of! York Hfrp«t lA^'tWiM^II 
 tliiw J****!) ftiwl tli*' In* Hi*sl)f'| r* ]pU' ' "tljitioiii •* 
 
359 
 
 and the Military School Cadet*?. Along King Street were 
 ranged two batteries of Royal Artillery dismounted, the 
 Cavalry School Cadets, and the 13th Hussars, extending 
 from York Street to the doors of the Cathedral. 
 
 About 150 of the Clergy had assembled at half-past one 
 at the Bishop's residence. Among them were several from 
 the Diccese of Huron, and some from the Diocese of 
 Ontario. Other boaies collected at other j^oints in 
 order to prevent the confusion w^Ich would necessarily- 
 have arisen had one place of redezvous been appointed 
 for all. 
 
 The arrangements having been completed, the Hearse, 
 drawn by four black horses, which had housings of black, 
 was brought to the door, and the Coffin was plficed within 
 it, being conveyed from the house by six former i>u})ils of 
 the deceased Prelate, viz.. The Ven. the AkchdeacuN of 
 Niagara, the Rev. William McMukray, D.D., D.C.L., 
 The Hon. Vice Chancellor SPRACiCE, Messrs. William 
 Gamble, F. H. Heward, and John Ridoitt. The CofHn 
 which wjis covered with black cloth, with mountings of 
 silver, bore on a plate the following inscription : 
 
 The H;»nourable and Rij'ht Reverend 
 
 JOHN STKACHAN. lU). LLU. 
 
 FifHt Bishop of Toront<», 
 
 Horn 1 2th April, 177H 
 
 Died J»t NuveiiiUr, lH(i7. 
 
 Al fi<|ii«rti>r U> tw<»Uu» PnM'i*HNiou \h"^uh i«. hM»\«' Tlie 
 Hir4«*'t« oti tin* rout*' \»'»'n' dtnwly throiij^t**!. ttiid i-wry 
 wituliiw whu'li < M >, til ! :>- \ i.w at Mtiy \Mimi win* 
 iltiwd^l wiili ««fW i^> Thi> toiiowing whm th«f 
 
300 
 
 Firing party — One troop of the 13th Hussars, mounted. 
 
 Officers of the 10th Royals, 
 
 Officers of the Volunteer Artillery Battery and Foot Artillery. , 
 
 Officers of the Grand Trunk Brigade. 
 
 Officers of the Queen's Own. 
 
 Volunteer Staff Officers. 
 
 Regular Staff Officers. 
 
 St. George's Society. 
 
 St. Andrew's Society. ^ 
 
 St. Patrick's Society, 
 
 The City Police Force : Officers in rear. 
 
 The Members of the City Council. 
 
 The City Officials, 
 
 Upper Canada Law Society, 
 
 Law Students. 
 
 Professors and Students Victoria College. 
 
 Masters and Students Upper Canada College, 
 
 Masters and Pupils Normal School. 
 
 Faculty and Students of Toronto University, 
 
 Graduates and Undergraduates Trinity College. 
 
 Professors of Trinity College, 
 
 Clergy of tliis and other Dioceses. 
 
 Revs. S. Givins and Dr. Scadding, Chaplains. 
 
 The Bishop and the Dean of Toronto. 
 
 Pnll Bearers. «» Pall Iknrert. 
 
 VI 
 
 The Ven, the Archdeacon of Toronto, j^j The Ven. tlie Archdeacon of Niagara. 
 
 The ProTOsl of Trinity College. Af The President of University College 
 
 The M;ivor of Toronto. ^ Hon. H. J. Boulton. 
 
 The Chief Justice of Ontari». Jla The Lient«uant Governor of O'llariu. 
 
 Verger and Valet. 
 
 Muuruen. 
 
 Citixeni un foot. 
 
 Carriagei. 
 
 K. L. 1 'KNIH<>N. Vjm\, litul kiii«lly mtim-jit*-*! t^) lU't iin 
 llwnihali t4> the Vniin*mHm, whi« h wrh it(»t U-m ihmi 
 fori^-five iiuauum iti immiiv^ way 01145 ptitjii; Mfi hk 
 
361 
 
 skilful dispositions, aided by the military authorities 
 stationed at different parts of the line, secured an order 
 and regularity of movement which greatly contributed to 
 the solemnity of the funeral ceremony. As the head of 
 the Procession reached the Cathedral it took open rank, 
 and thus allowed the Hearse to approach the entrance. 
 Here the Coffin was removed by the six gentlemen before 
 mentioned, and conveyed to the door of the Church, 
 whence it was borne up the nave, preceded by the Clergy 
 of the Church, The Service for the Burial of the Dead 
 was then proceeded with, the Psalms being read by the 
 Rev. Canon Baldwin, M.A., the Lesson by the Rev. Canon 
 Beaven, D.D., and the remainder of the service by the 
 Very Rev. the Dean of Toeonto. 
 
 The musical portion of the service was most impressively 
 rendered by a full and efficient choir, under the direction 
 of Mr. John Carter, the organist of the Cathedral, and 
 consisted of the following : 
 
 f\ As the body entered the Church. 
 
 Introductory Sentences. — Chant: Gregorian, 4th Tone, 
 No. 284, Chaufs and Tunes. 
 
 1AM the resurrection and the life.saith the Lord : lie that 
 belie voth in ine. though he were dead yet shall he live 
 — and whosoever livtth and believeth in me shall never die. 
 1 know that my Redeemer Hveth ; and that He shall 
 btaiid at the latter day upon the earth. 
 
 And though afU'r my nkin wonns d«*Htn>y tliis Voly, yet 
 ill my ii< nil shall 1 s<m» (iod. 
 
 Whom 1 hIiuII H4M' for myself: and min*' es .-h >shAll Miold, 
 iiiid not aitotli< r . 
 
 We 1»roU|^'in nothing into tliiM world ; and it Ih ci-rtHin 
 wt^^'un j'urry nothing out 
 
 The Lord sxns'- and thr bird hath uAt«n Hway y»»«»pd 
 be thf nnm*' of the Loi^t 
 44 
 
362 
 
 « 
 
 Funeral March Mendehmhn. 
 
 Gloria Patri after Psalms. — Chant, Dr. Blmv, 
 No. 10, Chants and Tmies. 
 
