■-( \ 
 
THE 
 
 SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS ; 
 
 OR, 
 
 FATHER McROREY'S CLASS, 
 
 AND 
 
 'Squire ^^irstman's %it\txi Jfire. 
 
 A FICTION FOUNDED ON FACTS. 
 
 JOHN "bARROLL. 
 
 Author of " The Stripling Preacher," " The Besieger's Praver, " 
 
 ''Past and Present," ''Methodist Baptism,'' and 
 
 " Case and His Cotemporaries " 
 
 • 
 A BOOK FOR THE METHODISTS. 
 
 I 
 
 FIR»T SERIEH. 
 
 TORONTO : 
 BURRAGE AND MAGURN, 
 
 36 KING STREET, EAST. 
 
' ..!»■ 
 
 VORORTO 
 WlIiLUMB, SLXBKH & MACMiLIiAN, Prin«iii» 
 BAT STMIT. 
 
§t&iMm 
 
 TO 
 THE MEMBERS AND ADHEKENTS 
 
 OF ALL THE 
 
 METHODIST BODIES IN THE DOMINION OF 
 
 CANADA, 
 
 (IP THI ACT 18 NOT TOO PR18U1IPTU0D8,) 
 
 THIS WORK 
 
 IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, BY THEIR AFFECTIONATE 
 FRIEND AND BROTHER, 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 Toronto, 
 June lothf 1876, 
 
'O'i 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ORE than fifty years have passed away since 
 the religious world first read with avidity 
 a work issued anonymously by one of the 
 first publishing houses in London, with the 
 title of "No Fiction," originally sent out in two 8vo. 
 volumes. Its construction and style being clever and 
 fascinating, it assisted in the cherishing of what the 
 old Puritan Fathers would say "did not minister to 
 serious godliness," for it rested solely for its success 
 upon undiluted fiction. This kind of writing has not 
 diminished as the age of the world has advanced, for, 
 notwithstanding the realms of truth and beauty are 
 inexhaustible to human investigation, we have amongst 
 us the religiously imaginative, who think they can 
 allure the wayward tendency of men, who neglect the 
 weighty interests of eternity, to the paths of faith and 
 obedience, by highly wrought descriptions of what 
 they believe might occur, under the garb of what they 
 would have the world to believe has really been 
 practically exhibited in the history of persons who 
 have existed only in their imaginations. 
 
VI , INTRODUCTION. 
 
 In the following pages the main facts are interwoven 
 with the early history of the Methodist Church in 
 Canada. Some of the parties who are placed before 
 the reader will be easily recognized, as men of 
 distinctive physical individuality are known at sight 
 by a few strokes of the artist's pencil ; others may 
 require thought and enquiry; but as the landscape to 
 be attractive must be varied and most remote from 
 monotony, so we have in this intellectual and spiritual 
 scenery, something to awaken emotions of pleasure, 
 and to convey lessons of wisdom. The opinions and 
 inferences of the writer are fairly open to criticism, 
 but in the racy narratives which are presented to the 
 reader there is nothing 
 
 "More strange than true." 
 
 By these vividly drawn pictures we are carried 
 back to the wilderness, with its log house and limited 
 clearings — the gathering of "neighbors" from many 
 miles apart — the simple and open-hearted hospitality 
 of early settlers — the " great day of the feast," when 
 the Presiding Elder as a true Apostolic Bishop 
 conducted the devotional services, embracing the 
 prayer meeting, love feast, public worship, and 
 sacraments, joined by as many " rank and file " of all 
 true Methodist workers and people within reach of the 
 " Quarterly Meeting," and perusing the history of the 
 
INTRODUCTION. VH 
 
 disabilities under which many of them labored, we are 
 induced to admire the fervor of their piety, and the 
 bright examples placed before us for imitation. 
 
 An author who has spent a long and observant life 
 in the Methodist itinerancy — whose literary productions 
 have been of essential service to the Church in 
 Canada — whose high reputation places him beyond 
 the suspicion of intentional misstatement, may 
 confidently present his remembrances of former days 
 with the anticipation of a general reception. 
 
 Oakwood Hill, Davenport^ Ont.y 
 
 May 2gth, 1876^ 
 
 Being the end ofthe^oth year oftfu ordination of 
 
 ENOCH WOOD. 
 
'»■:'■;' (■'. 
 
PREFACE: 
 
 EXPLANATORY AND EXCULPATORY. 
 
 HIS book, as the title declares, is a " fiction 
 founded on facts." But, then, some good 
 people do not approv j any measure of fiction, 
 although it may be based on and present 
 facts in a more vivid light than they otherwise could 
 be placed. Let us consider the truthful words of a 
 living writer : " To the sharp outline of facts, fiction 
 may add its embellishments, and thus allure many who 
 would pass carelessly by the great lessons of human 
 history." Something like this has been this writer's 
 object. 
 
 To those who overlook the dramatic character of 
 the books of Job, Ecclesiastes, and Solomon's Song, 
 the similitudes of the Prophets, the parables of Jesus, 
 and the highly figurative and hyperbolical character of 
 a great part of Holy Scripture — those who admire the 
 "Pilgrim's Progress," purchase "Sanford and Merton" 
 for their boys, commend " Watson's Conversations for 
 the Young," read any amount of fiction, if it is only in 
 the form of poetry (the "Lady of the Lake" and "Tarn 
 O'Shanter," for instance) and yet pounce upon a brother 
 for giving a dramatic or tale-like character to veritable 
 Methodist history, I have nothing whatever to say : I 
 
X PREFACE. 
 
 submit to their condemnation. I would only remark, 
 that to be consistent with their principles, they should 
 destroy every historic painting and picture which 
 adorns their houses, because it is not true in all its 
 hard, literal facts, although true to nature, and no 
 matter how many real portraits it contains. 
 
 But to those who are willing to view a subject on all 
 sides, before they pronounce a censure, to them I 
 have statements respectfully to make. The objects 
 sought by this book are these : firsts to supplement 
 several things in Canadian Methodist history, omitted 
 so far, by all our historians, and to rectify a few earors 
 in those authors ; secondly^ to give a portraiture of the 
 manners and customs of the " People called Metho- 
 dists" in Canada about the second stage in our Pro- 
 vincial history as a body; thirdly^ to present some 
 good examples for imitation; fourthly, \.o furnish diver- 
 sities of sincere piety and usefulness ; fifthly , to hold 
 certain evils up to reprehension ; sixthly, to give pro- 
 gressive ideas an airing ; and, lastly, to facilitate some 
 good measures now before the Connexional mind. 
 
 A word or two advisory must be said. So fer as the 
 facts of history, proper, are concerned, I have interpo- 
 lated no fiction. Many real names and personages are 
 introduced ; but they are of those who have passed 
 beyond mortal praise or censure, and they were such 
 as deserved no censure. 
 
 All the sketches of character given are of real per- 
 sons, but mostly imder fictitious names. To any 
 friend who may be able to identify his own portrait, I 
 have to say, I do not pretend that you ever held all 
 
PREFACE. XI 
 
 the opinions here ascribed to you, as uttered in con- 
 versation. But I had to make some person their re- 
 presentative, and had to perform the part of nomina- 
 tor of the disputants on the several sides in a Debating 
 Society — albeit, both he and I would naturally put a 
 debater on the side he preferred, so far as we surmis- 
 ed his opinions. The conversations are imaginary, 
 but nearly all the machinery Is adapted from actual 
 occurrences. 
 
 It may seem very strange to most to say, that I 
 have prayed over a fiction ; but I never prayed so 
 much relative to any production of my pen. And 
 now, indeed, I send it forth earnestly praying that it 
 may do no harm, but at least accomplish some good : 
 such as needed information ; hints in perplexity ; 
 cheer in labor ; and, if no more, innocent relaxation 
 from toil and severer study. 
 
 Now for the critics, who have ^-educed novel-writing 
 to an art, who have classified the several sorts of fic- 
 tion under appropriate heads, and who insist that 
 every book of the genus novel, must fall under one or 
 other of the several species, deciding also what is 
 artistic and what is not : Gentlemen, you will, perhaps, 
 find my book nondescript, and to be denounced as a 
 monstrosity. Be it so. Yec if I have succeeded in 
 making the facts and truths I wished to convey so far 
 palatable as to be read, I shall have achieved all I 
 
 expected to achieve. 
 
 JOHN CARROLL. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 Dedication iii 
 
 Introduction v 
 
 Preface, Explanatory and Exculpatory .... ix 
 
 Contents xiii 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 Clearing the Ground 17 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Two Local Celebrities 25 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 Some Other Things Accounted for 36 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 The Informal Beginning 41 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 Early Times Reproduced 43 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 The "Quarterly Conference" as it used 
 
 to be 64 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 The Quarterly Meeting, Religious 71 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 Sunday-night at E.tver Side 76 
 
XIV TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. PAGE 
 
 The Eve of a Great Event: Looking Behind 
 
 AND Before 85. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 The Same Subject Continued : Discussions 
 
 of the Coming Event 91 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 A Short Account of a Long Proceeding... 115. 
 
