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Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmte en commen^ant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la derniire page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparattra sur la dernlAre image de cheque microffiche, selon le cas: le symbols — »> signiffie "A SUIVRE ", le symbols V signiffie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre ffilmte i des taux de reduction diffff6rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est ffilm6 d partir de Tangle supirieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n6cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. f errata d to It ie pelure, gon d 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4- « 6 G r A MEMOIR OP GEORGE JEHOSHAPHAT MOUNTAIN, D.D., D.C.L. iLate ISisfjop of ©ucbcc, COMPILED (AT THE DESIRE OF THE SYNOD OF THAT DIOCESE) BY HIS BON, ARMINE W. MOUNTAIN, M.A., gtttnmbent of |H. IJlflirlbatrs Ctap«l. Outbtt. JOHN LOVELL, ST. NICHOLAS STREET. London : Sampson Low, Son & Marston. 1866. i ,'i \ ex AKV PE0FIT8 ARISING FROM THE BALE OF THIS PUBLICATION WILL BK UEVOTED TO OHUROH PURPOSES WITHIN THE DIOCE8K OF QUBBKC. m ■ I DctUcatc. Mountain 328 CiiAP. XXIII. Seventh triennial circuit — Illness — Visitation of clergy — Visits of the Bishop of Rupert's Land, and of American Bishops — Commencement of eighth triennial circuit — Obstacles to the advance of the Church — New missions — Correspondence with the S. P. G 335 CiiAP. XXIV. Proceedings within the diocese for initiating synod- ical action — DKhculties encountered. . . , 350 CiiAP. XXV. First diocesan synod — Visit to Gaspd — Conclusion of triennial circuit — Visits of the Bishops of Nova Scotia, Newfound- land, Montreal, Rupert's Land, Victoria and Michigan — Journey to Burlington — Prince of Wales 369 Chap. XXVI. Second diocesan synod — Address on history of dio- cese — Last triennial circuit — Visit to Labrador — Meeting with the Bishop of Newfoundland — Illness — Domestic bereavement.. . . 381 Chap. XXVII. Missionary sent to Labrador — First provincial synod — Appointment of Metropolitan — Sermon before the synods Triennial circuit continued — Last visitation — Meeting of diocesan synod — Jubilee — BishopWilliams of Connecticut — Finlay Asylum.. 393 Chap. XXVIII. Summer of 18G2 — Letters to his family — Latest acts of his life — Last illness and death 41 T Chap. XXIX. Funeral — Testimonies to his character 424 Chap. XXX. Conclusion 434 Appendix 441-477 '1*1 PAQB ,tion ... 255 3 for ;tioa cir- .... 2G8 lay .... 286 Eng. .... 300 )a of uring isita- 320 isit to hapel 328 •lergy [shops to the th the 335 ynod- .. 350 icQ of 'ound- acy to ... 369 dio- with it. . . . 381 synod nod — cesan ylum.. 393 latest All 424 434 ...441-477 PREFACE. The resolution* of tlic synod of the diocese of QiEnEC, in ol)C(lience to wliich I have undertaken the work which is contained in the following pages, seemed to ])oint not only to a personal memoir, hut also to a (luasi-historical sketch, 'ihis double character has rendered its execution peculiarly difficult, as it must necessarily make it fail to interest any one class of readers throughout. Apart from this consideration, there are reasons which have made me of all men the most unfitted for the task. But I have done my best, though too fully conscious of manifold imperfections ; and I may truly say that it has not been without prayer that my work may, in some humble measure, advance the glory of God. It is in this hope that I have made public many words and thoughts which may be regarded, in some quarters, as too sacred to be so exposed. If any one person shall be moved, by reading these pages, to strive to follow the ex- • " Resolved, That it is the earnest desire of the members of this synod, that a memoir of our late beloved Bisliop, the chief ruler of the Church in Canada for so many eventful years of her history, should be published ; " That it is, also, the wish of the members of the Church generally, to possess some of the eloquent and admirable sermons of that lamented Prelate ; " That, therefore, a committee of three be named by the Chair to convey to the Rev. A. W. Mountain, the unanimous request of thic synod, that he A'ill prepare such a memoir, and also publish two or more volumes of the sermons of the late Bishop." (A single volume of sermons was accordingly published, early in 1866. Loudon : Bell and Daldy.) I VIU PREFACE. ii^ ample of faith and patience which thcjr set forth, I shall not have wricten in vain. I have omitted nuicli that relates to the more recent his- tory of the diocese (insertin;^ in fact scarcely anything beyond what is of a personal nature), because it is preserved in the records of the diiVcrcnt institutions of the Church which sprang into existence during my father's episcopate. Partly for this reason also, as well as because the work grew in my hands to greater proportions than I had desired, the details of the later years of his administration are less full. Besides, as the condition of the diocese assumed a more permanent character, the journals and letters from which I have derived my information exhibit less variety, and the interest attaching to the description of the state of things in a new country diminishes as it grows older. I regret, however, that I have not been able to find room for some interesting notes on the early history of the Can- adian Church which I was permitted to make from the records of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. I have thrown into the form of an appendix some i)rayers and counsels composed for ])articular persons or occasions, as well as some brief extracts from letters, and some poetical compositions. I earnestly hope that I have said nothing that will cause pain to any one. I am sure that the fear of doing so has often withheld me from giving what some persons might con- sider a just description of events in the history of the Church. And if I have incidentally been led, by the circumstances of my narrative, to indicate persons who had merited my father's approval, I trust (as he always did himself) that I shall not be understood as implying any disparagement of others to whose labours or character I had no such occasion to refer. This was a point in which, in all the published accounts of his doings, he was particularly sensitive. I trust I have not unconsciously done injustice to any one. ,! lall not cut liis- iiy thing •cHorvcd Clmrch scopatc. lie work desired, arc less a^ii^umed ;crs from 1 variety, the state w9 older, find room the Can- from the jospel. e prayers easions, as 10 poetical ■will cause ing so has might con- ic Church, [istances of my father's I shall not others to on to refer. accounts rust I have MEMOIR. CIIAPTEll I. Parentage — Birth — Emigration to Canada— ClulJliood — Doybood^College Conrae. The family of Mountain is of French extraction, having cmi;'rated to Endand on the revocation of the edict of Nantes, and settled in Norfolk, ^vherc they ])ecame pro- prietors of a small landed estate, called Thwaite Hall. It remained in their hands till about the middle of the last century. The last occupant, dying young, left two sons, the younger of whom afterwards became the first Bishop of Que- bec. The sul)ject of this memoir, the second son of the Bishop, was born on the 27th July, 1789, at the parsonage house of St. Andrews m Norwich, of which parish his father was at that time incumbent. He was baptized, privately, on the 3rd August ; for, though a little more than an hour after his birth he was described as " apparently a sturdy fellow," he was a delicate child. While he was still an infant, his father removed to Buckden, in Huntingdonshire, of which place he had be- come vicar, being also examining chaplain to the Bishop of Lincoln, whose residence was at Buckden". This prelate had been tutor to Mr. Pitt, and when, in 1793, the Government determined on the erection of a see in Canada, his lordship recommended his chaplain for the appointment. Dr. Mountain ^ B f 10 MEMOIR OF 'Ml had himself been known to Mr. Pitt at Cambridge, where he had been a fellow of Caius College, and the Bishop's recom- mendation was willingly adopted. Neither of the persons more directly concerned in this measure appears to have had reason to regret it, for we find it mentioned in Tomhne's life of Pitt, as a testimony to the wisdom of that statesman's measures, that the first Bishop of Quebec had presided over the Canadian Church " with great honour to himself and advantage to the concerns of his extensive diocese ;" while Dr. Tomline's own biographer, in his turn, brings forward this appointment as a proof of the Bishop's good judgment, displayed in his recommendation of Dr. Mountain. Dr. Mountain having been consecrated on the 7th July, 1793, embarked almost immediately for Quebec, accompanied by his wife, (Elizabeth Mildred Wale Kentish, co-heiress, with two sisters, of Little Bardfield Hall in Essex,) and four children, of whom George was the second. A residence in Canada in the eighteenth century involved so complete a separation from English friends, that all the members of the Bishop's family, and one of his sisters-in-law, the future Bishop's godmother, resolved to share his exile. His elder brother. Dr. Jehoshaphat Mountain, rector of Peldon in Essex, with his wife, son and two daughters, as well as his own two sisters, accordingly accompanied him, and after a voyage of thirteen weeks, the thirteen Mountains landed at Quebec on All Saints' Day. The Bishop proceeded imme- diately to "VVoodfield, nearly three miles from Quebec, which had been secured as his private residence. Here the boyish days of his sons were spent, and the character of the sur- rounding scenery tended to form and encourage the power which they inherited, in a remarkable degree, from their father, of appreciating the beauties of nature. There is little recorded of these boyish days, though enough to shew that, besides the relish for natural scenery, turned, as it always was, to a means of lifting the heart from nature to nature's G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 11 where he a recom- 5 persons have had hne's life atesman's sided over mself and ■while rs forward judgment, :ain. Br. uly, 1T93, ipanied by eiress, -with ) and four •esidence in complete a ibers of the the future His elder Peldon in 3 well as his and after a IS landed at jeded imme- lebec, which •e the boyish r of the sur- re the power , from their !here is httle ;o shew that, as it always re to nature's God, a correct classical taste was early engendered, and a natural turn for poetry indulged. In a journal kept by the Bishop in 1796, there is frequent mention of walks " with the children before breakfast," and on the 28th March it is noted that " this day George began his Latin grammar." A youthful effort at composition is in my possession, contain- ing an account of a birthday spent at Powell Place (now called Spencerwood), then, as now, the residence of the Governor of the province. The grounds of Powell Place im- mediately adjoined those of Woodfield, being separated only by a small brook called Belle Borne, across which it is related in a work recently published on the environs of Quebec that the sons of Sir R. Milnes themselves built a bridge, which they named Pont Bonvoisin, for the purpose of establishing a ready communication between the two houses, and in this work we may presume that their young companions from Wood- field lent their aid. The events of the birthday are thrown into the form of a drama, the personages of which are Sir Robert and Lady Milnes, with their children, and George Mountain and his brothers. A strong and affectionate friend- ship began at this early age, and continued through life^ between the members of the two families. One of Sir Robert's sons, who was just two years younger than his friend George, was killed in the American war of 1813 ; and his father having requested the Bishop of Quebec to write an appropriate epitaph, he transferred the task to his son, then rector of Fredericton, who subjoined to it four stanzas, of which the concluding two are these :— ■ wherefore, but to leave a deeper gloom, Do these brief flashes pass before our eyes ? Why do fair Hope, and fluttering Promise bloom, If Hope is early nipt, and Promise dies ? Forbear ; — these ashes cold, the blessed breath Of Heaven can kindle to eternal light ; That Name can ope, which Milnes* invoked in death, Germa of new life, to blow fbr ever bright. * An allusion to fact. i M ■«: i I. li :; li iii il.'i Hi! i ll: ^ 12 MEMOIR OF A *' puerile account " of an excursion made in September, 1804, drawn up at the time by one of his brothers, " to see the lake in the mountains called by the inhabitants the Lake of Beauport," is so curious at this distance of time that I am tempted to give an extract from it : — " The party, consisting of the Bishop, his three sons and their tutor, set out on horseback early in the morning, and breakfasted at Mr. Duchesnay's, where we were received with great kindness and hospitality. Mr. Duchesnay himself then conducted us as fur as the house of our guide, a civil, active fellow, named Jean Marie Belangor. We set out from his house on horse- back, followed by a cart containing our provisions, and preceded by our guide and his son, a boy of sixteen yet inapi)earance hardly ten, his growth, as he said, having been interrupted by labour. After proceeding about half a league in the wood, we were obliged to leave the cart behind, as the road would not admit of its proceeding farther. Our guide now informed us that there were three lakes, the two former small, and the other larger, which was the one we were to see ; but on our expressing a desire to see them all, if possible, it was agreed that we should see the two farthest in going, and the nearest, or " Lac des Roches," on our return. About a league from the place where we left the cart, we were obliged to leave also the horses, and proceed on foot ; and very soon after we saw the first lake, which is a pretty little lake in a wood, called " Lac des Chicots," containing a small island. "This lake abounds in fish and ducks. We now ascended the first mountain, .the guide having nothing to direct him but his general notion of the place, no pAth, no traces of art. The trees grow to a great height, perhaps some exceeding 100 feet, but of a girth proportionably insignificant. We were iu ■liopes of seeing some bears, as both they and beavers are occasionally found here ; but as we conversed as we went, our guide observed that the sound of our voices would occasion them to retire. The soil of the mountains is very soft, composed chiefly of dead leaves and fsillen trees. We soon came to the second mountain, which is much larger, and part of it offers a curious appearance, being composed solely of dead trees heaped over one another, and thickly covered with a great variety of beautiful mosses interwoven with elegant creepers. The trees that grow here are often so loosely rooted as to give way to the hand. After a walk of at least two hours, we arrived ftt the borders of this charming lake : its noble and majestic beauty baffles the most ample powers of description ; the hills, the woods, and their various tints and shades, offering a variety and contrast hardly to be con- ceived. Completely repaid for the labour of our walk, we prepared to return, and found the mountains, by having a little changed our route, mucli steeper than before ; and when we arrived at the foot of the second, we were surprised with a proof that, in a wood, to be lost ten yards is to be lost G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 13 as certainly as a thousand. We had descended the mountain rather too much to the west, and our guide, we saw, did not at all know where we were, though the path, to which good Providence directed us, was certainly not twenty yards distant. When we arrived at the place where our horses were stationed, we found that we had been gone considerably more than four hours ; but we considered ourselves amply repaid by the exquisite beauty of the lake we had seen. Our guide informs us that there are lakes between evevy two mountains in this vast range, and that he has been at one which he calls the " Lac des Verrains." As it was late, we did not see the third lake, called "Lac des Roches" we saw, however, as we returned, a bird called here the spruce partridge, but by naturalists the ruffed grouse, and a very beautiful creature it js. Fully satisfied with our day's expedition, we arrived home some time after dark." i A happier home than that of Woodfiekl (during the Bishop's occupation of which three younger children were born) has seldom been seen. The parents were regarded with unbounded and tender affection, mingled with veneration. Feelings such as these the characters (f both were emin- ently calculated to inspire, and they produced their effect in unwonted brotherly love among their children, which con- tinued, in a most remarkable degree, while they remained on earth, notwithstanding separations of great length both in time and distance. Some proofs of this will appear in the following pages. The Bishop continued to reside at Wood- field (though the winters had been occasionally spent within the walls of Quebec) till 1802, when he finally left it. George was then in his thirteenth year, and he gave vent to his feel- ings in the following Unes, which are here inserted as a spe- cimen of the poetic taste which he exhibited at that early age. They are the first in a small manuscript book filled up in a similar way from 1802 to 1804, which shews a very unusual familiarity with Greek, Latin, French and English authors. I have also some rough notes on the natural history and pecu- liar customs of Canada, written in 1804-5, with an index of more than one hundred subjects, displaying equally unusual powers of observation, and acquaintance with the points treated of. .If' i ! I ■ . ill 14 MEMOIR OF 0, must I leave thee, Woodfield ? — sweet retreat From the world's busy strife, delightful seat Of rural beauty, where with bounteous hand Nature hath lent her charms to grace thy land. As feels the African when torn away Prom friends, from parents, from his country's sway, From all that's dear, and to a distant shore Sold barb'rously for price of baleful ore, By those detested traders— so my heart Melts into sore regret from thee to part. Thee must I leave, compelled by fate severe. Where my sweet hours I spent without a fear Of being forced from thee — enchanting spot, — Unwilling forced to burst the tender knot. » But ah ! those hopes, those raptures now are flown. And why did 1 indulge them ? Now are gone All the delights that then did warm my heart, And now by cruel fate I'm forced to part. How can I part ? How leave thee, charming place ? How leave the beauties which adorn and grace Tliy bound'ries ? tliy rich fields, abundant food To cattle lending, and thy verdant wood ; Thy firs, thy venerable oaks, thy shades. Thy purling rivulets, thy deep cascades, Forming a pleasing contrast to the eye ? Thy views, in which no other spot can vie With thee, extended o'er the country round. O'er forests wild and cultivated ground, O'er hills and valleys, o'er the rugged steep Of the great king* of rivers, Lawrence deep ? Such are thy beauties, such my humble muse Attempts to sing ; yet thou wilt not refuse This tribute to tliy memory ; thou wilt deign To accept a faithful though a feeble strain. And now by cruel fate severed from thee, Wherever 'tis my destiny to flee, Still I'll remember thee, Woodfield dear ! And still on thee will drop a tender tear ! The education of the sons of the Bishop was conducted at home, for some years, by the Rev. Matthew Feilde, M.A., of I fi' ♦ Fluviorum rex EriJanus. Virg. Georg., I, 482. K{)ecuv Axt^Mcog. Horn. II. . 194. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 15 the University of Cambridge, who lived in the house as tutor. Between Mr. Feilde and his pupils a strong feeling of attach- ment grew up, and he never ceased to take an interest and pride in them, or to look back with thankfulness to the happy days he had spent with them in Canada. In a letter addressed to the two elder, on their entering college, he says, " it is unnecessary for me to lay down rules for the profitable employment of your time ; you need no admonition of this nature from me." When he was just sixteen, George Mountain left Canada with his elder brother, to pursue his studies under the care of the Rev. T. Monro, at Little Easton, in Essex, with whom they remained till their removal to Trinity College, Cam- bridge. He had received, together with his elder brother, the blessing of confirmation from his father's hands, at Quebec, on the 18th September, 1803. The letters which continually followed him from Canada from his relatives are full of expressions, not of afiection only, but of strong and unvarying approbation, and others from companions of his own age, several of whom afterwards rose to eminence at the Canadian bar, exhibit the same proofs of his power of attracting regard and esteem. His regret at leaving Canada was very great, and found expression in some lines in which he says that in England, « — 'Mid the grandeur of men And the wonders of nature and art, For the wildness of nature again, A sigh shall be felt in the heart." But a taste for which there was no exercise in Canada, soon grew almost into enthusiasm.* No one who ever travelled * In one of his journals, written in 1830, he mentions taking a note of the name of a place near Montreal, where the remains of a feudal-looking mansion were to be seen, " in order to see it and shew it to my children, if it should be fairly in my way ; for although I would not now bestow time and thought upon such objects, I feel that I am not divested of some lurking 16 MEMOIR OF ii»i Hi i ! li Ml I i ':i'i; f .!'!; ■with him can fail to have been struck with the Tvonderful keenness of his perception of the beauties of nature, enabling him to see something to admire in combinations or contrasts "which an ordinary observer would have passed without notice ; and all his letters and journals are full of descriptions into which many other minds could not fully enter in the same scenes. Yet to the last he used to say that even the recollection of architectural remains of antiquity gave him a pleasure which he described with a zest and a freshness that carried one back to them as if they were before one's eyes. None of his own early letters have been preserved, his contemporaries to whom they were addressed having all passed away ; but their letters to him speak of the pleasure they derived from his description of the new scenes on which he now entered. One of his Canadian friends, writing from Quebec in February 1806, speaks of the pleasure " of enjoying such sentiments as you describe to have filled your mind on beholding the celebrated and venerable cathe- dral of Canterbury, and to have enraptured it on hearing the solemn strains during divine service there." Among his fellow pupils at Easton were some who afterwards became distinguished in different professions ; and among them all a feeling of kindliness prevailed which manifested itself in after years, whenever, by any circumstance, any of them were thrown together. A letter written from Easton soon after his removal to Cambridge ends with the words, "all the boys send their love to you." One of those boys, who was also with him at Cambridge, the only one (besides his brother) of school and college companions, who now, it is believed, survives, writes of him thus : " My affection for him was such, that nothing which was cause of gratification in our remains of a fondness for them, which, in my early youth, amounted to a romantic enthusiasm. My children may, perhaps, contemplate them -with a similar kind of interest, accompanied by an attention to the moral and religious lessons which are to be read in the changes of this lower world. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 17 early associations seems to have left my memory ; and often as I sit opposite his picture in my drawing room, are scenes of our dear early days brought vividly before my mind. Alas ! the last time we met, when he was last in England, he felt our approaching separation so strongly, that as we were moving about London in a cab, he stopped it, and said, ' Wait here, I must get out.* He said no more, but I lost sight of him, and waited for a long time. But he never came back, and I received a note from him next morning to tell me, ' My dear 1 could not say good-bye ; my heart was too full ; I knew we should never meet again in the flesh ;' and so we parted. Our first friendship was formed at Easton, where we were placed for tuition under our kind friend, Mr. Monro. There were eight of us. Happy days were those. He was a first-rate classic. From thence he went up to Trinity, and I to St. Johns, about 1808. He often passed his vacations at my father's house, and was a great favourite with everybody. Some years ago he went with me, at the request of the vicar of , to preach a charity sermon, and when we arrived in the vestry, we found a note addressed to his lordship, requesting he would on no account read the Communion-service at the altar. He observed it was a very extraordinary request, and asked me to account for it. I told him what I believed was true, that the vicar had a very weak voice, and could not make himself heard in the body of the church, and did not like any other person to do differently from himself. On which he doubled up the note, and said he should carry it home to Quebec, and have it framed and glazed, and placed in his study as a direction by a vicar how a Bishop ought to comport himself in church. However, we did read the service, of course, in the chancel and at the altar. " His mind had always a religious tone and bias, and I never knew him allow the least approach to irreverence of any kind in his presence, even at his earliest youth. He 'a 18 MEMOIR OP i: iJ m i.! '! Iljj. ii! U was my earliest, dearest friend, and there never was any person out of my own immediate family, for whom I enter- tained so great a regard and affection. All my children and Mrs. were greatly attached to him." I have given this extract, though part of it anticipates the course of my narrative, to shew how lasting was the mutual influence of his early attachments, as well as because it is characteristic of him in some other points. He became a scholar of Trinity College, but as his tastes were strongly bent towards classical rather than to mathe- matical studies, he took his degree, in 1810, without honours. The number of his own books at that time, as exhibited in a catalogue which has been preserved, would now be considered surprisingly small, and proves how willingly he must have had recourse to other means of improvement which were within his reach. One of the tutors of his college, writing to his brother, so long afterwards as 1821, says, *' I need not tell you how pleasing to me all my tutorial reminiscences are, when I think of you and your brother. I have often regretted that his acquirements and amiable talents should have so 4ittle chance of being known in this country ; the examination which he passed for the scholarship in Trinity College was certainly that of no ordinary scholar ; his copy of Latin verses and the accuracy of his English translation from the Greek I remember to have been much commended by the seniors." But the tutor who knew most of him, and for whom he entertained a reverent affection to the day of his death, was the late Rev. J. K. Miller, a man of unaffected piety and wonderful humility of mind, as well as an accomplished scholar. In a letter written nearly forty years after he had left Cambridge, Mr. Miller says, in reference to a charge to the clergy of the diocese of Quebec, then recently published, ^' I have been, indeed, especially pleased with it, and have not only read it over more than once, but made an object of reading it to a coterie of special friends, who, I was persuaded, G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 19 would hear it with the same gratification as that which it gave me ; that is, the same in kind, but in degree it could not be so, from their want of personal acquaintance with the author. And from hence arose a peculiar accession to my pleasure ; because I traced in the charge, throughout, those tokens of identity of mind and feeling, with which I became acquainted early, and which are such interesting and power- ful corroborations of truth, — truth in which we are all transcendently interested, and which we are bound to seek and to prove. Every page, every paragraph, almost every sentence, reminded me that I was listening (a curious meta- phor as applied to reading, but intelligible,) to the same earnest- hearted, thoughtful, intelligent, discriminating friend whom I was early connected with as a pupil. Our hearts were then lighter than the discipline of life and probation of the world and a sense of the highest things have allowed them to continue, uniformly at least. Yet I hope that even then there was ' a sense of something far more deeply inter- fused ' than the atmosphere which immediately surrounded us, and that we have still been living for the same end, and had the same love of truth in view, and embraced it as it has more opened itself out to our ken, and ' proving all tilings ' have endeavoured to ' hold fast that which is good,' and still to ' walk by the same rule, to mind the same thing.' I persuade myself that I trace in this last, as well as in all previous compositions (to me an unsatisfactory word) of yours, successive evidences of this persevering course of mind. And while it is gratifying to do so, as a personal reminis- cence, it is also didactic and edifying, as maturing sober convictions of what is true and indestructible. The individ- uality and identity and originality of mind which I trace in your writings is by no means inefficient as a power of spiritual suasion of the highest order. It is an evidence that you have gone to the root of the matter yourself, that you have not traded on other men's labours, or ' sworn to their words,' :j!.^ 20 MEMOIR OF tiii:! ' .■} i I I I'P while you have had a just respect for the conclusions at which the wise and good of older times have arrived, and in which they have found rest, consolation, and satisfaction. In fact, you have contributed a sensible share to the proving afresh of not new things, but things which have been from the beginning, yet partly over-laid and over-ridden, but which are never to be forgotten and can never be lost. I could willingly go into divers particulars of your lordship's charge, with which I have been cordially delighted, but I fear I shall be led into disproportionate lengths of remark, and indeed never find an end. With regard to * * * * f I only demur to the courteous consideration which you have shewn towards them ; yet, probably, you arc right there, too, if I could sec all. I am sure, however, I do not see enough in this case to entitle them, as of right, to so respectful a mention as you have made of them." Writing on the same subject to the Bishop's brother, Mr. Miller said, " It is so genuinely his oiV7i ; the expression of his thoughtful, discern- ing, energetic, and yet delicate mind ; so authentic, so conscientious, kind, candid, variously good, more than I can well particularly describe, that it has been quite refreshing to me to trace these evidences in it." He was surrounded at Cambridge by friends whose *aiFec- tion continued unabated during their lives, and whose kindness his children, for his sake, have in many instances experienced. Like his companions at Easton, many of them became after- wards more or less conspicuous in their different callings. Among them was the late Dr. Chambers, whose refreshment in his busiest days was to read ^schylus in his carriage as he moved from house to house in his extensive practice. Their classical tastes were similar to his own, and many proofs of the accuracy and elegance of their scholarship might be produced. He had a wonderful memory for classical t A party which had caused some trouble in the diocese. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 21 ful, discern- * literature, and especially for poetry in any language, and in his old age could (luote at great length from authors whom ho had not read since his youth. In the year 1855 he was travelling, on one of his shorter visitations, with a distinguished fellow of Magd. Coll., Oxford, who had taken duty near Quebec in a long vacation, and who was about half his age, and to beguile a somewhat tedious drive, they tried who could remember the greater number of classical quotations.* lie said afterwards, *' I really believe 1j. began to think me (juitc a learned man, till we got upon some more modern subjects, and then he found me out." It may not be out of place here to record the impression made on his companion by his intercourse with him. Writing in 18G3, he says, " The pleasant summer I spent under his hospitable roof gave me an opportunity of knoAving what a great loss you must all feel it to be. I do not think I have ever come into similar contact with any one for whom I have felt a stronger regard and reverence. I felt always that I Avas with a man of gentle and warm heart, of singleness and simplicity of character, of delicately refined feelings, of high christian principle." f * In the account of one of his journeys as Archdeacon, when he was uccompanied by a brother clergyman, still labouring in the diocese, he says, " I would you had heard how my companion, as wo toiled along, beguiled the way through the midnight woods, by repeating from his favourite poets, to whose works the conversation chanced to lead, I believe a hundred lines at a time, and favoured by the darkness, which removed some of the checks upon his confidence, gave their full eft'ect to many animated or touching lines." t I cannot forbear from recording here the impression made upon the mind of another English clergyman, who, while an undergraduate, had paid a long vacation visit to Canada in 1845 : " The best of the able account given in the Quebec Mercury (January 1863,) is, that it is every word true, and if anything under the truth. I shall never forget the impression which I received of the beauty of his character during the five happy weeks which it was my privilege to spend under his roof. He has ever since been my beau-ideal of a Christian Bishop." n I. 22 MEMOIR OF i](jii ; 'I : i 1 I I 'I < '1, After ho had taken his degree at Cambridge, he was a candidate for a fellowsliip at Downing College, which he did not succeed in obtaining ; but the manner in which he acquitted himself at the examination was such that more thau ten years afterwards, when application had been made to the then Professor of Greek, (Dr. Monk, afterwards Bishop of Gloucester,) to recommoiid a person to fill the office of Principal of a College in Nova Scotia, ho wrote to his brotlu-r to en(iuirc whether he thought such a situation would bo acceptable, adding, " if you encourage the idea, I shall be delighted to offer my testimony in favour of liis classical qualifications, which I well recollect at the examination f<»r a fellowship at Downing College, when I thought that ho displayed talent and good scholarship in no ordinary degree, and he would, I am convinced, be a most desirable head vi the establishment." I ought not to pass over the assistance which he derived in the pursuit of his studies from his elder brother, to whom this letter was addressed ; he was a rii)e and accurate scholar, and though only eighteen months his senior, was able to give him much valuable advice. He still survives, the only one remaining of the children of the first Bishop of Quebec, is a prebendary of Lincoln Cathedral, (almost the senior prebendary of England,) Rural Dean. Commissary of tlie Archdeacon of Bedford, and rector of Blunham, Beds, where, in his 79th year, he performs three services, and preaches three times every Sunday of his life. I. -• I i ii. i' •f ; ■! (II. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 23 CIIAPTEll II. Ordination — Jouincyings with hia father — Marringe — Settlement at Frcdc- ricton — Removal thenco to Quebec. After leaving Cambridge, the younger of the two brothers returned, in 1811, to Canada, where he had the great advantage of pursuing his studies in preparation for Holy Orders, to which his mind had been long directed, under the guidance of his father, whom he aided at the same time, in the work of his diocese, as his secretary.* Ho contitiucd to act in this capacity after his admission to Deacons' Oi- lers, which were conferred in the catliedml of (^)uebec, by tlio same hands by which he had been baptized and confirmed, on the 2nd August, 1812. He rendered assistance, during his diaconate, in the duties of the parish of Quebec, of which his cousin, the Rev. Salter Mountain, M.A., of Caius Coll., Cambridge, and chaplain to the Bishop, was minister. Mr. Mountain was one of those who had accompanied the Bishop to Canada in 1793, being then already in Orders. In 1813, the Rev. G. J. Mountain attended his father on his triennial visitation of the diocese. He took rough notes which he designed afterwards to expand into a fuller journal, but even at that early stage of his ministry, his hands were always more than full, so that it does not carry us to any great * This preparation was not deemed inconsistent with his obeying the call made for volunteers in the American war, and though he was never engaged in any active operations, be served as one of the garrison of Quebec, on tbo- ramparts of which he was long remembered to hare mounted guard. :'l'' iiiii ill'-,. |l: \ 24: MEMOIR OF distance. It is sufficiently interesting, however, as affording a picture of the means of conveyance half a century ago. Their destination was Upper Canada, and in order to reach it, the Bishop, with two sons and a daughter and two servants, embarked at Quebec in a bateau (after waiting an hour at the water's edge till it could be got alongside the stairs.) This vessel was provided by Government, and " over the middle part of it, a neat wooden awning was built, and lockers, which also formed seats, were arranged along three sides of the square apartment under the awning ; the fourth, towards the front of the boat, being open. The Bishop, however, sat in the middle, in a great old arm-chair. The crew consisted of a pilot and four rowers, two before and two behind the awning. For these men, who were engaged to convey them to Montreal, fifty pounds of pork and thirty loaves were provided by agreement, in addition to which, the pilot was to receive £4, and the mou nine dollars each." It was proposed to proceed to Pointe aux Trembles to sleep, hut having met a gentleman from St. Nicholas, (Mr. Caldwell,) pulling himself in his own wherry, who invited them, on account of the threatening appearance of the weather, to pass the night at his house, the Bishop and his whole party availed themselves of his hospitality. It was arranged that the bateau should go on at daylight, to take advai: :age of the tide, to St. Antoine, whither the travellers were to proceed by land to join it. The next day, however, the Bishop's daughter became so unwell, that he detemiined to return to Quebec on her account, and after sundry delays and difficul- ties in recalling the bateau, the party reached Quebec, three days after they had left it, having accomplished just fifteen miles of their upward journey. " Thus ended this expedition, which had proved nothing throughout but a series of dis- couragements and distresses. A delay of two days, difficulty of arrangement, and contention with grumbling, unreasonable people, in the first instance ; inability to reach our destination G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D, 25 the first night ; a leaking bateau ; a most unaccommodating tide ; a continuance of rain unexampled ; the illness of my sister ; the failure of the bateau's return from St. Antoine, and the consequent necessity of my father's sitting up (for his bed was on board) all night ; and the very considerable expense to no purpose, make up the history of this memor- able excursion. A drew up a string of miseries under eleven different heads, and his account was perfectly just." About a week afterwards, the Bishop made a second and more successful attempt. He left Quebec with his own horses on the morning of the 22d July, and reached Kingston on the 8th September. He had four times before visited Upper Canada, and once had been driven back to Kingston by a storm, when in sight of Niagara. On this occasion, the delay was caused by the necessity of waiting at Montreal for his baggage, which had been entrusted to a schooner. For in the little steamer in which his sons took passage from Quebec, and which had but recently begun to make occasional voyages to Montreal, the passengers were limited to a very small allowance of baggage, and all that the Bishop required for a large party to travel in canoes or bateaux for an indefinite time exceeded the prescribed quantity. The arrangements of the steamer are all minutely described in the journal. Montreal was reached after a voyage of forty-eight hours, and there the Bishop joined his sons on the 27th. After waiting a month for his. baggage, he despatched a servant and some men in a bateau, in search of the schooner. They met it twenty miles below Montreal, and the baggage, having been transferred to the bateau, reached Montreal on the 30th August. The minister of Montreal, at this time, was the Bishop's elder brother, and the Church of England was obliged to hire a Scottish kirk to hold service in.* On one * A church had been begun in 1807, in which year Dr. Mountain, writing to the Bishop, complains of the backwardness of the people to pay their subscriptions, adding, " We hare paid 500^ or 600/, as a committee, out C Ml 26 MEMOIR OF Mi t ili m i U li Sunday it is noted in the journal, that " the Scotch congre- gation having a sacrament, which occupies a long time, there was no service for our Church." Dr. Mountain was the only clergyman in Montreal, or for many miles around. He carried his ministrations to other places, at a distance, where there was any demand for them. He is described as a man of a " cordial, cheerful, benevolent, active disposition, shining forth under his grey hairs — of a simple, guileless, ingenuous temper, and the most indefatigable attention to the duties of his profession (which fall heavily upon him), united with the capacity, of which it has shut out the habitual exercise, for elegant and tasteful recreations." Mr. Jackson, the rector of Sorel, happening to be in Montreal during their stay, dined with Dr. Mountain one day, when it was observed that nearly half the clergy of Lower Canada were at the table. There were four in all, including the Bishop, so that besides the four who bore the name of Mountain and Mr. Jackson, there were only three in Lower Canada; the Hon. and Rev. C. Stewart, the apostle of the Eastern townships, the Rev. C. C. Cotton, one of the earliest labourers in the same field, and the Rev. R. Short, of Three Rivers, grandfather of one of the S. P. G. missionaries now holding charge in the diocese of Quebec. During his stay at Montreal, the Bishop held a confirma- tion on St. Bartholomew's Day, when forty-two " only " were of our own pockets, besides our subscriptions, and the workmen and others are still very importunate for more money. I hope, according to- what you mention in your letter, that we may reckon on 500Z from the Society, 200/ from the Lord Mayor and Corporation, and 150/ from the London Merchants, — in all 850/ sterling. Could we draw for this money we might possibly go on with the building, having confidence in your good- ness in endeavouring to use every means of procuring ua a sufficiency to finish it." A large grant was made by the Imperial Government, but a great delay took place in the payment of it, from correspondence occasioned by a mistake made in the Colonial office, where it was supposed that Mon- '^^^'al was in Upper Canada. !. I G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 27 congre- me, there the only jid. He ce,"wherer as a man Q, shining ngenuous duties of I with the ercise, for e rector of tay, dined irved that the table, lat besides . Jackson, , and Rev. he Rev. 0. } field, and r of one of he diocese confirma- nly " were workmen and according tO' 001 from the 501 from the If this money n your good- a sufficiency rnment, but a ce occasioned led that Mon- confirmed. After a detention of five weeks, the party was at last er.'^bled to set off for Lachine, en route for Kingston, on the 30th August. At Lachine they were detained a whole day by an adverse wind, and on the 1st September, embarked in their " old enemy, a bateau " which was provided by the Commissariat at the Bishop's expense.* The voyage was cnhvened by the company of other bateaux carrying troops to the seat of war in Upper Canada, which served as a pro- tection where their course lay within reach of the American shore. They proceeded, however, without any symptom of molestation, and it was only the possibility of this that made precautions necessary. The only clergymen stationed be- tween Montreal and Kingston were Mr. Baldwyn, at Corn- wall, (afterwards at St. Johns, L. C.,) and Mr. Weageant, of Williamsburgh, who had been a Lutheran minister, but, having joined the Church of England with his congregation, had been ordained by the Bishop. He officiated alternately in German and in English. The Bishop did not stay to perform any episcopal acts at either of these places, but reserved them, apparently, for the downward journey. Kingston was reached on the 8th September, where the Bishop became the guest of Mr. Stuart, the minister of that place. The journal does not go beyond this point, but there are some rough notes of the Bishop's which serve to carry it on to the 17th. He left Kingston on the 14th, in a canoe, with ten Indians and an interpreter, provided by the Governor, Sir G. Prevost, for the Bay of Quint<^. The voyage was not prosperous, — the Indians were "lazy, and at last drunk," — and afterwards became so terrified by reports of Americans being in the neighbourhood, that they refused to go on. George Mountain was admitted to Priests' Orders by his father, in the cathedral of Quebec, on the 16th January, * I have a memorandum of the expenses of a canoe, paid hj the Bighop , from Montreal to Detroit, in 1816, (exclusive of provisions,) which amounted to within a few shillings of £150. nl I' 28 MEMOIR OF ii'i'i life! >1 III '"" 11 ,| i; I • |i- ■:iii ''^ii ' il; ir;.!::: i\ 1814, and on the 18th, licensed as evening lecturer of the cathedral. The value of this appointment was £150 a year. Not long afterwards it was rumoured that a clergyman was wanted either at Fredericton or at St. John, in the adjoining province of New Brunswick ; and the Bishop of Quebec, being desirous of providing for his son, wrote to the Bishop of Nova Scotia to recommend him for whichever post might be vacant, if in so doing he " should not interfere with the fair claims of any other person," adding, " in one word, unless you are at a loss for a proper person to fill one or other of these situations, my son would be as unwilling to obtrude him- self upon you, as I should be to offer him to your considera- tion. God forbid that we should attempt to stand in the way of any of your own clergy who wish for and may be suited to the situation in question. I must, in justice, say of my son, that he is a young man of learning and ability, of sound prin- ciples and exemplary conduct, and already much considered as a preacher here." The Bishop of Nova Scotia replied, that what he had heard from different sources made him " desirous and even anxious that Mr. Mountain should settle in his diocese." Preparations were made at once for his removal to Fredericton, for he had a step in contemplation which rendered the augmentation of his income, which his appointment to that charge would bring with it, a matter of some importance. On the 2nd August, 1814, he was married, by his father, in the cathedral of Quebec, to Mary Hume, third daughter of Deputy Commissary-General Thom- son., They lived together in the tenderest and truest affection for forty-seven years. Immediately after their marriage they embarked in a transport which was conveying troops to Prince Edward's Island ; from thence they crossed to Pictou, and proceeded by land to Halifax. There are some very rough, and scarcely intelligible, notes of this journey, but it appears sufficiently that they left Pictou on the 29th August, going on horseback for the first twenty-five miles, and reached G. J. 3I0UNTAIN, D.D. 29 Halifax in three days. One letter has been preserved, in which the approach to Truro is thus described : " Like all the places in these new countries, it refuses to exhibit any- thing picturesquely rural ; and the eye looks in vain for the village scenery of the mother country, — no hedges, no sunk, shady lanes ; no Gothic church* embosomed in yew ; no snug, old-fashioned farm, ^vith casement windows ; no village green, with here and there a pond ; no venerable hall, nor respecta- ble family-mansion, surrounded by its comfortable appendages, screened by a tall rookery, or caught through an old avenue ; nothing that interests the fancy; nothing that excites a pleasing association." The journey from Charlottetown to Halifax cost £11. At Halifax they remained a week, at the end of which they set out for Annapolis, where they were to embark for St. John, N. B. This voyage was easily accom- plished. At St. John they were detained another week, making necessary preparations for settling at Fredericton. When they were within ten miles of their future home, the wind proving contrary, they left the little vessel in which they had ascended the river, (having been three days on board,) and " went ashore, opposite a church, having made a small bundle ; no gig or horses at the house. Two black girls put us over ferry, and we walk a mile. There two saddle horses ; arrive at five," on the 27th September. This was the manner of his approach to his first pastoral charge. He had not been idle on the way, for every Sunday it is noted that he preached, generally tw^ice. Besides the rectory of Frederic- ton, he held the posts of chaplain to the troops, and to the Council. A letter from his predecessor, the Rev. George Pidgeon, Commissary of New Brunswick, who had removed * In this respect, at least, things had improved, some thirty years later, for, in 1843, the people of the inn at Truro used to point out the wooden church, and tell that its spire had been built in imitation of that of Salis- bury Cathedral, apparently without any consciousness of reserving the rule, Si parvis liceat, SfC. 30 MEMOIR OF i;i! t ' ii- to St. John, dated 20th October, 1814, shews that he was not long in throwing himself into his work, and into a depart- ment of work not always considered the most agreeable. Mr. Pidgeon acknowledges the receipt of a list of subscribers to the S. P. C. K., to be forwarded to Halifax. His reports to the S. P. G. from Fredericton evince his earnest care for the welfare of his flock and of the destitute settlements in the neighbourhood. He dwells particularly on the means of education. And while he gives, on the whole, an encouraging picture, it appears that he did not shrink, even during his short sojourn, from endeavouring to correct any laxity of prac- tice into which the people had, to some extent, unavoidably fallen. An instance of this is found in his urging upon them the duty of bringing their children to the church for baptism, instead of having the ceremony performed in private houses. In the letter just referred to, Mr. Pidgeon says, " I rejoice to find you are so much pleased with your habitation ; the situation, in summer, is indeed delightful, but I fear you have brought an old house over your head ; the kitchen was, when we left it, in a deplorable state, and many other places exhibited strong symptoms of decay." In this old house, however, he spent three years very happily and comfort- ably ; though, if the price of all the necessaries of life was in proportion to that of two bottles of hme-juice which Mr. Pidgeon forwarded by " sloop," valued at eight shillings, — for lime-juice was a luxury not to be procured in Fredericton — the emoluments of the rectory could not have been much too large. Another illustration of the condition of things in this point is found in Mr. Pidgeon's letter, for he speaks of some *' common tables" which had been ordered at St. John, but about which there had been some ir.' ^.'■^ke. They were " two pounds a piece ; but, if they have turaed legs, round comers and castors, they will be three dollars and a half more portable!" Another letter, of a very diflferent kind, deserves to be here transcribed, as shewing the influence which helped. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 31 by Divine grace, to make him what he was. It is from his father, and is dated Quebec, 31st October, 1814. " I think by this time I may congratulate you upon being settled in your own house. I am glad to hear that it is so comfortable, and that its situation so much pleases you. The whole of your journal has been most interesting to us ; and your letter to me from Fredericton such as could not but give us the greatest satisfaction. You now, my dear son, enter upon the important business of life, and you will not be surprised that I take this occasion to offer some suggestions as to the con- duct to be adopted, to secure its best enjoyments. I need not recommend to you regularity in the discharge of all your clerical duties, nor an earnest desire to promote the religious knowledge and the piety of your people. I am satisfied that you have these objects seriously at heart. I will, therefore, only caution you to take care that, from the outset, your manners and conversation may be such as are best calculated to secure to you the respect, as well as confidence and kind regard, of all those of whom you are the pastor ; and that you will, upon all proper occasions, take care to let them see that your first object is their spiritual improvement, and that you are by no means indifferent to their temporal welfare, the <;oncems, more especially, of the unfortunate, the sick and the poor. Make yourself, as far as you can, acquainted with the situation and circumstances of every person in your par- ish ; and endeavour to have such personal acquaintance, even with the lowest, as may afford opportunities of instruction, comfort, and advice. Accustom your mind to the considera- tion that you are ' an ambassador for Christ,' and endeavour, in all things, to conduct your embassy in the spirit of your Master. Be very watchful over yourself, that no degree of languor or indifference creep by degrees into your manner of performing divine service. Impress upon your mind the fixed recollection, that when you open your lips in the church, it is to address yourself to the Almighty Lord of heaven and 32 MEMOIR OF iliiili \rS > I; earth, in behalf of yourself and of all who are assembled with you. This recollection, faithfully preserved, will make it impossible for you to pray without deep seriousness, awful reverence, and devout affections. In the pulpit, always keep it in mind, that the eternal condition of all, or of many at least, who hear you may depend upon and date from the doctrine and the exhortations that you deliver, your animad- versions upon sin, and instructions in righteousness ; and keep the same things in mind in the composition of your sermons, never addressing yourself to this part of your duty without prayer to God for His blessing upon your labours. In private instruction, (whenever an opportunity offers of conveying it,) do not be deterred by a fear of the imputation of methodism, from being warm and earnest in your endeavours. Do not be discouraged by perverseness or conceit, nor disgusted by vulgarity and ignorance ; keeping always in mind the infinite importance of the object, and the reward of those who turn many to righteousness. " I will conclude by begging you, in the most earnest man- ner, to be strictly regular in your application to the studies proper to your profession. Observe, I say regular. I do not wish you to be a hard student, I ask you to be a regular one. Set apart a convenient portion of the day, and let nothing (but what may be still more necessary and important) divert you from the observance of it. Remember the parable of the talents, and cultivate yours with conscientious perseverance. Believe me, there is no need of heinous crimes, or of noto- rious misconduct, to fix in the mind the anguish of remorse. He who, as life advances, is conscious of having neglected or abused the talents which God was pleased to bestow upon him, who is conscious that he has done infinitely less good in the world than he might have done if he had sedulously cultivated, and properly and steadily applied, those talents, will need no other consciousness to embitter the maturer years of life, no other offences to make him fully acquainted G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 3S with all the anguish of unavailing regret, and all the appre- hensions of a late repentance. God grant that you may duly and in time consider this. I know the excellence of your principles, and the goodness of your heart. Be resolute, my dear George, with the grace and help of God." In another letter, dated 12th February, 181G, his father says, " All your doings comfort me greatly." In this year, the Rev. Salter Mountain became desirous of exchanging his post at Quebec, the duties of which, dis- charged as they had been for twenty years with an unremit- ting attention, had outgrown his strength, for one demanding less labour and anxiety. It was accordingly arranged that he should remove to Cornwall, in Upper Canada, which was then vacant, where he continued till the day of his death, and where his memory still lives, as that of a guileless true- hearted Christian.* His widow and some of his children still live at Cornwall, where they have been long known as . large benefactors of the Church, and leaders in every good work. When he had determined on leaving Quebec, it was proposed to the rector of Fredericton that he should become his successor. His father oflfered it to him, but left the choice entirely to himself, saying, " I neither advise, nor object to your coming." He was unwilling to influence him in any way, although having no son in Canada, and no pros- pect of seeing any of them, and being upwards of threescore years of age, he naturally desired to have him at Quebec, particularly with the prospect of losing the assistance of Mr. Salter Mountain in the capacity of chaplain. In the letter in which the change was proposed, (October 7th, 1816,) the Bishop says, " You will be glad to hear, that I got * One of the most liberal and humble-minded churchwomen anywhere to be found traces her systematic and self-denying habit of alms-giving to bis instructions, aided by those of hi3 sister, at the time of confirmation, some sixty years ago. She has been under the pastoral care of five members of the family of Mountain, of two different branches, and three generations. i I 34 MEMOIR OF 1!' I'll :■ through my long visitation, (three months and four days,) in all respects more satisfactorily than I expected. Travelling in the canoe enabled me to see a great deal more of the country and of the people than I could otherwise have done. That part of the upper province which was new to me,* far exceeded in beauty and fertility all that I had seen before, and the climate appeared to be delightful. A great part of the new townships in Lower Canada surpassed in beauty, and equalled in fertility, all that I had seen in Upper Canada. I can scarcely imagine anything more picturesque or roman- tic. The country about Lake Mempbramagog more especi- ally, I think can hardly be exceeded anywhere ; but the climate is not so soft, nor the colour and form of the woods so admirable, as in Upper Canada. From St. Armand to the river St. Francis, (a sort of zig-za^ diagonal of all these townships,) we travelled in waggons, over high mountains, and through deep valleys and woods, in roads composed of rocks and roots, only exchanged, occasionally, for short, but deep, black, swampy soil. Nobody would believe, before I tried it, that it could be so accomplished ; but, thanks be to God, it was so accomplished, although we sometimes could not advance more than twelve miles a day, and though we ourselves frequently thought the obstacles insurmountable. It has been accomplished, too, (through mercy,) not only without injury to my health, (though, for a few days, I had reason to fear that the old complaint in my side was alarm- ingly increased by it,) but with a great improvement of it. I found myself able to walk seven or eight miles at a time, through bad roads, and much more through good. My rest was perfect ; the coarsest food was acceptable to me. My strength and activity seemed almost daily to increase ; and though I was often sensible of fatigue, it was not a fatigue I -■S * He had coasted Lake Erie in a canoe furnished by the N. W. Company, mWh. twelve voyageurs, and visited the missions at its upper end, which, by the route he took, are scarcely less than 1000 miles from Quebec. G. J. MOUNTAIN, . 86 or roman- followcd by lanf^uor or debility. I never took c 'd, thr > wet through on the water, and sleeping on the shores of xtUo lakes, six times in a tent, and often in strange housc^ I preached at every place where I stopped and found it \n\u tieable to hold divine service (four times, for instance, in five (lays,) and made many arrangements for the establishing of future churches. Have I not great reason to be thankful tliat I have been enabled to do all this, and that, having done it, I yet experience, undiminished, the strength and activity Avhich I have recovered ? At my time of life, this cannot last long, but it becomes me gratefully to enjoy it while it does. The reception which I met with on the journey (from (Jovernor Gore downwards) was in the highest degree grati- fying, as well as that which I have since met with from Sir .]. Sherbrooke. The latter behaved in the most obliging manner, and said the kindest things of what he had heard of you, when I mentioned to hira my probable wish for an arrangement that would bring you here. * * * I am delighted, my dear G., with your employments. How, indeed, can I be otherwise ? Persevere, my beloved son, in the ' narrow way,' and may the blessing of God rest upon you and yours, now and forever ! You have been very good in ^Yriting, and your letters are always a cordial to me. Gire my blessing, with my tenderest love, to Mary and her little ones. I need not say how truly I am your affectionate father and friend, J. Quebec." At the date of this letter, the Bishop was on the point of proceeding to England,* in the hope of procuring some relief 1 1 • I cannot forbear from giving here a description, contained in a letter from his eldest son, of the Bishop's meeting with his family in England ia 1817, as shewing the extraordinary aflfection entertained for him by his children. " Yesterday, as we were looking out of the window, a cry was uttered, 'what's that?' (a carriage approaching) — a tremendous rush of feet 36 MKMOTR OF from his episcopal labours, wliicli ho had now carried on for twenty-three years. When his son removed, therefore, in the followin;^ year, from Fredericton to Quebec, he did not find any of his own immediate family there, nor did they return from En;^land for some time afterwards. He was most affectionately welcomed, however, by other relatives and a large mnnber of friends, among whom lie was to exercise and overturning of fiirniture followed, nnd in a moment I found myself la tho garden, in my fathor'3 arms with E. and ('., tiu' latter of whom declares that she expected to bo killed, and actually was deprived of breath by tho violent compression of agitated embraces. Tliis morning the effects of con- vulsive and hysterical joy are visible in all our ( ices, but we are too happy not to be well. The dear object of our prayers and anxiety is thin, but looks admirably, aud is (piite ynung, lively and active, and so beautiful ! in his G6th year — wonderful in all things ! Wr cannot, at least I cannot, write, nor take my eyes from that face which they hare so longed to see, but we have time to rejoice in your promotion to Quebec, and to offer our best congratulations on it. How comfortable for my aunt M." I am tempted to add the testimony of his youngest son, written more than twenty-five years after his death : " Our father lives in my recollection as a being of a higher order, and of a different race from the men among whom my life 1ms been passed. He was not only essentially a gentleman, but I have never, in all my wanderings, seen a prince who had his bearing. lie was stern when his indignation was justly roused, but who more kind and gentle, more playful in his own circle, more consoling as a friend and adviser, more beneficent in private charity ? Full of talent and scholarship, whatever he did was handled with a master's touch : his pencil and his flute he laid aside in maturer years, and his i)en was only employed in the performance of his duty or for the amusement of his friends ; he eschewed authorship, but whether he wrote a sonnet or a satire, an epitaph or a humorous ditty, an official paper or a sermon, truth aud vigour, keen perception, deep feeling and exquisite taste were his attributes. His ' Hints' given to R and me on leaving home are the most perfect manual for a young man entering life, and his sermons were at once the most striking and the most convincing that I have ever heard or read. And when at the close of the Communion- service, he advanced from the altar, with the open book upon his hand, to give glory to God on high, I have never witnessed any thing on earth so godlike as his figure, his voice, his manner. How often do I think of him ! When I recall his letters and his verbal advice, I feel how wise he was, ana yet withal only too indulgent. When I was escaping from my teens, I was a somewhat precocious youngster. I had at least the good looks of youth, G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 37 hi? pastoral charge. His farewell sermon* was preached at F'-'tlcricton, on St. Peter's Day, from 1 Thess. iv., 1, 2. It is particularly designed to guard his flock against the danger to which they would be soon exposed, in consequence < ' an unavoidable vacancy which would occur after his depar- ■i; e, from the practices of some irregular teachers of religion. He carried with him, though he had been less than three years among them, the love of all the members of his flock. The President of the province, writing to the Bishop of Nova Scotia respecting the appointment of a successor, speaks of the " salutary effects of his prudent zeal, and indefatigable diligence in the various branches of his pastoral office," as having " already contributed, in no small degree, to confirm the well-disposed, and to conciliate the disaffected ;'* and the Bishop, in reply, writes thus : " That the intended removal of your excellent pastor should excite great concern in the parish of Fredericton is not to be wondered at. I am truly sensible of the loss we shall all sustain by his departure from the diocese." The letters of the Bishop and his commissary high spirits, and manners formed from having been thrown early into good society. Our father sent me for the first time to the continent ; he spoke to me at parting, kindly but seriously : you have, he said, such and such advantages,— enumerating them with a father's partiality, — but do not deceive yourself : you are now well received every where, but unless you exert yourself to obtain solid and useful, as well as elegant, information, you %vill find, as you grow older, that you cannot maintain the same relative position in society ; and unless you study the Word of God, and make it your rule of life, when the pleasures of this world lose their relish, as they will, you cannot be happy." The character of the^Bishop was drawn by his second son, in a brief memoir, in 1825, and he received many testimonies to its faithfulness. I have heard people say it was worth while to go any distance to hear him pronounce the benediction. And since I wrote this note, an aged and very poor man told me that " when he said ' the peace of God,' it went all round the church ; it was like silver." * He had previously published one (by desire) on Judges viii, 34-35, preached as an appeal on behalf of the Waterloo sufferers, 14th January, 1816. 38 MEMOIR OF (who was afterwards his successor in the see) both express their own personal sense of loss and disappointment in the strongest terms. Nine years later, when the churchmen of New Brunswick had so increased in numbers and importance as to make them feel their need of a resident Bishop, some leading persons at Fredericton entered into communication with their former pastor, in the hope of eflfecting an arrange- ment by which he might be restored to them in that capacity. He was not unwilling to entertain the proposal, for he always cherished a strong affection for his first flock, and he had already been thought worthy of advancement to the highest order of the ministry, by those whom he knew to be well qualified to form a judgment ; but the encouragement which had been held out respecting the provision to be made for the maintenance of the office was subsequently withdrawn, and the plan was necessarily abandoned for a time. A leading member of the society of Fredericton says on this occasion, " I shall not quite relinquish the hope of seein^' you placed where not I alone, but all your friends here, are persuaded you would be eminently useful." Again, some eleven years afterwards, when the project of a Bishopric in New Brunswick was revived, the Governor of that province wrote to him, while he was administering the diocese of Quebec under the title of Bishop of Montreal, to express the great satisfaction which his translation to New Brunswick would give to the Church there. He never met his old flock, jhow- ever, until thirty years after he had left them, when he passed through Fredericton, on his way from the district of Gasp^ to another part of his own diocese, and the eagerness with which he was welcomed by men and women of all classes, rich and poor, white and negroes, shewed how lovingly his memory had been cherished, and how fruitful his short minis- try had been. It was a great happiness to him to witness the many advantages which they enjoyed through the exertions of their own Bishop ; and when he renewed his visit in 1853, G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 39 upon occasion of the consecration of the cathedral, he was as thankful as any who took part in that deeply interesting service. His youngest brother, writing from Fredericton, where he was quartered with his regiment, in 1825, says, " Your memory is universally respected and cherished, and the people sometimes disturb me by their unqaalified preference of you to all rectors past, present, and future, in presence of Mr. B , who is, however, very well liked, and deserves to be so." * Some very rough notes of part of the journey from Fredericton to Quebec have been preserved. It was begun by ascending the river St. John in two small canoes, and a long portage was traversed by the rector and his wife on foot, with two children, of whom the elder was very little more than two years old, and the younger was carried in his arms. The fifth night after leaving Fredericton was spent at the house of a settler, where, the master and mistress being absent, %ey were received by " a disagreeable, wise, talk- ative old grandfather, a most uncouth lad, and a barefoot little girl with a handkerchief tied over her head and ears under the chin, to keep away flies in milking. Their extreme ill manners, without intentional incivility, tell us we may take the things when we ask for them. The young lady pops her- self into the best bed. The lad sometime afterwards whispers to the old man that ' those folks * should have this : but after rousing the young lady, and some consultation, they decide * This brother, in a letter written to Fredericton in 1816, says, " Next to my father's, I shall always receive your advice most gratefully, and your opinions most submissively, as I have more confidence in your goodness, more reliance on your judgment, and more respect for your character, than for that of any man, with the sole exception I mentioned." And about ten years later, he wrote of his brother George, " I much question whether there be a being in this world more beloved and respected by all belonging to him." 1 1 ■ A 40 MEMOIR OP -Hi otherwise. They turn down some bedding for us fron: the loft (where the youth sleeps) which the old man, with an excess of partiality, commends for its cleanliness. We spread some of our own rugs, &c., on it, and sleep in our clothes, the old man having turned in by the side of the girl." G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 41 CHAPTER III. Entrance on parochial work at Quebec — Appointment as Official — Journey- ing3 in that capacity, and with his father on visitation. The change from Frcdericton to Quebec had been made with the prospect of a diminution of income, but his father suc- ceeded, during his visit to England, in procuring from the Imperial Government the appointment of two Officials, for Upper and Lower Canada respectively, with salaries of £160 each. His son was made Official of the Lower pro- vince. The Bishop also procured an allowance in lieu of house-rent for the minister of Quebec. He failed in the main object of his visit to England, for he had hoped to be enabled to resign b'S charge into the hands of some younger man, and was detained so long before obtaining a decision upon the subject, that it was not till 1818 that he returned to Quebec. In the meantime Mr. Mountain had entered thoroughly into his work. He was impressed with the importance of extend- ing religious knowledge and education as the foundation of that work: and at Quebec, as at Fredcricton, one of hirf first acts was to take measures for the establishment of a Diocesan Committee of the S. P. C. K., as well as of National Schools for boys and girls ; and both of these objects, in which he Avas well and cordially supported by the leading members of his flock, received a peculiar degree of his attention and regard as long as he lived. He lived to see the schools which he founded still flourishing some forty-five years afterwards, not- withstanding the springing up, with the increase of the popu- D • f. •>! 42 MEMOIR OF ill III lation, of numerous others of a similar class, and to know men filling high positions in different learned professions who had there received their early education. Dr. Inglis, Commissary and afterwards Bishop of Nova Scotia, writes, in acknowledg- ment of a letter of the 18th March, 1818: "It is matter of joy to me that you have founded a Diocesan Committee at Quebec, which, I doubt not, will be very respectable. We do not look for marvellous and instantaneous fruits from our humble labours, but may hope the blessing of God may render them useful. From our little effort here (and surely you may entertain the fullest hope of similar advantage) we have good i reason to believe that Christian knowledge has been promoted \ and extended, and we can already perceive that our mode of I effecting this has served as a bond of interesting union among members of the Church. It has also saved many of our mem- bers from turning their zeal and influence and assistance to objects of a more equivocal character. * * * Rely upon it, your school will succeed in Quebec." At this time he was the! only clergyman in Quebec or its neighbourhood, besides thej chaplain of the garrison who also held the office of evening | lecturer at the cathedral. But while thus actively engaged | in his parochial duties, he did not regard his post of Official^ as a sinecure. Early in January, 1818, he set out, driving hisl own horse, on a tour through the new settlements on the riverl St. Francis, first visiting Drummondville, where he spent a| Sunday and held service, and from thence proceeding toi Shipton, then inhabited almost exclusively by Americans, off whom ho says that the men were, many of them, absolutclji destitute of religion, and the women disciples of wild fanatil cism, and brings forward some sad proofs of the truth of tl remark. At Shipton he officiated in a schoolroom, which Avail the garret of a large wooden building, of which the loAveii part was unfinished and quite open. " There was not a singl«| prayer-book to be found among the people ; I was obligoAj therefore, to read responses and all. There was no chimin:; G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 43 as not a sinj'll in of groans* during the sermon, with which they had saluted Mr. Mills, agreeably to their previous habit. I found, how- ever, that they approved of my ' discourse,' and some of them regretted the want of a settled and authorized pastor. The Methodist teachers have laboured hard to set them against the Church." The next Sunday was given to Chambly, which was reached via Sorel, the settlements beyond Shipton on the St. Francis being in charge of the Hon. and Rev. 0. Stewart. At Chambly, service was held in a " guardroom which was fitted up (if fitting up it can be called) as a tem- porary place of worship. At one end was a raised sleeping- place on which the men sleep, and in the middle of this a kind of tub has been built for the clergyman. I was much pleased with the behaviour of the congregation ; the responses were very well made, and the singing was excellent. After ser- vice I begged the resident members of the congregation to remain, and told them the object of my visit," namely, the establishment of a clergyman among them, for which matters were put in a satisfactory train. In September, 1818, he made a journey up the river Chau- diere, some sixty miles from Quebec, to visit a German colony which had been planted there by a merchant of Quebec, a German himself, who had purchased seigneuries on that river. This settlement was afterwards dispersed, chiefly in conse- quence of a disastrous fire. In February, 1819, the visit to the St. Francis was repeated ; and this time he reached Hatley, where he was most cordially welcomed by Dr. Stewart, who, however, dissuaded him from his purpose of proceeding farther. He speaks of travelling in a stage in a driving snow-storm, on " a day after my own heart, and only regretting that I was not facing it in an open cariole." At one place he says, " I am all the better for a good night's rest in a room where I stopped up the broken Marks, not of disapprobation, but of the contrary. 