 IF After Psalms. 
 Hymn. Tune, Windsor, No. 80, Chants and Tunes. 
 
 "VfOW let our mourning hearts reviv^e, 
 X 1 And all our tears be dry ! 
 Wliy should those eyes be drown'd in grief, 
 Which view a Saviour nigh 'i 
 
 Though earthly shepherds dwell in dust, 
 
 The aged and the young, 
 The watchful eye in darkness clos'd 
 
 And mute th' instructive tongue : 
 
 Th' eternal Shepherd still survives, 
 
 New comforts to impai-t ; 
 His eye still guides us, and his voire 
 
 Still animates our heart. 
 
 " \ji I am with you," suith tlu* Lord, 
 
 "My Church shall sjife ai»ide ; 
 Fi»r 1 will ne'er forsake my own, 
 
 NVh«»w sfiuk in me confide." 
 
 Til rough ev*ry f»cen«' f>f life and d*«Hth 
 
 This promine im our triwt : 
 Aim! this Mhiill Ix* our children'?* »«>ng. 
 
 WImmi w»' are <*old in du«t. 
 
 •- 
 
 WkiU> tlm^ml$mms beutu , '"/ to tim 
 
 Wwuuuiu Mamih... C ifl y iii. 
 
363 
 
 ^ While the hochj vjas being lowered. 
 Anthem — "Dead March in 8aiil," arranged hy John Carter. 
 
 FORSAKE me not, O Lord my God : be not Thou far 
 from me. Haste Thee to Iielp me : O Lord God of 
 my salvation. 
 
 O spare me a little, that I may recover my strengtli : 
 before I go hence, and be no more seen. 
 
 Pa. xxyviii. 21, 32. Ps. xxxix. 15. 
 
 IF After Committal Prayer. 
 Anthem John Carter. 
 
 T HEARD a voice from heaven, saying unto nu', Write, 
 X From henceforth blessed are the dead which die in 
 the Lord : even so saith the S[)irit ; for they rest from 
 their labours. 
 
 II At done of Service. 
 
 FuNEKAL March Beethovev. 
 
 Air — " I know that my Redeemer livetli,"... Handel. 
 
 "Tlie Cathedral had beer> pre|)ure<l with great care fur 
 fclie mournful ceremony. The external light htui Ixjen 
 exchuled. The Chancel generally, and th»^ ro4t of the 
 Church })artially, was hung with bia^k, and tin? dim 
 Hiiiiicial light allowed addfd mucli to tla* w»l<'»uuty of 
 the jw'ene. The j?lac<! of inti'rment had lM»««n appropri.ittdy 
 prepared im media t«.*ly ia front of thf Holy Table tin- 
 IhmIv lying, i*^ i« the cuHtoni, aawt nnd we»t ; and it i» Ut 
 \»*; liojM'd that tunnv Htting Mifiiiorial, ?»urli «** in ui'Uu mnnt 
 in the ( 'ttthedralpt of our FathtM' I^Jind, umy ni i»o diMiitiit. 
 time, mark tin* H\Htt, win n* tin- lah* I'nlaU' tiad «o <<!«. u 
 HiotHl and >««rv«*d in (Ih ojli. . •.( hi^i miniHtry mid w\n^i> 
 hki«fttthly r« J«. MM wi r< tJnii <h p^»»it4*d, (oiUmtii hy umitf 
 » 'WfigifiM:. li»ijr<»H»i£ UmW i4 r* v.ii|,f< nftd nt^tmium, tm 
 
 hkmuwnSu^ mmfm, and Ut immf » wimi m»A «^ t 4 kiii4* 
 
864 
 
 IV. 
 
 We feel tiiat we shall be gratifying many readers by 
 recording here a few specimens of the late Bishop's Con- 
 firmation Addresses. 
 
 His rule had invariably been to deliver these Addresses 
 extempore ; thus better adapting them to local circum- 
 stances, and allowing of a more direct, personal, an<l 
 practical (counsel. Sometimes they contjiincd a history 
 of the ordinance itself, — the I)ivine sant^tion for it ap- 
 parent in tho Holy Scriptures, and tlu^ testimony of the 
 whole Church in its favour from the earliest times. 
 Sometimes, t(M», in these Addri'sses, there was an aswM- 
 tion and explanation of the fun<lament.al principles of 
 the Church, — its Divine Constitution, its Episco|»al kuc- 
 cesHion, it« Tiiturgy, its ('re«'(ls, and Sju'ramr-ntH. Ihit 
 these were t«>pi<"s «»nly uiTasiorinlly tourhod ti|N>ii ; thfl 
 pffurt hhwtmi uniformly was, t<» draw att4'ntion t<» the 
 evcrj'-day Christian diitit's to which th«* Coiitirni<*«l hnd 
 MpeciAlly iMiund tlnMnHflvfti, — an f¥c\(-i\*-\im\, ••oiitrol of t<*iii- 
 per, affMTtiiinat** d#*jM»rtnM nf to jmn-nU aiMi to broih^r* 
 aod nmU'Tn, a pur«* and ndi(|iout lift-. d«voiioo tu prny«*r 
 Mid puhiir woraliip, a ^#«dy mkI I'ofiwif'ntioiia m^Um*\nnt*m 
 mi tb* LoH'a Htipfier 
 
 ft, frai« wti until atMnii iwu ytmr* tiiiaf« \m *Um^, t^t, 
 — iw fiir m* w« e«ffi hmru. Mkf mm^ KtU\r*m»t^ «r#f* 
 ^irr^M0tk. ki \kmi ikwm, m < <m, tmm *d hil^mg pmmmn 
 
 wmmmy mmi^ him diijwrtl^i «f 4iiiiiMfMf« 
 titr u^^fnkmmkKm ti t^aw in mamm%mm» tmA 
 
 HI At Pf iiliM §mmk. ^Mk wmwitUm, m%im nf 
 
365 
 
 such Addresses. We feel that old as well as young will 
 be glad of having this record of them, sis wakening up 
 pleasant and useful recollections of paternal counsels and 
 kindly exhortations long ago delivered : — 
 
 (I) 
 
 There will be very few occasions, my dear young 
 friends, in the coui-se of your lives, so interesting and 
 important as the present one. You have this day devoted 
 yourselves to the Most High God your Redeemer ; and 
 He hath confinncd to you the assurance that you are 
 his adopted children, and heirs of His Kingdom. 
 