 CHAPT-ER XII. 
 A New Preacher, but the Old Gospel 118 
 
 CHAPTER XIIL 
 New Events and New Men 132- 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 A New Official, but an Old Friend 141 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 The School Taking an Organic Shape 167 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 Matters Personal to the Secretary 169' 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 Confab on the Eve of a Great Adventure. . 176- 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 A Few Things about the Hallowell Con- 
 ference , 187 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 Some of the Stations: The Fate of Old 
 
 Friends and New 190 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS. XV 
 
 CHAPTER XX. PAGE 
 
 A Letter from Warble to Hephzibah 192 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 Another Meeting of Old and New Friends.. 197 
 
 CHAPTER XXn. 
 Contact of Kindred Minds on a Journey. . 209 
 
 CHAPTER XXin. 
 Shadows Across the Pathway 221 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 News Sensational from New York 225 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 A Review OF Matters after the "Union".. 232 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 Conclusion 238 
 
 Addendum 251 
 
THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS: 
 
 OR, 
 FATHER McROREY'S CLASS, 
 
 AND 
 
 'SQUIRE FIRSTMAN'S KITCHEN FIRE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 CLEARING THE GROUND. 
 
 ^EFORE land-clearers begin to fell the larger 
 trees, they perform the preparatory work of 
 what is called " underbrushing." This includes 
 cutting down all the twigs, bushes, and sap- 
 lings, with which the ground is covered, and of throwing 
 them into piles. It also comprises cutting up all the 
 fallen timber and old logs into what is called " logging 
 lengths," for the convenience of being " snaked," as 
 it is called, by oxteams to the log-piles, and made 
 sufficiently manageable to be rolled up, usually by two 
 men, besides the teamster. 
 
 The underbrushing is to afford a fair swing to the 
 woodman's axe when he " lifts it up against the thick 
 trees." The most of the heavy chopping is done in 
 winter, when the leaves have fallen ; but the forecast- 
 ing new settler will always endeavor to find time for 
 
 B 
 
18 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS, 
 
 underbrushing in the summer, or early autumn, while 
 the leaves are on, so that they may become dry and 
 constitute a match for igniting the superincumbent 
 mass of brush, from the treetops, thrown thereon dur- 
 ing the process of chopping in the winter. By this 
 means, at a dry time in the following spring, the desira- 
 ble object of a " good burn" is secured. 
 
 So also, before you erect a house, you must clear a 
 space to erect it on. The editor of these papers, when 
 a little boy, was present when the first frame house was 
 " raised" in a new suburb, which now constitutes a 
 central part of the largest city in Ontario. The 
 "framing" had been done in the open roadway, and 
 the day and hour had arrived for setting it up ; but 
 when the "hands" invited to the "raising" assem- 
 bled, the spot where the house was to stand was still 
 covered with jungle ; yet, as " many hands make 
 Hght work," they cleared a place for the house to stand 
 upon in a few moments, and then commenced opera- 
 tions. 
 
 Now this is exactly what I have to do in this open- 
 ing chapter ; namely, clear a space for my fairy castle 
 to stand upon. And not that alone, but to be seen 
 from all sides, and to be approached without encoun- 
 tering obstructions of any kind. We, therefore, 
 humbly bespeak the reader's patience until this object 
 is accomplished. * 
 
 This Canada of ours has had a constant accession 
 of immigrants for settlement ever since it came into 
 British possession; but there have been periods of 
 special influx, at longer or shorter intervals of time 
 
CLEARING THE GROUND. 19 , 
 
 from each other, from that time up to this. The first 
 took place at the pacification after the French war ; 
 the second and larger one occurred after the acknow- 
 ledgment of United States Independence, in 1783, 
 when the British soldiers, who had served during the 
 Revolutionary war, were disbanded and mostly settled 
 on land in the North American Colonies, which still 
 adhered to the Mother Country; and when the Re- 
 fugees and United Empire Loyalists also came pour- 
 ing into the Provinces by such routes, and means, and 
 modes of conveyance as their resources and the 
 exigencies of the times allowed; that is to say, by 
 boats adown crooked and rapid streams, ever and 
 anon performing a toilsome portage ; or on horseback, 
 if not oxback. or afoot, pack-laden and footsore, 
 threading thejr devious way, by Indian trails, sur- 
 veyors' lines, or by no path whatever, through the 
 " waste howlijig wilderness" which lay between their 
 abandoned homes and those they hoped to make in 
 the virgin forests of this northern land. 
 
 Not to specify minor periods of ingress, a third and 
 noticeable enlargment of the population of Upper 
 Canada took place at the close of the war of 181 2-1 5, 
 which influx continued for several years, subsequent 
 to that event. Many of the soldiers enlisted in Europe, 
 who hid served in the colonies, drew land and settled 
 in this Province at that time. This was particularly 
 true of those of Provincial enlistment. From the year 
 181 5 to 1820 vast numbers of agricultural settlers 
 arrived in the country from England, Scotland, and 
 Ireland, nor was immigration restricted to these : no 
 
20 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 sooner was peace declared than our American cousins, 
 against whom we had erst been engaged in fratricidal 
 conflict, in large numbers, made peaceful inroads upon 
 a country where they had the discernment to see that 
 enterprise was likely to be well rewarded. The older 
 settlements of the Province, moreover, being filled up, 
 began to send colonies into the interior. 
 
 It was during the last period pointed out, that the 
 new townships north of the Rideau River were 
 surveyed and settled. The same may be said of the 
 townships north of Rice Lake, and those around Lake 
 Simcoe ; likewise those north of the " old survey " of 
 Toronto, Trafalgar, and Nelson. Soon after, the 
 interior country, now forming the Wellington and 
 Waterloo counties ; and all in a line with them to the 
 extreme western boundary of the Province, or, at least, 
 to the Lake and River St. Clair and Lake Huron, 
 were settled. 
 
 All these new townships exhibited the unique 
 scenery and the homely, but interesting, doings and 
 manners of newly formed settlements generally. To 
 the writer the long stretches of dark old forests here 
 and there broken by new " choppings," giving out the 
 delicious aroma of newly cut wood, had always great 
 attractions. Then, also, the smell of brush and log 
 fires has a fragrance peculiarly its own. A new shanty, 
 made of logs, before it has had time to become 
 discolored by decay; or lose its freshness and 
 fragrance, and new appearance, (especially when kept 
 by a tidy woman, such as most of the wives and 
 daughters of enterprising pioneer settlers are,) is a 
 
CLEARING THE GROUND. ' 21 
 
 truly charming place — especially attracting to the early 
 itinerant after a long ride — or, more likely, a saddle- 
 bag-beladen tramp from his last "appointment," 
 weary and hungry. 
 
 To such, the sight of a distant opening among the 
 trees with curling smoke from a lonely chimney top, 
 is a glad object, while the milky smell of gentle kine 
 in the adjacent woods, led by the tinkle of old 
 Brindle's, or Lop-horn's bell ; and as he proceeds, the 
 baying of a watch-dog, and as he goes still further, the 
 crowing of a rooster and the cackle of hens, and 
 perhaps the savory smell of roasting meat, whether 
 wild or tame, " are as life from the dead." 
 
 We have a place in our memory, located in a central 
 position in one of these large blocks of new townships, 
 to the number of eighteen or twenty, which now 
 constitutes a vast section of what at this time is 
 considered the older parts of the Province. The 
 tract we recall embraced a large bush-farming country, 
 settled by a contribution from all the nationalities that 
 have been enumerated, and more ; for we remember 
 Germans, French, Swiss, and Italians among them, 
 as well as EngHsh, Scotch, and Irish. 
 
 For a good many years after the commencement of 
 these settlements, the inhabitants of all denominations 
 were principally dependent on the itinerant Methodist 
 preachers for the word of life, excepting in one favored 
 centre. These preachers were of what was then called 
 the "American" section of Methodism, although the 
 settlements were commenced during the somewhat 
 rival operations of the " British Missionaries." The 
 
22 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 former had been in the country since 1790, sent in by 
 the apostoHc Asbury. The particular block of town- 
 ships we have in our mind's eye had received the 
 promise of a " British Missionary," who was naturally 
 desiderated by those who had been Methodists in the 
 old country, scattered here and there throughout the 
 settlements. But evangelizing measures, with a direc- 
 tory two thousand miles away, must be necessarily slow 
 in their operations, and before they were ready to act, 
 the ground was occupied. 
 
 The self-directing and self-sustaining indigenous- 
 section of Methodism, with its ever watchful and 
 prompt District Overseers, the Presiding Elders, was 
 the first to have a representative on the ground re- 
 ferred to, thereby effectually forestalling the other 
 section. 
 
 The circuit preachers on the adjacent circuits at 
 "the front," had tapped the settlements at the most 
 accessible points on their frontiers, where those 
 preachers had received invitations ; consequently, a 
 fringe of preaching places along the margin of the 
 new territory was the result. Next, a deputation of 
 two Irish Methodists, from two separate neighbor- 
 hoods, ten miles or so apart from each other "in the 
 bush," went out to some religious gathering, probably 
 a camp-meeting, in the older parts of the country, saw 
 some of the local authorities in Provincial Methodism, 
 and came back with the cheering assurance that " a 
 praycher would be appointed all to thimsilves." 
 
