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V \: A NARRATIVE OF THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE FEEE CHURCH, COTE STREET, M O N T R E A L , RKAD TO THE CONGREGATION AT THEIR ANNU\L MEETING ON THE 25TH APRIL 1855, & i¥ fastor, THE REV. D. FRASER, A.M. Printed by request of the Deacons' Cou URT. MONTREAL : nUNTED BY J. C. BECKET, 38, GREAT SAINT JAMES STREET. 1855. A NARRATIVE, Sec Twelve years have almost elapsed since the disruption of the Church of Scotland. Ten years have passed since this Congregation was oiganii^ed; ten years of trial, but of great blef.s- mg, and well worthy of solemn and thankful remembrance. Those who were intimately con- nected with the first movements in our cont^reo-a- tional history will never, I think, allow them'selves to forget the zeal, cordiality, and spiritual warmth of that time. But many of the early company have passed away— we miss " the old familiar faces ;" and, though this is the most recently formed con- gregation of any description in the city, the facts concerning its origin and early career are now known to perhaps not more than one half of our ordinary Sabbath assembly. My present retrospect is intended to preserve these facts from oblivion where they have once been known, and to communicate them in an authentic form to those who may have received deficient information. 1843. I go back to 1843, to put it on record, that it was m May of this year, the disruption of the Church of Scotland took place. The evangelical party now constituting the Free Church of ^Scotland, re- nounced their connection with the State, because, they could no longer retain it without forfeiting their spiritual liberties, and without betraying a principle, for which our forefathers firmly con- ..„aca a,u. eve. 'h.'^^.^^e. Wlona_..,e J.rincjp.^^^^^ the sole ™P'«"'.f Vffai,"hto "i CImrch officer., adminis^enng U «^XcoS. The noble eon- independent of *" sLCuiar sensation duct of the Free Church ""^w'" J ^,| j j, ,,c„rt, through the Chr.st.an world and * ■l^^" ^^^ „„^ nf faithful sons ol the unurcu "'/^ mereTin Scotland, but on distant shores. 1844. few private '"«""-> . ^ „„ ,hat evening at rious Ch«^h;V,"^^'^^f g'„"hen in St. Paul Street, the house ol the laie mr. '-'» > opcasion are as 7^r »=''"^^^;' wXm Ve:hlt\TProbationer) follows :-««'• 7.„T Ferguson, D. Ferguson, mittee for 'h\f>"'herance of the cau^e o ^^ Church in this city and m »<= f" j jjackay ThelovLentWv^t^^^^^^^^^^ band soon gruw, by God s '''^^^^''"S\"°ith friends tance. Correspondence was opened up wi of the -X X-* P' "'' P^* ^-^^^^^ '-•" tracts on Free unurcn pimv. ^ • •,• „ ^as dis- P^'^l^i-'to^h? Ftr^hurch dT^estthen in the patched to the rree v^uu r , ^|^g Lited States, urging them ^ ^^^^f ^^^^^^^^ Presbyterians of Canada. , f^^^f ^, Cobourg was in this movement ^" Canada Eas^j^a^^^^^^^ ^^ in Canada West. D'^:.^,^"";"^,^!,^ unable to do comply with the ^eq^i^^^^^Vi. \7pais"ev) visited so Dr. Burns, however, (then of Paisley} vis [lie Province with great eflbct. Tiic interest excited by his sermons and addresses, and the larJl.Z ra.sed in this city, in the .sprin,/o 18 7fo T bu.ld.ng fund of the Free Churcf of Scotland were as rnay be supposed, great encouragements to^hi small, and, I may addf hard vvorldn| Sal.