 It is to you the day of your entrance upon that great 
 and gloriouH estate, of which your parents and sj»ons«>rs 
 urre pennitU'd U) take posses-sion for you when you wvro 
 yet in your infancy ; an estate embracing thi) pardon of 
 your MtiH, the favour and love of Almighty God, the 
 afwiHiancc of Hi« grace and Holy Spirit, and the promi.'^.* 
 of ctiTiml life; and therefore very fttly denominated a 
 " HtmU' of salvation." At thi« entnmce u|»on the }M».swH>ion 
 c»f it in your own najiieM, the (.liurch rcjoiccH. The angels 
 irf* U#^veii have li**ii H\tf.iitU}m, and arc glad. Tin 
 bl*fv«ed Kttleeiwr of our race ret'eiveH gratiHcati<«n, ainl 
 take* you by ih«f haivi ; and th * Altbigiity Father of ail 
 bfingn etmtk-fmsemU to \m)*t*tw on ycm Hij* heavenly Im*ii«- 
 (tte^an. H** tfmU, in the int|Ktrt of what liaM n<»w \mem 
 (kdv, as jrail iwi tt|xiti it and aa we < out^ inphit^ it, that 
 w« i&ouid matoaJly l*f HIM witli Minitrati«-ti and f^mi*- 
 tmkc, with kmmil'tty and joy ; afi<i may well muhim. 
 
 What hatti Goal wr<fii)|^ ?^ 
 
 is aat m wmm 
 witik, and m U» kmm Mr 
 wink ftmr Jbtor ^^ime^ H <m^|S^ t» 
 whali lift, " Smtetivm im aiA Urn 9tt^ t ammr %» km 
 
.366 
 
 thankfiilness and godly fear. You have taken upon you 
 the vows of God. The relations into which you are- 
 brought, are to be perpetual ; you have acknowledged 
 obligations which are to be j^erfornaed daily. There is a 
 covenant between you and the Almighty, in which you 
 have promised to believe and to be holy. In virtue of 
 this covenant, there is opened to you the prosj^ect of the 
 highest happiness of which your nature is capable, — even 
 satisfaction in life, peace in death, and immortaUty in 
 heaven. But your attainment of these blessings depends 
 upon the fulfilment, by the covenanting parties in the 
 transactions of this day, of their respective engagements. 
 
 As regards the Almight}-, what He hath promised. He 
 " will most surely keep and perform." He hath graciously 
 condescended to renew to you the assurance of the pardon 
 of your sins, of the aid of His Holy Spirit, and of eternal 
 life. Respecting the certainty and manner of accom- 
 plishing these things, it becomes you not to scruple or to 
 doubt. In this matter, your business is to believe with a 
 stedfast reliance on His word, that, if you are faithful to 
 perform your vows, " He, who hath begun a good work in 
 you, will perform it unto the end." For " the gifts and 
 calling of God are without repentance ; " " with Him is no 
 variableness, neither shadow of turning." The power of 
 your God is equal to His purposes ; His truth is equal to 
 His power. Hath He said, and shall He not do it ? Hath 
 He spoken, and shall He not make it good ? He hath 
 commanded to bless, and you are blessed; and, unless 
 you abandon the conditions of His blessing, nothing can 
 reverse it. 
 
 It is, therefore, respecting the fulfilment of the engage- 
 ment on your part n> 1 1; that you are always to be con- 
 cerned so long as you continue in this world. You have 
 promised to the Most High God, your Redeemer, and best 
 Benefactor, to renounce whatever He has forbidden ; to 
 believe whatever He has taught ; and to do whatever He 
 
367 
 
 has commanded. As you look forward into this path 
 upon which you have entered, does it seem to you a 
 difficult one ? For man to be good and gain heaven is not 
 a light business. But how great, how encouraging, how 
 animating, are your incitements to fidelity ? If you per- 
 severe, the Holy Ghost will remain with you. You will 
 have in life the favour of God, the knowledge of forgive- 
 ness, the consciousness of holiness. He, who died for you, 
 will see with satisfaction the fruit of His love. Your 
 parents and friends will be gladdened, and society adorned 
 and refreshed by the beauty and fragrance of your virtue. 
 When death shall approach, — for you must all die, — to 
 convey you, from all you hold dear, to the tribunal of the 
 Almighty, you will have the only hope by which man can 
 be comforted and sustained in that most awful hour of 
 human probation ; and from the tribunal of judgment, you 
 will be taken to heaven ; there to be happy forever with 
 all the good ; with Jesus, and with God. If, on the other 
 hand, you become weary of this path, and desert it for 
 any of the enticements of the world, the flesh, and the 
 devil, your portion will be perplexity and dissatisfaction 
 in life ; cheerlessness, if not horror, in death ; and ever- 
 lasting banishment from heaven into regions of darkness 
 and undiscovered woe. What powerful motives are found 
 in this alternative, to the most careful and constant per- 
 formance of your Christian duties ? What inducements to 
 keep your souls diligently, to pass the time of your 
 sojourning here in fear, to endeavour to be righteous 
 before God ; walking in all the commandments and ordi- 
 nances of the Lord blameless ? 
 
 Study then, my young friends, the Holy Scriptures. 
 They are given by your Heavenly Father " a light unto 
 your feet, and a lamp unto your paths." Study some por- 
 tion of them every day, that you may regulate all the con- 
 duct of your lives by them, for they contain for you the 
 only certain instruction In them we have the words of 
 
368 
 
 eternal life ; they are they which testify of the Lord, Ac- 
 custom yourselves to ask in daily private prayer, and to 
 seek by a devout attendance on the services of the sanc- 
 tuary, the continuance and increase of God's Holy Spirit. 
 It is promised to you if you will seek it, and use it faith- 
 fully ; and without it you can do nothing. 
 