 The discernment of Elder Case was shown in the 
 agent selected for this pioneering work. This was one 
 
CLEARING THE GROUND. 23 
 
 yacobus Stripp, who was the man that had the honor 
 of organizing Lake River Circuity which will come 
 often to view in our future pages. He was a native of ' 
 old Englano, which was evident from the use he made 
 of his h's. It was usual for him to open his mission 
 in any neighborhood by a sermon from a text, which 
 as uttered from his organs, sounded thus : " High 
 Ham 'ath sent me hunto you ! " ■ Yet, our gentle 
 readers must not decide from this, that he was ignorant 
 and illiterate : nay, he had received a good common 
 school education, and knew "the three R's" thor- - 
 oughly, especially the second, for he was a beautiful 
 pensman. Further, he had been long a Methodist 
 lay-preacher (it would be incorrect to say that he was 
 a " locaV one) ; had accumulated a large number of 
 standard books, especially in Theology ; and had been 
 a diligent general reader. Besides, having been a sub- 
 altern officer in the British army, it is scarcely necessary 
 to say, that he was trim and tidy in person and man- 
 ners. Being a preacher, he dressed in conformable 
 clerical garb — that is to say, when his means allowed him 
 to do so. His fidelity to religion during a long term 
 in the army, pointed him out as one likely to be an 
 enduring missionary. For, having served with Wel- 
 Hngton in the Peninsular Campaigns, he might per- 
 haps have adopted the words of John Haime, "I 
 have contended with three armies : the wicked English 
 army, the French army, and an army of devils." 
 
 This, therefore, was the man to go among discharged 
 soldiers and immigrants from the British Isles, while 
 he knew how to adjust himself to the manners and 
 
24 - THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 f 
 
 customs of the Canadians and the few Americans in 
 the settlements ; and at the same time, to look after, 
 as in duty bound, the interests of the section of 
 Methodism which had purchased him out of the army, 
 and confided in him and honored him by "putting 
 him into the priest's office," after which office and 
 work, his large, glowing Christian heart, had yearned 
 for many a year. 
 
 The happy arrangement which took place soon 
 after (that is to say, in 1820,) between the American 
 General Conference and the British Wesleyan Con- 
 ference, by which the former were to withdraw their 
 agents from Lower Canada, and the latter theirs from 
 Upper Canada, obviated the necessity of taking so 
 much care to meet old country preferences, as in the 
 action above referred to — for twelve long years from 
 that time — when a second British intervention in Cana- 
 dian Methodist work was again preparing, as we shall 
 see while floating down the stream of Canadian Metho- 
 dist history. 
 
 The evangelistic work inaugurated by the cautious 
 and discerning Case, was vigorously prosecuted by the 
 energetic and pushing Henry Ryan, who succeeded 
 the other in the Presiding Eldership of the District. 
 The first of those celebrities was excellent in " coun- . 
 sel," the last was famous for "war." 
 
TWO LOCAL CELEBRITIES. 25 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 TWO LOCAL CELEBRITIES. 
 
 jMONG the settlers of Methodisuc proclivities, 
 in our new bush circuit, were two neighbors, 
 three miles apart, from different countries, of 
 very dissimilar constitutional make and adapta- 
 tion to advance the work of God around them ; but 
 they were a unit in their wish to see that work go on, 
 and in alacrity and perseverance in their endeavors to 
 serve the good cause, each in his own particular way. 
 These are the two men whose names stand upon our 
 title-page : namely, Father McRorey and 'Squire 
 
 FiRSTMAN. 
 
 They were nearly of one age, and both had rendered 
 military service to their king; and both had been 
 Methodists long years before coming to the " settle- 
 ment." But here the resemblance ended : McRorey, 
 although probably ot Celtic lineage, was bom in Lon- 
 don, old England ; Firstman was of Puritan stock, 
 and bom in New England — but coming to Canada in 
 boyhood, he became thoroughly embued with British 
 principles and feeling, and had commanded a militia 
 company on the frontier during the war of 1812-15, 
 often having been entrusted by his old Colonel to per- 
 form certain hazardous enterprises, in which said Col- 
 onel did not choose to risk his own venerable head, the 
 
26 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 old gentleman's patriotism having been somewhat after 
 the type of the American citizen, who said he would 
 shed every drop of the blood in the veins of his wife's 
 relations to uphold the Federal Union. McRorey had 
 served in the regular army as a non-commissioiied 
 officer. He had been converted in the old country ; 
 and his religious character was moulded by the minis- 
 try of Bunting, Clarke, Dixon and Watson, then in the 
 zenith of their strength and power. Firstman was 
 convened in the wilds of Canada, in his youthful 
 days ; and his religious life had been nourished by the 
 preaching of such men as Madden, Patty, Prindle, 
 Puffer, and Whitehead. McRorey had preserved his 
 religious life in the barrack-room ; but Firstman had 
 lost his religious enjoyment during the campaigning of 
 the war period, and confessed himself a backslider. 
 McRorey came to the Lake River Circuit in a state of 
 heart to second the missionary ; Firstman threw open 
 his door to the first itinerant who crossed the border 
 between the old and new settlements ; and under the 
 ministrations of an early pioneer, the gifted and gen- 
 tlemanly Metcalf, he regained his lost enjoyments and 
 rejoined the church. At first, these two men resided 
 at Round Island, but shortly after Firstman removed to 
 River Side, three miles away, where he farmed and 
 erected mills. 
 
 These two men were the counterpart of each other 
 religiously ; but their distinctive excellencies combined 
 made them most invaluable in the circuit in which 
 they were office-bearers. McRorey was a model class- 
 leader, Firstman was a bom steward. The first did 
 
TWO LOCAL CELEBRITIES. 27 
 
 the most, directly, for the spiritual interests of the cir- 
 cuit, the second did the most for its temporal interests, 
 and helped the spiritual through the temporal. Mc- 
 Rorey's was no house to lodge in; Firstman's was a 
 complete " Methodist Tavern," and the " Headquar- 
 ters" for the " Methodist Cavalry" for a wide region 
 around. The wife of McRorey rather hindered than 
 helped her husband ; Mrs. Firstman, " did her hus- 
 band good and not evil all the days of her life." The 
 first of these women seldom furnished a meal for the 
 itinerant, the other fed and waited on hundreds. 
 
 Her industry and skill placed her in the first class 
 of housekeepers, the attainment of which position in- 
 volves both genius and generalship of the highest 
 order. The abundance on her table, the skill displayed 
 in its cookery, and the taste in which it was served up, 
 made the sight and savor of her dinner or supper 
 table very appetizing ; and the cordiality of the invita- 
 tion to partake, extended to all who happened to be 
 there (and a great many contrived to " happen" 
 there at meal time), both from husband and wife, was 
 equal to the sumptuousness of the repast. These 
 casual guests, joined to the large family of children 
 composing a baker's dozen, ranging from the baby in 
 arms to the six-feet son, the hired men on the farm, in 
 the mill, and from the lumber shanty, made the good 
 housewife's labors very toilsome, and kept the gener- 
 ous-hearted 'Squire from becoming very rich, which, 
 otherwise, he would have been. 
 
 The wilds around them were full of game, and the 
 'Squire knew well how to secure it, which earned for 
 
28 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 him the title of " Mighty Hunter." His leaving home 
 at any time, rifle in hand, with his hounds and a 
 sumpter horse, beside the one he rode, was the unfailing 
 earnest of the former being laden on his return with 
 deer; and Mrs. F., like Rebecca of old, knew how 
 " to make savory meat of the venison" — both fresh and 
 dried — as all the preachers knew full well, and scores 
 of others besides. 
 
 This residence was pleasantly situated on the banks 
 of a sizable stream, ■^lear and flowing, with an 
 inexhaustible supply of water, fed by a concatenation 
 of lakelets, which extended far up into the unsurveyed 
 wilderness. Two several residences had accommo- 
 dated the household, first and last, at " River Side," 
 as it was called. The first one of logs and boards, 
 constituting a patchwork of no less than three several 
 structures in one, put up piece-meal as they were 
 needed, (the third part having been built expressly for 
 the accommodation of their preacher guests) making 
 an edifice of a strangely composite character. Out- 
 wardly, it was not handsome, although in a certain 
 sense roughly picturesque, just as a heap of rocks is so; 
 but within, it was cozy and comfortable to a degree. 
 In the course of years, this pioneer house gave place 
 to a large stone building, with far more conveniences, 
 but still homelike, if, not homely. 
 
 Both in the old house and the new, as is still the 
 case with many of our well-to-do rural inhabitants, the 
 KITCHEN was the most considerable and favorite room. 
 But then, you must not make everbody's kitchen its 
 type : certainly not those small, dirty ones, redolent of 
 
TWO LOCAL CELEBRITIES. 29 
 
 villainous smells. Nay, imagine a room large, lightsome, 
 '^d airy, with a chalky floor, and well swept hearth 
 (two inseparables from tidiness) beyond which, in the 
 large open fire-place, which woul:' take in a cord wood 
 stick, glowed a cheerful fire of blazing logs which shed 
 a gladsome light and genial warmth over the apartment. 
 This was supplemented, in the new house, by a stove 
 in the back part of the room in severe weather. 
 There were inviting apartments, even in the old house, 
 and still more in the new, in which select companies 
 met for social chat; but the kitchen was the great 
 assembly room, like the central court of an eastern 
 establishment, the great reception room af a Spanish 
 hostelry into which the traveller brings the beast which 
 carries him, or the common hall of our old Saxon 
 ancestors, the place of hospitality and of wassail, 
 where the " Squire and wife," the " baker's dozen " of 
 children, big and little, from the babe in arms to the 
 six-feeted son, the hired men on the rear benches, the 
 ever welcome preachers, visiting relatives of whom 
 there was a numerous following, and frequent droppers- 
 in from the neighborhood around, congregated in 
 harmonious confusion. 
 