44 MEMOIR OF t^ ii pane with ray stockings, and put my beaver coat over the bedclothes in lack of any fire. The walls of the sitting-room arc rough clay, furrowed however in diamonds, as an indi- cation that they mean to put something else upon them. I assure you they have some ideas of elegance here, for not being possessed of a snuffor-tray, they brought in the broken- nosed snuffers upon a plate/' His last letter written on this journey concludes thus ; "I should have more spirit in the work, if there were anything to be done by a flying visit like this, but except at Drumraondvillc it is scarcely worth while. There the people are anxious for the baptism of their children, &c., but in other places they will come with great readiness to hear you preach, as they will any body else, and will say you are ' a fine speaker ' if you have a loud voice, and there it ends." This somewhat desponding tone may, perhaps, have been occasioned by an illness Avhich was then coming on, and which detained him at Ilatley for many wrecks. Dr. Stewart acted the part of a brother, giving up his own room to him, and doing all in his power to promote the comfort of Mrs. Mountain, who went up from Quebec (an arduous journey, in those days, for a lady) for the purpose of nursing him. By God's blessing on their care and kindness, he regained his strength, and was enabled to return to Quebec. In December, 1819, he received the degree of D.D., on his father's recommendation, from the Archbishop of Canter- bury, and was appointed by Government a member of the Royal Institution for the advancement of learning in Canada, in which capacity he visited and inspected schools. The operations of this body Avere afterwards confined to the control of schools of a higher order, and he always took a leading part in them while he continued to be a member of it. In July of the following year he accompanied the Bishop on what proved to be his last visitation of Upper Canada. The facilities for travelling had much increased, though they had still to depend on the bateau for carrying the baggage G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 45 from Montreal, and themselves for part of the distance between Prescott and Kingston. Steamers were available between Quebec and Montreal, and Kingston and York (Toronto), as well as, farther on in the journey, between Fort Erie and Amherstburgh. The rest of the journey was performed in waggons. From Amherstburgh they went by land to Sandwich, (the farthest point reached) where a con- firmation was held " in the new church," and Dr. Mountain preached, as he seems to have done almost everywhere. A confirmation (the first on this tour) had also been held at Amherstburgh in a brick church lately built, " neat, but not well-proportioned." From Sandwich they crossed to Detroit, to take the steamer on their downward course, on board of which a Sunday was spent, when divine service Avas held in the morning, and Dr. Mountain preached to a congregation consisting chiefly of Americans, who made a request for a second service in the evening. From Fort Eric they pro- ceeded to Queenston, where the Bishop met the Rev. B. B. Stevens and other gentlemen, with whom he "went to see the new church, and promised an assistance of X40, if they placed the altar and pulpit properly." The next day a con- firmation was held at Fort George, where a church was in progress to replace one that had been burnt by the Americans during the war. Confirmation was administered to about seventy persons in the Indian Council House, and the Bishop preached " with his usual energy and effect." At Grimsby thirty persons were confirmed on the following day in a school-room, " a remarkably pretty church" being not quite finished, and in the evening they proceeded to Mr. Leoming's in the village of Hamilton, in Barton, " and drove thence about three miles to Barton Church,"* where fifteen were I! * This church is described in Dr. Mountain's letter as " the i)roperty of the public, and accessible to teachers of all persuasions ; an uupainted wooden building of two stories w'.th square windows ; a steeple, however, at one end, and a chancel with arched windows at the other, have just been added ■I .!- 11 ■I ■\' It; J is' :' ' . 1 1 . .1 If ■( J' ' is 'i: •1 46 MEMOIR OF Si •: confirmed, the congregation being very small. Mr. Leeming, (it is noted in the journal) " goes occasionally to the Mohawk settlement upon the Grand River (about fifteen miles), and preaches to them, and the Indian schoolmaster reads his sermon to the natives. They have a church: they purchased a bell: there are about twenty-one communicants : the school- master reads prayers to them regularly in their own tongue, and exhorts, or expounds some text of Scripture." The Bishop held a visitation of the clergy of Upper Canada (fifteen being present) at York, on St. James' Day. " Dr. Strachan read prayers. Official Stuart preached. A proper arrangement was made for delivering the charge,* and the behaviour of the clergy and congregation was conspicuously grave and attentive." The Bishop and clergy all dined afterwards at Government House with Sir P. and Lady Sarah Maitland. About eighty persons had been confirmed on the previous Sunday, and on the next day the Bishop presided at a meeting of the Clergy Reserve Corpo- ration,! " which went oflf well. By-laws were passed similar to those in Lower Canada." There are some remarks in the letters of Dr. Mountain, written in the course of this journey, which it is curious now to read. He had entered into con- versation with some American fellow-passengers in a steamer, to it." It may possibly be, sometimes, in comparison with buildings of this description, that the architecture of some others is commended in the Bishop's notes, from which the account of this journey, so far, is principally taken. * Dr. M. says, " Certainly I never heard anything more impressive, and I hope none of us beard it in vain." t This body consisted of the Bishop and clergy of the province, though the Bishop had, at its original constitution, recommended that laymen should be associated with them, on account of his own residence at Quebec, and the distances at which the clergy were removed from one another. The functions of both corporations ceased after the settlement of the Reserves question in 1840, when other bodies had become entitled to share the pro- ceeds with the Church of England, and the management of the property was assumed by the Colonial Government. llii i G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 47 one of whom, a " colonel, spoke without any disguise as to their views upon the Canadas, and witliout any doubt as to their becoming an appendage to the Union. I forgave these people a great deal for the sentiments which they expressed upon the slave-question, which causes such a schism between the Northern and Southern States. Tlioy all. except one young man, who argued feebly and seemed conscious of a bad cause, reprobated in the warmest terms the existing system of their country in this point, and treated it as a disgrace to a nation challenging to itself to be the very home and hearth of liberty. But nothing short of a separation can give effect to the views of the Northern States, since the Slave-States have already a preponderance in the councils of the nation." " There is a remarkable and not very gratifying contrast between the American state of preparation for a future rupture, and our own. Along this whole frontier they are building or repair- ing forts, and opening roads from the interior, by which they could pour in invading myriads with ease ; while on our side the few defences which exist are going rapidly to decay, and exhibit every symptom "Of neglect. It is impossible not to contemplate the alienation of the province from the British Empire at no very remote period, and the contemplation casts a damp upon all the interest which one feels for the advance- ment of the colony, and even of the Church within it. I trust, however, that we shall have laid a good foundation for the establishment of an episcopal clergy, as we did before in the States." Near " the little village of Cleveland " they fell in with an English traveller who had been to jNIichilimack- inac and told them that the endeavours of an American clergyman to convert the Indians at that place had proved abortive. " They said that a person very like him came to persuade them to the same belief about seventy years ago> and that the Great Spirit sent the small-pox among them, which they interpreted as a chastisement for having listened to him. It is a remarkable coincidence that this clergyman % 48 MEMOIR OF hud liardly left thorn before the small-pox appeared again amon^ tliom." llefernng to this incident in a letter written some years after this, he writes, " Another instance of their rejecting the Gospel was also singular enough, accompanied by strictures in which there wore but too much reason and truth. They appointed lledjacket, one of their chiefs, to rei)ly to a recommendation of the Christian religion. ' But, said he, ' my peoi)le have charged me to sfjcak their senti- ments, and I must be plain. Your forefathers came to this country few in number, and after a while obtained from ours a little space of ground to carry on trade with them. They invited others over, and by little and little grew too strong for us. They then claimed to be our lords, and drove ns into the back parts of the woods. You have hurt us in many ways, and made us dwindle to nothing, and taught ns to drink fire- water, and do other bad things, and now you tell us that we must be of your way to make us good and to improve our condition. We cannot believe you. But if you wish to con- vince us, there are some very bad white people at Buffalo, and they have often cheated us : go first and try your experiment upon them ; if you can make them good, we will believe that your rehgion will be for our benefit also.' " One or two extracts of another kind from the letters written at this time may servo to exhibit the manner in which, through life, he reconciled himself to a lot very diflferent from that which ho would have chosen for himself, as well as the nature of his occupations, and the tenderness of his domestic affections. He often used to say that the height of his ambition, and his ideal of happiness, had been the charge of an English country parish. Writing from Grimsby, after the confirmation, he says, " Certainly it is in a complete country church and congregation that a clergyman must enjoy the most unmixed satisfaction in administering and guiding the offices of reli- gious worship. Yet this is a gratification rather of taste than of principle, since the farther removed is the congregation G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.I). 49 from the sim})licity and purity of the Gospel, the p^reator is the need of spiritual improvement, and tlie ;^i'eater tlie field of usefulness and exertion. Even our more amial)le feelings, therefore, and more chastened views of life are not always safely to bo indulged : and thus (m all sides wo are dis- couraged from bounding our ideas of hajjpiness below, and attaching ourselves to this world as to our nltimjite destina- tion." From York he writes, " We shall be at Montreal on the 20th, and leave it })robably on the 2;)rd, August, to conic straight home. Hutne is a monosyllal)le qui renferme beaucoup. My father is waiting for my finishing this letter, that he may close up the packet before he goes to bed : and I have to write, before I go to bed, to every clergyman in Lower Canada. We go off to-morrow morning early ; good night, therefore, and God bless you. Give my kindest love to all friends, and tell C that we drank her health yester- day.* Sir P. M. did the same, although he deviated from his usual practice in drinking wine." Writing on the night of the 1st August, at Kingston, ho says, " you may judge of my anxiety not to 'stint' you, when I tell you, that having brought some ink into my bedroom, and finding myself without a pen (all the household having retired to rest), I bethought myself all at once of a toothpick, and having fashioned it at the point, stuck a pencil into the top for a handle. And I flatter myself that you have found it a very good-spelling, easy-describing quill. I shall tax its powers no farther at this sitting than to wish you good night, it being now about that ambiguous hour which causes the Hibernian to ask ' whether it be to-night or to-morrow morning.' — 2nd August. As it is now, out of all contro- versy, ' to-morrow morning,' and the anniversary of our union, I must begin by wishing you joy of your good fortune in the event which took place six years ago, and to which, as * J •:l m 4 * Hl3 sister's birthday, referred to ia " Songs of the Wilderness," p. 81. ■ ''II 50 MEMOIR OF 1^ it liaa fj^ivatl V promoted your happiness, T am f^nnorous enough to he perfectly reconciled niyself. I could indeed, my helovcd Mary, say a ^reat deal, and in a much more serious tone, upon this occasion, hut 1 am content to leave you to interpret my feelings hy your own. M >y (iod continue to Idess oin* union, and spare us, if it he good for us, the strokes which we have ah'eady suffered." Reference is made in tlieso last wj! .1 ..1! .;! fii 52 MEMOIR OF mi m ' ■1- II in anj other way. About thirty were confirmed. Mr. M.'s church is building about a mile from his present residence and place of worship, in a village called Cobourg. There is a wooden church in forwardness at the Carrying Place, at the head of the Bay of Quintd, and some of the leading inhabi- tants expressed to my father their desire to have a clergyman sent among them. One of these is an old man, who talks always in a rattling style, and just as if all the world wanted to be put to rights, and he was the person to do it. The clergy at home, according to his account, were strangely de- ficient in overlooking Canada as a channel by which to draw off some of their exuberant wealth, in the way of assistance in building churches. He would not give any of them more than a dollar a day ; it Avas quite enough for preaching. * * * * At Belleville there is a brick church upon an eminence, building, or, at least, half built ; it is at a stand ; and one principal cause of this presents itself to your eye when you go in ; for under the beams of the yet unlaid floor, there is the grave of a Mr. ^Taylor, who was the great promoter of the undertaking, and had taken the contract himself." Thirteen persons were confirmed at Bath, in the township of Ernest- town, on the 1st August. " The church is an unpainted wooden edifice, and is one of the oldest in the province ; for Ernest-town was the residence of Mr. Langhorne, and the centre of his exertions, which were not small nor lightly appreciated. He built two log churches in adjacent town- ships, at which he occasionally officiated. Kingston is much increased since I saw it in 1813. It is the largest town in Upper Canada, and the place of greatest trade. The confirma- tion Avas held here on the 3rd August, and my father preached his sermon on the blind man restored to sight, which doubt- less you remember, and which I think is one of his very best. The church is a long, low, blue, wooden building, with square windows, and a little cupola, or steeple, for the bell, like the thing on a brewery, placed at the wrong end of the building. III G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 68 * ^ for They are taking measures, however, to build a new one. On the following Sunday a confirmation was held in the court- house at Brockville, a high brick building, which seems to stand as a representation of mortified ambition, for it is upon an eminence, and, for such a place as Brockville, built in an aspiring style, but has never been finished ; and half the windows are stopped up with old boards. There is no church, which is a great shame, considering the advancement of the place. The Presbyterians have got the start of us, having built a very decent stone kirk. The court-room was very full, and there was a pretty largo confirmation, as the people from Augusta, where Mr. Leeds serves the church, also came over. My father preached. After an early dinner, we went a stage on the Perth road, for the days being all fixed for confirmations below, we had no time to lose, and we found that we could not get through to Perth in one day. All the roads which I have described before were turnjdke and bowling-green to this. Roots, rocks, sticks, stumps, holes and bogs, — these were the component materials of the road. The journey of Monday was divided into three equal stages of about seven miles, and each of them, exclusive of baiting, took us three hours. The holes, however, and the sloughs are of course much worse in the wet season, and travellers have sometimes been obliged to leave waggon and horses sticking fast till they could procure a yoke of oxen to pull them out. An Irishman in the service of Major Powell of Perth, being asked by his master how he had got along upon the road (with a waggon), replied, that he had got along pretty well, for he had found bottom in every place but one. The settlement of Perth, so laboriously reached, afibrds one of the most encouraging examples of the kind that I have seen. It appears hardly credible that, less than four years ago, it was a portion of the wilderness, unex- plored except by the wandering Indian hunter. Streets laid out, and the building lots occupied, in some instances, by • -i *;- i i f; i i 1 fi ^ jl 1 *' -*i V '■ j 1 V ^ 54 MEMOIR OP ; ■■ U , *^ INI |i very good and neat houses ; two places of worship erected ; gardens and farms under cultivation, and yielding abundant returns ; a very tolerable society, enjoying the intercourse of civilized life; and everything wearing the aspect of cheer- fulness and competence ; — such is the scene which the skill and industry of man have carved for him so quickly out of the depths of the trackless forest. The churches are Roman Catholic and Presb;yterian. Mr. Harris officiates in the school-house, but Avill have a church in progress soon. Mr. H., owing to accidents on the American Lake Ontario steam- boat,* had not reached Perth, but this we Avere quite pre- pared for, as we had been unable to hear of his arrival at Brockville, and my father thought it best, at all hazards, to go on and see the place, and shew the people his determina- tion to visit them." There was, therefore, no confirmation. At a house where they slept on their return from Perth to Brockville, " in the course of the evening, the hostess ap- prized us of the arrival of ' a lady,' who having heard of my baptizing Mrs. T.'s children on the way up, had brought her's to the house for the same purpose. The ' lady ' was an Irish blacksmith's wife. In an hour or so more, ' another lady ' came with the same request, bringing two children, the youngest of whom was a most lovely little creature. I felt a great satisfaction in entering these little innocents into the family of their Lord, which very likely never would have been done for them otherwise." Proceeding down the St. Lawrence, the Bishop " went ashore at Fort Wellington, (nowPrescott),to speak to some of the persons engaged in the erection of a church, of which the frame was up. When the churches are completed which are now building in this pro- vince, I suppose that the number will be treble what it was when I last went through it in 1813. The new churches also along the American frontier appear to be principally * Apparently on his return from the visitation at York. erected ; abundant course of of cheer- the skill \j out of e Roman s in the )n. Mr. 10 steam- uite pre- rrival at zards, to jtermina- irmation. Perth to stess ap- heard of brought dy ' Avas ' another children, ture. I ents into uld have I the St. llington, ed in the /^hen the this pro- it it was churches incipally G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 65 episcopal. There is one built of stone at the little town of Waddington, which we passed. There are now in the States four hundred episcopal clergymen." The Bishop stopped also " in the township of Matilda, at the house of a Colonel Fraser, to encourage him to put the church in repair, and get things in forwardness for the reception of a clergyman. This is a church built by the Lutherans, which, in conformity with the example given by their neighbours in Williamsburg, they have ma le over to us. We reached, by a late dinner hour, the parsonage house of Williamsburgh, that is so red, close by the church that ivas so blue. The blushing honours of the former are unimpaired ; the honours of the latter remain only in name ; it is still called by the boat-people the blue church, though no stranger could now discover that it had ever been painted." About fifty persons were confirmed in it on the 11th August, and Dr. Mountain preached. A curious cus- tom prevailed there. When there were collections in the church, " the money is received in a little bag, at the end of a long stick, and within the bag is a bell, which is in- tended, as we were gravely told, to wake any perso.i who may happen to be nodding when the collector makes his circuit." The next place visited was Cornwall, where "the church appears to have increased since Mr. Salter Mountain's arrival, for there were only seventeen confirmed on the previous occasion, and to-day there were sixty-five. I. can- not forbear from telling you a story about a bell. My father had found it troublesome to call for his own servants or those of the house, and he asked the girl, ' Pray is there any bell here ?' ' Yes, sir.' ' Well, and where is it, pray?' ' Sir,' said the girl, with all the simplicity in the world, ' it is in the church.' A house-bell was a thing which she had no conception of." This was the last confirmation held in Upper Canada. The parishes or missions of fourteen clergymen had baen visited, and as the number mentioned as attending the visitation included the minister of Quebec, this was, pro- m m. - I ,1 ■-) 66 MEMOIR OF T in! :• ,i Hi ■•. bably, the whole number in the province. In 1862, there were three Bishops, and two hundred and forty-three clergy within the same limits. Mr. S. Mountain accompanied the Bishop from Cornwall to Quebec, as well as to St. Andrews on the Ottawa, where his lordship confirmed, and his son preached, on the 18th. *' The confirmation was held in the school-house, which is roughly fitted up as a place of worship. There was a very respect- able attendance, but a small number only were confirmed." The visitation of the clergy of Lower Canada was held at Montreal on the 22nd August, when fourteen were present, and the Official of the Lower Province was called upon to preach, as the Official of the Upper had been at York, and was requested by the clergy to publish his sermon. The Bishop had pr'cached and confirmed about one hundred and fifty on the preceding Sunday. The church is described as being " very large and handsome, but not in so good taste as the church at Quebec. The ornaments are like those of some large public room. In some points, however, they excel us, Mr. Shuter having made them a present of a clock, which cost three hundred and fifty guineas. They also intend to have a peal of bells very soon, and to build a vestry-room, the want of which is a strange deficiency in so handsome a church. This church will have cost about £20,000 when it is completed. The organ cost £1,700. Montreal is very much improved and increased since 1813, and many very handsome private houses are now building." Quebec was reached after an absence of nearly two months. During this time, the Rev. Dr. Mills, chaplain to the forces, had taken charge of the parish, and the letters of the rector are full of proofs of his thoughtfulness for its wants and interests, especially those of the poor. Systematic relief was affi)rded to such as were in need by means of the volun- tary offerings of the congregation, which were expended under the direction of the minister. One of his letters speaks of the Go J. MOUNTAIX, D.D. 57 I , there clergy )rnwall ere his " The oughly cspect- ncd." held at iresent, ipon to 'k, and . The ■ed and ■ibed as id taste ;liose of r, they it of a cv also build a nicy in It about 1,700. 1813, Iding." expected arrival of an assistant in his parochial duties, who was to leave England in May. For early in this year, the Bishop, in writing to the S. P. G., had stated that the con- gregation at Quebec was " greatly enlarged, and the duty of the rector so much increased as to be greater than any one man could hope to sustain for any long period. Within three months, the funerals alone had exceeded one hundred ; and other duties, particularly visiting the sick and poor, received from the rector a more than ordinary degree of attention. His employments were so multiplied, as not only to leave no space for reasonable relaxation, but not even for reading, nor such leisure for composition as it must be painful to every serious clergyman to be debarred from." In the year 1S19, an Emigrant Society, (of which tlie plan had been sketched out by the Duke of Richmond,* tlieu Gov- ernor of Canada,) for the relief of destitute emigrants, was established at Quebec, and the rector had, for about fifteen years, the greater part of the labour, and that by no means Slight, wliich it entailed. An emigrant hos[)ital was fitted up at the same time, in some barrack-rooms lent for the purpose, where, besides visiting the sick, Dr. Mountain regularly held stated services, with sermons. In fact, until his consecra- tion to the episcopate, a very large portion of his time was necessarily given to the poor immigrants, who used, in sum- mer, to throng his doors, before the establishment of a public department for their relief. In 1821, the parish of Quebec Avas erected by letters patent, and Dr. Mountain appointed rector. Mr. S. Mountaiu had used the title of " rector of the English Church at (^)iiebec." He afterwards styled himself " officiating clergy uian," and this title was adopted by his successor till 1821. * The first sermon which Dr, Monntaui published at Quebec, at tlie request of all the leading parishioners, was upon occasion of the death of the Duke in 1819. E •I , 58 MEMOIR OP \iif I CHAPTER IV. Visitations as Archdeacon — McGill College — First visit to Gaspd. In 1821, two Archdeaconries were established in the diocese, one including the whole of the Upper, and the other the whole of the Lower province, the respective Officials of which were promoted to the dignity of Archdeacon. Archdeacon Moun- tain's first journey in this capacity was made in the autumn of 1822, when he visited the Eastern townships again. He had intended to spend the first Sunday of his absence at Eaton, but was obliged to remain at Sherbrooke for lack of the means of conveyance. Ho " could hear of nothing like a horse in the village," in which a church was in course of erection. The Sunday was spent atLennoxville, " better known by the name of the Upper Forks," (Sherbrooke going by the name of " the Lower Forks,") which was reached " by a horse-path through the woods " from Belvedere, where he had been hospit- ably received. Mr. Le Fevre, at this time, had charge of Len- noxville and Sherbrooke, and found " it necessary to have double service at each place on alternate Sundays, instead of one service at each every Sunday, because the roads are so bad through which a part of the congregation have to come, that they expect two services after such an exertion." The Archdeacon preached twice in the school-house, the church, (" a two-story wooden edifico, with sash-windows below, and arched ones above,") being unfinished. From Lennoxville he went on to Eaton, Hatley, Shefford, Dunham, Frelighs- burgh, Philipsburgh, Clarenceville, Isle aux Noix, Sorel, St. was G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 69 \)6. ccese, whole 1 were ;Moun- umn of [le had on, but means lorse in 'cction. by the e name •se-path hospit- of Lon- ;o have itead of are so |o come, ' The I church, ow, and Inoxville 'reVighs- »rel, St. \": Andrews on the Ottawa, and Rawdon, visiting the churches and schools, and preaching 'at most places. The journey from Three Rivers to Frelighsburg was performed on horse- back. Towards the close of the year 1822, the Bishop was desir- ous of sending a person to England, to represent the injustice done to the Church in some attacks which had been made upon her, and to endeavour to counteract their injurious effects, particularly with reference to the benefits to be derived from the Clergy Reserves. Those lands had been appro] iriated by an Act of the Imperial Parliament to the maintenance of a " Protestant Clergy," and a share in those benefits began now to be claimed by other parties. The Archdeacon was at first designated to this mission, but he was very unwilling to leave his flock, and it was finally arranged that the Honourable and Rev. Dr. Stewart should be requested to undertake it. Dr. Stewart was at this time Visiting Missionary of the diocese, an office corresponding, to some extent, with the more modern one of Travelling Missionary, it beuig part of his duty to visit and report upon new fields of labour. With this, however, was combined inspection of the missions of the S. P. G., and the experience which he thus gained, and his intimate local knowledge of the wants of both provinces, as well as the love and reverence which his guilelessness and single-hearted devotion to the work of Christ everywhere won for him,* were no mean qualifications * A remarkable proof of this is found in a letter addressed, at the time of his first arrival in Canada, by the sister of his predecessor in the see, to him who was destined to be his successor. " We have had a most wonderful young man here, who has charmed us all, and, indeed, even those Avho were prejudiced against him. — I mean Mr. Stewart — who, you doubtless know, came out here as a missionary, and so unusual an undertaking in a man of family and independenpe could not by the world in general be attributed to any but an enthusiast and a methodist. The papers mentioned his coming to convert the Indians, and I saw many a contemptuous smile when his name was mentioned. Yet see the effect of such conduct as his. With no '.. 'M f ■! ri .' 'J :i ! m ■ I h I Kii I 60 xMEMOIR OF for the higher office to which he was afterwards called. The Archdeacon was sent from Quebec in March 182J5, to com- municate to him the desire of the Bishop that he should proceed at once to England, and to furnish him Avith the necessary instructions, lie was uncertain where to find him, but fortunately, after leaving Quebec, obtained information which proved to be correct, tliat he was at the scene of his earlier labours, in Ilatley. The Archdeacon " left Sher- brooke on Saturday mori;ing at five o'clock, and proceeded to Ilatley to breakfast, after which, (he writes on the follow- ing Monday,) I spent the day with Dr. S. at his lodging, and arranged everything with him relating to the business of his mission to England. He undertook it cheerfully, and went off to Boston either yesterday afternoon or to-day. Few persons could have been found who would have required such short notice. Had it not been Sunday, he would have even gone off yesterday morning. Yesterday I left Hatley at five o'clock, Avent back to Sherbrookc, (eighteen miles,) to breakfast with Mr. Le Fevre, assisted him in the service and in the sacrament, and preached for him ; pro- ceeded immediately afterwards (twenty-four miles) to Ship- ton, stopped at the school-house door where the congregation were assembling ; went in and robed myself, and performed service, (according to an arrangement made on my upward journey,) and preached to a very attentive congregation, who, to the credit of Mr. Wood's * diligence, make the res- ponses far better than many others who have regular service •IS advantages of person or address, with real disadvantages of voice and manner in the pulpit, before he left Quebec he gained general respect, and certainly did make converts of those who were disposed at first to call the real goodness of his design in question. He met with every discourage- ment here, except from a very few persons, yet he continued steadfast in hia perseverance." • * Then rector of Drummondville, from whence he paid occasional visits to neighbouring townships. if* j-i G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.U. Gl very Sunday. Visited the family of the man wlio had driven me, and haptized six of his chihh'on ; received a visit at the inn from tlie schoohnaster at Melbourne, wlio came to state to me the prospects of estahHsliiii^ the Church in the two townships ; ^ot some tea and toast and a beefsteak ; and after reading a chapter to the family and praying with them, retired to my bedroom, wliere, a little after twelve, I got to bed, having to start again at iive in the morninn;, and haviuL' had just about four hours' sleej) the night l)efore. So that you see I have not run away from you and my parish to be idle on the road. The man wlio was to drive me this morn- ing called me at twenty minutes past four, instead of five, at which time I accordingly rose. About eight Ave baited at the hut of an old soldier whose family were at a plentiful breakfast, but the apparatus was not very inviting, and I did not signify any desire to partake. My driver offered me a sort of home-made cake, or l)iscuit, of which he had several with him, and this, Avith a glass of spring water, formed my breakfast. I contemplated, indeed, breakfasting with Mr. Wood at Drummondville, where I arrived at half-past ten, but he took it for granted, I fancy, that this ceremony had been performed, and as I did not want to lose time, I thought it just as well to forbear from giving him any hint. My bis- cuit and glass of Avater, therefore, held me out till seven o'clock this evening, at Avhich time I sat down to a very good trav- ellers' dinner." Speaking, in a letter Avritten on his Avay to Hatley, of the possible difficulty of ascertaining. Avhere he should find Dr. StOAvart, he says, " If I appeared dull and loAv the evening before I left Quebec, these uncertainties, coupled Avith the more important uncertainties yet remaining, which regarded Dr. S's concurrence in the business and its ultimate success, must have contributed to shed some gloom over my mind. I had been ivound up to do my part, and had got through the share Avhich I Avas to discharge at Que- bec, and then, as it often happens, / rayi doivii and stopped, iii !i c!: I.I m u It 62 MEMOIR OF and bc;];an to think that it was all in vain. I am unaltcrahly convinccMl, however, of the duty Win;; u[)on us to keep watch and ward in defence of our Zion, and to sully out, if the proceedings of the other party render it necessary. ]5ut it would seem to human weakness a happier lot for a clergy- man to have, as Chillingworth says, ' no enemies but the devil and sin ' in the discharge of his duty, and mine seems so dirterent a case, that 1 shall be ' fit for treasons, strata- gems, and s[)oils,' if I continue to bo exercised in the sort of struggles to which our Cliurch is here exposed At Labjiie, I hired a habitant to take me to Drummondville, who flattered ray French so far as to express his sur[)rise at finding that I was not either a Frenchman* or a Canadian." I have given these extracts, because they exhibit two points for which ho was always conspicuous. His power of enduring the want of food f was very great, but he never would have made it a subject of remark except in letters addressed to his immediate relations. And in giving the account of his Sunday's labour, he was fully understood, by the person to whom he wrote, as doing so in no boastful strain, for it was well known that he always thankfully acknowledged his health and strength as special blessings received to fit him for his work, and that he possessed a keen relish for varieties and even adventures in travelling (a gift, mercifully, no doubt, bestowed in order to qualify him for what he had to encounter in his "journeyings often,") which others might even have esteemed hardships. Some proof of this will appear a little farther on. He was in * This used to happen frequently. A similar anecdote, with reference to German, is mentioned in the memoir of his brother. Col. Mountain. t lie was remarkably abstemious at all times. I remember the present Dean of Montreal, who had known all of the name who had laboured in Canada, sayinj; to me, " The Mountains are remarkable for two things, charity to the poor, and abstinence from wine ;" and these are very much akin to the two points to which I am here referring. 'l^t G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 03 the lia))it of writing home (wlicncvcr lie had l(M>!nro,) as full an account as posaihio of his journeys, knowin-j; how eagerly it was welcomed there, and the interest which the novelties, or sometimes the dangers, of the way excited in himself he strove to impart to others, to whom ho wrote without reserve. In writing journals for the Church Socie- ties, he used to do violence to his own feelings when he intersperse, -■> '■ r. < 1 74 MEMOIR OF he did everywhere) inspecting schools, and putting matters in train for tlic erection or completion of churches, and the establishment of new schools, and visiting sick and aged persons. The missionary of Gaspd Bay, in the meantime, took advantage of the opportunity of his visit to the Jiay of Chaleurs, to carry his own ministrations across into the province of New Brunswick, where the people were quite destitute of religious ordinances and had requested him to pay them a visit. The Archdeacon assumed the responsibility of this intrusion into another diocese, with the authorities of which he communicated afterwards on the subject. A church was nearly finished at Pasp<5biac, and the frame of one was up at Carlisle. The Archdeacon was " rather surj)rised to hear the missionary, after giving out the psalms for the day, add the following hint to the people, ' very pleasant to hear the responses after the clerk,' and after giving out the singing psalms, he said, ' St. Paul says that we must sing with the spirit and sing with the understanding.' There were some other, pecuharities in his manner of performing the service, but they had been partly introduced for the assistance of a congregation unaccustomed to frequent the worship of God, till the Bishop sent a clergyman among them." After a visit to Hopetown, the Archdeacon, in company with the mis- sionary of Gasp() Bay, who had returned from his visit to the New^ Brunswick shore, proceeded in a boat up the Bay of Chaleurs, and held services at Nc Richmond and Ristigouche. From thence he took a bark canoe, with two Indians, and ascended the Ristigouche and Matapediac rivers for about seventy-five miles, walking about twenty-five more to the shores of the St. Lawrence, through the woods. He passed one house on the way inhabited by an English family, where he baptized some children ; but, with this exception, there was no occasion for the performance of ofl5cial duties on this part of the journey. The Indians were Roman Catholics, and they asked many questions about the Indian tribes in the u matters and the nd aged cantime, 3 ]^ay of into the 3rc quite d him to lonsibility Loritics of A church F one was rprised to • the day, nt to hear he singing «T with the P ,vere some le service, ance of a ■) of God, fter a visit the mis- lis visit to p the Bay nond and , with two diac rivers ve more to He passed ily, where tion, there ties on this [holies, and libes in the G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 75 higlicr parts of the country, some of wliom they liad heard were ' de l)ons gens comme nons,^ and others reprol)ates ' (|ui no croient pas au bon Dicu.' I asked them wliether they would not desire tlie advantages of education, the most obvious of which I pointed out, and they heartily acipiiesccd ; but though I encouraged thorn, as far as occasion could be taken, in every moral and religious feeling of a correct nature, I did not think it my business to endeavour to wean them from any of the errors of the church of Rome. The only effect of such an cndeavoiu* Avould have been to alienate them still farther from a religion whose professors interfered with the soundness of their own. I made it my object to give the conversation such a turn, as might tend in some degree to conciliate their good will to Protestantism, and thus at least I might be instrumental in improving their charity. I know there are some zealous Protestants who would think me wrong. And I should think tham so. * * * We fell in with a small party of lumberers, and as I had a very short allowance of bread and biscuit, I asked them for some flour, and they g ive me about eight pounds, for which I gave them money, but they returned it, unobserved by me, to the Indians, who faithfully informed me' afterwards of their having received it. These people were just going home, having spent the summer upon their task. I asked them how they distinguished the Sunday in the woods, and found that it was simply and solely by absti- nence from work. I gave them a couple of tracts, which I had Avith me. I had the Bible in one pocket and Cicero in the other." They pushed on in their walk through the woods so as, if possible, to reach Metis, where there were a few Protestants, by Saturday night. The iVrchdeacon describes his appearance as being very little like that of a " dignitary." Lame, from a strain which he had met with on the march, " and tattered, a long staff made out of an old canoe-paddle in my hand, the scratches of my skin seen through the holes of my trowsers and stockings, without a neckcloth, my clothes soiled V ^^ i . i 76 MEMOIR OF V III' Ik !)- by the march, my shoes tied with twine, and my trowscrs con- fined at the ancle, to prevent their catching in the branches, with pins and strips of cedar-bark. To this cJiuipment was afterwards added, at the instance of my friend Fran(;ois (one of the Indians), who had tlie j)romise of inlieriting my trowscrs, (as Jean Baptiste had ah'cady done my discarded waistcoat), and wlio by no means contemned the ex[)ected prize, a coloured handkerchief round one knee to prevent the enlargement of a very serious solution of continuity, to which pins had rc];eat- edly been applied with little effect." The journal continues, " We met with so many delays in hunting for the path, and made so many deviations, that night closed upon us in the wood, and we accordingly made our camp within about four miles of the waters of the St. Lawrence, where, finding that our crackers would hardly eke out a slender supper for William and myself, I divided them with so rigid an equality as to split the odd one which remained into halves. The Indians had no bread, and supped u})on fish alone. In our way through the wood to the beach the next morning, we met with some partridges, two of which the Indians brought down with sticks, and they proved afterwards a most valuable addi- tion to our sea-stock. At eight o'clock we stood on the beach of the St. Lawrence, which is here forty miles across, and had a couple of miles more to walk before we could reach a house. From this house we were pulled about a league, in a boat gaping with leaks, to the Point of Little Myitis, by a Scotch settler and his son, a lad of eighteen whom I had put to the national school at Quebec. Nothing could have fallen out more happily, though it had not been in the least within my original calculations, than my arrival in this place on Sun- day morning, and I spent a most satisfactory day. I had, in fact, been mortified by the failure of my intention to devote this day to the Protestants of a settlement fifty miles below Quebec, but it happened that the schoolmaster of that very place had come down to look at some land at Mdtis, and I m tidl G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 77 scrs con- )raiichcs, iient was :;ois (one trowHcrs, [listcoat), , coloured ment of a id rejicat- jontiimca, |)ath, and us in the bout four ), finding mpjier for 1 equality es. The In our g, we met ight down able addi- the beach cross, and d reach a ague, in a [<3tis, by a I had put lave fallen jast within ce on Sun- I had, in I to devote liles below that very dtis, and I learnt from him that I should not have collected a congrega- tion of half-a-dozon persons, and that, at the moment, there was not a single child to be ba])tized there. I took means to spread the notice of my arrival and to convene the congrega- tion for the afternoon. They had never had but one jastoral visit, which was when the seigneur, a Scotchman, brought down the Presbyterian minister from Quebec, four or five years ago. At the appointed hour, about forty persons, assembled, and ten children were presented for bnj)tism. Some of the persons who had been married upon the sjiot by means of a written contract, a copy of which they had lodged in the hands of tlic seigneur, spoko to mc apart, and express- ing some uneasiness of mind at the insufficiency of the form, solicited mc, if possible, to give effect to what they had done by a regidar solemnization. It grieved me to refuse, but I did not conceive that the law would permit my marrying without either licence or publication of banns. As, however, they had acted in good i'aith, and their marriage was likely to be ccmprolionded in some of those Acts of the Provincial Parliament which arc passed, once in a while, to give validity to irregular transactions of the kind, I was enabled to comfort them, both as it regarded conscience, and the recognition of the legitimacy of their offspring. The public jjrayers, the psalm-singing, the preaching of the Word had all the zest to these people of a rare and unexpected occurrence, and I never Avas more thankfully received. One of them said to me, in tendering the acknowledgments of the congregation, ' We can only thank you and love you.' They i)rofited by a recommendation conveyed in my sermon, that they would make arrangements among themselves for meeting together on Sundays for public worship. It would not, perhaps, be presumptuous to say that my own plans were happily over- ruled, and my steps directed so as to spend the Lord's day in a place so rarely trod by the feet of them that bring glad tidings of peace." On the following day the Archdeacon, itl ~ iifl 78 MEMOIR OF ' I after Runrlry flifficultics and dolnys, embarked in an open boat for Ritnouski, Avlicre, beiii^ \inuble to ()l)tain any land-convey- ance, lie took another l)oat toTrois Pistoles, in which he sjient two nights (the distance being abont forty miles) and "never suffered so much from cold." From thence the journey to Point Levi was comparatively easy : but it is curious now to read of difficulties within sight of homo. " Being deter- mined to proceed direct to iNIarchmont (where his fatlier then lived, and his own family were staying), I stop})ed, myself at the little Indian encampment on the beach at Point Levi to bargain for a canoe, and directed William to go across in the steamboat* to (Quebec. The only disposable canoe })elonged to a squaw, and they told me it was too small to venture ia v^ith the degree of wind and swell which prevailed. I then applied to some Canadians for a boat, but as they had the conscience to ask me ten shillings, — the price, as William observed, of a steerage passage in the steamboat to Montreal, — I cut short all negociation with such extortioners at once. While I was going in quest of another boat, the scjuaw came up and offered her canoe, declaring now that it would do extremely well. As the day was wearing fast away, I closed •with her offer and embarked. She steered the canoe herself, and a male Indian paddled in the bow, but they were sadly unlike my Ristigoucho friends. The man, I found, was quite drunk, and the woman, a bragging, brazen wretch, who cursed him furiously, and talked to him like a slave, dealing her offensive slang among the crews of the vessels Avhich were within hearing, and talking in the same breath of our being in the hands of Providence, and of our looking to the mercy of God if anything should happen. At length when we had reached a place just below the middle of the race-course, she declared she would go no farther, and put me ashore upon * There was only one at tins time plying between Quebec and Point Levi, and that not at regular intervals. th( G. J. MOUNTAIN, the beach. I did not insist U,D, 79 'I' r proccodin;:, for T have oi seldom felt a more painful dis;;ust than she caused me, and I was ^lad to he rid of such evil company. I ou;:lit not, per- haps, in strict prudence, to have come with them, h\it I was deceived hy my recent experience into confidence in Indians: and after all, as far as safety is concerned, you never hear of any accident in tlieir canoes. This woman, by the way, pro- nounced mo to bo a " Fran(,'ai3 do France," wliieh was the third time on this journey that I was so mistaken. After waitin;^ a little while on the beach, I foimd a Canadian lad whom I engaged to carry my portmanteau to Mai-ehmont. He shewed me a precipitous ])ath up to the ]>lains, and I thence led the way across to the house. ***** {[' wo are now upon the eve of a longer separation, on this i^ord of March (1825), to which time my scant enjoyment of leisure has protracted the conclusion of my journal, let us pray that it may please llira to grant us to meet in health and happiness." were beinjr «». ■ if upon i; • " 1 I til 80 MEMOIR OF CHAPTER V. Visit to England — Death of his Father. The separation, to which reference is made in the concluding words of the last chapter, was caused by his compliance with his father's desire that he should go to England, partly as the agent of the Clergy Reserve corporations, who commissioned him to talvc fresh steps towards obtaining from the Imperial Government the preservation of their interests, with particu- lar reference to a proposed measure for the sale of a portion of the lands to the Canada Company ; and partly to urge, in the same quarter, the necessity for affording some relief to the Bishop, whose infirmities now began to make him unequal to the labours of the episcopal office, by the division of the diocese. The Bishop hoped, indeed, that an arrange- ment might be made for his own retirement, and desired to see the two provinces of Upper and Lower Canada each constituted a diocese, with Dr. Stewart presiding over the former, and the Archdeacon of Quebec over the latter. But if this might not be, he was content to retain the charge of Lower Canada, if Dr. Stewart, to whom he was prepared to surrender .£1000 a year from his own income, might be consecrated to the charge of the Upper province, and afford occasional help, if it should be necessary, ii. administering confirmation in Lower Canada. Some communications with reference to this subject had already passed between His Majesty's Government and Dr. Stewart, when he had been in G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 81 urge, England in the preceding year, and the Bishop was secure of His Majesty's approval of his nomination. Dr. Stewart enjoyed his Lor(ls]ii})'s lull confidence ; and a proof of that which he himself placed in the Archdeacon may be found in a letter in which he " readily " says that he " shall be satisfied with any arrangement you may make for me resi)ecting my being a Bishop in Canada, my salary," &c., &c.; though with reference to this last point he states his opinion in another letter, with characteristic disinterestedness, that " if the two future Bishoprics are not etjual, that of Quebec ought to be the largest. I am disposed to prefer Upper Ca- nada." The Archdeacon left Quebec on the 80th Marcli for New York, which, with pretty hard travelling, was not reached till the 9th April. At New York he was detained till the 1st May, waiting for a commission* to act on behalf of the Clergy Ileserve corporation of Upper Canada. He had undertaken this task with very great unwillingness, and only because * The folluwing is the coramission : — " Reverend Sir, — The Corporation for superintending and managing the Clergy Reserves in this province determined at tlieir List meeting to peti- tion the Imperial Parliament, praj'ing that the Clergy Reserves may be withdrawn from the purchase contemplated by the Canada Land Company, and that no sales be made of such Reserves, except by the Corporation with the concurrence of the Government, and to be heard by counsel against the passing of any bill authorizing such purchase that may be under the consi- deration of the Imperial Parliament. " As the Corporation have full confidence in your zeal and abilities, and your knowledge of the state and jjrospects of the Established Church in this province, you are hereby appointed their agent to urge the prayer of their petition, and to take such other measures, with the advice of counsel, as may be found expedient. " John Stuaciian, D.D., " Rector of York, Upper Canada, and Chairman of tlie Corporation for superintending, conducting, and managing the Clergy Reserves in the said Province." I ; ii Hi/ \ 82 MEMOIR OF his f'atlier ])clieved it to bo nccessaiy for the interests of the Church, lie shrank very much from the responsibihtj which was imposed upon him, and w;is very apj;rehen3ive that he might fail in his object throu:j;h want of proper management. His distrustfulness of himself seems to have caused more perplexity and uneasiness than there Avas any real occasion for ; and |)Ossibly the separation from his latlier and his wife, both of whom were far from strong at this time, may have tended sometimes to depress his spirits. His letters to them (which contain descriptions of New York which it is now interesting to read,) arc full of tenderness and diffidence. To the latter he says — " Your letters arc an inexpressilde comfort and deliglit to me, and whatever anxieties or perplexities I may have to encounter abroad, or whatever chicane to deal with, — nay, whatever domestic afHictions it may please God to hold in store for me — mi/ home will always be a resting-point to which my soul Avill turn itself as to nothing else which there is, or can be, here on earth. I bless God for all His undeserved mercies to me, and am determined not to let my mind sink in any vexations which may occur ; but for none which partakes of an earthly cast do I more bless His Name than for that which enables me to call myself ijours^ my own excellent and best beloved M ." Well was this confi- dence deserved and repaid ; for he had, indeed, an help meet for him. His letters are full, not only of directions as to parish matters, relief of the poor, &c., but also as to those in which his place might, to some extent, be supplied to his father ; and this while she had a more than ordinary share of maternal care, and had not been able, notwithstanding the meekest resignation, to overcome the physical effects of the repeated sorrows to which reference has already been made. His father, in a letter on which is written " the last which he addressed to me, and the last but one Avhicli he was able to dictate,'' expresses his regret that he had not been able to go into (Quebec as often as he had proposed to do, but adds, " with ': ^ of the ^ which hat he ement. 1 more ccasioii is wife, ty have :o them is now luc. To comfort \itics I to deal ise God ig-point ) which all His let my jv none 6 Name my own is confi- Ip meet IS as to ;o tliose 1 to his share of ling the s of the n made, vliich he able to jle to go /'with G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 83 Mary's activity, and Mr. Archbold's* assiduity, I trust every thing is going on well." In a note to his father, written the day after leaving Quebec, the Archdeacon says : " I omiitcd, in a hurried note to M , to convey my feelings of duty, of love, of thankfulness to Marchmont. 1 therefore seize a moment to do it now, although how sliall I ever sufficiently acknowledge or requite all the kindnesses I have expe- rienced from parents such as no other children are blessed with?"t The Archdeacon reached England on the 21st INIav, but the delay which he had met with at New York proved fatal to the success of his mission with re^-ard to the Clergy He- serves, for the bill against which the corporation petitioned had already passed the Imperial Parliament. Its object was to empower certain commissioners to fix a uniform price at which Crown Lands sliould be sold to the Canada Com})any, the introduction of whose capital into the country was con- sidered to bo so great an advantage, that they were able to obtain very favourable terms, and the petitioners desired to exempt the Clergy lleserves from the operation of the bill, * A missionary of the S. P. G., •who assisted in the duties of tlie parish of Quebec, and of ■whom the Archdeacon wrote in 1832 : " I was happy ia the opportunity of intercourse with this valued friend (then rector of Corn- wall) and unaffectedly devoted servant of God and His Church, who is an exami)le to us all. So zealous f^'-.d devout, but so liumble, so genuine, so single-hearted, so entirely given to the work to which he is called, it does one good to be in contact with him, and we may well desire to learn from him." t The Bishop would probably have replied, that never parents had such children. In a letter written by his Lordship's sister to tiie future Arch- deacon, in 1809, while he was at Cambridge, I litid the following passage : '' The accounts we hear of you and your dear brothers from every one afford the most heartfelt satisfaction, which is increased by the idea of the solace it must prove to your parents under every trial ; when they call to mind the goodness of their children, it must counterbalance every evil. May this comfort ever be theirs, and may you all be rewarded fur the conduct which holds out so much gratification to ua and ihem," & ' M MEMOIR OF I !, '^:! and to give the corporation some voice in their disposal. The highest authorities in the colony declared themselves in favour of the reasonableness of this claim, and the secretary of State for the colonies (Lord Bathurst) was warmly at- tached to the Church, but the bill passed notwithstanding, by which " the Comi)any were to enjoy the full benefit of the valuation of three shillings and si.\-[)ence an acre, and that payable by instalments, without interest, in fifteen years." But a letter from the under secretary of State to the Arch- deacon, declared " it to be the intention of Government to place the Church upon the same footing as before, restoring the one-ihird of the Reserves if the Company Avill accept other lands as an eijuivalent, or substituting these other lands for the support of the Clergy, if they will not." The Arch- deacon derived ranch valuable assistance in the conduct of this business from Mr. Robinson, Attorney-General of Upper Canada, who had been his fellow-passenger across the Atlantic, and was a sincere friend of the Church, and thorough master of the subject. In his other object he was greatly aided by the counsel of his friend and connection, the Hon- ourable A. W. Cochran, secretary to the Earl of Dalhousie, Governor-in-chief of Canada, who had accompanied His Ex- cellency to England at that time. No two laymen have ren- dered more faithful and efficient services to the Canadian Church. In later years the one was the confidential friend and counsellor of the Bishop of the Lower Canadian diocese, the other the confidential friend and counsellor of the Bishop of Toronto. The college, societies, and other institutions of the Church, in each diocese, owe much to their legal know- ledge and general experience, as well as to their hearty devo- tion to their interests. The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel seconded the efforcs of the Archdeacon, l)y making representations to the Colonial Olfice, with the view of securing to the Church the advantages just mentioned. The Bishop of Quebec had '■'n G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 85 isposal. ilves in cretary nly at- luding, t of the 1(1 that years." ^ Arch- nent to (Storing accept ' lands Arch- jonduct oral of 033 the lorough greatly le Hon- Ihousie, [lis Ex- ive ren- anadian 1 friend liocese, Bisl^.op tioiis of 1 know- ty devo- iconded tions to Church )ec had furnished him with written instruction3,* and full information, as well as careful calculations made by the rector of York. He discharged his part with unintcrmitting diligence, but the whole business was exceedingly distasteful to him. Writing to his father from England, he says, "• I cannot express to you how much I should desire to have done for ever with public men and public oSccs, and to hold some charge in (jlod's Church which might leave me iudependent of the favour or frowns of political power, and unconnected with any engines of government." It was probably this feeling that withheld him from carrying out his father's wishes with regard to the other object of hi.s mission as fully as he might have done ; for he proposed to the Government only the division of the diocese, with the transfer of Upper Canada to the hands of Dr. Stewart, the Bishop retaining Lower Canada, or the assumption by Dr. S. of the charge of the whole province, the Bishop in that case being allowed to retire. The result of his negociations is contained in the following letter addressed to the Bishop, which was submitted to, and approved as "perfectly correct" by, the under-secretary of State : '• I am happy to be enabled, by the kindness of Earl Bathurst, to inform you that some conclusive arrangements respecting your affairs have re- ceived the approbation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, upcn his Lordship's recomtneudalion, and are in train to be executed, which I trust you will consider as entirely satisfactory. " I am autliorized to state, that those arrangements will be as follows : " H. M. Government being unwilling, except in cases of strcng necessity, to permit the resignation of a Bishop, and being also desirous, (m the other hand, of embracing the present opportunity to divide the liborious and ex- tensi'-'c diocese which constitutes your charge, have decided upon this latter expedient as the mode of providing for your relief. You will, therefore, continue Bishop of Quebec, but under a fresh patent, and with diminished labours; the limits of your diocese being reduced to those of the province * The last words of these are, "Be not at all disheartened ; you have nothing to fear. Keep up your spirits. May God bless and protect you, and prosper your undertakings. Amen." m 1; : ?! ^1 ■:!(Hii :j-ii|ii m I|ii I! i!i'" ■pi' I' ill ': 86 MEMOIR OF of Lower Canada, and the Upprr province being taken out of your juris- diction and creeled into a sei)arato diocese, to the charge of wliicli Dr. Stewart will be consecrated. " In order, however, to meet the wants of the case, in whatever shape they may present themselves, Dr. Stewart will receive his appointment npon a distinct understanding that he is to assist yon, as far as may hs necessary, during your life, nnd that tlie charge of the wh le of both dioceses sliall, for that piiriod, devolve upon him, if your health should render you incapa- ble of your duties, or require your return to England." Having so far fulfilled the objects of his voyage to England, the Archdeacon turned his thoughts again to his parish and his home. They had never, indeed, been long absent from them, and though he had originally promised himself the pleasure of seeing some of his early friends, he devoted him- self so unsparingly to business as to leave time for scarcely more than forced and flying visits to his nearest relations and one friend* who claimed the privilege of calling herself his " second mother." He accomplished, besides, a brief visit to a brother of Dr. Stewart, to whom he had given a promise that he wotild do so. An account of the effort this cost may serve as a specimen of the manner in Avhich his time was filled up. " I have had a life of constant, unceas- ing hurry since I first came to town, (immediately after his landing at Liverpool,) and if it Avere not for the satisfac- tion of what little I am to see of my brothers and friends, could heartily wish myself out of England every hour. Yes- terday (Saturday) I left town at four o'clock, to go down to Mr. James Stewart's, at Clapham Common, at whose house I dined and slept. He has been very kind to me, and has * Mrs. Harrold, of Horkesley Park, Essex, an early friend of his mother's, whose husband, inheriting her property and her friendship, became after- wards the great benefactor of Bishop's College, LennoxviUe. His munifi- cence to tlie great (Miurch Societies was unbounded, and generally anony- mous. Mrs. Ilarrold's brother and sister gave as " a clergyman and his sister'' the funds for the erection of one of the Bethnal Green Churches. Her delighlud letters to her " dear sou'' would form a most interesting addition to this memoir. your I as.-* night, G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 87 entered into all my business. Wiuli his family I went to church at Clapham. From the church door I got into a stage- coach ; from the stage-coach oltice in town, without going to ray lodging, I Avent to afternoon service at Westminster ANbey ; thence I came home, and having dined oil a little rye loaf which I bought two days ago and put in my pocket, and a glass of lukewarm London water, I addressed myself to Avriting, having previously to my luxurious repast read your letter and my mother's. And this is not the only day, I assure you, that I have gone without my regular dimier, or any use of those beverages which are given to make ' glad the heart of man.' The writing which I have to execute to- CD night, if I can get through it, is as follows: a letter to the Archbishop; ditto to the secretary S. P. G. ; ditto to Lord Batluirst, respecting the disposal of the petition ; two private letters ; then, on your side of the water, I must write to my father, to Major Ilillier, to Dr. Strachan, and Dr. Stewart. If I should not have time for the last, will you make a copy of the letter to Lord B. al)out the Bishops, and send it to him, and tell him that his l)rothers have been very civil to me ; his brother James, who seems to be an excellent man, particularly kind." I cannot forbear from giving one or two more extracts from letters written at this time. " I have received your letter, containing a lock of our dear little boy's hair for G., the sight of Avhich made me more foolish than I choose to tell you of. But how can I be thankfid enough to have such dcUghtful accounts of you and your occupations, abroad and at home ? The parish and the family seem to go on so well in my absence, that I think I had better stay away, and would do so on purpose, if I could put so much force upon certain strong and yearning inclinations which every day's absence serves to increase. What you and your coadjutors have done about the lledllouse-'^ delights mo. Tell the dear .* ■■ . "¥> ,1 *4 'fit m A building secured as a home for houseless poor. \' t ' •'■•: 1 •lu^i! 1 ' ■.( > i I ':Ji.i" 4 88 MEMOIR OP little girls that it makes me very happy to hear of their behav- ing so well about reading jtrayers, etc., which I trust may be taken as a proof of their behaving well in all things. I write, as usual, in a hurry; it is the old story over again ; trudging all day, or waiting upon official people, and writing half the night. The watchman has been singing out ' past one,' for some time, and as this is not my closing operation, I wish you and my children good night, and may the Almighty have you ever in His holy keeping." * * * * u j j^,jj ^^ i^^ jj^ London again on the 18th (July) to meet one of the princi- pal merchants concerned in the Canada Company, and work may be then cut out for me which will protract my stay. I left town on the afternoon of the 7th, and came that evening to Bourchier's. The next day, after breakfast, we came through Easton, where we visited our old school-boy haunts, and several of my old friends* among the cottagers, to Thax- ted, where my aunt's gig met me and took me on to Bardfield, where I spent Saturday and Sunday ; and on the latter day preached, as it Avere, among the shades of my maternal fore- fathers, and over their very bones, in Little Bardfield church. Nothing can exceed the kindness of all my friends, nor can I describe to you the longing that I feel to have you here among them ; but, as to our taking up our abode here, I see no prospect of it whatever, and every year that I remain away removes farther the probability of my obtaining prefer- ment at home. We must make ourselves happy, therefore, where Providence has cast our lot, and be thankful for all our blessings, remembering that here we have ' no continu- ing city,' and if we must not look to England as our land of promise on earth, there is a resting place for us all, to which the way is never long.' J5 * One of his brothers, writing to him a description of his o\yn visit to these scenes some years later, says, " Old Mrs. F. cried when she spoke of you. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 89 Althou;i;li tlic Archdeacon did not put forward hh father's views with ro;^ard to liimself, he Avas furnished witli testimo- nials from (hlfcrent persons to whom thej liad heen comnumi- catcd, from one of whicli, from the Earl of Dalhousie, 1 make the following extract : " It ^ives tno great pleasure to seize this earliest opportunity of |ilaeiiigin your own liiiuds, to be used ns you please, iny most earnest hoiie tliat your claims ami pretensions to preferment over that diocese will he received by II. M. Ministers, and considered as they justly merit. To give niy own personal reeonimendation on that point would he a poor expression in your favour, and I liuve no hesitation in going so farasto say, in the name of the whole pvoU'^tiU\t population of the Lower Province, that whenever you .shall see fit to lay your claims before the jiroper (pu\rter, you may rest as- sured of the cordial wishes of all who have already had the advantage of knowing and of appreciating your indefatigable labours in the prrfoiinanco of your duties among them. I shall be ready, at all times, to bear testimony in your favour, in preference to any other jierson, from the cmHcicntious conviction that your knowledge of the peojile there, your experience, and your well-known abilities would have greater weight v\ ])rninoting the great interests of the Church and of the people than any other person what- ever." Before the date of the letter -which he addressed to his father, announcing the arrangements which he had been able to effect for him, that fother had been taken to his rest. He died on the 18th June, 1825, having given scarcely any previous grounds for alarm. It was a heavy blow to his sons, none of whom were permitted to be with him, but espe- cially to the Archdeacon, as he was the only one who could reasonably have expected to receive his parting blessing, and it may naturally have added to his grief, to reflect that so far as his father was personally concerned, his mission to England had proved of no advantage. The hitelligence of his loss reached him on the 22nd July, as he was making his final arrangements for leaving England, but he was detained another Aveek by business preparatory to the return of his mother to her native land. I must draw the history of this year to a close, or it would be a satisfaction to place on G H •■'i ■lilllf ml llili it i'! 'it 90 MEMOIR OF record some of the testimonies which tlio death of the first Bisliop of Quebec drew lorth from different (iimrtcrs, f ublic and private. I confine myself to an extract from the letter written by the Archdeacon on hearing of that event. It bears stron;j; marks of agitation, wliich rendered writing diffi- cult, though the place from which it is dated (Colonial Office) shews that he had ])raced himsolf up so as not to suffer any interruption of his work. " I have received your letters, and I have seen Mr. B. (from Quebec.) The will of God be done ! I trust He will support us all and teach us to s\i1)mit, and that He will grant me the comfort of speedily rejoining you. You are, indeed, a comfort to me ; the thought of you, and the account which you give of your own strength in this trial, and the support that you will be able to adminij^ter to those more immediately comiccted with him whom we mourn, are mercies for which I fervently bless my God ; and how many mercies have I received at His hand ! But I cannot trust myself fiirther upon this subject now. * * * As for you, my beloved children, I know that your young hearts will grieve for the loss of your kind, your good grandpapa. You love your own father, and can judge of his feelings ; but your blessed grandfather is gone where, I trust, we shall all meet him, and though our hearts arc broken now, it will be a comfort to us even in this world to think of his virtues and his kindness to us all. You are old enough always, always, always to remember how good he was to you. Do not think that I shall give way. Writing to Quebec agitates me, but with God's help I shall brace up again." His eldest brother, writing at this time to his mother, says, " George's conduct has been delicate, feeling, firm and judicious. His success cannot but be a source of comfort to you, and of lasting satisfaction to his own heart. My father's mantle has not wholly fallen to the ground ; part of it has rested upon George. God bless him." Another brother, writing a little earlier to himself, had said, " I think I may congratulate II G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 91 he first , fuldic e letter lit. It II": (liffi- OtHee) Ver any MS, and God ])e submit, ejoiniug of yo\i, 1 in this lister to nionrn, nd how [ cannot * As "• hearts ndpapa. but shall all will be ;ues and always, ot think me, but brother, conduct success ■ lasting has not ed upon , a little ratulate T you upon the succcs?; of your nogociations, whicii I hope will make you some amends for all the harass and hurrying about that you have had, and it ought to reconcile us, in .some measure, to seeing so little, almost nothing, of you, but we must be allowed to feel vexed and disappointed on this ac- count. This must not be reckoned a visit to England. You must come again and bring your I'amily with you. God bles8 them and you. Your very truly aftectionute brother, " G. R. M." From London the Archdeacon went down to Tunbrido-e Wells, to take a hasty farcMell of his wife's fixmily, between whom and himself tliero subsisted the strongest affection. He left them on the morning of the -JOth July, (in days when there were no railways,) and dined the same day with his brothers at Ilemel llempsted in Hertfordshire. After a stay there of about an hour and a half, he was driven by one of them to meet the Liverpool mail, and reached that place between nine and ten the next evening. The followin"' morning he sailed for New Y^'ork, where he arrived early in September. Before leaving the shi}), his fellow-passengers presented him with a letter, conveying their tiianks for his " religious attention to themselves and the ship's company during the voyage," and the assurance of "their individual esteem and sincere wishes for his hap})iness and welfare." As he lay in his berth, soon after leaving Liverpool, the thoughts which were uppermost in his mind found expression in the following lines : Speed, speed, good ship ! for home and friends One heart is here that sorelj yearns ; And they to whonri the tnivoller wends, How oft to thee tlieir fancy turns ! speed hira well — tho' not that home Will wear a looic his heart to cheer ; Ah I wherefore was he bid to roam, So dark a change then lurking near ? Mil 4 }•> .. n s^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) t ^ ^O ^^A^ /. :/. 1.0 L&IM 12.5 • 50 *^™ MI^H ^ Ui |2.2 I.I £ US , WUI. |2.0 m 1.25 II M !'•* V] /. :^> '/ M HiotDgraphic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. M5S0 (716) 873-4503 ^ :^"- >J%^ 92 MEMOIR OF Yet spi-ed him well, — a widow grey, His mother now, will want her son ; Alas! that in that mournful daj 01" all her four she ciasiied not one ! speed him fast, — his gentle wife, Partner of all his joy and pain, * « ' m^> Ye children that he loves so"well. Sweet sister, too, — fair drooping flower I Kind brother whom the tidings fell Have brought before this weary hour ; With you, with others near in love, He longs to mix in mutuiil grief; To draw, from streams which spring above, la mutual use, a blest relief. He longs to find the healing charms Of liome, albeit in sorrowing mien; And fold within a father's arms Th' unconscious child he has not seen. sacred links ! and fastened deep Beyond the world's infectious reach, How well, whom many mourners weep, How well didst thou their value teach ! Yet not within the narrow walls Of home his only wishes lie ; He owns the power of other calls Fulfilled beneath a father's eye. Aye, so fulfilled — but that is done — No earthly father now shall mark The course of this inferior son, Who yet emits a kindred spark. Father of the saints above And men below, it is to Thee, To Thee we must commend our love, Altho' no human eye should see. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. Thou, upon th' eternal tlirone Of heaven, Who rul'st the changeful waves, Whose wonders in the deep are shewn,* The avenging arm, and that which saves, Thou in Whose hidden treasures lie The ready winds,! and in Whose hand Is all whicli once, in earth or sky Sprung and stood fast at Thy command, § Deign Thou the wanderer's way to guide Who thus his lone affliction sings ; And o'er his kin, whom seas divide, Stretch forth, God, Thy guardian wings. truly guide them all to find The haven where they hope to rest, ^ — Left but a few brief days behind, They join the dead for ever blest. 93 « .'11 \*.: * Ps. cvii. 24. t P^- cxxxv. 7. § Ps. xxxiii. 