 Ilemember your obligation to respect yourselves, and to 
 al)stain from all sin and wickedness, — recollecting that you 
 are the temples of God, and that " the Spirit of God dwel- 
 leth in you." As soon as you can, with a full trust in God'« 
 mercy, and with a quiet conscience, go to the holy table to 
 celebrate the Lord's Supper ; and never neglect in the 
 course of your lives to attend, with the suitable prepara- 
 tion and dispositions, this most comfortable ordinance. It is 
 in this Sacrament we must find the food which, from time 
 to time, will refresh and sustain our spiritual life, and 
 prove frequently the medicine which will heal our sickness. 
 To these helps from the mercy of God, fail not tc add the 
 exertion of your own reason and faculties, to be faithful 
 and conscientious in all the relations of life, which, in His 
 Providence, he shall require you to cultivate, — especially 
 that benevolence, and readiness, and desire to do good, which 
 is and ought to be a conspicuous part of Christian virtue, 
 and which, we have reason to believe, it is particularly agree- 
 able to our Heavenly Father to behold in His children. 
 Meditate upon the life of Jesus Christ the pattern of all 
 that is perfect in man ; and endeavour, by the assistance 
 of that gi-ace which you have received, to be like unto Him. 
 Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, 
 whatsoever things are just, v\''hatsoever things are pure, 
 whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any vir- 
 tue and if there be any praise, as becomes you as Christ's 
 followers, think on these things. 
 
 In this way you will be rendered as perfect and as happy 
 as a person in this world of imperfection and sorrow can 
 be. The way that seemed arduous will be found, as you 
 
.369 
 
 advance, to be the way of pleasantness, and the path which 
 you have chosen the path of peace, while all other ways 
 lead down to the gates of Hell ; and it will conduct you at 
 last to the inheritance of Heaven. But if you at any time 
 quit it, repent immediately, I beseech you, and return to 
 it, that so iniquity may not be your ruin. 
 
 In conclusion, I cannot but be filled with the greatest 
 anxiety; and the san. words which the wise King of 
 Israel addressed to his son I now leave with you, — " And 
 thou, Solomon, my son, know thou the God of thy fathers, 
 and serve him with a perfect heart and willing mind. If 
 thou seek him, he will be found of thee ; but if thou for- 
 sake him, he will cast thee off forever." 
 
 And, my young friends, do not fail to remember that 
 Confirmation is the point of union between the two Sacra- 
 ments : Baptism and the Lord's Supper, Born into a new 
 life by the one, we can only be sustained in that life by 
 the other. Receiving the breath of life from God's Holy 
 Spirit in the one, we are now maintained in that Spirit by 
 the other, — namely, by eating and drinking, sacramentally, 
 the body and blood of Christ which are verily and indeed 
 taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's Supper. 
 
 (11.) 
 
 In speaking to candidates for Confirmation, I have fre- 
 quently mentioned that it is an ordinance replete with 
 blessings to the Church, and yielding a rich return to the 
 zealous and faithful pastor. It is the seed time of a harvest 
 which is continually springing up to cheer him on his 
 onward course. His own experience yearly confirais the 
 wisdom of its appointment; and even its occasional neglect 
 or abuse serves to quicken his diligence in improving what 
 he has found to be of inestimable value. But apart from 
 its claim to respect and veneration, as being of Apostolic 
 institution and primitive usage, the ordinance itself is so 
 47 
 
370 
 
 beautiful and attractive, that when regularly administered, 
 it gradually removes all prejudice, and daily advances in 
 favour and estimation. 
 
 Viewed as a solemn call to serious reflection, as an appeal 
 affectionately addressed to the consciences and hearts of 
 the young, and as a means of promoting the purest rela- 
 .tions of love and tenderness amongst all the branches of 
 their respective families, at the most important period of 
 life, it seems to comprise all that is excellent and holy. 
 Moreover, it secures to them more thoroughly the benefits 
 of the prayers of the Church, of which they have become 
 living and responsible members; and thus, by joining daily 
 in the invocation of the Holy Spirit, promotes a more 
 lively faith in their hopes of heaven. 
 
 When you add to all this the pure and lasting impres- 
 sions to which it frequently gives birth, and to which so 
 many can appeal in after times, it is not only the season of 
 great and certain improvement, and the dawning of new 
 hopes and firmer resolutions, but the commencement of a 
 deepened spirituality, and a closer walk with God. Hence 
 it cannot fail to secure the sympathy and approval of every 
 serious mind. 
 
 Remember, my young friends, that pei-sonal religion is a 
 constant and progressive work, — a work which you are 
 now expected to enter upon with fresh energy, and thus 
 prove your affection to your Saviour. Remember also that 
 the ratification this day of your baptismal vows, is your 
 enlistment in a warfare which will never for a moment 
 cease until the hour of your death. 
 
 The Holy Scriptures speak of the Christian life as a 
 shining light, which shineth brighter and brighter unto 
 the perfect day : as the field of the husbandman in which 
 appears first the blade, after that the whole corn in the 
 ear ; as the little leaven hid in three measures of meal, by 
 which in process of time the whole is leavened ; as the 
 grain of mustard-seed, which, though the least of all seeds. 
 
371 
 
 becomes when it is grown up so great a tree that the birds 
 of the air lodge in its branches. 
 
 By such illustrations, we are taught that personal reli- 
 gion is not something attained at once in perfection, and 
 leaving nothing more to be done ; but a thoroughly per- 
 vading principle, and one which is to be more and more 
 influential, until every member of our bodies, and every 
 faculty of our souls, is brought into complete captivity to 
 Christ. 
 
 Bearing these important truths continually in mind, 
 I would further observe that, in order to advance in the 
 Christian life, you must be faithful in the discharge of all 
 the public and private duties of religion. By these I 
 mean, the services of the Church and the duties of private 
 prayer, — together with a constant study of God's holy 
 word. Our blessed Saviour alluded to this class of duties 
 when He said, "When thou pray est, enter into thy closet." 
 Ho was himself an eminent example in this respect. He 
 went up into a mountain apart to pray, and continued 
 whole nights in prayer. The last act of His life was an 
 act of prayer ; for He died with its language on His lips. 
 The most eminent saints of all ages have also been men of 
 prayer. Daniel, though burdened with affairs of state, 
 kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and 
 gave thanks to God. It is the great secret of success in 
 arduous toils, and seasons of perplexity. There is nothing 
 like prayer to tranquillize the mind, and nerve it to steadi- 
 ness of action. It fills the heait with an abiding con- 
 fidence in God ; and St. Paul knew well its value, when 
 he bade us " pray without ceasing ; to continue instant in 
 prayer ; to pray always with all prayer and supplication." 
 