^' Other deputies, Messrs. Lewis and Chalmer^ followed in the wake of Dr. Burns. The t We of Presbyterian feeling in Canada began to et in strongly m favor of the Free Churfh movement In June ol the same year, the Canadian Synod S' into two at Kingston, one part adhering^o the re maining or residuary) Established Church of Scot" land, the other party renouncing that connecUon" arid organising themselves as Ihe PresbvteS Churcli ol Canada, commonly called t' S The Free Church Committee in this city how ever, did not wait for the action of the Canadinn cT nod to decide their position, but, two momhs before' the Synod met, sent to the Colonial Committee of the Free Church of Scotland an earnest a^ cation craving that an able minister should be 'en to Montreal, to form a new congregation. Feelinl Tt the same time very anxious'fo? the services ff I devoted Evangelist to labor in town or coumrv he Commit ee sent an invitation to the Rev W C Burns (now in China), who accepted ' i and passed more than a year in this city a id in various parts of the Province, with blessed results hi beWd, in the conversion and quicken^g^ of The cause of the Free Church was jjreatlv nro 7the Rev^rr t'f 'r^ by the visifandYab' rs" Be fast RP w ^^f ^"S^^o"' ^^ Paisley, now of . uf K ^^ warmly encouraged the nrooosal to establish a new congregation iS this citraiid Ig- »^es1ed Ihe plan, afterwards carried ont, of obtain- ing a succession of able ministers from Scot and, each for a period of about six months, until the conj?regation should be in some degree consoli- dated, and a satisfactory pastoral settlement made. Thus closed 1844. 1845. Soon after 1845 opened, the plans for a newcon- gre-ation began to be put in action. Ihe Colo- niaT Committee deputed for this purpose, the Kev. Jno. Bonar, then of Larbert, a minister of experience, who soon proved himself eminently qualified lor the duty with which he was entrusted, and who won the confidence and affection of all who approached him. For a short period he officiated in St. Gabriel Street Church, then vacant by the absence ot the late Mr. Esson, at Toronto. Meantime he organ- ized Bible classes, which were largely attended, and began to meet with applicants for membership in the proposed new congregation, at a hired room in George's Street, which is still in the recollec- tion of not a few of our original members. It was in the month of March 1845, that a reso- lution passed the Committee to erect a temporary wooden Church. In three weeks it was finished, at an outlay of £300, defrayed almost entirely by the still small Committee; and every one who sat in it must recollect how commodious a building it proved, and what happy days were spent by the congregation within their wooden walls. It^ was opened by Mr. Bonar for the service of God. Many scoffed, but some prayed-and the work soon evinced itself to be of God, and could not come to nought. The whole movement appeared strange to those who had not reflected on the subject, and one may say, and that truly, that it seemed to be a &'• s Church bom out of due time anri " o „, i many." ' *"" » wonder unto Immediately after the opening of ihp t„.