9. ^ Ps. cvii. 30. ; K fl 94 MEMOIR OF tk CHAPTER VI. Bishop Stewart — Labours in the parif?h of Quebec, for the diocese and for different institutions. Dr. Mountain had been nearly six months absent from Quebec, though scarcely more than two had been spent in England. His labours were not lightened by his being re- lieved of those which properly belonged to the office of chap- lain, for during the vacancy of the see additional responsi- bility was, of course, laid on the Archdeacon, and this, with his parochial duties, left him little leisure. The new Bishop was not consecrated till January, 1826, and was unable to enter on the administration of the diocese for about a year after the death of his predecessor. He had gone to England in 1825 for consecration, and the Government declining to carry into effect the plan for the division of the diocese on the ground that it had been rendered necessary only by the failing health of the late Bishop, the charge of the whole of Canada devolved upon him. But it was more than any one man could bear, and soon wore out the strength of Dr. Stewart, which had, perhaps, been already impaired by twenty years of apostolic labour. It would have been a great comfort to him if he could have persuaded His Majesty's Ministers to agree to the erec- tion of a new diocese, and could have seen his friend the Archdeacon of Quebec placed over it ; and in this feeling, the clergy of Lower Canada may be presumed to have shared, for in the conclusion of an address of condolence in his bereave- ment which they presented to him upon his return from Eng- G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 95 land, thcj say, " That return is cause of rejoicing; to your family, your friends, your flock, and the Church of (lod Whose ministers we are; and, <^nititied asvfQ are at the })ro3- pect of the elevation to the vacant see of that distin;i;'iished missionary of noble birth, whose exertions in the cause of religion, and whose sacrifices to promote it, none can know how to appreciate better than ourselves, we must yet be per- mitted to express the satisfaction we shall feel at any arrange- ment, whether near or remote, which may have for its object your own advancement to a situation of higher honour and more extensive usefulness in that Church of which you have shewn yourself, on all occasions, the able and vigihmt cham- pion, and which already owes so much to your services and your zeal." Bishop Stewart, indeed, seems never to have lost sight of this object, for he made repeated efforts for its accomplishment before it was at length attained, lie was well able to judge of the (lualifications of his Archdeacon, for never was Archdeacon more truly the " right hand " of his Bishop. The Bishop leaned upon him for advice and assist- ance in all that lie undertook, and the most perfect affection and confidence subsisted between them. He became his lord- ship's examining chaplain, (an office which he had filled under his own father,) and his pen was more than once employed in writing pastoral addresses which were sent forth '•''from the Bishop of Quebec." The first ordination by the now Bishop was held in July, 182G,* when the Archdeacon preached the sermon, which was published. It was nearly the same as that which he had preached at the visitation at Montreal in 1820, and which he had not then published, as it formed one of a series intended for his own flock, the whole of which he had designed to give them in print, but the neces- sary leisure for doing so having been denied him, this one was now published separately. He constantly laid down exact • Two hundred and five persons were, in this year, confirmed at Quebec. I 1 (I ■;'■ ■ , ifr. in ^1 96 MEMOIR OF rules for tlic distribution of his time, but he was so com- pletely the servant of otIuM's, that it was scarcely ever pos- sible to observe them. Besides discharf!;in,^ the duties of Archdeacon and chaplain, he undertook, in January 1827, and contiinied for several years, to superintend the studies of some candidates for Onlei-s resident in (Quebec, for which no otlier [)ruvision could be made, and they used to come to him for a certain number of hours every week.* All this while he was workin,i^ a large and scattered parish, with charitable associations which depended on his activity for their welfare, and without the regular machinery which would have afforded him relief. The National Schools, Sunday- Schools, Hospitals, Jail, Jail Association, S. P. C.K. Com- mittee, Clergy llcserve Corporation, Royal Institution, Emi- grant Society, and several other public institutions, — all claimed a large share of constant labour and anxiety. There is a likeness of him, taken hi 1820, on which he has written with reference to the premature grey hairs and other marks of age which it exhibits, Confitcor facere lia^c annos ; sed et altera causa est, Anxietas animi coutinuiisque labor. And besides all these, there was a ceaseless recourse to him, by all sorts and conditions of men, for every conceivable kind of assistance, spiritual and temporal. lie sometimes longed for relief from some of " the drudgery of parish routine," which might have been eipially well performed by inferior hands, leaving his own more free for higher things. He generally, indeed, had an assistant in the week-day work, but this clergyman used to devote the Sundays to destitute settlements in the neighbourhood of Quebec. There was not at this time more than one resident clergyman in the district * He also drew up, by desire of the Bishop, a sketch of the heads of lec- tures, &c., for the guidance of others, which has been preserved. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.n. 97 of Qiiohcc, beyond the limits of the parij^li itself, nnd the Archdeacon was constantly called upon to visit sick persons at a distance. Ilis labours were also shared, particularly in the duties of some of the institutions above mentioned, by the Rev. Dr. Mills, chaplain to the forces, and evenin;^ lec- turer at the cathedral, and the Rev. E. W. Sewell, incum- bent of a proprietary chaj)el in (^)uebec, Ovhicli had been built in 182o, by the father of that n;entleman, then Chief Justice of Lower Canada,) who had also relieved him of the pastoral chari^e of such members of his flock as became pew- holders in the chapel. His Sunday duty consisted of the greater part of two services in the cathedral, a service at the jail, superintendence of cwo Sunday schools, baptisms, churchings, and funerals nearly every Sunday, and an even- ing service in the suburbs. I find some row^h memoranda of his employment on particular days, which are specimens of his general work. " Sunday, June 22nd, 182:5, read altar- service, and preached in tlie cathedral in the forenoon ; christening ; visited the boys' and the girls' Sunday school at Hope Gate. Prayers and preached at the jail, and visited a prisoner in his cell. Prayers P. M. in the cathedral, two women churched, two christenings ; went to the bury- ing-ground at half-past seven, and performed a funeral. Evening service, and preached at the burying-ground. One wom;in churched, a private baptism at the sexton's house.'* On the 14th August, in the same year, (a week-day,) there is a list of visits paid, which, from their distances, and the variety of business arising from them, mus*: have cost an astonishing effort to accomplish. And on All Saints' day, 1825, he has noted down, " Family prayers raid chapter. After breakfiist, walked out to emigrant hos'.ital, (about a mile from his house) and administered Sacrament to a sick woman ; returned by a rpiarter past ten ; made some memo- randa and preparations for other business ; went to church, where delivered a lecture upon the day (as* he did on all festi- ^* 'I I' !1 98 MEMOIR OF III m vals) ; rettinicd liomc ; a youn;^ woman received instruction for Sacrainunt first time ; di-aftoil tlireo letters in the diocese letter-book, wrote fair, and soiit tliem ; a note to S. re.S[)ect- in;^ liis allowance from society ; Mr. Archbold culled to con- sult me respectin;^ a l)ai)tism without sponsors ; called at office of Civil Secretary to make arrangements resj)ecting transport of Government JJihles, etc. ; visited widow W., prayed with her ; went to Neptune Inn, Lower Town, to sec Mr. M., from Bay of Chaleurs ; woman of the house begged me to see her mother, dangerously hurt, — conversed and prayed with her ; called on M. A. ;* returned home to dine ; played with the children ;f wrote some portion of blue-book ; family prayers and cha|)ter ; read some portion of " Conver- * His cousin. Miss Moiintiiin, who died in Quebec in 1845. Slie is the person referred to in the note, iit page 33, and iier pructice v/ell illiistnited her precept. The followinj; extract, from one of her letters, written to Fre- derictou, will shew tiie affection tliat existed between them. " N'one, I may venture to say, feel your absence more than my aunt and myself. We have not miicii to do with the business or pleasures of the world, and the loss of the society of one endeared to us Ity tiie ties of near relatitniship, by the fullilment of the promise of early excellence, and still more by his daily and uniform atl'ectionato attention, fornis a blank to us which your letters only reconcile us to, as they tell us you are happy, and we strive to silence all selfish regrets.'' On one of her notes relating to an act of kind- ness done to himself, he has written, " Blessed be she of the Lord, who hath not left off her kindness to the living and to the dead." f The pains which he took to promote even the innocent amusements of his children; his mindfulness, when in the midst of his most pressing occupations, of their little wants and wishes; the manner in which he entered into their feelings ; his constant desire for their improvement, and his efforts to aid them in it, were eminently characteristic of him. And this same tenderness of disposition shewed itself, in its degree, in hisir.ter- course with all children with whom he came in contact. When his chil- dren grew up, and left their home, he scarcely ever missed an occasion of writing to them, even if he had only time to say that he was " glad of every little opportunity of renewing a father's blessing ;" and he still entered into all their pleasures, as well as strengthened them by his judi- cious and affectionate counsels. An absent child was sure to be specially mentioned ia the family prayers. ' G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 99 5j)UCt- sion of St'-.icnzoe." Another memorandam, -which is scarcely n»tc'lligil)Ie, shews tlie forenoon of 2v^r(l January, !«:>♦;, filled up in a similar way : " In the afternoon, drove Dr. to Stono- liani, visited sick man and baptized a child, the state of the weather and roads being such, that returned at three A.M. on t24th." I will give only one other, which seems to have been made as a matter of curiosity ; the date is, probably, early in 182(3: "Things done before eleven o'clock, on Monday morning, a Saints' day: 1. Orders and directions written for the messenger of emigrant society ; 2. A man wanting a note to procure admission for a sick woman into hospital ; 3. A boy wanting relief for his mother ; 4. A man wanting a recommendatory note to be employed as a tide- waiter ; 5. A man wanting the time fixed for the interment of a child ; 0. A woman wanting a note to procure a place at service for her son, and recjuiring my interposition with Colonel B. for permission for a soldier to marry her daughter ; 7.-H. A visit from two ladies, (mother and daughter,) the former wanting arrangements made for placing her son with some clergyman, to complete his education in prei)aration for the Church ; the latter bringing her certificate for her pension, as an officer's widow, to be signed, and to have the blanks filled up ; 9. Another man about the funeral of a child, re<{uiring a note to Mr. Sewell, and an .rder to the sexton ; 10. A visit from a tailor, wanting the pa -tern of my coat and cassock to make ditto for the Archdeacon of York ; 11. A visit from Captain T. respecting business of emigrant society; 12. Some alteration and adaptation of part of my lecture for the day." Wants like these were attended to at once, for he never refused to see any one, to enter fully and patiently into their business, and to do what was wanted, whenever possible, at whatever cost of time and trouble to himself. Self, indeed, never entered into his thoughts. The number of persons who, in summer, when immigration was at its height, used i»: i '4 ■\\\ V '.I 'i' !l! 100 MKMOTR OF . i' literally to liesio^o his house, was so great, that it was often very ditficiilt to make one's way across the entrance from one room to another, or to ;:^et throni^h the crowd who stood in the street waiting for room within, and it was sometimes necessary to use chloride of lime in the house after the crowd of visitors had disjtersed. To the duties already mentioned he added, for several years, a week-day evening service, for which was afterward suhstituted one at eight o'clock on Sunday morning, chiefly for siulors, in a room at a cove ahout three miles from his house, and tlms ])r('])ared the way for the erection of St. Paul's, or the Mariners' Chapel, which was consecrated, and had a district assigned to it, in 188^i. In the same way, he had an evening service on a "week day hi a ship-yard on the river St. Charles, which formed the nucleus of the congregation of St. Peter's Chapel, "which ac([uired a separate existence in 18o4. He had also a monthly service on Sunday, in French, at the hurying- ground, for the benefit of Jersey and Guernsey people. The Sunday evening services at that place were, however, his chief delight. He began in the end of 1822 with a large room in the sexton's house. This very soon became too small for the congregation, and the whole house was then thrown •into one. In 1827-8 the windows were arched, a cupola was built, in which a bell* was placed, and the interior was fitted with open benches, and decently furnished, so that it had a sufficiently ecclesiastical appearance. His sermons here always consisted of plain and familiar expositions of Scripture, delivered without a book, and there was scarcely ever stand- ing room in the chapel. About 1880, an addition was made, by a kind of transept, which added greatly to the accommo- dation. The service and singing were most hearty, and he so loved to preach the Gospel to the poor, that often on Sunday * A peal of bells was procured for the cathedral in 1831, the only one, for many years, in Canada, or, I believe, with one exception, in America. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.I). 101 ui^lits, when liu ciinio lioiuo nearly worn o^it in Itody, ho would say his '' soul had been refreKshed.'' I shall never for^^ct his sorrow when he saw the nlace he loved so well destmved by fire, on the ni;^ht of the memorable 2Mth June, is^f). His Siuuhiy iSchools were also his special care, and he took an active part in the " Sunday School Association'' lor promot- ing unitbrmity of system throughout the diocese, over the Quebec branch of which he presided with the most constant care, lie had u large number of teachers, and a board hung on the door, with their names written on small blocks of wood, which they drew out, so as to make them project, as each entered the school, in order that, on his own entrance, he might sec at a glance who were j)unctual in their arrival. He was extremely i)unctual himself, without which, indeed, he could never have accomplished what he did. He was always earnest in promoting habits of devotion among his flock, particularly in their families, and in urging the duty of attending to the Si)iritual interests of servants and dei)end- auts, of which ho was eminently careful to set an example in his own house. The })ains which he took, and the minute- ness of his efforts, were truly wonderful. A sermon which he })reached in February, 1822, in relation to these points, and partly as an appeal for the National Schools, was published, and contains evidence of his anxiety for the spiritual growth of his flock, and its promotion by the use of the ordinances of the Church, which he was firm in the conviction that Christ had appointed as the means to that end. One or two extracts from this sermon may be given to illustrate the principles on which his ministrations were based. " O, far be it from our views, and alien may it always be held to christian principles, to turn them loose upon the world, that they may choose, in matters of ]• digion, for themselves! to send them into the thickening warfare of temptation, unprotected by the shield of faith, unfurnished Avitli the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. We make, I ^* 102 MKMOIH OF t • '"P indeed, an exception, in this point, for those who are chiiiiied hy their })arent8, as uieinl)ers of otlier reguhuly constituted folds;* our local rules, in that respect, are puhlic. We are willing, we are^^lad, to ^ive them education without incddlin;^ with their tenets or reli^ious discipline, but utterly do we renounce the maxim which would forhid it to reli;^ion to have her share in the ])uhlic training of youth, or woidd divorce her from the national estahlishments, from the echication of the difturent classes of the nation. The Madras system has been called exclusive, but I know of no exclusion so inj\u'ious as the exclusion of reli;^i(m. And, unless we mean to su))vert the whole constitiition of the country, both civil and ecclesi- astical, in what shape shall it be introduced, (for it would be a [)erfect Babul of confusion were we to oi)en the door to all at once,) in what shape but according to the received form of the country itself? Are wc to be so afraid of training children to be churchmen that wc will not contribute to their chance of being christians ? We are very wise, very en- lightened ; Avo have undeniably made great strides in civiliza- tion, but there is a wisdom in which we have gone back from our venerable forefathers, by full as many steps as those by which we have outstripped them in another field." And in a note appended, on the publication of the sermon, to the words, " tracts inspected and approved before they pass, and stamped, as it were, for sterling doctrine," he says: " The Incorporated Society for the Propagation of the Gospel has laid it down as a rule for the guidance of the missionaries, that the tracts which they disperse shall be taken from this catalogue. There are, probably, many per- • One of the rules of the schools was as follows : " The children of Roman Catholic parents, and of those who are members of the National Church of Scotland, will be allowed to attend their respective places of worship on Sundays, instead of going with the other children to the English cathedral, and the former (and if the parents should desire it, the latter also,) will be ixempted from learning the catechism of the Church of England." 0. J. MOlI.VTAfN, D.I). lo:] claiiiKMl stitiitt'(l Wo aro icdillin;; do wo to have divorce ation of tein IwiH njiirioiis subvert ecclesi- ould 1)0 or to all cd form training to their 'cry cn- civiliza- ck from hose by And in , to the ass, and L of the of the shall be any per- of Roman Chnrcli of worship on cathedral, 3,) will be sons to whom such restrictive jirovisions may appear rather in the light of an objection tlian of an advantage, but tliey might l)e led, iierhaiH, to view the subject very hich are circ\dated \n these days with an imwearied zeal, there are too many which are unsound, and the practised hand can readily detect in what forge they have been faliri- cated, and what |tecidiar interests they liavo been calculated to serve. And hardly is there a more imperative jioint of duty in the work of promoting religion, than to guard against the insinuation of adulterated materials. I had intended to exhibit some specimens of this nature, and to have left it to the judgment of the reader, to pronounce whether u clergy- man, at least, may not be |)anh)ned for some jealous anxiety with respect to the ([uality of the food which is to be given to his flock. But I should have swelled this note too far, and upon this occasion I for))ear. A^'olumes, indeed, might be writ- ten to f)oint out the hurtful eflects which arise from the man- ner in which ])articular doctrines (relating chiefly to conver- sion, regeneration, and what is called assurance,) are warped, upon the danger of mixing in with things spiritual and iniseen, the gross alloy of })hysical causes, and the meretricious excite- ment of the imagination; upon the temerity, pregnant with mischiefs to the cause of religion, which seats icsolf in the chair of inspiration, and challenges to enjoy those favours wiiich were peculiar to the times of visible interposition and direct revelation from on high. Volumes might be written upon the shades and gradations of these mistakes in religion, upon the effects of adopting a certain turn of i)hrase()logy, and wearing the marks, as it were, of affinity to this school of doctrine, upon the system of precisely identifying the success of this school with the extension of the gospel. But let it be well remembered, on the other hand, that there is a fiir more usual and less excusable manner of promoting error or ex- i I i ^l; 'II • « ' i N-: M» •■ mm m ■'R i: ,.,| ",1 ill J?* 'iJ jlilil :i I' ..i.-ii i! 104 MEMOIR OP travagance in religion. It is by turning our own backs upon it, by coldness and indifference to the characteristic doctrines of the Gospel. The comforts of the Gospel tvill be sought, and if food be witlilicld in one quarter, it will be asked for in another. I am aware that such observations as the foregoing often bring upon the clergy the charge of broken charity. And I take the risk. I do more. I boldly plead not guilty. We are the special guardians of sound doctrine ; we are pledged in the most solemn mjinner to execute our trust in this ])oint. Charity in religious matters is not indiscriminate approbation. Charity has no field where this exists, no subject of trial. It is the delicate part of true charity, while she earnestly con- tends for a sound faith, to go fearlessly on to her mark, and to keep clear, at the same time, from all animosity of feeling, from all harshness of thought or expression, from all S|)irit of misconstruction or ill-will. And, at least, it is no worse charity in us to uphold vigorously what we conceive to be a right system, than in others sedulously to undermine it." For several years, beginning in 1828, he also took his turn, once a fortnight, at a weekly service which he established at a sort of a poorhouse, called the Quebec Asylum, or more familiarly the Red House, by which name it has been men- tioned before, nearly two miles from his residence. At all these new openings, he seems to have begun by going back, in his teaching, to " the first principles of the doctrine of Christ," so as to insure a good foundation for future labours. lip iii: I ■«! , 1!!! : !, Ill .li'.i G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 105 CHAPTER VII. Second visit to Gaspd — Journey to York — Visitation of Eastern townships, and district of Quebec. In the autumn of 1826, the Archdeacon made a second visi- tation of the district of Gaspe, in the Avhole of which, owing to some unfortunate occurrences, there was not at that time one resident clergyman. .\ He obtained a passage in a small vessel belonging to the provincial Government, which was going to Halifax, and called for him, on her return from that place, to take him to Quebec. He visited all the places where congregations had been formed, and went as far as Nouvelle in the Bay of Chaleurs, administering the Sacraments and other ordinances, and enquiring into all that concerned the welfare of the Church. Speaking of the congregation at St. Georges Cove, to whom he again preached in French, he says: " The little chapel was very full, and the people were all glad to have the services of the Church performed among them again. The great body of them could be easily kept fast^ in their attaclunent to her, if she could afford them some regular care and attention. It is a defect in our system that we have no workmen of a humbler class whose services might be dispos- able for purposes like these, and that people living scattered in new and small settlements must go without religious ordi- nances, if they adhere to the Church. Wc ought to have deacons, as a distinct order, and persons ought to be admit- ted to it for particular objects, whose pretensions are not such as to allow of their looking higher. At any rate we might H I r t- fi^ l\- ■■ ».,,. ??. I ii PI' * li' :..;. 'tl f, 106 MEMOIR OF have catechists acting as lay-readers ; and, if such a system had been organized and carried into effect in time, it mi^ht have gained us some members, and preserved to us a great many more. While we leave the people unprovided, how can we blame them for using the only means within their reach, and how can we expect that they can transmit to their children any attachment to a system, or veneration for a Church, in the ordinances of which they have few or no opportunities of partaking ?'' Another httle extract will shew the effect upon his mind of his admiration of striking scenery : " It is a romantic little spot, and put mc in mind of some of the scenes of Salvator Rosa. Its general character is not unlike that in which he lays the preaching of the Baptist in the wilderness. It was ' to a desert place apart ' also that Christ retired to pray, and such solitudes assuredly fit the frame of the mind to devotion. For the time, yoa do not belong to the world.^^* At one place on the coast, he « la one of the letters of his brother, Colonel Mountain, a very similar expression occurs : " I quite agree with you as to the effect of scenery upon the mind. I always feel, when alone (or genially accomiianied) with nature, whether in her grander or gentler moods, nearer to nature's God, soothed and raised in feeling and resolve. Strange and humiliating, that the being who stood, almost as an angel, upon yon hill, should become again a monster on transition to the tracasseries of life and the trammels of office. But so it is with human nature, save with the happy few who have overcome their nature." There was a wonderful similarity of taste and sympathy between these two brothers, and I am tempted to give an extract from another letter in a similar strain, dated Simla, May, 1849. " My dearest brother, This is a most lovely morning, and all nature rejoices, and I would fain give you greeting I Many a day must elapse before these lines meet your eye, but when they do, if ever they do, it may be, perchance, on as sweet a morn. Oh ! it is a great privilege to retain freshness of mind, power of enjoyment, appreciation of the works of God. Nothing so lames the elasticity of spirit necessary for this accessi- bility to pleasurable feeling, as the being us6 in the world, as the con- sciousness of sin ; but weighty cares and anxieties in continued wearing course and weak health, are also lamers of the spirit, and you and our dear C. are as much perhaps, losersof many sources of pleasure around from G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 107 h"':- mentions a person who " officiated very respectably as clerk, but in the churching of women^ being determined to avoid the singular, said, ' and let our cries, ^ etc." Part of the voyage round the coast was performed, as before, in an open boat, but at Perce he was persuaded to take pas- sage in a small decked vessel, where he suffered the greatest discomfort from " dirt, closeness, evil odours, sea-sickness, \ tedium, and utter loneliness as to all sympathies of taste and feeling," amid Avliich lie says, " my thoughts turned to ray own dear and happy home, and all the blessings, — one there was very prominent in the picture, — which God has given me there. But you must not suppose that I allowed the contrast to produce any present impatience or dejection in my mind ; for though I know full well that there are many occasions when I do not behave as I ought to do, yet, when the discomforts and inconveniences of travelling beglr to be serious, I make it a practice to think of the real and severe sufferings to which others are exposed, and it is a rule which can hardly fail to reconcile the mind to these lesser evils." One more extract will shew, like this, that he was not un- the latter causes, as I from the first. But, thanks be to God and to ray earthly father who took pains to cultivate in me a love of nature, I do yet feel, despite the writhing effect of ray own sins and follies, the suscepti- bility of delight in the beauties of the creation, and particularly in the genial influences of morning and evening." In a letter dated in 1824, the younger brother thus expresses himself: "There arc many points of reserablance between us ; the same things give us pain and pleasure; the same tincture of roraance, the same chivalrous feeling, the same respect for the olden time, the same enthusiastic love and early perception of the beautiful, the gentle, and the peculiar in nature, in art, or in human charac- ter, the same love of justice and indignation of injustice, live in both our breasts; in yours, enriched by originality of humour, supported by talent, softened by patient temper, regulated by habitual piety, and always subser- vient to the great end of your existence, the good of others, and the care of your own soul. • • • i have often been moved, even to tears, by accidental circumstances, such as a fine sunset or sunrise, the sudden view of sublime scenery, or the magnificence of a storm." 1^ ^. f%- ill "'i 108 MEMOIR OF mindful of his own failings. " I laid my hands upon a book, the only one in a room where I was waiting, and just turn- ing the leaves over to see the order and distribution of the contents, I stumbled upon a passage at once, treating directly of a fault of which I had that very day pronounced myself not guiltless ; and reading on, I found what was calculated to benefit me, and I hope may have done so." Early in 1829, the Archdeacon was sent by the Bishop to settle a dispute respecting the site of a church at a settle- ment some distance above Bytown, and took occasion to visit the other settlements on the Ottawa River,— Hull, St. An- drews, and Lachute, — preaching everywhere, according to his usual practice, as well as inspecting schools and the affliirs of the Church generally. The only clergyman resident on the east side of the Ottawa was at St. Andrews, Hull being served from BylOAvn. A similar dispute caused a journey to Rawdon on his way home, to Avhich place he was driven by the rector of Montreal, from whom he derived much help in the object of his visit. Sorcl and Three Rivers were also visited. He had gone to Bytown by way of Cornwall and Hawkesbury, and the journey between these two places was performed on horseback. He passed through Glengarry, where he called on the Roman Catholic Bishop McDonell, who received him " in his frank and friendly way, assisting himself to unstrap my valise, and giving directions, in Gaelic, to his people, about a little repair required in one of the straps. He made me stay to dine with him. The Bishop said a short grace in English like our own, and after dinner proposed the health of our Bishop." * * When the Hri^t Bisliop of Quoboe arrived there in 1793, the Roman Catholic Bishop a])i)eare(l unfoignedly rejoiced, and greeting liim with a kiss on each cheek, declared tliat it was high time tliat he should come to keep his people in order. The following letter addressed soon afterwards to his lordship will exhibit a ])ro()f of the same spirit of friendliness : " Monseigneur, j'ose me flatter, d'ai)res Ics t^raoignages sensibles de votre estime dont u6tre communaut^ fut honor6 lorsque votre seigneurie G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 109 also 1 and A winter journey to the capital of Upper Canada, in January, 1821>, is the next of which I have any account. It was difficult and fati,i;uiui; after eiiteriu,^ Upper Canada, where recourse was had to wheels. I'ho object of this jour- ney was to confer, by the Bishop's desire, with the Lieuten- ant Governor of Upper Canada, whose guest he became, and the Archdeacon of York, on measures to be taken respecting the Clergy Reserves. On the way down, he had for a fellow-passenger " the Scotch minister of Kingston, whose movements were caused by the same competition on the part of tlie kirk which produced my own journey. We did not touch upon this topic, however, and got on very harmoniously together, our conversation being, in a great measure, relig- ious., and our views, as far as they were mutually developed, very much the same. * * * When I was at , ou my return to the irm from drinking tea with ^Ir. , I engaged the landlady, Avho is of our own Church, in conversa- tion respecting her attention to her religious duties, and the reUgious care of the family and household. Speaking of Mr. , she said he was ' a fine man and a good man,' but she might go to hear him seven years without havhig the same insight into the truths of the Gospel, and the importance of attending to them, as in this short familiar conversation with me. Do not think that I mention this with any feeling of vanity, or that it inspired any feeling of the sort. I nous fit la fiiveur (Ventrer dans notre monastere, qii'ellc voudra hien agr^er I'honorable ct gracieuse liberty que nous donne le renouvellenient d'annee pour nous procurer I'indicible satisfaction de lui y)r6senter uos tres humbles lionimages et assurances des vojux (jue nous adresserons au ciel pour sa precieuse conservation et prosperity de son illustre famille. C'est avec ces vifs sentimens que nous avons I'honneur d'etre, avec U- plus profond respect, monseigneur, de votre seigneurie les tres humbles et tres obeissantes servantcs, Sr. Th^rese de J^sus, Sup. aux Ursulines des Trois Rivieres, le 30 Decembre 1794." A very similar letter was addressed to his lordship, about two years later, by the successor of this lady. , ^'% i 1 1 Mi >,:f, ■■^' , lit » II M 110 MEMOIR OF assure you it only made me humble, and partly sad, to think how groat a responsibility attaches to us, if so much may be done by opportimities so often neglected by us all, and partly thankful that I had turned the half hour to so good account. It also led me to reflect how very, very faulty many of our clergy are, in firing over the heads of our audiences. Do not shew this to any body. * * * j ly^yQ often reflected since I left you upon your labour and persevering assiduity in making that transcription (of a scries of lectures for Saints' Days) and upon many other testimonies of your goodness and your love. All the little difficulties which this winter journey has presented remind me of those far more serious ones which you encountered to visit me in my illness at Hatley. Let us always most dearly cherish a tender mutual affection, and unreserved mutual confidence ; and do not think that I love my family the less because the duties to which I am called draw me away from their society much more than accords with my own desires. Domestic affections are the first earthly comfort that I have, and they are, indeed, so sancti- fied when cultivated undi'r the guidance of religion, that they are not merely worldly ; but no interfering claim of domestic tie or duty ought, according to the conviction of my con- science, to lessen the amount of service which I actually perform as a minister of Christ. ' He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me,' and in competi- tion with that service, we must hate, in figurative language, all our nearest and dearest connections, and our own li^es also, or we cannot be His disciples. But the domestic love of one who feels this conviction is more worth having than if he did not feel it. We will talk these things over when we meet." Early in 1829, another visitation of the Eastern townships was undertaken. Passing through Three Rivers, the Arch- deacon instituted the new rector of that place, the Rev. S. S. Wood, who accompanied him to Shipton. At Drummond- G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. Ill .'i^ ville the same ceremony was performed for Mr. Wood's successor, the Rev. G. M. Ross. The number of resident clergy in the St. Francis district had been increased, since the Archdeacon's Last visit, from three to four, by tlie appoint- ment of the Rev. A. H. Burwcll to Lennoxvillc. The pro- vision for the maintenance of schools under the auspices of the Royal Institution seems to have been much larger than has since been the case, though the expenditure was not perhaps in every case justified by the results. A great deal of business arose out of their inspection. The Arch- deacon visited all the stations of the clergy, and preached in all their churches (there were five in the district), and in several school-houses. But his chief care seems to have been bestowed on destitute settlements. In this way he had spent a Sunday at Nicolet, and officiated in Shipton, Mel- bourne, and Durham (his labours in these three townships being shared by Mr. Wood). Writing of a visit to one of these, he says : " It was a very humble cottage,* but there were plenty of hot cakes, and a most cordial welcome, which, with the opportunity of a kind of pastoral conversation with people who rarely see a clergyman, and gladly avail them- selves of it, made me feel as happy as a king. I have indeed often felt that if I had not other duties marked out for mo, I would gladly devote myself to such scattered sheep as these about the country ; and I am well persuaded that a clergy- man who would give himself to the work, and engage, at once with kindness and zeal, in guiding and gathering them * At a house where they slept, hivving reached it at two A.M., " though all else was comfortable enough, we detected the signs of jire-occupancy in the sheets, which deterred iis from going between thorn, and inspired W. with the following parody, with which lie greeted me in the morning : No dirty sheet encircled my ))rea3t. With no quilt or blanket I wound me. But I lay like a clergyman taking my rest, With my camlet cloak around me," 112 MEMOIR OF i -^S i i j: ;■ ^r i' ") . .1: together, would decidedly fix them by degrees in regiilar hjibits of religion and rjmpliance with all the ordinances of the Church. Wc settled ^vlult ]isa]nis should be sung, and proceeded to the school-house, Avhich was excessively full. * * * On the way back I stopped to call on a lamily which I had not had time to visit in going, and in which I had bap- tized the mother and several children at once, in 1823. These persons, or the survivors of them, — for the mother was dead, — I wished to remind of their bai)tismal covenant, and I found other Avork besides in the house, for the step-mother was seemingly in a hopeless consumption, and willingly re- ceived my mhiistrations, added to which there was a young infant to be baptized." At Eaton, mention is made of a Scotch widow* " whose zeal and perseverance in attending the services of the Church arc so great, that at certain seasons, she makes light of wading a ford on foot above her knees, having previously walked in an overflowed path for about a mile, and this she does without ' undressing ' her legs or feet, which the stony bottom would render very painful in its con- sequences. She told Mr. Taylor that she was once in her life subject to rheumatism, and that she did not know what had cured her, unless these aquatic walks had done it." At Lennoxville the Archdeacon assembled the clergy of the dis- trict together for mutual conference, after divine service, and he recommended it to them, " to appoint quarterly meetings with each other, read over together their ordination vows, confer on all points of pastoral interest or difficulty, and hold a public service on a week day." The last services per- formed in the St. Francis district were at Ilatley, where the * I remember, many years after this, seeing an Irish widow at Lake Beau- port wlio had brought two of her children, when a snow storm bad blocked up most of the roads, a long distance, whicli in winter could never be tra- versed but on foot. On my remarking that she must have left home early in order to reach the church when she did (soon after ten o'clock) she said * Well, we set off about six ' " :| u. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 113 Archdeacon instituted Mr. Johnson to the rectory, and " was called upon, without previous notice, to preach two sermons at the dedication, as they term it, of the new church. They know little or nothin;^ of our form of consecration by the Bishoj), and the o])ening service with sermon is considered by them as the dedication." At this point he })as.sed into the Montreal district, preaching in school-houses at Water- loo Village and Granby, and in a church at West Shefford. At Yamaska Mountain, (to which, at his suggestion, the name of Abbottsford Avas afterwards given, the Rev. J. Abbott being at that time the missionary of the place,) there was a church, of Avhich it is remarked, "^Maiiy of our churches in this diocese are not placed according to rule, their steeples being at the east end, and the communion-tables at the west ; but in this instance, it seems to have been resolved to be right in one of the two points, for both are placed together, the recess for the altar being in the lower part of the tower, which is at the farther end from the entrance." At Granby, having occasion to ask for a pen, in transacting some business respecting the Clergy Reserves, one was brought to him made out of an eagle's plume, which sug- gested the following lines : 1% " How fleet is a glance of the mind ! Compared with the speed of its flight, The tempest itself lags behind, And the swift-winged arrows of light." — Cowper. 'si? Trace my thoughts, thou eagle plume, Far to those I love they fly ; Ne'er shalt thou thy flights resume. Traveller of the boundless sky. m Fleeter than thy flights of yore, Speed our thoughts and farther range, Traverse time remote, exjjlore Space, and ah ! remember change. 114 MEMOIR OF Years, years, for over fled ! Tliouglit Clin all your track puraiio; Sleepers with the ]K'acefiil drad, Thought full well can picture you ! Homeward still the wanderer's care Flies athwart this waste df snow ; When, he knows not, knows not where Fate may deal some withering blow. Wanderer, cast thy care on One Who to care fur thoe descends ; Think what He for man has done, Trust to Him thy home and friends. Lift, Lord, our thoughts on high. Teach our truant hearts to soar; Thought can pierce beyond tlie sky. Pierce where change shall be no more. Lord of iords, and King of kings, Bear us all our journey's length ; Bid us ride "on eagles' wings," Sheath us in eternal strength. At Abhottsford he preached on prayer, " and there was a woman in the congregation Avhom Mr. S. observed to have been repeatedly in tears, and on his enquiring who she was, we found she had been a careless person in religion. If those tears were like the tears which washed the feet of the Saviour, this was a day which I ought thankfully to note. How many days might ungrudgingly and gladly be given to be rendered instrumental in an event which causes * joy in the presence of the angels of God !' " From Abbottsford the Archdeacon proceeded to Dunham, where he preached, and afterwards addressed the people on the duty of contributing to the support of divine worship. Here again the rector was instituted, a measure for the legal erection of parishes according to the establishment of the Church of England, on an extended scale, having been ,!!i;( G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 115 •e was a to have she was, ion. If t of the bo note, ^iven to * joy in >unham, sople on vorship. for the ment of ig been recently adopted by the Government. The same ceremony was performed, farther on in tlie journey, at Clarcnceville and Sorcl. The rectory of St. Arinand had been establislied at an earlier date. To this place the Archdeacon was driven by the Rev. James Reid (who had come over to Dunham to meet him) the successor of JJisliop Stewart at Frelighsburgh, of wliich he still holds the charge.* Between him and the Archdeacon there always existed a strong mutual respect and regard. They " spent the evening with a family who really are patterns of what such families should be. All that they possess is the fruit of the father's own industry blessed from above, for he made his war originally upon the forest, with no resources but the weapon with which he waged it. All within the house was plain, substantial, plentiful, orderly and neat. The father of the family is a placid, benevolent, and humble-looking man, with his grizzled hair smoothed down upon his forehead, and falling behind in cleanly locks upon his collar. All the eleven children, several of whom are grown up, are exemplary young people. The girls are among Mr. Reid's church singers, and their father is one of his church- wardens. The farm is large, fruitful, and well-stocked, with appendages of orchards, etc. The whole family are steadfast church-people, and such as we should wish church-people to be ; they are devout, but in a sober, settled, and enduring way, and the blessing of God seems, as it Avere, to rest visibly upon the house. Mr. Whitwell came up to meet me from Phihpsburgh. Mr. Reid's infant was baptized, and I was one of the sponsors. We must bear our god-children in mind, for although avc have not perhaps undertaken the office in any case where we are called upon to interfere, we ought not to lose sight of our obligations. There is one way in which we can always remember those with whom we have contracted • Since these words were written, this venerable man has rested from his labours. ':!*: l/i, I- I J.. 116 MEMOm OF r th'n voluntary rclationshij). I proacliod, and aftor cliurch visited the school and somo of the t'amilie.s in tlie villa;^(; with Mr. Ileid, who drove nic to the house of his other church- warden, where I was to sleep on the roa r m ., if; 'MA 'i 1 ' ' . "< 1 :^'| '.]l 1 '■' it'" i i m SI 120 MEMOIR OF My God, before Thy greatness No child of man may boiist — Yet look on us thy servants, And go before our host : (a) IJeset by many a danger, And soiled by many a sin, O from without defend us, And purify within! We have not wronged this people — We have not proudly dealt ; — Thy Word we freely tender, If this a wrong be felt : (h) We draw, to do them service, Our wages from afar, And rob, for this, the Churches (c) Beneath a diliereut star, (^d) We count among our shepherds True hearts the fold to tend ; None to be spent more willing, (c) None readier seen to spend : Far through the gloom of forests Their welcome steps are traced ; Their hands the rose of Sliaron Plant in the howling waste. (/) Turn, turn, good Lord, Thy children, (g) That they may all be one. E'en as, Holy Father, Thou and Thy Blessed Son :— (A) When shall we see the leopard Lie gently by the kid, And with tlie bear to pasture, The fearless kine be bid ? (i) Full many a stone of stumbling Must from our path be hurled ; Full many a fault be weeded From this misjudging world; «. Exod. xiii, 21., xiv., 19 ; 6. 2 Cor. xii, 13 ; c. 2 Cor. xi, 7, 8 ; ^i.— alio sub sole jacentes ; e. 2 Cor. xii, 15 ; /. Cant, ii, I ; Is. xxxv, 1 ; Dent xxxii 10; ff. Lam. v, 21 ; h. S. John xvii, 11 ; i. Is. xi, 67; a. < : 111, ■HI. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 121 Full many a speck be purged From thiuji,: we love and prize ; Full many a schism repented Ere that blest Sun shall rise. Far hence the hollow seeming Of unity and love, Which leaves to choice of fancy, Truths given from God above; Far hence their pliant baseness, Whom from tlieir standard sways Po(n' m'-ed of fisliiou"-; favour, Or breath of mortal praise. The gems of truth to barter, We purchase peace too dear ; Pure faith and ancient order Must still be guarded here ; All, all, we love, we pray for, All holy zeal commend : («) But for the rule delivered Of old, we must contend, (i) como, come, blest Kingdom, Saviour, bid it speed : — One Spirit, one rite baptismal. One hope be ours, one creed ! (c) 'Tis then the Cross, blest ensign. One way we all shall wave ; Nor more with dissonant trumpets. Proclaim its power to save. ■it! /. — alio it xxxii In seemly strength and order Shall niarcli our conq\iering band ; And Christ shall win the Paynim, With followers hand in hand : Till God shed wide His glory. Earth's utmost verge to sweep. E'en as the rolling waters 0'ersi»read the boundless deep, (d) a. Gal. iv, 18 ; b. Jude 3, 9 ; c. Eph. iv. 4, 5 ; d. Uab. ii, 14. 1 ''f 122 MEMOIR OF The Arclideacon returned to Quebec just in time to witness the oiicnin,!!; of a new parochial institution, an asylum for female orphans 1)elonging to the Church. Tliis was under- taken hv the zeal of several ladies, in whose labours Mrs. jNIountain took tlie prominent })art. Some rooms were fitted up over the National School, which had been removed from Ilojie gate to its present site near St. John's gate. He always took a special interest in these orphans, and the fifth of ]March was an anniversary which he never forgot, and which was observed, wliile he lived, by assembling the ladies and children, as well as the friends of the institution, to wliom it was his practice to deliver an address whenever he was in Quebec. In 1842, when he Avas prevented from doing so by illness, he addressed a letter to the clergyman who was to take his })lace, in order to convey to the ladies tlic assurance of liis regret that he was unable to be with them u[)on an occasion connected Avith many interesting and many sacred associations, adding, " I cannot unite, in bodily presence, in the prayers which it will devolve upon you to offer, but although absent in body, I shall be present in spirit. * * * I cannot conclude without requesting you to say one word from me to the children themselves. Although my occu})ations do not permit me to visit them often, and ray illness has prevented me from seeing them for more than four months, let them know that the Bishop of the Church cares for them, and prays from his heart that they may please their Heavenly Father, Who cares for them too, and may be enabled by His o-race, i^iven for the sake of Chiist, to make a good and dutiful return to the ladies who have been so kind to them. To Him I now commend both them and their benefactors." This insti- tution was removed, in 18G2, to a wing of the Church Home, which was formally opened on the 2nd August in that year, after the service held in the cathedral to mark the completion of the 50th year of the Bishop's ministry. That day was also the anniversary -f his union with her to whom the asyli was not In Ji to York, ination ( Orders ac(piaint the prov dccessor to do his from two Yellow-h the ]]ish tion Avitl dark, am They ha Christiar clfects, \ habits a instrumc Avith the mixture rejoice a proceedi poring, {1 been an Avho bro as Englis sion.) * of the n * In a k deacon to cliai)lain, 1 ftssistunce, aid or adv i;i G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.I). 123 o Avitncs.s mil lor uudcr- s Mrs. fitted 3d from 0. lie he fifth ot, and hidies ;o ^vllOUl ? was in lii; so hv was to surancc upon ail sacred eiiec, hi .1 though ! cannot n mc to i do not evented et them ein, and eavenly hy His 1 dutiful To Him lis insti- i Home, in that ark the . Tliat ;o whom tlic asyhim was chiefly indebted for its existence, but who was not iiermitted to see it upon earth. In June, 1820, the Archdeacon accompanied the Bishop to York, for the ])ur}!0se of assisting his lordshij) in the exam- ination of the candidates who were to be admitted to Holy- Orders at that place.* On this occasion they first became ac(piainted with Sir J. Colborne, the Lieutenant Governor of the province, whose guests they were, and avIio, like his pre- decessor, was sincerely attached to the Church, and anxious to do his utmost for the cause of religion. I make extracts from two letters written from York : " An Indian chief, called Yellow-head, with four or five of his train, was introduced to the Bishop by Sir J. C, and we had a good deal of conversa- tion with tliein through the interpreter. They were very dark, and partook a good deal of the olive in their complexion. They have recently become Christians, and the adoj)tion of Christianity is spreading most ra})idly and with most blessed eftccts, producing a marked and total change of character and habits among the Indians in this province. The principal instruments of this blessing have been persons in connection with the Methodists ; but Avhoever they are, and whatever mixture of error may be found in their ojunions, we must rejoice and thank God for wliat has b^en effected, and is now proceeding. Our own mission among the Mohawks is })ros- pering, and we have now sent another laliourer there, who has been among them some time learning their language, and who brought testimonials to the Bishop in Mohawk as well as English, (the Rev. A. Nelles, ordained Deacon on this occa- sion.) * * * * "We had some conversation with a person of the name of Jones, who, with his brother, was the chief * In a letter to the S. P. G., the Bisliop mentions having invited the Arch- deacon to accompany him on this occasion, not only as his oximiining cliaplain, but that he " generally might have the benefit of his counsel and assistance, well knowing how valuable they would be whenever he needed aid or advice which might be useful to himself or the Church." ^1 i; 124 MEMOIR OF C'liL^inc, in the first instance, of the conversion of the Missis- sa.ii'HS, settled, or as it is called, villaged, hy Sir P. Maithiiid on the river Credit. lie told ine that the numher Avho had emln-aeed Christianity since the late impulse was <:;iveu was from twelve to fourteen hundred, including the children of Ijelievers. We had also a visit from Mr. M., a Hungarian, and once a lloniish priest, who a|i})lied to the Ijisho}) some time ago, and has undergone a kind of jirohation, the result of which is that the ]>ishop has felt satisfied in deciding to ask the Society for c£'')0 a year for him, in addition to what the people on tlie spot will do. He is to continue otHciating, wiili a Cerman translation of our Prayer book, to a large body of settlers from Alsace, Avho arc cstahlishcd at the lower end of Lake Erie. * * * On Sunday I woke with a had headache, having sat up rather late in preparing notes to preach for the ordination (for I have had no possible time to write a sermon); and preach I did, thank God, though not without some little degree of inconvenience, yet Avithout any which was apparent to others, but I found myself obliged to leave tlie church immediately after the sermon. * * The Bishop, with his usual khidness, provided a doctor, who unexpectedly marched into my room, and prescribed just what I should have done myself without him ; but I gained the advantage of having my malady and symptoms, as well as the mode of cure, embellished Avith sundry learned names." The other extract is from a letter addressed to one of his children on her birthday, June 18, 182V) : " There are many celebrations, my sweet , of this day ; and I am not insensible to the glories of the public anniversary: for the battle of Waterloo turned the fate of the world, and the British arms were the instrument of Pro- vidence to strike a decisive and final stroke wh'Ji •:^lianged the whole aspect of European affairs. But the day has a domestic interest which touclies me more nearly, and my thoughts arc not occupied with scenes of carnage, or the political effects which follow them : they fix themselves rather r| G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 120 upon my dear child, wlio is now both of an ago and disposition to have some serious thoughts of lier duties to (lod and her fellow-creatures. You may well believe that I do not forget my child in my prayers ; never do I forget any of you ; hut I now specially pray for you that you may he happy here and fur ever ; that you may still advance in serving (Jod as lie grants you year after year ; that 1 lis blessing and grace may be Avith you through your time on earth, and that you may enjoy, through your Saviour, an eternity of blessedness in Heaven. * * * On Monday the l()th there was a confirmation at York. Fifty-one persons Avcre confirmed ; the sermon was assigned to me, and the Bisho}) addressed an exhortation to the young people. The next day there was a confirmation at a church on the road called Y^ongc Street, seven miles from York, and the church was consecrated at the same time. Lady Oojborne, her sister, and the children, went with us; and we filled two carriages ; the private tutor and one of the sons going on horseback. The horsemen, being a little before us, went to the house of a farmer, who is a most zealous church- man and a great promoter of schools and other good works, but a strange kind of man, Avhcre, the conversation turning upon religious subjects, Mr. (the private tutor) asked him if he had heard the Archdeacon's sermon on Sunday, (meaning mine.) ' Why,' said the farmer, 'I thought you were the Archdeacon.' Mr. explained to him that he had no pretensions to be so regarded."* ' Well, then,' said ho, ' you arc some piece of the Bishop's furniture.' We robed ourselves in a shed whicli stood in the church- vard, there being no vestry-room, and proceeded to the solemnity of consecration, a service in which I had never taken a part before. It is extremely impressive, and we had Archdeacon Strachan and two other clergymen with us, in their sur- plices. The sermon was again allotted to me, after which < ^^ The gentleman referred to is now a Bishop. '1^ m 12G ME>f()IR OP twciity-six persons were confirmed. * * * Upon the whole, tliis is a residence in wliicli I should delight to live and let my children run loose, and in the neighbourhood of ^vhieh ^\Q might enjoy many agreeable walks and jtromenadcs ' en voi- ture ou a cheval.' ]jut the calls of duty fix my residence in a town, and Avith all the manifold ))lcssings and advantages of a country life, it must be admitted that many more opportu- nities of personally doing good })resent themselves at Quebec than at Stamford Cottage, not only to me, but to all of us. And at any rate, we have abundant cause to be thankful for the portion Avhich we enjoy. AVe must cultivate our rural predilections by driving out when we can, and once in a while, on special occasions, making holiday in the country." On their way back to Quebec, (where another ordination was held on St. Peter's day) the Bishop and Archdeacon took part in the " ceremony of taking possession of McGill College," when the Archdeacon, in his ca})acity of Principal, delivered an address, and conducted the devotions. "It was an interesting occasion, and it is a nice iilace: I should have no objection to live there, and fulfil my present nominal charge. * * * Altogether we arc pressed to pieces with people and business." A confirmation was held at Montreal, when the Archdeacon again preached. It has been already mentioned that the Bishop had been anxious all along for a division of the diocese. Having so far failed in the accomplishment of this desire, and feeling strongly the great need of a resident Bishop in Upper Ca- nada, his lordship, after this visit to York, determined to procure a house there, and divide his time between that place and Quebec. In the summer of 1829, the Reverend Dr. Mills, being about to visit England, was intrusted with a commission to obtain the consent of the Imperial Govern- ment to the erection of a separate see ; and two years later the Bishop himself went home chiefly for the same in G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 12^ purpose* The rliflicuUy of procuring the necessary funds seems to have been an insurmountable oi)staclo. Earlv in I80O, the Areluleacon made a circuit of the town- ships in the district of (^lehec, south of the St. Lawrence, where there was not one resident clergyman. Thoy had, how- ever, received stated visits from a missionary of the 8. P. G., wliose time was chiefly so em})loyed, hut in these they shared with the settlements on the north shore, so that the supply of the ministrations of the Church was but scanty. This being the first mention of these townships, I shall give some extracts from a continuous account of the visit. The Archdeacon left Quebec in his own vehicle on the Gth March for West Frampton : baited on the road at St. Henry : then " I betook myself very thankfully to my canister, and doled out a cracker or two to the children of the house, as Avell as some biscuit for myself, after which I bogged for a little milk, and this a pleasant-looking good-natured lass, as there was none in the house, procured at once from the foun- tain-head ; — ' je m'en vais tirer la vaclie.' We baited again at the toll-bridge on the River Etchcmin at the house of Wood- house, respecting whose family Mr. Archbold is interested. I made the little girl Avhom he particularly mentioned say her prayers, the belief, &c., to mo in English, but it was in miserably broken English. She seems to be almost losing her own language. The people would take no payment. They promised to come up to service the next day at West Frampton, and I was much disappointed at not seeing them." On Sunday, the 7th, he held service and preached at the house of Mr. Ross at West Frampton, where sixty-five persons were assembled, and " after service addressed the people in a more familiar way respecting family prayer, service on Sundays, teaching their children the catechism, preparing for the com- * It was on the occasion of his lordship's return from this visit, that the bells of the cathedral of Quebec rang out their first peal. 128 MEMOIR OF [H' it : JrP'W. '^' ■-:■}' J, mnnion, &c. There was a second service at wliieh about fifty j)ersons ■were present, with sermon and catechising.'' An a]'[)ointment luid been made for service at J^.ast Frampton, the next (hiy, ))ut tlie Arclideacon was so unwell that he was detained till the following (hiy. The weather was such that, Avhen he got up in the morning, Avater freshly brought into the room became crusted over in a few moments, and " I reallv suftered in dressing, but it would be a shame indeed to com})lain of suffering no worse than this, and a strange for- getfulness of the charge of St. Paul to the Christian minister, ' thou, therefore, endiu'e hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.' On arriving at East Fram])ton, I was mortified to learn that the people had assem])led the day l)eforc in a strong muster to meet me, and that there was aln a full attendance at the school in ex})ectation of my visit. To-day I fear that I shall have hardly any congregation ; the people waited so long yesterday, and so much snow has since fallen, that I can hardly expect the settlers to come again. I have been to the school." lie had, however, a congregation of thirty-five, children included, and the:> returned to West Frampton, and on his way " passed the house of a settler who had built his house not upon but against a rock, a huge mass of stone forming one end of his dAvelling, against which he makes his fire, which, when the whole face of the mass is heated, protects him against the most intense cold." The whole of the 10th, from nine a.m. to half-past ten p.m., was occupied by the journey to Aubert Galleon on the river Chaudiere, where, on the 11th, service was held, as well as at a neighbouring settlement, with sermon and baptisms, fol- lowed by the examination of the school. The next note is dated Broughton, 13th March: " I have only the time which will be occupied by stowing away the things in the cariole (the horse being at the door) to say that I am well, and I hope not proceeding without, at least for the moment, doing some good. God bless the seed which I scatter, and bring it o. J. MOUNTAIN, n.n. •^.:i9 to effect ! I have litui service this mornin;; in the loft of a mill, uhere I al^^o baptized a cliiUl. I have thirty-five miles to <:;o hefoi'e nij^ht, throu.i^h desperately hvavy wood-roads the greatest part, I fear, of tiie way : snow-storms, as usual, have escorted me on my route. Leeds, 14th. — I may as well sec the whole line of country throu;j;h which the Protestant popu- lation is scattered, and add my report to that of others as a •ground for endeavourin.ii; to establish a mission here. Three Sunant of food, which a very few shillings would have ])rovided for them, and I gave directions accordingly ; but only one could be prevailed upon to take advantage of the offer, and the person who supplied him refused to be paid. INIr. Ross has other preaching stations, which he regularly attends. Every second Sunday he offici- ates at two different places, the nearest of which is fifteen miles from Drummondville. The persons who conducted the Sunday-school particularly expressed their want of a pre- scribed system, an example, among many others, which con- firms the useful character of the endeavours set on foot by Mr. Archbold.* Th'^rc are three brothers here, Canadians, whose father was from France, all of whom are Protestants. One of them is a churchwarden. The fiither, upon his first arrival in the country, experienced some difficulty from the priesthood respecting his marriage with a Protestant, and (as the son told mo) upon his applying to the Governor himself, General Haldimand, for a license, and stating his case, received a French Bible from his Excellency, who told him ' that it was the Word of God, and he ought to consult it.' He appears to have profited by the advice, for all his children were baptized and brought up in the Church of England. " June 28th. For the first ten miles of the way to Mel- bourne, (to which a resident missionary had been recently • The S. S. Association raentionccl in p. 101. m -h 13G MEMOIR OF IP m appointed,) the road lies through the woods. Tlicre are, however, habitations lying some miles off the road, accessible now by horse-paths, but not even thus in the first stage of the settlement, when the inhabitants could not get backwards and forwards except on foot, and in the wet season were in many places up to their hips in water in doing so. Their provisions and other necessaries they carried on their backs. Such are the hardships which men will suljmit to with the prospect ])efore them of an independent provision to be transmitted to tlieir children, and such is the sustaining power of hope, applicable to the highest purposes and objects to which the mind of man can be directed. I stopped at the house of a man who is a Roman Catholic, and whose daughter had just ])een driven from his house, because he would have forced her into a conformity to his religion. He had always expressed this determination, and she had, in the perplexity of her trials, more than once resorted to the expedient of feigning herself sick, in order to avoid receiving her premiere communion. It would have been right, no doubt, that instead of this she should have at all hazards declared the truth ; but much allowance must be made for her, and she has, at least, evinced a resolute adherence to the dictates of her conscience. His wife, a Norfolk woman, told me that his zeal was most noisy and troublesome when he Avas in his cups. At other times he was often very (piiet in his family upon the subject, but when he was in lic^uor, she said, then " Religion was all the crack.' She said, however, that he had a great respect for Mr. Wood, who is well known in all this part of the country, who, she hoped, might come and see them and have an op[)ortunity of talking to him, for he had often declared that i\Ir. Wood was ' the best man in the country, let who will be the other.' * * * After preaching in a school- house twenty-two miles from Drummondville, I proceeded to Melbourne crossed the ferry in a little ticklish canoe, in which it is the practice for the passengers to stand upright, to see the new church at Richmond village. ing lik( f;' Cr. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 137 *' Juno 20th. Tho church-building committGO crime to meet me, according to appointment, and I trust that things were put in train for the advancement of the work. * * * After a good deal of conversation with Mr. F., chiefly with reference to his approachhig admission to Priest's Orders, I set out for Sherl)rooke. * * * " July 1st. Divhie service was appointed at six p.m., and after my sermon I re([uested, acting in accordance with the wishes of the Rev. K. Parkin, tliat the heads of families would remain to consider some means for jjutting in better train the temporal aff'airs of the Church, all whose affairs, indeed, upon this spot (as cannot be wondered at after the defection to Universalism of the pastor who was lately in charge) wear an aspect disheartening to those who love her. Heresy Tun- ing like wildfire through the neighbourhood ; many tossed to and fro and ' carried about with every wind of doctrine '; many ' after their own lusts ' heaping ' to themselves teachers, having itching ears '; two Unlversalist newsjiapers circulating in the village itself ; among the adherents of the Church ' the love of not a few waxhig 'cold'; the languishing condition of reHgion intimated by the external face of things ; the build- ing out of repair and becoming unfit for service in severe weather ; no collections established, nor any revenue raised whatever for the support of the Church ; no churchwardens appointed ; tho last register of the mission carried off and not returned ; the singing in the congregation faint or none ; the burying-ground exposed without fence to protect the graves of believers from being trodden by cattle or uphca\'ed by swine. * * * But God, if it be Ilis pleasure, can retrieve His Church from the worst circumstances, and lift her up when she lieth in the ductive one if they had a hand to till it. But it is the suffering and want endured by one portion of God's creatures which afibrd Til . n «■ 1 - mi 140 MEMOIR OF exercise to the benevolence of another, and this poor family have found some neigli))ours who have shewn them great and continued kindness. " July oth. I met this morning the committee for build- ing the academy at Ilatley, the frame of which, surmounted by a cupola, is already erected. The whole affair seems to be in proper train, and it is provided that the head-master shall be a clergyman of the Church of England, although, in the first instance, it has been considered that the inade(piate state of the funds may warrant an exce[)tion to this rule. After taking leave of the Uev. T. Johnson, I got away about the middle of the day, a single-horse waggon having been engaged for me, which was driven by the church-clerk. His house being on our road, I went in and sat with his wife while he got his dinner. She has been in a declining state for many months, but she bears her burthen with a Avilling spirit and is constantly occupied in reading her Bible. I had much satisfaction in conversing and praying Avith her, and was interested by her i-elation of an occurrence which took place upon her first settling in this neighbourhood, then a howling wildei;ness of forest, about thirty years ago. It is well known that trees Avhich grow thickly together depend partly upon each other for support, and many of them have no depth of root to resist the action of a tempestuous wind, when they are exposed to it by clearing. Thus, Avhen a road has been opened through the woods, a tall hemlock is often seen uptorn and prostrate ; his roots, with the spaces between them filled up by earth, presenting a flat surface, like a table turned over, perhaps ten or twelve feet in height. The little tenement which this woman occupied was, of course, in the settler's first establishment, upon the edge of the forest. One night, when the wind blew violently, and, as it is some- times expressed, the bones of the trees began to crack, the woman, who was alone with her children, became terrified, expecting to be crushed by their falling upon the house, and I ^■:V:i •< ", G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 141 she took her children without their reach, into a little clear- ing; in front. But here it soon he^i^an to rain heavily. She then considered that she was exposhig the children to a certain evil and to almost certain danger of illness hy suffer- ing them to remain all night in the wet, and took them at once back to the house, confiding the issue to the Providence of God. The storm raged on Avith muibated fury, and the threatening sounds continued among the trees ; but she assured me, with evident marks of feeling, (^(iKpvwv )t7amir;a, that she never in her life felt more strongly the presence of God, or reposed more securely in Ilis protection. * * * j Ju^d been })leascd during this day by an anecdote (new to myself) of Sir 11. Wotton, which 1 saw in a printed sheet, posted up in the house where we baited. Being asked to pronounce whether a papist could be saved, he rei)licd, ' You can bo saved without knowing that.' \Vc may, indeed, go farther, for surely there are papists of whose salvation we have reason to enjoy a comfortable hope, however deeply we may lament their errors ; but still the answer is excellent. I gather something from all sorts of sources as 1 go along. * * * " There is no encouragement at present in Stanstead for planting the Church, there being no more than three or four even nominal adherents to her communion. The liritish Methodists and Close-communion Baptists are the sects Avho occupy the ground. There are however many persons, no doubt, who (as they Avould exj)rcss it) have never joined any society ; and are pretty equally accessible by all except Roman Catholics. The Church has been planted with suc- cess where there was no better promise at the beginning. But there is no need to obtrude her unsought, where there are so many demands for her aid which cannot 1)e answered. " July Gtli. After crossing Lake Mcmphramagog we en- tered Potton. * * * 'J^hc road passed through a kind of defile, magnificently wooded on one side, but shut in on the other by prodigious bristling crags, rocky, rugged and pre- Mi - ■ ' 142 MKMOIR OF |i ci[»itous, Avliicli rise at a short distance, rnnnin.:z parallel with the road and the opjiosite ridge. Over the hi;j;]iest point of this vast and rude elevation, we saw, 'sailing with supreme dominion,' a bird which we could discover to be a white-tailed eagle. We saw afterwards partridges and wood-pigeons, perhaps destined to be his prey. W(jnderful and warning extent of the curse which came from sin, jiervading all creation and causing it to groan and travail together in pain! We met several waggon-teams, and one (which I never saw before in this country) drawn by six horses, drawing flour and cases of merchandize from Montreal. The struggles of the poor loaded animals in these dreadful roads, and up the hills which constantly occur, did not tend to do away the reflections suggested by tlie eagle and his prey. At present the road is such that, with a light load and an excellent horse, we could not eifect more than fifteen miles in the first six hours. * * ^' At Frclighsburgh there is a tombstone on "which the death was recorded by saying that at such a time * her ethereal part became seraphic' * ''' ''^ * It is gratifying to sec the number of schools established through- out the townships, and increased by the late grants of the provincial parliament. Few or none of them, I believe, are inefficient. The teachers are generally Americans, and the books used are chiefly procured from the States. But no republican kind of objection to render obeisance seems to be inculcated among them, for the little barefooted boys and girls rarely fail to make their bow and curtsey to the travel- ler as he passes. The former is frequently accompanied by taking off the hat, and is performed by a jerk both forward and downward of the head, very zealously respectful, but almost ludicrous in its effbct. But if they are trained to 'honour all men' and 'love the brotherhood,' the eccentricity of their salutation should not be sufficient to provoke a laugh. " July 12th. I had called a meeting the day before in church to deliberate on some matters connected with the removal of it .^! G. J. MOLTXTAIX, D.D. 143 Mr. Abbott, wlio liad already loft tlio place, and the prepara- tions to bo made for receiving Mr. Johnson. The dillieiiltios related to a parsonai^e-house, tor which no final and satisfac- tory arrani^iMnent had been made, and it is impossible for any r>erson unaccustomed to such modes of doinijj business to conceive the intricacy and involution almost ad infinitum of which agreements and jn'oceedin.ifs of this nat\irc are made up, wiicn the circulating^ medium is comi)aratively no ])ait of the various e{iuivalents to be calculated. Payments in labour, provisions, grain, goods, cattle, or transferred debts ; — what- ever the Americans understand by the term trading ; — demands conditionally relinipiished, exchanges and private arrangements passing from hand to hand, and comprehending perhaps many of the foregoing items in the bargain ;— all these arc to bo unravelled and disposed of before a clear result can be obtained. * '■' * There was a thunder-storm towards evening, and I never saw anything more cx(piisitely beauti- ful than the setting of the sun behind the Behxjil mountain which followed. The glories of creation may give us some faint idea of what must be the grandeur of those things which ' eye hath not seen,' when wo reflect that these visible works of God aro to be destroyed when they have had their day, are as a nothing which will leave no void among the wonders of His hands. Too happy if we can be made instruments to forward, each Avithin his sphere, the work of creating ' all things now in Christ Jesus,' to bo fully developed when ' the restitution of all things' and ' the times of refreshing shall come.' I had now completed all that constituted the special objects of my circuit, and might have returned at once by the most direct route to Quebec, had it not been that I had promised to allot Sunday the 18th to the little unprovided flock at Nicolet. It became my duty therefore, of course, to consider in what way I could most profitably dispose of the intervening time, and I decided to visit some settlements at no great distance from Abbottsford, where there are sheep I'.v W ll I I \ 144 MKMOIR OF I of om* own fold without a slicphcrd, altliou^^li visited occa- sionally by somo of our clor^^y. * •'' ''' I f(Muid a table provided for myself, and planks arranged for the hearers, in a school-house at Uo\i:^eniont, wliere I i»reached to al)out forty persons. The people all knelt during prayer. 