 For your private* devotions, choose some hour when you 
 are least liable to be disturbed by worldly thoughts, ai>d 
 see that your appointment with heaven be religiously 
 kept. Be regular and punctual in your devotions ; and let 
 nothing but absolute necessity deter you from this duty. 
 
372 
 
 If fatigue, or wandering thoughts, or disinclination ever 
 tempt you to an omission of this duty, let them not pre- 
 vail. Fight against such opposition, and then you will 
 find your troubled heart acquiring a holy serenity, and the 
 coldness of your devotion warming into love, as you meet 
 with your Maker and Saviour face to face. And these 
 words remind me that effectual prayer requires something 
 of an effort, — a grasp, as it were, to realize its true work 
 and even its conception. A gi-adual ascent in reaching 
 the conception of sincere prayer, is demanded of us. Even 
 the body seems to stretch itself to a fuller height, and 
 rises, as it were, from the earth in coming up to God, — in 
 standing so immediately in his presence, in pouring out 
 our hearts in the accents of supplication and mere}'. 
 The grandeur of the idea that we are enjoying the privi- 
 lege of consulting in our difficulties the wisest and best 
 man upon earth, or of advising with a departed parent or 
 friend, or even with an angel, can but feebly realize the 
 conception of coming directly to Go<l. It is something 
 that must always transcend our powers; and yet God 
 permits, invites, r.ay, commands our approach to Him. 
 From all these inestimable blessings we should be de- 
 barred, were it not for the all-sufficient merits and media- 
 tion of our Saviour Christ. 
 
 And let private prayer be accompanied by self-exami- 
 nation. Study to learn what are your besetting sins, and 
 learn to guard against them. Look upon your possessions 
 as talents of usefulness, for which you must hereafter give 
 an account. Are you poor ? Then be careful not to 
 murmur or complain at the dealings of God's Providence, 
 and indulge not in envy or discontent. , 
 
 In order to advance in the Christian life, attend regu- 
 larly and devoutly upon the ordinances of God's house, 
 and upon the means of grace w^hich you enjoy. And 
 especially let me urge you to seal your vows at the 
 holy altar by the reception of the Holy Sacrament of 
 the Lord's Supper. 
 
373 
 
 For this advancement in the Christian life, you must 
 also be zealous, as opportunity offers, in extending His 
 blessed gospel throughout the world. The genuine spirit 
 caught from Christ is expfinsive, and it continually mani- 
 fests itself in doing good. In the absence of such a spirit, 
 darkness and corruption prevail. We ought, therefore, 
 daily to offer the comprehensive prayer. Thy Kingdom 
 come ; and then prove by labours, by alms and offerings, 
 that our prayer goeth not out of feigned lips. Never were 
 so gi'eat exertions made to extend our Lord's Kingdom 
 throughout the world as in the present times. The whole 
 of heathendom is awakening, and calling for the bread 
 of life. If therefore, you would grow in gi*ace, imbibe 
 the spirit of the early Church, — the spirit of Christ ; and 
 do what you can to promote His cause .and extend His 
 Kingdom. 
 
 Again, that you may advance in the Christian life, 
 take pains to become intelligent and thoughtful in all 
 things that pertain to the history of your holy faith 
 Read Lhe lives and writings of holy men ; of the saints 
 and martyrs, of whom the world was not worthy. The 
 whole history of the Church is fraught with "instruction. 
 Only see and know how she has been, in all ages of the 
 world, the pillar and gi'ound of the truth. Besides, at the 
 present day, when the Church of Christ is so often spoken 
 against ; when her ministry, her sacraments, her worship, 
 her doctrines, are opposed and reviled, — it becomes all her 
 children to rise up in her defence, and so arm themselves 
 as to be able to give to every one that asketh a reason for 
 the hope that is in him. 
 
 Such are a few general directions, my young friends, 
 which, if faithfully attended to, cannot fail to increase your 
 usefulness and happiness while you continue in the Church 
 militant ; and which will be attended with more blissful 
 results when you are made members of the Church tri- 
 umphant in heaven. 
 
374 
 
 And now, my young friends, in returning from this 
 solemn dedication of yourselves to your blessed Redeemer, 
 and to your various duties in the world, repose yourselves 
 in His might, and thus arm yourselves against every danger, 
 temporal and spiritual. Remember that we are rapidly 
 approaching another state of existence, in which the regen- 
 erated spirit lives, and that there are higher spectators 
 than men Avho shall witness and surround our repentant 
 spirits, and receive them with a joyful welcome. Let us 
 feel also the value and importance of our bodily part, which, 
 though united to dust, is yet created to live for ever. And 
 let us, in future, always conduct ourselves not as foolish 
 and ignorant men, but as the children of the God of the 
 universe, as the brethren of the Saviour of the human race, 
 as in the sight of every being who is great before God's 
 throne, and as in the sight of those whom death has for a 
 while separated from us, but who now look down, with all 
 the anxieties of love, upon the course we pursue, and 
 whose aged or infant hands are preparing for us wreaths 
 of gloiy, and those palms of peace which shadow out in 
 mercy to our feeble and trembling souls not only the 
 wisdom and the knowledge, but the joy, of the everlasting 
 presence of our Saviour in heaven. 
 
 (III.) 
 
 My Young Friends, — 
 
 The Church of England exhibits in her Prayer Book a 
 clearness, and deepness of religious feeling, no where to be 
 equalled except in the Bible itself In that admirable 
 book are contained, in all their fulness and simplicity, the 
 great doctrines of the corruption of our nature ; justifica- 
 tion by faith in Christ; the necessity of the renewal of the 
 heart and life by the power of the Divine Spirit ; and the 
 paramount obligation to that holiness without which no 
 man shall see the Lord. 
 