„ place of worship, four EIders°a^d fl temporary were duly elected and ordai'ed Thl T ^""-"""^ of which I have hitherto spoken,' ceased rTf"' soon as officebearers were^.gularlTappoimed!' " gauon^r/ooTo'corir zt' %'^ -^.o"^- of Messrs. Bonar, (Larbert) Arno'^Tri ""T''^ Somerville, (GlksaowT ,',17 ' (^'*»g°w),and sent oat by^hl C^nTa/commi^If^DS oi"'^' meetings were formed and well attended ff vouonal meetings, several Ion cSissioned nT marched ?o l^Jr^^J^ t^rdin^cCl^ The Sabbath School was institntP,! »„^ u superintendence of Mr. A e^S Fr^lrwif h '^' excellent staff of Teaphpr« ^r V ' ^^^" ^" fallen asleep, an/sImTtnlintt^Tn:;- ''^^•' Toward the close of thp vpoi. *i, period, Mr. Bona^rir: "upe" a p' o^ilioffS "=" vener of the Colonial Com,SiUee) ?n whTch'leTn" 1846. This year opened under the ministry of \f. «. venson, of Tullibody, whose l^nrlf/rl • , • ^'^" Messed to mady h'ZsZ ^ZumV^': soon after returned to Scottd.Tnd wt-stcIX" tirvOt.. G b„ Mr. Mnnro, of f ** j'nd much accep- tance. . r.Viurch was built, During this y-'fjirr;"'*^ ability of the an expensive untotakm,bj^ .^ j^. ^ ^eavy congtegauon at *e , liquidated. debt, wh>eh .s no. y ^^ ^ , j^^. Aftei Mt. Mantoe returnea to = ^^^^ ^^s X:Sneri--.Macniae.hadd.ed in the previous year. ^^^^^ In the month of May, 1847, the Pref^^^^ J^^^ was opened for service ^//^[{^/^orning and even- iSrdcen, who offieia ed m tl^e m .. ^^^ fna. Dr. Wilkes of Zion u^ ^^^^ ^^^^, j ^^y- ° Uo.1 in the afternoon. V"' / „^ • '^^e Precen- S'semd 'n that day as a volunteer m the tor's Desk. summer of this year The deputy sent out ^^^^^.^i^^^o labored with was Mr. Buchanan, o^.^°^}'!fia\tional Elders and g^at ardor. An ^^^^^^if^^n^or of this year. Deacons took place ^urmi, ^"^ ^uccccdcd by Mr. ?ar fall, Mr. B^^chanan w^^ ^^^^^ ^Bremner, o^ Glasgow -^^^^^^^^^^^ ,, ^any. discharge of duty IS w •■840. ,, 1 unanimous call to The coneregation ^ddTessea a .^^^^^^ declined, and the pro.p seemed as remote as ever in «».: ner was followed by Mr kte 30^0^^- ' ^'^ ^""'- mm,stered with acLp«„ce tSeld he";„'''' '"'" tion together till his departt^re in ,1 « taH nT^"- after came a time of denression » r i • ^ '""'''- deputy arrived from ScoUandT. T ''''""^' "'"" and 1849. It is on^v ,W , -""^ ^'""'<"' "f '848 kindness of the Re" John r'!»'"|''''' '"'""°" °^ "''= who then resided Lm. i "''' """^ "' '^'^d R'ver, Canadiai Missionarv Sr '^f'^^'f^ '" ""= """«' tance duringX vacLey '^' ""'' '^^^^ood assi^ 1849. lion' gt&;"ed r„r'' °' ''f ' ">« <=°"S'ega. of m!. Wfs of Lei?i.''^rr'V"';^''' «>« "^'e Colonial Commtaee ThI ,.'^"','' ''"?"'>' "^ the andalltheaSof'tlJrh ^"?"^''^<=^ increased, an eleei''nVaddSrfte:: '""' *"'"^P'-'= heslatfon™ m:"L« ^^ "I^I-' ""' «"" ^"-"^ sometimes been Eer'.hfr' i,"'''- '^' '' ''«« called almost every Stvi^.. •ffS'-egation notice the fact thaf.K ^m j ' " '^ ^™" '» time. ^^^v^icnd Geiillemen occupied at tlie 1850. c^own^o'tTprt "'■/;'?^f, ""'^ "" — '"c oarryin,, Z.^Z'So,/ After ""'.'"'•/''-■"•"■"^''•. J i^srt-'^. A)ter the declinature oi I// II ^r^,a 8 • ^A r.prtam overtures were Mr. Lewis was received ^^J^^^^^r, had no result, made to Mr. ^urns^^ich^^o^ , ^^^ ^^^ The DePfy,/%'^; amaTof great singleness of Fairbairn, of All^^^^^S'^.