1 also bap- tized two children. •'- '•' '•' I gave a caution to the spon- sors before I allowed them to make their engagements, endeavouring to explain the office in such a way as that the bystanders might benefit by the removal of objections against this custom of the Church, or by the connnunication of new impressions to their minds as to the seriousness with which the duty should be undertaken. ''^ ••' '•' I got a comfort- able dinner at the tavern, but the table was set out in the kitchen, which appeared also to be a i)lace of rendezvous for persons whom business or gossip brought together ; and if it had been consistent with my occupations and the purposes before me to catch and delineate the humours of the scene, there were strokes which might have been not unworthy of appearing in the pictures of Erasmus or Sir Walii-r Scott. American and Irish peculiarities were intermingled with the broken English of an old French Canadian notary from a neighbouring village. The people of the house, who liad shewn me every attention and provided mo with thair very best, absolutely refused to receive any payment. * ''^ * The family spoke in the warmest terms of the zeal, attention, affability, and cheerful submission to difficulties and priva- tions, exhibited by our clergy and somo of the 'livinity students who have come over from Chambly as lay-readers, from the time when the llev. E. Parkin first began to visit them : snow-storms, severe cold, roads which ' roke their vehicles, and coarse entertainment after their fatigues, have been no obstacles to their coming to hold service and to extend their visits to more distant sick who needed those consolations which make the desert rejoice. As the necessity for my going oft' early the next morning precluded any inspec- tion of t school-m ing him of his ch rightly e of his a I saw th " The America and the skin mo' cap, the decided ings and they inh characte institutir provisioi tion, the immedia himself favoural: least mi hmocent It cannc and obs the Avho vigour i they mil selves i when,— tained taught lishmen the woi i:*^: a. J. M()l^vTAI^, d.d. 145 tion of the II. I. School in this sottlomont, I sent for tho .scliool-iiiiistor, and spent some time in (juestionin;^ and advis- in,i^ him ; and wiiile I was settin^L; heforo him the responsihlity of his char;:e, at the same time v ith its interesting nature^ if ri,L!;l»tly considered, and tlie extent to which the ;:;ood ett'ecta of his Jissidnity in tlie day and Siuuhiy-schools m\[s}\t reacli, I saw tlie poor fellow's eyes more than once heeome moist. " The line between the French Canadian and his llritishor American neighbour is still stron;^ly and conspicuously marked, and the bonnet-rout/r, the <^rey homespun dresses, the heef- skin moccasins, and the party-coloured cehitnre, the close cap, the striped petticoat, and the skirted body, are not more decided distinctions of the peo])le themselves, than tlicir build- in;^s and whole system of agriculture are of the tracts which they inhabit. In travellin'j; through these tracts, these rural characteristics of a simple people, the uniform aspect of their institutions, their brotherhood in religion, the ftdl and regular provision made everywhere for religious worship and instruo tion, their substantial churches, with the preslu/frre always immediately adjoining, and the glimpse, perhaps, of the cirrS himself in the distinctive habit of tho priesthood, produce a favourable impression upon tho mind, and convey ideas, at least much beyond the truth, of pcacefulncss, comfiarative innocence, good order, and well-timed discipline. ''- * * It cannot, I think, fairly be disputed that standing institutions and observances interwoven with the feelings and habits of the whole po[)ulation, — order, unity and disci[)line existing in vigour in the administration of religious affairs, — although they may be found in bad com[)any, yet produce in them- selves a good etfest upon the manners of a people. And Avhen, — for whatever wild and visionary notions may be enter- tained upon the subject of the millennium, we arc surely tauiiht to look forward to a fuller and more blessed cstab- lishment of the kingdom of grace than has yet been seen in tho world, — when that happier time arrives which is antici- ■A I V .- 146 MEMOIR OF patoci in the christian world, the evils of schism as well as of superstition and Church tyranny must be swept at least from the })revailin'^ aspect of tiie scene. Roman catholic unity and order must be combined with Protestant doctrine and worship, and with Protestant enjoyment of liberty and light. * 'i= * Close to tlie church at Sorel, upon an unenclosed level space of smooth turf, is an open bocage of pines, into which I was tempted to stroll. Tlie breeze blew rather freshly through them, and I never heard to more advantage the sound which gave pleasure to one of the oldest of moral poets, a sound which is soothing in itself, 'Round an holy calm diffusing, Love of peace and lonely musing,' and which often carries with it a kind of mysterious charm, wafting back a thousand fleeting associations and remem- brances of a tender and pleasing nature, although they fix themselves upon no tangible object, and present no distinct picture to the mind." I close this chapter with two short extracts from private letters written on this journey : " I cannot help being a little anxious, now and then, about private and public objects at Quebec : the singing in chui'ch, the mariners' chapel, the national school under its new master, are all objects of {.arti- cular solicitude. I commit all to God above and to His bless- ing, but I must return prepared for some disappointments and vexations. * * * I stand prepared for changes, as I have often told you, and as far as I am personally and individually concerned, I think I could soon accommodate myself even to poverty : but God has blessed us with means far beyond what we could have once looked for ; and while we have them, we must do justice to our children, and cheerfully contribute our share to the promotion of good objects and the relief of distress. But I know you feel with me on all these points. Let us enjoy our present blessings, and endeavour to conse- crate the morrow sh must exci God, and needful w » He raa( derived froi means. Ai emjiloyed tl than dimini were accuni private incu is called ric be succeede Stewart, lie by which il through the per annum he had rece salary of h difficult for with the ex Bi-shop Ste\ portion of ' Archdeacoi he always i should lose an arrange; success. ' the curate himself, to then certai rector. F been dirait in the pari Church pu in persona rm, G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 147 crate them by the manner in which they are u.scd. ' The marrow shall take thought for tlie things of itself.' Althougli wo must exercise a fair prudence, the future is in the hands of God, and there avo must leave it, in confidence that all things needful Avill be done for them that love llini." * * lie made it a rule never to save any thing out of tlie income wliicli he deriveil from his profession, altljoujfli for many years lie liail no [nivate means. And when he became possessed of these to a small amount, he emi)loyed them upon the education and setting out in life of his sons, rather than diminish his expenditure for otlicr objects. It was not till these oiijcct3 were accomplished that, for only a few years before his deatli, he alhnvc d his private income to accumu'ate, and latterly, as he never wisiied " to be what is called rich," he devoted a large portion of it to objects of charity. When be succeeded to the adm-nistration of the diocese, at the death of Bishop Stewart, he had no salary as Bishop, the vote of the Imperial Parliament by which it had been sup))licd having been then discontinued, but ciiiefiy through the representations of Mr. Pakington (now Sir J. Pakington) jL'IOOO per aimura were granted for his life. This was about the same amount as be had received as Archdeacon and rector of Quebec, and one-third of the salary of his predecessors in the e[)iscopal ofiice. It would have been very difficult for him, therefore, to meet his increased expenJiture as a Bishoj), witli the expectations which his own habits of liberality, as well as tiiose of Bishop Stewart, who was a single man, had Ormed, without retaining some portion of the income attached to the subordinate offices. His salaries as Archdeacon and rector were limited to his incumbency of lliose offices, and he always thought it desirable to retain these, rather than that the Church should lose this pecuniary advantage. He made repeated attempts to effect an arrangement for resigning them without loss to the Church, but without success. On his first assumption of the episcopal office he surrendered to the curate of Quebec one-half of his emoluments as rector, discharging, himself, to the last, a large share of the duties of that office, and he was then certainly a poorer man than when he had been only Archdeacon and rector. For many years before his death, when his private expenses had been diminished, he gave up the whole of the rector's salary to other clergy in the parish, and for several years devoted that of the Archdeacon also to Church purposes within the diocese. He was always eminently self-denying iu personal expenditure. 10 m^ VI 1 148 MEMOIR OF CHAPTER IX. i-it u ! Joiiraeys as Archdeacon continued — 1832. I HAVE no record of any journeys in the year 1831^ tliougli I remember accompanying him, for the first time in my life, in a short one which he undertook in the summer of that year to the township of Frampton, which was still without a resident clergyman. At this time he had an assistant in the parish of Quebec, who lived in his house, and devoted part of his time to the instruction of his sons. In February, 1832, he set out on a journey to the Ottawa river, on which a new mission had been established at Grenville, and a congregation formed at Vaudrueuil which was served once a fortnight from Coteau du Lac. The description of the rectory at Three Rivers is worth preserving, now that the house has been modernized. It was originally a convent, the chapel of which is now the parish church. " I delight in the character of this strange rambling building, especially in this country, where there is so little that approaches to the venerable in the works of man. The walls are of a most massive thickness, but what I like most is a heavy arch under which you pass to gain the stairs, and the staircase itself, which is very wide, with an antique and cumbrous banister, or balustrade. In the lower part of the building, which is rude and strangely divided, owing to the different uses to which it has successively been put, and in which, although I cannot say that the hands of the builders have been employed ' to raise the ceiling's fretted height,' nor in 'each panel with achievements clothing,' nor in making '!!■ G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 149 though uij life, lat year resident larish of his time he set mission formed Cuteau ivers is irnized. low the strange re is so )f man. I like ) stairs, antique part of sving to ut, and )uildcr3 leigbt,' making ' rich windows that exclude the light,' yet there are plenty of ' passages which lead to nothing.' * * * The journey was extended to Bytown,* respecting which he writes, ' I think I never spent a Sunday with less comfort to my feelings than that at Bytown and Hull. I began the day by officiating for Mr. to the troops at the former ])lace,f where, in the unfinished Methodist chapel which we borrow for the pur})0se, I read prayers and preached to a sergeant and eight men, with just about an equal number of other individuals, includ- ing a christening party of country people who came from a distance, and were no part of the Bytown congregation. Mr. then went across to the tavern where he puts up (he lives about three miles off in Hull) and performed the christening in a back-room : the apartment in front, divided from this by a thhi wooden partition, was occupied by loungers reading newspapers, to whom every word of the ceremony was dis- tinct!, nndible. I left them and passed into the other room, vfhii ^' und Mr. administering this solemn ordinance, altogetner in a manner and under circumstances not at all tending to clothe it with reverence. He then drove me across the river to Hull, (where I preached) which is in Lower Canada, but the church of which, the largest and most showy country church that we have in the diocese, is supposed to accommodate such of the Bytown episcopalians as do not attend the military service. My visit was expected, and it must be presumed to have added something to the congrega- tion, which nevertheless consisted of about thirty persons. There was no singing, nor did anybody but myself make the responses. The church was intolerably cold, though the day was not severe, and several people left their pews to get over * Mfiitioii is made of meeting? sleighs currying barrels of pork, flour, &c , from Montreal to Bytown, the owners of Avliich performed the whole jonr- ney, both ways, for five dollars. t Bytown, being in Upper Canada, was not within the archdeaconry of Quebec. tj! i 'I I 4: ii:.'. ti 150 MEMOIR OF to the stoves. Coldness, neglect, and unprosperous manairc- mcnt seemed to lumg aboiit every thing. In the afternoon I had an invitation to the military mess, none of the members of which (with j)erhaps one excef)tion) had been at either of the services, which I declined. * * * The people of the house were (juite pleased at my performing the usual evening devotions with them while I staid there, and said they had not had such a thing in the house since Bishop Stewart was there. On Monday I transacted business with the Rev. R. Leeming, Avho came by appointment to meet me : at six I went to dine with Colonel B : at eight a cariole called for me by appointment to take me to visit a poor dying man in the village : between nine and ten I returned to meet tlie Rev. R. Short at the iim, Avho had also been summoned from his station to meet me : afterwards I had prayers, and a visit from a half-pay naval officer, settled far up the river, who wants to get things in train for a church where he lives ; and by the time I had packed and got ready for the stage which was to be at the door by six o'clock in the morning, it was half-past one a.m. The next day, in the township of Lochaber, two lovely children Averc brought to me at the stage-house for baptism, by }»crsons who had heard of my passing through the country. 1 had expected to proceed to St. Andrews, although the stage puts up for the night at Grenville, but the Rev. J. Abbott had made an arrangement, in conse- quence of a proposal of my own in going up, which at the time he had thought hardly practicable, that the congregation should meet for a week-day evening service in the school- house. The place was crowded to excess, and the singing was by far the best that I ever heard in a country place. After preaching I detained the heads of families to arrange some points respecting a chiu'ch which is immediately aboiit to be built, in reference to Avhich I had conferred with Mr. Abbott, the churchwardens and others, on my way up. I left Grcnvilk ^>y "o'-'i '.■ I- G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 151 tlic twenty-second, which day was allotted to a visit to the Gore settlement, after we should reacli St. Andrews, to which place we cainc to breakfast. Never was seen any thing in the shape of human hal)itation3 more wretched than the huts occupied hy a number of Irish Roman catholics, who have estabhshed themselves aloiii^ the line of the (Irenville canal, having been drawn there originally by the hil)our ottered in the works. They arc constructed, in the rudest conceivable manner, of mud, sod, bark and other materials innnediately accessible, and some of them are so excessively low and drifted over by the snow that they are hardly observable, except from some projecting corner, or the wreath of smoke which perhaps issues from an old flour l)arrel converted into a chimney. The Gore settlement lies among woods, rocks, lakes, and mountains (although of small elevation,) and is com- posed entirely of Protestants, all, but a very few, Irish and of our own Church. These poor peo[>lc have no Church-service, except on a week-day once a month. The congregation was assembled in the largest house which the settlement aftbrded, and it was so insutticient that some persons at first had got into the loft, intending to catch what they could of the service through the floor. They all, however, scpieezed into two rooms, but most of them Avere kept standing. They sang, and were led by an experienced parish-clerk. * *■ * I had written to the llev. J. Leeds to meet me from the Coteau du Lac at Vaudrueuil on the twenty-third, and had suggested that he should assemble the congregation. No Mr. Leeds, however, appeared, and no congregation met. From all that I heard, I was so convinced of the imjiortance of my meeting these people, and endeavouring to put things in train for more effectual provision for their spiritual Avants, that I came to the determination to return to them on Saturday from Montreal, and spend Sunday with them. While I was at Vaudrueuil, old Mr. Avas brought in to see me. Till last autumn he was a worldly and irreligious man. At that time he met with : ii ,: i M -ig h ) • i I ■ 152 MEMOIR OF a fall which produced consc(i\icnces rather of a serious nature and led him to think of death. For this he found himself wholly unprepared. His sins rose up hcfore him in tlic form of dreadful accusers, and he began to despair of mercy. But ho has been graciously brought to find the way of pardon and peace, and is in a most humble, penitent, and devout frame of mind, self abased and comforted at the same time. I talked and prayed with him, and he wept like a child. * * * Proceeding with my little rat of a horse through heavy and drifted roads (for there was a determined snow-storm all day), I was so annoyed by the ceaseless curses and unmerciful blows which the driver bestowed upon it, and there was so little pros})ect of our getting to Montreal at night, that I dismissed the man, and engaged another conveyance in tlie parish of Pointe Claire. Here, in the village, is a large old- fashioned Canadian house, which is one of what may be called the branch convents scattered about the country for the education of girls, and conducted by a couple of ' les soeurs.' There arc :Hfty children at present in this establishment. No person can wish to sec such things as these swept away in any religious revolution which might shake the empire of Romanism. I dined this day for two-pence. It was about four o'clock, and I foresaw that I must be quite late in Mon- treal. I asked, therefore, for some refreshment ; and without cooking, there was nothhig to be had but dark-coloured bread and butter. The Avoman declined to take any thing for it, but three half-pence being })aid lor what my driver drank, I })rof- fered four, happening to have the vile coin about me, for Avhat I myself ate, and they were received as a favour. It is a sort of maxim with me, and I find it usefal, to accommodate myself to any little privations or rough occurrences on a journey, so that I do not in the least regard it as necessary in travelling to have any regular dinner, nor sometimes, indeed, any dhmcr at all, and it does not aflfect me in any unpleasant way, if this happens for days together. The i'' G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 153 ignorance of the Canadian habitants may bo jnd^^ed of from the circumstance that the man wlio drove mo did not at all relish the idea of coming into jNIontreal alter dark, because he had been told that there -woic persons going about the streets who clap an adhesive plaster upon your face, and then carry you off to murder you, in order to procure subjects for dissection, there being a contract Avith Government to send bodies home to England for this ]turpose. 'J'he origin of this story is evidently the account of the ]]urler(Ml t\vonty-eiiz;lit tlioiisiuiil, liad l)oen carrieil otV. The nmnSorot" deaths, liowever, inchided those of iinm'mrants and sailors. The nunil)er of interments by the cler^rv <>[' the Clmreli of En,L:;land in IS;}! ]\ad heeii three hiridriMl and ci;i1ity-t\vo. In \H'-V2 it was not far sliort of that niiniher iji the tnonth of Juno alone; and in the whole year it aniount(Ml to nine hundred and seventy-five, the nuni'ter of rt'sideut church-people Ijein,^ rather u!ider five thousand. 1'he pro- portion of deaths, therefore, anion_i^ them was as two to one; in that amon<^ the whole population ; and when it is rememltered that many persons who demanded the services of the cler.Li;y recovered, it will bo seen that their duties were sulficiently arduous. On two consecutive days in June upwards of seventy persons were hurietl hy the rector, ))ut he nott'd it as probable that in the distractin;j; confusion which then pre- vailed, the bodies of persons who did not belon;^ to the ( "hurch of En;j;land may have been sent from the hospital to be buried by him. I take these particulars and those wliich follow from the appendix^' to a sermon preached on the last Sunday in 1882. lie does not mention, however, what I well re- member, that a horse was kept saddled day and night in his stable to enable him or his assistant to meet calls from a dis- tance ; their r\de was to take night calls alternately, but on many nights they were both out, and for whole days together unable to return home. " Never can the scene be forgotten by those who witnessed it which was exhibited in the dusk of one evening at the emigrant hospital, before the forced exertions of some members and agents of the board of health out that this observance should not be reganled as a rnatti-r of foiiu, but tliat while '' private discretion mi<^ht be exercised as to the iiiauiier and degree of abstinence, it certainly ought to be understood as fonning a sub- sidiary part of the humiliation enjoined." * " Id quoque quod vivam munus habere Dei," is prefixed as a motto to this appendix. 1 i '% « f 1 f M ' ':'' i:< ■ ■i' .:'■ ill' "-■ ■^! «■ ■; i t ■ ; lit III ii' ■;i!vi I if.. ij ■;- -^ 1 ^" 'i 1 ■ 7 jl; ■ 1 '■• . '.■;■« • '■ill t':ii 160 MEMOIR OF had provided another huildiiig in the Lower Town, exclusively for the reception of cholera patients. A house opposite the hospital had hecn engaged to afford additional accommoda- tion, ])ut tlie unfortunate sul)jcctsfor admission came pouring in before any arrangements at all sufficient could be com- pleted ; and the desertion, in one afternoon, of part of the servants who had been hired, rendered the attendance, before most inade(piate, so miserably inefficient, that the ])assages and floors were strewed with dying persons, writhing under wants to which it was impossible to minister, some of whom, I l)olieve, actually died before they could be got to a bed. Tlic liealth commissioners, the head of the medical staff, and the first medical practitioners of the city were upon the spot together, and doing all they could ; but howcauld their skill or judgment meet all the exigencies of such a moment? Women were met at the doors bewailing their affliction, who had come too late to take a last look at their husbands while alive ; parents or children Avere surrounding the death-beds of those most dear to them ; patients were, some clamouring in vain for assistance, some moaning in the extremity of lan- guor, some shrieking or shouting under the sharp action of the cramps ; friends of the sufferers were contending angrily with the bewildered assistants ; a voice of authority was occasionally heard enforcing needful directions, but quickly required in some other quarter of the establishment : a voice of prayer was also heard, and the words interchanged between the dying and their i)astors Avere mingled with the confused tumult of the hour. The clergy, in passing through some quarters of tiie town, Avere assailed sometimes by importunate competitors for their services ; persons rushing out of the doors or calling to them from Avindows, to implore their attendance upon their respective friends, and each insisting upon the more imperative urgency of the case Avhich he pleaded. I have no reserve whatever in mentioning my own share in these occurrences,^ because to suppose that the ^ G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 161 clergy arc entitled to any extraordinary credit for not flinch- iiiii; from their plain and proper duty in such cases seems to involve a su[)position, that men whose whole employment relates to the business of preparation for eternity, and who preach Christ as ' the Resurrection and the Life,' are less expected to bo armed against the fear of death than all the other persons who are engaged in visiting and tending the sick, and performing the various offices successively re(iuired after death. There is, indeed, a canon which directs the clergy to visit their parishioners in sickness, if it be not known or probably suspected to be infectious ; but {he rubric of the prayer-book was framed in better days, which provides for the case where none of the parish or neighbours can be gotten to communicate with tlie sick in their houses for fear of the infection, and assumes it as a matter of course that their minister will visit them under such circumstances." The appendix concludes with the following cliaracteristic pass'ige : " It was a remark that I often made during the continuance of the cholera, how little the face of nature l)ctrayed the sadness of the time, or shewed any symptoms of that principle of death which Avas in such fearful activity among tlie delegated lords of tlie creation. I was particularly impressed with this kind of feeling upon some of the lovely sum- mer evenings on which I officiated at the new burial-ground, tliei^ still unenclosed. The open green, skirted by the remains of a tall avenue of tress, and contiguous to the serpentine wimlings of the River St. Charles, beyond which you looked across meadows, woods, and fields dotted with rural habita- tions, to the mountains which l)Ound the prospect, the whole gleaming in the exfjuisite and varie.1 lights of a Canadian sunset, formed altogether a beautiful and peaceful landscape? and seemed ' a fit haunt of gods.' How melancholy and strik- ing the contrast with all that had been deposited, and which it remained to deposit in tlie spot on which I stood ! How full of deep reflection upon the ravages of sin ! How coupled ii I ■n:% \ 162 MEMOIR OF 1:: ■^' i '• Ill * ' !»:■ I , ■ i I! '' < 1 111 with deep thankfulness to Him Who came to repair those ravages in the end, and to ' make all tilings new.' " These scenes of suffering Avere ordained to give occasion for the exercise of true christian charitj. Besides that which ■was exhihited in attendance on the dying and the dead, tlie case of the widow and the orphan called for sym})atliy and exertion. A society was formed in Qiiebec to provide for their wants, and the sum of .£2750 raised. Many orphans were adopted, and among the French Canadians in the suburb of St. lloch, where the disease raged with great violence, every individual orphan belonging to Roman Catholics was thus dis[)osed of. The number of inmates of the Church of England Orphan Asylum was doubled, and the same head and heart* which had conceived the idea of its establishment now set on foot a similar institution for boys. In an address to the members of the cathedral conirreira- tion, issued in November 1832, at the request of the wardens and members of the select vestry, fa body of twelve persons whom, about this time, at the rector's suggestion, it had become customary to elect at Easter to assist the wardens in the discharge of their duties) which is headed with the first two verses of i. Corinthians xvi, it was announced that weekly instead of fortnightly collections, beginning on the approaching iVdvent Sunday, would be made for the poor, in conse(pience of the increased demands created by the visita- * In .1 letter written at this time from Montreal, it is mentioned that one of the eathedral churcliwardens, a man of extraordinary energy and un- sparing self-sacrifice in times of emergency, in driving him down to the steamer from the Bishop's house at Qucliec, had said of the person here referred to, that she was " a wonderful woman, and that he was more convinced of it every day; and if she took the male or{)han asylum in hand, it would go riglit, for she always saw things in a riglit jioint of view." When the cholera revisited Quebec in 1834, it broke out in the absence of the Archdeacon, and Mrs. Mountain, though there was illness among her own children, left them at a distance of four or li\e miles, to attend upon orphans in the asylum who were seized witii it. poor G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 163 ■ tion of cholera. The following extracts may be interesting as exhibiting some details of parochial history of which it may be desirable to preserve the record. " The collections in this church were originally made once a month upon each occasion of administering the sacrament. It is now exactly ten years since, in consequence of the increase in the numbers of the poor, an additional collection in the month Avas established,* one half of which was applied to the relief of tlieir temporal wants, and the other towards the supply of their spiritual necessities, by providing for the expenses of lighting and warming a temporary kind of cha])el for an evening service. Ui)on the alteration of this building in the I)eginning of 1828, to convert it into the regular cliapel now known as St. Mat- thews, or the free chapel, a Aveekly collection was established in the chapel itself, to provide for its own current expenses ; and from that time the whole of the two half-monthly collec- tions in the cathedral was made available for the temporal relief of the poor and some other parish expenses. Thus the necessities of the parish have, in two former instances, prompted measures for the augmentation of this fund. It must be unnecessary to point out that the immense yearly influx of emigrants, while, in one point of view, it advances the improvement and prosperity of the country, causes at the same time a constantly progressing accumulation of pauper- ism in this city. The Emigrants' Society, to which the com- munity is much indebted in difterent ways, can of course relieve only the fresh emigrants of each year in succession. And when the Beneficent Society, instituted for the relief of sufferers by the late awful visitation, sliall close its ojjerations in the sprhig, the Church of England list of persons who are subjects of its bounty, comprising between thirty and forty widows, and upwards of sixty young children, will be trans- • The annual circuit of the churchwardens from house to house was, however, previously discontinued. ;■■ * i 164 MEMOIR OF It-- m It) 1 4 feiTcd to the parish. * * -i^ The management of the expen- diture, which embraces all these six objects, is becoming more and more an extensive and com})licated concern, and it is anxiously desired that the congregation should be aware of the pains which are taken to conduct it. * * * The labour having been too great for the imaided efforts of the clergy and churchwarden in charge of the poor-fund, tlie members of the select vestry have undertaken to hold sittings in rotation, accompanied always by one of the clergy or the churchwarden, every Tuesday and Friday, from nine to ten o'clock, to conduct and control this whole expenditure, and to receive and dispose of all fresh applications for relief." The disease had so for abated by the middle of August, that the Bishop held a visitation of the clergy at Montreal, which had been fixed for an earlier day. The Archdeacon preached the sermon on this occasion, which was published. The few days spent there afforded no relaxation, though they occasioned some variety in his labours ; those, indeed, of the offices of Archdeacon and chaplain must have unavoidably fallen into arrear. He speaks of having scarcely left the hotel except to go to church. ' " The memorial from the Clergy Reserve corporation, the task of putting matters in train for getting the Sunday School Society in the diocese under weigh ; the business to be done with the professors, etc., of McGill College ; various matters to be attended to with various clergymen, and others to be disposed of with the Bishop before our long separation, altogether fill my hands com})letely." Before leaving Quebec, he had drawn up a short and very hurried memorandum of his Avishes respecting his family and flock, res[)ectfully representing to the Bishop what he conceived to be the best arrangements for the parish, in the event of his own removal. In the beginning of this paper are these Avords : " Commending my soul to Ilim in humble hope of forgiveness and acceptance through Christ, I commend to Him also the best and most exemplary of Avives and motl training ' she couh conclude aiivthing himself 1 to himsel none of Lord. than the to save.' The y of unusi then nnc ing year to ordin the sural able to season ii In 18 church-j loG-T) ^ ravages limits. I of a noA) On au9t raments miles fr« filled, a the o})ei and adi savs In 11 ■I at Quebc HI !! I 'y G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 165 c expen- ing more ind it is aware of * The 3 of the and, the I sittinpis ly or the to ten ure, and lief." Au;;-u,st, lontrcal, ihdeacon Liblished. igli tliey 'd, of the Lvoidablj left the Vom the atters in ! diocese ■ofcssors, ended to of with <\j hands vn up a specting 3 Bishop 3 parish, I of this Him in I Christ, of wives and mothers, my incomparable help-mate in private aflfairs, training of my children, and the works of my calling in Avhich she could aid me. Words cannot speak her value ;" and it concludes thus : " And, indeed, every clergyman who has anvthing to do with the parish ought to be content to deny himself hourly and take up his cross. ' None of us livcth to himself ' ought to be vmceasingly before his eyes. And none of us dieth to himself. If I die, I trust I die to the Lord. I am a poor sinner, — more in number are my sins than the hairs of my head, but I believe in Ilim Who is able to save." The year 18'>8 Avas not remarkable for any occurrences of unusual interest, and I have no record of any journeys then undertaken. The extraordinary labours of the preced- ing year may have caused some addition, by way of arrears, to ordinary parochial duties, his devotion to Avliich, during the summer of 1888,"* was such that he was scarcely ever able to go to sec his children, Avhom he had sent for that season into the country about four miles from town. In 1834 he was engaged in a circuit among the destitute church-people on the Chatcauguay river, (mentioned at pages loG-7) when the cholera reappeared at Quebec, though its ravages were mercifully confined Avithin comparatively small limits. In the course of this journey he y)reached at the opening of a new church at Ormstown, which was crowded to excess. On an9ther Sunday he preached and administered both Sac- raments in the threshing-floor of a large empty barn, three miles from Huntingdon. The whole interior of the barn was filled, and a large number of persons stood abroad in front of the 0})en doors. In the afternoon of the same day ho preached and administered baptism in a small school-house at Ilunting- ♦ In a letter from the Bishop, dated York, 2nth April, 1833, his hirdsliip says, '-I think you are apt, in your zeal, to propose for the clergy, especially at Quebec, and for yourself, too much Avork." Hi i llBT • :i.: Mil 1 V'l! 166 Mi:.MOIR OF don, where tlic peo|)lo were jammed together in an oppressive degree, and there were also auditors on the outside of the windows. The time was now approaching when the office of Arcli- deacon was to be held in conjunction with that of a Bishop in the Church of God. This part of the memoir may be filly closed with an extract from a letter, on a co[)y of Avhieli, made by his desire, 13ishop Stewart has written " Archdea- con's warning and exhortation to an un})rofitablo clergyman," and another from a correspondence in which he engaged in 1888 and 1884 with a member of his flock, who, having imbibed some predilection for Methodism, thought it his duty to endeavour to correct the teaching of his pastor. I give these extracts, as illustrating the manner and spirit in which his duties as Archdeacon and rector were discharged. The corres[)ondence just mentioned is very long, and affords an example of the patience with which he endeavoured to remove the offences of even unreasonable mcn.'''^ " The cliiirge of the flock of Christ is at all times a serious, an awful charge, and if ever there were circumstances whicli could heigliteu tlie responsibility attached lo if, and call for a more tlian ordinary devotoduess and circumspection, tiie circumstances of the Church of England, at tliis juncture, in flie Cainidas are sucii. If tlierc are ministers among us of whom it cannot be said that they liave fed the flock * with a fiiitlifid and true heart and ruled tliem prudently witli all' their power, such ministers are not sinipl}' unprofitable, they are injuring the cause, and sadly exeni[)lify tlie maxim tluvt 'he that gathereth not with Me scattereth.' I fear, uiy dear sir, I greatly fear, that tliis description will apply tootclosely to you. I shall be sorry if I offend you, and I am too sensible of my own deficiencies to desire to use any harshness whicli is uncalled for; but tiiere is so much at stake that I must waive apologies for the freedom with which I write, and must only liojie tliat I may be an instrument to open your eyes * The names of the clergyman and objector do not appear. In another instance the signature has been torn from a letter of humble acknowledg- ment of sympathy and direction in difficulties, apparently because it refer- red to family occurrences of which it would not be desirable to preserve the record. G. J. MOUNTAIX, n.D. 107 pres.sivc e of the )f Arcli- i Bishop Y be filly f wliieli, \.rclulea- ^yiium," cnga.^ed >, havin;^ his duty I ;j,i\'c in ^^•hit'h d. The Fords an D remove , an awful iglitoii the ovotcdiiess nd, at this ong us of a faithful •wer, such and sadly teroth.' I too^closoly )f my own but tlicre vitli whicli L your eyes In another knowlcdg- se it refer- preserve trt the condition of the charge committed to your hands, and to rouse you, ere it be too late, to effectual exertion, in which case you will acl^nowledge nie to be your truest friend. The neglected slate of your parish, and the geeniing unconcern with which you leave your hearers to be seduced into the liouiish Connnuniou form the theme of couversation far and wide. • * ♦ ♦ The great sul)ject of complaint is a general remissness and indiller- cnce ; a total absence of that zeal and lively concern for the eternal interests of tlie souls connuitted to you, whicli characterize the faithful minister of Clirist; an omission of that pastoral care and attention, tiiat personal inuicourse of the spiritual guide witii his Hock, that solicitude for their liapiiiness and their imi>rovenient, which constitute some of the essentials of an elfective discharge of the ministerial dulie: Awake, thei as out of a dream, and address yourself to your higii and holy task. iJead over, I do beseech you, tlie charge given you in the service; of tlie ordina- tion of priests, and tlie promises which you then made before the (}od to ■\Vliiiiii we must render account of our stewardship. (Jast yourself before Him in humble prayer, and seek 'a new heart and a new spirit' in the performance of the work committed to you. U wiiat iiapjiiness will yon experience if He shall graciously enable you to recover the ground that has been lost! What blessedness will be yours if you once seriously and vigor- ously devote yourself to the promotion of His glory ujion earth, and the task of 'turning the hearts of the disol)edient to the wisdom of the just'! if you make it your business and delight to * preach the word,' ' in season and out of season,' and to warn your Hock 'from house to house' of the truths which concern their salvation; if you promote in families religious and devout habits, and bring individuals to the knowledge of God and Christ; if you become an instrument of bringing the careless sinner to that repentance of which one single instance causes 'joy in the presence of the angels of God.' " The extracts wliicli I shall make from tlie letters to his parishioner are chiefly such as exhibit his own views and feelings and the character of his teaching and labours. 1 omit what is designed directly to meet the errors of his correspondent : ♦ * * " Those religious oi)inion3 upon which I build my own hope of salvation, and teach my congregation to build theirs, have rather too dee]) and solid a foundation to be shaken by a letter. Years of thought and examination, of prayer to be rightly guided, and search in the Word of God; of study, snatched, indeed, at scanty moments of leisure, l)ut mixed, for the very same reason, Avith extensive and diversified professional experi- ence; years in which I have bad very advantageous opportunities of obser- ' tf 1 •t ) ; |; i 11 n 1 !fli ]{l« 1 -'■■ ' ; • ;,: ;, \'f._ ir •, . u 1 •'* I .-, il I ■ if ' 1 5' ► I ^t 1^ 1G8 MEMOIR OF vatiou as it rcs[)ccl3 both niinistLTS luul liiity,. have broiiglit mo to cotK.-lu- sion.s in which I <1<> not rest a.s if my havinj^ forinoil them exaltod mo above beliovors who may ared for c(julirma- tion, liave, I have reason to believe, imbibed impressions benelicial to their souls. One in particular, on her death-bed, made acknowledgments to this effect. The Rev. , whose preaching you admire, declares that he was first brought to a concern for his salvation through my means.* ^Many • I have a letter from a gentleman who many years ago held a responsi- ble office under the Crown in Canada, dated in 1854, in whicli, referring to the Songs of the Wilderness, the following passage occurs : " Indepen- dently of all partiality of affection, it would have been impossil)le for me not to be deeply interested in your tour, and delighted l)y your poems- The truthfulness and evidently heartfelt i>iety which pervade tiie whole production are of themselves sufficient to awaken corresponding feelings in all who read them. And it would have been strange if I, wlio owe my lirst awakening to a sense of religion to your friendly suggestions, were blind or indifferent to works sent forth to the world with the same object towards the benighted." M ■ .1 170 MEMOIR OF ■ I. . '•\i } liersoiiH liiive privately consulted nic or unbiirthcncd their grief to me in a way wliicli lias convinced nie that numbers of those who are never talked of as relijrious persons, but quietly and unobtrusively discharge their blame- less [larl ill life, iiave a deejier feeling of religion, and a more infhieiitiid faith ill Ciii'ist tlian tlieir fellow-crcutiires iiave ever given them creiUt for, • • ♦ Tliere are thousands who never experienced certain j)recise syiiip. toms, — perhaps never heard of them, — who have been truly liorn again, and perfectly know the reality of the thing, — perfectly understand fnaii tii<' history of tlieir own hearts the signilicancy of the expression. They have discerned their lost estate, repented of their sins, believed to the saving (,f the soul, received the seed of tiie Word into ' an honest and good heart," and brought forth ' fruit with patience.' Tliey ' perceive within themselves tlie workings of the Spirit of God,' because they tind that that grace for which they have prayed has made them altered beings, — beings dillerent fron) wliai they would have been by nature; aiul altiiough huml)ly conscious of inlir- mity, tiiey go on their way rejoicing, as tliey find their faith still gaiiiinL-- strengtii, their steadfastness coutirmed, their love to God and man increased, their conformity to the will of God in inward affection and outward action growing closer and closer, their discernment of spiritual things clearer and clearer, their hope of heaven more bright, their ajiplication of the saving power of the Cross more home-felt and ctmsoling, and their attachment to the world and tiie things of sense proportionably more faint. » * • For myself, I feel that, like my fellow-sinners whom I am aitpointed to teach, I am as ' a brand plucked out of the burning.' I am sensible that my sins 'are more in number than the hairs of my head'; yet, little cause as I have to exalt myself, let those who tell me that I am not faithful and full in delivering the message of my Master judge as they please, — I stand or fall to Ilim. And when I look to llim I am most confirmed in tlie view? which I entertain. Tlie fear of man's censure, the love of his praise, tlie torrent of the accidentally prevailing fashion in religion, the noise of popu- lar proceedings, might sway me in another way. But I can truly say that I never felt more attachment to the princijdes which I have embraced, or saAV more cause to confide in them, than when they were brought to the test of the late awful and appalling visitation; when I was morning, noon, and night among the dying, and with so many ghastly pictures of deatii before my eyes, could not fail to have the consideration of my own brought home to my breast, and to feel myself standing, as it were, upon the very verge of the world unseen. • * • The necessity of the renewal of tl;c heart, of the change to be produced in the natural man, of the conviction of sin to be wrought by the influence of the Spirit, of the operation of the same power to enlighten the understanding in divine truth, and to strengthen the feebleness of nature against temptation, — the necessity of all this, and of faith in Jesus Christ, in order to pardon and peace with God and com- fortable sense of His favour, — these have been the constant subjects of niy souls, ar G. J. MOUNTAIxV, D.D. 171 ])renchinp. • • • «With ine it is a very small thing that I should be juiij^oil of you or of nmn':^ jmiffinonf,' ri(» far as concerns my own self-love. As it regards tiie eMect of my ministry and the retention of tiiose in tiic imi)rolven commimion of the Church whom I am set over in the Lord, I feid very ditl'erently. • • * It lias hapjiened within the spheri' of my own experience iliat the most thorougiily devoted ministers, and mo.-t amiahle as well as steadfast private christians whom I have known, have entcr- taineil the views wiiieli I regard as orthodox. I do not nu-an l»y this tliat I profess to belong t(j any party, or implicitly to adhere to any set of men and their particular ojiinious. It would l)e the joy of my licut that no (Jii4linctions should exist, and never do I bring them needlessly into view. • ♦ • I shall go down to my grave without having the stam]) of appro- h.itiou adixed to my proceedings by any set of men who can l»e called a ])arty in religi(Mi. But oil I how little does it matter, if I am counted faith- ful in nunc office, willi ail my sins and intirmities, by Him Who seeth in secret, and can lie instrumental, as I have the consolation of believing, in saving souls by winning them to Christ! • • • I jiave, indeed, so strong a dislike to any t lung controversial, and it costs me so much pain to advert to religious ditl'ereuees, that nothing but a sense of my duty as a guardian of the truth of God would ever cause me to utter a polemicnl expression; and I was very near leaving out the very jiassago in question simply from my love of peace. But this feeling was overborne by a convic- tion tiiat the passage was calculated to do good." Tlic following is the passage (appended to the first letter) to which exception was taken in the sermon : "But the servants of God, let their crosses and trials Ije what tliey will. enjoy a better portion. They 'dwell in the secret place of the Mo-t High.' 'The love of God is shed abroad in ' their hearts, and ' the stranger iiiiermod- dletii not' with their joy. Tiie pvolligate and the worldling are alike aliens from the peace with which they are blessed. We do not here -jieak of those direct assurances, those communications from God to the breast of man made sensible at the very moment, which some believers are loo fond of representing as the evidences of a state of grace; things whicji ma\'. in some extraordinary cases, occur, but in wliich it is notorious thai men may dangerously delude themselves, anil to make whieli the test of our -piritiuil safety is inconsistent with the state of trial and probation in whieli we are here placed. They resemble what, in tlie departments of human science) are familiarly termed 'royal roads' of attainment; for the busines.-- of salva- tion lies in a very small compass, if God once for all speaks pardon to our souls, and we are then secure. Let us remember that, although we may entertain adeepl^'-seated trust that 'He Who has begun a good work in' us 'will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ,' and treasure a ble-SL-d con- m I M' m I > 172 MKMOIIl OF fidcncc that notliiiin .sliall 'separate us fiom the love of God/ our posture shoiiM Ik- always a posture of watclifulness, distrust of ourselver;, aud deiiciideiK'c upon divhu! jijrace ; that we arc to Work (jiit our 'own salva- tion with fear aud treiid)lin(^ ' ; tliat our course is tiuit of ' patient contitiu- ance in wcll-doiiit;,' aud ' patient wuitint; for Christ' ; that he ' tliat tliinkctli lie slaudetii' nnist ' lal ■^1 ! , %>A \\> 178 MEMOIR OF The consecration took place in the chapel of Lamheth Palace, on Sunday, 14th February, 18o(j, at the same time "vvith that of Dr. Bruu;^hton, the first Bishop of xVustralia. The Archhisho}) was assisted hy the Uishops of London, Wincliester, and Gloucester. The preacher, the Rev. Dr. Moles worth, referred to the persons to be consecrated in the following terms : "I Imve ample grounds of asriuraufe tliat tlicyare not persons who would lightly or unprepared encounter sucdi a fearful responsibility. In tiie indi- vidual who is t(j he consecrated to tlu' diocese of Montreal, Ave have one Avho has been long tried in all the duties of the ministry, and wjiose useful- ness is ]daced on honourable recoi'd in the proceedings of our Church sncie- tios. He has had also to prove ins devotion to the cause of his Master, as St. Paul did, 'in journeyi.igs often, in perils of waters, in hunger and tiiirst, in cold,' and in those privations and hanlships which tlie climate and the difficulties of the country have compelled him to encounter, and which he has encountered as one conscious of the service in which they were required." The day after his consecration, his friend and former tutor, the Rev. J. K. Miller,* wrote to his elder brother : "Your letter arrived yesterday evening, the day, it seems, appointed for George's consecration with his l)rother Archdeacon, now Bislu)p of Austral- asia. May all blessings from alxjve attend him and both of tiiem ! As for the preferment or prelacy, I regard it nnich in the same light that you do. Congratulations would be — I was going to saj^ — quite out of ])ljtce: l)nt at least they must have been steeped in ]iensive lookings-out, and certainly cleared of all worldly and carnal views, before one would think of olfering them. Having undergone that process, they may, perhaiis, ))c suitably presented; and if you write to your brother before I do, perhaps you will be so kind as to express our feelings to him accordingly. After all the rest of our household had retired to rest. S. and I knelt down to rejieat the prayers contained in the olHce of consecration in behalf of the two new Bishojis, with .-,uch alterations and additions as the case recjuired. We begged that our voice might lie added to that of the congregation, and our prayer not cast out, though we were distant, and 'small, and of no reinita- tion,' and unworthy. And this petition, as made sincerely, I now rejicat. And now cor gratulate me, if you i)lease, on having a pupil a Bishop. Of * See page 18. Ill G. J. MOUNTAIX, D.D. 179 Lambeth mc time ustnilia. Luiidon, Lev. Dr. )d in the vho would 1 the indi- ! have (jiie )pe UHsefiil- ii'ch siiC'ie- tliKsliT, as ind lliir.st, to and tlie lid which thov were 31' tutor, ointed for AurUral- cVs for the you do. aco: but certainly f ofl'ering suitably you will 1 the rest leat the two now d. We and our ) reinita- V re])cat. inj). Of such a Bishop I maj' indeed justly be proud. But how stranpe it seems! I dare say you participate in a great many of the indescribable feelings which crowd upon my mind at this development of time and Providence." I cannot withhold an extract from a touching note addressed to him on the day of the consecration by his youngest brother, accompanied with a ring on which was a mitre and his crest : •My Deau Lord and Dearest Brother: "This ring was thy father's, and is now tiiine l)y thy mother's command. '•Thou wilt not value it the less because it has been nearly eleven years in uiy keeping, during the last four of whieli I have constantly worn it- • • * May the Lord God of our fathers biess thee ; may He lill full the measure of thy earthly prosjierity ; may He reserve for thee that crown of hap[iine33 unspeakable whicli 1, save through a miracle of His mercy for the sake of Christ Jesus our Saviour, may never hope to wear with thee." There is a letter from his mother , dated 18th February, in which she says : "My prayers were for you; ray mind much with you. I am thankful to the Giver of all good Who has raised you to tliis responsil)le station, and assisted by His grace and Spirit I have no doubt but that you will endea- vour to do your duty as you have in all situations. God will bless you, my own dear son, and reward you liereafler. May we all so conduct our- selves here as to hope to meet him who is gone before us in a blesseil eternity! » * * The Archbishop told R he never laid iiauds on any one with more entire satisfaction, or looked with more conlidence to the good such men would do. That you, my son, deserve such commenda- tion fills my heart with thankfulness to Almighty God." On this letter is written, " The last from thy liand, dear, honoured, sainted mother ! God be ^iraised Who gave mc thee for a mother, and still bless the remembrance of thee to all thy children !" It was on the 13th April that the mother whom all her children so deeply and so justly revered was taken from them. She had spent part of the Avinter at Southampton, to be near her son, the Archdeacon, who had a house there during his stay in England, and there her four sons (one from Cauada :'f. Sir 'i •'i I i % 1/ i: 180 MEMOIR OF and another from India) met together for the first time for upwards of five and twenty years. They met again at Ilavant Rectory, to partake with her and one of their si.sters, for the last time, in the Holy Communion administered l)y the Bisliop, and to receive her parting blessing. On the loth the Bishop wrote to his own family : "It is all over, — but, thiink God, in a most hlessod, blessed way. 1 have lost the motlier tliat l)ore mo, that nursed me out of her bosom, tiiat tended mc in hel])less iufaney and in many a weary hour of sickness by night and by day, and tliat watched and i)rayeu for all her cliildren to the last. • * • Whiit suifering she lias had in the last feAV days has served only to leave an inereased impression of her humble resitrnalion. Yester- day she gathered us all round the bed, and. witli joined liands and U]ilitte(l eyes, i)rayed for us and blessed us, — a sweet prayer and memorable bless- ing, — and ns wo wore leaving the room, she said, 'I have blessed you and you shall be blessed.'"' Her children erected a monument to her in Ilavant church, for which tlie Bishop Avrote the following lines : " Yes, thou art gone ; thy ehildren will not raise The eommon notes of monumental i)raise: What they have lost in tliee, asks not for speech ; What thou hast found in Christ, words cannot reach." I shall conclude this chapter with extracts from two letters written with reference to this occasion. The first is from the Bishop of Quebec. After mentioning that on hearing of jNIrs. Mountain's death he had called upon the only person then bearing her name in Quebec, and prayed with her, he adds, " I reflect with pleasure on the comfort and happiness I derived from my acquaintance and intercourse with your mother during many years." The letter ends with the Avords " Pray for us frequently.'' The other is from the aged Dean of Winchester, Dr. Renneji : " Deeply as I lament the event of your excellent mother's decease, I can- not but feel some gratification in your lordship's thinking me Avorthy of a communication of the sad tidings. Indeed you do me but justice in sup- posijig that in every circinustance materially concerning your family I take :i sincei tliose to the olili shewed tiuued lu expn episcoin N'olwii you in wrs am Master of nuic must lia b time for again at ir si-stors, 2d ])y tlie lath the k1 Avay. 1 •osoin, tliat ickiifss l)y ilrc'ii to tlip has served a. Yoster- nd ui)litteil •al.le Mess- ed you and G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 181 a sincere interest. Besides tlie veneration in wliich I, in common witli all those to whom christiiinity is dear, liohl your tatlier's liil)Oiirs and exoriioii.s the olilijratious I owe to liini and his memory for the f^reat lundness he shewed the orplian of the ]5 family, and wliicli has been so kindly oon- linued liy yourself, must leave a <;reat del)t of ji;ratitnde to you. Allow ne 10 express ni}' most sincere conifratuhitions on your udvaneement to the eiiiscopate, for ■which every requisite seems to meet in your character. Nutwiihstanding the boisterous storms and waves which seem to surround you in the (juartcr where your labours are to commence, yet the very dan- gers and conflicts are the higli i)rivilege3 of your calling, and you serve a Ma.^ter Who will 'never leave or forsake you.' But 1 feel tiiat I am guilty of uHicli presumption in suggesting to so suiierior a mind thoughts that mu.-t have long occupied it." t churcli. letters from the ; of Mrs. !on then he adds, piness I til your le words cd Dean ise, I can- jrthy of a ce in sup- lily I take t., t mmmBm litf H- 182 ME3I0IU OF CHAPTER XII. Return to Canada — Dcatli of nislioM Stewart — Statistics of the dioce-;!.' — Parochial hihour.s — Visitation tour. Arciideacox Mouxtain was appointed to assist the Bisliop of Quebec, under tlie title of Bishop of Montreal. lie had, however, no separate jurisdiction, nor was any sec erected at Montreal, and he acted under a commission from Bisliop Stewart. The understanding between the Bishop of Quebec and himself was that he should relieve him entirely of the charge of Lower Canada, and render such assistance in that of the Upper province as might become necessary. It was also understood that on the occurrence of a vacancy he was to assume the charge of the whole diocese. Dtu'ing his stay in England, Avhich lasted till the end of July I80G, he was constantly engaged in eiforts for the advance- ment of the interests of the Church. He addressed the Colo- nial Office on the subject of the Clergy Reserves, with which he had been specially charged ; but having l)een informed that it had been comprehended in the instructions given to the three Royal Commissioners who had then been recently sent out to enquire into Canadian affairs, he thought it better to leave it hi the hands of the Bishop, to be brought before the Commissioners at Quebec. With the societies for the Propa- gation of the Gospel and Promoting Christian knowledge he was naturally in conthmal cori'espondence and intercourse. But he was also much occupied with a new society which the wants of Upper Canada had called into existence, and of wbicli was t!i his coi attendi pondeu get thii stocks, to it to per.- himsel diau < raised, after tl Stewai' traveUi ^1.1 1 G. J. MOUNTATN, D.D. 183 c Bisliop He liacl, erected 1 Bishop f Quel)cc J of the c in that It was he was of July idvance- 10 Colo- which led that to the ]y sent ettcr to ore the Propa- 3dge he •course. lich the and of which the Earl of Galloway, nejiliew of the nishop of (,)uebec, was the chief promoter.* In writing to the Bishoj) soon after his consecration, he says, " I have had the satisfaction, hy attending tlie meetings at Lord (lalloway's, and by corres- pomlence with the secretary of tlie Upper Canada society, to get that vessel fairly launched, Aviiich l)efore was only u))on tlic stocks." He drafted its rules, and procured tlie adhesion to it of the Bishop of London. lie also endeavoured to persuade the Rev. W. J. D. Waildilove, who had devoted himself with extraordinary energy to the cause of the Cana- dian Cluvrch, to take the same step. Mr. Wa(hlilovc had raised, liy his own private exertions, a fund which was called, after the Bishop, (to whom he was related by marriage) the Stewart Missi<.)n Fund, and Avas the means of maintaining travelling missionaries in U[)per Canada, as well as of att'ord- ing some aid to Lower Canada, for many years. The Bishop of ^lontrcal had a great objection to the unnecessary mulcipli- cation of societies and agencies, and ultimately succeeded in procuring the incorporation of the U. C. C. IS. with the S. P. G. This venerable society had lately, notwithstanding its ditlicul- tics, increased its grant to the diocese of Quebec by £ oOO a year, by means of the sale of some of its capital ; and the Bishop of Montreal, in consideration of the aid given to U|)per Canada by the new society and Mr. Waddilovc, put in a plea for Lower Canada in the distribution of this bounty, specially instancing the wants of the Chateauguay country, the Gore on the Ottawa, the county of Megantic, Kilkenny and Framp- ton. He addressed an appeal to the S. P. G. on behalf of the Canadian Church, which Avas published by v-l.at body, and in Avhich all these places are particularly mentioned as aftbrding striking examples of spiritual destitution. I extract Avliat is said of Kilkenny : • In a letter dated 2iid Marc;;, 183G,Loril Galloway expresses '-the assur- ance how miR'h gratification your con.-ecrationhatlgrJveii to myself and my friends • * * as a means of siuriliuil advantage to Canada." IP 184 MEMUIli OF "I have been assured tliat tliere are one liiindred and twenty families in the town-liip, antl lliat tliey all lielonj,' to our own Cliiireli. I do not lliink that any of our eleigy have ever jienetrated to tlii.-i Heltlciiiciit ; ami I have no ri-a-on to (h)ul)t tlu' inehmeholy truth of an account i,qven to nie, ihat the |K'o|ph', hearing' of a lu'otestaul minister whom some circumstance luid broufrhl into tlie adjoiuinj,' seifrneurie, came troo|iin.ir liiiMU)ili tlic Wduds •witli tlicir infautrf in their arms, to jireseut tik'ni for hapti-m in the nainr of tiu' {''allu'r, tiK> Hon, aiul liie Holy (ihost, to one who w.is a preacher of tho Unitarian persuasion." The IJishop landed at Quebec on Sunday, tlie lltli Scp- tem])er, l8oG.''- On the iblluwing Sunday, the letters jniteiit appohithi;^ him iiishop of Montreal, and hw commission iVom the I>isho[) of Quebec were read in tlie cathedral after the Nicene Creed. The health of Bishop Stewart had become so impaired thtit he was obliged to make arrangements for jd'o- ceeding immediately to England, instead of spending the ■winter at Toronto, and thus the charge of the whole diocese devolved at once upon the Jiishoj) of Montreal. J]isho[) Stewart never returned to Canada. Becoming more and more en- feebled, he at last sank in July, I80T. lie was able to write once only, on the Gth December, to his coadjutor after his arrival in England, and on the back of the letter, the person to whom it was addressed wrote : — " The last which I ever exjject from the hands of that worn-out servant of Christ. God s of young men» cliiefly candidates for confirmation, in his own liouse, and on every occasion of confirmation in Quebec he prepared some candidates himself. N 4 li [■.1, 4r ^2r IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I ■^ Ki2 12.2 I 1^ 12.0 tut 11111^^= |125 — f* m 7: y M PhotDgraphic Sciences Corporation 23 WIST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716)872-4503 i: I i 186 MEMOIR OF rector's salary, Avhich it was not thought desirable, in the existing circumstances of the Church, to lose. Soon after his return to Quebec, the Bishop established a parochial lending library of religious and useful reading, and organized a district- visiting society, in behalf of which he issued an address. A few extracts from this address may serve to shew the principles on which he worked himself, and invited the co-operation of others. A Church of England clothing society was established at the same time. "We all profess to be disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ; and professing this, we must acknowledge the authority which tells us that, * if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of His'; that in kind acts of luwly condescension He has given us an example that we should do to our hretli- ren as He did to them whose feet He washed ; that even in suffering, if necessary, for others, He left ' us an example that ye should follow His stei»?. and has charged us Himself that, as He loved us, so ought we ' to love onf another.' These are very plain declarations, and there is no escape from their force. We must confess that they indicate our positive duty, or we must renounce the Gospel. "But is it so that any of us can wish to escape from their force? Is It 30 that we desire to avoid being followers of the Lamb of God ? Do v,e really Ijclieve that He died upon the Cross to save our sinful souls, and siiall we refuse to recognize for tiie rule of our own practice the maxim of scriii- ture that 'the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if One died for all, then were all dead ; and that He died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him Which died for them and rose again'? If wc are truly touched with any sense of what that love Avas which Christ shewed for us, we shall surely be prompted to evidence our sense of it, and impelled by our own feelings to do whatever little we can for His sake. We can render no benefit to Him, and, when we have done all, are unprofitable servants, but He graciously says that what we do for the love of Him to one of the least of our brethren, wc do it uutu Himself. And we have just seen how His own example is proposed to us. What then was the general character of that example? What was the business of His life while upon the earth? He ' went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil.' " A little time, therefore, a little trouble, a li'tle self-denial, a little effort to surmount obstacles, a little perseverance in spite of disappointed labour, will not be thought too great a sacrifice when we can hope to promote Hif cause on earth. And if you are willing to make this sacrifice, you have M G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 187 )le, in the se. Soon Lblished a i reading, f of which is address le worked A Church the same nd professing ' if any iiiun acts of lowly to our breth- 1 sufferiug, if low His StOpr:,' e ' to love onf escape from e duty, or we force ? Is it od ? Do v,-e ouls, and sliall axim of scrip- US judge, that lat they which n Which died sense of what prompted to do whatever and, when we ays that what we do it until roposed to us. IVhat was the oing good ami a little effort ointed labour, promote His ■fice, you have good grounds tor such a hope in bearing your part in the work of this society. In so doing you will go 'about doing good,' promoting the tem- poral and spiritual good of your fellow-sinners. The rules of the society are before you ; the instructions for the visitors are in your hands. You have only faithfully to follow tlieni, and you may be instrumental to the welfare of old and young around you. If you can make one poor family or jiie member C)f it more orderly, contented and comfortable, it is some reward of your labour. If you can suggest thoughts to one erring soul wliicli may lead to repentance unto life, you will cause 'JOY IN THE PREyENCE OF THE AXGELS OF GOD.' " And this exalted privilege you may humbly hope to enjoy. You can- not tell, you cannot calculate, the extent of good which you may be emploj'ed in the hands of God to effect. An atfectionate interest nuini- fested for the poor by those above them may of itself open their hearts to new views and hopes. A plain remonstrance may draw the negligent to the house of God to hear that ^Vord which may prove to them the savour of life. A judicious and impressive tract left in their houses may awaken in them a concern for their own salvation. An eu(pnry respecti.ig the catechism and the habit of prayer, or an invitation to the Sunday-school may produce benefits to their children whicii will cause them to be num- bered among the children of God and to transmit to their children's chil- dren the inheritance of faith. A simple recommendation of the Bible may lead tiiem to open it, and, opening it, to apply its saving truths. A very few words of friendly and christian advice or comfort may prove to be seed dropped in a happy moment and destined to spring up into everlasting life. ' A word spoken in due season how good is it. " The Bishop's first ordination was held on the 28th Octo- ber, 1836. The number of clergy in the diocese at the date of his assumption of the charge was eighty-five. Of these thirty-four were in Lower Canada, equally divided between the present dioceses of Quebec and Montreal.* The number * At this date it may be interesting to give the names of the stations of the Lower Canada clergy. Besides five resident at Quebec, three at Montreal, and one travelling missionary, there were, in the district of Quebec, only one, at Leeds; in the district of Three Rivers, only two, the rectors of Three Rivers and Drummondville ; in the district of St, Francis, four, at Melbourne, Lennoxville, Eaton and Hatley ; in Gaspe, two, at Gasp^ Basin and Carlisle ; in the present diocese of Montreal, fifteen parishes and missions (of which one was served from the Upper Canada side of the Ottawa,) at Sorel, Abbottsford, Chambly, St. I tf,! 188 MEMOIR OF M.! im of churches in Lower Canada was forty-two, and this also was equally divided between the present dioceses. Tiie increase in the number of cler;j:y in the whole of Canada during the ten years of Bishop Stewart's administration had been twenty-four. As soon as the Bishop was fairly settled at Quebec, he began to make arrangements for visiting the parishes and missions of Lower Canada, and in November issued a circular to the clergy, appointing confirmations. He left Quebec on his first visitation-tour, immediately after morning service on the feast of the Epiphany, 1887, "after one of the most remarkable snow-storms which had occurred within the memory of man." On this account the journey began with disappointment. His first mark was Riviere du Loup en haut (the Bishop of Quebec having recently held a confirmation at Three Rivers) which he reached, by the most forced efforts, at noon on Sunday the 8th January. The missionary at Sorel, within whose charge this place was comprehended, had been prevented by the snow-storm from coming down to con- clude the preparation of the candidates for confirmation during the previous week, and abstained from doing so on Sunday, thinking the Bishop's progress impossible. From Lake Mas- kinongd, where there w^ere other candidates, prepiired by a catechist, who were to have come to Riviere du Loup, there was no egress for fifteen days afterwards. " It was some consolation, however, (in the words of the journal addressed to the S. P.G., from which the following passages are taken) that I had it in my power to officiate to the few Protestants Johns, Clarenceville, Frelighsburgh, Philipsburgh, Stanbridge, Dunham, Shettbrd, Rawdon, St. Andrews, Grenville, Hull, and Colean du Lac. To these Chateauguay, Nicolet, Perc6, and Frampton were added very shortly afterwards. In November 1836, having learned that the sura of £600 per annum was available from the Clergy Reserve Fund, the Bishop applied, but without success, to the Royal Commissioners for the establishment of new missions. cl this also eses. The of Canada tratiou had Quebec, he irisiies and d a circular Quebec on ng service )t' the most ■within the began with 3up en haut firmation at •ced cftbrts, ssionary at tended, had 3wn to con- ition during >n Sunday, Lake Mas- [)ared by a .oup, there was some addressed are taken) Protestants ge, Dunham, teau du Lac. added very it the sura of e Fund, the issioners for G. J. MOUXTATN, D.D. ISO who were sufficiently near to 1)o collected for afternoon ser vice, and I preached to about twenty persons in the little stone church, which had never been opened since the visit of the jJishop of (Jue])ec, about a year before. On the 10th January I held my first confirmation. Twenty-two young ]iersons were confirmed at Sorel ; eight were prevented from attending. I addressed a charge to them and afterwards preached, which practice, having no chaplain with me, I followed as a matter of course in all the remainder of my visitation * * *. The church at Rawdon has been built by the exertions of the Kev. C. P. Reid, who, by the Divine blessing, has overcome great disadvantages under which he entered on his charge. It is a very homely, though at the same time a decent, structure, being built of squared logs, and not having arched windows, but it has a steejde surmounted by a large cross.* * * Twenty- seven were confirmed, and among them two whose faces were very familiar to me, they having been educated at the Quebec National School. * * * On Sunday the loth, I admitted to Priest's Orders at Montreal, a deacon who had come from Upper Canada for the purpose. He was in sole charge, owing to the absence of the missionary of the Mohawks on the Grand River. * * * There is a great deficiency of church accom- modation at Montreal, the parish church, although very large, being alone quite insufficient. Mr. Bethune and Mr. Robertson do their utmost to supply this deficiency, by a service which they have established, by candle-light, in the national school- house. It is well attended ; but two clergymen, with all their exertions, cannot do all the duty which the Church would require at Montreal, especially as one of them serves the church at Lachine.* Mr. Bethune is endeavouring to put matters in train for the erection of another place of worship and the introduction of another minister, to be supported hj the pew-rents. * * * In bearing my part in the solemn • The rector at this time was acting also as chaplain to the forces. # iosr^ .ii ■ i mi \ ^'¥ 190 MEMOIR OF ceremony of confirmation, I have been more and more struck as well with its impressivcness as its importance, and with the obhgation which lies upon tlie rulers and pastors of the Church, to turn to all the happy account of which they are capable, means which may at once be believed to afford an actual con- veyance of grace to the recipients, and, by the blessing of Heaven upon the ordinary train of causes and effects, to guard the lambs of the flock against a fatal estrangement from the great Shepherd of their souls, and retain them also within the regular bounds of the fold. * * * The Bishop of Quebec had established a rule that no person should be admitted to confirmation under the age of fifteen ; but I was requested by the clergyman at St. Andrew's to dispense with the rule in favour of a female, who, although she had not attained that age, had been for some time married. * * * If the Board should find that there is no prospect of obtaining from Govern- ment Avhat I have pressed upon the attention of the Royal Commissioners, I must only hope that, in their own solicitude to relieve the spiritual destitution of Canada, they will feel warranted in applying for the same object a portion of the funds of the society, and look to an increase by the Divine blessing in proportion to the compassion which they extend. On my way down the Ottawa I saw, between nine and ten o'clock at night, so glorious a spectacle that I regard it as a privilege to have been permitted to behold it in my day upon the earth. It was a display of the Aurora Borealis which was seen all over the colony and in the adjoining States, and was so brilliant that the reddening reflection upon the snow was everywhere supposed, upon the first aspect, to be caused by some neighbouring building in a blaze.* In the centre of the arch of heaven there appeared a kind of radiating crown, • At New York it was said that the fire-engines were got out. At Quebec, where it was seen a few hours earlier than is here mentioned, the appear- ance was not unlike that which is described in " Life with the Esquimaux, the narrative of Captain Charles Francis Hall." G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 191 )re struck I with the Church, capable, ctual con- Icssing of ;ifects, to nent from Iso within »f Quebec mitted to icsted by le rule in lined that le Board 1 Govern- be Royal solicitude will feel m of the I Divine extend. and ten d it as a ay upon is which ites, and the snow caused centre of 5 crown, Lt Quebec, le appear- squimaux, diverging from which were broad dependent streamora of which the skirts reached nearly to the horizon, and which, when I first saw them, looked almost like an assemblage of united rainbows covering the whole f\ico of the sky ; but the only colours which remained after a time were a beautiful red, and a brilliant silvery kind of white, the latter forming, as it were, a broad edging to each streamer of the former hue. Nothing to be compared to this display of glory has been wit- nessed before in the Canadas, within the memory of man.* * * From some want of precision in the notice respecting t!io con- firmation at V.iudrueuil, a mistake arose, ^nd on my arrival there on the evening of the 25th, I found that Mr. Leeds had appointed a meeting with the candidates at twelve o'clock the next day, which I had fixed for the confirmation. Having made my arrangements to proceed to Coteau du Lac in the afternoon, I sent round messages to desire their attendance at ten instead of twelve, and I occupied the two hours Ijefore his arrival in examining and instructing them myself. Punc- tually at twelve he came into the school-house, and after he had read prayers, I confirmed twenty-five persons, with the evidences of whose preparation I had been satisfied. I took up my quarters at the Coteau at the house of an American of the congregationalist persuasion, but with no prejudice against the Church, and always desirous of the assistance of her ministers who may happen to be under the roof in family devotion. In describing the footing occupied by the ministers of his own communion among their flocks, he told me that having engaged a preacher, they kept him as long as they pleased and quarrelled with him when they pleased.* * * In emerging from a wood, on the road to Huntingdon, into a clearing full of stumps, we were at a loss to pursue the right track, and drove up to a log hut, where, by a light through the window, I saw a mother reading the Bible to her children closing round her knees. She was rejoiced to see me, and, bringing out a lantern, walked in front of us for some distance H': ik Im^ i 192 MEMOIR OP throiip^h the snow, .and set us in our rif^ht course. * * * At Onnstovvn I confirmed seventy-two persons, and the number would have been much larger had it not been for the inability of some of the candidates to meet me at this point : and I baptized ten children. I preached at Huntingdon, in a small edifice of sipiarcd logs, ' contrived a double debt to i)ay,' l)eing constructed for holding the sessions of the magistrates, and adapted also for use as a school-room. 1 had thirty-nine communicants, baptized eleven children, and churched the motlicrs. The next day at a settlement called the Gore, in a school-house of scyiared logs, I preached, administered the Lord's Sui){)er to thirty-two communicants, })aptizcd eleven children, and churched the mothers. At Chatcaugiiay I con- firmed twenty-six persons (making in all ninety-eight on the Chateauguay river), baptized two children, and churched the mothers. Part of the service was chanted, and I fully believe that a spirit of devotion pervaded the assembly. * * * Dr. A having had a stove put up in the church at Laprairie, which had been long closed, I officiated to between fifty and sixty persons, and encouraged them to hope for the renewal of regular services in the spring. I afterward:^ baj)tizcd two children. * * * The smallness of the number confirmed at was partly, I believe, to be accounted for by the strict standard of the requisites for preparation established by Mr. ; and even if it was too strict (which I am far from mean- ing to affirm that it was), the error was on the right side. The people themselves, however, in places where, as here, the American population predominates, are so far from being disposed to laxity upon this point, that, in my judgment, their notions are often hurtfully overstrained. Instead of regard- ing the ordinance as an aid to those who are in an early stage of the Christian life, and whose voluntary engagement the Church may in good hope receive, if they manifest a serious impression of its nature, can give a distinct account of their own faith in Christ as the Saviour of sinners, and the leading pomt corrcf to e: to wl| one grac( mg. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 193 * * At 3 number : inability t : and I ti a small ,y,' l)eing ates, and lirty-nine cihed the Gore, in tercMl the sd eleven ay I con- it on the 'ched the y believe * Dr. laprairie, fifty and renewal izcd two irmed at le strict by Mr. n mean- e. The ), the 1 being it, their regard- y stage ent the serious )f their leading points of scriptural truth, and are known to bo religiously correct in their deportment, the persons in (piestion are apt to exact as a pre-re(piisito a degree of spiritual attainment to which I concci\'e that confirmation, riglitly understood, is one of the commencing steps. Tiie communications of Divine grace to the soul are sui)posed to be wholly independent of any such means ; and confirmation is rather admitted as a public declaration of having experienced religion, with a peculiar sense attached to those words, than recognized as a solemnity in which the preparation of the candidate, scaled by his own promise and crowned by the prayers and benedic- tion of the Church, which draw down the blessing from on higli, confirms him in seeking the way of life. Some may, in this way, be prompted to come forward who have mistaken a transient excitement for a true conversion : others are deterred from doing so by the very humility which is the best qualification for api)roaching God. Nothing surely can be more contrary than all this to the evident spirit of the Clnirch in framing her ordinances. Yet after all, as I said before, the error of strictness is the better of the two. * * * A. few miles brought us to Mr. Reid's parish. The house was pointed out to me from a distance, on the road, in which the Bishop of Quebec first lodged, and we passed the site of the school-house, now demolished, in whi j he began his preach- ing. These are among the cherished t; aditions of the neigh- bourhood, which has none beyond the memory of living man. * * * We stopped to bait at a log farm-house close to the church. The mistress of it was a daughter of , who gave the Bishop of Quebec 800 acres of land towards the church-building fund which his lordship was forming for the diocese. Her husband was lying on his back in a rude and homely bed, having, at the age of more than sixty years, suffered a severe fracture of the leg. The son who lives with them had, a year before, broken his arm, which remains awk- wardly bent. The woman herself had been for a great number 194 MEMOIR OF M liii; (T I W i M ^ ;! ! of years afflicted with incurable lameness, proceodin;]; from some disorder and cansin;^ continual pain. As I sat and warmed myself over their fire upon a hearth of ill-assorted stones (for they had no stove, and scarcely any comforts about them) I j^ot into conversation with her ; and I mi^^ht rather say, perhaps, that I had an opjiortunity of leai'iiing than of teachin;];, for, as far as I could form a judgment from iher words, I found her, under the circumstances which I have described, not only resi;;ned and contented, but thankful and, n a manner perfectly plain and unaSected, al)le to express her sense of that *50odness which weans us by affliction from the world, and conforms us to the example of a suffering Lord. * * * Divine service was held in the school-house in the evening, and I preached to a good congregation. They brought their own candles, and as they walked home through the snow with lighted candles in their hands, they had very much the appearance of sorue procession. At Abbottsford the impressive and affecting ceremony of adult baptism was administered to four persons by Mr. Johnson, who was well satisfied with their state of preparation. Twenty-one were confirmed. The state of the roads was very unfjivourable. Four young persons, however, belonging to the family of an Englishman, came the distance of sixteen miles. Mr. Johnson received them all into his own house, and kept them for the night.* I had proposed to preach in the evening at the school-house in Granby, an offer which was very gladly accepted ; but upon its being afterwards recollected that a con- gregational minister had previously sent to make an appoint- ment for the same purpose, I withdrew my proposal at once, to avoid the appearance of opposition. I found, however, what may appear sufficiently characteristic of the state of • A similar instance of hospitality on the part of a clergyman is recorded elsewhere in this year, wliere upwards of twenty candidates for confirma- tion were received for the night into the parsonage. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 195 Unn; from [ sfit and l-assorted comforts il I ini;:;lit i" learning' nont from ich I liavc ikful and, CXJ)1'CSS !tion from suffering 1-house in n. Tl 1C7 c through had very )bottsford ptism was was well one were A-^ourable. lily of an . Johnson m for the ig at the y gladly tiat a con- L appoint- l at once, however, state of is recorded r coafirma- thingfl among nowly-cstahlisjicd settlements, that the people, hy communication with this minister, had made arrangements for my officiating as soon as he should have closed, and he was 80 accommodating as to limit himself in point of time. I thought it best to acquiesce in this arrangement, and the minister himself remained with the other hearers. * * * The Rev. L. Doolittle has opened a school at Lennoxville, and such has been the accession of respectable families of late to his neighbourhood, that I think I have nowhere seen in America such a collection of right English-looking youths of a gentle- manly stamp. * * * Mr. Slack, a half-pay officer of the navy, drove me to Eaton, and from thence to Bury, where wo put up for the night in a solitary public-house by the road- side. The whole accommodation disposable for our benefit was one tiny room, in which was one bed. We set off" early in the morning, and as I came out of the house, I was struck by the characteristic nature of the scene. Long icicles were hanging from the roof of the log-built house ; the snow freshly fallen was lodged in masses upon the branches of the trees ; and the only view was up and down the track passing in front of the house, which was broken through the narrow vista of tall wintry woods. It took us three hours to accomplish the eleven miles which we had to go to the Victoria settlement, which is a kind of focus of the operations of the Canada Land Company in this tract of country, and promises to become hereafter an important place. It had been arranged that I should take advantage of the day on which the settlers attend to receive their rations ; and the issuing-house, a log-building having a counter within, was appointed as the place for ser- vice. The number present was at least seventy, and the house would scarcely have held more. I baptized one child and churched the mother. A great many of the Company's set- tlers are from Norfolk, my own native county, and I hope that it was pardonable, after the affectionate manner in which an apostle speaks of his ' kinsmen after the flesh,' to feel some M. iii" % 190 MKMOril OK ,1> 1 i4 'ill:: incroaaod interest in tliem on thi^ account. Wo returned the same cveninj^ to the puhlie-lwuise l)eforo descrihed. Anion^ the hiildtations wliich we j)a>■- \k H. r" IjU ^fPW'W' , - ■ ; nr mm i\\ lU 'i« f y. 202 MEMOIR OF state, were visited : and confirmations were held in them all as well as at St. George's Cove, L'Anse ^ Beau-fils (in a fisherman's house) and Ilopetown. The whole number con- firmed in the mission of the Rev. W. Arnold was one hundred and nineteen, of Avhom eighty came forward at the Basin church alone. The Rev. A. Balfour had sixty-four on his list, of whom fifty-two were confirmed. A large number in every part of the district were, on this and every subsequent occasion, deprived of the ordinance by their absence from home, being engaged in the whale-fishery. On the last occa- sion of the Bishop's visit to the district (in 18G2), he left Quebec on the very first opportunity which presented itself after the opening of the navigation, on purpose to provide for the case of the whalers. It was so early in the season, that the steamer which conveyed him was detained several hours in the ice, before he could reach the Magdalen Islands. One or two extracts from the journal of 1837 may here suffice. Leaving the Gaspd Bay mission, the Bishop embarked in a four-oared boat, with Mr. Arnold as steersman. " I was anxious,'' he says, " if possible, to reach Carlisle before Sunday. Like the disciples, we ' had forgotten to take bread,' and after embarking returned to the house for a supply, which afforded another, though a small, opportunity to the friendly people, of manifesting the eager pleasure with which they rendered us any service in their power. Our wind, which had been favourable, having soon died away, we took to the oars, but, with the object in view which I have stated, we persevered, and at midnight reached a settlement where we knocked up one of the Jersey traders, or rather, as he was himself con- fined to his bed by sickness, the two fishing lads by whom his menage was conducted. They got up half-naked, struck a light, and kindled a fire on the rude hearth, over which we were glad to crouch while the kettle was boihng. My travel- ling-bed was spread upon the floor ; Mr. Arnold found some place to throw himself down ; and we allowed ourselves and V i r^ G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 203 them all Is (in a ber con- hundred le Basin r on his imber in Dsequcnt ice from [ist occa- , he left ed itself )vide for son, that •al hours ds. lay here mbarked " I was Sunday, nd after afforded people, •endered ad been ars, but, severed, eked up ;elf con- rhom his struck a hich we f travel- id some ves and the men, who remained abroad, two hours and a half for sleep. * * * In every place where public worship is held in this district, the congregation, according to the charge of the Psalmist, sing praises lustily and with a good courage." On the 7th July, the Bishop embarked at Carlisle to return to Quebec, in a " schooner of forty tons, very roughly fitted up, and the whole ship's comj^any consisted of two men and a boy. / Jlaying reached Perce on the evening of Saturday the 8th^ and having encountered a foul wind, I sent word on shore early on Sunday morning, to make arrangements for divine service. I have recorded two occasions for thankfulness, upon which a fair breeze had enabled me to dispose of my two Sundays in the district to the best advantage : it now occurred that the adverse elements caused my passing a third at the very point where, if a choice had been given mo in the case of my detention, I should have wished to spend it, Perc(; being an important point, and one for which there is but slender spiritual provision.* Without presumptuously claiming a special interposition, I could not but be grateful that, in the course of events, these opportunities were so happily afforded. I preached twice to good congregations. On Monday the wind continued foul, but it happened very well ; for a funeral came from L'Anse a Beau-fils with a large train of followers, and, although the resident catechist was in attendance, the people, who are so much strangers to clerical ministrations, were rejoiced to find a clergyman to officiate. Under these circumstances, I added a sermon to the usual service. Towards sunset, the wind having shifted, I returned to my vessel, which lay out at a short distance, near the entrance of Malbaie : and, as the sun was now sinking, and after it sank, a peculiar tint was shed over the landscape by a very wild and yet bright evening sky which most beautifully • One result of this visitation was the appointment of a third missionary, who had charge of Perce, Cape Cove, and Malbaie. A 204 MEMOIR OF w jar ii I. Li! 1. heightened its eflfect. I do not remember to have been ever more impressed with the grandeur and the glories of creation. In going on board in the boat, I passed close under the enor- mous and frowning mass of the pierced rock (from which 4 •:: Percd takes its name,) and scarcely emerging from the very midst of that striking assemblage of objects which I have before described, — the rock itself, the site of the village, the mountain behind, the island opposite, the overhanging cliffs of the shore, — I saw before me on one side the broad expanse of ocean, and on the other, Malbaie, like a sheltered recess, with its mountains and its hills still retiring, range behind \ range, and swell behind swell. After beating about all the next day, without being able to weather Cape Gasp(5, we came to anchor towards evening at Malbaie Cove. I went ashore V 0^'^' ^ and called to see one of the churchwardens. His children were brought to me to be examined, and I was reminded that '' • ^ ' I had christened the eldest of them, upon my first visit, thir- teen years before. I believe it will generally be found that the children of our people in this quarter are at least taught the elementary truths of the Gospel, and the habit of prayer to God through Christ, a benefit which may often lead, it may be hoped, to happy results, and which they owe, under Pro- vidence, in a very great measure to the S. P. G. Since I have known the county of Gaspd, there have been. among its protestant inhabitants no ministers or religious instructors of any kind (with the single exception of the methodist local preacher at St. George's Cove) bat those supplied by the Society. Bibles and prayer books have been largely supplied by the S. P. C. K. * * * On the voyage up to Quebec, I made it a practice to collect my shipmates together (there were four steerage passengers) every day, and after a few prayers from the liturgy, to lecture familiarly upon one of the portions of the 119th psalm. How far any seed may have been blessed which was thus dropped, I had no very decided means of judging, but in such cases we have always " I G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 205 )een ever creation. the enor- >m which the very I have llage, the ;ing cHflTs expanse d recess, ;e behind ut all the we came it ashore children nded that isit, thir- und that st taught )f prayer d, it may der Pro- Since I mong its [ictors of ist local . by the supplied uebec, I ' (there 3r a few 1 one of ed may QO very always the comfort of being permitted to hope that good may have been done, although mixed (at least in my own case) with a feeling that the opportunity of communicating the benefit might have been more zealously improved. * * * On Saturday 22nd July, I Avent ashore at Berthicr, and found a Canadian on the beach, who engaged to give me breakfast and drive me up to Pointe Levi. The change was indeed refreshing from the schooner to the shore. The beach was profusely ornamented with hare-bells ; the meadows looked fresh and rural through which we passed up to the house ; the road-side, as we travelled, was fringed with the wild rose, the convolvulus, the spinea frutex, all in blossom, with other shrubs and flowers ; the day was bright and beautiful, and the breeze seemed to give fresh life to nature ; the greater part of the drive, through the villages on the bank of the St. Lawrence with the Island of Orleans opposite for twenty miles, and the mountains of the north shore b.eyond, presents scenery and views of an enchanting character. My driver was a simple but substantial habitant^ dressed in the grey home-spun of the country, and every thing in his house and establish- ment possessed that rural character, not absolutely rude, but appropriate to a frugal and simple race very moderately advanced in the arts of life, which few travellers, whatever their deliberate judgment may pronounce upon it with reference to the improvement of human society, can avoid contemplating with emotions of pleasure. There was a huge ancient and mutilated folio in the room where I breakfasted, which I found to be the Vie des Samts. In the mood which is inspired by such scenes and objects as I have described, we are disposed to more indulgence than the truth will warrant towards the errors of an adulterated Christianity, and there is something soothing to our own minds in the large exercise of what seems to be an amiable charity of judgment upon the subject. But although there is danger here and deception too, and although it is the part of genuine charity to be intent, if ■'i I ■'■■il 4 i' 'X ■ !'V N .i 'ili ! 1. I 206 MEMOIR OF God seem to open the way, upon the communication of better li^ht to souls possessed by hurtful superstition, and to promote this object by all judicious and temperate endeavours ; yet, after all, in the exercise of that grace, hoping all things, believing all things, and seeing that certainly in some points a salutary effect is produced by the discipline and instruction of the Church of Rome, we may be glad that, till their ' times of refreshing shall come,' the truth reaches them in part, and may believe that, through the very intercession of Him Who is obscured to their view, a measure of grace is not denied to them, and the sins of their system are not always visited upon tlieir individual heads. At present I do not think that we can gather it to be the will of Providence that any effectual impres- sion should be made upon the Roman catholic population of Lower Canada ; and all the resources which we can command are inadequate for the spiritual instruction of our own people. I am disposed to believe that, under existing circumstances, we best prepare the Avay for recovering this branch of the Romish Church to the primitive system of faith and worship, by exhibiting before the eyes of the people the proper fruits of spiritual religion ; letting our light so shine before them, that they may see our good works. The great obstacle to their conversion is our disunion. Their only strength lies in our being divided (speaking of protestants collectively) into sects, and our fatal admission of the principle that men may set up new standards, and create new ministries at will within the Church. The greatest friends to the prosperity of Romanism, although often the most eager assailants of the Romish system, are those persons who have low and loose views of the Church. But, although it is not for us ' to know the times or the seasons,' it is impossible not to feel a long- ing that the French Canadians should be enlightened, when the effects of their ignorance arc seen. Fortnnati nimihm sua si bona norint, they enjoy a condition, in temporal mat- ters, as happy as any people upon earth ; and are so well off G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 207 of bettor ' promote urs ; yet, II thin;5,s, no points i^truction ii' ' times part, and iin Who lonied to ted upon t we can 1 impres- lation of ommand I people. Jstances, h of the worship, er fruits em, that to their } in our y) into len may at will erity of i of the d loose know a long- i, when limihm II mat- veil off and so entirely exempt from any painful or irritatinji^ pressure received in any single point from the Government, that, miless they were very ignorant, it would seem impossible that they should be engaged to enter into rebellious plots for ol>taining changes by which they must infallibly be losers ; to which it may be added that, unless the received principles which mould and actuate them were defective, they could not seek to compass their object in the spirit which they have manifested. This people, who have so much reason to be hapi)y, and who present a picture to the eye of a peaceful simple peasantry^ with much that is courteous in their manners and amiable in their attachments, have shewn, in too many instances, when acted upon by designing and unprincipled demagogues, the latent and unsuspected wickedness Avhich is in the heart of man ; and with whatever just horror we may regard the leaders who would plunge such a peasantry, so situated, into causeless revolt, we arc compelled to admit, at the same time, that among the people themselves a disposition both sanguin- ary and treacherous seems only to have been dormant within many bosoms, by the sudden fierceness with which it has- broken out. In this point of view, our own religion, as it exists in this province, is a precious dejiosit which ought zealously to be fostered and protected as the leaven which may yet be destined to leaven the whole lump : and this con- sideration may be an additional incentive to the veneralile Society to continue its pious endeavours for the su})port and extension of the Church of England in Lower Canada." Some idea of the incessant character of the Bishop's labours may be formed when it is stated that it was not till February, 1838, that he was able to write the journal of this visitation, which had been concluded more than six months previously. He had been absent from Quebec about four months in 1837, during which he had travelled 2208 miles. This first visitation of the diocese was concluded by a visit in February, 1838, to the county of Megantic, when seventeen !r^ JUJV-I. Ill Ilii ilMffl 1 iHiilw ■' ^IVIi|H:;W t ',^ I* ^1 ;i1 ; .- ' '■ i '■ * 1 ? 208 MEMOIR OF persons wore confirmed at Now Ireland, and thirty-five at Leeds. The church at Leeds was consecrated at the same time. This journey added 140 miles to the number just mentioned, and brought the whole number of confirmations in Lower Canada up to thirty-three, and of persons confirmed to eight hundred and seventy-seven. The charge of the whole of Canada had passed into his hands on the death of Bishop Stewart in July, 1887, and the correspondence which it involved both within the diocese and with societies and other benefactors of the Church at home, all of which was conducted without any assistance, was enough to fill the hands of one man, besides that which came upon him daily, * the care of all the Churches' and especially of his own parish of Quebec. On the 1st August, 1838, the Bishop delivered his primary charge in the cathedral to the clergy of the city and district of Quebec, whose number had then increased to fourteen. On the 7th of the same month twenty-three clergymen were assembled for the same purpose at Montreal, where, on the following Sunday, an ordination was held. From Montreal the Bishop proceeded to Upper Canada. There being no immediate prospect of the erection of that province into a separate see, he thought it right not to leave it any longer without the ministrations of the episcopal ofiice. The Earl of Durham, who had been sent out a few months before as Governor General and High Commissioner to enquire into the condition of the Canadas, provided the Bishop with the means of taking a clergyman with him on his tour through Upper Canada, for the purpose of assisting him in procuring information on the state of the Church. The visitation occu- pied upwards of three months, and was extended to all the missions. Confirmation was administered to 1995 persons at fifty-nine places, the largest number of candidates being at Perth, where 156 were presented. Nine churches were consecrated, and ordinations held at Toronto, Woodhouse, rf G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 209 and By town, bcsidea that already mentioned, and another held on the way down, at Montreal. The episcopal charge was delivered at Toronto, where upwards of fifty clergy were present. The number of miles travelled from Quebec and back again was 2r>00. From a report which the Bishop rendered to Lord Durham, it appears that at this time the number of i)ersons professing adherence to the Church in Upper Canada was roughly stated at 150,000, the num- ber of clergy exercising their ministry was seventy-three, and the number of churches built or in progress about ninety. Between London and Goderich, in a tract of country sixty miles in lengtli, there was not one clergyman or minister of any denomination. Between Woodhouse and St. Thomas, a distance of upwards of fifty miles, which could be travelled by two roads, there was not one clergyman on either, though a great body of Church-people was scattered over that part of the country. In the district of Wellington, which was everywhere spread over with a Church population, there was one clergyman ; in the district of Newcastle there were six. In the words of the Bishop, "The importunate solicitations which I constantly receive for the supply of clerical services — the overflowing warmth of feeling with which the travelling missionaries are greeted in their visits to the destitute settle- ments — the marks of affection and respect towards my own office which I experienced throughout the province — the exertions made by the people, in a great number of instances, to erect churches even without any definite prospect of a minister, and the examples in which this has been done by individuals at their own private expense, are unecpiivocal and striking evidences of the attachment to Church principles which pervades a great body of the population. I would here beg leave to draw the attention of your Excellency to the bearing of these facts upon the question of support- ing the clergy by the voluntary contributions of the people. Here is deep sense of the value of religious services, and a strong manifestation of attachment to the Church. The moving principle, therefore, is not want- ing ; and if with this advantage the system cannot work successfully in Canada, it may be inferred that it cannot succeed there at all. And I am more deeply convinced than ever that such is the fact. In the few exam- ples in which the experiment has been tried, it has rarely been otherwise i '•: M tf fiiif I. fi 1 ■ ^ * * i ■' " ' 1^ 210 MEMOIR OF than II failure, and in nioHt cast's it would be liopoloss to attempt it. Even if tin; couiilry were fur UKirc iidvaiiccd and tlio iK-uplc liud SDnu' I'lHiimainl of money, I lun ptTsuiidfd tliiit a fuitliful, rfspcctaldc, and iiidciiciHU'iil body of clt'rjry, siilliciont for tlif wiuitH even of tliat part of tlic population wlio already appreciato their labours, much more for that whom it is tlicir duty to win to a care for religion, can iievir 1h' provided by the operation of the voluntary system. • • • Tin.' obsurvutions which I have sub- niitled are, iu j^reat part, of couuuon iipplication to b(»tli provinces. • * • There has lu'eu no census of tlie po|)iilation of Lower Canada since 1831, atwhidi time tia! Church of Enj^land popidation was estimated at .'(l,t;2t) souls. The clerj.fy are now forty-four in uuml)er, witli thirty-two or thirty-three churciies or chapels built or iu pro};'re>s. From hfleen to twenty adilitional clerffymen would, I think, provide for the present wants of tliis portion of the diocese. In Upper Canada I believe that employment would be found for one hundred beyond the existing? estab- lishment. Nothiiif^ can be less uniform and systematic than the nninner iu wliicli a meajfre supply of clerji^y is at present e.ked out and distributed over tlie diocese. One portion is paid from tlie imperial treasury (the salaries to he discontinued, one by one, as vacancies occur) another from local resources at the disposal of Government ; another is composed of missionaries from home, and there are four diflerent religious bodies (besides an individual of singular zeal in tiie cause) to wiiom the diocese is in this way indebted; and another still, though an exceedingly small portion, is deiieudeiit, in whole or in part, upon the people. Thus the establishment of clergy, im- perfect and insufficient as it is, is made up by means of shifts ami exi)edient3, and to a great extent is without any jiermanent character; and the task of the diocesan in procuring supjtlies, and nuiintaining C(minuiuication with the different parties who afford them, is complicated in a distressing degree. I am thus led to a subject Avliich I have reserved as the last to be brought under the notice of your Excellency. The care of this diocese is altogether too much for one man. Certainly one man cannot do justice to it, situated as I am. Your Excellency is, I believe, aware that negoci- ations have been for some time on foot for the erection of a sejjarate see in Upper Canada. It is indeed high time that this measure should V)e carried into eftect. In executing the duties of the visitation in the two provinces, I have travelled nearly five thousand miles; the extreme points which I visited in the length of the diocese being Sandwich at the head of Lake Erie, and the Bay of Chaleurs in the gulf of St. Lawrence. Of the state of the communications in the interior parts of the country and among the new settlements, your Excellency is not without information. No provision exists for enabling me to employ a single functionary in con- ducting correspondence with the Government, the clergy, and the societies at home, keeping iu proper order and arrangement the accumu- O. J. MOUNTAIN, n.D. 211 U'tiipt it. Evi'ii I doiiie ciiiiimaiiil itid iii(lf|tciiili'iit f till' |)i(|iiiliiti(iii whom it i.4 tlu'ir by tlie opcruiiuii licli 1 liiivc sul)- roviiicr.-;. • • • iiiidii since 1831, iimted lit 34,<;2() 1 tiiirty-two or From lit'lt't-n to for the iircscnt lii I bt'licve that e cxistiiit? t'stah- tniiLT ill which a rilmtcd over tlic he riiiluried to he 1 local ruriources lirfsioniiries from s an individual s way iiidelited; iri deiH'iidciit, in It of clcr<,'y, im- aiid expedients, ; and the ta;;k of ;uinication with n a dh-itrcsriing d as the last to e of this diocese iinnot do justice are that negoci- i sei)arate see in lould be carried I two provinces, points Avliich I le head of Lalte Of tiic state itry and among formation. No tionary in con- ergy, and the at the accumu- liitiiig recnrdg of the Bce, or traiisactiiipr those oniiiiary forms of coclesiftu- tlcal bu8iiie>»H whicli arc proper to tiic episcopal oflicc ; and in those departments of lahonr where the Hisiiop can receive assistance from the Aniideacon, I am deprived of the henelit, as far as T.ower Canada h coneeriied. liecaiisic, nmler the <:?isting arrangements. I am compelled to iiold the i,il'/ ■ of Afch'lcficon myself.'' Tlio object wliirh the IUsli<»|» liorc sots fortli a>4 of so ^roat importance was acconiplislicd, ])y the olivine blossin;:, in t)»c following year, when lie was relieved of the charge of Ujijier Canada by the consecration of the jtresent venerable Hishop of Toronto, who had been Archdeacon of York since 1S2'). In order to expedite this object, the llev. U. I). Cartwright had been sent on a mission to England early in 18:58. In writing to the S. P. G. the Bishop describes the rcsidt of this visitation as " very highly satisfactory indeed, and abounding with matter of thankfulness to ( lod, as it respects the character and labours of the clergy as a body, the attach- ment of our people to sound Church principles, and the tone of morals and religion which pervades our congregations." The clergy of the Midland, Eastern, Johnstown, and I5ath- urst districts in Upper Canada presented addresses to the Bishop of Montreal on their withdrawal from his jtirisdiction, expressive of their respect and affection, and, in one instance, their " admiration of persevering exertions in the discharge of duties peculiarly arduous, of the faithfulness and devoted- ness with which he entered on the work of his Divine Master, and acknowledging, at the same time, the kindness of the christ- ian so exemplified in intercourse with the clergy." In another " brief and simple testimony of filial affection," it is said ; "Year lordship presided over us with firmness united to urbanity, and dignity mingled with condescension. During a period of great danger to the Clnirch, while the enemies of Zion, endlessly divided among tiienis(dve3, have yet united in the cry, 'Down with her, down witli her, even unto the ground,' your lordship has pursued a noble and elevated cour.se, superior to vain ambition and restless policy. "Your lordship, apparently witliout designing it, has succeeded in gain- ing the respect of enemies, the devotion of friends, and the admiration of the Church." 212 MEMOIR OF CHAPTER XIV. ll \\ If '3 I'" t ' tr -I Ilk lills'i j ir ■ 1 ^ i , '. '■ ;' i i ■5 t* ti ■'■ Second triennial circuit — Anxiety for the establisliment of a see at Montreal — Correspondence with clergy at Red River — Severe ill- ness — Formation of Church Society, and dieps taken towards the foundation of Bishop's College — Second visitation of clergy. The second triennial visitation was begun by the confirma- tion of one hundred and seventy-two persons, among whom was the first of his own children on whom he laid hands, in the cathedral at Quebec, on the 13th October 1839. Early in the following January, the Bishop set out on a journey through the districts of Montreal, Three Rivers, and St. Francis, an account of which was afterwards published by the S. P. G. I shall make, therefore, only a few extracts, chiefly of passages which serve to shew the manner in which the services of the Church were appreciated, besides giving the general results of the visitation, and some particulars which may help to exhibit the progress of the Chuiuh dur- ing the three preceding years. At St. Andrews several young persons, who had been prepared for confirmation, but had not received their tickets, having called for them early on an intensely cold day, on which the confirmation was to be held, were all frost-bitten in some part or other of the face. Some candidates who had been disappointed at Huntingdon followed the Bishop to Ormstown, and " not being sufficiently protected against the weather, had suffered greatly from cold in their tedious pro- gress," the roads being nearly blocked up from the effects of G, J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 213 t of a see at jr— Severe ill- n towards the clergy. le confirma- mong whom laid hands, 839. Early n a journey »rs, and St. >ublished by Qw extracts, ler in wliich sides giving particulars ^hiauh dur- ) had been heir tickets, sold day, on ost-bitten in es who had Bishop to against the ;edious pro- iie effects of a snow-storm, and they had to measure their way back after dark ; " but in commending them," says the Bishop, " for their exertions,! exhorted them cheerfully to endure this and greater things, if called upon, for their religion, and reminded them of the distant journeys which men were prompted to make, under an inferior dispensation, to keep the ordinances of the Lord's House at Jerusalem." Three others who had been disap- pointed in the same neighbourhood afterwards went fifteen miles for confirmation, and the clergyman who brought them " travelled about forty miles to bring them, and went imme- diately back with them. Two young Irish girls, sisters, came from INIilton to Abbottsford ; but having, in consccpiencc of misinformation, gone a vast way round, they arrived after the confirmation was over, and I learned nothing about them till after they had gone home again. Mr. Johnson, however, had told them to meet me at Cutler's school-house the next day. Considering their long journey, their disappointment affor ili fl.njv r.%ptg^ thc coutinucd rain throughout the day, very bad state of the roads, as well as the distance between Milton and the school-house, I expected that they would give it up. They came, however, and as I spoke a few simple words of exhortation to them after they had been confirmed, the two standing together (for no confir- mation had been appointed at the place), the tears rolled down their cheeks. These little incidents serve to shew what feeling there is to work upon in the bosoms of poor settlers in the woods, and ' who hath despised the day of small things ?' " At Shefford a young man and woman, who had been pre- vented by circumstances from being examined, came into the vestry room before service " soliciting, with tears, the blessing of confirmation." At Drummondville, it is mentioned that " a young lad, who was working in a shanty thirty miles off and earning high wages, not only came down on foot to be con- firmed, but came to his own family a week beforehand, -'*%, %, ^ ■ i. !'■ 'M >: ;H h- '"fl ^ J'.' M i; ■'W ' !t : .I j r . i iijii 214 MEMOIR OF sacrificing:; the profits of that week, to spend it in study and preparation, and this in opposition to the strong remonstrances of his companions. At liawdon the church was so thronged that one man described himself as having been for a quarter of an hour with his person half in and half out of the door without being able to move an inch. Ninety-one persons were confirmed, six of whom, on account of the crowd and some confusion in the lower end of the church, did not get forward at the proper time, nor make known their disappoint- ment till after my robes were packed up again, and I was leaving the church. The little trouble, however, of again putting on my vestments to administer a separate confirmation to them was well repaid by their thankfulness, and better still by the very deep marks of feeling which they evinced as recipients of the rite." In several other instances the candidates are spoken of as " deeply and sensibly affected," and speaking generally, the Bishop remarks ; " I am indeed thankful to say that a deep reverence and dehberate self- dedication to Christ did seem to characterize the candidates in the different places which I visited ; and I cannot but hope that, in many instances, their future walk will evince their sincerity in this important act of their lives." The Bishop was accompanied through the district of Mon- treal by the Rev. M. Willoughby, agent of the Newfoundland School Society, whose object was to ascertain the wants of the district with respect to education, which in many instances he was enabled to supply. In accepting fhe office of Vice- President of this society, a few months before, the Bishop said: " The want of good common schools in which a scriptural education is aflforded is grievously felt by a great portion of the protestant inhabitants of this province, and I do trust in God that tlie society will have the hap- piness of being instrumental in the prevention of much moral and religious and, I may add political, evil, as well as in the production of much posi- tive good in the field newly opened. I shall regard the society as aiding instead of interfering with the ancient protectress of the colonial Churches, I ^ fe G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 215 the venerable society for the Propagation of the Gospel, the department of labour which the former has assumed being evidently sul)servient to the objects of the i tter, and still not being identical with them." In the course of the visitation an ordination was held at Sherbrooke, when Mr. Willoughby Avas admitted to Priest's Orders, together with the Rev. W. Dawes. The names of both these good men are connected with the increase of the Church at this period, " and in their deaths they were not divided," for both were taken away by fever which they contracted in their attendance on Irish emigrants in 1847. To Mr. Willoughby, too, belongs the honour of initiating the operations of the society just mentioned ; while Mr. Dawes filled the office of secretary of the diocesan Church society, with remarkable fidelity and earnestness (qualities which indeed pervaded his character in everything Avhich he under- took), from its formation till the time of his death. Mr. Willoughby was the first incumbent of the first chapel which was built in Montreal, where, till the date which Ave have now reached, there was no place of worship, besides the parish church,* belonging to the Church of England. Trinity Chapel, built at the sole expense of Major W. P. Christie, was consecrated in May 1840. Mr. Dawes, as travelling missionary of a local association already mentioned at Mont- real, was the pioneer of the district lying to the south-west of that city, now for the first time visited by a Bishop. His labours had been carried on for about fifteen months. He had established eighteen stations at which he preached twenty -five times in every four weeks. Four churches Avere either in progress or in immediate contemplation, and forty- one persons Avere presented for confirmation at RusseltoAvn, sixty-five at Hemmingtbrd, and forty-one again at Napier- ville. Fifteen more at Hemmingford and several at Russel- ♦ An evening service had been established in the parish church, at which all the pews were thrown open. :.^ ii^ :^^ illii 216 MEMOIR OF ¥. . • li I ii'^^'^ III. m '■H *■ i :i. Jol i:i town were prevented from coming fonvard owing to the roads being completely blocked up. Besides in this tract of country, confirmations were held now for the first time at the Gore on the Ottawa, Kingse^^, I^ury, Compton, and Lake Maskinongd. Most of these places had been previously visited by the Bishop in his capacity of Archdeacon, and since his former visitation he had been enabled to fix missionaries at the three first mentioned, as well as at Stanbridge. Before the conclusion of this journey, Compton was erected into a separate charge, and measures were taken for conferring a similar benefit on Granby, as Avell as on Portneuf, and for dividing the labours of Mr. Dawes by assigning a portion of them to a second missionary within their range. The association which maintained Mr. Dawes maintained another missionary in the settlements north of Montreal, whose head-quarters were at Mascouche, where the church was consecrated during this visitation. Another had been consecrated at Upper Durham on the St. Francis. All the places visited in 1837 were revisited this year with the exception of Hull, for which a confirmation had been held at Bytown in 1838. In the district of Montreal twenty- seven confirmations were held, and eight hundred and ninety- five persons confirmed, including one hundred and twenty-five at Montreal. In the districts of St. Francis and Three Rivers two hundred and sixty persons Avere confirmed at twelve places. The Bishop was absent from Quebec two months. The number of clergy in Lower Canada had been increased by ten, and about the same number of churches had been built, or were in progress, or in immediate contemplation. The Bishop says, " Churches (God be praised for it) are springing up so fast, that I must beg for more help as soon as I shall have forwarded the account of money already paid or promised from the Society's grant of £500. * * * At Laprairie I received the refreshing intelligence, (together with the announcement of aid granted towards the erection by G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 217 of churches,) more than I had dared to hope for, tuat the Society had undertaken to maintain the eighteen new missions which I had stated to bo required. God only raise up for us faithful men to fill them up, and to preach among them the unsearchable riches of Christ." The visitation of the district of Gaspe was performed in the autumn of 1840, in connection with which the first men- tion is found in the records of the diocese of the destitute settlements on that part of the coast of Labrador which lies within the limits of Canada. The Rev. E. Cusack, mission- ary at Gasp(3 Basin, having learnt the wants of the inhabi- tants from whalers belonging to his own flock who frcipieuted the coast, had gone across, just before the Bishop's visit to Gasp(3, to pay them a visit. Their number was very inconsi- derable, and for many years the attention which the missionary resident within the limits of Newfoundland (appointed iii 1 84U) was able to bestow upon them was corsidered, in the existing condition of the diocese, to suffice. Yet so early as 1841 the Bishop of Montreal brought their wants, for the second time, before the S. P. G., and said, " That mission will demand great activity and great devotedness in the person who will undertake it ; but God does not deny to His Church, among the servants of the society, men who are wilhng to take up their own cross, and to glory in the Cross of their Master." There is mention of only one new station in Gaspe, — Port Daniel. No confirmation, owing to a recent change of mission- aries, could be held in the Bay of Chaleurs. At the unfinished church of Cape Cove, twenty-one verc confirmed, making twenty-five in that mission. In the mission of Gaspe J>ay, there were twenty-nine, a much smaller number than in 18->7; but the interval between the visit of that year and the last which had been paid by the Bishop of Quebec had probably been greater than usual. The visitation was completed during the following winter by a tour m the district of Quebec. On the south of the St. 218 MEMOIR OF 11.; ti . ir ni f iilii Lawrence seven confirmations were held, where three had sufficed in 1837, and one hundred and sixty-nine persons were confirmed. One woman came on foot nineteen miles for the purpose. A missionary had been established at St. Syl- vester, whose labours were carried over a large tract of country, including the settlements on the Chaudierc river. So far, twenty-four confirmations had been held in what is now the diocese of Quebec, at which six hundred and sixty- five persons were confirmed, out of one thousand five hundred and sixty in Lower Canada. Four others appear to have been afterwards held in the district of Quebec, but I have not the means of stating at what particular places. The total number of confirmations in the diocese had been fifty-two, of which twenty were at places where the ordinance had not been administered before. The journeyings of the Bishop were not confined to those which came in the course of his regular visitations, for occa- sions constantly arose demanding his personal intervention for the supply of local wants or the adjustment of particular difficulties. He was always specially anxious for the spiritual welfare of the city of Montreal, which he used very fre- quently to visit, and where he was accustomed often to hold ordinations both in summer and winter. He never lost sight of the object which he had greatly at heart, of erecting it into a separate see ; and it was chiefly on this account that, though actually administering the diocese of Quebec, he retained the title of Bishop of Montreal, instead of being formally appointed to the see of Quebec. He wished, as he often said, to keep before the public the necessity of making this title a reality. But his travelling was the least arduous part of his labours, except perhaps on the occasions of visiting Montreal, where he would ■ '^ incessantly occupied for days together in the same ^vay as at Quebec. The increasing wants of the diocese, and the measures neces- sary to be taken for their supply, involved a vast deal of G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 219 throe had lue persons 11 miles for at St. Syl- ;e tract of re river. . in what is and sixty- io hundred ir to have >ut I have The total iftj-two, of 5e had not cd to those 3, for occa- itervention particular le spiritual very fre- en to hold lost sight erecting it ount that, iiebec, he of being hed, as he 3f making st arduous casions of occupied 3ec. The :'e3 neces- 3t deal of correspondence with public and private persons, in addition to that which grew out of the ordinary business uf its admin- istration, and which in the case of colonial IJishops is much greater than it would otherwise be in proportion to the num- ber of clergy, from the comiianitively unformed and unsettled state of the Church, and the necessity of the direct reference to the Bishop of subjects which may be disposed of by inferior authority where it exists. His journeys, in fact, though some- times attended by more or less of what some men count hard- ship, were a relief, and aiforded a break in the ceaseless course of sedentary and anxious employments which filled his time at home, and which otherwise must have worn down his strength. He never suffered his OAvn convenience to interfere with the claims of business. Rising up early, and late taking rest, he was ready at all hours to attend to the wants of his flock. In a letter written from Montreal, in June 18-11 , (where he had held an ordination in the preceding February,) he apologizes for " firing a shot with a nerveless arm," being, as he was obliged to confess, " rather what is called, ' done up.' I came last night, in the middle of the night, or rather before it was light this morning, from Port St. Francis in the steamer. I was busy about the town till four p.m. ; then I took a luncheon with F., and immediately afterwards a hot ride with him of twelve miles to St. Martin, where I had business to transact with persons engaged in the erection of a church ; then a cooler one, in the dark, back to Montreal, where, at ten o'clock, Mr. W met me by appointment with a candidate for Orders, after which I wrote to , and now I am writing to yourself." He was at this time engaged, and continued for three or four years to be so, in correspondence with the Hudson's Bay Company, the clergy resident in their territory, the Arch- bishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, and the Church Missionary Society, respecting the missions in Prince Rupert's Land, to which he anxiously desired to carry the ministra- 1 i \l''f m '' II ; i in: ii i*M 220 MEMOIR OF tions of his office, witli the object of paving the way for a resident Bishop in the territory. He always felt deeply that tlic Canadian Church was debtor to the original proprietors of tlie soil. There were two other objects, nearer home, which were now occupying much of his time and tlioughts, — the founda- tion of the Church Society and that of ]]ishoi)'s College. He had mentioned, in his primary charge, his hope that a church society might be organized similar to that wliich had already been established in Nova Scotia. In July, 1839, he informed the S. P. G. that it was projected, and soon after the division of the diocese in the same year, he engaged in correspondence with the Bishop of Toronto on the subject of the establishment of a joint association for the two dioceses. He drew up an outline of his plan with proposed constitution and by-laws, and also made, in September, 1841, at the request of his brother Bishop, the draft of an episcopal address, to proceed from both, to the churchmen of Canada, Avith reference to the undertaking. Both Bishops desired opportunities of full con- sultation with their clergy before finally bringing their ]ilan before the public, and the Bishop of Toronto finding a feeling to exist in his own diocese in favour of two separate organiza- tions, it was agreed that each should pursue the plan for himself. The efforts of the Bishop of Montreal were inter- rupted by a severe illness with which it pleased God to visit him during the winter of 1811-2, and Avhich for several months caused deep anxiety to his friends ; and it was not till the clergy of the diocese were assembled at a visitation held at Montreal in July 1842, that the Church Society of the diocese of Quebec was finally formed. At this visitation fifty-one of the sixty clergy of the diocese were present. The Bishop, in his charge, especially com- mended the two institutions just mentioned to the prayers and support of the clergy, and stated that since they had last assembled in visitation, he had ordained twenty-one ilii i G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 221 clergymen to new stations in Lower Canada, and admitted six others, already in Orders, to new cures, niakin;^ in all twenty-seven new missions opened in less than four years, adding : "Lot none suppose that we have grasped indiiicriniinatoly at all oppor- tunities of proiMirinfj additional hands ; for the overture-! nre not few, whether for ordination or for the employment of ordained ministers, which I liave declined to entertain. » ♦ ♦ Tiie number of additional clnirches has fully kept pace with the advancinpr list of our derpy ; and it is with feelinijs of overflowintr thankfulness that we must acknowledjje o\ir accumulatinpf obliprations under God to the Society for the Pn)|>aoMtion of tlie Gospel, nohly seconded by the sister Society for Proniotiuu: Christian Knowledj,^' ♦ • ♦ I jiass over all tlie subordinate sujjplie-; afforded for the greater solenniity and decency of worslnp, for tlie better facilitii'S of religious instruction, fur the more enlarged accpuiiutauco with the Word of Life, — but what shall we say of that provident as well as pious munificence which has undertaken tlie perpetuation of all these blessings, by gradually creating endowments for the Church ?"" Reference is here made to the purchase of glebes in Lower Canada by the S. P. G., which that body was enabled to accomplish, owing to the increasing demands upon its funds, in only a few instances ; but this object was specially kept in view in the formation of the Church Society. So large a proportion of the clergy came from a great dis- tance, with very imperfect moans of communication, that they could not be detained long from their cures ; and a great deal of business was therefore necessarily crowded into a few days. The Bishop himself spent ten days at Montreal, and, writing from thence, says ; "I have never, I think, in my life been more incessantly occupied, morning, noon and night, than since I came to this place. The ordination, visitation, formation of the Church Society, and laying the first stone of the new chapel (St. George's), all carried with them, except indeed the last, a vast deal of business, compared with which each formal occasion was very little. The work of preparation for the Church Society was immense ; the whole of my charge to the clergy was written here ; the examination of the candidates for Orders was conducted by myself; and the forms to execute, business to transact, conference to hold, and counsel to give ■ '■ ' HIS 14: ?! a f. iii ■^. ■1 i i ' mil ! 1 i! I 222 MEMUlll OF among fifty-one clorpymcn, most of whom I see only once in three yenrn, ttniountcd to i\() trifle. Many otlicr pcivoiis have waiitctl nic for otiur thiiij^H, and I liave in'cuchcd six tiiucrf besitlcs (lulivcriiij^ my chai'fjfi'." One of these sermons was preached at St. Thomas' Chapel, then recently ])uilt. At this visitation a largo numl)er of the clergy acMresscd the Bishop in favour of the adojjtion of a more distinctive clerical dress, which he was known strongly to approve. lie referred the matter to the Archbishop of Canterbury; and his grace, though entirely concurring in their feeling on the subject, did not feel prepared to I'ecommend the practice in the case of a shigle diocese, while the general custom remained unchanged. In a letter written in the followii'^; November, the Bishop says, referring to the Church Society : "We bo}:!;an well, but it has not pleased God that wo should, as yet, proeeed with a very prosperous course. The extreme commercial depres- sion of Quebec and Montreal is against us very much, and Ave have iiad other difficulties too. There are also other objects which I have deejdy at heart for the benefit of the Church, in Avhich I have encountered great discouragement; but we musv "egard these occurrences as tiials of faith, checks to presumption, and incitements to redoubled prayer and diligence- If it has pleased God to suffer me, in some departments of my charge, to be an instrument of good, I have been and am sufficiently schooled, on the other hand, to humility and watchfulness by mortifications and disappoint- ments, in my career of labour, of no common kind." One of the objects here referred to was, doubtless, the foundation of Bishop's College, already mentioned. So long before as in 1839 he had said to the S. P. G. that it " had long been his ardent wish and prayer to establish a col- lege," and in December of that year the Society voted £200 per annum towards the maintenance of divinity students. In the following autumn he decided on placing all the reci- pients of this bounty at Three Eivers, under the charge of the Rev. S. S. Wood, M.A., of Corpus College, Cambridge, rector of that place, whose theological and classical attain- lii G. J. MOUNTAIN, D. 223 mcnts eminently qualified liim for tlio task. In . .pril, J ^\^ ho infortnod the society of the completion of this uita^t.^o- ment, aletion of the rectory house, under an arrangement with the vestry of the cathedral by which the Bishop en;:;aged to pay rent during his incumbency of the parish. A wing of the building was fitted up as a chapel, which was consecrated on All Saints' Day, 1842, under the name of All Saints, when the Bishop of Vermont preached the sermon. This chapel was designed to be used for week-day services or minor festivals, as well as the performance of acts of occasional duty. Immediately after its consecration, the Bishop assembled in it regularly a class of candidates for confirmation, whom he was himself preparing, and the first person confirmed in it was his own son, who, being unexpectedly called to join his regiment on receiving a commission in the army, and being therefore unable to wait for the general confirmation, was not allowed to depart without the blessing of the Church conveyed in the laying on of his father's hands.* • The Bishop always looked back on this occasion with feelings of pecu- liar thankfulness. A person who was present described the scene a^ ii! G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 225 The Uishop also cstahlislicd in All Saints' Chapel, a monthly •vice, with a lecture which he delivered hiniHelf, on the 1 idayH helore the conninuii■ J ' i ,'!? m ■I !* 'i * .■ Th ■ni', ! 'I't , i.ll'll. i!;iK 'liip Mascouche, which was mentioned in 1840 as the aead. quarters of a travelling missionary, had since been formed into a fixed mission, the range of which was, however, still sufficiently extensive. It included Kilkenny, (mentioned at page 183,) and on this visitation the first episcopal visit was paid to that place as well as to New Glasgow. From Mascouche, " we drove to the church at Kilkenny, passing on our way what is jocosely called the ' cathedral of Kil- kenny,' being a little log school-house, roofed with bark, and lighted by four panes, in which the missionaries formerly officiated. The church is a small, wooden, unpainted build- ing, with square-topped windows. But it harmonizes with the present state of things in the township, and I verily believe it to be attended by worshippers who worship the Father in spirit and in truth. I consecrated this humble edifice, which is regularly fitted up for public service in the interior, and confirmed twenty-four persons. They asked me to give the church a name, as I had objected to their proposal of calling it the ' Mountain Church ' which was partly intended as a compliment to myself, and I called it after St. John the Baptist, as being built for preaching in the Avilder- ness, with which they were highly pleased. God grant that the preachers, calling upon men to repent, and at the same time indicating the Lamb of God Which taketh away the sins of the world, may prepare the way of Christ among the people." Nearly a week vras spent at Montreal, where two hundr3d and ninety-one persons were confirmed and two adults baptized in the parish church by the Bishop. By this time there were three chapels in Montreal, making, with the parish church and a temporary chapel in Griffintown and a small chapel at the Cross, below the city, six places of worship in all, and others were in contemplation. A new mission had been formed under promising auspices at Huntingdon, in the Chateauguay district ; but if this step could have been taken earlier, it might have been attended with more effect, for the village of Huntingdon, the Bishop says, liii ii s the Iiead. )een formed owever, still lentioned at iscopal visit 50W. From inj, passing iral of Kir bh bark, and les formerly inted builcl- lonizes ^yith erilj believe be Father in difice, which interior, and me to give jir proposal was partly . it after St. \ the wilder- l grant that at the same way the sins among the [, where two 3d and two p. By this ng, with the itown and a s of worship new mission luntingdon, d have been more effect, G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 229 '• May be taken as one among many examples of the deplorable effects of schism in a new country. Here, in a spot scarcely reclaimed from the woods, is a little collection of houses, a good mill, a tavern* or two, some few tradesmen, and some comracncin;^ indications of business. One good spacious church might contain all the worsluppers ; one faithful pastor might tend them all ; and their resources for the support of religion, if com- liined, might provide for all the decencies of worship in a reverent manner, and for the comfort of the minister and his family. They might, in laying their foundations for the future, exhibit in tlie article of religion, — wiiich should be their all in all, — the picture of a little christian brothi'rli(>()d,and the village not drawing, or drawing comparatively little, upon the bounty of colonial cities or societies at home, the aid derivable from these sources niiglit the more largely supply the unprovided tracts of country in the wilderness. But here are four protestant places of worshij), — altar against altar, — all ill-appointed, all ill-supported, and while discordant preaching is going on, or unholy leagues are made of two or three irregular sects iigainst the Church, and violent excitements are resorted to, like the getting up of the steam, to force on a particular interest at a particular conjunc- ture, many a ruder and more remote settlement is supplied only at wide intervals by the extraordinary efforts of this or that minister, and these again marked often by a mutual jealousy, heightened, where the Ciiurch is the object of it, to acrimonious and unscrupulous hostility. In these instances, the forbearance and dignity of the Church have, I think I may say without prejudice, stood in most advantageous contrast with the proceedings of other parties. But what cause have we to imitate the prayer of the Lord Himself ' that they all may be one', even as He and His Father aj j one !, to pray and long for a nearer approach to that happy consummation described by the apostle, ' that there be no divisions among' them ; and that they may ' be all perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same spirit!' The Church, whatever opi)osition she may encounter, can be the only possible instrimient of bringing on these blessed results ; and the conviction of this truth Avill surely be a stimulus to all the friends and supporters of the venerable society to add to its means of plant- ing her standard in the rising settlements of the American colonies." Notwithstanding difficulties like these, the Church was everywhere making way and taking root. The field which had been occupied by the labours of Mr. Dawes had been divided into two, one of Avhich, though nominally the station of a fixed missionary, was still so extensive and important, * The word tavern is commonly applied in Canada to what are properly tans. It ,11 ■.,J' ': ■l.\) ■t:- < -^i Nl ,ii 230 MEiMOIR OF 4 •; ^M'i that the Bishop deckled on a sub-division of it, and immedi- ately after visiting it placed a second clergyman within its limits. The Rev. R. G. Plees had succeeded Mr. Dawes in the post of travelling missionary, and " his charge, although lying within fixed limits, was still wholly of an itinerant char- acter. At St. R(3mi, which is his home, (so far as he lias one) he officiates upon one Sunday and one week-day in the month. Both these are evening services, to which he returns after labouring elsewhere. He has four other Sunday sta- tions in his mission ; eleven regular stations for appointed services in all. He officiates twenty-three or twenty-four times every month, and his monthly circuit is one of two hundred and thirty-five miles, besides all extra calls." Laprairie also now enjoyed the advantage of having a resi- dent minister, and anew church was consecrated at L'Acadie. At Christieville a church and parsonage had been built, and an endowment provided by the founder of Trinity Chapel at Montreal, and a new church was in progress at Henry ville.* Passing from the seigneuries into the townships, the Bishop visited a new mission at Brome, and took measures for the immediate settlement of a missionary at Granby and Milton. At Compton, the first confirmation ever held was on this visitation, and the Bishop baptized thirteen adults. " In the conflict of religious teachers and talkers, the confusion of sur- rounding sects, and the array of prejudices drawn up against the Church in this neighbourhood, it was not Avithout many struggles, and much earnest and devout search for truth, that a good many of the parties here brought forward to l)aptism and to confirmation had arrived at last at the comfort- able conviction of mind with which they sealed and ratified the covenant of their God in Christ." ft:.: •hi'-' ill; liijl At Lennoxville, the Bishop presided at a meeting of the local committee for the affairs of the college, who were * New churches followed, as a matter of course, on the establishment of new missions. This one was within the limits of an old settled charge. iliii G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 231 encouraged by the bounty of the S. P. G. to resume their suspended labours, and it was resolved to take inunediate steps for opening the institution in temporary l)uilding3. At Danville, another new mission, Avhich the Bishop had never before visited, nineteen persons were confirmed. The last confirmations on this tour were at the three stations in the mission of Portneuf, (in two of them for the first time) which had been erected into a fixed charge shortly after the last triennial visit. The whole number on this circuit was forty-three ; the number of persons confirmed, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-three ; and four churches were consecrated. In 1840, the confirmations on the winter circuit had been thirty-eight, but this number included four on the Ottawa, Avhich had not now been visited. In the conclusion of his journal, the Bishop makes the following general observations : "Reviewing tliis whole journey, and all the evidences which it affords respecting the existing order of things in the country, it is impossible not to be affected by many heavy solicitudes and lieart-rending reflections. It cannot be without feelings of sorrow and shame and fear that we sec that a mighty government like that of Great Britain, which has spent millions in this country upon fortifications and military works, and which can alloAV a sum probably not short of jG 100,000 to be spent in a few months, (in a par- ticular instance,) for little more than matters of parade, should suffer its own people, — in broad and reproachful contrast, in every single particular, to tiie institutions founded for the old colonists by the crown of France,^ sliould suffer its own people, members of the Church of tlie Empire, to starve and languish Avith reference to the supply of their spiritual wants ; estab- lishing no institutions for educating and forming the youth of tlie country ; making no provision whatever for planting houses of God over the land, or for creating, training, and supporting an order of 'teaching priests' for the people ; interfering with and abridging the means which do exist for the maintenance and perpetuation of religion in the country ; declining to follow up in any efficient manner the plans laid down when the see of Quebec was established ; limiting to the lives of the present incumbents the salaries which, in half a dozen instances, are enjoyed by ecclesiastics of the Church establishment ; parcelling out among different religious bodies the very clergy reserves which had belonged to the Church alone, and keeping the management of them in its own hands, under a system which impedes ;l 1l j i ]i i j r 1 < 1' i 1: 1 ' e ' ' ♦ •; ^ i ■ f ■i!i 232 MEMOIR OF their profitableness, and tlireatena the most alarming sacrifices in the simpe of sales ; leaving its emigrant children to scatter themselves at random litre and there over tiie country upon their arrival, without any digested plans for the formation of settlements, or any guide (had it not been for the society which I am addressing) to lead them rightly in their new trials, teiiipta- tions and responsibilities. The value of the missions and otiier lioons received from the society may be well estimated from tliis mehmclioly survey of the subject. The influence which has presided over the proceed- ings of government in relation to the Church in these colonies appears, in the mj-sterioua counsel of Divine Providence, to have resembled some enchantment which abuses the mind. I do not believe that there is any example in history of any public measures based more decidedly upon labe data or distorted facts than those which have affected tlie interests of the Canadian Church; and here I allude specially to the information iii)on which the report of the committee of the House of Cummons was framed in 1828, and to the materials of which the late Earl of Durham made up his far-famed report to Her Majesty ten years after that per.od. " Yet, on the other hand, when we look at the advances which, throutrli all these difficulties, and despite all these discouragements, the Church has been permitted to make, we have cause to lift up our hands in thankfuhie.ss, and our hearts in hope. The Church in Canada has two IJishops and niorc than one hundred and sixty clergymen; and in this diocese alone, wliirli, in point of Church population, is of secondary magnitude, I have just shewn that there will be not less than sixty-seven confirmations on the visitation now in part accomplished. Now, there are persons living, — and yet far from any indications of decrepitude, — three of them are among my own acquaintance, — who were confirmed at Quebec by the first Bishop of Nova Scotia, the first, and then the only Colonial Bishop of the establisiiod Church in the whole empire, towards the close of the last century, at which time there were, I believe, half a dozen Church clergy in all Canada- When I contemplate the case of our missionaries, and think of the effects of their labours, I look upon them as marked examples of men wiiosc reward is not in this world. Men leading lives of toil, and more or less of hardship and privation — often with their families in unpainted rooms, and with uncarpeted floors, — the very consideration which attaches to them iis clergymen of the English Church establishment exposing them to worldly mortification, from their inability to maintain appearances consistent with any such pretension, — they are yet, under the hand of God, tlie dispensers of present, and the founders of future, blessing in the land. There are many points of view in which they may be so regarded ; for Avherever a Church clergyman is establisiied, there is, to a certain extent, a focus for improve- ment found. But nothing is more striking than the barrier which the Church, without any adventitious sources of influence, opposes to the impetuous flood of fanaticism, rushing at intervals through the newer G. J. MOUXTATX, D.D. J.OO ?3 in the s)iape it ranclom licre fostod plans for for tli(.' society trials, teinpta- (1 other boons lis melancholy tr the proceed- lies ajjpears, in .'sembled .some it there is iiny L'llly ui)on false ntercnts of the jrniation upon )ns was franu'd irham made uji ,od. ivhich, throiiL'li the Chiircli has II thaiikl'ulne.ss, ihops and more L' alont', wliifu. ave just shewn 1 the visitation , — aud yet far luong my own ]isliup of Xova he establislied itury, at wliicli n all Canada- ; of the elfects af men Avliosc more or less of cd rooms, and les to them us era to worldly onsistent with the dispensers here are many 'ver a Church s for improve- ier Avhich the pposes to the gh the newer parts of the country, and those especially which lie alonj^ tiic froiitic^r. Niitliing else can stand aj^aiust it. The irrcgidar sects arc frc(|Ui'iitly seen cither to yield throiij^h policy, and mix themselves with a stream which tliey cannot turn, or to be forcibly carried along where it leads them, and finally to lose the stand which they had held.'' The journeyings for the accomplishment of the visitation were resumed in May, 184o, the first confinnation being held at St. Martin, near Montreal. The Bishoj) had made liis arrangements for leaving (.Quebec on the 8th of that month, but the ice on the St. Lawrence held so firm till within four clays of that date, that he had begun to fear that he should not be able to adhere to them. From Montreal he ^vent up the Ottawa, but his progress was a matter of considerable difficulty, though he reached a higher point than he had ever before visited. The description of the state of the coimtry at the time is so characteristic, that a long extract from his journal (also published as a number in the series of the "Church m the Colonies") will not be uninteresting. "Early on the morning of the I5th, aday of determined rain, T embarked in a small and ill-appointed steamer, having to ascend the Ottawa upwards of seventy miles before reaching the next missionary station at Hull. The waters at this season are extraordinarily high, and the river, like Jordan in the time of harvest, having for long spaces a margin of no elevation, over- floweth all its banks, so that the woods both on the shore and also on the isliuids (which arc level) appear to be continuous masses of forest, or. in the latter case, detached clumps of trees growing in the water. Thcy consist, in these tracts, chiefly, if not wholly, of a deciduous growth. The current in this fulness of the waters was of great power, and there was also a vehement head-wind, so that on the morning of the lUth I found that our unhappy little steamer, upon whose disordered raachiuei'v the captain and all his people had been expending labour to no purpose during the wlnde night, was absolutely incapable of being urged forward at all; and to make the case complete, there was no boat on board for getting ashore. Tiie shore, fortunately, was not distant, and the water was shallow ; one of tiie men, therefore, fastened a couple of boards together, and standing upon them, poled himself in with a long stick. A canoe w -- thus obtained for my landing, and I managed to procure as rough-looking and roughly-accoutred a horse as can readily be imagined, to proceed on my way, leaving my servant and baggage to toil up, with such hands as could be mustered, in ■ !|. i ; :'i:|i!| i:iii',ii '■( 234 MEMOIR OF the canoe, against wind and stream; hut this they soon found impossible, and uetually currird the Imjrgiiyu on tlioir backs. My way for a great imrt lit' the eight miles wiiitli I iiud to go, before reacliing tiie mouth of the rivir (iatiueau, lay along a low ridge of land next the river, upon wliich I tollowi'd till' fi)oti)iith, the' road in the rear licing underwater The wiiole .•ecue was ciuincnlly cliaraetLTislie of a newly opcneil country; hero ami thiie was a tolcralde franu'-house ; but I passed nuiny cabins, not five feet high in the sides, nor six under the highest part of the roof, made of trees put together with the bark upon them, the rough ends sticking out at tlie intersections in each corner, the roof plastered over with mud, and per- haps formed of bark, or else consisting of what are called ' scoops,' i. e., lioUow halves of trees, generally lime-trees, the convex and concave scoop being laid alternately all along, from the ridge of the roof to the eaves, and so keeping each other together by their mere position, and, witliout any joinings, keeping out the wet. Out of this roof you might sec a rusty stove- pipe to issue, or if there be a chimney, it is of clay and sticks.* The lielJs adjacent were full of stumps; and the woods beyond, in all the desolation of recent clearing, edged with deader half-burnt trees. The bridges were made of trees unshaped by tool, and presented a surface wholly uneven, from the manner in Avhich they were put together. Yet in such scenes as these liiere is already independence and a fidl sullicieucy of the conuuuu necessaries of this life, and there is that impulse given to improvement of which the etfects proceed in an accelerating ratio; there is the conmieuee- ment made perhaps of a highly prosperous settlement, and still advaueing civilization. The resources which lie in the bosom of the Canadian wilder- ues-i, j)repared by the hand of God and olfered to the enterprise of luiui, afford subject for deep and thankful rellection ; but it is saddening to think of the spiritual destitution of many settlements and of the wretched pro- vision which exists for the education of the children. We are not earnest enough in our prayers that the Lord of the harvestwould send forth labour- . ers and all reqiusite helps into such a harvest as this. The particular lield here described will fall within the range of labour to be assigned to tlie travelling missionary in the district of Montreal, for the maintenance of whom, so soon as I find the person, the Churcii society of the diocese has provided, as avcU as of another in the district of Quebec; but his visits will necessarily be iaw aiul far between. God put it into the heart of those who are able to help the veueral)le society at home, to keep up her means and strengthen her hands, that she may do as she would desire for the many souls iu the colonies, left, after all that she has already done and is doing, to hunger for the bread of life ! * In some parts of Canada it is not unusual to see an old Hour barrel made available for this object. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 235 Id iloiir baiTt'l " May 17th. My dctontiou from the accident already described, and the prospect of farther detention from the want of conveyance npward by steam, the boats not havinj^ connn'jncod running for the season, were very vexa- tious and disliearteniujr, liecauso I foresaw tliat it woultl be impossible to keep my appointment at Clarendon ; and a delay there, sutHeient to collect again all the scattered population who were to meet me, woidd oblige me to break the whole chain of my appointments downward, with nuich doubt of havin<5' the means at coimnund for sendinj^ fresh notifications in time. But these contretemps will occur; and even when they seem to hinder the work of the Gospel, we must be patient, and remember that worse hindran- ces hove been permitted in greater labours performed by holier Iwinds. I crossed over with Mr. Strong to Aylmer village, in Hull, the residence of the Rev. J. Johnston, the society's missionary at tiiat station, ami made arrangements with the agent of one of the principal mercantile houses in Quebec, engaged in carrying on operations in the lumber trade upon the Ottawa, who was to proceed up the lake the next day in a canoe, and oblig- ingly undertook to give me a passage. Mr. Johnston and tlie building committee submitted to me a plan of the stone church inunt'di.itcly al)out to be erected in Aylmer, for which Mr. Charles Synnnes, a merchant of the place, has lilierally given a very desirable site. "May 18th. I rose at half-past four, and drove down to tlie landing. The canoe which was in waiting was one of birch bark, with ten paddles. Mr. Strong accompanied me, so that, with the agent, there were four pas- sengers on board. There is an indescribable charm attaching to this species of veetitation upon the water, harmonizing so well in its ciiaracter with tlie scenes through which yon pass. The rush of the ten paddles, of wliicii the short, strong, rapid stroke was kept in perfect accordance, was soon united with the bell-toned voices of the men, who struck up one of the peculiar old Norman airs (not much resembling, it must be confessed, eitiier in the words or the music, the voyageur song composed l)y the poet Moore, of which the scene is laid in this very river) imported by tlieir forefathers from France. They '.ire all French Canadian.