375 
 
 Observe with what tender solicitude the Church, in her 
 services and observances, follr)Ws her members through 
 every step of their earthly pilgrimage, and incessantly 
 watches over their wants, and interests, and dangers. No 
 sooner is a child born into this world of sin and sorrow, 
 than she presents him in holy baptism, with a most touch- 
 ing and tender service, to the care of the great Shepherd of 
 souls; signing him with the sign of the cross in token that 
 he shall not be ashamed to confess Christ crucified, and to 
 fight manfully under his banner against the world, the 
 flesh, and the devil. After a short interval the Chur(;h 
 interposes again, and calls him to go up to the house of the 
 Lord, and there consecrate himself, by a most solemn ordi- 
 nance, to become the soldier and servant of his heavenly 
 Master. She next invites him, weary and heavy-laden, to 
 the table of his Saviour, for refreshment and strength to 
 his soul and fresh assurances of his pardoning grace. 
 
 Nor does she leave him here ; but follows him into all 
 the scenes of domestic life. She it is who ties the knot of 
 his family joys. She accompanies him to the sick bed, and 
 administers to him, as he lies there, the sweetest consola- 
 tions. She passes with him into the valley of death, cheei-s 
 him with gladdening promises, and displays to him the 
 glories of the invisible world. And when, at length, his 
 remains are consigned to the cold earth, the Church stands 
 as chief mourner at his grave, (tnd she pronounces over him 
 the song of thankfulness and hope with her sorrow: 
 " Write, from henceforth, blessed are the dead which die in 
 the Lord ; even so, saith the Spirit, for they rest from 
 their labours." 
 
 The great object, my children, of your coming here this 
 day is to confess your faith in Christ crucified, as he has 
 himself expressly commanded ; because if you do not con- 
 fess him before men, neither will he confess you before his 
 Father in heaven. This ought to be your first and cher- 
 ished motive for coming thus to Christ ; and the more so. 
 
876 
 
 because it secures to you most important personal privi- 
 leges. 
 
 On tills great point, much error and misconception 
 prevail among the multitude round us. Tliousands first 
 wait to have the evidences and consolations of religion, 
 before tliey will enter upon the performance of its actual 
 duties. They refuse to fight the battles of the cross, till 
 tliey have had the satisfaction of wearing the crown. They 
 must first, as they suppose, shout the note of victory before 
 entering in earnest upon the Christian race. 
 
 This erroneous feeling is hanging like a mill-stone 
 around the necks of thousands ; keeping them 1)ack from 
 their duty, and in many sad instances it becomes a fruitful 
 source of gloom smd despondency. Instead of going for- 
 ward to their duties as Christ has commanded, they are 
 waiting they know not for what, — but in reality for the 
 Lord Jesus Christ to inteiTupt the harmony of his plans, 
 and the ordering of his Providence, merely to give them 
 evidences which, in the nature of things, they are not now 
 fpialified to enjoy, and which, it is certain, they will never 
 in their present state of feeling and action obtain. The 
 Scriptural rule is, "in thy light shall we see light;" in 
 keeping the commandments there is great reward. This, 
 then, is a great encouragement to confess Christ crucified 
 before the world : it is indeed the Spirit itself bearing wit- 
 ness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. 
 
 Nor are there wanting other examples equally en- 
 couraging. When, for instance, we unite ourselves to 
 Christ as the branch is united to the vine, not only 
 invisibly by faith, but visibly to His body the Church, 
 we have the assurance of gaining the nourishment and 
 grace to our souls which flows from him. Again, when 
 we openly in God's Church ratify and confirm our bap- 
 tismal vows, we believe that our Lord meets us then 
 and there, and grants us his blessing in the way of 
 his own appointment. And then when we, subsequently, 
 
377 
 
 go forward to rec(;ive the Holy Sacrarnoiit of His Supper, 
 our faitli is confirmed, our love iiicreascd, and our f pirits 
 8}inctifie<l and strengthened tlirough that solemn ordi- 
 nance. So also, the duties of prayer, of reading the 
 Word of God, of attendance upon the i)reaching of the 
 Gospel, liave each attached to them their own particular 
 blessing. 
 
 • Let me, then, beseecli you to ponder this motive well ; 
 to weigh carefully the privilege of performing this duty. 
 And then to remember, that of yourself only shall you 
 have reason to complain, if you famish with spiritual 
 hunger; if your spiritual life is languishing and likely 
 to die, and you fall into open apostacy with God. Thi.s 
 must follow, if you ])resumptuously despise those gracious 
 help.? which Christ has provided. 
 
 Another motive which should induce you to confess 
 ('hrist before men is, that you then openly identify 
 yourself with the visible people of God, and increase 
 the moral power of the Church. That Jesus Christ has 
 a Church in this world, you Avill not doubt. And that 
 this Church is destined ere long to overspread and fill 
 the earth, is clearly revealed. And that this final triumph 
 of the Gospel is to be eftected by human instrumentalily, 
 is evident from many considerations. These truths com- 
 bined furnish a reason why you should not hesitate to 
 commence an active warfare under the banner of the 
 Prince of Peace. There is now, and there has been 
 since the fall of man, a fierce conflict raging for dominion 
 over the hearts of men. But yet Christ's Kingdom is 
 to come ; and when you openly avow yourself a disciple 
 of the cross, you join that noble company of the faithful, 
 on whom the duty rests, and to whom the honour will be 
 given, of ushering in the latter-day glory of Zion. 
 
 It is, my young friends, truly a spectacle of the deepest 
 interest to me, and of the richest promise to the Church, 
 to behold a company of youth whose hearts are yet un- 
 48 
 
378 
 
 scathed by long continuance in sin, voluntarily renouncing 
 the vanities and follies of this wicked and perishing world, 
 and taking upon themselves the vows of Christ, Viewed 
 in all its relations, it is a scene of great sublimity. It is a 
 scene on which the minister of Christ looks with the de- 
 voutest gratitude, and which causes every Christian 
 parent's heart to thrill with the purest joy ; on which 
 doubtless, the spirits of departed friends gaze with the 
 deepest satisfaction ; and in view of which the angels of 
 God tune their hams +o louder notes of praise. And can 
 we doubt that our blessed Redeemer, sitting at God's right 
 hand, shares in the joy of this holy scene ; and, when be- 
 holding such blissful results of the travail of his soul, is 
 satisfied ? 
 