 Many of these latter were "persons saved from 
 their sins, or desiring so to be," embracing, not unfre- 
 quently, a certain Brother Bursdale, one Solomon 
 Grayley, Capt. Playright and lady, of whom more anon, 
 Benjamin Bummer, and many others. Among the 
 pious neighbors was the betore mentioned Father 
 McRorey and certain promising young members of 
 his class, or those who were being helpfully influenced 
 
30 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 by him. The presence of the young masculine 
 ingredient was partly to be accounted for by the fact, 
 that there were interesting young females, variously 
 related to the household, ripening into womanhood, in 
 every stage of the family's progress and history. 
 
 Many of the young men were embryo preach- 
 ers, actual members of McRorey's class, or of 
 neighboring classes, who sought his sympathy and 
 counsel; for this warm-hearted man was noted for 
 being the confidant and adviser of those who aspired 
 to usefulness. Such young men naturally gathered 
 around the circuit preacher when at " Head-quarters," 
 as also, around any of the saddle-bag fraternity who, 
 in their journeys to and fro, might chance, as often 
 they did, to make this ever open hostelry their resting 
 place. 
 
 But the presiding Elder's quarterly visitations, (or 
 travelling chairmen, as they were called after a time) 
 were seasons particularly attracting to the neophytes. 
 With what eagerness would not the boys smitten with 
 the " preaching fever " listen, open-mouthed as well 
 as with " ears inclined," to the utterances of such men 
 as Ryan, Case, P. Smith, Brown, Metcalf, Healy, and 
 Wilkinson, to mention none who are still living, or to 
 come no further down. The neighboring classes, espe- 
 cially McRorey's, were the primary schools where the 
 elements were learned ; and the 'Squire's kitchen was 
 the Lecture Room where the prelictions of the Pro- 
 fessors in " Brush University " were delivered. And, 
 as in other seats of learning, many a "note" was taken 
 if not on paper, yet certainly on mental tablets ; and 
 
TWO LOCAL CELEBRITIES. 31 
 
 many a " grind " was given by such men as Case, 
 and Metcalf, and Wilkinson, to mention no others. 
 
 Some would have thought Metcalf was hypercritical. 
 He was a purist in language and nicely accurate on all 
 subjects ; while he was, in a manner, Socratic in his 
 method of teaching, making the student correct, or 
 instruct himself. The laugh raised by the poor youth's 
 confusion under those hectoring examinations, would 
 cause him to remember and avoid the mistake detected 
 ever afterwards. 
 
 McRorey was a model leader for his day ; he had 
 ready speeech, a prevailing gift in prayer ; and he was 
 a good singer, with a memory stored (not with jingling 
 doggerel) but with the intensely beautiful and profoundly 
 spiritual compositions, or selections, of the Wesleys. 
 How grandly he would roll out, as occasion required, 
 
 " Come on my partners in distress, 
 My comrades through the wilderness. 
 Who still your bodies feel ; 
 Awhile forget your griefs and fears 
 And look beyond this vale of tears 
 To that celestial hill." 
 Or,- 
 
 " Come, O thou traveller unknown. 
 Whom still I hold, but cannot see, 
 My company before is gone. 
 
 And I am left alone with thee ; 
 With thee all night I mean to stay, 
 And wrestle till the break of day." 
 
 Or further, — 
 
 " What now is my object and aim ? 
 What now is my hope and desire ? 
 
32 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 To follow the heavenly Lamb, 
 And after his image aspire." 
 
 Besides the above, he had others less authorized, 
 but scarcely less beautiful, the titles of which alone we 
 have room for: such as "The Good Old Way;" the 
 " Days of Grace ; " the " Jewels of My Master ; " and 
 scores of similar ones. 
 
 Our leader was serious and devout, 'but genial and 
 glowing, which made him very attracting, especially to 
 young people. His piety was hopeful ; and " the joy 
 of the Lord was his strength." Without pretentious 
 professions of entire sanctification, he no doubt possess- 
 ed all the salvation the Gospel offers for our attainment. 
 He was always on the mountain-top ; and living in a 
 day when responding and shouting were considered no 
 indecorum in Methodist circles (and he made that day 
 last his time out) his exultant spirit broke forth, ever 
 and anon, in the great congregation, with the voice of 
 triumph and rejoicing. 
 
 Having no children of his own, the paternal affection 
 in him found exercise upon the members of his class, 
 especially upon the younger ones. He always began 
 his meetings at the appointed time, and he was too 
 direct and lively to allow them to drag. "A word in 
 season " had he for each, or " a psalm, a hymn, or a 
 doctrine." He varied the exercises, and prevented 
 hackneyed recitations by probing questions. He did 
 not fail to scarify, if needed ; bur at the earliest 
 moment in which it would be safe, he " poured in the 
 oil and wine " of divine promise and encouragement. 
 His efforts for the good of his members were not 
 
TWO LOCAL CELEBRITIES. 33 
 
 confined to the class-room ; but he was impelled by 
 solicitude for their souls to see them as often as 
 possible in their own houses. Absentees were early 
 and always called on ; and delinquents followed until 
 restored, if that were possible. The roll was called 
 over at the close of the meeting and the "class paper" 
 (it was that at the first) or " class book " (which, in 
 time, happily came in use) was carefully marked in 
 the presence of the class. He broke in all his 
 members to pray, and the more capable to meet the 
 class, from time to time ; and also to visit the sick or 
 wandering, by first taking them along with himself, 
 until they had learned and acquired courage to go by 
 themselves. 
 
 It was not to be wondered at, therefore, that his class 
 was kept up and kept together ; and that continued 
 drafts were made out of it, to supply other classes, for 
 miles around, with leaders — classes which had not (as 
 many seem not to have) vitality enough to give birth 
 to a leader. 
 
 McRorey's offshoots often superadded an exhortation 
 to the class, or public prayer meeting that accompanied 
 it, which they held ; and from exhorting, ere they were 
 aware of it, they had really preached. We might enu- 
 merate a number of those who from his class, or 
 through his influence, came in the long run to exercise 
 the functions of the Christiajrt ministry; such were, 
 George Pond, Owen Davies, Alanson Firstman, 
 Erasmus Piper, Robin Glenpool, Peter Pound, Thos. 
 Walsh, and others. These, with several others, in 
 after years, constituted that peculiar sort of collegiate 
 
 c 
 
34 TUB SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 institution, already hinted at, which conducted its dis- 
 cussions, at first, in McRorey's shop and in the 
 'Squire's kitchen ; but in the course of time at more 
 distant places. 
 
 We have spoken of McRorey's shop, by which the 
 reader is to understand, not a merchant shop, but a 
 mechanic shop, for only a humble mechanic was he ; 
 and his business, too, conducted on a very limited 
 scale. Observant reader, did you ever know a me- 
 chanic who sat down in a country village, or hamlet, 
 to ever do more than barely keep the wolf from the 
 door ? He has the vexation, in many cases, of work- 
 ing up materials brought in by customers, — of taking 
 his pay, (that is to say, if he gets it at all,) " in kind," 
 by which is meant, in flour, potatoes, meat, &c., — of 
 giving long credit, — and, after all, having to go around 
 among his customers, bag in hand, and collect and 
 fetch it home himself, perhaps on his back. O, ye 
 skin-flint farmers, whose houses and bams are full to 
 repletion, why must you clutch and keep every cent of 
 hard cash for yourselves, and turn off those who, in 
 various ways, have served you, with your unmarketable 
 produce ; and force your tailor, shoemaker, and car- 
 penter, to "bone-cart" that refuse to his hungry 
 family ? But I check my pen : I must be apostro- 
 phising a class, which, although they were once 
 numerous, have long since, happily, gone to the 
 shades. May the accumulations of ages cover their 
 ashes, and prevent a resurrection until the final day, 
 when I shall not envy them all the commendation 
 and reward they will receive ! Had not McRorey 
 
TWO LOCAL CELEBRITIES. 35 
 
 drawn a small pension for military services, his re- 
 sources would often have been scant indeed. Happily 
 he could sing — 
 
 " Blest with the scorn of finite good, 
 My soul is lightened of its load, 
 And seeks the things above ! " 
 
36 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 SOME OTHER THINGS ACCOUNTED FOR. 
 
 T will appear, as we pass along, that several per- 
 sons not yet mentioned, took part in the dis- 
 cussions we are about to narrate, some of whom 
 are to be particularized without further delay. 
 These were ministers or preachers not offshoots of 
 McRorey's class, but such as were brought into rela- 
 tion to the place by having travelled Lake River Cir- 
 cuit, in which these transactions took place, or had 
 laboured on adjacent circuits, or else came for the 
 purpose of taking part in the quarterly meetings of the 
 circuit, or upon the rare occasion of a camp-meeting. 
 For, as it respects the former, it was very customary 
 in an early day for one, or more, preachers to accom- 
 pany the Presiding Elder from their own adjacent cir- 
 cuit to enjoy the benefit of a quarterly meeting on 
 some other circuit than their own. The services were 
 varied and interesting ; and there was something to be 
 learned, and much to be enjoyed. The quarterly 
 meeting business, embracing " appeals " from the de- 
 cision of the circuit minister and committee in cases 
 of discipline, and the routine transactions of the quar- 
 ter, besides, once in a year, the examination and 
 licensing of exhorters, and, in some cases, of local 
 preachers also, and questions to be presented, discussed 
 
SOME OTHER THINGS ACCOUNTED FOR. 37 
 
 and decided, making it very improving to those 
 clerical visitors, before whom similar questions were 
 liable, any day, to be brought. 
 