*, and there is a stamp alxmt that race of people, even of the lowest classes, in their manners and deport- ment, all unenlightened as they are, which gains a feeling of gooil-will, attributable in a good measure, no doubt, to an inherited national courtesy, but also, as a long residence in Canada has led me to believe, to one real and high advantage, which, together with many deep and sore evils, attaches to the system of the Roman catholic Church. Order, unity, discipline, habitual and nnquestioning conformity to rule, common and fraternal feeling of identity with the religious institutions of t!ie wliole race, — these, although in connexion with superstitions, abnises and corrup- tions, do of themselves produce a favourable effect upon the character and •lemeanour of men. I do not know whether it is worth while to trouble the society with such passing observations as these, which incorporate 23G MEMOIR OF U 5 tliemsulvL'.-; in a mnnner spontaneously with my journal; l)Ut I think tliat the conlenipliition of the efVect.s just mentioned curries with it a \rn'n\ lesson to the protestant world, who might enjoy all iln- blessings wlii( h 1 have enumerated, in conjunction with a pure and scriptural religion, uikI with all those blessings of a higher order which follow in its ti'ain. " The Lac de Chenes which we ascended, is about thirty miles long ; ami after reaching the Chats, corruptly called the Shaws, at its upper t"nniiia- tion, we made two portages, (the men carrying the inverteil canoe and the baggage,) the former of which was above a quarter of a mile in lentith. the latter perhai)S a mile ami a half. The Chats are a series of low water- falls, nine in number, stretching across the tojt of the lake, divided from one another by rocky and wooded islets, between which the foaming and tum- bling waters issue as from so many portals. The effect is singidar and striking. The whole length of the range of falls and islets appears to hv about a mile. Above is a comj)lete labyrinth of wood-clad islets, estiinalci! l)y tlie voyageurs at the numl)er of two hundred, a wilderness of wood and water, without visible bound or seeming choice of cour.se. Mr. Noel, the agent, obligingly carried me beyond his OAvn destination, to a house ot entertainment about twelve miles up the second lake, where I was to sleLp. We entered a room in which a group of canoenien and labourers, a dozen strange-looking and unkempt figures, were crouching over a tire in a rude chinuiey made of rough stones, and looking like a natural cave; they all most resi)ectfully made way, and we were glad to get over the same lin ourselves. They afterwards disposed of themselves on the floor for tlie night, wrapped in the sails of their rafts or canoes, or whatever otlicr integument came to hand, and lying close packed, side by side, like l)odie.« in some crowded cemetery. We passed into an inner room, where we eacli got some kind of bed. "May 19th. I rose again at half-past four, and crossed the hike to Claren- don in my own diocese, a distance of perhaps half a dozen nules, iu ii small row-boat, which they call here a ' bun.' Mr. Strong was obliged t(i remain behind, fearful of not getting back for his Sunday duty at liome. Upon landing in Clarendon, at a spot where there were several scattered settlers along the low margin of the lake, or more or less withdrawn from it, I walked a mile and a half into the interior, to the house of a Mr. II . a respectable young Englishman to whom Mr. Strong had recommended that I should address myself. (Neither I nor an}- other Bishop hud ever been in Clarendon l)efore, the mission having been first established since my last visitation.) It may be mentioned as a specimen of the state of things in the new parts of a colony, that Mr. II went three times to Bytown, a distance of fifty odd miles, to be married, and was only success- ful on the third, the clergymen, on the two former occasions, having been absent upon other calls. I found him exceedingly obliging and attentive : and the first matter to be arranged was to get information circulated G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 237 , where we each cveral scutterec iiloii;,' the hike shore, iip nnd down, appointing a time for liic peniile to iiKH't me at {\w cliureh in the afternoon, since I was a day after my original iippointment, and to procure the means of conveyance for jiroceedin.u: to the church myself, wliicii was six miU'S farliier in tlie interior. MessfM}j;ers were soon t'oiind for the first ol)ject. Tlie otlier was not (piite so vn^y of ;iccomiilisiiment. No part of the neigliliourliood alfordcd a single vcliicle (if any liind upon wheels; the people using ox-sleds for drawing any arti- cles rei(uiring to he moved from place to place, even in summer. Men and lioys were despatched in diilerent direction>, to seek for horses to ride. The lirst which was Itronght was taken from the plough, and it was no ;mall sacritice for his owner to make, although I helieve that it was clieer. fully done, for tlic season was precious for hid lahoiir. He had on the licad-stall of a cart-harness, with its winkers, and a halter underneath. Tlie hriiUe-rein was a piece of rope. The sadiUe was in a condition just to hohl togetlier, and no nnirc. I mounted him at once, feeling it import- ant to pusli on to the church, that notice might he given in good time at some straggling hahitations on the way, and that I might arrive also sufliciently early to have all persons within any practicable reacii col- lected hy notices sent after I should get to my point. Mr. II accom- lianied me upon a mare far gone in foal, whom he was doubtful about taking ; but he had only the choice between this aninnil or none. My servant was left to follow, if a horse should be brought for him, anil was, in that case, to bring my portmanteau, containing my lawn sleeves. I had put up in a carpet bag, which Mr, II was good enough to carry, what might serve to ofliciate with in case of absolute necessity. Our way to tlie church was by a narrow wood-road, between high ragged pines ; there were many bad places, and there was much corduroy ; but the chief liifficulty arose from the necessity of going round the prostrate giants of the forest, thrown down by the storm of Monday and Tuesday, ami lying directly across the road, probably in not less than twenty jdaces in the course of the six miles. This is a sufHciently common occurrence in newly opened roads in the woods; the trees in the dense forest, depending upon each other for support, have no tap-roots, and when the passage of the air is freely let in to act upon them, they are apt to blow over. In these places we had nothing for it but to fight through the younger growtli and the bushes, making a circuit, and so regaining the road ; ])ut when I found tlie nature of these obstructions, I gave up the idea of their being s^iccess- fully combated by my servant with the portmanteau strapped at his back. The Rev. Daniel Falloon lodges in the neighbourhood of the church, which stands upon a road where there is something like a continued line of settlement; and the exi)edient resorted to for circulating notice was to send off the school-children as messengers, who fortunately were at their lessons in the school-house. The appointment now made for service Avas at three in the afternoon, before which time my servant, to my great sur- i ■I '4 '' 1 f n M ;TiV, J, !'ii|l 238 MEMOIR OF prise, nrrivcd. It was very saddciiitij? to think of tlip unavoidahlc disap- poiiitiiii'iit of those i»orsons who wcir hcyond all rcacli of notice, in the to\vii::hij»s of Liolificdd and Ihistol, and who liad rotne jrrcat distances tliroiif,'-ii IjikI roads* to meet nic tlic day hcforc, arconlinff to toy ori^jirial niijinintiuont. Ihit iIrti' was niiicli coinpcnsuticjii in tin- ahicrity niaiiiCcstt'd by all who were accessilde to tlie infonnatiou now st-nt in trav«dlinf? over tlio same (ground again, especially wlien the state of the roads and the poverty of conveyances are considered. Kighty-six had received tickets from Mr. Falloon ; fifly-one were coiitinneil : iilioul forty other persons were present. Two (jf llie subjects for contirmation arrived after the con- clusion of the service, and were then separately confirmed. One of these, a lad barely of sullicient age to be passed, had ])een cmi)loy((l iu the morn- ing running in (piest of liorses for me, anle serviee to the Churcli, corrected many loose and low notions which widely prevailrij, and kept in check many irregular tendencies, should have pusiied tln'ir principles so far beyond the Hue of truth as not only to iin)pa,i,Mte mischief, but to undo to a great extent the good which they had theuiselvcs done; for the avowed dissenters from the Church, and tlie half-dissenling party Avithin her, have now the unhappy advantage i)ut into their huiuls of being able plausil)ly to represent all maintenance of ancient order luul disciitline, reverence in the solemnities of worship, and adherence to primitive views of the Christian ministry, as tending towards pojjcry. In itself, there can be no greater mistake in the world ; for the relaxation which is seen among protestants of some of these points, and their aban- donment of others, constitute the very strength of tiie cause of Rome. I trust, however, that there is a large body of our clergy Avho are neil]ii.r Tractarians nor low Churchmen, and who are equally prepared to make their stand against the insinuating advances of popery, and the disorgan- izing proceedings of schismatics and their abettors.'' Later in the same year, he wrote : u I regret that you lost the opportunity of seeing the consecration of the five Bishops in Westminster Ablwy. I am truly rejoiced that, among other improvements in the Church, the unhappy practice has at last been Ijroken through, of doing in a corner the things which are calculated to excite tlie have—in this department of my duty, at least — exhausted the task ; and that if I am permitted to meet my brethren again in the same way, I may have the comfort of confining myself to topics of simple edification in the plain and unquestioned duties of our holy calling. },ly earnest i)rayer to God, with reference to the last as well as to the daily close of my labour.^, may be expressed in the familiar words of good Bishop Ken, — ' That -with the world, myself, and Thee, I, ere I sleep, at peace may be 1' " (Concluding note of Appendix to Charge o/1848.) G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.I). 251 •v:^^ interest of our Clmrch-iiooitle nnd stren^ftlu'ii tliecausto by their |>iibli(ity/ It is ciinoii3 to sec that many points wliicli, years and years aj,'o, I imnle the subject of thought, aii-round tor utterinjf thr uialedic- tioii. IJut I rejoice that, without my mighty hel[i, the world is opvuiug itieyes to the importance of recovering,' discii)line in the Church, preserving the reverence of public worship in matters of exterior, distin}^uis!iinj4' the cleri^'y as men of God by their proper ecclesiastical habit, throwiu;.^ open to tlie members of the ('hurch at large the high and solemn occasions which are connected with the investiture of her ministers in their sacred oQice, &c., &c." One or two of the rough memoranda here mentioned have been preserved, the date of which is apparently about fifteen or twenty years earlier than that of this letter. Tliey are as follows : — " 1. Disused, or made to deviate from their original intention, Avhich ought to be restored. Deacons. Church clerk. Fasting. Saints' days. Clerical habit (Canon). Religious office for circuit of parish bounds (Homily). Sidesmen and questmen. Excommunication, c^c. Daily service. Separate offices for different hours, containing repetition if blended together, and lengthening forenoon service too much (Collect, ' beginning of this day'). Rubric before communion-service. Manner of women's attendance for churching, making it necessary to prefix a sentence for which there is no rubric. Marriage and baptism not per- formed in the congregation. Inconsistencies and bad effects of this deviation. 2. Corrigenda. Enclosed desks. Desks m body of church. Pews. Manner of kneeling and making * In a letter written at this time, one of his yoimger brothers .says : '• I am so glad that the ncAV Bishops for the colonies are to be consecrated in Westminster Abbty. When did the Abbej' exhibit so interesting a spec- tacle as the setting apart of live, I trust faithful, servants of Christ, for the episcopal office at one time?" N it MEMOIR OF \;\ P ^1 f -1*. (1- , • ii, ,']« responses. Prlrate not 2)ubUc worship. Should face the minister (i.e., tlie east end of the chureh), and visibly and audibly send up one voice. Anthems should bo reserved for particular and rare occasions, cxcei)t in particular con<^rega- tions. A non-sequitur in the second prayer lor the kin;j; at the altar. 3. Works wanted. History of reUgious delusion. Familiar ecclesiastical history. Series of psalms and hynnis adapted to the Sundays and Holy days. Series of sermons on Church government, ordinances, doctrines, lectures on the festivals, to be read (out of the book,) brief and plain ; style more familiar than in MS. Lectures or homilies to be 7'eud on Wednesdays and Fridays in Lent, or on Sunday evening by the deacon, &c., &c., taken in part from the old homilies. The constitution and ordinances of the Church to be distinctly exi>lained in the course of these. The Creed and Command- ments also may be used after catechising, and taken in part from MS." Soon after his return from the lied River, the Bishop had the satisfaction of laying the corner-stone of Bishop's College at Lennoxvillo. This ceremony took place on the 18th Sei> tember, 1844. Mr, Wood had, before this time, seen reason, to the Bishop's great disappointment, to relinquish the idea of taking the charge of the institution, and another clergyman in the diocese, a graduate of Oxford, having declined the offer of it, the Bishop entered into communication with his friends in Eng- land in the hope of procuring the services of a competent person from home. The funds at his command were, however, at this time so small that he could offer no higher salary than £100 a year, and the matter was. therefore, one of great difficulty. A connection of the Bishop's, being a Michel fellow of Queen's College, Oxford, Avas found willing to accept the post on these terms ; but before the arrangement with him was finally completed, the liberality of the Bishop's aged friend, who, upon his attention being particularly drawn to the wants of the diocese of Quebec, sent him £6,000 stg. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. to bo applied at his discretion to their relief (a sum which he thou;^ht should he appropriated unbroken to some one per- manent oliject), enabled him to raise his otler for the services of a princi}vliicli year oUf) persons were confirmed at Montreal on the 2 2nd January, and '21S exactly a month later at Quebec. The settlements on the north shore of the St. Lawrence, between the two cities, were visited on this journey, or soon afterwards, the number of miles travelled being just 500. Ou the 23rd June, the Bishop again left Quebec on a tour through the districts of Montreal and St. Francis, which occupied him till the 1st September. Ilis journal of tliis tour, with a preface con- taining some interesting statistical information, Avas pul)lished by the S. P.G. as No. xviii of the " Church in the Colonies." On Sunday, 5th July, which was one of the hottest days he ever remembered to have felt in his life, the Bishop held an ordination at nine a.m. at Montreal, when his own son was admitted to the diaconate, for which he had not been of age on Trinity Sunday, and his services were immediately re- quired at the quarantine station, where the Bishop always regarded it as " very important, independently of concern for the sick, dying, and bereaved, that the Church should greet settlers belonging to her on their first arrival, and con- nect their first impressions with religious faith and duty." On the same day, the Bishop afterwards attended four other services, preaching four times, and administering the Lord's Supper once (besides at the ordination), " leaving oft' at very nearly the distance of twelve hours from the time at which he • ir i 4 1 ;* ■ 25G MEMOIR OF : i ^ ; i ■ 'in had begun, and Avith hardly more interruption than was necessary for passing from church to church,"* and he says, " I had great cause to be thankful at the close of the day for an additional ])roof of the |)hysical fitness for the labours devolving upon me, -with -which it has pleased God to Idess one of His servants, very sincerely and keenly conscious of much less aptitude for them in other and higher points of view. I felt no fatigue in the least degree hurtful or dis- tressing." While engaged in this visitation, the Bishop received the intelligence of the death of a brother, wliom he de3cril)es as " younger than myself, but far before me in the Christian race." On a letter ■which he had received from him some time previously, he has written : " The last ! might I hope to be ready like thee Avhen I am called!" The visitation of the district of Quebec was completed in the spring and summer of 1847, and that of the whole diocese by a voyage to Gasp<3 late in the autumn of the same year. It is a year much to be remembered in the history of the Canadian Church, as having tested the energy and devoted- ness of her clergy, and their willingness to expose themselves to danger and death for the sake of their brethren for Avhom Christ died. The fever which had been produced in Ireland by famine was imported to Canada, and though it did not spread to any great extent through the country, its ravages among the immigrants in the hospitals and sheds at Quebec and Montreal, and other points where they were collected in any considerable numljcrs. but, above all, at the quarantine station, were fearful. The Church Society of the diocese had always provided for the spiritual wants of the quarantine station by the services of a travelling missionary, who made his head-quarters there in summer ; but this was an excep- * 111 hi,s nioiiiorandii of sermons, I find that in Christmas week, 1844, he preached eight times. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 257 tional year, and even if the strength of the missionary appointed for the season had not given way early, it would have been necessary to make some provision for duties which far overtasked the continuous labours of any one man. The hospitals at Grosse Isle contained accommodation for about 120 or 1 oO patients, but the S'jason had scarcely opened before ten times that number were landed on its shores. All the sheds designed for the accommodation of healthy emigrants were converted into hospitals ; the churches and every available building were soon turned to the same use ; tents were pro- cured, and every possible means used to provide for the sick, who came pouring in by hundreds, and still there was not room enough. The Bishop suggested it to such of the clergy of the diocese as seemed to be most able for the work, to offer themselves for the service, each taking a week. He took the first in the turn himself,* and though everything had been done that the most strained efforts and unwearied energy of the chief authority at the island could possibly effect, there were still hundreds of sick whom it was impossible to remove from the ships. There were about 800 sick afloat, and up- wards of twice that number on shore. From early morning till late at night he devoted himself to the ships and hospitals, leaving those in the tents to the care of the chaplain who had not yet retired from the scene, and passing from ship to ship without allowing himself time for refreshment or repose. He often said that he found refreshment enough in the comfort which the faith and patience, in repeated instances, of the • The same spirit of self-sacrifice prompted him, some year.-! later, when he hoard tliat tlio delay in the appointment of a Bishop of Sierra Lroue arose from the difficulty of finding any one willing to rim the risk, of labouring in a climate which had already proved fatal to more than one occupant of the see, to write to the secretary of the S. P. G. to encpiire whether that difficulty had been surmounted. If thi? had i)roved not to have been the case, lie told me (what no one else ever knew during liis life) thiit he intended to offer himself for the post, that he might " wipe away that reproach from the Church of England." ■:|i. > « .1 ;i li 'm ii 258 MEMOIR OF Ri ' \n s*-» poor sufferers afforded him, though the scenes in which he passed his duys were such as, perhaps, no human being would naturally have recoiled from more. In a letter written from Grossc Isle at this time, he says ; " If it were not for the sense of one's utter inability to do all that is wanted, I would cheerfully give myself up to this kind of work." The wretched condition of the sick in the crowded holds of the vessels, without care or attendance of any kind, may be more easily imagined than described. The state of some of the ships was such that no one else could endure to go below, much less to remain there, and the Bishop was obliged to des- troy the clothes which he wore while engaged among them. He made some very rough notes of the work in which ho was engaged, in which he records the — " General tliankfiilncss in receiving ministrations, occasional examples of faitli, re:>if,niation, patience, and humble devotion, most pleasing. No mnrmnr, no bewailing of condition, l)ut tears in listening to prayers and exhortation. . . . Sunday— System now begun of landing passengers in health. Mr. S — and police collected seventy-five a little before noon. Chose spot in corner of field, under birch trees, affording shade to all. Having put on surplice, l^egan regular service of day ; whole body of worsiiippers knelt upon green grass. First time of officiating :n open air; mill, barn, school-house, prison, private house, borrowed meeting-housoi deck of shi[)s of war, packets, merchant vessels, steamers, schooncrst (officiated in before.) Extreme beauty of day, preached on former part of Ps. cvii., its peculiar appropriateness. . . . 14th. Administered II. C. to Mrs. C. before breakfast; three other communicants in ward partook. She died shortly afterwards. Usual rounds. Sailor visiting shipmates in church informed me of sick on board Lady Gordon. Went on board with him. Found eighteen protestant sick, all presbyterians, thankful to receive my services. Returned and completed rounds, exce])t one or two unim- portant visits. Mr. Torrance's arrival. My joy thereat." Besides the churches, and eighty-nine tents, there wore seventeen large wards in the hospital proper and sheds, and three large buildings in course of construction, one of which, capable of holding about 125 patients, was just ready when the Bishop left the island on the loth June. By this time the arrangements had begun to improve, and the number of immi- G. J. MOUXTATN, D.D. 259 grants to diminish. Yet there was work enough to be done, and misery enough to be witnessod, and the clergy of the diocese were not backward in responding to the call, and following the example, of their Bishop. The majority of those who took their turn caught the fever, but by God's mercy they all recovered except two, who, at the very close of the season, when all expectation of extraordinary danger had passed, voluntarily outstaid their time, neither being willing to leave the other to serve alone. The whole number of clergy who served at Grosse Isle in 1847, including the Bishop, was seventeen, of whom nine took the fever. Of these last, the Rev. J. Torrance, who succeeded the Bishop m June, was one. He was relieved by the Rev. Olficial Mackie, from one of Avhose letters, dated 20th Jane, I make the following extracts : " All the sick had been received on the island, and had been accommo- dated, after a fashion, on Saturday eveninif last. Since then sevonil sliips have arrived, but for the most part, in far difl'eront trim from tiiat Avl\icli your lordship was called upon to v.'itness. It was a perfect treat to inspect the Sohvay. There are upwards of 300 protestauts* in the hospitals, tents, sheds, &c. I visited 185 yesterday, administering to each sucli consolation as I Avas enabled to offer. ... I have been pleased, on the whole, with the hospitals, but the sheds, how shall I describe them? Conceive the improvement which the intense iieat of the last few days was likely to effect in these buildings, such as you recollect them to hav(; been, and yow may form some idea of what th-y are. . . . Some of the nurses, especially the protestant nurses, appear to behave in an exemplary manner, but some of them have become patients tlicmselves vitliin tlie last few days. The nurse — the only nurse — in one of the navf buildings, con- taining ninety-three sick, seems desirous to leave her post. I induced her to remain a little longer, on tlie ground of Ciu'istian duty. One nurse and two orderlies for a hospital of ninety-three patients does seem to l)e small allowance, and yet these hospitals, by contrast, api)ear to be well kept. I was agreeably disappointed on visiting them for the first time, and am still of opinion that wonders have been done by Dr. Douglas. . . . The ^ M * The lloman catholic and protestant patients were all intermixed, which greatly increased the labours of the clergy of the Church of England. Ill wj^''n i'. 260 MEMOIR OF ^^^ v^ t Hi i. •i. - 4 ■ •Jm! xiiMS* cry for wine and milk is very general — painfully so ; and yet yesterday's supjily of milk was 158 gallons, and the steward informs me that a pint of milk and half a pound of meat a day is the average allowance for each adult, and that about twelve dozen of wine are consumed in a week. . . . I am tliaukful to say that I am in good health. I do not very well see how I can remain longer tlian the time which yonr lordship fixed in your last letter, but, of course, should God spare me in life, I will again share in the duty of the mission." One clergyman died of fever at Quebec, another at Mon- treal, and a third at St. John's. The whole summer was a most anxious one for the Bishop, and in a letter written on a short tour for confirmations, undertaken in July, he says : " It is most painful to me to lie away from Quebec wlien there is such a time of trial for tlie clergy, and such an extraoi'dinary demand for clerical service; audi cannot heli) feeling very anxious still about ^Ir. Torrance, though I cling to the hope that God will .spare him to us, lest we ' shoidd 'J have sorrow upon sorrow.' I feel uneasy, too, lest anything should have kept Mr. R(dlit from coming down, but as I believe that I am doing my duty in coming into this part of the country, I must endeavour to be reconciled." The Bishop took a second week at Grosse Isle in August, and though the state of things had greatly improved, there was enough still to move his pity, as may be gathered from the following " specimens of familiar scenes " then witnessed, and roughly noted down : " We liave neither father nor mother, and none to take care of us (two little orphans sitting on ground). People brought ashore opposite cluirch cry for water. Old man cruAvling, in his filthy shirt, out of bed on hands and knees, with his pot to get water out of a dirty ditch. Bedless persons in tents ; saw two lying on wet ground in rain, one a woman very ill, with head covered up in her cloak, on a bed of rank wet weeds. Bundle of rags lying on floor of tent ; orphan covered up within, dying, and covered with vermin from head to foot, unowned, and no connection to be traced (this the case with other orphans also) ; gave his name in sharper voice tlian could have been looked for from the little exhausted object, without uncovering himself; voice came out of the rags. Inmates of one tent, three widows and one widower, with remnants of their families, all bereft of their partners on the passage. Filth of person, accumulated in cases of diarrhoea. Three orphans in one little bed in corner of tent full ^■1 G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 261 Oman very ill) of baj^gage and boxes, one of the three dead, lyinj? by his sick sister. Dead boy under the tree, who passed on foot, in a division of sick, from east end, and sat down to die on his roail. . . . Ditreroiice in state of religit)iis knowledge among lower orders since time of my entering tho ministry. General uc(iiiaintance with grand articles, &c., and often happy dependence, without presumption or fanaticism. Sailors. Visited three ships. Protestant sick, extremely few on board. Upwards of 2,000 sick, of whom perhai)3, not much more than one-tenth are protestants.'" • The triennial visitation, which was in some dcirrce inter- rupted by these events, was closed, as already mentioned, by a voyage to Gaspe, a passage having been procured in a steamer belonging to the Trinity House. One hundred and thirty-eight persons were confirmed in the district, making a total of eighteen hundred and ninety-seven in the triennial circuit, of Avhom one thousand one hundred and sixty-two were confirmed at thirty-eight confirmations in the district of Montreal, and the remainder at forty confirmations in what is now the diocese of Quebec. Ten churches and five burial- grounds were consecrated. The number of places at which confirmations were held, was considerably greater than in the previous visitation, as the number of stations occupied by * Since this was written, the following passage has been pointed out to me in an account of a speech delivered by the late Lord Klgin, in 185G, on behalf of the Memorial ("hurch at Constantinople : " It was not intended, by erecting this building, to encroach on any other Church. There is one kind of proselytism which it may promote — the iuHuence which is exercised over the mind of strangers by the spectacle of Christian worshij) in a j)uro and simple form, and by good examples of Christian practice. His Lord- ship concluded by paying a touching comj)liment to the Bishop of Quebec, and related an instance of the efl'ect produced on eye-witnesses l)y the Bisliop's unwearied and fearless attention to those patients who were sick with the plague in the (piarantinc station at Grosse Isle." — Mission Field, June, 1856. I may, perhaps, be pardoned for mentioning here tlie effect produced by the Bishop's character on another nobleman who also tilled the office of Governor General of Canada, and who said that before he knew him, he had not thought it possible that so strong a feeling could be entertained for any one with whom his opportunities of iutercouse had been 30 slight. % T^. 4 ? 1 i % * ■" ■- 'i J- -■ h' ■ ■^^t\ u 262 MEMOIR OF ■I It m 15 * H :;■( '?» resident missionaries increased, though no new missions liad been opened, with the exception of Granby and Sherrington. Confirmations were held at seven places for the first time, two of which had never before been visited hj a Bishop. At two places visited in 1844, in the heart of the French poimla- tion, no confirmation was now held. At the beginning of 1847, the number of clergy in the diocese was seventy-eiglit, of whom fifty-two were missionaries of the S. P. G. Tliey served two hundred and twenty stations, exclusive of those visited by travelling missionaries. It was on his return from Gaspd, in this year, via New Brunswick, — the season being so far advanced as to make it a matter of difficulty to reach Quebec by any other route, — that the Bishop paid his first visit, mentioned in an earlier chaiiter, to his old flock at Fredericton. On his way thence to Quebec, he also paid his first visit to Bishop's College, after the building had been completed and occupied, where he had the comfort, also for the first time, of being received under the roof of one of his own children. He reached home in time to hold an ordination on All Saints' Day, when one bearing his own name was admitted to the diaconate, and another advanced to the priesthood. The fourth triennial visitation of the clergy was held at Montreal, in July, 1848, at which sixty-one clergymen were present, one of whom, having come from Gaspd by land, had travelled 700 miles for the purpose, nearly all the way on horseback. Their numbers had just been reinforced by the ordination, on Trinity Sunday, of seven deacons and three priests. Speaking of this visitation, the Bishop said, " I felt very strongly the arduousness and responsibility of my posi- tion, at the head of so widely scattered a body, with so many difficulties to contend with, but comforted and encouraged, at the same time, to see so goodly an assembly of my brethren around me, from many of whom I might learn lessons of duty, and to reflect that our number in Lower Canada has consider- G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 2G3 H ably more than doubled sincu I delivered my primary charge ten years ago." The Bishop thus alluded, in his charge, to the events of the preceding year : — " My IJeveuend liiiETniiKN, " Tlic liist uot'iisiou uj)()ii whicli we were pennitted to meet in visitation, wii.s niiii'iveil, iiri most amuiig you will remember, liy mi exeeeiliiigly iiwt'iil jiiitilie eahuiiity, upon the spot wliere we were assemhleil. We stood in the midst of yet smolving ruins, — tiie seeoud conllaj^ration, which within iv month after tlie first devastated tlie ancient metropolis of tiic jjrovince, havinj-- just freshly occurred. Alas ! there is a deeper {rloom lujw thrown over our meetin}^ : Ave meet under the elfects )irouj;ht home to our own body, of a far sailder sc(Uir<^'e from the hand of our (iud. W'c look for the fiuniliar faces of some of our brethren in the ministry of the Chlirch, who, uccording to all human calculation, Avould have been among us to-day — but gaps have been made in the circle : — they are gone, and their i)laee i3 nowhere found upon earth. A recent stroke has added one to the UKjurnful list of the victims of the past year — a strolve the more felt Itecause unex- pected; for circumstances, which are of itublic notoriety, have diuiinished the extent and altered the character of emigration from Ireland, and the amount of sickness and the number of deaths at the quarantine station, during the attendance of our lately deceased brother, so far from resem- bling the state of things which marked the summer of 1847, was, beyond all [irecedent, small — (in fact, oidy one death among the protestant patients had occurred at the station when he left it) — added to which, the ample provisions wdiich, in consequence of the severe lesson of a former season, have been made by public authority to meet the demands of the case, and the admirable regulations which have l^een established in the hospitals, have sensibly lessened the danger of infection, which I believe to be less at this moment tiian in any former year.* Vet, so it has been ordered l)y the wis- dom of God that, although with the exception of the memorable aflliclions of last year, it had never happened that we lost a clergyman in this service, the very first of our faithful volunteers who now undertook it, has already fallen. ' I'recious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.' Honoured be the names among men, and dear be the memories of those devoted ser- vants of God who counted not their lives dear unto them, while ministering * This opinion has been since justified by events. No other clergyman, no medical gentleman, nor any of the subordinate functionaries and attend- ants at the island, have contracted fever up to this date (the middle of September). The number of protestant interments during the whole sum- mer has been eighteen. "ifti i: i* I ta 264 MEMOIR OF !\' i;: i i ! Vh ^i to their humbler bri'lhrcn in scenes of deutli and horror, and who, mi-lan- choly and ffrii'votis ns iiiis been tlie IopS to tlieir families and frienils, imve themselves finished tlieir course vitli joy and gone to their reward in CIuMst. To me, I hardly need point out that as I wus to a certain extent concerned in causing this exposure to danj^er of such among our niartvr- clergymen (in this sense) as contracted the disease at the (^larantine Island (l)eing one-half of the whole niuul»er who have died), there is liere an aggravation of poignancy in the sorrowful sense of our loss. Vet sutler me to UK'nticju some comfort which I have derived from the thouglit not only that our clergy, Avith no suggestion from their Bishop, Avere found at the post of danger in every other spot where the fever iJrcvuiled, and that the case, therefore, was not i)eculiar of those to whom I proposed last vt ar (of course witliout enjoining it), a share of the (piarantiiie duty ; hut also tliat even iucliuling those who served at that station, there was not one vie- tim who fell simjjly in the execution of the duty which I had indicated. Tiie established term of duty was only for a weel; — the two wiio \\■^'^■^• liikcu from us last autumn, both voluntarily out-staid their time, — one of them liy his own express and earnest desire had remained six weeks at the Islauii. — and, in hunuui probability they might, but for their spontaneous exten- sion of their term of service, have been hero among us this day. With reference to the present season, you are aware, my brethren, tiiat 1 made no suggestion whatever to individuals upon the subject, — the oeciu'reners to which I am hero iidverting having caused me to shrink from assuming siuli a responsibility. " Deeply as we must deplore the loss of so many valuable lives, and se- verely as it must tell upon the interests committed to us, there can, f think, be but one sentiment, when the case is fairly and fully considered, respect- ing the plain duty lying upon the Cinu'ch to siqiply the service in cpiestion, It Avould have been monstrous, it would have been outrageous, to leave the protestant sulferers at Grosse Isle, after our chaplain became disablcti, untended by the ministry of the Gosjjel ; and no means existed to supply this want, but in the succession of visits from clergymen at a distance. Upwardiiof five thousand four hundred bodies Avere buried in the Island during the single summer of 1847. In such a scene of death and human wretchedness, dreadful beyond conceiition in some of its details, aiul uusur passed in the annals of history, it was not the part of the Church of Eng- land to leave her people to die like dogs, or to deny to the bereaved and desolate survivors, to the helpless ori)hans and the heartbroken widow.^, who multiplied from day to day upon tlie Island, the soothing nnnistrations and the seasonable care and counsel of her faithful pastors. Among the sick and dying themselves, there were, no doubt, many examples of a con- dition in which, from the operation of dilFerent causes, the nunistralions of the Church can be of little avail — but even in these it was a satisfaction to be at hand and to do all of Avhich the case might admit — while in a vast G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 2G5 multitude of other instiincesi, the cU'rgy, I well know, and I may iippoal to brethren who iin; liere present — I niiffht appeal t(; tiic tcrttiinony of those who arc gone, ami the assurances of tlie hnt (»f whom, to tliis very elt'eet, are, as it were, still sinindinji in my ears, — tiie eler^ry, 1 well know, are prepared to say tluit they found tiieir laliours most alfoction- ately ajipreciated, and, as they had reason to hope, prolital)ly ajiplied ^that their presence was hailed and the return of tiieir visits was lon^a'd for by the lauj(uishinj? sufferers among wliom, from building to building and from tent (o tent and from ship to siiip, they made tlicir unci using rounds, — and that a gleam of joy, — yes, and not seldom of holy ji>y, — would light up the .sunken or all but clusing eye, at seeing, charged perlia|i.s with the saered inemorials of tiie sacrifice upon the Cross, the messeiig^'r and representative of Him Who, in the days of His flesh, ' Himself took oiu- infir- mities and bore our sicknesses'; ' Who went about doing good and healing all tliat were o]i|)ressed of the devil '; and Wiio, inlaying down His life for us all, bciiueallii'd to us the lesson, as wo are exjjressly taugiit, although our di-aths cannot make the purchase of souls, that we ' ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.' The case here in our contemplation has be. 41 practically recognized by the clergy of this diocese as constituting such a call : they have not all taken a shar^- in the task — it was not needed, it was not i»os- iible, that they should, — nor is any inferiMice to ha made on tiiis account in the way of unfavourable comparison — but in every i)lace wher • the call existed, clergymen of tlu' Church have been found to respond to it— and may (fod give ys all grace, more and more, to appropriate the language of the holy Apostle, in this or in any otlier case, siiould it ever aris:-, seeming to involve a risk of life in the cause of ('hrist, ' Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacriiice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all.' ' " I have been prompted to make these observations, because among the laity of the diocese, who lament the loss of their i lorgy, and who have not personally witnessed the exigencies whicli called them into scenes of danger, there have been questions raised, here and there, respecting the expediency or even justifiablcness of their being so employed ; and rcfc^r- ence, as I suspect, has in some instances been made to a Canon (tlie (j7th) which exempts a clergyman from any corupulsory attemhince uiioii persons in his parish labouring umler maladies which are known or i)robabiy sus- pected to be infectious. The rubrics, however, in the Oflice of the Visita- tion of tlie Sick, which I conceive to bo decidedly the preferal)le autiiority of the two, plainly suppose the attendance of the clergy, even in the dead- liest prevalence of plague. Would it not have l)een a reproacli — a disgrace would be the more appropriate term — to the Church of England, to have left all the sick and dying protestants at the Quarantine Island to the caro and instruction of priests of the Church of Rome, never slackening in their labours, never shrinking from their task, never abating in ilieir zeal for i| it ) iH tigWtlBiMt r I Tiii II y >■ 26G MEMOIR OP m\' M proH(^lytism, and, in the case wliicli wc arc siipposinp, Imvitig all tlip inlvan- tuge accniiii}^ tioiii a (lisruiiraj^L'd or ('xas|K'rat<'il fVelirig of tlio iirotcstuat paticiild on acconnt of the nejrlect with whieh tliey were treated l)y their own Chiircli? Would it not have been a reproach, would it not liave been a disj^i aee, would it not have Ix-en an inilelihle, an everlasting^ stain in tiie paf^i'M of our iiistory in tiie eolony, if, while physicians ami ninj^'istratcs iind nurses and policemen and grave-(lijr^ers were found capal)le of hravinj,' the danger, and wliih- mere secidar motives prevailed to engage some of these parties in their respective service at the Island, or in other places witiiin tlie province where fever-hospitals were established, the eleri.'y of tlie (!hnrcii of England had turned their backs >ipon tiie scene of dcatli and sorrow, and had shut tlieir ears against the cry of the sicl< for their ministry, and the wuil of the widow, needing to hear the words of life and pea(!e ? <' Tlie clergy who served at the Island had a sufficiently hard service to perforin ; and in the confusion of last sMinmer, from the overwhelming Hood poured in of misery and disease, and the imperfect provisions whieli were at command for meeting the emergency, — the sick dying at one time liy wholesale from the mere want of attendance, and the entire establishment, notwithstanding an incessant watclifiilness, and a wonderful degree of energy and administrative skill exhibited by the chief authority upon tlie Spot itself, being carried on for a long time by strained exiiedieiits and inadecpiate shifts, — it was not easy to provide for the comfort and accom- modation of the clergy, in such a manner as might have been desired. Hut if any idea has been suffered to go abroad that the illness of the clergy was liable to aggravation from any oversight in these points, the means are not wanting emphatically to contradict it. The diocesan Church Society and other authorities concerned did their utmost to provide all that was need- ful in this behalf. The society charged itself unliesitatingly with the expenses to be incurred for the object, as Avell as with all the expenses to which the clergy were subjected by their visits to the Island ; including, in the case of those in whom the fever appeared after their return home, the charges of their medical advisers ; but the Government ultimately took the whole upon itself, and the society was reimbursed, " It may be proper for the clergy to know that, a public fast having been observed at home in consecpience of the calamities of Ireland, and com' munication of the form adopted having been made to the Bishops of these colonies, (in some of which it was foUoAved out in practice), I did not fail strongly to nrge the issue of a proclamation for the same purpose, during the prevalence of the fever among ourselves ; but objections were found to exist which I did not succeed in my endeavours to overrule. " In parting with this subject, I cannot forbear to express the tlianli- fulness which we all ought to feel in seeing now among us some of our brethren who were, in consequence of their share in these labours of love, ;-'l T all the ;iilvan- :' the iin)ti'stiiiit touIlmI Ity their t not liiivc bocn iiig stain ilk the mil iiiii^'istnitcs )iil)k! »)!' bniviiij^ i-ngaj^L' some of ill other places hed, tliared to us, lest, in their ca>"eg, we 'should have sorrow up(Ui sorrow,' — iind spurud, ud we hope, foryuurd of usefulness in the husbandry of (Jod." After the visitation at Montreal, the Bishop paid a visit to a rude and scehided settlement, in reaching which an hour and a quarter were occupied in making a distance of three miles. The clergyman lived in "two little unpainted rooms: his dinner consisted of a [)late of fried salt pork, and another of potatoes, with bread and butter, both very good, a jug of milk, and another of water; such fare he was content to live upon." In one of his letters to the S. P. G., at this date, the Bishop says, with reference to the general condition of the diocese, " There are some i)leasing incidents and promising appear- ances, but it is not all a sunny or smiling landscape. There are difficulties, perplexities and discouragements enough, and something more than enough, for powers such as mine, but I still hold on by the hope that while it is the will of God to keep me at the post I shall not be wholly deserted or left to myself." •1 •It k I : it w— B 208 MEMOIR OF ■I. I * - -" ( ,|> •'-■ H -I CHAPTER XA^III. Re-a]>i)caraiu'C of cholera at Quebec — Preparations for synodical action — Meetinjjj with the Bislioj) of Toronto — Erection of a see at Montreal, and ai'rival of tlie new Uirfho)) — Triennial circuit continued — Visit to the Magdalen Islands — Statistics. In 1840, the cholera rc-appcared at Quebec, and the Bisliop thought it a fitting time to establish a daily early morning service, althougb the mortality did not at all approach the number which it had reached even in 1834. The comnfimity sustained some very severe losses. Among these the Bishop had to deplore his faithful friend and counsellor, before men- tioned, the Hon. A. W. Cochran. In all matters relating to legal affiiirs, and in many other points, the Bishop found another sincere friend and adviser after this loss, and this he always regarded as a special cause for thankfulness. The best legal advice that could be obtained in Lower and in Upper Canada was always ready in the cause of the Church, and afforded in the most disinterested manner. Towards the close of 1849, the Bishop, who very rarely indeed took any part in political affairs, felt it his duty to print, for private cir- culation among members of the Church, some " Thoughts on Annexation," Avhich he had originally drawn up in the sliape of a pastornl letter. The necessity, however, for sending it forth in this form had happily passed away before it ;!ould be issued, but he was anxious, as far as possible, to exhibit the duty of churchmen towards the Church and Realm of England, to which he was himself thoroughly and devotedly iflical action — Aloutreal, iuid — Visit to the I the Bishop I'ly moi'iiing pproach the 3 comiifiinity ) the Bisliop before raen- ;ers relating Jishop found and this he ihiess. The )wer and in the Church, Towards the ed took any • private cir- Ihoughts on in the sluipc sendiu!^ it 'ore it ;^ould le, to exhibit id Reahn of d devotedly G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 2G9 attached, and to dissuade them from being carried away by any passing excitement of discontent. The two great institu- tions, for the establishment of which he liad laboured so long, were both noAV fairly established, and, by God's bless- ing, prospering. But they still demanded a large share of his time and thought, as well as frequent journeyings to Lennoxville and ^Montreal, the former not ])eing, fur several years after the date we have nov^ reached, accessible by railroad. The college, indeed, Avas at this time in temporary difficulty of a financial kind, but this was met, partly by a subscription of £250 a year for three years, raised in a few days at Quebec, and partly by the voluntary sacrifice, l)y all the professors, of a portion of their salaries. In reference to this, the Bishop Avrote to the S. V. G. : '' The college has received a check, but it has been met by a spirit of faith and resolution on the part of those Avhose private interests are immediately aftccted: they are willing to do all they can to recover, by prudence and exertion, what the institution has temporarily lost, and are prepared, if they must suffer, to suffer cheerfully, and still to do their duty as hei-' tofore." But there Avas another object, and one of Avider interest, an- other need AA^hich had been long felt, to provide for Avhich matters began noAV to be put in train. In his charge delivered in 184B, the Bishop referred to " the grievous detriment done in many Avays to the Church, by the denial to her of her inherent privilege to meet, by her accredited rejjrescntatives, in stated and solemn deliberation, Avhether in general or diocesan synods, upon her OAvn affairs, and souk^ peculiar consequences of this anomaly affecting the colonial branches of the Church," in Avhich " a Aveight of labour and res[)onsi- bility, often very oppressive and very disheartening, is thrown, as things noAV are, upon individual Bishops, of Avhich they ought to be relieved, as Avell by opportunities of ref 'i-ence to the great council of the Church at home, as by the collective Avisdom of both prelates and clerical deputies Avithin the i I'* . .- i !i 270 MEMOIR OF %': [ti i » % i colonies, assembled in the same formal manner, and seeking, in united supplication, the guidance of the Spirit of truth and love." In the liope of maturing some plan for the accom- plisliment of this great object, he was engaged in corres- pondence -with the other North American Bishops, now five in all, that a preliminary conference might he held on the subject. This took place two years later, as Ave shall presently see. Since the departure of Bishop Stewart, a few days after his own arrival at Quebec in 1836, he had not seen the face of a brother Bishop of the Anglican Church, until he visited Fredericton in 1847. It was in 1849 that he met the Bishop of Toronto, for the first time after his consecration ten years previously : they met when each was eniia^ed in administerinu; confirmation on the Ottawa, where it is spanned by a bridge. " Their opportunities of conversa- tion were brief, but the mutual greeting was cordial, and no inconsiderable interest attached to their interview." It was in this year, too, that the efforts he had used for the establish- ment of a bishopric in Prince Rupert's Land, were brought to a happy issue,* and he began more earnestly than ever to labour for the farther division of his own diocese. The S.P.G. resolved, in April, " in compliance with his urgent and fre- quently-repeated recommendations" to do its part towards the establishment of a see at Montreal. The Clergy Reserves, of which the administration had been confided to the Crown Lands Department of the provincial Government (the Clergy Reserve Corporation having been dissolved), had become available, to a very small extent, in Lower Canada. An accumulated sum of about X9000, in addition to the an- nual revenue, had been placed at the disposal of the S. P. G., * In his letters to the S. P. G., on hoarinp; of this, he says, " I bless God to learn tlial my prayers liave been iieanl, (though better prayers than mine have been given for tlie attainment of tlie ol)ject) on l)ehalf of lied Hivcr. * ♦ • It is a measure of special interest to me, and I am full of thankful- ness that it has been accomplished." G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 271 the legal trustee of the fund, and the Bishop proposed that this block sum should form the nucleus of an endowment fund for two bishoprics in Lower Canada. The urgency of the case seemed now, however, so great that it was projjosed to pro- vide at once for the new see. But the Secretary of State for the Colonies objected to its appropriation for this object, while no provision existed for the endowment of the see of Quebec itself, and it was accordingly arranged that it should be so applied instead, and allowed to accumulate during the con- thmance of the parliamentary grant. The Society, however, took immediate measures for raising, by private subscription, a sum for the endowment of the proposed new see, on behalf of which a special appeal was issued by the Council for colo- nial bishoprics, on the 12th March, I80O. This appeal was so successful, that on St, James' Day, in the same year, the present MetropoHtan of Canada was consecrated at West- minster abbey, to the great joy*' and relief of him who surrendered to him the title of Bishop of Montreal, receiving himself fresh letters patent appointing him to the see of Quebec, which he had administered for fourteen years. The new Bishop arrived in Canada on the 11th September, and was met, on first setting foot in his diocese, by the Bisliop of Quebec and a large number of clergy at St. John's, where * In a letter to the secretary S. P. G., dated lOtli Aut. Francis. " I got into conversation with some women and children who were gathered round the stove, the weather being most intensely cold, and I observed one little girl ])arefooted. I asked the mother how she had i)rotected the child's feet, in bringing her to the church. She told me that she had wrapped a (luilt round them. I afterwards saw the father bringinir up the vehicle to the church door in Avhich his family Avere conveyed. It was drawn by oxen, Avith a yoke only, and was a sleigh of that description which is called an ox-sled, consisting simply of the runners and a bottom, Avith- out sides, back, or front. U[ion this was spread a bundle of hay in Avhich the Avife and all the children nestled as best they might. The family Avere from Suffolk." lieferring to Bishop's College, in Avriting to the S. P. G., the ]iisho}) says, " I have so often mentioned the grounds of thankfulness to God, the Giver of all good, Avhich exist hi rela- tion to this institution, that, although my soul overfioAvs more and more Avith a sense of these blessings, I must put some restraint upon the repented expression of it." The visitation Avas contiinied through the districts of Quebec, Three Rivers, and Montreal, m Jiuie, July, Sep- tember, and October. During part of it the Bishop Avas accompanied by the Kev. Ernest HaAvkins, secretary of the S. 1*. G., Avho Avas then on a visit to Canada, and Avbo took part in the services at the consecration of two churches on the Ottawa. Three churches and four burial-grounds Averc consecrated, in addition to those already mentioned. Early in 18r)0 another journey Avas undertaken, involving an absence from (Quebec of a month, for the purpose of holding confir- mati(ms on the river Chaudiere and in the county of Megantic, as Avell as an ordination of five deacons and a priest at Lcn- noxville, Avhen an a[)pointment Avas made to the now mission of Dudswell, in preparation for Avhich the Bishop) had again 274 MEMOIR OF r ) ^ ^ iVi 'i. ■ 1 ' . -"> passed a Sunday at that place. Shortly after liis return to Quebec, the churches immediately north of Quebec were visited, and in one of them (Lake Beauport) conFirraation was held for the first time. In tliese journeys thirteen confirma- tions Averc required for 171 persons. The most remarkable feature, however, of this triennial circuit Avas the Bishop's visit, in 1850, to the Ma^'dalen Islands, lying about GOO miles from Quebec. These islands had originally been annexed to the colony of Newfoundland, and since their connection Avith Canada there had been so little direct communication Avith them, their trade beinir carried on almost exclusively Avith Nova Scotia and Prince Edward's Island, that scarcely anything had been known of them at Quebec. They lie nearer to Cape Breton, Prince EdAvard's Island, and NcAvfoundland,* than to any part of Canada. The Bishop had made entpiiries at different times respecting them, but had never been able to learn that there wore any other inhabitants than the Acadians, Avho are all Romanists. In the year 1847, hoAvcver, Mr. Bowen, a resi- dent judge in the district of Gaspe, having visited the islands on circuit, discovered a small number (125 in all, including children) of protestants, Avholly destitute of the public means of grace, and though a very few belonged to the Church of England, he immediately reported the matter to the Bishop. It is only in summer that the islands are accessible, and the next summer a clergyman was sent over Avith the judge from Gaspe, to ascertain the Avants of the population. His visit, hoAvever, Avas unfortunately cut short by the illness of the judge, Avhich necessitated his return to Gasp6. No other cler- gyman Avas disposable in 1849, and the Bishop himself Avas engaged in visiting other portions of his diocese. In 1850, however, he determined to see these foAv sheep in the Avildcr- * One part of the Islands is a few miles nearer to a point in Antlcosti than to Newfoundland, but Anticosti is uninhabited except by lighthouse- keepers. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 275 ncss with his own eyes, and after great difficulty in finding the means of conveyance, he at Inst eml^arked, on the '2i')lh. June, in a small hrigantine bound for Halifax, the captain undertaking to land him at the islands, which lay in his course. Towards evening on the 3rd July, they approached the islands, but as the coast was unknown to the captain, he could not venture very near, except in daylight. The wind was favour- able for the prosecution of his voyage to Halifax, and the Bishop, with his usiud consideration and self-forgetfulness, proposed to the captain to transfer him and his baggage to a small fishing-schooner which happened to be in the neigiibour- hood. It was an unpainted, "oughly-finished craft of thirty tons, " abundantly rcrio' 'i' •f ^' d, and manned by six Aca- dian fishermen, as unLoiiiOt ond, as dirty a set of beings ag could Avell be pictured to the fancy." In a letter describing this voyage, the Bishop says, " The wind was damp and chilly : but not relishing the idea of what was considered to be the cabin, I wrapj)ed mine auld cloak about me, and sitting down upon the little hatchway, remained conversing with the man at the helm. I could not help thinking, as ho sat bestriding the tiller, with gleams of light thrown partially upon his figure from the mouth of tlic hatchway to which he was opposite (there being a small fire, and a miserable, greasy, blackened lamp burning below), especially when Placide, a young lad belonging to the crew, brought him, at his command, a coal in the tongs to rekindle his pipe, which helped to discover his beard of about a week's growth ; — 1 could not help thinking what a subject I had before me for the pencil. I felt myself, altogether, in rather a strange situation. I had come upon this occasion without a single companion or attendant, and here I was, now a grey-headed Bishop of the Church of England, having tumbled, as it weix', into this rude little French fishing-vessel which crossed my way by chance, driving along, in a dark night, upon the waters of the gulf, and seeking to effect a landhig, where I knew not, but i , 27G MEMOIR OF If • Ui i I i tth, Wi V I: anywhere upon the islands, wliich I had never visited hcfore, upon which I did not know a Hvin;^ soul, and after setting my foot u|)on which I shoidd be at a loss how to proceed or what direction to take, in order to find the persons who could put tliin,i!:s in train for mo to accomplish the o])jects of my visit. I v /A Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 %" o^ > I;' ;■ i ™ 1 !ffi*i ^?f 4 ' ■i\ h 280 MEMOIR OF Grosso Isle was reached in safety, and " my friend Isaac," the liishop says — " Conducted me to a liouso where I was to take up my quarters. The master was away for tlie summer, hsliiufr ou the Labrador coast, but liis wife did her best to lodge aud eutertaiu me. The poor woman had four young children, and the whole house consisted of only one room ; there was, however, a partition across nearly half of it, which served to screen each of the Vjeds from the view of the persons occupying the other. Kvery thing bespoke poverty, with a total absence of all approach to comfort or attempt at onlerly arrangement. My hostess, however, soon busied herself in heap- ing upon the embers (jf the hearth some fragments of dry fir trees with the branches left uiton them, of which there was a deposit on one side of the room ; and having lirst kneaded her flour, proceeded to bake a large fliit loaf, which she gave me hot, with pretty good butter and a cup of tea, apologizing for having neither sugar or molasses to sweeten it. * ♦ ♦ Means were soon found (jf inviting the attendance of the whole settlement at divine service at seven o'clock the next morning. By about half-past seven the people were all assembled, and numbered, children included, upwards of fifty. The first who came in had made arrangements for seating the congregation upon boards re-^ting ui)ou boxes or other articles in the house. If there were two prayer-books in the settlement, I do not think there was a third, and nobod}' was prepared to make the responses. All seemed well-atl'ected and thankful to see me. After the prayers I preached to them. ♦ * « I folt a great and anxious desire to set the seal of the covenant upon the children, but the ca.sos of tliose who were upon the verge of being youths I directed to be reserved for the future oi)i)ortunily of adult baptism by another hand, explaining that they would be previously sub- jected to a course of instruction and examination. Hue woman would gladly have brought me some subjects for the rite, but in despair of our ministrations, she had taken her three children, born since her removal to the islands, to be baptized by the Romish priest at House Harbour. Seven children were presented to me, of whom four were infants in arms. I then proceeded to distribute the books and tracts which I had selected and arranged for the purpose. There was only one family in the settlement witliout a Bible, and I sujiplied, besides this, two otliers whose Bibles were worn out ; so far a pleasing fact, as it was an evidence of their having been used. I distributed five prayer-books, being half of what I had left from the supply brougiit from Quebec. I could not be otherwise than full of thankfulness, for it was a happy and interesting day to me and to these poor people. Never since their first establishnu nt in this rude, sequestered, and isolated corner, — never once in the twenty-two years which had elapsed, had any religious service been performed among them, — never had the children seen a protestant minister, or Avitnessed any form of publio G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 281 id Isaac," artcra. The jast, but Ilia nan had four 1 ; there was, screen each Every thing rt or atteinpt rseU'in heap- rees with the le side of tiie e a large flat a cup of tea, t. * ♦ * )lc settlement out li!ilf-i>a3t ren included, its for seating irticles in the do not think iponse.-!. All rs I preached le seal of the pon the verge unity of adult eviously sub- Aoraau would .esiiair of our r removal to Ibour. Seven larms. I then selected and lie settlement le Bibles were having been lad left from than full of land to these sequestered, which had , — never had rm of publio worship, or even any kind of religious ministrations, unless those of a Romish priest who came up from House Harbour to bury the cfore, but I re- member only one or two instances in which it was permitted to me to 1)0 the first herald of the Gospel of any kind who had appciircd in a settlement ; and here was one where years had rolled away and infants had grown up to legal years of discretion, and not only the sound of the church-going bell, but tlie sound of the preacher's voice, had never been lieard among the peoiile. The wreck to which I have adverted took place in 1847, tlie same sadly memorable year in which such scenes of horror were to be witnessed at the quarantine station below Quebec, from the rnging fever which was the consequence of the Irish famine. In the vessel wivcke(l at East Cape there were four hundred Irish emigrants, and disease and death were doing their work among them before the catastrophe iiccurre(l. Many bodies which had been thrown overboard were washed ashore in the storm, and many survivors landed only to die. A man who is a sort of patriarch in the settlement received into his house, barns, and out-buildings as many as they could possibly contain. He fed them, as far as his means would go, with his seed-potatoes and his stock of herring. He and his family caught the fever, and his wife fell a victim to it. About one hundred of the emigrants were drowned in attempting to land." It was the 11th July before the Bishop was able to reach Entry Island. Immediately on his landing, he sent round notice of service to be held at seven o'clock, p.m., but it was eight o'clock before all the people could be assembled. "Thei'c was a little question about lights. There was in the house neither candle nor oil for the kind of lamj) which is in more common use than candles. Three candles, however, Avere ])rocured from neighl)()ur?, not all from the same house. One was set in a candlestick, one forced into the lamp, and one stuck in the neck of a bottle. By means of these liglits Mr. Muncey," (who had accompanied the Bishop from his own house, to which he had returned from Grosse Isle) " and one of the settlers who undertook to assist him in singing, were accommodated as well as myself. The arrangements for the congregation were the same as those at Grosse Isle. Forty-two persons were present, children include only one house, I believe, without a Bible. It was within an hour, or le?s, of niidnip^ht when all was closed. It was past midnipht when, having retired to my little apartment, I heard thronph the partition a younf.' eliild whom the ])arents had taken over with them to the service, answerinjr a string of short, jilain, elementary questions upon scriptural truths, and then saying tlie Lord's i)rayer. Friday, 12th July. I breakfasted with the family at whose house I had sle])t, and had morning pcaycrs with them, with some exposition of part of a chapter, whieii I rather lengthencil for the sake of an aged woman, the great-grandmother of the children, who had not been over to the service of the night before, and wiio was extremely deaf I placed her close to myself, and raised my voice so tjiat she distinctly heard me. An infant child was brought to me here for baptism by its parents, who had been unable to attend the jjublic service." From Entry Island the Bishop went to Amherst Harbour, to make arrangements for crossing to the main land of Gaspo. This was no easy matter, but he at last succeeded in charter- ing a schooner, in which, on Sunday morning, 14tli July, he sailed back to Entry Island, -where he held service and preached twice, and baptized one child, being the sixteenth whom he had baptized in the islands. The mothers were all churched, after receiving an explanation of the meaning and object of the observance. lie completed h(?re an exact list of all the protestant families in the islands. Not having foreseen his detention in the islands, the Bishop had made appointments on the Gasp(3 coast which made it necessary for him to endeavour to reach it without loss of time, and he embarked therefore in his schooner after the second service. The owner of the vessel had laid in his sea-stock, but some of the women of Entry Island insisted on contribu- ting loaves, home-made cheese, etc., and the farmer at whose house the services were held could hardly be prevented, though he avowed a scruple himself on account of the Sun- day which he could only overcome for the special occasion, from killing a lamb to add to the store. Nothing could possibly exceed the civility and attention of the master of the schooner, but nothing certainly could have been more miser- G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 283 rfvyor-book?. 3 within an iniplit wlion, ? iiartition a. ) the service, )n scrijitural I breakfiisteil |)UJiyer.-i with Y lenj/ftliened the children, and Avlio Avas voice so that rnc here for il)lic service." t Ilavhour, il of Gaspe. i in chartor- l^tli July, service and ic sixteenth ;r3 were all leaning and n exact list the Bishop ich made it OSS of time, the second s sea-stock, Dn contribu- er at ^vhose prevented, f the Sun- al occasion, hing could aster of the more miser- able than the voyage. The vessel was an old one, j'ust about to be replaced by another •which was on the stocks. It rained the whole night, and the Bishop was soaked through as he lay sick in his berth. The voyage, however, was not of long duration, for the mainland was reached on the fore- noon of Tuesday, the IGth. I have given many little details of this visit, as exhibiting, not only some characteristic features of the work of a JJishop in a diocese like that of Quebec, but also some incidental proofs of the manner in which that work was performed, — the carefulness in attending to little points which might serve to make his ministrations effectual, and the considerate kind- ness shewn towards those with whom he came in contact, and which would not suflfer him to overlook the wants or infirmities of any. Having visited all the missions on the Gasp(3 coast, and held confirmations in them (at one station for the first time) the Bishop returned to Quebec by land, travelling up the Bay of Chaleurs, and by the Kempt road to INIetis, and thence along the shore of the St. Lawrence to Quebec. It was six hard days', and a good part of six nights', work to accomplish this journey, which is performed by the mail in nine. The Kempt road was scarcely ever used, and the trees had so much grown up on its borders that a horseman was wet through to his hips by the dew which he brushed from them in passing between them in the early morning. There were no houses on this part of the route, except one or two where men were paid by the Government for remain- ing to afford shelter to travellers at the end of a day's jour- ney. One night the Bishop and his companions slept on straw in a ruined log hut by the road-side. Three weeks after his return to Quebec, the triennial circuit was completed by a visit to the missions of East and West Frampton, where fifty-seven persons were confirmed. One hundred and eleven had received the ordinance in Gaspd, 4! 284 MEMOIR OF ' I and the whole number in the diocese was one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight, of whom eight hundred and ninety- three were confirmed at forty confirmations in tha diocese of Quebec, and nine hundred and forty-five at thirty-seven in that of Montreal.* At this marked period in the history of the diocese of Quebec, which from this date comprised only the districts of Quebec, Three Rivers, St. Francis and Gasp6, it may be interesting to give a summary of the increase of the Church in Lower Canada, during the fourteen years which had elapsed since the Bishop's consecration. It is taken from the Canadian Ecclesiastical Gazette, which was first pub- lished in this year at Quebec, having been prepared for that paper by the Bishop himself. 183G-18oO. Clergymen ordained for Lower Canada, seventy- seven. Clergymen adopted or introduced, ten. Number of clergy in new diocese of Montreal : Seventeen in 1836 ; forty-eight in 1850. Number of clergy in new diocese of Quebec : Seventeen in 1836 ; thirty-eight in 1850. Increase in Lower Canada, fifty-two. Number of churches in new diocese of Quebec : 1836, twenty-one ; 1850, fifty-six. Number of churches in new diocese of Montreal : 1836, twenty-one ; 1850, sixty. Increase, eighty-three, of which nine were built to replace old ones. Number of places at which confirmations were held in 1836, thirty-six, of which nineteen were in the new diocese of Quebec : In 1850, ninety-five, of which forty-seven were in the new diocese of Quebec. Increase, fifty-nine. • The mmibei's confirmed at two different places are omitted, but were probably rather more than thirty, making the total about nine hundred and eighty. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 285 Thirty-four students had been admitted to Bishop's College since its opening in September, 1845, of whom eighteen had been ordained. Two new sees had been erected in Canada since 1836, and one in Rupert's Land, to which Bishop Mountain carried the first episcopal ministrations. In transmitting a statement of this increase to the S. P. G., he said : " The praise be to God above, whatever is done ; and may His grace and blessing go with us, and tlie light of His countenance bo manifested to us in all the difficult work which is before us still, and amidst all the discouragements by which, for the trial of our faith, we arc beset. Amen." * . • 'V 'I I ;ted, but were hundred and ■m .*! wn 286 MEMOIR OF 1: t' 1 ■ 1^.: f!i' If li ^ .;. 1 fVfv ; 4r ■ m"' ^ "■ km .''- J '■ «--'M ,.'.'" ll i*^-' ll ■'■^ 'i V CHAPTER XIX. Fifth visitation of the Clorpy — Meeting of Clergy and Lay delegates — Conference of Bishops at Quebec. In the summer of 1851 the Bishop had the happiness of opening a mission at the Magdalen Islands, and in July of the same year the triennial visitation of the clergy "was held at the cathedral. Thirty-six "svere present, out of forty then serving in the diocese. After the visitation, a meeting of clergy and of lay delegates, whom the Bishop had invited the different congregations of the diocese to send, was held to consider the steps necessary to be taken with reference to the threatened spoliation of the Clergy Reserves. All the parishes and missions of the diocese had elected delegates, except the distant places in the district of Gasp(3, and three others ; and forty-one delegates were present out of fifty- seven who had been chosen, many of whom attended at great inconvenience to themselves. The proceedings were unanimous and conducted with great spirit, and it was resolved that petitions should he presented to the Imperial and local legislatures, which were afterwards most numer- ously signed throughout the diocese. In his charge dehvered on this occasion, the Bishop again adverted to the injustice done to the Church by — '' The State still pertinaciously refusing, after nearly a century and a half for -svhich this grievance has galled the neck of the Church, to permit to her the exercise of her inherent privilege, indulged to every other religi- ous body under the whole circle of the heavens, of holding her own formal G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 287 and il('lil)orativo conventions for tho ros'iliition of her intornal affliir.^ ; unil this till' niort' slLrniili/.t'd to view, hociiiiso tlio (ioiicral Ajisctiibly of tlio noijrliltoiiriii'^ n'liLnoii.'? (•■Jtiibli-ilimcnt of Xortli i'ritiiin sit.'