 Suffer, my dear brethren, a very few concluding remarks 
 on the future progress of Christianity; or, as our Lord 
 proclaims it, the Kingdom of God upon earth. 
 
 It is a cheering and attractive circumstance in the his- 
 tory of the Divine dispensations, that when a prophet was 
 sent into this world to be the proclaimer of the most 
 precious and effective wisdom it was ever to receive, and 
 to be the author of changes which were destined in the 
 course of ages to renovate its entire aspect, he appeared 
 simply as a teacher of such exalted wisdom ; of a wisdom 
 which aims not at gratifying the curiosity of men, but at 
 elevating their moral condition, and giving a new and 
 exalted turn to all their hopes and pursuits. 
 
 And it is no less worthy of remark that the idea which 
 our Saviour adopted as the foundation of all his views, 
 was as simple and beautiful, as the character in which He 
 appeared was free from all pretension and wordly am- 
 bition. He spoke only of a Father in heaven, who looks 
 upon all his creatures with love and compassion, and 
 whom they ought therefore to regard with those senti- 
 ments that befit children in their relation to a kind and 
 benevolent parent. 
 
379 
 
 This being the foundation upon which our Lord's doc- 
 trine was founded, and by which it is wholly pervaded, he 
 sought by means of it, first, to improve the religious belief 
 and worship of mankind ; secondly, to purify their moral 
 conceptions ; and lastly, to regulate all their social and 
 domestic affections. He taught them to look upon God as 
 their heavenly Father. He told them that the homage 
 which was most acceptable to Him, did not consist in vain 
 ceremonies and superstitious practices, but in unfeigned 
 rjverence, and love, and trust, expressed by simple forais 
 and by a conduct suitable to the purer views by which the 
 followers of His doctrine were to be guided; or, in His own 
 expressive words, that the time was now come when man- 
 kind, over all the earth, were to worship the Father in 
 spirit and in truth. 
 
 Nor were the changes which our Saviour sought to pro- 
 duce in the moral duties of the people, less important. 
 For he set before them a Father in heaven, whom it was 
 their duty to honour and love. He thus raised even the 
 most common offices of life into the high rank of services 
 paid to God, and as expressions of devout homage from his 
 children. Hence the whole earth, with all its occupations 
 and inhabitants, assumed the aspect of a vast living tem- 
 ple, from which incense and a pure offering might at all 
 times ascend, and thus produce a gradual amelioration, by 
 new accessions of purity in all their views and conditions. 
 
 In the same way, this renovating power and influence 
 was to extend to all the social relations, and public insti- 
 tutions of mankind. And being all the children of the 
 same Father, Christianity would prevail throughout the 
 world. Kindly charities would be fostered in private life ; 
 and every human being, however poor or destitute, would 
 at once be regarded by every other as the child of the same 
 Father, and an heir with himself of one blessed immortality. 
 
 Such are the glorious results which our Saviour sought 
 to accomplish, and has accomplished; and such are the 
 
380 
 
 simple means by which he intended to produce them. At 
 the same time, he was far from saying that they were to 
 be speedily realized. They were the seed scattered through 
 long ages of history, and during the whole period of the 
 world's existence ; and they were to be consummated in 
 the terms of that form of prayer which the Lord Jesus 
 taught his disciples ; and which, as it has been in all past 
 ages of Christianity, will continue in all future ages to be 
 the favourite expression of the Christian's hopes and de- 
 sires : — " Hallowed be thy name ; thy kingdom come ; thy 
 will be done in earth as it is in heaven." Amen. 
 
 (IV.) 
 
 My Young Friends, — 
 
 In requesting your attention to the few remarks I am 
 about to make on this solemn occasion, I have to remind 
 you of the deep interest which your sponsors and other 
 Christian friends feel in your spiritual improvement ; and 
 I desire to impress upon your minds a lively remembrance 
 of the duties and privileges which we shall have to review 
 together at the bar of God. You will expect me, there- 
 fore, to speak with that affectionate earnestness arid truth- 
 fulness which the subject itself so strongly demands. 
 
 The authority on which we receive the holy ordinance 
 of Confirmation, or the laying on of hands by the chief 
 ministers of the Church, is drawn from the Holy Scrip- 
 tures. We find from the New Testament that it was 
 practised in he times of the Apostles. For we read in 
 the eighth chapter of the Acts,' that Philip, one of the 
 .seven Deacons, — being of the lowest order of the ministry, 
 — went down from Jerusalem to Samaria, and there 
 preached with such success that great numbers of the 
 Samaritans believed, and were baptized. But, never- 
 theless, though they thus received the gospel and were 
 admitted into the Church by baptism, there was another 
 
381 
 
 ordinance which they had rot received, and which PhiHp, 
 as being a Deacon only, had no authority to administer. 
 For, immediately after, we learn that when the Apostles 
 at Jerusalem heard of the conversion of so many Samari- 
 tans, they sent thither two of their own number, Peter 
 and John, to fulfil a duty which Philip was not empow- 
 ered to discharge, — namely, to lay their hands upon them, 
 and procure the communication to them of a larger mea- 
 sure of spiritual blessings. And so, when Peter and John 
 laid their hands upon them, " they received the Holy 
 Ghost." Here we have simply an important fact in 
 Apostolic history, and yet so recorded as to shew what 
 was the custom of the Church in that primitive age. 
 
 But we know further from Holy Scripture that the 
 " laying on of hands " was much more than a mere naked 
 fact, or empty custom. It was a solemn ordinance, — one 
 of the first principles of Christianity ; and, as such, neces- 
 sarily of perpetual and universal obligation. 
 
 In an Epistle, — the Epistle to the Hebrews, — which 
 enters more at large into the principles of Christianity 
 than any of the others, the writer says, (vi. 1, 2,) " Leaving 
 the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on 
 unto perfection ; not laying again the foundation of repen- 
 tance from dead works, and faith towards God, of the 
 doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of 
 resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 
 
 Now here are six things enumerated distinct from each 
 other, and yet all denominated by St, Paul, " principles of 
 the doctrine of Christ." Two of them may be spoken of as 
 internal graces, repentante and faith. Two of them may 
 be regarded as visible ordinances, baptism and the laying 
 on of hands ; while two of them are truths or develop- 
 ments yet in future, or in reserve, and yet of awful moment 
 to every individual, — resurrection of the dead, and eternal 
 judgment. 
 