 But the quarterly meeting was noticeable princi- 
 pally as a great religious festival ; there was the Satur- 
 day afternoon sermon, often preached by one of the 
 visitors, followed by an exhortation, something (I will 
 not say how wisely) which almost always succeeded a 
 sermon, when there was a second public speaker to 
 deliver it, who was often only a "local" or an exhorter; 
 then followed the great Saturday-night quarterly 
 prayer meeting, in which all the gifted men of the cir- 
 cuit and those of a similar character who had come 
 from other circuits, took part, and several exhorta- 
 tions were delivered, as well as many prayers 
 offered. 
 
 If souls were not converted and sanctified, there 
 was disappointment. A little son of a Methodist 
 would run to hia father, on his return from quarterly 
 meeting, with the inquiry, " Pa, how many were con- 
 verted at the meeting?" supposing, as a matter of 
 course, that some would be converted. The spirit of 
 revival, which began in the prayer-meeting, usually 
 flamed up afresh in .he early Sunday morning Love- 
 feast, when many of the most deeply devoted persons, 
 old and young, male and female, those of short experi- 
 ence and those of long experience, from all parts of 
 the circuit and beyond its boundaries, rose to give an 
 account of what God had done for their souls. The 
 Elder's sermon, at 1 1 o'clock a. m., on Sunday, was 
 
38 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 usually appropriate ahd powerful ; for these old cam- 
 paigners generally wheeled out their heavy artillery for 
 the great cannonade. Sundry stirring exhortations usu- 
 ally followed. Next, came the Lord's Supper, at 
 which, it often happened, many were " overwhelmed" 
 with the manifested presence and power of God, being 
 " lost in wonder, love, and praise." 
 
 Not all who were raised up into the ministry on the 
 circuit took part in the proceedings which are to be 
 recorded in this book ; nor even all that once travelled 
 on the circuit, for some removed to a distance and 
 never returned; neither do we present at once all that did 
 take part in the course of years: furthermore, some who 
 were raised there, after a few years, returned to " pro- 
 phesy in their own country and among their own kin." 
 Two, that now occur to the writer, who were so re- 
 turned were Davies and A. Firstman. The first was 
 born in the army, the son of " a devout soldier," who 
 also himself retained a little of the regimental rigidity. 
 He did not allow of disputing any regimental {alias 
 connexional) order, but in carrying it out to the letter, 
 if possible. He believed that Methodists should bow 
 to the authority of the Bible, but then, he took it for 
 granted that conferential decisions were embodiments 
 of Bible truti and teaching, and therefore not to be 
 questioned. I'he reader need not be surprised, there- 
 fore, if he is made the advocate and exponent of con- 
 servatism and stern administrative action. He had a 
 fair, sound, well-balanced mind, which had been devel- 
 oped, first by military schooling ; and then, through a 
 favorable providence, by some measure of grammar- 
 
SOME OTHER THINGS ACCOUNTED FOR. 39 
 
 school learning. His natural preaching gifts were 
 good, albeit his tongue retained, for a long time, a 
 little of the Cambrian burr inherited from his 
 father. 
 
 Alanson Firstman was a son of the 'Squire of that 
 name. He had a fine person, good voice for speaking 
 and singing — good natural talents — better early oppor- 
 tunities than most of the preachers of that day — and 
 was clerically authoritative in his bearing, both in the 
 pulpit and the families of his charge. Had he im- 
 proved his opportunities and cultivated his mind to the 
 extent of which they were susceptible, and kept on in 
 the efficient work of the ministry, indifferent to the 
 calls of secular advantage, he would have made one of 
 the most commanding and useful men of the body, 
 and have been quite as well off for this world in the 
 long run. We will not forestall his utterances ; but as 
 he was the son of our host, and, moreover, caught 
 " the preaching fever " from connection with the black- 
 coats at his father's house, there will be no wonder if 
 he should often show himself in the meetings of the 
 coterie brought to view. 
 
 Another who labored on Lake River Circuit at an 
 early day, need not have his real name concealed, as 
 he has passed away now for some years to his reward. 
 Besides, he is otherwise pleasingly historic, and was 
 marked by mind and manners, which gave him a strik- 
 ing individuality. We therefore make no apology for 
 bringing forward the loveable John Black as one of 
 our dramatis persofKR. If we can succeed in reproducing 
 
40 THE. SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 him, so far as he is made to speak at all, the reader 
 will find that his utterances were few, short, wise, but 
 quaint, often laughter-provoking, yet always prudent 
 and charitable. 
 
THE INFORMAL BEGINNING. 41 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE INFORMAL BEGINNING. 
 
 ,W0 bachelors labored on Lake River Circuit 
 several years earlier than Mr. Black. Or, 
 more properly, a new mission was created 
 the year of their arrival, made out of the 
 whole northern range of preaching places belonging to 
 the original circuit, which took the name of the river 
 which formed the dividing line between the older, and 
 newer fields of labor, namely, Missipemoantng, to 
 which one of the bachelors was specially designated. 
 When his name was read off, in the last act of the 
 conferential drama for Mtssipimoantng, this portly 
 gentleman, standing (as they all had to do) with meek 
 and dignified solemnity to receive the twelvemonths' 
 sentence, unconsciously whistled, loud enough to be 
 heard over the assembly : as much as to say, " That 
 is tremendous!" The name of this gentleman was 
 Shubal Sauvity, while the name of his coadjutor, and 
 preacher in charge of Lake R^ver Circuit proper was 
 called yulius Regnor. 
 
 But, after their arrival, there was an arrangement 
 made between themselves, with the consent of the 
 Presiding Elder, by which they should travel over the 
 whole ground in concert, and " share and share alike," 
 both in the small ^missionary grant and, perhaps, still 
 smaller sum raised by the people. By this arrange- 
 ment both possessed a claim for lodgings in " Head- 
 
42 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 quarters " at River Side, when the round of the circuit 
 was completed. 
 
 They were both very respectable, and clerical in 
 appearance and bearing. Though bachelors, they 
 were not boys. They came on the circuit between the 
 time the Canada Annual Conference was organized, 
 and the formation of an independent Methodist Church 
 for Canada. Both had been members of the Genesee 
 Annual Conference, to which the Canada Annual 
 Conference succeeded; and both had a large acquaint- 
 ance with American Methodist history and usages. 
 Both were British bom subjects : one a native of old 
 Ireland ; the other bom in a British North American 
 Province, and the son of a loyalist officer of the 
 Revolutionary times. Sauvity was the older man and 
 preacher ; Regnor was the stronger minded and had 
 the stronger will. The first managed the people by 
 kindness and tact; the second awed and controlled 
 both people and preachers, by his native authority and 
 force of character; and, therefore, soon rose to 
 office and connexiorfal influence. He was some- 
 times blunt, and almost cmel; but honest was 
 he, and so fearless, he could afford to be frank 
 and candid. 
 
 A conversation, at an early period of these brethren's 
 sojourn in the Lake-River-Musipemoaning country, 
 which took place at the 'Squire's, will best present 
 the times which had preceded the times which were 
 then upon them — and furnishes the best introduction 
 to other times, that were to ensue, of which we are to 
 give an account. 
 
EARLY TIMES REPRODUCED. 43 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 EARLY TIMES REPRODUCED. 
 
 ^HE two circuit preachers had been absent 
 from "Headquarters," on one of their fort- 
 nightly rounds, and came back, as usual, on a 
 Friday night, so as to secure one day's rest, 
 for study, prayer, and bodily and mental preparation 
 for the Sabbath. They had come from different points of 
 the compass, but met in the wide lane which led down 
 to River Side. Both of these gentlemen, fortunately, 
 had some private resources, and were, therefore, better 
 habited than most of the preachers of the times. 
 They never wore homespun, which other preachers 
 were often glad to wear, aye, and home-dyed as well. 
 They were, furthermore, clothed in black, while many 
 of their brethren were, like Jacob's flock, "ring-streaked, 
 speckled, and spotted.'^ In one thing they were made 
 like unto their brethren, they wore the invariable 
 broad-leafed grey hat ; and in all remaining particulars, 
 their habiliments were of the true orthodox itinerant- 
 preacher character : there was the valise on the mail- 
 pad in front, the saddle-bags across the seat of the 
 saddle, and, when not required on their backs, their 
 cloaks were mailed on behind. The umbrella, when 
 not in use, was suspended from the pommel of the 
 saddle. Their coats were of the traditional standing- 
 
44 THE S,CHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 collared, single, round-breasted cut, and their nether 
 extremities duly overalled, booted, and spurred. 
 
 Was there not a stir among the boys and hired men 
 at the door, upon their arrival ? Each one sprang 
 forward to aid in cleaning, feeding, and bedding their 
 mud-bespattered and weary horses, which had borne 
 their riders through many a slough that day. And 
 was there not a similar bustle inside the house among 
 the feminine portion of the household to make the 
 riders of those horses comfortable within ? Cordial 
 handshaking took place all around. 
 