?, year l>y yoar, in solomn anil ilijiiiifwil (k'lilu'ratioii-s, under tlio sanction of tlio Crown, while a^ain, the Romish hierarehy in Ireland has been iicrmittcd, without moles- tation, to linM, with all ])oinp and ceremony, a conclave in which the presidinj; iutlucnci'S are those of a fnrei).'n power radiciilly and essentially antajfouistic to the constitution of Kn<_'l;iiid iu Cliurch and State. • • • A reniarkal)le exi'niiililication of the manner in wliiidi the Church is ham- jiercd when she is cirtled upon to make provision for any exjrfi'ui'y wliich may arise, or to devise any adaptation of her existinpf regulations wliich unforeseen circumstaiu'es may reipiire, is found in the case of the arran<;e- ments ]iut in triiin for facilitatiuj,' the attendance of forei;;fu jirotestantg iijion her worship, durinjf the j^reat exhil)itioii iu liondon of the jiresent year. Here is an occasion on which it is eminently desiraMe. for tho credit of the British name, for the interests t)f relijrion upon eartli. for the ijcnefit of souls, nud for the honour of (lod, that the uatiotial Church at the seat of empire shoultl sustain the jrlory of the country in relin;ionj the first concern of man, and sliould cousiiicuously sanctify tho whole scene, by throwing wide opi'ii her stately sanctuaries, with every amjile opportunity afforded to the men of other touellant in the case to be cxcludeil from institution to ids benefice, and, in a manner, a triumjdi of those opinions; whereas it was, in i)oint of fact, — and this distinction ought on no account to be lost sight of — simi)ly a decision that the mainte- nance of such opinions by n minister of the Church of Kngland was legally jiermissible, was capable, in the eye of the law, of a construction siifl'ering it to jiass according to the latitude which, more or less largely in different quarters, is considered to be indidged to the clergy of that Church, upon some nicer points of controverted doctrine. The Bishop entcrod, at some length, into the question which ^avc rise to this judgment, as well as into some others respecting the claims and constitution of the Church which were stirred at the time, and referring to the hope which was then expressed in many quarters, and to which he had again and again himself given utterance, of a comprehension which might bring into the unity of the Church many who were separated from her by very small diflferences, he says, — " There would be an evident necessity, in limine, of providing for the revival of convocation, in order to deliberate upon the question ; and it must be quite needless to say, that the Imperial parliament, as now consti- tuted, could never be recognized as the authority to deal with the subject. ♦ • * It is idain that it must be taken as an indispensable basis of the whole negociatiou to retain intact the three Orders of the ministry, and to restrict the conveyance of title to the ministry to the channel through which it has passed to ourselves, and by which we shall continue to pass it on. * ♦ * It is true, I speak as an Hebrew of the Hebrews; trained from infancy by one who held and eminently adorned the office which I have been called to hold myself, and linked in many associations of life, and by many powerful and endearing ties, with our own venerable Church, whose whole constitution, system and ritual, as well as her peculiar influence in the formation of the Christian character, as seen in her true- G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 289 hearted sons nnd dnuj^htcrs, I rcpanl with nn nttnchinont nnd nn mlmim- tion, and a fccliiij,' of jrriUitiido to (lud for the spocial l>livs.>'iiijr wliich I hclie'Vi' that Ho \ma voiu-lis;iti'd to her, still (!(>(•] >cniii^r us f aiivaiicf in lifV. Yet if any man could really coiiviiiee nie that I am wroiijr in all this, and that these feelings and sentiments are mere prejudices of inheritance, or mere fruits of education and hahit which stand in the way of a consum- mation so devoutly to he wished as that here in question, and niiKht hear to he sacrificed without sacrifice of iMiiiciple, then I would cheirfiilly nhandon them, and what things were'gain to me, those I would count loss for Christ;- Havini^ given expression, in the opening of his cliargo, to his feelings of thankfulness for the division of the diocese, and the appointment of Bishop Fulford to Montreal, the Bishop added : " The vine which the right hand of the Lord hath i)lantod, wc may well hope, is deepening her roots from day to day, while she is stretching out her ))ranclieH and will bear fruit upwards, more and more, to the glory of that Lord and the good of llis people. Yet in the worldly as])ect of the case, we have little to lift us up in heart, and much to abase us. ifeserving here the consideration of some special circumstances which painfully affect the Church of the empire at large, or which affect it in the same manner within the province of Canada in particular, we see ourselves hero, in this diocese, a straggling, and in many points of view, a feeble band. We may fix, in one instance, upon a missionary, with a handful of followers and some little detached outposts of duty to be occupied upon occasion, who has to look more than a hundred miles in one direction, and something approaching to three times that distance in another, for the nearest fellow- labourers of his own faith; and although this is a peculiar case, we know that it may be described, not indeed as the invariable condition, but yet as a characteristic condition, of our clergy, to be scattered, often at wide intervals, over a vast extent of country, and to minister to flocks of slender resources. The people, content, or, if not content, compelled, to worship in wooden churches, perhaps standing, for years together, unfinished, unfur- nished, aiul unconsecratcd, although in use ; with no adequate provision for the education of their children, wdio are filling up the settlements, and to whom we must look as the hope of the Church ; the means of communica- tion and the accommodations of life all miserably backward, and the oi)por- tunities of intercourse with more favoured portions of the poi)ulation infrequent or impeded. We stand, at best, in disparaging contrast with the splendid endowments, the substantial jjrovisions, the imposing institu- tions and the multiplied engines both of religious and political influence, which distinguish the hierarchy of the Church of Rome. And yet we n ill h 200 MKMolU OF ) • ■ I ■^ iu\ ': ^ p i- ', 1^-. : i| ^ . / 9'- *,•''■ ■''•* . ' t. . M M, 1 n^^ bcli('v»« llint nil llint jiroiidly imil wniwlcrfully cnn-tfruotoil fnliric ntnl nil it.^ IM'ciiliitrii|i|(iinitiis, tillKT of |Mi\vir (ir (irCiisciiiatidii, iirc liiit (in an nllnwi'tilt. variation frntn tlio (irij.'iinil nu'anin>; ami rnimoction of tlio vonls*) ' n-s Hoiiiaiiii* |H*ritura(|iii> rej^na.' Ami \vf know tin- iittir fallacy, as we cannot fail to sec the secular character, of thai, test of the true ('linreli which lias Iteeii |Mit forwanl hy a cchhratecl lioniish chanipioii. tliat am|ililinle, ilura- lion, an. The irieetin^ of five prelates was thefefore a matter of universal interest to the nienihers of the Clmreh, as well as of deej) thankfulness and the hi;^hest enjoyment to them- selves. One of their nmnher was personally a sti-;iii;:er to the IMshop of Quehec, hut he had not been Ion;:; in his house helbre he said of him : " That man is a real saint." Noth- ing could he more delightfid tlian to Avitness the comfort and hearty refreshment which this opportunity of muttial inter- course and consultation aftbnled to them all, or the entire unity and sympathy that i)revailed amoii;^ them, lu'ferring to this visit, the Hishop of Fredcricton afterwards wr ir ;jv .n m .V>- f ) i. . I .'1-^ 292 MEMOIR OF advantage worth pressing upon Her Majesty's Government in the appoint- ment of a ^Metropolitan at all, apart from the object of his presiding in the councils of this branch of the colonial Church; and that, till there is a hope of eflecting this latter object, it is quite as well for us to remain, as at present, simply under his own archiepiscopal jurisdiction or that of his successors. The ojiinions and recommendations contained in the Minutes, although COnii)relieuding jjoints which individual Kishojjs .nay, in their respective dioceses, make matter of ofhcial injunction, will not of course, as emanat- ing from the assembled body, be understood, undo- existing circumstances, as ha\ "ug an^' legal or properly aathoritative force. I am, Dear Sir, Your aflfectionate brother, G. J. Quebec. MINUTES OF A CONFERENCE OF THE BISIIOrS OF QUEBEC, TORONTO, NEWFOUNDLAND, FREDERICTON AND MONTRK,VL, HOLDEN AT QUEBEC, FROM SEPTEMBER 23RD TO OCTOBER IST, 1851. ORDER OF SUBJECTS. 1. General Declaration. 2. Convocation. 3. Church-membership. 4. Canons. 5. Articles and Formularies. 6. Division of Services. 7. Psalms and Hymns. 8. Offertory. 9. Holy Communion. 10. Marriages. 11. Registers. 12. Inter-communion with other re- [formed Churches. 13. Education. 14. Deacons. 15. Maintenance of the Clergy. IG. Conclusion. I. GENERAL DECLARATION. We, the undersigned Bishops of the North American colonies, in the Province of Canterbury, having had opportunity granted to us of meeting together, have thereupon conferred with each other respecting the trust and charge committed to our hands and certain peculiar difificulties of a local nature which attach to the same. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 293 :EDEiaCTON We dosire, therefore, in the first place, to record our thaiikfulnoss tliiit wo have been so perniitted to asscml)le, and our sense of the rosponsibility lying upon us, before God and the world, to promote the glory of His great imine, to advance the kingdom of His Son, to seek the salvation of iiiiiuortiil t^ouls, and, what we feel to be inseparably united with those ol)jects, to c'stal)li3h and extend, wherever there is a demand for her services, the system, tho teaching, the Avorship and the ordinances of the United Church of England and Ireland. We feel that, in the prosecution of this great work, we are surrounded by many discouragements, embarrassments and hindrances which, by the grace of God, we are prepared patiently to encounter, and, while they may bo ai)pointed to continue, to endure — but for which, nevertheless, it is our duty to seek all lawful remedy, if such remedy is to be found. We have, therefore, prei)ared the statement Avhich follows, of our view3 in relation to these subjects of our care and solicitude, and we desire to commend it to the favourable consideration of our Metropolitan, his Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, in the hope that he may Ite moved to assist us in obtaining relief from those evils of which we have to com- plain, as well as to counsel us in the disposal of questions which come before us in the exercise of our episcopal duties. II. CONVOCATION. In consequence of the anomalous state of the Church of England in these colonies, with reference to its general government, and the doubts enter- tained as to the validity of any code of ecclesiastical law, the JJishops of these dioceses experience great difficulty in acting in accordance witli their episcopal commission and prerogatives, and their decisions are liable to misconstruction, as if emanating from their individual will, and not from the general body of the Church. We therefore consider it desirable, in the first place, that the Bishop, Clergy and Laity of the Church of England in each diocese should meet together in synod, at such times and in such manner as may be agreed on. Secondly, that the Laity in such synod should meet by representation, and that their representatives should bo communicants. Thirdly, it is our opinion that as questions will arise, from time to time, which will affect the welfare of the Church in these colonies, it is desirable that the Bishops, Clergy and Laity should meet in council under a Provincial Metropolitan, A^lth power to frame such rules and regu- lations for the better conduct of our ecclesiastical affairs as ])y the said council may be deemed expedient. Fourthly, that the said council should be divided into two houses; the one consisting of the Bishops of these several dioceses, under their Metropolitan, and the other of the Presbyters and Lay members of the Church, assembled as before-mentioned liy repre- sentation. Upon these grounds it appears to us necessary that a Metropolitan should be appointed for the North American dioceses. 294 MEMOIR OF ■ i " ■>! ( w % Til. CHURCH-MEMBERSniP. Doubts being entertained who arc to be regarded as membcrg of the Church of luighind in tiiese colonies, and as sucli, what are tlieir sitecial duties and rights ; we are of opinion that Churcli-raembership requires (1) admission into the Christian covenant by lioly baptism, as our Lord com- manded, in tlie name of the Fatlier, and of tlie Son, and of the Holy Gliost. (2) That all Cliurcli-members are bound, according to their knowledge and opportunities, to consent and conform to the rules and ordinances of the Churcli ; and, (3) according to their ability, and as God hath blessed them, to contribute to the support of the Churcli, and specially of tliose wlio minister to them in holy things. Upon the fulfilment of these duties, tlicy may, as Church-members, claim at our hands, and at the hands of our clergy gonerally, all customary services and ministrations. "We cheerfully recognize the duty and privilege of preaching the Gospel to tlie poor, and of allowing to those who can make us no worldly recompense, tiie same claim uiion our services, in public and in private, which we grant to the more wealthy members of our flocks. ' We are farther of opinion that the Church-members in full communion are those only who receive, Avith their brethren, the sacrament of the Lord's Supjier at tlie hands of their lawful ministers, as directed and enjoined by the canons and the rubrics of our prayer-book. Persons chosen as repre- sentatives of any parish or mission to attend any synod or convocation should, in every case, be members of the Church in full communion. IV. CANONS OF 1603-4. Although it is confessedly impossible, under existing circumstances, to observe all these canons, yet we are of opinion that they should be complied witli so far as is lawful and practicable. But inasmuch as the retention of rules which cannot be obeyed is manifestly inexpedient and tends to lessen the respect due to all laws, we hold that a revision of the canons is highly desirable, provided it be done by competent authority. V. ARTICLES AND FORMULARIES. Whereas the multiplication of sects among those who profess and call themselves Christians, appealing to the same Scriptures in support of divers and conflicting doctrines, renders a fixed and uniform standard and inter- pretation of Scripture more than CA'er necessary, Ave desire to express our thankfulness to Almighty God for the preservation of the book of common prayer ; our entire and cordial agreement with the articles and formularies of our Church, taken in their literal sense, and our earnest wish, as far as in us lies, faithfully to teach the doctrines, and to use the offices of our Church in the manner prescriV)ed in the said book. And we desire that all the members of our Church should accept the teaching of the prayer-book, ns, ■''.! "* .« G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 295 under the guidance of the IToly Spirit, their best help in the understanding of holy Scripture, nnd as the groundwork of the religious education of their children. VI. DIVISIOX OF SERVICES. We are of opinion that the Bishoji, as ordinary, may authorize the divi- sion of the morning service, by the use of the morning i)riiyer, litany, or communion-pervice sej^arately, as may be required, but that no jirivate clergyman has authority, at his own discretion, to abridge or alter the services or offices, or to change the lessons of the Church. VII. PSALMS AND IIYMXS. Whereas the multijdication in churches of different hymn-book?, pub- lished without authority, is irregular in itself, and has a tendency to promote division among us, we are of oi)inion that a judicious selection of psalms and hymns, by comjjetent authority, would tend much to the furtherance of devotion and to the edification of pious churchmen. VIII. OFFERTORY. We arc of opinion that it is desirable and seemly, and would tend to a uniformity of practice among us, that whenever a collection is made after sermon, in time of morning prayer, tiie Offertory sentences should be read, and the prayer for the Church militant should be used. IX. HOLY COMMUXIOX. We hold it to be of great importance that the clergy should attend to the directions of the rubric which precede the administration of the holy com- munion, respecting "open and notorious evil livers, and those who have done wrong to their neighbours, by word or deed, and those also betwixt whom they perceive malice and hatred to reign ;'' ami that the members of the Church should signify to the minister their intention to present them- selves at the holy table, — especially when they arrive in any place as strangers, — or when, l)eing residents in such place, they are jjurposing to coramunicate for the first time. We conceive that it would greatly promote the welfare of the Church, if all our members, who may be travelling from one place to another, were furnished with a certificate of their membership, and of their standing in the Church. X. MARRIAGES. We hold that a clergyman, knowingly celebrating marriage l)etween persons who arc related to each other within the proliibited degrees set forth in a tal)le of degrees published by our Church in the year of our Lord God 1563, is acting in violation of the laws of God and of the ('Imrcli, and is liable to censure and punishment : and that persons who contract such . Ci. ;. t 14 Si ■ 296 MEMOIR OF marriages should not be admitted to the holy Communion, except upon repeiitiiuce and putting away their sin. And we recommend that the aforesaid " Table of prohibited degrees" should be put up in every church in our dioceses. We are farther of opinion that injustice is done to our Church, in withliolding from our Bishops the power of granting marriage licenses, which is exercised by the Bishops of the Roman catholic Church ; and that in several dioceses great irregularities and grievous evils prevail, in conse- quence of tlie defective state of the marriage law. We also hold that the clergy of our Church should abstain from celebrating a marriage between persons, l)oth of whom professedly belong to another communion, except in cases where the services of no other minister can be procured. XI. REGISTERS. We would earnestly recommend to the clergy of our dioceses (even though it should not be required by the civil law) to keep accurate registers of marriages, baptisms, and burials in their several parishes or missions. XII. INTER-COMMUNION WITH OTHER REFORMED CHURCHES. We are of opinion that it is much to be desired that there should be no let or hindrance to a full and free communion between ourselves and other reformed episcopal Churches ; and therefore that where we derive our Orders from the same source, hold the same doctrines, and are virtually united as members of the same body of Christ, those impediments, wliich (as we are advised) are now in force, through the operation of the civil law, ought to be removed. XIII. EDUCATION. (a) General. Whereas systems of education are very generally introduced and sup- ported in these colonies, either (1) excluding religious instruction alto- gether from the schools, or (2) recognizing no distinction excei)t Ijeiween Roman catholics and protestants ; whereby no opportunity is afibrdod us of bringing up the children of our communion in the special doctrines and duties of our faith, to the manifest depravation of their religious princii)les, and with crying injustice to the Church of England, we desire to express our decided conviction, (1) That all education for the members of our Church should be distinctly based on the revealed religion of the Old and New Testaments, with special reference to their duties and privileges as by baptism regenerate and made God's children by adoption and grace. (2) That all lawful and honourable methods should be adopted, to move the colonial legislatures to make grants to the Church of England, as well G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 297 except upon end that the every church 5 our Church, iage licenseg, •ch ; and that k'ail, in cuuse- hold that the •iajre between union, except red. (even though te registers of missions. CHURCHES. lere should be ourselves and Ave derive our I are virtually iments, Avhich je civil law. ced and sup- •uction alto- :cept between is afforded us doctrines and )us principles, iire to express 1 be distinctly !, with special ate and made pted, to move ;land, as well as to the Roman catholics, and other religious bodies as thoj' require it, and according to their numbers respectively, for the education of the members of their own communion. (i) Sunday Schools. (1) We desire to express our sense of the importance, in the existing state of the Church, of Sunday-school^J, especially in large towns ; and we thank- fully acknowledge the bc'netit.s which have resulted from tin' labours of pious teachers, botli to themselves and their scholars, imder proper direc- tion and superintendence. In every possible ciise the Sunday-schools should be under the personal direction and superintendence of the minister of the parish or district ; or otherwise, tiie minister sliould appoint the teachers, choose the books, and regulate the course of instruction, tiiat there be no contradiction between the teaching of tiie school and the Churcli. All Sun- day-sciiolars should bo instructed in the Church catechism, and regularly taken to church. (2) We woidd carefully guard against the assumittion that instruction in the Sunday-school, even by the nunister of the ))arish, may be allowed to supersede tiie directions of the rul)rics and canons on the duty of cate- cbisiug in cliurch; for we distinctly recognize and aflirm as well the great importance as the sacred obligation of those directions. (r) Schools /or titc hii/hrr classes. Schools for the higher classes of botli sexes are much required, with particular reference to assisting the clergy in the education of their own children. (f/) Colleginte Institutions. Although we consider it of great importance that each Bishoj) should connect with his diocese some college or a like institution for the special train- ing ami preparation of young men fur theministry of tlie (^inirch, we believe that an University for the North American provinces, with foundatit)ns for each diocese, on the model of the two great universities, will be required to coniiilete an educational system, as well for lay students in every depart- ment of literature and science, as for the students in theology, and candi- dates for the sacred ministry. (e) Truinirig for the Ministry. In addition to the general studies pursued in the college or university, we deem it highly desirable that candidates for the ministry should ai)ply tlieniselves, under competent direction, to a systematic course of reading in theology, for at least one whole year, or longer if possible, previous to tlieir taking holy Orders ; and that they should likewise be instructed in the duties of the pastoral office, in correct reading and delivery of sermons, in. Church music, architecture, etc. U V«! ''.% t ^^ ' dmt\ i'l 298 MEMOIR OF WM^ (/) Diocesan and parochial Libraries. We deem it very desirable also, that libraries should be formed in every diocese under the direction of the clergy, both for the clergy themselves and fur their parishioners. XIV. THE ORDER OF DEACONS. We would wish to discontinue the practice which the necessities of the Church have sometimes forced upon us of entrusting large independent spheres of duty to young and inexperienced men in deacons' Orders, deeming it desirable that every deacon 'should, if possible, be placed under the direc- tion of an experienced priest. XV. MAINTENANCE OF THE CLERGY. While we hold it to be the duty of Christian Governments to mamtain inviolate whatever endowments liave been lawfully and religiously made for the establishment, support or extension of the Christian religion ; and while we acknowledge Avith heartfelt gratitude the aid given to our mis- sions by the venerable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts, to whose fostering care and bounty the Church in these colonies owes under God its existence and means of usefulness, we desire to record our conviction, that the ordinances of the Church will never l)e rightly valued, nor its strength fully developed, until the people for whose benefit the clergy minister in holy things furnish a more adequate support to the insti- tutions and to the clergy of their Church. Farther, as the society, in conse(pience of numerous and increasing claims in all parts of the world, is compelled gradually to withdraw its aid, we desire to impress on all our flocks the duty of fulfilling their obligations in respect of the payment of their ministers, and with a view to this object, we recommend that the churchwardens in each parish or mission should furnish every year to the Bishop a written return, duly certified by them- selves and by the clergyman, of the sums paid towards his support fur the current year. XVI. CONCLUSION. Lastly, while we acknowledge it to be the bounden duty of ourselves and our clergy, by God's grace assisting us, in our several stations, to do the work of good evangelists, yet we desire to remember that we have most solemnly pledged ourselves to fulfil this work of our ministry according to the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England, and as faithful subjects of Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria — " unto whom the chief government of all estates of this realm, whether they be ecclesiastical or civil, in all causes doth appertain, and is not, nor ought to be, subject to any foreign jurisdiction." And we cannot forbear expressing our unfeigned thankfulness to Almighty God, that He has preserved to us, in this branch cssities of the 1 indcpendont •dors, deeming ider the direc- ts to maintain ligiously made religion ; and en to our mis- ispel in foreign e colonies owes e to record our rightly valued, ose benefit the ort to the insti- creasing claims raw its aid, we r obligations in to this object, mission should rtified by them- support for the G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 299 of Christ's holy Church, the assurance of an apostolic commission for our ministerial calling; and, together with it, a confession of pure and catholic truth, and the fulness of sacramental grace. May lie graciously be pleased to direct and guide us all in the use of these precious gifts, etml)le us to serve Ilim "in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life," and finally bring us to His heavenly kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. G. J. QUEBEC, JOIJX TORONTO, EDWARD N EWFOUXDLAXD, JOHN FREDERICTOX, P. MONTREAL. Quebec, Ist October, 1851. ■1 s, in this branch n 300 MEMOIR OF I.V •I.'' I- fiff if "A ii. < I ■I.: CHAPTER XX. S. p. G. Jubilee — Sixth triennial circuit — Visit to England to meet the Bishop of Sydney. Immediately after the conclusion of the episcopal confer- ence, the Bishop of Quebec addressed a circular to his clergy on another subject affecting the Church at large, in order to recommend the participation of the diocese in the observance of the jubilee of the S. P. G. In accordance with a recpicst made to him by the central board of the diocesan Church Society, it was now suggested to the clergy that sermons should be preached and collections made on Advent Sunday throughout the diocese on behalf of one or more of the objects specially indicated by the S. P. G., in order to show the sense entertained of the blessings which that body had been the instrument of affording to the diocese. A good example was set at Quebec, where the Bishop preached in the cathedral ; the holy communion was adminis- tered, and <£51 2s. 6d. were collected at the offertory. A collection was afterwards made from house to house, in every part of Quebec, by clergymen and laymen appointed for that purpose at a public meeting held in aid of the objects of the jubilee and presided over by the Bishop. The meeting was most numerously attended, and an excellent spirit was dis- played, which exhibited itself in very large contributions. The Bishop headed the list with a donation of £50, to be given to St. Augustine's College, Canterbury. The whole sum raised in the diocese amounted to <£500 sterling, which i to meet the opal confcr- julur to his at large, in occse in the accordance (oard of the ,0 the clergy ms made on ilf of one or S.P. G.,in ssings which the diocese, the Bishop was adminis- ffertory. A use, in every nted for that )l)jects of the meeting was lirit was dis- ontributions. £50, to be The whole jrling, which G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 301 was remitted to the S. P. G., and was more than one-fifth of the Avholo amount contributed out of the British Isles. The Bishop began the year ISoi by preaching in the cathedral on the festival of the Circumcision on ])ehalt' of the Canada Military Asylum, and on the following Sunday con- firmed two hundred and twenty-four persons in tlie same church.* The collections for charitable purposes made within its walls from Advent Sunday to the second Sunday after Christmas (both included) amounted to <£141 17s. lOd. On the 19th January the Bishop left Quebec on a con- firmation-tour through the district of St. Francis, confirming one hundred and eighty-six persons, at fourteen places. In one instance, a candidate, who had come twenty four miles for the pm-posc, was baptized by the Bishop before being con- firmed, and " his father, who stood by him, was greatly moved, and melted into tears, when the Bishop took his son by the hand and poured the sacramental water on his head." Besides holding confirmations, the Bishop visited and preached at several places more or less destitute of the ministrations of the Church. In one place the service was held in an unfinished house, where, though three different rooms and the staircase besides were occupied by the congregation, the Bishop was audible to all, and visible to most of them. llh time was also engaged with meetings at Bishop's College, and in many places with visiting aged or infirm Cluirch- pcople at their houses. A confirmation was held for the first time at Dudswell, and this ordinance, as well as the Lord's Supper, was also administered for the first time in the diminu- tive school-house of the township of Ilam. " Some of the recipients of both were touched in their feelings in a manner * At a supitlomcntary confirmation hold in St. Mattliow's chapel, on the following Whit-Sundiiy, twenty-nine persons were confirnicil, niakinjf the whole number for Quebec, including three cuufirmed elsewhere, two hun- dred and fifty-six. '1 I- i. I'''. I . I. S * Si 134-' I \ : : I >il 1 i i.v*- .!^' It .':/■ :i^^ 302 MEMOIR OF wliicli they could not conceal." It was the 23r(I February before the Bishop reached (Quebec, and in the followin;^ month he was ascain travellin;:; and confirmiu;]^ south of the St. Law- rence, as well as attending district meetings of the Church society. In June, July and Aui^ust, ho was similarly engaged on the north shore ; held two ordinations, consecrated two churches and three burial-grounds, and twice visited Bishop's college, after the last of which visits he made a short tour among some destitute settlements in the St. Francis district. On the 1st September he held a confirmation and consecrated the little church at llivicre du Loup en haut, and a week later confirmed at Riviere du Loup en bas, to which place " some of the candidates had come a distance of forty miles, and had to make a journey of three days to reach the place and return." These two missions, lying among the Koman catliolic parishes on the St. Lawrence, are two hundred and twenty-six miles apart, and between the latter and Point Levi, opposite Quebec, a distance of one hundred and four- teen miles, there is no protestant place of worship. From Riviere du Loup en bas the Bishop crossed to INIurray Bay to spend Sunday with the few church-people there, and returned to Quebec by land. At the eight scattered confir- mations held during the summer, the number of persons confirmed was eighty-four. During part of his August jour- neyings the Bishop had the happiness of being, accompanied by his nephew, the Rev. J. G. Mountain, who had obtained a short leave of absence from his self-denying labours in New- foundland, for the first time since he had entered on them in 1847. One more visit, late in the autumn, to the Eastern townships for the settlement of a local difficulty, completed the journeyings of 1852 within the diocese. In November, the Bishop addressed a circular to the missionaries of the S. P. G. and their church-wardens in his diocese, urging the necessity of sustained and increasing exertions on the part of their congregations in order to relieve G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.I). 303 that body, as far as possible, from the support of the Canadian Church. In tlic following month, another circular amiounced that he had been summoned to Enghmd to meet the JJishop of Sydney, who had undertaken a voyage i'rom Australia in the hope of procuring at the hands of the Imperial (Jovern- ment some relief from the disabilities which im})erial statutes AVere conceived to place in the way of synodical action in the colonies. Neither of these IJishops had visited England since they left it after their consecration, together, in 18:5(5, and it was felt that the senior prelates of Australia and liritish North America -were the fitting persons to rejiresent the wants which had been acknowledged by the councils of Bishops held in both countries. The I5ishop of Quebec, how- ever, shrank from the task, and hoped to the very last that he might be S})ared the necessity of leaving his diocese. I5ut when it ap})eared that neither of the other Canadian Bishops could go at that particular time, and that the presence of one of their number was urgently desired, the Bishop of Queljec left his home, within about an hour after receiving the letter which fixed his decision, on the J50th December, and a few days afterwards, having jtaid a brief visit to Bishop's College, embarked at Boston for Liverpool. At Halifax he had the great and unexpected hapinness of being joined by the Bishop of Newfoundland, who was his fellow-passenger across the Atlantic. A fcAv days only were allowed for a very hasty greeting of his nearest relatives before the Bishop was fairly engaged in the work which had called him from his diocese. lie lost no time in putting himself into communication with the Jjishop of Sydney and such other colonial prelates as hapjiened to be in England, as well as with other persons in authority and friends of the Church, respecting the measures to be taken for facilitating the administration of colonial dioceses and procuring the cooperation of clergy and laity in Church affairs. Arrangements were made for holding conferences of fi f. [,!,"»'«■ 304 MEMOIR OF }•> • 'f ";' i *(-. ■•!..■„ the colonial Bishops in London, the first of wliieli met on tlio 2>rniii((tion of tlii.s nieiismv involved was hy no means sliLiht. l)Ut thei'c was aliothciMvhich added very seriously to the weijlit of care and tho toil which already pressed npon the IJishoj), particularly as ho lind left CaJiada iniprepared for it. Tho ])etition of tho Canadian lt';i;islatMre to ho entrusted with tho control of the Cler-'V Reserves had heon sent h(»ino some time hci'orc; hut when the liishoplcrt (^Miehcc no danger was aj)prehendcd to the Church on that score, the ministry then in power hein;^ known to he unfViendly to its jirayer. When ho reached En,i:land, however, he found that a change of ministry haedh, •Ust 3Iuicli, 1853. My Lord I'ishop, It lias pleased God that I should occupy iu Ills Church, althoiioh in a remote et)lony, and iu a i)()or diocese struji'^iiuf^f with multiplied diseour- aj^euieuts and diiliculties, the same otlice winch is held by yourself in tlio Church establishmeut at liome ; and that poor diocese forms i)art and parcel of the (■luirch of 'Enj^laud, and is within the metropolitan jurisdic- tion of the see of Canterbury. I am, therefore (bein;^ accidentally iu Euj^laud.) impelled, in a crisis which threatens our religion throuj^hout all the three dioceses of Canada, to invoke the i)rotection of your Lordship, in that place, which, as l)ecomes a Christian country, is assigned in the great council of the realm to the fathers of the Church. (I address in the same manner all the IJishops of the Bench in England.) Vour Lordship will very readily have apitreliended that I refer to the measure now in progress in the Imperial ;.arliament, for enal)ling the Canadian legislature to dis[)oso, at its will, of the clergy reserves in the' colony. 1 am oidy discharging what, according to my unalterable con- victions, is my i>lain duty before God and the world, in denouncing this measure. Nor could I ever, holding the charge wdiich I do, stand ac(pulted to my own conscience, if, let the result be what it may, I should have failed to use to the utmost any poor efforts of mine, to avert what I regard as so disastrous, and, at the same time, so utterly unjustifiable a pro- ceeding. 1 have been permitted, by the mercy of God, to go through some lengthened labour, — perhajis to render some small service, — within my sphere, in the cause of His Churcli ; but my memory would pass down dishonoured to those wdu) will come after me, were I to wft no voice against this meditated wrong. My Lord, with all the high respect which is due to some of the supporters of this measure, who have every advantage of superiority over me, except that which is founded in the merits of the case, or that which results from immediate local experience, I am constrained to profess that I have not heard one argument in favour of the measure, or in answer to the reasous urged aganist it, which is capable of being sustained, or does not involve some fallacy or some mistake. I proceed, then, in the endeavour to maintain the following points : — 1. That the proposed measure is an interference with property which ought to be held inviolably sacred. 2. That it involves a compromise of public faith. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 307 r the sake of :h, 1853. , iilthoiio'li ill a tipliod (iiscour- yi)ursi'U" ill tlio orius part imd tolitaii juri.silic- iU'cidoiitally in I tliroiij^liDut all yuiir Lordship, assi;,nuMl in the I luldrcris in the at I refei- to tlie )!• enabling the reservc.-j in the ' lualtcmblc con- JenDuncing' this , stand acquitted ', I slionld have rt what I regard iistifialjlc a pro- 10 through sonie ice, — within my Duld pass down to lift no voice )f the supporters over 1110, except lich results from that I have not jr to the reasons loes not involve ing points : — property which 3. That for those reasons it cannot be justifiable to put the issue to risk. 4. That, even if the risk could be justified, the arguracuts for hoping well of the issue are fallacious. 5. Tiiat the voluntary system would not provide for the deficii.'iicy to be created by the confiscation of the reserves. 6. That the clause which is relied ujioii, in the Act 31 (Jeo. IH. cup 31 in justification of the measure, is misunderstood when so ajjplicil. 1. I advert, first, then, to what I have already declared to Her Majesty's yecretary of State for the colonies, tliat 1 do not see how this measure can he regarded otherwise than as partaking of a sacrilegious character. The clergy reserved have been set apart fin* the maintenance of llie faith and worshi'p of God. They have, in fact, lieen given to llini. And there has been no religious crisis or convulsion, no change of masters in the laud, no c.\tincti(jn or failure of the object itself to whieli they were devoted, to give any sort of fair colour to the proceeding ; the reserves are wanted, and far more is wanted than they yield, for the maintenance and peri)etiiatioii of the same faith among the same people as at first contemjilated. •• It ig well Avorlhy of rememlirance," to (piote the Avords which 1 have used in addressing his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, '• that in republican America ti\e endowments of the Church of Kiiglaml iiave lieeu iield sa<'re'd ; they were preserved to her, in one noted instance, through the very convulsions of that revolution which separated the colonies from the mother country (and the circumstance was the more marketl ))ecause the Church was exposed to particular odium, on account of the characteristic loyalty of her members) ; they were restored to her in another instance, l)y the decision of the courts of the United States, after a long space of years, in which they had been taken possession of, and held as town lauds, in the absence at the time of any ei)isc()palian claimants of the pro[»erty.' And although there may have been instances in which a tax or rate has been removed in that country, which had been imposed upon the population at large for the maintenance of a particular system of religion, there is none, 1 believe, to be produced in which the alienation has been permitted of endowments in land for religious uses. These endowments have been regarded as invio- lable. 2. I must also recur again to the ground which I have taken, in writing to his trrace, respecting the engagement to tlie Church of the pui)Iie faith. The settlement of 3 and 4 Vict. cap. 78, resi»ecting the clergy reserves, was proposed and accepted as a bmnal settlement : it was under that pledge that consent to the act in high quarters in England was obtained: it is in that character that it has been recognised in formal documents printed under the sanction and for the use of the colonial legislature ; and even if these were considerations which could be made to yield to the claims of " responsible government," it would in itself be unfair in the 1, ' i'. . I- ; ! s 308 MEMOIR OF f , ) I-' '; ,; I W r m r III iir extrome, as won ns untonal)le in principle, that the effect of this new system of government should be carried back to a i)oint anterior to its introduction into the colony, and thence take injurious effect upon interests for Avliicli a definitive arrano'ement had been provided l)v law. And, in writinj? to your Lonlsliip, I must feel quite safe in sayintr that the ]»ledj.n' which is held out to our exi)ectations to maintain " existiut^ interests," must never silence the remonstrances of parties whose ])ers()nal interests wouhl l)e so assured to them, aj^ainst any scheme whicli endangers the patrimony of tlie Church. Xo, my Lord, — to strip the cU-rj^y now liviiif^ in Canada of their slender compensation for lal)ours suflicicntly severe in their holy calling would, beyond doubt, be an unjust and cruel thing ; but it would be a trifle compared witli the confiscation of the Church endowments. The case of a poor clergy made still poorer, and "with actual starvation, in many instances, before them, might be expected to appeal with advantage to the compassion of the (,'hurcli in England: and they might thus rely at least upon some sensible i)alliation of their condition: but the alienation in ])erpetuity of tlie means for su])i)ortiiig and extending the ministry of the Churcli, abstractedly from any ]ireseiit hardsliip inflicted n])on individuals, would threaten almost the extinction, in many places, of the lamp of the Gospel, and the denial to the children of the Church of the l)read of life. 3. If, then, in such a case as that which is here in question, the religious endowments given to a body of people ouglit, as a general principle, to he held sacred, it never can ))e right to put them in jeopardy. It never can be right, for an object of seeming political expediency, or nnder a plea of carrying out a new system of government, to throw the disposal of tlioso endowments into the hands of another party, and to rely upon suitposed i)ro- babilities for their being safe in those hamls against any diversion from their original and legitimate object. A guardian in charge of the estate of a minor might, according to this reasoning, be justified in risking the interests of his ward, by a transaction which, according to his own calculation of probabilities, would afford a fair promise or a reasonable chance of leaving those interests undamaged. 4. Hut even if it could be granted that such a risk could be warrantably taken, and the property set apart for the Church be made the stakes for a game of chance, suffer me, my Lord, to put before you the real value, in the present case, of these arguments from probability, in themselves. And, in the first place, let us examine the grounds of anticipating fivour from the provincial legislature. Give up the principle, it is said — surrender the control — and that is_ all which is wanted on the i»art of colonial politicians. "What fivour, my Lord, what friendship, what pro- tection, has the Church of England been taught by experience to look for, at the hands of the local authorities in Canada ? Look at the demands of the louder and more restless parties in that country, and the concessions G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 309 made to them by the policy of the Government.* Look nt tlic riiiversity which h-^'' been jilanted under Cluircli iiuspices (but witli open licnelit, in the dcpartnients of secular education, to tiie wliole ])opulation, and with the most jjromising auguries) in Toronto, violently wrested from the Chnrcii, and despoiled of all religious cliaracter whatever. Look at the refusal to grant tlic issue of marriage licences for our own i)eiii)lf (beyond this tlie privilege was never asked,) to the IJishops of the Cliurcli of Kng- land, and licences issued by the civil power, stamped, be it ol)served, with the episcopal mitre ; while the corresponding privilege is freely enjoyed by the Ronush prelates. My Lord, I should be carried to a Icuglh which would be here quite out of place, if I were to accumulate the instunces of what I do cf)nceive to be the hardships and grieviinces of the Cliiirrii of England in Canada. The history of the Church in tiiat country (and it will all one day come out) is, in a manner, nnide up of tliem ; but if we look only at the management of tlie clergy reserves themselves, it would be easy to shew that, in re])eated instances, the interests of religion iiiive been sacrificed to some passing political oViject, ami the proi)erty lias been made sul)servient, in its administration, to secular emls. I forbear from going here into the details ; but, although 1 came home to England unpre- pared for this question (the news of tlie resignation of the late ministry, whose dispositions upon the subject are well known, not having l>een received at the time of my departure from Quebec,) and I have scarcely any of the documents at connnand which would arm me for my purpose, I am able to sustain what I say. And what regard was paid in the colony to the expression of Lord Grey's " regret," when he was Secretary for the colonies, that the question of the clergy reserves should be re-opened ? Jly Lord, we are told to rely upon the generosity of the Canadian i)Coj)le ; and truly we have claim upon it; for the country whose national Clnirch we represent among them has been most largely, and in many ways, generous towards them ; and in the day of public calamity of the province, when it pleased God that the city of Quebec shoubl be devastated, eight years ago, by dreadful conflagrations, the relief freely rendered under the Queen's letter, from within the very walls of the churclies in England was ■,'» ♦ It ought not to be forgotten that, if concession to parlies wlio make strong demonstration of feeling ui)on tliis or that subject is held to be a necessary feature of colonial policy, there is a large body, ci mmandiug no mean influence, of tlie Churchmen of Canada, who most kcicnly and deeply feel the wrong which would be done to them in the confiscation of their Church jiatrimony ; and among whom the sentiment has been even known to be uttered, in the vexation of their hearts, notwithstanding their attach- ment to British rule, that it would be better for them to be annexed to the United States, for that then their patrimony would be safe. 1 ■n m 310 MEMOIR OF Vk )h •:■ 'i , beyond all exportation. And it was mainly for those of another tongue and another faith that it was hestuwcd. But these things are not remembered by politicians and partizang, although tliey may be men by no means incapable of generous feeling. There is an eager party at this moment in the colony, who arc vehemently opposed to the wh(de principle of religious endowments ; and there are elections to certain seats in the provincial parliament, wiiicli turn greatly upon the favour of this party. Jealousies and alarms, of wiiich the Church is the object, utterly unfu aided in any reality, arc studiously kindled, and the flame is sedulously kept \ip. Some men are afraid of facing this excitement ; others find it convenient to adapt themselves to the clianges of the times ; otliers still are carried away by sounding and i»lausible, but empty, theories respecting the l)enefits of the voluntary system ; very many are hurried on, without knowing tlie deptiis of the (piestion to which they commit themselves. In all this turmoil and agitation, the sentiment of generosity towards the Church of England is too faint and feeble a breath to produce any effect ; and, avoiding all i)ersonal allusions, I may venture to say generally that, in the incipient stages of the Avorkiug of responsible government, it is not anywhere, I believe, a nicely measured policy, or a scrupulous recourse to the means of influence, which particularly character- izes the exercise of these new powers in the hands of new men. It is unnecessary, perhaps, to specify examples : but, apart from all considera- tions of this nature, the simple fact presents itself at once, Avhen we are counting upon local probabilities to save the patrimony of the Church, tiiat the Canadian ministry stand actiially pledged to its secularization ; and the subjoined extract from a paper which is considered the organ of the Gov- ernment, of the 16th February last, may suffice to shew the justice of expectations which arc built upon the dispositions, in Canada, of the party now in power ; — " The next great question now will be. What is to be done with the reserves ? This question must be answered by reformers. Never Ijefore have they had the cup so nl?ar their lips : let them take care that, by quarrels among themselves, by miserable l)ickerings resulting in a great measure from personal spleen, it be not rudely dashed away. Let reformers be united among themselves, and they have nothing to fear. Let them count their strength in the present House ; and if they should deem it inexpedient to risk a vote on the question of secularization, let them then push through the representation bill, increase and equalize the representation, and then let them go to the country as one man on this question, and success will be theirs. We sincerely trust that nothing will be done in this matter without careful forethought : one false step would furnish subject for years of regret." It is important here to observe that, whereas many of the arguments in this question are based upon the assumption of an analogy between the iljli G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 311 Imperial executive and legislature on the one hand, and the executive and legi;>liiture of tlie colony on the otlier, the analogy, as it doe.s not imld in a single point, so does it especially fail when it is attempted to apply it to the Ministry. There are very obvious causes, wliich inspire an incomparably stronger tenacity of jHace in the minds of gentlemen composing the administration in the colony, tiian in the case of such parties as fill the corresi)onding posts at home ; and proiiortionable weiglit is to In.' attached to the fact just stated, respecting the pledges of the existing ministry in Canada. My Lord, in these remarks upon the -working of the system, whether in theory or in fact, I am neither pointing at individuals, nor passing whole- sale reflections upon the Canadian people. I believe that there are prominent individuals known to take part against us in Canada, who, in their hearts, wish well to the cause of the Church ; and, liaving spent all my ecclesiastical life in that country, I have found no difhcidty in jire- serving a peaceable, friendly, and agreeable intercourse throtigiiout, with men of other race and other creed than my own. I have never, in the most distant manner, been mixed up with the politics of the country or its partv irritations ;• and if it be true, in this behalf, that Principibus plucuiase viris non ultima laus enl, I could shew that I have had some pretensions of such a nature. I think it hard, then, — very hard, and most signally unfair,— that odium should be thrown upon us of the Church of England for not surrendering our claim at once, and trusting the issue, under the circum- stances which I have indicated, to the mere good feeling of tlie Canadian parliament and people. The parties to whom we are to look as actively engaged in the question upon the spot, and having the power in their hands, and tlie influences acting upon those parties, I have in some measure described. These, then, are the parties with reference to whose dcalino-s with our Church property we are told l)y British statesmen that we, tlic sworn guardians of the Church of God, ought to sit (piiet and let them handle us as they please. We are charged with provoking the dispositions of which we stand in dread, and with bringing n]nm ourselves the very danger which we seek to avert. If the reserves should l)e lost to us, the loss is to lie at our own door. My Lord, by you, at least, it will be felt, and by the Right Rev. Bench in England it large, that we could not possibly be discharging our duty in passively letting this question take its course ; and that it is not kind nor just to suggest it to the mind of the local legislature, that they may confiscate the patrimony of the Church, * Unless the publication of a pamphlet against the Annexation Movcinentj treating the question calmly upon religious grounds, can h?. called an exception ; or the fact of petitioning against the alienation of Church property can be so classed. :H 312 MEMOIR OF Is"! r.l \-^-y-' i > ■ , ■ ^fi" li l«l and then tclt us that, because we expostulated beforehand, we arc the autlior.-i of the mischief ourselves. The real cause of the niiscliief, in the meantime, if we go to the ori(,Mnal root of the matter, is to be found purely and simply in the nuinagement of the (piestion by the (Jovernment from the first. It Wiis at last thmi^lit to be closed by tlie 3 and 4 Vict. cap. 78 : — it might have l)een closed lonjij before : it ought to be closed, without a compromise of Church interests, once and for ever, now. We siiould, in jioint of fact, be in a far worse position by a seeming actiuiescence in tlie proceetlings of those wiio ai'e known to be hostile to our endowments, than by our earnest, althougii not disrespectful reiiion- strancr, and, pro ririli, our vigorous, although not intemperate, opi)ositii)n. There will be very much the less scruple in disturbing our rights, if it is left to be sujjposed that we have nothing to say in support of them ; and in my own humble judgment, utterly averse as I am to public noise and cxciteniLMit, we ought to make England itself ring with our complaints, before Ave submit to the irrecoveral)le loss of this endowment. But again, my Lord, we are told, under this head of probabilities to l)o counted ui)on in onr favour, that we may rely ujjon the fears of tiie Roman catholic hierarchy and their sujjporters in the colony, respecting tlie precedent of confiscation. It might l)e a sufllieient answer to this argument, that the facts stand as they are known to stand, resiiecting the action taken by the ministry and the majority of tlie provincial parliament in Canada, in the matter of the reserves — a ministry and a parliament conijiosed of mixed religious elements, with so large an infusion of Romanism, as, at the very least, to balance the protestant interest ; and whether we look at parties individually or collectively, the answer would hold good. It may be conceded, however, that, in certain quarters, and to a certain extent, these apprehensions do actually operate. But the wealth, the varied resources, the numerical strength, the political ascendancy of the Romish Church in Canada — above all, the system of i)olicy pursued by the British Government, by which that ascendancy has been nursed, can hardly have failed to inspire the breasts of the Romish hierarchy and their followers with a feeling of lofty and confident security; some evidences of which have very une(puvocally been manifested ; and if the sympathy of the Church of Rome, upon grounds such as are here supposed, is to be indicated to us as our pro- tection, and to furnish a reason to the Home Government for our being abandoned to our fate, it is a strange, and will be likely to prove a hollow, reliance. 5. But, farther, it is argued that if the Church were stripped of her St;ite endowment, the development of the voluntary jirinciple within her bosom might be calculated upon for enabling her to do her sacred work. In all the compass of the question, I do not know, on the side of our opponents, a weaker point than this. That it is the duty of the members of the Church G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 313 1, we an; the to the ()rif,nniil imnugenu'ut of ast lh(iui;'lit to ■n closed hnv^ iirch interests, by a seeming to be hostile to pectful iviiion- •ivte, oppo^^ition. • rij^hts, if it is )f them ; nnd in iblic noise and our comphiints, at. oV)abilities to be .rs of the Roman respectint,^ tlie this argument, the action talvcn nent in Canada, at coni\)03ed of lanisni, as, at the ther we look at d good. It may 1 certain extent, alth, the varied ;y of the Romisli ed by the British can hardly liave ir followers with which have very Church of Rome, I to us as our pro- nt for our being prove a hollow, pped of her State within her bosom ed work. In idl if our opponent?, )ers of the Church to contribute voluntarily and freely to the support of religion, is an acknowledged and i)rouiinent principle of the Christian faith, which your lordship will not suspect me of any disposition to impugn; and that among our own people in Canada their duty in this behalf will always be recognized, is what I have the comfort to believe. Rut that the voluntary system (passing wholly by the question of its liability to envelope certain vicious influences in its operation, as tlie received and settled system of a Church,) can j)ossibly, in such a country as Canada, and specially in such a diocese as my own, provide for all the wants of all tiie people, or etfectu- ally minister the means of carrying out the Gospel principle tiiut " to the poor the Gospel is preached," this is what I emphatically deny. An appeal is made to the case of the Church in the United States of America. Unfortunately for the authors of that ajjpeal, it is wliere the endowments of the Church have been held sacred, and have become, in tlie progress of things, exceedingly ample, that the Church in that country is seen most to flourish and advance ; and thence, eminently, that an impulse has been given to the Churcli tiiroughout the Union. In general, it is for the [)aying classes that the voluntary system is found to provide ; the classes who cannot pay, and tlie people who do not sufliciently value religion to be prompted to pay for it, and who can only be brought to a sense of its value by the actual ministrations of the Gospel, — these parties must shift as tiiey can without such ministrations, or be left to the jirecarious efforts of casual charity and zeal. Nothing can be more fallacious than the statistical exhibition, in this behalf, of the provisions for public worsliip in the United States, the number of places of worship furnishing there no sort of correct criterion of the number of stated services performed. Buildings are run up here and there, where services afterwards prove exceedingly scanty, or ])erhaps drop altogether. And it appears in a striking manner, from recent annual reports of the American Tract society, that in that rapidly advancing and wonderfully prosperous country, there are districts after districts, visited hy the colporteurs of the society, of which the spiritual destitution is perfectly api)alling. In the portions of Canada occupied l)y settlers of the Church of England, it is by extraneous help — the help of tiie great Cinirch societies at home, specially the society for the Propagation of the Gospel, which cannot, of course, be a permanent provision — tliat«the worsliip of God has been maintained; and if the Church of England has, in many instances, carried her ministrations for the benefit of emigrants in the forest, and of fishermen along the rude shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, to places where no other protestant ministry has penetrated ; if she has, alone among protestant bodies, met the call of the forlorn and suffering strangers poured out by thousands, and literally dying by thousands in one summer, at the quarantine station below Quebec, and has sacrified the lives of her clergy in the cause ; if she has been ever ready with the succours (I mi'' PI ■ 314 MEMOIR OF ilt -■ I m of roliKion in prisons and post-houses, find nmonp the hovels of the poor (all whifli roiild bo easily shewn in a detail of facts), it is not by the voluntary system tliat all this has beeti, or could have been done ; it lias been done, as I have said, in consequence of extraneous helii, partly in the shape of bounty from the society above mentioned, and partly in that of certain limited allowances from Government which are fast dying out. In my own diocese, there is no wealth anywhere in the hands of the ('liurch of England, excei)t in Quebec itself, and nothing there which woidd he called wealth in England ; in very many of the settlements occujjied hy our jjcople there is extreme jtoverty and a t(Ual absence of cash. At this moment there are calls for clergymen which cannot be answered. The supplies once witlidrawn which come from a distance, the hel[) which the city can give abroad in the diocese, after i)roviding for its own Avunts, will scarcely produce even an alleviation of the spiritual exigencies of helpless Hocks. The country Avill, no doubt, advance ; but new settlements will also spread themselves ; and if the small revenue derivable frcjui tlic reserves should be turned into other channels, the settlers who thirst in vain for the waters of life will have to charge their i)rivation3 ui)on the authors and abettors of such a measure. It is with an ill grace, in my humble apprehension, that the Home Government would become a party to this alienation of our endowments, while the British Isles, year after year, are still emptying upon our shores a distressed population, for whom we are called upon to build churches and maintain ministers. Poor churches enough ! and in a worldly sense, poor ministers they necessarily are. G. I now come, in the last place, to tlie act 31 George III. cap. 31, known by the name of the Quebec act, and the notice which I have to take of it will be found, in one point of view, closely connected with the observations last made. What was the real intention of the clause which leaves it open, under certain guarding conditions, to the local legislature, to vary or repeal the provisions of the act atfecting the Church? iSiiiijiIy, in all fair and reasonable construction, that everything being then new la the British establishment of the country, and it being impossible to foresee with what population it might be filled up, or what might be the wants of the Church within its limits, a margin was left for adaptation to unforeseen contingencies. And what is the state of things now ? A quarter of a million of souls of the Church of England in the country, the germ of an enormous future population of the same faith, and now receiving its ceii.se- less augmentation from the influx of emigrants, many of whom bring hands to work with," and nothing more; few, very few indeed, of whom are persons of any substance in the world ; and this in a climate of which the rigours create many additional wants, and abridge, at the same time, the season open to the toils of husbandry. It is a mistake, therefore, unless I am grievously mistaken in saying so, to argue in favour of the contemplated spoliation from the clauses in G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D, 315 question of tho net of 1701. And if we are thrown Imrk upon the wisdom of our fathers in fnuninp, at that ilay, tlie constitution^^ which were to govern the ecclesiastical atl'airs of (Canada, it would be well to consider, at least, to wliat we sliould stand committed liy this retrospective i)roceeiling. The Church of Rome would he declared not to jjossess tho character of estahlislnnent. that bcinjr, by royal declaration, a privilege reserved only to our jirolcstant (!luircli of Kujiland. Tlie derp^y of tliis same protestant Cliurcli would, under the act liere in view (31 (ieo. III. cap 31), in which act tlie royal instructions, containing the declaration just mentioned, are referred to nud in part recited, be .sufficiently indicated as the protestant clerjjy contemplated in the said act, by having rectories, all over the land, endowed out of the clergy reserves, itcconlittq to the cstablhhmrjit of the Church of Kivj;limd. The Bishops of the Church of Rome would, with all tolerance of tiieir functions among their own j>eople, be oilicially rccuguized simply as Superintendents of the Roman catholic ('hurcii in Caiuida.* The convent.s wouM be subject to stated int^pection by otlicers of tlie protestant Government: the male Orders of monastics would be sup- pressed. f It cannot be sui)poS(Ml, for one moment, that [ am invoking the revival now of this order of things ; — that iilea, if there were nothing else to forbid it, would present a plain and glaring impossibility; but if we have recourse to the intentions of our fathers to guide us in the arrange- ments affecting ecclesiastical bodies in Canada, we ought, as I have said, to see all to which we stand committed. My Lord, I will not say that I iiave trespassed npon you too long, for they are great and sacred interests which are at stake. And I might say much more. I might shew, in opposition to remarks which are still heard in different (piarters, that the reserves present no obstruction to settlement, and entail no inconvenience upon any portion of the popidation. I might repel the statement, erroneous alike in principle and in fact, and repugnant to the spirit in which foreign America has acted towards the Church, that the present value of the reserves b.as been created by the labour of tho Canadian people, and that, therefore, they have become a sort of popular property. But I will now close these poor observations, which I commend to your best indulgence, as I commend, in full confidence, the cause for which I plead to your protection, and I close them by a remark which must not expose me to a charge of meddling- with political rpiestions, for I * The head of the Roman catholic Church in Canada is now acknow- ledged by the Government as His Grace the Lord Archbishop of Quebec; and his coadjutor assumes the style, in a jjublic document — being- a fjrmal ratification by a court of law in a transaction of business, published in the Government Gazette — of His Highness the Most Illustrious. t iiy the terms of capitulation they were to die out. 316 MEMOIR OF !! Hi •i;l 111 mnke it with a much iiigher import : If tlie introduction of the system of responsible! jjovernnient into our eoloniiil ticpendencicd is to be understood as (■stul)lisliin(^ tlie principle that tliis f^reut (Jliristian em])ire abandons, without excei)lion or reservation, all ciieck and control whatever over tlic internal [)roceedings of those dependencies, then what, in the first place, is the meaning of itjj being called an Kmi'IUK ? — an empire within whieli those dependencies ure comprehended ? And if parlies aggrieved by colonial legislation, or other acts of colonial authority, can liave no recourse, no redress, under any circumstances whatever, l)y uieans of an appeal t«) the mother country, then what, to suppose a case, is to be done, if, as matters proceed step by step, it should lie judged proi>er in any colony to establish the Inquisition ? I am, My Lord IVishop, Your lordship's faithful humlile servant, uud brotlier in the Gospel, G. J. QlEDEC. The efforts of the Bishop and hi:? fnencls were unavailing.* A groat number of jjcrsons, who were quite ready to admit the justice of his cause and the force of his arguments, felt themselves, nevertheless, obliged to vote for the bill on the ground that it v/as unconstitutional for the Imperial Govern- ment to retain any control over colonial property in a country which had received resjionsible government. They expressed, at the same time, their conviction that it was only a question of principle on the part of the Canadian Legislature, and that if this principle were conceded, there could be no doubt of their " dealing generously by the Church." The Bishop however (as appears from the foregoing letter,) was unal)le to see that the principle could be held to reach a question which had received a " final " settlement before the intro- * I have abstained from any thing lilte a history of the Clergy Reserve question, which had for many years been a fruitful source of occupation and anxiety, because it may be gathered from ])ublic documents, and my object has been chiefly to preserve what might otherwise be lost. Again and again had the Bishop issued circulars, and drawn up petitions to tlie legislature on the subject. With reference to one of these, he says, in 1852, " Our voice is feebly heard in the tumult, but it does not become us to be silent, and we must leave the issue to Him in Whose hands are the hearts of men and the course of events." G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 317 duction of responsible government into the colokxy ; and tlK)u;;li the Executive Government of Canada pro»a^ to be fully disposed to meet the claims which the act rc^rrved ot life interests in the most liberal manner, the action of the le;^islature very speedily verified the Bishop's anticipations by secularizing the reserves. With all the occujiation that these two great subjects en- tailed, the Bishop made time to advocate the cause of the S. P. G. and also that of the National Society at a great many places in England, both by preaching and addressing public meetings. The first meeting which he attended v. as at Bath, where he was the guest of ^Fr. Murkland, who had been for many years one of the treasurers of the S. V, G. In a note written soon afterwards, Mr. Markland sj)eaks of his " too short visit as a bright gleam" in his life. He was particularly interested by another short visit to St. Au- gustine's College, when he went to Canterbury to attend the funeral of Bishop Broughton. He delivered an addiess to the students, and " gave to each of them the right hand of fellowship, and, among them, to a negro from the West Indies, a copper-coloured Hindoo, and an Es(piimaux from the North Pole." On another occasion, he assisted the Bishop of Oxford at the consecration of a church and preached at his ordina- tion. The evening before, he had been reijuested to address the candidates on the subject of the Canadian Church ; and they all, " without the most distant hint on his |)art," offered a sovereign each toAvards the completion of the chapel of Bishop's College, Lennoxville. On one of his journeys he had a most merciful escape ; the express train in which he was travelling having been completely overturned, and the car- riage in which he sat so crushed in that the only space left for the passengers was between the seats. Several persons were killed on the spot. As soon as he reached his journey's end, he went to the house of God to offer up public thanks for his deliverance, which was also done in his behalf 318 MEMOIR OF ■■ m •u> ^ 1 • • i :*5 ii '■ 1 ;1 Pi ' 1'! Ij . ' '1 ":«: ^if >< n ' in tlic cathedral and St. Matthew's Chapel at Qnchec, when the news reached that city. Anion;:; the lettern Worn Quehec wliich he preserved at this time, is one wliieli conveyed an avssurance which he deejdy valued, that " many of the poor peopH' " prayed tor him constantly. He had them ever in his heart, and this f'eelini^ Avas thoro\i;^hly reciprocated. Refer- ring; to his takin;j; part, for the hrst time in his life, in the consecration of a JJishop (the Bisiiop of Lincoln), althou;^h no one rejoiced more to see a decent solemnity attaching to such ceremonials, or was more alive to the real interest which belongs to them, he says that he had ratiier have been at St. Matthew's, or the Magdalen Islands, for " they are the kind of work for me." He fre(piently attended conmiittee meet- ings of different religious societies, and it may be easily con- ceived that, altogether, he had not much time upon his hands. After the decision of the two great ([uestions which had chieHy occupied him, he was ready to return at once to his diocese, but the i)rincipal of .Bi3hoi)'s College having been deputed to visit England for the jmrposc of making an a})peal on behalf of that institution, he was recpiested to await his arrival, that, together with the Bishop of Montreal who had also come to England, they might concert such measures as seemed to be necessary for the furtherance of this object. He took the opportunity of this enforced leisure to pay some very flying visits to some of his oldest friends, whom ho was never more to meet on earth, and even then he was continually preach- ing. Just before leaving England he attended an annual gathering at Windsor of the friends of the Bishop of New Zealand, and went to Oxford by invitation, on the occasion of the mstallation of the Earl of Derby, to receive the honorary degree of D. C. L. He was there the guest of the Master of University College, to whose kindness to his son, who was a member of the college, as well as to himself and other mem- bers of his family, he felt deeply indebted. Wherever he went he was surrounded by the " excellent of the earth," by per- G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 319 sons of tastes and fecHn;:;s entirely confircnial to his o^\^^, and hy rolativcfi and friends overflowin;^ with kimlncss, who seemed to desire no greater hait[>iness than tlie enjoyment of his society. Tlie different scenes, too, and ceremonies in wliieh lie took part, were all occasions of deep interest. His early associa- tions were revived with wonderful freshness. " Even the red cloaks of the old women" in country villa;!;es ;;ave him an indescrihable pleasure as somethin;^ pecidiarly Kn;j;lish. It was a special happiness to him to visit, amon;; others, his old tutor, Mr. Miller. The similarity of their tastes was as great as ever, though the part of the country where his lot was cast did not afford so great scope for their exercise as might have been found elsewhere ; yet though (as Mr. Miller had written long before, for during all that time he never had changed, nor wished to change, his ])lace) " this scenery will not compensate perhaps, for that which we have seen and rejoiced in together, I trust there is a disposition in us both rather to make tastes and beauties ■where other and higher duties fix our lot, than to run daintily after a lot Avhich shall minister to preconceived tastes. I trust I shall always love old houses, moats, walnut trees, and rookeries and avenues with peculiar feeling. But while we retain these sympathies inviolate, we shall, I am persuaded, prove the identity of our minds by more imperishable attachments which neither time nor the axe can reach. And, indeed, it is in confidence of this: spiritual community that I look to the preservation of our affections in their freshness, with all the Atlantic between us." The lapse of upwards of thirty years from tlie date of this letter (it was more than forty since they had met), proved that their mutual affection had been built on a lasting foundation, for the Bishop was received with a love and veneration by Mr. Miller and all his family which were truly refreshing to his spirit. mw' l! ' 320 MEMOIR OF 1,1 ■• 1 \[i w I ; p > i 1 If , /■■ ' 1/ ? ■ 'J ; i i' ';1' i 'f* CHAPTER XXI. Return home — Visitation of Gaspd — Consecration of Fredericton cathe- dral — Opposition to measures for procuring synodical action — Pastoral letter — Diocesan assembly — Visitation of the clergy. The last meeting of colonial Bishops which the Bishop of Que- bec attended was held on the 20th June, and on the 2oth he embarked at Liverpool for Boston, en route to Quebec. Not- withstanding tlie happiness that he could not fail to derive from his visit to England, he was impatient to be again at his own proper work. His home was reached on the morning of Sunday, 10th July, and he preached the same day in his cathedral, as well as at St. Matthew's chapel. In a brief notice of his visit which was added to his sermon in the cathedral, he gave hearty expression to the feelings of thankfulness which had been stirred within him by the manifold improvements which he had been permitted to witness in the condition and pros- pects of the Church in his native land. As soon as he had been able to set in order the things that were wanting by reason of his absence in the general administration of the diocese, he began to make arrangements for completing the visitatior which his voyage had interrupted. His first mark was the district of Gaspe, including the Magdalen Islands to which his first visit after the establishment of a resident missionary was now to be paid. He embarked at Quebec on the 8th August in a small trading schooner, and after visiting all the churches (of which three were consecrated as well as four burial-grounds), and confirming one hundred and thirty- two persons, crossed over to the islands in Her Majesty's G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 321 steamsloop Basilisk, which had been ordered by the admiral of the station (Sir G. Seymour) to aftbrd him every facility in his movements consistent with the duty of protecting the fisheries. The Admiral's orders were most effectually and obligingly carried out by the commander of the Basilisk, (Captain the Hon. Francis Egerton), who, though per- sonally a stranger to the Bishop, shewed him *' no little kindness," and every way " courteously entreated him." The Bishop was glad to be able to render some return for this kindness by repeatedly performing service on board the Basilisk, as well as in a smaller vessel in which he spent one night. The contrast between the vessel, as well as the society, in which he now reached the islands, and those in which he had approached them for the first time three years before was sufficiently marked, and a similar contrast was presented when he proceeded directly to the lonely dwellings of the islanders to celebrate in them the offices of the Church, from taking his part in the consecration of the cathedral at Frede- ricton, for which purpose he interposed a short visit to New Brunswick between the visitation of the mainland of Gasp^ and that of the islands. His visit to Frcdericton was a source of high and varied enjoyment, and his sermon preached on the day of consecration evinced the lively interest with which he had witnessed the wonderful advantages bestowed upon his own early flock. He was greete.i with no less warmth and affection by his new-found friends at the Magdalen Islands than by his old ones at Fredericton. Three confirma- tions were held, and sixty-one persons confirmed ; and one church was found sufficiently advanced to admit of its use, where three years before no protestant minister had ever trodden. His heart was full of thankfulness and joy, and he was enabled to sustain some considerable degree of bodily exertion and exposure. For though the Basilisk conveyed him to and from the islands, he shared, in his progress from island to island, the accommodation of the boat of the intrepid 322 MEMOIR OF .'»' P . f't ' r 1^1 ' ml i _ missionary upon the spot, in whose company he spent one night upon a sand-bank, on which they were cast by the violence of a squall, sleeping peacefully on the sand, pro- tected from the falling rain by an umbrella held over him. He was obliged to return to New Brunswick in order to reach Quebec, which he did after an absence of seven weeks. It was a subject of great regret that his absence had deprived him of the pleasure of welcoming the deputation sent out by the S. P. G. to attend the triennial convention of the Church in the United States ; Bishop Spencer (late of Madras), Archdeacon Sinclair, and the Rev. Ernest Hawkins. But some compensation for this disappointment was aiForded by a brief visit paid to him soon after his return by his brother of Fredericton. The happiness which such intercourse as he then enjoyed and that which had refreshed his spirit in England, and the thankful remembrance of his visit to the Magdalen Islands, served as means to strengthen him to bear what nevertheless was a bitter trial to his sensitive nature, the malignant attacks which were at this time anonymously poured upon him in the columns of a local paper by parties hostile to the inauguration of synodical action within the Church. This opposition, which was by no means confined to Canada, but was fostered by so-called religious periodicals at home, increased more and more, and was a source of con- tinual perplexity and distress, till it was quelled by the final triumph of the cause of synodical action in the diocese in 1859. It pleased God, in His mercy, to carry His servant through it all, though he suffered deeply in spirit from the strife : yet, conscious of the singleness of his aim, he never shrank for one moment, so far as his public acts were concerned, from maintaining with all boldness the principles which he believed to be those of the Church of England, and the justice of the measures to which he had been a party for the restoration of her synodical powers. While still engaged on his visitation in the gulf, he found time to begin a pastoral G, J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 323 letter to the clergy and laity of the diocese giving an account of the object of his visit to England, and inviting them to meet him for the purpose of conferring on the steps to be taken in consequence of the failure of the Colonial Churches bill in the imperial parliament. The pastoral was put forth soon after his return to Quebec, and towards its close he thus alludes to local difficulties : "If I apprehended that the anti-church spirit which, to whatever con- fined extent among ourselves, has manifested itself in tlic agitation of these questions would be infused, in any ])revailing degree, into our delibera- tions, I should feel satisfied that it would be happier for us not to meet at all ; as, again, if I anticipated that the same effect would l)e largely devel- oped by our being authorized to engage formally and legally in synodical action, I should feel that it would be more advantageous for us to go without it till we can be better taught in the school of Jesus Christ. But I bless God that I think I know the temper of my diocese at large, of which, among many other proofs, one eminently conspicuous was aftbrded in the earnest and cordial dispositions of the meeting of our clergy and lay delegates upon the subject of the clergy reserves in 1851 ; and as I am conscious to myself that I shall meet these two bodies in no magisterial spirit, and with the fullest sense of needing help and counsel at their hands, I am not without an encouraging hope that some persons who have made a griev- ance of the course taken in this matter, only l)ecause they have misunder- stood \*f may be brought, by the character and the result of our approaching proceeilings, to a different estimate of that course, and that others may learn from us a new and happier spirit than that which before reigned within their bosoms. " A great many misapprehensions of our local church matters, a great many false, and some most injurious, constructions of my own proceedings have latterly been anonymously put about in this com- munity, of which I have not seen, I suppose, a tentli, i)erhai)s not a twentieth, part, and of which I should have seen none if they had not, in some special instances, been brought under my eye by friends. I pray God to forgive the authors of them, and to turn their hearts ; but I shall take no other notice of them here than by applying to the case l)etwecn these masked assailants and myself, the words of an ancient Roman, which came lately in my way : ' Varius ait Marcuin, rrgid pecunid corrupluni, rempubli' cam Iradere* voluisse. M. Scaurus fiinc culpm affinein esse negnt ; utri magis credemlum putatis V * One of the anonymous charges brought against the Bishop was that of "betraying his diocese." m I' 1- IS' ' ■■ I'"- I Hi 324 MEMOIR OF 1 ],, ■ It: ,'V |i ':■?