 Now each one of these is declared in God's Word to be a 
 
382 
 
 " principle," or first principle " of the doctrine of Christ ; " 
 and all, combined, are declared on the same authority to be 
 fundamental and essential things. We are no more at 
 liberty to reject the laying on ot hands, or the ordinance 
 of confirmation, than we are to reject repentance, or faith, 
 or baptism, or the doctrine of the resurrection and eternal 
 judgment. They are all alike declared to be first " princi- 
 ples," — the foundation, — of the doctrine -of Christ. 
 
 And here I may observe that confirmation, as practised 
 by the Apostles, and as now administered among ourselves, 
 has been preserved in the Church, and has been continually 
 referred to in ecclesiastical history. Moreover, those of the 
 Reformers who rejected episcopacy, either retained con- 
 firmation or left the most decided testimony in its favour. 
 It is also well-known that Luther, the great leader of the 
 Reformation, retained the rite of confirmation, and it is 
 still practised by the large body called Lutherans to this 
 day. Even Calvin himself speaks kindly of confirmation, 
 as an ancient custom in the Church. He states that the 
 children of Christians, after they came to years of discre- 
 tion, were presented to the Bishop in order to fulfil that . 
 duty which was required of adults who offered themselves 
 for baptism. The authority for the practice of confirma- 
 tion might be strengthened by many additional proofs 
 were it necessary ; but we shall only add to the many 
 given the authority and practice of our own Church. 
 
 In confirmation, as the name implies, y )u ratify or con- 
 firm the vows of your baptism. When baptized in your 
 infancy, as the Church contemplates, those vows were first 
 assumed by your parents and sponsors on your behalf; 
 who then promised and vowed certain things in your 
 name. And they did this, because from your tender age 
 you were incapable of assuming those engagements your- 
 selves. And, as your natural guardians, it was their 
 bounden duty, as they would in temporal matters, thus to 
 act in your stead. 
 
383 
 
 But having come to years of discretion, and to a proper 
 understanding of what your parents and sponsoi-s promised 
 on your behalf, it now becomes your duty personally to 
 assume those vows ; the obligations heretofore resting on 
 them, you should now undertake yourselves. 
 
 In the case of those who have been baptized in adult 
 years, and upon their own responsibility, confirmation is 
 but a renewing of that obligation on the part of the candi- 
 date. It is nevertheless a most solemn and scriptural 
 mode of ratifying and confirming those vows ; and, as all 
 must allow, is admirably adapted to their weighty import. 
 For in a matter of such infinite moment as that of God's 
 covenant of grace with a lost world, all surely ought to 
 be grateful for this fresh opportunity of sacredly pledging 
 their fidelity to Christ and hia Church. 
 
 We learn from the New Testamert, that many of the 
 early Christians received, through this imposition of hands, 
 extraordinary and miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost 
 But so soon as the Gospel was established upon firm 
 foundations, miracles ceased. Such helps were now no 
 longer necessary for establishing the truth of God's 
 revealed will. Still, however, the ordinary renewing and 
 sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit was not withdrawn ; 
 it is necessary, and it will be vouchsafed, as long as 
 human nature remains in its fallen state. And although 
 the candidates for confirmation are not now to expect in 
 that ordinance miraculous gifts of the Spirit, yet coming 
 with the preparation of heart which the Church demands, 
 they may expect to receive through this, as one of the 
 appointed means of grace, the attainment of that help 
 which will enable them to fulfil their vows. 
 
 You, my young friends, have laid to-day a firm founda- 
 tion, by dedicating yourselves solemnly to God and your 
 Saviour ; but you must build upon this foundation ; there 
 must be the beautiful superstructure of a religious and 
 useful life. And there must be no procrastination, no halt- 
 
384 
 
 ing between two opinioiis, no -.ravering between the lures 
 of the world and duty to God. 
 
 We are all, my brethren, born to sorrow, and born in 
 sin. No one can look bf,ck upon his life, without feeling 
 how much he has transgresseu, and how much he has 
 left undone. The progress of life has been a series of 
 humiliations, and crowded with anxious fears. A just 
 and merciful God has been continually sinned against, and 
 the day of retrbution is a constant source of alarm. 
 
 Now, my dear young friends, it is when the mind is 
 agitated by such thoughts, that it becomes most sensible of 
 the peculiar adaptation of the Gospel to supply the greatest 
 wants and calm the deepest fears of the human heart. For 
 its good tidings are a proclamation from heaven of mercy 
 a forgiveness to those who have offended, and who, in contri- 
 tion for their offences, have laid hold on the hope set before 
 them. 
 
 Through this proclamation the burden of sin upon our 
 souls is lightened ; One, mighty to save, has chosen to 
 undertake it ; it is affixed to, and cancelled by. His cross. 
 This must bring encouragement to the most desponding, 
 assurance to the most timid. They can approach God as 
 a reconciled Father ; and at His right hand is the Mediator 
 who died for them. 
 
 I have lately, my young friends, met with a Prayer for 
 the Conjirmed which pleased me much, and therefore I 
 shall subjoin it to the exhortations I have addressed to 
 you:— 
 
 "Almighty Father who did call us in baptism, and re- 
 ceive us for thine own children by adoption and grace, 
 perfect, we beseech Thee, the good work which thou hast 
 begun in us, and dispose us in this holy ordinance to re- 
 ceive Thy heavenly favour, and seal to us Thy mercy by an 
 increase of Thy Holy Spirit, that, with His mighty aid, we 
 may do what of ourselves we cannot; avoid sin, and keep 
 
385 
 
 Thy commandments, that the thoughts of our hearts, and 
 the words of our lips, and our outward actions, may be 
 acceptable in Thy sight; that we may be worthy to j)ar- 
 take in the communion of the body and blood of Thy Son 
 Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist; that we may walk in 
 Thy fear, and in the belief and hope of Thy mercy all the 
 days of our lives ; and at length be received into Thine 
 everastiug Kingdom ; through the same Jesus Christ our 
 Lord, to whom with Thee and the Holy Ghost, be honour 
 and glory, dominion and power, henceforth and foi- ever. 
 A men." 
 
 49