 If the early itinerants had large circuits and small 
 salaries, yet, whenever the circumstances of the 
 entertainers would allow it, they were furnished with 
 truly comfortable quarters. Their lively company, and 
 instructive and profitable conversations had been 
 looked forward to, and when they came they were 
 treated like a kind of household gods. At the 
 'Squires, there had been a " prophet's room ; " as we 
 have seen, erected clear across the east end of the 
 house, in the form of a " lean to," made of boards and 
 scantling of which there were enow at the mill. 
 This apartment was tumished with two large com- 
 fortable beds, each of which would hold two with 
 comfort, and three on a pinch, making sleeping 
 accomodations tor four at least, a table, several chairs, 
 and a stove, while there were "lashings" of wood to feed 
 it with. The only undesirable about the room, if it 
 could be called so, was that it did not communicate 
 with any other apartment of the building — you had to 
 enter it from out-doors. Thither the newly arrived 
 
EARLY TIMES REPRODUCED. 45 
 
 were always conducted around the house, to perform 
 their ablutions, organize their toilet, and, (in those 
 days of primitive simplicity and earnestness) perform 
 their devotions; for a travelling preacher always 
 sought retirement for prayer the first thing on going to 
 a house, to invoke a blessing on himself and his sojourn 
 in that family. This was as much a rule as another 
 custom of that day, namely, that of holding every 
 child by the hand until he or she had been affection- 
 ately and solemnly talked to about the interests of his 
 soul, before leaving, always providing where the 
 youngster, expecting the ordeal, did not run away and 
 hide himself. 
 
 The writer knows the place, and the names of all 
 the parties to the following episode : A newly appoint- 
 ed preacher, much desiderated by the leading members 
 of a circuit, had arrived at the principal stopping-place, 
 and had been shown to his room. A few moments 
 after, a neighbouring member of the Church came in 
 to inquire if there were any news from Conference. 
 The host replied, " yes, we have got Brother Williams !" 
 And rubbing his hands with delight, beckoning to the 
 other, said, " Come, I will give you the first sight of 
 our new preacher on his knees !" And leading his 
 friend to a chink in the wall, said, " See ! there he is ! " 
 The neighbour on looking through the crack, saw a 
 travel-stained man on his knees, with a glowing face 
 and uplifted hands engaged in earnest supplication. 
 
 In another case, the preacher's room was barely 
 curtained off from the rest of the house; a hired 
 girl, the only person in the house besides the newly_ 
 
46 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 arrived preacher, looking through the folds of the 
 drapery, and beholding the devout man on his knees, 
 engaged in earnest prayer, was " struck under convic- 
 tion," as they phrased it in those days ; and became 
 very much troubled about her sinful soul, and never 
 rested until she was happily converted to God. 
 
 The circuit preachers were not the only arrivals at 
 the Squire's on the evcn'wir above referred to. It was 
 the eve of the autumn quarterly meeting for that 
 circuit, which was to hold its accustomed Saturday's 
 doings the next day. 'i'wo young men, nominally 
 exhorters, who sometimes tried to preach in a covert 
 way, by "smuggling" a text, as it was called, had been 
 in communicatio.i with the Presiding Elder, (cautious 
 and non-committal on his prrt) which led them to 
 expect that something decisive might be done by that 
 functionary, which would issue in their being sent out 
 on circuits. 
 
 They differed in age and size : one was a tall young 
 man of twenty-six, dark complexioned ; the other not 
 much beyond twenty, medium in height and weight 
 when grown, but not yet filled up, straight and trim, 
 brown haired and florid. These are two of our quondam 
 friends, erst of McRorey's class : the first was George 
 Pond, the second was Owen Davies. Both yet 
 dashed and diffident enough, especially the latter. 
 The younger, through the thoughtful intervention of 
 the Presiding Elder, had been placed where he had 
 obtained a knowledge of the theory of English gram- 
 mar; the other upon his examination, confessed he 
 did not know the science of grammar, but " thought 
 
EARLY TIMKS REPRODUCED. 47 
 
 he had an ear that could sense good language." Such 
 thoughtful individual efforts, like that which gave 
 Davies some grammar-school learning, was the nearest 
 attempts to our present Institutes and Theological 
 Schools, which the exigencies of the early days allowed. 
 The class-leader of these young men had also 
 dropped in for an hour ; as also a leader from that 
 vicinity. He too was English, Yorkshire bom, about 
 the age of McRorey and the 'Squire, who like the first 
 mentioned soon received the appellation of " Father." 
 Firstman would have been called " Bather" for many a 
 long year, but Jie was " 'Squire;" and about the only 
 value of a title (a doctorate for instance) is to keep the 
 paternal epithet off you, which when you once receive, 
 you are thought to be an " old fogy," of course. He 
 had more mind and reading than his brother leader, 
 but less suavity and tact. Bursdale, for that was his 
 name, could give the best of advice, but McRorey gave 
 *he best of examples. The first held on in the wake 
 of the Church, with one short intermission, till the 
 end of his days ; the latter was never out of it a 
 moment until he joined the Church triumphant. Good 
 and worthy men were they both, but while Bursdale 
 sometimes put himself in a litigant posture, McRorey 
 constantly promoted peace. The latter would some- 
 times expostulate with the pestor, when he thought 
 occasion required it; but the former often fiercely 
 withstood him. Neither had a particle of fear : but 
 Bursdale was sharply defiant, while McRorey was 
 calmly bold. The one took ministerial enactments 
 with confiding deference ; but the other would often 
 
48 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 challenge their decisions. And still oftener, he com- 
 batted the personal opinions of the ablest minister — not 
 from any real desire to obstruct, but from his love of 
 discussion (I will not say contradiction) in which he 
 was no mean proficient, although his interlocutions 
 were conducted in the broadest Yorkshire. Being 
 very desirous to extort an assent to his opinions, he 
 usually seated himself by the side of the interlocutor, 
 closing each appeal with an emphatic " Eh !" and a 
 punch in the ribs. It answered, however, a good 
 purpose, to performing which the amiable and kind- 
 hearted are reluctant, in ventilating those under- 
 currents of explosive gas which otherwise might 
 prove destructive ; and in furnishing occasion for cor- 
 recting erroneous surmises, which lead to contention 
 and worse evils. Mr. Metcalf was almost the only 
 preacher who had the courage to confront him, and 
 inspired his confidence enough to satisfy his sus- 
 picions. Perhaps we ought also to include in this 
 statement the Rev. Julius Regnor, for whom Mr. B., 
 Englishmanlike, b^d great respect, because he had 
 learned that he wa; a man of family ; for, " what else 
 should he be, seeing he was Colonel Regnor 's son ?" 
 
 We shall describe no more of the dramatis personcR 
 of this evening's conversation and proceedings at this 
 stage of ou/ story. The ample supper of which all 
 were invited to partake, prevented any immediate 
 utterances, except of the most common-place character, 
 spoken sententiously. 
 
 Just as the elite of the gathering were seated at the 
 supper table in the best room, a footstep was heard 
 
EARLY TIMES REPRODUCED. 49 
 
 (scarcely heard) in the broad passage way between the 
 older and newer parts of the house, the door of which 
 usually stood open, except in cold weather; then a 
 gentle tap at the room door which (before any of the 
 family had time to answer the summons) was quietly 
 opened, and a closely shaven, smiling face, unwrinkled 
 though over forty, obtruded itself; and a pleasant 
 voice, not without a dash of humor in the marmer of 
 utterance, inquired, " Is Methodist Tavern still kept 
 in this place ? " It was Elder Case himself, — Mrs. 
 Firstman, rising, laughingly replied, " Yes, and at the 
 old prices too ! " After some bustle, the good Elder 
 was settled in a prominent place at table, and the 
 supper hour was somewhat prolonged. After the meal, 
 and all were seated around the fire, this distinguished 
 guest had sundry inquiries addressed to him, which 
 led to a general conversation. 
 
 Brother Regnor, early in the evening, inquired of 
 the Elder, " How long had he been in the ministry, 
 and where were his first fields of labor ? " To which 
 he replied, " I have just completed my ministerial 
 majority, having been exactly twenty-one years wan- 
 dering to and fro. I joined the New York Conference, 
 which sat at Ashgrove in that State, in 1805, and was 
 appointed to the Bay Quinte Circuit, as the colleague 
 of Henry Ryan, who came into the Province then for 
 the first time." 
 
 "Have you spent all the time since then in 
 Canada ? " said one of the less informed about Cana- 
 dian matters. 
 
 "All the time excepting six years, made up of 
 
 c 
 
50 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 two several intervals; after I had been in Canada 
 two years, I was appointed to the Ulster Circuit, New 
 York, one year Then I returned to Canada for 
 another two years, the last one of which I introduced 
 Methodism into the Thames country, and had a 
 glorious revival. In 1810, 1 was appointed a Pre- 
 siding Elder in the State of New York, in which State 
 and office I remained until the close of the war, in 
 1 81 5. At the Conference of that year, I was re- 
 appointed to Canada, and here I have remained ever 
 since." 
 
 "All the time a Presiding Elder ? " said the Squire. 
 
 " Yes, all the time." 
 
 Brother Sauvity wished to have his memory re- 
 freshed as to the length of time Methodism had been 
 planted in Canada at the time of the Elder's first 
 arrival in Canada, 1805. 
 
 " Just fifteen years," said the Elder, " if you count 
 from the time when Wm. Losee came in, at his own 
 instance, on the strength of his roving commission, in 
 1790." 
 
 "The first Methodist preachers in Canada, were 
 from the United States, were they not?" said McRorey. 
 
 " Yes, from the New York Conference, so far as it 
 can be said there was then any such Conference." 
 
 At this point, Brother Bursdale to show his dis- 
 crimination, inquired, " But were theer not Wesleyan 
 Missionaries from Hingland halso ?" 
 
 " Yes, part of the time, since I first came into this 
 country : a missionary first came to Quebec, in 18 14, 
 and they increased from one to several, occupying not 
 
EARLY TIMES REPRODUCED. 51 
 
 only Montreal and other places in Lower Canada, as well 
 as Quebec, but Cornwall, Kingston, Niagara and York, 
 with a large breadth of country adjacent to each of 
 those towns, except the last named place, which was 
 the last taken up in Upper Canada. But they were 
 all removed from Upper Canada after the arrangement 
 with the British Conference, entered into in 1820, 
 excepting the missionary in the town of Kingston, who 
 remained, and was left under the plea of serving the 
 religious interests of the military at the Fort." 
 