■« ft ';'' :i ■ i ;., ■^> " To those, however, who are accessible to the voice of their Bishop, I would most earnestly and affectionately address the i)atemal charge that, in all tliat noAV seems to be before us in the proceedings of the Church, they will endeavoiir * to keep the unity of tlie spirit in the bond of peace ;' and ' U pray for the peace of Jerusalem ; they shall prosper that love thee.' For myself — let other parties do wliat they will, and assail the Church and her guardians as they please — none of these things shall move me from my course ; through evil report and good report I shall, by the help of God, go on, so long as I may V)e yet spared in the administration of the diocese and the instruction of the fold, acting upon the same principles Vjy which I have been guided from the first, and which are in harmony with those of my two venerated predecessors in the see. Kut whatever be my attachment to Church principles, I am identified with no party, properly so called ; and I atliize with you and with the afflicted mother I Heavy is the hand of our God upon you. He alone can send you comfort, and He will ! I feel for you in my inmost heart, and know that my loss, compared with yours, is liglit. * Mentioned at the close of chapter xiv., p. 224. uncle A. and I. m again in this i)tli(!r Anniiie h nos.^, on tliu 8th cious to the hist. [y poor sister C, )nstantly familiar y speaking, I'ing )()(!, acconliiii; to f^onc in years of , at host, reinain- illifiil. My work I liold cniharrasa my way through irish. IJiit if we onr disposal, and ,vc nnist leave the rsc in sorrow, but c of the event ff the chapel at IHoO. I was portaiit i)uhhc istory, which I ncl perhaps I S3 of the only manhood, and etter from liis that event, in you, in reply to I was sending it miplained of not :?ri()ns world from I do I sympathize I hand of our God I feel for you in li yours, is light. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 331 !24. Yet I mourn, too, for myself. Jacob has left hut one other of our name and kindred in the IJritish army. He was the only one in my brani h of my profession; of all my nephews and nieces the only one with whom I corresponded ; the only one with whom, since their ehildhood, I have i)eea at all associated; one who was much attached to me. I was to him, poor fellow, for four years, a strict and exacting chief, but 1 believe he gave n>0 credit for having his interest at heart, and I, vain worm, looked forward to the day when he should be again my companion in arms. I believe that you may look back upon his brief career with unmingleil satisfactioji. I never saw nor heard of any participation on his part in any of the vices or follies of his fellow-soldiers. His affection for his parents and brother and sisters was J^redominant in his breast, lu'vcr absent from him, and I never saw nor heard of any departure on his i)art from the lessons of Ida lionie. I shall dwell a little on his professional career, as, althotigh you live in a garrison town, you do not, perhaps, exactly feel as 1 do the importance of the situati(ni which he held. His career eml)raced a period of about seven years and a half, lie Avas actually serving with his regi- ment about six years and a half, out of which he was just four years adju- tant, never absent from his duty, I may almost say, an hour. To pass through Dublin as an adjutant, to serve as such under three successive sharp connuanders retpiires a thorough kiH)wledge of professional details; the youngster possessed this ; and though neither I nor Colonel are men to allow the adjutant to command the regiment, as too many colonels virtually do, an adjutant must always have greater jiower of good and evil, a nun'c innnediate influence over the mass of a regiment than any other oflicer except the commander, greater opi»ortunities of giving pleasure and jiain. How our poor boy acted under these circumstances shall ajjpear. He devoted himself to the regiment; he did his duty, aiul did it well and strictly, but he never lost an occasion of doing an act of kindness, of work- ing upon men by their better feelings, of extending charity to those in need. Hud he been an A.D.C., and well spoken of, I should not value it a but- ton. It might be that he carved a ham well, or was a favourite with his general's wife's lap-dog. Had he been a D. A. Adjutant or Quartcniiaster General, and much bepraised, I would not give a brass farthing for it. It might be that he wrote a good hand, and was obsecpiious to the head of his department. But when a lad, after four years' continued service as an adjutant under three commanders, dies re])ected by all, lamented by non- commissioned otticers and men ; when we find that his commanding oflicer was cpute cast down, that his brother-officers mourned, that nniny of the soldiers cried like children, that poor women whom he had assisted grieve at the news of his death (this is what I hear from Gibraltar, from more than one undoubted source) we may believe, without fear of mistake, that he was a good and faithful soldier, and a right-minded and kind-hearted man. The staff is the post for show, for amusement, and in truth (tiiough 'i»|| ^1 r!' ■«; . ■m:lmt ■u' \'- I '« 4 :ii: t i 1: •. «M 'li !l > ' 'Ti i'i ■?:.N !| ■p 4 i i ilk. •4. 332 MEMOIR OF so it should not he) for advnnccnicnt. Thi" rc^jmiontiil rnrocr is the pro- fession of linns, that in wiiirh u tiMic r('|»iiliition is viinicd, imd the ap])oint- nicnt of adjutant is that in winch a yoiin;,' nnin is tried and called fortli, and shews wliat is in liini. I say not tiiis, hecause I iuid any hand in hia traininj^ • • • hut it is my d'.dii)t'ratc view of the profession in which my life has heen passed, and I thinii it innst lie some consohition to you to feel, us without flattery you iniiy,tliat throiijih the power of the principles wliicli you instilled into him and Ids own ^food disposition, a hid, tiatur- ally too sensitive and fidl of iiusj.'ivinjfs, succeeded in a didicidt and promi- ncnt situati(An into whi( h he was early thrown, holdiuj^ his own with \m superiors and eqiuils, and ohtaiiunj;, in no common dejrrco, the nttachmcnt of his suhordinates, at the sanu' time that we may helieve that la; walked Btoadfastly with his (Jod iid Saviour. My friend Coloiud • of the tSrenadier (imirds says ; ' I have rarely met with a youu}^ jierson who so much engaged one's regards as ])Oor J. Mountain, so unassunung, yet so manly, so gentlemanlike.' A hrother cdlicer writing from Gihraltar, says ' He is now at rest, and many an cdder man would he glad at his last moment to he as ready to answer his last ndl-call as he was. lie was n thorough soldier, antl at the same time, a thorough Christian.''' Colonel Mountain adds, "You must pardon my jjrofession.il weakness. I aimed to make hiiu a thorough soldier and I love to think he was so— though besides the other, nothing." I may, indeed, seem to have gone boyond the object of this memoir in giving this extract, Lut it serves to shew the eft'ect of home-training, as well as the -weight of the trial, though reUeved by the highest comfort, ■which the Bishop was called upon to bear. And for the same reasons, I venture to add one or two briefer extracts. The Chief Justice of Gib- raltar, in writing to announce the young officer's death, said : "Your agonized hearts will be ci-oled, under God's blessing, by the assurance which your knowledge ot your dear boy's character and conduct will afford of his fitness, through Lis Saviour's merits, for the great event which, though it has befallen him thus soon, has not, through God's mercy, found him unprejiared : * * * lie chaplain has assured me that he was in the best possible tone of mind. He said himself, what all the oflicers of his regiment bear testimon to, that he had always been a constant suppliant for grace at his Lord s table, the whole merit of which he teas always attributing to parental injluence. Of the benefit which he derived from this cause he was alwoh^i speaking to the chaplain. « • » Lady C, wlio saw more oi liira than 1 did, was particularly struck with, and early remarked to me, the religious tone of his mind, as so difl'erent from that of most of his age." cer ifl the pro- nd the nppoiiit- id onllcil forlli, my l.iiinl ill liis '.ssion in which ■joiiition to you i)f the )»rinri|)lca 1, a hid, imtiir- iciilt find jtronii- is own Avith liiii , Ihi; attaclinicnl thiit he walked M\v\ ^- of the o; ]icTS(in wlio so iissnuiinfT, yet ho 1 (iil)raltar, says ^hul at liis hisl was. lie was ii ;tian.''' Cohinel less. I aimed to was so — though the object of }s to shew the of the trial, le Bishop was I venture to astice of Gib- death, said: blessing, by the fter and conduct r the great event igh God's mercy, 1 me that he was t all the ofhcers been a constant of which he xcas which he derived * • • Lady k with, and early irent from that of G. J. MOUNTAIN, O.D. The colonel in command of the ro^imont wrote : 333 " Tt Is with profound and heartfelt sorrow I have to announro the melan- choly intelligence of the death of your excellent and amiable son. • • • We follo\ve(l liini to tlie grave with sorrowing hearts, and it will he a con- solation to you to know that he possessed t!»o esteem and aireetiou of every individual in the regiment. I cannot find words to exjiress the depth of my own grief on this sorrowful occasion, sudice it to say. that [ shall long deplore his loss. His nu-rit as an ollicer was of the highest order, iind hia many virtuous and amiable qualities endeared him to all who had the happiness to know him, and to none more than to myself." Another officer wrote, that ho was known constantly to read the Bible and pray, and "was not ashamed to own it." The loss of such a son, whose absence from home had specially endeared him to his parents, could not but be a sore trial to the Bishop, particularly as it came; upon him without any preparation. The intelligence reached him just as he had landed on the coast of Gasp^; from the Ma;i;dalen Islands, his only surviving son having gone to meet him for the purpose of carrying it to him. lie was enabled, however, to carry on his work without interruption, though deeply anxious for those who were left in his afflicted household. But he had had sufficient experience of the manner in which she who shared his parental grief had been sustained uinler the deepest sorrows (experience abundantly confirmed by her most touching letters written at this very time), to be able to commit her and all belonging to him to the hands of a merciful Providence. The manner in which he Avas always able to do this in his long and often trying separa- tions from his home was to the last most remarkable in one whose domestic ties and affections were so strong. This affliction seemed to serve only to strengthen those ties, while he cherished with the utmost tenderness the remembrance of his "precious boy," many most affecting instances of which might be here introduced, if they were not too sacred for public gaze. At the risk of seeming, perhaps, to violate this sacredness, I cannot forbear from adding an expression of iV, .:. ■'■■■■■ If"';:' 334 MEMOIR OF \i:'M - ?» M"J if! ^i>." his feelings, because, in more ways than one, speciDlly charac- teristic ^ from the beginning of a manuscript book in which his beloved son had recorded some of his private thoughts : " my son J., my son, my son, m}'- son J ! Would God that I had died for thee ! J , my son, my son ! Yet I must not speak so ! for it is more needful for others that I than that he should abide in the flesh. And, blessed be God, he was no Absalom, nor taken unprepared. When I shall go to him, may I be as prepared as he was, whose dear remains the rock of Gibraltar holds in deposit against the last great day ! His hand, before it was stiff in death, traced the thoughts in this book, and his humble and contrite spirit, which dictated them, has passed into Paradise, washed from all its stains. And there is a Book in which his name is written, even the Lamb's Book of Life." G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 335 CHAPTER XXIII. > i:4 Seventh triennial circuit — Illness — Visitation of the clorj^y — Visits of the Bishop of Rupert's Land and of American Bishops — Commcnccnicnt of eighth triennial circuit — Obstacles to the advance of the Church — New missions — Correspondence with S. P. G. The seventh triennial circuit of the diocese was begun early in 1855, when, for the first time in his hfe, the Bishop had recourse for that purpose to railway travelling. It did not however, serve to expedite his movements, for he was detained within sight of Quebec at the commencement of his journey, for about twenty-seven hours, by a violent snow-storm which entirely blocked up the line. A similar detention occurred at the close of the journey, when he again took the train. He was absent from Quebec, in the district of St. Francis, exactly a month, during which twelve confirmations were held and two hundred and thirteen persons confirmed, two churches consecrated, nineteen sermons preached, and five persons baptized, four of whom were adults and the fifth one of his own grandchildren. The journeyings were renewed in May, August, and September, when three more churches were consecrated, and sixty-six persons were confirmed at six places in the French part of the country. Two hundred and twenty-six had been confirmed at Quebec at Easter. During this summer, the Bishop was for some time disabled from duty by a very severe attack of influenza, and spent some time, for the sake of change of air which had been recom- mended to him, with his son who had taken charge of the qua- II iii *.,■ "^ P ;w 336 MEMOIR OF rantine station. He beguiled some sleepless nights by putting his thoughts into verse, of which a specimen is here subjoined : hard and thankless heart of mine ! How blest, if in these weary hours, My soul could dwell on things divine, With all her concentrated powers ! How blest, if like the Psalmist king, (a) My waking thoughts I felt to rise, And seek, wich unencumbered wing, A cloudless region in the skies ! Vile earthly vapours, daV nnd dense, How long must I your torpor feel ? Saviour, to ray darkened sense The fulness of Thy love reveal. 1 know Thee, bright and morning star, (6) I own Thee for my only guide ; But ah I I view Thee from afar. Between are waters rough and wide. Hold up, hold on, thou laggard faith ; The Saviour walks the waters still ; No phantom vain, no shadowy wraith, (r) Powerful in presence (d), prompt in will. no, I will not, will not say. From mc, a sinful man, depart ; (c) The sinner's hope, the sinner's stay, I claim Thee with believing heart. Lost in myself, in Thee I live. Poor, wretched, helpless, naked, blind, (/) Some largess to Thy suppliant give. Some salve, some covering let me find. (/) O gold, which only makest rich I (/) pearl beyond all earthly price ! (g) Say, shall the world their souls bewitch, Whose treasure hangs in Paradise ? (A) (a) Ps. xlii. 8, Ixiii. 6, cxix. 55, 141, 148, cxxx. 6; (b) Rev. xxii. 16; (c) St. Matt. xiv. 26 ; (d) St. Luke v. 17 ; (e) St. Luke v. 8 ; (/) Rev. iii. 17, 18 i cf. Is. Iv. 1 ; (§-) St. Matt. xiii. 46 ; (A) St. Matt. vi. 20. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 337 Soon shall be closed this feverish dream, Worn through this (a) "mingled yarn" of life ; Tried by stern test the things which seem, Fought out of good and ill the strife. A rest remains, a heavenly rest ; (b) No death, no pain, no sorrowing sigh ; (c) Chased every care from every breast, Wiped every tear from every eye. (c) The day is near, far spent the night ; (//) . Clirist will His followers' place prepare ; (e) The Lord our everlasting light. Our God shall be our glory there. (/) Early m 1856 he was again journeying, and in the summer of that year paid his seventh episcopal visit to Gasp(3, accom- panied by Professor Thompson, of Bishop's College, who will forgive me for making public the impressions which the inter- course he enjoyed on this as well as other occasions served to fix in his mind : "My acquaintance with your beloved father commcnc/'d only a few years back, yet beyond the circle of my own immediate relations there is no figure which occupies so large a space in the field of memory as his. How many pleasant days of travel together ; how many lovely spots of Canadian scenery to which he first drew my attention ; how much cheerful conversa- tion ; how much valuable counsel ; what instances of Christian gentleness and humility, and of diligence in his great iM aster's work come crowding on the mind when I think of him that is gone! Never, I may safely say, have I felt for any one more thorough respect and reverence and love than for him." They journeyed down the Kempt road, which was still a matter of difficulty and fatigue, and were obliged to return through New Brunswick to insure their being in time for the convocation of Bishop's College in September. This afforded another opportunity for valued intercourse with the Bishop (a) " The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together ;" All's well that ends well— Act IV. s. 3 ; t i) Heb. iv. 9 ; (r) Is. xxv. 8, XXXV. 10; Rev. vii. 17, xxi. 4; (d) Rom. xiii. 12 ; (e) St. John xiv. 2; if) Is. Ix. 19. ) ■ '';}'■. ;^^:';','; pi""-' », :' ' 'ir; , ) ^ ! b - Sij': !l|l'. 338 MEMOIR OF of Frerlericton, who soon followed his Irother to Quebec, to , take part in the consecration of St. Michael's Chapel, men- tioned in the foregoing chapter. As this was the last time that tliej were permitted to meet on earth, I may here properly give an extract from a letter of the Bishop of Fredericton, written early in 1863 : "I never saw one to whom I could more look up with veneration and respect and affection, and we shall ne'er look upon his like again. I sliall never forget his visits to me, and each time have longed for a repetition of the blessing." In the course of this journey the Bishop of Quebec experi- enced an attack which weakened him very much for some time afterwards, and in the following winter he was again visited with very severe suffering, from which, however, he gained sufficient relief to be enabled to visit the missions in the district of Quebec before the spring. He was naturally very sensitive to pain, and I well remember his reproaching himself by referring to the sufferings of the Cross, when tempted to shrink under a surgical operation. A renewed attack of the same kind in the early summer caused great uneasiness to his friends, and prevented his attendance and the delivery of his charge at the visitation of the clergy held on St. Barnabas' day, 1857. The clergy presented him with an affectionate address after they had met, by his desire, to confer together on the steps necessary to be taken under the Act of the provincial legislature, which had this year been obtained for the removal of the disabilities which were supposed to hinder the free synodical action of the Church. By the blessing of God on the means used, and a change of air (for he removed again to the house of his son, near St. Michael's chapel,) the Bishop was so far restored as to be able to hold an ordination at St. Michael's on St. Peter's day, and immediately afterwards to attend the convocation of Bishop's College. He was obliged, however, to abstain during the summer from nearly all public duties, and to G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 339 Quebec, to , Jhapcl, men- :he last time 1 may here e Bishop of veneration and again. I shall I- a repetition of iiebec cxperi- iicli for some le "vvas again , however, he the missions was naturally J reproaching Cross, when A renewed caused great ;en(lance and clergy held 'csented him )y his desire, taken under |ad this year which were the Church. a change of son, near St. Ired as to be St. Peter's convocation Ir, to abstain ties, and to spend some weeks in the neighbourhood of salt water, from whence he came up to his son's house, in the end of August, to welcome the Bishop of Rupert's Land, who visited Quebec on his way from England to his own diocese. Referring to this visit in a charge (dedicated to him " who was, in a manner, its first Bishop "), Bishop Anderson says : "It was delightful to notice the warnitli with wliich he made minute enquiry after many here, and the deej) anxiety which lie maiiifisted for the progress of the Church in this land. The recollection of iiis wanderings in the Avestern wilderness is, he seems to feel, a bright and sunny spot in the memory of the past." And in a private letter written in 1863, he thus alludes to his intercourse with him : " It was with deep feeling and emotion that I saw the account of the peaceful departure of your good and revered father. Very pleasant are my recollections of the hours spent in his society during my visits to Quebec in 1857 and 1860. Inclined even beforehand to look to him as a son to a father, from his former association with this country and the work in this diocese, I found this feeling only deei)ened by personal intercourse and the familiar friendship with which he favoured me. And now I think of his end, as of his life, as almost to be envied, if it were ours to appoint the manner of the approach of death. . . . Your sorrow is swallowed up iu the thought of the honour and affection in which his name and memory will be embalmed throughout the Churches of Canada, even throughout the Church of Christ. I write with the portrait of his meek and gentle face on the wall by my side. You have tiiat face and the lineaments of the soul and inner life more deejdy imprinted on your hearts. . . . My sister shared in the deep reverence and affection which all felt iu ajjproach- ing your good father. Xor is tiiis feeling limited to ourselves in this settle- ment. I alluded to it in preaching the Sunday after I received the tidings of his death, and all now recall their recollections of his tall figure, his engaging manner, his various sermons, and confirmation addresses. All spealv of him with fond affection and regret." The Bishop of Quebec had later in this year the pleasure of greeting two of his brother prelates of the sister Church in the United States, the Bishops of Massachtisetts and Vermont, the latter of whom came to Quebec by invitation, to preach at the reopening of the cathedral in November, which had 340 MEMOIR OF yi been closod for several months for painting and repairs. The Bishop of Indiana had favoured him with a visit in 185G. His health was so far reestablished as to admit of his holding an ordination in September, and undertaking a confirmation tour early in October, through some of the roughest parts of the county of Megantic, wliere he held eight confirmations, and consecrated two churches and four burial-grounds. His first sermon addressed to the cathedral congregation after his illness was preached from the text : " To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." A sermon which he preached shortly afterwards to the same congregation on the fast-day for the Indian mutiny was published by desire. The journey just mentioned brought to a close the triennial circuit of the diocese, in which nine hundred and thirty-five persons had l)een confirmed on fifty-five occasic is, twelve churches and seven burial-grounds consecrated, and five deacons and five priests ordained at six ordinations. The number of churches conse- crated included the chapel of Bishop's College, in July, 1857. The erection of this chapel had been a long-cherished object "with the Bishop, and its consecration was an occasion of great thankfulness. The Bishop of Maine preached the consecra- tion sermon. Early in 1858 he was again travelling, visiting the missions in the St. Francis district, and holding sixteen confirmations, three of which were in places where the rite had never before been administered. Part of the district of Quebec was visited for the same purpose in June, and the district of Three Rivers in August. Ordinations were held at Lennoxville on Trinity Sunday, and at Quebec at the ember-seasons in September and December. Another was held at Quebec on the feast of the Epiphany, ir"9, when a deacon who had been pre- vented, by the effects of an injury he had received, from coming forward at Christmas was advanced to the priesthood. Towards the close of 1858, the present rector of Quebec suc- ceeded the Rev. Official Mackie, who had for family reasons G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 341 returned to England, as assistant minister of the cathedral, and the Bishop appointed his friend, Mr. Wood, examining chaplain. There la no record of the consecration of churches during this year, nor indeed during the triennial circuit which began with it, except of the chapel within the marine hospital at Quebec. The gradual withdrawal of aid from home was beginning to produce its effects. Not only had the S. P. G. been obliged altogether to discontinue the practice of making grants for churches, but the diminution of its missionary allowances created a local demand which was felt to be of paramount importance. The efforts of the Churcli were directed to the maintenance of the existing body of clergy, and new undertakings seemed to be beyond her reach. The Bishop, however, felt so urgently the need of opening some additional missions, that ho proposed in 1858 to devote .£200 a year, for five years, to that purpose, on condition that the Church Society should meet it with an equal amount. The mission of Danville was at once opened by this means, as well as that of Ilopetown in the district of Gasp(3 ; and mission- aries Avere afterwards placed at Barford, Acton, and Bourg Louis. The question of the maintenance of the clergy was daily becoming more important and sometimes distressing. The absolute determination of the S. P. G. to reduce its grants upon the occurrence of every vacancy created great difficulties in filling up such vacancies, and in effecting clianges which were for the manifest advantage of the Church. The Bishop urged the claims of his diocese with all earnestness, and, at the same time, his desire for the completion of an arrangement which had been proposed in 1852, for committing the distribution of the society's missionary grant to some responsible body within the diocese, which he suggested should consist chiefly, if not exclusively, of laymen, by whom some mitigation of these difficulties might be secured. Several minor obstacles had, however, to be overcome, and details to be arranged in correspondence carried on across the Atlantic, i riti ■■ 8 (, s ,1 \w:' \ li *t tm %\ 342 MEMOIR OF SO that it was not till 1802 that the plan was really carried into operation, by the establishment of a diocesan board com- posed of members of the synod and the Church Society, acting in concert with the Bishop. The manner in which tliese diffiultics weighed upon tlic Bishop's mind may be seen by the following little note refer- ring to a letter drawn up by his desire to announce to tlie churchwardens of a certain mission the necessity for dimin- ishing the supply of service, on account of the failure of tlie congregations to do what was required of them towards the maintenance of the clergyman. "Defircst A., — I have signed tlie letter, anrl feel something like King Chiirles'when lie signed the death-warrant of Strafford. Our people are not ripe for the self-supporting system, and we cannot— I am sure I cannot — carry on the Church upon that jirinoiide. I hope it may please God to look iijiou us and open some unlooked-for Avay of deliverance from our diniculties. Every thing at iireseut looks very, very black, and synods, I am afraid, will do little to help us. But I must not forget my own maxim, ^ Or a el labor ar' But though he was thus reluctant to resort to measiu'cs of severity, and felt strongly the peculiar difficulties of his own poor and scattered diocese, he had all along maintained the principle on Avhich the S. P. G. was acting as one Avhich it was the i)lain duty of all concerned to adopt whenever cir-cuni- stances should render it practicable. So long ago as in 1837,* he had himself suggested that no missionary allowance should exceed .£100 sterling a year, and that it should be made * In 1834 he had drawn up a circular for Bishop Stewart, on the occa- sion of the reduction of the grants of the S. P. G., caused by the withdrawal of the ])arliamentary vote. This circular ''containing much wholesome counsel, and pointing out the sources from which the endowment of the Church must be ultimately derived, not only lays it down as a principle that the colonial Church must depend mainly upon its own resources, in the voluntary gifts and offerings of the people, but suggests a convenient mode of gathering those contributions." See Aunals of the diocese of Quebec, Appendix B, p. 316. condi of th( sight Li ' >l'i G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 343 lly carried )oard com- 1 Society, upon tlic note refer- ice to the for diniiu- uro of tlio 'Avards the >g like King M)i)lo are not ' I cannot — ease God to ice from our nd synods, I own maxim, oasurcs of f his own aiiied tlic ich it was r circuin- inl837,* ICC should be made u the occa- witlidrawal wliolesome nent of the a j)rincii)le sources, in convenient diocese of conditional on the performance by the people, in each locality, of their part towards a proper maintenance for their minister. The difficulties of enforcing this ride, though it was never lost sight of, in the case of newly -formed settlements were almost insuperable, and the society had been always willing, " to its power, yea, and beyond its power," to provide them Avith the ministrations of religion. For many years no ap])lication for the establishment of new missions had been refused ; the great difficulty had been that of finding men for the work. In April, 1y far too few clerfryimn for our work, f suppose it would l)e hardly too much to siiy that the dilference in favour of the diocese of Toronto ig almost e(iMiilly great, if we look to the general resources and advantages (tf the province, as thus far developed within the limits of either diocese respectively; mid I cf)ulil furnish, if it were necessary, a variety of distinct and prejriiiuit details to sustain me in the supposition. Add to all whicli, that there aro rectories in that diocese very richly endowed. Here we have no sintrle instance of endowment beyond some little glebes of exceedingly trilling value. I draw comparisons without the embarrassment of any delicacy or reserve between the diocese of Toronto and my own, because the Sociity liaving, as I understand, nuule conclusive arrangements with the former, which, after the grant in aid of the sustentation fund, is chargeable no longer to its bounty, — there is no possible comi)etition or rivalry of eiaiin l)etween the two dioceses upon that bounty, ^'ever, indeed, coidil I indulge in any unworthy jealousy of heli) given in other jiarts of Cauaila, or elsewhere, — it is all one cause, and that the cause of the Church of (Jod upon earth. And I bless His name for all which, in any spot, can advance that sacred cause, "from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same." Claims of the diocese to help and to consideration. — Til. I must press upon the venerable Society a consideration at which I have already incidentally glanced, that although the Church of Englaml ]iopulation of this diocese is, to a great extent, seated in backwood settlements which are, in a man- ner, struggling into life, — it has, under the nursing hand of the Society, been brought up to a hopeful condition, and has assumed, if I may so express it, an ecclesiastical consistency, which it would be grievous to think of breaking up by any severe and sudden check. That the see is compara- tively old is evidently no argument for the discontinuance, or extensive and rapidly progressiva diminution of supplies from home, if the state of the Church within the diocese, and the wants created by a new and con- tinuous influx of emigration, are such as to fall, with exact propriety, within the objects of the Society's charter; — if all local resources at command arc utterly inadequate even for the meagre and inii)erfect supply of those wants which is now provided ; if the effect of what the Society has done and is doing yields encouragement for the future ; and, finally, if the diocese stands now in a conjuncture of a critical kind, and any shock given to the pro- gress of the Church would be charged with the most disastrous eflfects. kilt-*'! ■ '■! G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 347 Now, nil these suppositions may, I believe, be safely averred to cor- respond to the reiilities of our case. With rfftTeiice, in particular, to the eiicouragiiig j^rounds which exist for iirulctliug and ciierishing the Cliurch in the diocese, and the call wiiich Is presented in tho iunuflirieney of its own resources, I would beg hero to stato some few details. Staliatics of the diocese. — We have n population of perhaps twenty-five tiionaand Church-people, of whom Ix-tweeu froviucial charter, and procured for it a royal charter for conferring degrees ; sent out from this college about thirty candidates for Orders, now hiliouring chiefly in this or the adjoining diocese of Montreal. About two thousand persons are confirmed in each of the triennial visitations, every ciiurch in the diocese being visited for the purpose. The proportion of communicants in our congregations is much larger than that which sid)sists in the mother- country. If we are enabled to keep our ground, we shall, liy tlie likssing of God, lay a foundation in the country, firm and deej), upon wliich others, to enter hereafter ujion our labours, may prosperously build up and cnhirgo the Church. We are now at a turning-point in our history, for tlie intro- duction of railroads, and the develoimient of mineral atid other resources not yet made available, cannot fail to give an impulse to tiie country; and its institutions and religious predilections, in connexion with the advances of the Anglo-Saxon race, ^\ ill be moulded by the inlhiences which can maintain the ascendant in supplying, intellectually and spiritually, the popular want. If we are in any measure ready to meet this demand, our pure apostolic Church and scriptural faith will establish their proper hold upon the people. If we are found in a paralyzed condition, — if it is seen that we have been compelled to leave the interests of religion to languish, and are exposed to the mortification — it is already most keenly felt — of rendering discouraging answers, and dealing out explanaticHis anil excuses to those who address their appeal to us, — we shall sink in their vyvs to a character of inefficiency, and some of them will fall away to careless irre- Ugion, — some will follow the teaching of unsound and fanatical sects,— many will be absorbed into the rich and powerful connnuuion of Rome, — and others still, not drawn away in any of these directions, will at least be lost forever to ourselves. Alas ! in different places which we could not 348 MEMOIR OF w I h '!''■, i Pit hi 1.0 'I? S-^ 7 ! it'* >■ ■ ■ «^fj. supply, we have lost, and are now losing, some who would else have owned the bosom of their mother in the Church. Measures for reducing the charge upon the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, and mutual understanding acted upon in alt new arrange- ments for the missions. — V. I have been endeavouring, for a long time, to lessen the charge upon the Society for the Propagation of tlic Gos^pel, wherever it was possible; and have brought down, in several instances, the missionary allowance to a lower mark, by exacting the difference from the peoi)le. I have also been comi)ellcd, in carrying out what I knew tlie so- ciety had a right to expect, to leave here and there in tlie hands of one man a sadly unwieldy charge, and to forbear from attempting to subdivide great tracts of country into two or more missions, as was urgently required. One whole mission (Lower Inverness, with parts adjacent) I have struck ofl', and reannexed to the charge of a clergyman twenty miles away, who is loaded with other work, because the poor people could not, in tlio experi- ment, fulfil the part which was thrown upon themselves towards the support of a resident pastor. My poor diocese — what is to become of the flocks? My poor clergy — what are they to do? Here, under all the difficulties which I have descrllied, they must, for the simple exercise of their vocation, each keep his horse, each must provide saddle, bridle, a winter vehicle, harness, cariole-robes (or bufl'alo-skins for the sleigh), and winter equipments for his (nvn person. Witli all the rigid self-denial which they can and do practice, they incur debt, which drags as a weight upon their minds. Their spirits are discour- aged in the midst of a sev(?rity of labour which requires their unbroken energy of soul. I do not see, from any prospect now before me, or any calculations or auguries which I can now frame, how the missions of Ire- land, Frampton, and Stoneham, and other such missions, are to be carried on at all if the allowance from home is to be cut down to £60 a year, and to undergo, at the end of three years, a farther reduction. The missions witliin themselves cannot make up the difference; Quebec alone cannot do for all. The parish of Quebec will, in a few short years at farthest — and it might happen tomorrow — have to provide for the payment of ckrgynioa and some other objects within its own limits, for which the present rector, (holding other appointments also, and being obliged, for reasons known to you, to retain the rectory), is disbursing, in six separate payments, jL'670 currency a year. The whole annual income (ai)art from the sjieciai fund for widows and orphans of the clergy) of our Church society, raised not without much effort, is £850, of which, £500 is contributed in Quebec. It may be understood, therefore, that the approaching call for Churcii expen- diture upon the spot is something which will be more or less sensibly felt, pi':"' ^^'•.■:s...^jrx.^^ G« J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 349 esont rector, and will, so far, increase the difficulty of contributing to the support of the missions. Commending all these observations to the favourable notice and candid consideration of the society, I remain, Dear Sir, Very faithfully yours, G. J. Quebec. He concluded a letter of about the same date as follows : *' I part with the subject, expressing on the one hand my deep and unalterable sense (to which I have again and again in all fervent sincerity given utterance) of the debt of grati- tude due from the North American Church to the society, and the praise due to God above for the blessings which it has long and widely dispensed among us ; and recording, on the other, my solemn conviction that these measures of re- trenchment, to the extent to which they are carried by the society, and so far as they are not the dictate of imperious and unavoidable necessity, are unseasonable and premature ; and that the actual and prospective state of settlements in this and certain other parts of the North American provinces con- stitutes a direct and legitimate claim upon the fostering help of that great and noble institution. If it be true that, in the lan- guage of Lord Bacon, ' it is the sinfullest thing in the world to forsake or destitute a plantation once in forwardness, for, besides the dishonor, it is the guiltiness of blood of many eommiserable persons,' it is a great responsibility which lies upon the Church in England, if she would take her scattered children to record that she is pure from the blood of all men, to follow up to its needful mark the work which has been begun and thus far proceeded with in the spiritual plantation formed within these colonics." ■ i V j 350 MEMOIR OF B'^ ' K^t -, B^'f .■w ■''^^r' H ,. mfl , - i 'M it^ ^! i ^' ■# ff»^» ' 'm fv ■ ji\ i ♦. ■:' l4 / ■1 » 1 ( 1 i'l' ■'',', ^^1 ^» 1(1 '■■4 "" ', M h\' .«'. Pit ¥■ '^ki CHAPTER XXIV. Proceedings within the diocese for initiating synodical action — Difficulties encountered. The clergy who met at the visitation in 1857 passed a resohition to choose certain of their own body, and to request the Bishop to name an equal number of laymen, to act together, Avith the Bishop at their head, in preparing the draft of a constitution to be submitted to the first formal meet- ing of the diocesan synod. The Bishop, accordingly, ap- pointed six gentlemen, representing the different opinions held on the subject, and after several meetings of the com- mittee had been held, a draft was agreed upon. Early, however, in the following year, it became known that an unexpected interpretation was put, by some parties, upon the act of the provincial legislature for the removal of the doubts which had existed as to the power of the Bishop, clergy, and laity, to meet in synod. It was held that, as no distinct provision had been made for the representation of the laity, no diocesan synod could meet without first going through the form of summoning the whole of the laity to a preliminary meeting at which the principle of representation might be adopted. The Bishop of Huron had acted upon this view in organizing his new diocese, and it was represented to the Bishop of Quebec that it would be safer for him to follow this example, than to leave any room for doubts which might after- wards be found to aflfect the validity of the proceedings of the synod. It seemed so perfectly plain that neither the G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 351 I — Difficulties IS view in framers of the act nor the legislature which passed it could have intended such an impossibility as that of summoning to one place the whole laity of a diocese, and it was so well known that the act had been made as short and free from details as possible, hAn/^ in fact only permissive and enabling, and not aifecting to confer any new po^wers, or to prescribe any action Avhatever to the Church, that the Bishop of Quebec was disposed to adhere to the course which he had adopted of caUing a synod to consider the proposed constitution on the 9th June, 1858. He yielded, however, to the views of others, and revoked the summons, calling instead, a meeting of the clergy and laity, to be held at Quebec on the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. I forbear from attempting to describe what took place on that day, but let it suffice, in the words of a circular shortly afterwards addressed by the Bishop to the clergy, to say that it became " ai)parcnt that great confusion and multiplied mischiefs must ensue from the act as interpreted to require a meeting of the Church, other- wise than by representation, as well as that extraordinary prejudice must be done to the rights of the diocese at large." The Bishop was so wholly unprepared for any opposition, or for obstacles in the way of farther proceedings, that it was impossible, at the moment, and under the circumstances, to decide on any ulterior step, and the meeting was simply adjourned to the 1st September. lie had caused resolutions to be prepared, similar to those adopted in the diocese of Huron, affirming the principles of representation and of voting by Orders, " pending the adoption of a constitution by the synod," thus much appearing to be necessary in order to put the machine in motion at all ; but an amendment was moved for the appointment of a committee, to report to an- other meeting similarly constituted, and when it was to be put to the meeting the question at once arose whether the clergy were to vote separately, or to be out-voted by those who claimed to represent the voice of the laity. ^nf p.. 1 1 352 MEMOIR OP !'■ "I ' lit J.; J (Ifi ■a ^ I V* tl 1 4 w mi k I' >' 11 k I, In order to be prepared for the adjourned meeting on the 1st September, the Bishop, after receiving many suggestions from different quarters as to the best course to be pursued, determined to seek the opinion of the law-officers of the Crown on the interpretation of the Act. He accordingly undertook a journey, in July, to Toronto, which was at that time the seat of Government. , But on his arrival, he found that as the Act affected only the interests of the Church, they could not be called upon for their opinion, except in their private capacity as members of the Bar. It was, however, suggested by three or four laymen of high standing, con- nected Avith other dioceses, that the simplest remedy for the difficulties of the case would be found in an application to the legislature, then in session, for a short explanatory Act, which should provide for the representation of the laity. This course had indeed been suggested by a member of the committee, when the unexpected interpretation was first put forth, but no real inconvenience being then apprehended, it was thought that the legislature would be unwilling to take any farther action which might appear to be unnecessary, and the Bishop went to Toronto without this idea having been again presented to his mind, without the smallest possible expectation of any such unlooked-for relief, and with no other object than that of obtaining the opinion of the law- officers of the Crown, and governing his subsequent proceed- ings in accordance with it. The idea was now freshly pre- sented to his mind again from totally different quarters, and it was conceived that there would be no difficulty in obtaining an explanatory Act, the intention of the original Act being sufficiently plain, while the obstacles to its working had arisen from an interpretation of which it had been accidentally left capable. The event happily justified this expectation, for when the bill was prepared it passed the Legislative Council without opposition, and the House of Assembly adopted it by a majority of seventy-two against seven. Not G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 353 eting on the suggestions be pursued, icers of the accordingly was at that al, he found the Church, 3ept in their IS, however, inding, con- ncdy for the nation to the natory Act, •f the laity, mber of the vas first put rehended, it lling to take nnecessary, idea having he smallest ef, and with of the law- nt proceed- freshly pre- larters, and in obtaining Act being Drking had accidentally sxpectation, Legislative Assembly iven. Not one member of the Church voted against it, notwithstanding that the party from whom the opposition had proceeded at Quebec used every effort to defeat it, holding a public meeting, and sending eminent counsel to Toronto for the purpose. The Act, however, having been assented to by the Governor-General, became law, and the meeting of the 1st September fell through. The Bishop • then, not deeming it advisable to subject the clergy to the expense and incon- venience of another journey to Quebec in the same season, determined not to assemble the synod till the following year. He hoped also that time and reflection, and, above all, the gracious influence of the Spirit of purity and peace, which he earnestly besought them to seek, would have the effect of healing the sore which had been opened, and bringing those who had opposed themselves to a different view of their duly. He put forth a letter addressed to the clergy and laity of the diocese, explaining the course which had been adopted in the matter of synodical action, and endeavouring to pre- pare them for a right use of its privileges within the bounds now prescribed by law. Together with this letter were pub- hshed some " Considerations relative to certain interruptions of the peace of the Church in the parish of Quebec," which had been previously prepared, but which he had withheld in the hope that the ill effects of those interruptions would pass away without his personal intervention. This hope appearing now to be groundless, he put them forth, not without much fear and trembling, " solemnly and affectionately charging it upon all into whose hands they might come, to resolve, by God's help, to read them without pre-possession." He entered at great length on certain points which had been publicly discussed, defending the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, as well as the practices of some parti- cular clergymen in Quebec, from charges which had been brought against them. I subjoin some extracts from the pubUcation : V i:| 354 MEMOIR OF -if I .1 ■ ; ■, f % .1 iii^ III "It hag been a just ground of thankfulness to God, which, in different ways and at different times, I have taken occasion publicly to acknowledge, that in all the eight North American dioceses of the Ciiurch of Euf^liind, we have been exempt from the mischief of certain indiscreet i)rocee(ling3 relative to the minutia; of ritual observance and of certain exaggerated and unsafe views upon doctrinal points, which have characterized an extreme party in the Church at home. I am not aware of any single instance within the limits just specified of any such objectionable doings, or of the introduction and advance of any such objectionable principles; nor has there been a single instance of any apostasy of the clergy to the ranks of Rome. And a similar happy verdict may be rendered respecting the character at large of the missions supported by the Society for the Propa- gation of the Gospel, the mother and the nurse of the Churches in the dependencies of the Empire tliroughout the world. "So far then, of the Anglican Church in the diocese, and its connection with the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. Suffer me to speak one poor word of its present Bishop. " Ft has pleased God, Who chooses His own instruments, unworthy in themselves, and puts the ' treasure' of His Gospel ' in earthen vessels,' that I should occupy in the Anglican Church the episcopal charge originally of the whole of Canada, and now, by successive subdivisions, of that portion of it which constitutes the reduced diocese of Quebec. I have held this charge (without speaking precisely as to the months), for twenty-three years, being exactly one-third of my life. Another third exactly was previously passed in the subordinate grades of the Christian ministry exercised, with the exception of three years, in Quebec. I have carried my episcopal ministrations (having volunteered, before the erection of Rupert's Land into a diocese, to visit that country) from the Red River in the Hudson's Bay Territory to the Magdalen Islands in the Gulf of St. Law- rcnce. I have, in one ecclesiastical capacity or another, ' gone in and out before this people' — mv own people in Quebec — for forty -one years. For forty-one years I have Avatched and prayed and worked for them without ceasing— watched and i)rayed and worked. 'I am old and gray-headed, * * * and I have walked l)efore you from my' youth unto this day. 'Behold, here I am ; witness against me before the Lord.' With whatever errors of judgment, with whatever deficiencies in i)ractice, — and I know that they have been many, — I have been chargeable, I challenge the world to shew tiiat, over all this extent of space or of time, among ' high and low, rich and poor, one Avith another," I have been unfaithful to the true inter- ests of the reformed Church of England, or swerved from the proclamation, according to the doctrine of tliat Church, of Christ crucified as the only hope of fallen man, and the Word of the living God as the only basis of didactic theology. I appeal to the whole tenor of my public teaching; G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 355 ch, in difTorent r> acknowk'(lr;e, ch of Eii<,'l:in{], jet i)rocec(liiig3 saggcratcd and zed an extreme ■iingle instance )ings, or of the :iples; nor lias to the ranks of respecting the for tlie Pro])a- liurches in tlie * * its connectioa r me to speak 3, nnworthy in vessel*,' tliut I ?e originally of ;)f that portion have lield this r twenty-three d exactly was stian ministry ave carried my on of Rupert's River in the f of St. Law- one in and out e years. For them without i gray-headed, into this day. rVlth whatever •and I know ngc the world high and low, the true inter- proclamation, d as the oidy ; only basis of 3lic teaching; and if ever (which, indeed, is not much to be anticipated,) tliat smaller portion of it were to see the light, which has been delivered in a written form, it would be seen whether I have failed to preach ' the tinsearchable riches of Christ' and to ' testify the (lositel of the grace of Ciod.' And in the regulation of worship or points of ecclesiastical observance, I luive not ventured even upon manifest improvements, but with a wary hand and a considerate eye to the object of avoiding hurtful misconstruction, and have abstained, in different instances, from the correction, however in itself desiral)le, of practices with which it might have created disturbance to interfere. I have not been ' a reed shaken with the wind.' "Whatever influence may have been in the ascendant, whatever opinions accidentally most in fashion, whatever peculiarities most popular for their day, whatever shibboleths may have Ijeen bandied about by men who charge the lovers of the Church with exclusiveness, being, in their own way, without calling in qnestion their zeal and sincerity, preeminently exclusive themselves, my principles have never changed. I have trodden in the steps (if my two venerated i)redeces3ors in the see, and with all the human infirmities attaching to each of us, I have the comfort of feeling that I am, as they were, ' i)ure from the blood of all men,' in the aspect of the case here under consideration. And this consciousness I shall carry-i-thank God it is not far — to my grave. "It might be thought, perhaps, that under all the circumstances which I have here described, the hope coidd have been left to me of being sjiared from such a task as that of defending my diocese and my own administra- tion of it from the charge either of Romanizing tendencies or of deficiency of concern for the spiritual well-being of the children of the Church. * " Of the tenets and usages, then, which are here in question, I jiroceed to specify some examples, — being such as are associated in many minds which, in these points, are imperfectly informed, with ideas of assimilation to Rome, and such as, in instances known among us here, have exposed her ministers to misconstruction carried to its very extreme. For the present I merely state them. If unforeseen necessity should arise for shewing, by means of another address or a series of addresses like the i)rcseiit, that the Church does hold them, and that she is right in holding them, I shall not, by the help of God, be wanting to my duty in this behalf. 1. " The Church of England maintains the high and sacred importance of the two sacraments, and their living efficacy, when rightly applied, as direct vehicles of grace and privilege to man. 2. " The Church of England maintains, as a principle, assumed in various solemn acts and made the basis of legislative proceedings in her whole communion, both within and without the British dcmiinlons, the regular standing commission of the ministry — the power of providing for the preaching of the Word and administration of religious ordinances, and the Pi' H". If' i'^ ^1 'll m''( 356 MEMOIR OF i '1 '' 1 !ii ^JJliS » 'liv regulation of matters ecclesiastical, not being held to reside loosely in this or that Itody of i)eliever3 who may agree upon this or that arrangouu'iit for the purpose, l)ut to have been originally conveyed to the keeping and charge of an Order of men constituted for that end, and in the persons of those wiio occupy the chief grade in tliat Order (wliercver the integrity of the ]iriniitive system is jjreserved,) invested with authority to transmit this commission from age to age. 3. "The Church of England holds it to be an appendage of this com- mission (however dormant in practice, and this partly in consecpience of past abuses of ecclesiastical power), to preserve order and purity in the Church of God ui)oii earth, by the authoritative exclusion of scandjilous offenders from certain sj)irituiil privileges, and their restoration to the same upon due evidences of their repentance. 4. "Tile Church of England, in common with other protcstant bodies, maintains and precribes as a practice which she aflirms to l>e founded upon scriptural authority, the duty of fasting, upon set occasions, in the literal and proper sense of the word. 5. " It is the genius of the Church of England, made conspicuous in many ways, — while slie atlirms in her thirty-fourth article, and elsewiiore, the lil)erty which is left under the Gospel of adaptation in matters of ritual to ' the diversity of countries, times, and men's manners,' and while she avoids an overdone pageantry or an intricate and loaded ceremoniuK — yet to clothe tlie exterior of her worship, the wiiole apparatus of public devotion in all its details, and the whole manner of its performance, with a certain grave, orderly and significant solemnity ; and, where it can be reaelud, to stamp upon it a certain grandeur of effect. She carefully preserves the associations of sacredness in ' all that is for the work of the service in the house of the Lord ;' and she surrounds with a peculiar and scrupulous reverence the holy memorials of the death of our adorable Redeemer. 6. " The Cluirch of i^highuid takes order for the frequency as well as for the conspicuous in ', and olst'whore, iiialtcrs of ritual / and wliilc she ceremonial, — yet f puhlic devotion L', witii u certain 11 l)e roaciii'd, to lly preserves tlie he service in the and scrupulous ledccnier. y as ■well as for •vides a di<;'ested icalyear, which icr some grand of the ai)()stolic lesscs' which is e system of tlie m so impossible preservation of or Mr. B. ; it is far from inaia- olete or suscep- jn of authority, ! lesser changes in this or that particular, when the time shall serve and such experiments Clin l)e safely tried; nor yet that indulgence may not be due to men who, under tlie influence of the times, are more or less la.\ in their church views, if only they would shew indulgence in return to those who love to keep tho rule of their mother. Hut with reference to the foregoing general |ioint3, they are points which we must of necessity include in wliat we accei)t and assert, whenever in our ai)proaehing synodical proceedings we furnially accept and assert the system and liturgy of that Church. Some of them are matters of faith ; tithers lie in the i)rovince of ecclesiastical authority, according to the discretion committed to the Church, being conformable ia their spirit and their object to the Word of God; all of them are to be practically carried out, pro virili, and ac(;ording to the opportunitie's open to them, by the prelacy and clergy of the Church ; all of them constitute a portion of the particular form and mode of carrying on the work of tlio Gospel, which that prelacy and clergy have in charge; all of them should be made instrumental in their hands, according to every just view of minis- terial responsibility, to the edification of the flock, by the familiar iteration of endeavours to promote an intelligent use and appreciation of such observ- ances,— endeavours which may in some instances be made unduly promi- nent, but the total omission of which is the very way to make men mere formalists in their public devotions ; all of them are compreliended in the force of the question to which a clergyman assents, in rendering, when ho receives the Order of priesthood, his solemn vows before God and man: '"Will you, then, give your faithful diligence always so to minister the doctrine and sacraments and the discipline of Christ, as the Lord hath commanded and as this Church and Realm hath received the same, accord- ing to the commandments uf God ; so that you may teach the people com- mitted to your care and charge with all diligence to keep and observe the same ? ' "And is it fair, then, is it justifiable, is it of any possible good con- sequence that a clergyman, who, without any ill-feeling or breach of charity towards other Christians, or any want whatever of preparation to stand against the proselytisra of those Christians who profess the Romish faith, conscientiously endeavours to act up to tliis solemn vow of his ordination, should be hunted down by a false, and in some instances an almost ferocious, cry of Popery, and that efforts should be made, as in very many places has been seen, to impair if not to destroy his usefulness, by under- mining his influence and blowing an evil breath upon his name? I repeat it — I will nmke the utmost allowance even for the unfair prejudices and groundless alarms of persons who from sincere, simple attachment to the pure truth of the Gospel which they are made to believe in danger, and with instances in England of an unhappy apostasy before their eyes, may lend themselves too readily to such a cry — I will give credit for right motives to men who do very wrong things, (although they ought better to have 358 MEMOIR OF v« m examined -what tlioy arc eal may 1)0 made on the other side— and these, observe, the names of men who have been si)ecially distinguished as invincible champions of protestantism. "What were the sentiments of Hooker upon the several points which have been above stated? Of Hooker, whose great work (and the words will apply to it in the parts Avhich regard our con- troversy with Rome no less than in others) has been described by a distinguished scholar of the last century as the everlasting jiossession and the impregnable bulwark of all which the English nation holds most dear? Hooker might be quoted absolutely upon all the points in question — take him here only upon one, in contrast with certain views upon the subject of fasting. AVe are told in his life that ' he never failed, on the Sunday before Ember-week, to give notice thereof to his parishioners, jiersuading them both to fast and then to double their devotions for a learned and pious clergy, but especially for the last, saying often, that the life of a i)ious clergyman was visible rhetoric, and so convincing that the most godless men (though they would not deny themselves the enjoyment of their present lusts,) did yet secretly wish themselves like those of the strictest lives.'* I m n * See Acts xiii, 2, 3, as remarkaVdy sustaining the observance |)rescribed by the Church in this particular behalf. I have no doubt in my own mind that Hooker derived assistance in achieving what he has left to posterity, by his habit of "keeping under his body and bringing it into subjection" in the observance of the prescribed fosts of the Church. G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 359 "I might till a l.irjro hook witli siiiiihir oxiuiipU'S, and I iiii^lit liuve recourse to tlioso of cclf))niti'(l iori'ij,ni diviiR'S, Imt U't the iihdNc ciieil i!|it't'iiiit'iis sunioc. I woiiM only now ask, wore Hooker, Hull, CliiUinfrworth, Taylor, Andrews and Hcveridgo* nienuf Roinaiilzing tendencies — hy antici- pation traetarians or Pusoyite.s? "I (h) not say that any of these men were infallihle, or that in tho sense of implicit acp/-«/uw, etr,, etc., which have no particle of just applicaticui to the case, but which serve the purpose, with abundant readiness, of bringing suspicion and disci'edil upon a clergyman because he desires to preserve in their undamaged integrity the distinctive principles and usages of the Church of Kngland, and which aid the object of introilucing into favour, in substitution for the real system of tl):'t Church, a system which is stamped wiiii the characteristics of dissent? Nobody attacks the Scottish presbyterians because they venerate the name and cling to the peculiarities of John Knox. Nobody (jiiarrels with the methodists because they are fervently attached to the memory aud cultivate some now traditionary practices of John Wesley ; but if a minister or member of the Church of England would affectionately identify himself in faith and practice with all which has been handed down to us The late Bishop Stewart, my honoured predecessor in the see, who never laboured under the imputation of popery, made it his ordinary practice although not holding himself inviolably bound to it by any superstitious feeling, if circumstances occurred to suggest a deviation from it, t(j pass every Friday throughout the year in as much religious seclusion as was practicable, and to observe the day as a rigorous fast. * Quotations from all these writers, or reference to their Avurks had been given. — Ed. 3G0 MEMOIR OF V '■ i %\ by our martyr reformcra and tlieir vt'ticnihlo coadjutora in fratninj? the stumliinld of uur fiiitli uiid worship, such a man ia not to he enduri'd tor un instant, and a movement must he made t») put him down. Tho prineipli-a of toicratiiin freely extended, ri^ht and left, to others holdinj^ all shajies or shades of opinion are to be refused in his exeeptioual ease. And it is not for the most part an adversary who dues him this dishonour, for then, per- adventure, lie might iiave borne it, but it is dt)ne by those who ought to bo his companions and his giddes, his own familiar friemis whom he could trust, with whom he could take sweet counsel together and walk in tlio house of (jiod as friends. Well may we ailapt to tho case the imiplietii' words of our Divine Uedeemer : 'A man's foes shall be they of his own household.' " Hut how easy would it be in many of these uidiappy cases of dirt'ereuco, to turn the tables n\nn\ those who make the attack, uiul to ask them how in their own line uf proceeding, they can reconcile it to themselves to repudiate the rules and provisions of their own prayer-book, and to [uit tho force which they do, in particular instances, upon the plain, stroiij,', uneipiivocal language of the forms of the Church which they use. Moro, much more than this. How easy to retort upon the assailants, the chiugo of helping forward the cause of Koine. Any reverential care in public worship, any strict attention to venerable rules, any solicitude whatever for that decorous ecclesiastical effect in the varied ministrations of the Church, which is eminently characteristic of the work of our reformT.s, creates an alarm in some «piarters, and calls forth from others a torrent uf unmeasured ,il)use or of ungodly ridicule. But there is no one thing moro certain in the world than that a mean, cold, and denuded aspect of religious ceremonial, or a slovenly neglect of externals in the house of God, coml)in- ing with a meagre and inadequate, a clouded, uncertain, unsatisfactory estimate of the ritual ordinances of Christianity, as well as with a hasty disparagement of settled order and venerable authority, and a promiscuous recognition of new and multiiilying forms of religious profession, have beeu the direct means uf driving many well-disposed men into the armsof Roaie, who under dilferent auspices might have been won to spiritual views of their religion, and preserved in the profession of a pure and scriptural fuitli. The traclarian movement itself, which ran on to dangerous and unwarrant- able lengths, and wandered at last so far away from the Church of Enghaul, was urged to thuse very lengths, as it was in the iirst instance (and tiieii, with wise and guod intentions,) set on foot by the marked and wi.le-ipr.al deviations, in another direction, both from the letter and the spirit of the Anglican standards which prevailed in the Church. Extremes beget opposite extremes. " 1 will here illustrate my meaning by a familiar example in point. The laxity of observance which has crept over 'our own Church has produci'd the painful exhibition to be witnessed in our army and navy of bodies of %■ 1 ■'■ ■- ;. '■ ^.1 : ,"!-'■■'/. ■ 1^1 ' 7;i V iV ' £ fcii- G. J. MOUNTAIN, DA). 3G1 ley iirie. More, nicii siftiiiff ill piililic |irayor. Tliiit iiiny now lie siiiil to liavo ^jrowii up into the nili,' of tlu' iiniiy and iiiivy, wlicii' tin- Cliiircli ot' Kii;j,l.iu(l is |iii». fi'it.setl, — lit U'adt I iifvi'f saw any otliiT prai'ticf in fitiicr.* Tal\t« an army ut 'pi'oplc l)t'l(»nj?iiig to till' Ii(iini:4li or (tri'fl\ Cliiu'cli. V'oii may sec tt ii or twenty tiionsaml iinii ilnriuj,' tiiuir public rclijiioiis pcifDrmamu'rt, all ilown, in liiiml)l<' iTVcrcncf, iipMM tlifir kiu'is. An iutcllij,'cnl protcstanl will not lie sliaUcn in lii.s priucipli-.-i Ity tins spcctacii' as rontrastiMl wiili what In; will st'c in till' corn'Spomlinj^ I'aso within thi' Chnrch of Knj^danil. He will understand very well liiat the jiroitrate awe ot" superstition may exer<'i-;e u |iower ovi'r iinii which spiritual reli;^'ion, adopleil unminally liv the mass, Imt actually inlhieiicin^f only the true Israel of' (Jod, may fail to shew, lint if lie is a truly intidlij;ent pruiestant, he will deplore the introduction of thai external irreverence in this and other similar points which takes uway tlie aids to inuai'd re\i'reni'e piovidid hy our own Ciiurcii, and sujjj^estj? llie idea at once, with all the heit,diluning elfect of contrast, to unsctiled minds, no less than to the atlherents of a superstitious system, that prote. sl- ants do not care about their relij^ion, and are ashamed to how the knee to their CJod. Our own people are chilletl and im|»eded in their devotional exercises; ke[)t back in the inouldiuL? of tiie religious man; the careless iuniinjj; them are conlirnied in their carelessness; those who are alienati'd from ud as votaries themselves of an erroneous faith are hardened in llu-ir alienation ; those who may be described as standers-by ami s|iectators in Rli;,aon receive unfavonralile impressions, of which they experience and communicate abroad the liad effects ; and some, perhaps, are led to apo;t:i- tize from their faith. It is therefore (since the train of natural causes .■.nd eflects is assuredly not left to be Inoperative amoiifif the influences which form religion within the heart), the merest mistake in the world, and tlic most complete niisa[)pr(diensiun of the manner in which human btungs are constituted and are acted upon in religion, to suppo.se that u care for exter- nals can be safely neglected, or that it is a dereliction of the preaching of Christ and Ilini crucified, to maintain the value of outward onlinances, and to cultivate a dutiful conformity to every prescribed observance. Xothing is more unfounded, nothing can be more shallow than such a cliargt;. Hi, Paul tells us that he determined not to know anything among the believers save Jesus Christ and Ilim crucified. What did he mean by this? lie meant, of course, that the great cardinal doctrine of salvation by the death of Christ should never, in any part of Christian teaching, be lost from sight — should inseparably be interwoven with every endeavour for tlie spiritual good of the flock — should constitute the grand, the absorbing object of Christian ministrations. But did he mean to be so literally taken * I know an instance of one regiment in which the colonel succeeded in establishing the use of the proper ]iosturo in prayer, but this, so far as my opportunities of information have reached, was a solitary exception. 362 MEMOIR OF '*'(,,. as that he ■woiiUl not tca"li anythiiifr, ftjr cxamplo, about tlie operations of the divine Sl'irit, or the resiirreclion from the dead, or otlier jioini, ,,f christian belief, ^^ave the one liere in question? Or did he mean tbiit he would never rharrre u])on the believers the renuvnbrance of their b iiiiiqn and of the obli;:ations then contracted as well as of the privileges tlitn conveyed? Or did he mean that he would never descend to iauiiliar instruction resjiecting the details of duty in c( ninion life? Or did lie mean that he would not enjoin it npon the disciples to pay respectful regard to the directions of those who were 'over them in the Lonl '? Or did he mean that it was impossible for him to afford a thought for the decency ami order to be observed in public Avorship, for the establisl.ineut of rules which are to distinguish the sexes in the house of Gt)d, for the reverence to be associated with the place where the holy communion was celebrated, as distinguished from the houses which men have to ent ami to drink in? Certainh' the holy Ajjostle did not mean all this or anything resembling it, for if he did, he would nujst ]irodigiously contradict himself. "The lessons of the pastare apt to be lostupon the inc(jnsiderate mortals of any living generation. "We might else deem it a marvellous thing that the warnings should be forgotten which stand out in Ijroad and awful characters upon those memorable pages of the history of our own country which record the demolition of the Church establishment liy a religious faction, in the civil war of the seventeenth century. Deknda est C(iri/ti!s;o was their war-cry. 'Down with it, down with it even to the ground,' was the motto inscribed upon their banner. The ancient episcopacy, the vcncr- a1,)le ritual, the solemn and si)iritual liturgy, the grave and orderly obscrv. ances of the Anglican Church were all to be exterminated, root and branch. Then it was that the heavenly-minded, the evangelical Bishop Hall (among thousands of similar examples), lifted that voice of lamentation of which some notes are heard in an extract already given, over the dishonour done to the Church which he loved, and in his 'Letter frcmi the Tower' ami his ' Hard Measure,' left a picture of her fanatical eiMuies which as it is touch- ing in itself, so, in the agitations of our own time, it is curious and most instructive to contemplate." « • # « « « « "And if a clergyman is seen to manifest any zeal for the correction of neglects, irregularities and deviations in the things pertaining to tlie house of Go(l, which marked a drowsy day in the Ch'U'ch — if he does not louk witii favour upf)u those happy times when the more convenient slop- basin or pewter vessel disphiced the ancient font, tnii. -ferred, to serve as . flower- pot, to the garden of the squire, and when the celebration itself of tlie rite of baptism was passed from the house of God to the dwelling.s of men,— if he does not sigh over the loss in some churches of high-partitioned ]k avs which snugly ensconced the more stately worshipper, and often sluii off the poor from public worahip ; — ilma/cenuiii habet in cornu, loiisejuiic--\\i'ii /vl: G. J. MOUNTAIN, D.D. 303 the operations of otlier point-, of lie nioiin tliat lie of llioir li ipti^m ■ privilt'^rcs ilu.'n :'eiid to 1'aiiiili;ir life? Urdidbc lo pay rcs]'cctful tlie Lord ' ? Or tliou