^Xr of this year, that I purpose. It was ^^ September ^ ^^^^ ^ p.^. Lst ventured ^° ^^^^^f to aecep? a call so soon as posal was ^f ^^. ^^ur^^^^^^ completed, my studies ^t Edmburgn w ^^ Coupar, of Mr. Fairbairn was succeeaeu uj Burntisland. 1851. c Tv/r r^nnar carries the narrative The minis-ry of Mr- Co^'^ ^«,%,esent financial into 1851. Under J^^^ J^^' J^uced, and the con- system was s^^cesstuliy 1 department, legation was well sustainea i j ^j llrrCoupar rf-ned^^^^^^^^^^^^ men deputed ti::^ lo^hf etofthis congregation by the Colonial Committee. ^^^^^ ^^ It is fitting here to -<^X^^]^^^^^^^^^ nine Mr. Redpalh, one of cur EldejM" ^n ^^^^ ^^ ^^_ of these Deputies at ^is pwn Re. a '^^^.^.^„ ,^ pense to the c^f ^^f ^^J^fm to many other Free \he hospitality «^^7:^„^/. to visit the Province at Church Ministers deputed to vis ^^^§®' a- «^ n 1os=i in the year of The congregation suffe ed ajos^^n^^ y^^^^^ which I now ^f^i;; '" ' M,. Brown, a ;naa very West ot one of the Elto M^^^.^^.^^, ,^„,uties. i„obtms,ve, but ot .te I , ^ ^._^^_^^.^^^^ On the 20th J^lJ' , f ^;„\l'"grros having been I preached here. If ";" j by the Presbytery complied with, rf„°7;" „s., and preached my on the evening ot tl e mh M , 1 ^^^^ ,^ fi,st ^'"^""nT r I need not say liow trying from 2. Corint, iv. a. i "l ""« Chief ShepheSBL"T'""'''" ""e help payers of ,hose Ct knew ?h 'r' '/"P^'% and 1852. Thus we advance into 18^2 iu 'he Official JKr-»-~Mace,byw^^^^^ and t .td ?„\t S«^^S<1[:- «-Ua„c,, 1853. was raised for church pumr« ?/ '"«« ^"m "o" of H,e deb. due on'Z^^i^fJ^^'^ ^^'^''^■ -V^6?R^^rn.1oS„'ctd^r^^^^^^^^^ of H. 1854. 1854 was a year of triaJ*. i^w suffered greatly by the remnL 7^'^ congregation and famflies Lm he ^TZ\'^^^^^ visitation of the cholera ril ° \^^^ ^^^"^e not seem to have weaSd fil^Tlit'^'^''^ ^° ■"^' and the congrega- k 10 «a nt wtesent than at any former lion is more nj^nerous at P^ese ^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^.^^ , include any teCerence to llie past. ,, , v,„ve briefly told, seems to me The history which I ha'« °" ^ signalizing as it .oleo'e xvorthy "^ "=7«™^'- "^h^ ^building of a does the feilhtalness ot God >n W J^^^^ . ^ "'",fttp"ers^S;o„sibilitic.s on^^^^^^^^^^^^ r:ttXe-bCV and -"^80° d h:eSrtfat?i;e """• -^°/'Srneve°loCre3, but ta*er w.th S^rbSng. -tinually heightened and ^"uf us be humble, to. " God resiste.h the proud, i^u^^'cth g'aee 7^'^?. So our past history - .-ese^rpt^-:'"-^^^^^^^^^^^ °i::urbe':Uooc.co.age^Jearno^^^^^^^^^^^^^ from without, or defccuon from w ^.^^ ^^^^^ It S\l"Jri;Sea1e you more and more, you .and your children. 11 APPENDIX : The following statistics of the Free Church Col.' Street, may be of interest :- ' ^^^' TheNuniber of sittings provided in the ^^^'^^^^ 1015. The number of these actually alio cated was, on 20th of April, 1854 " 1855 u 844. 886. 1000.^ ='='^imated attendance ranges from 800 to . J^^ """^^^J. «f Communicants on the Roll is ml; » J additions made from time to time little more than compensate lor the frequent losses incur- StateJ '™ ^"^ ^P^' ^^"^^^ ^"^ ^h^ United The sums raised during the past three years for religious purposes are as follows :— 1852-3— £1304 12 7 1853-4— £1432 19 10 1854-5— £1360 8