 Here Davies, who though young possessed an in- 
 quiring mind, asked the Elder "If there was any 
 essential difference between British and American 
 Methodism?" 
 
 "They have, said he, no Bishops, or Presiding 
 Elders, as we have ; and, if I am rightly informed, 
 they never ordain local preachers, as we do in certain 
 cases." 
 
 " I know that to be the case," chimed in 
 Pond ; " for I never heard a word of Bishops, Pre- 
 siding Elders, or of Local Deacons and Elders at 
 home in Ireland, so I did'nt." 
 
 Elder Case, whose practice was to put forward 
 younger men to do any work of which they were capable, 
 instead of doing it in person, (a measure learned of As- 
 bury himself) for the double purpose of developing their 
 powers and saving himself, besides I suspect regarding it 
 as more dignified, turned to " the preacher in charge," 
 and said, " Brother Regnor, I wish you would answer 
 the boys on that point." 
 
 Regnor, never doubtful of his ground, answered at 
 
52 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 once as follows : — " None of the dissimilarities you 
 mention involve essential principles : they are only 
 administratory arrangements. A Presiding Elder is 
 only an Elder, whose age and abilities warrant it, 
 elevated to a 'jurisdiction over a certain district, 
 for a limited time ; it does not exceed that of a 
 Wesleyan Chairman of District, except that he travels 
 through his District. Some of the British Missionary 
 Chairmen do that, under the name of Superintendents 
 of Missions ; and, in the early days of Episcopal Me- 
 thodism in the States, the * Elders' (the title Presiding 
 had not yet been added) were stationed on particular 
 circuits, or otherwise, according to circumstances.. As 
 to Bishops, they are only life-long Presidents of Con- 
 ference : the British President has the same powers 
 and functions as the American Bishops, during his 
 term of office, which is limited, while the other is life- 
 long. And though the Bishop receives an ordination 
 to his work, yet Mr. Wesley maintained that Bishops, 
 Presbyters, or Elders, were one order. It was on that 
 ground that Mr. Wesley, although only a Presbyter, 
 presumed to ordain. At first he very much disapproved 
 of his newly consecrated Superintendents assuming the 
 title of 'Bishop.'" 
 
 Here Mr. Bursdale, who was really an acute man, 
 interposed one of his objections, " Hif Bishops hare 
 honly a sort of superior Helders, his hit not 
 presumptious to give them anhother hordination." 
 
 Regnor, who was a little inclined to Methodist high 
 churchism and did not ever like to concede anything 
 to what he would have called "captiousness and cavil," 
 
EARLY TIMES REPRODUCED. 53 
 
 would probably have defended the second ordination, 
 on the ground of impressiveness and solemnity. But 
 Mr. Sauvity, a differently constituted man, chanced to 
 speak up, and said, " Although imposition of hands is 
 an impressive form of institution, and might seem to 
 befit the induction of a minister to a life-long occupancy 
 of an office (be it only an office, and not an order) so 
 onerous as that of the General Superintendency of 
 the Methodist Connexion, as it was resorted to on minor 
 occasions in apostolic times ; yet I confess, for my own 
 part, I have often thought that ordination to our 
 Episcopacy was scarcely consistent with our teaching 
 the parity of Elders and Bishops. And it seems to 
 me that one of two things will yet come to pass : 
 either the ordination will be omitted, or a jure divino 
 claim of superiority for Bishops, as an order, over 
 Elders, will be set up." * 
 
 Nothing further was then said on that point, and 
 Mr, Regnor resumed the thread of his argument. "As 
 to mere local preachers among us being in orders, 
 while there are none such in British Methodism, 
 many of ours received ordination as travelling 
 preachers, and are only * under location from want of 
 health and family copcerns,' as the old minutes 
 phrased it. And further, as to the ordination of those 
 
 * It would seem as if a sudden flash of inspiration had illumin- 
 ated this unpretending brother's mind, giving him an insight into 
 futurity : Dr. Whedon, in the States, and several in Canadian 
 Methodist circles, have set up the claim indicated for Bishops, 
 while this has created a reaction in a greater number, demanding 
 the omission of the ordination altogether. 
 
54 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 who never expect to be in the full ministry, it is only 
 what may be considered a variable measure of adminis- 
 tration, employed as an expedient to meet an emergency, 
 namely, the want of ordained travelling preachers ; for 
 in all cases, there has to be a recommendation from 
 the Quarterly Conference of the circuits upon which 
 these local preachers live, saying that the measure is 
 necessary to supply the people with the ordinances, 
 whose demands the circuit ministers are unable to 
 meet. They cannot be ordained without an election 
 by the Annual Conference, which is not based on the 
 candidate's claim, but on the necessities of the work. 
 
 "The only essential principles of Methodism are 
 three, and they are the same in British and American 
 Methodism, and presumed to be also in all the off-shoots 
 from both one and the other : namely, its Distinctive 
 Doctrines, its Peculiar Social Means of Grace, and its 
 Itinerancy, or its rotation of pastors sent by a central 
 appointing power." 
 
 At this stage of the conversation, the 'Squire, who 
 was a man of plain practical sense, and who knew the 
 country well; and who, moreover, was a shrewd 
 obsen^er interposed: "But, Brother Regnor, you 
 cannot deny that the Missionaries when in the 
 country, did ridicule the idea of these 'trading, 
 farming, blacksmithing ministers,' as they called them ; 
 and because they could not expect orders if English 
 Methodism prevailed in the Province, was the very 
 ground why local preachers were the most determined 
 opponents of what has been called Missionary intru- 
 
 sion." 
 
EARLY TIMES REPRODUCED. 55 
 
 "You are entirely correct, 'Squire," rejoined 
 Regnor, " yet that does not in the least invalidate my 
 position ; its being an expedient, and the wisdom of 
 that expedient, are two very different matters. I 
 know the desire for, and expectation of, ordination 
 among our local preachers would seriously embarrass 
 any attempt to consolidate the two types of Methodism 
 in any place where they had both existed together. 
 Our locals are tenacious of their chances for ordination, 
 while the sentiment among the British brethren 
 that a secular man cannot consistently take the 
 ordination vow, which pledges him to give up the 
 study of things ' carnal and worldly,' makes them as 
 inexorable on the other side." * 
 
 "There is a good deal of weight in the British 
 position," said the 'Squire. 
 
 " I frankly confess," continued Regnor, who was 
 noted for his candor, unless you had chanced to ruffle 
 
 * This, in our day, will constitute the principal difficulty in 
 bringing the present M. E. Church of Canada into organic union 
 with the other Methodist bodies ; but if their locals had a spark 
 of magnanimity, they would wave their diances of ordination for 
 such a noble object. Besides, unless we assert the priesthood 
 of all secular christians, what imaginable claim have they to 
 ordination more than the leaders and Sunday School superin- 
 tendents of all the Methodist bodies ? They are just as secular, 
 no more necessary to the Church, and, as a general rule, no 
 better acquainted with divine things, nor any better qualified to 
 teach them. Either, let all the members of our Church baptize 
 and dispense the Lord's Supper, or else let all unite in scouting 
 this absurd and embarrassing claim on the part of local preach' 
 ers above all other lay officials. — Ed. 
 
56 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 his temper, in which case he was hot and positive, 
 "there is force in their objection; and, privately, I am 
 very much of the opinion of the Rev. Nathan Bangs, 
 confidentially expressed to me, two conferences ago, 
 that 'the admission of local preachers to ordination 
 was a mistake,' which would work the connexion 
 inconvenience and harm some day." 
 
 Elder Case here laid aside his taciturnity, and said, 
 "Orders should only be given to those of the local 
 brethren who have the means of supporting themselves 
 without secular business : or who are so situated as to 
 be wholly employed in public ministrations, such as 
 local missions of some kind, or who are evangelistic 
 revivalists." 
 
 " But, to say nought aboot hordination," chimed in 
 the blunt old Yorkshire man, " there his a vast 
 number of lawkal proichers hin this coountry, that har' 
 not heven fit to porich itsel', let halone given the 
 hordinances." 
 
 " That all comes," said the 'Squire. " of encouraging 
 weak-minded men to think that their whims about 
 preaching, a call from God, by allowing them to come 
 forward and ^ apply for license to exhort or preach,' as 
 it is called." 
 
 " Called to proich ! " broke out the irrepressible 
 Bursdale, "a vast of men har called to proich, but 
 noybody his called to hear them hin Hingland, hit 
 would be thowt very forward hand consayted for ha mon 
 to happly hisself to go hon the Plan ; the Superintender 
 proicher his halways the one that proposes ha mon for 
 a lawkal proicher ; hor, at laste, one hof the raidan 
 
EARLY TIMES REPRODUCED. 57 
 
 proichers. Whail that his done, no mon spakes a 
 word aboot proichin'." 
 
 Brother Sauvity, who was prudent and pacific, 
 thinking they were on tickHsh ground, gradually turned 
 the conversation, after remarking, that there was a 
 great amount of ability and zeal in the local ranks, 
 and a vast deal of good had been done by them, as a 
 class, in which all concurred with readiness and de- 
 light. It did not prevent, however, some amusing 
 stories being told of the sad discomfiture of ambitious 
 men, who insisted on having a trial of their abilities in 
 that particular line. One stuck fast, and laid the 
 blame on his brethren for " not praying for him." 
 Another, in the same predicament, frankly confessed 
 the " wickedness" of his attempt. An old Dutchman, 
 in such circumstances, broke out " Lort, here stanse 
 an empty vessel." 
 
 A new question gave the conversation a weightier 
 turn once more. Young Davies, wishing to get the 
 thread of Canadian Methodist history clearly in his 
 head, inquired of the Elder as follows : — " Down to 
 what year, did our Provincial Circuits and laborers 
 continue in connection with the New York Annual 
 Conference ?" 
 
 The Elder rejoined, "Until the session of 1809. 
 The Genesee Annual Conference was organized in 
 1810 ; and forthwith, the Canada work stood connected 
 with the new Conference." 
 
 " I know all that very well," interposed Brother 
 Sauvity, " fo^ I went out to travel within the bounds 
 of that Conference, and in the Genesee country too. 
 
68 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 only three years after its organization. However, the 
 next Conference (the one of 1818) appointed me to 
 Canada. My name stood for Ancaster, but the ap- 
 pointment did not stand. To favor Alpheus Davis, 
 who was in delicate health, and at the Presiding 
 Elder's request, I gave him Ancaster, and took his 
 place at Detroit. The circuit, however, stood in con- 
 nection with the Upper Canada * Upper District,' and 
 I made my journey to it through Canada from the 
 Niagara River." 
 
 One of the young men said, " You went all the way 
 on horseback. Brother Sauvity, I suppose ?" 
 
 "Yes, there was no other way in those days; and a 
 wearisome ride it was, it being in the heat of summer." 
 Brother Pond, as newly from the old country, de- 
 sired to know "when the Genesee Conference itself 
 ceased to extend its jurisdiction into Canada?" 
 
 " Why," said Regnor, " only two years ago last 
 Conference, or in 1824, when the Canada Annual 
 Conference was constituted, in Hallowell." 
 
 " Hand when you were aboot hit," injected Burs- 
 dale, "you howt to 'av' becoom han hindependent 
 Canada Methodist Church ; hand hif hold Helder 
 Ryan 'ad ad his way, hit would 'av* been saw, too." 
 
 At this Regnor fired up : " Yes, with old Harry 
 Ryan for Bishop, I suppose ? No ; we had not then 
 numerical strength enough, lay or ministerial, for an 
 independent connexion. And if we had possessed 
 even these, we had not men of sufficient breadth of 
 mind and solidity of character to govern wisely the 
 Provincial Church when it was thus organized. I felt 
 
EARLY TIMES REPRODUCED. 59 
 
 this SO Strongly at the time, that I told some old coun- 
 try members, who were clamoring for 'separation' in 
 York, at a meeting of the Society there, on the eve of 
 the Hallowell Conference, in 1824, held in the pre- 
 sence of Bishop Hedding and Rev. Nathan Bangs, the 
 Book Agent from New York, and nearly all the West- 
 em preachers on their way to Conference, that if they 
 succeeded in severing our connexion with the Metho- 
 dist Episcopal Church in the United States, Canadian 
 though I was, I would leave the Province altogether. 
 I think now, however, by the time of the next Generrl 
 Conference, in 1828, we may be so far matured as to 
 set up for ourselves, with their paternal permission." 
 
 " I am an Irishman, and was in the yeomanry at 
 home in the ould country, but I would niver ax to be 
 sipperated from our Yankee brithrin. Shure and 
 wasn't Mr. Muckoff (the way the Irish pronounced 
 Medcalf) a Yankee? And where was there iver a 
 better man, nor a better praycher than he was ? Shure 
 and didn't he trudge on fut wid his saddle-bags acrass 
 his showlder, through these wuds, and havin' a sore 
 toe into the bargain ? No, indade, I'd niver wish a 
 better praycher than Yankee Muckoff." 
 
 This was uttered in a thundering voice by one who 
 had come in quietly while the conversation was going 
 on, and taken a back seat, but now he could restrain 
 himself no longer. 
 
 This was no other than Brother Benjamin Bummer, 
 usually known among his friends as " Big Ben." He 
 was a native of Wexford, in which county he had been 
 converted, along with many others, under the labors of 
 
60 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 the Rev. Andrew Taylor, the Methodist preacher, who, 
 more than once, had been taken out by the Irish 
 rebels, in the rebellion of 1 798, to be piked. But Ben, 
 who was of massive proportions every way, and extra- 
 ordinary strength, having also strong appetites and pas- 
 sions, after a time, fell away. His immigration to 
 Canada led to his restoration from backsliding ; the 
 touching prayer of a pious lady, at the family altar, 
 whose hospitality Benjamin was enjoying, as one of a 
 survey party which lodged in her back-wood's residence 
 for a night, was the means, under God, of re-awaken- 
 ing him and of restoring him to his forfeited peace. 
 This coincided with Mr. Metcalf's great revival in 
 those parts. He had already become what he him- 
 self called a " layder," and some years afterwards, a 
 local preacher, continuing to be very laborious to a 
 good old age. He received his death stroke on a re- 
 turn journey from one of his preaching excursions, 
 and died " suddenly," but " safely." 
 
 The worst use he was ever known to make of his 
 great strength and awe-inspiring presence, after his 
 restoration, was to stand and hold the bridle of an 
 itinerants horse, while the preacher, from his animal's 
 back, was addressing a sermon to a Roman Catholic 
 mob of wild Irishmen, engaged upon certain Govern- 
 ment works. Ben's voice sounded not unlike the taps 
 of a big drum while he made the favorable utterance 
 above quoted, in behalf of " Mr. Muckoff " and the 
 " Yankee praychers " in general. 
 
 In striking contrast to this voice, in sound, was the 
 piping one of " Old Sister McDuff^' of Father Mc- 
 
EARLY TIMES REPRODUCED. 61 
 
 Rorey's class, which was heard in response to the 
 sentiment he uttered : — 
 
 " Varra true ; I ken weel the justness of a' Brither 
 Bummer has said aboot Breether Meedcoff and the 
 American preachers — Philander Smeeth, for eenstance, 
 who was OS braw a preacher os onny I eever heered in 
 Scotland, forby Mr. Weesly himsel' (and I have heerd 
 heem, and shaken hon's wi' heem too.) Yus, I wud 
 as soon hear Smeeth and Meedcoff even os Volontine 
 Ward and them we us'd to hav' in Glasco." 
 
 This self-invited guest (no, one of those included in 
 the standing general invitation,) to the genial rays of 
 the squire's kitchen fire, had been a member of the 
 Wesleyan Society in Glasgow, from the latter days of 
 John Wesley, till the time of her coming to Canada. 
 She was a woman of a profound Christian experience, 
 great gifts in speaking and in prayer, besides having a 
 most melodious voice for singing — strong, silvery and 
 sweet. She was as great a favorite with Mr. Metcalf 
 as he was with her. Often did she thrill his soul, 
 tuned to harmony, with the Revival Hymn : — 
 
 " Haste again, ye days of grace. 
 When assembled in one place. 
 Signs and wonder mark'd the hour ; 
 All were filled and spake with power. 
 
 " Hands uplifted, eyes o'erflowed, 
 Hearts enlarged, self destroyed, 
 All things common now we prove ; 
 All our common stock is love." 
 
 Often when the missionary came in from his weary 
 bush tramps to where she was, after the first saluta- 
 
62 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROTHETS. 
 
 tions were over, Metcalf would say, " Come, sister 
 McDuff, give us that about * hands and hearts,' " and 
 the appeal was never in vain. 
 
 The warm endorsement of American Methodism 
 touched a cord in the heart of George Greengrass, one 
 of the mechanics at work on the Squire's mill, a na- 
 tive of " Varmyount," as he pronounced it, and modest 
 though he was, he gave a demonstration then very 
 common, when Methodists got excited with religious 
 conversation, and the involuntary " Glory, Hallalujah !'* 
 broke from his lips, and met its echo instantly in the 
 " Amen " from McRorey and Bummer. 
 
 George had been converted in early life, in his 
 native State, by the instrumentality of the Methodists ; 
 but the wandering life of a mill-wright had been to his 
 disadvantage, religiously, and he became a backslider. 
 
 Coming, however, to the settlement at the 
 time his popular countryman, Metcalf, was instru- 
 mentally promoting the great revival so often referred 
 to, he was restored to his former enjoyment; and, 
 after some time, he became one of those peripatetic 
 exhorting leaders who were wont to go out from this 
 school of the prophets. 
 
 The spirit of exultation and shouting, kindled by 
 the spark let fall by Greengrass, spread like fire in dry 
 stubble, and would have been unseemly, but that 
 sister McDufF struck the key-note of this exultant 
 spiritual song, in which all the singers united : — 
 
 " O, Good Old Way, how sweet thou art, 
 May none of us from thee depart ; 
 
EARLY TIMES REPRODUCED. 63 
 
 But may our actions always say, 
 We're walking in the Good Old Way." 
 
 The voices blending with sister McDuffs, were 
 McRorey's, the Squire and wife's, with several of his 
 family, such as Alanson, two daughters, and little 
 Barney, crowned by the most melodious singer in the 
 company, the good Elder himself, while Bummer's 
 jerking accompaniments served to emphasize the 
 emphatic parts, like the taps of a big drum. 
 
 A lively, not to say noisy, family prayer meeting 
 closed and crowned the pleasures of the evening, during 
 which some of the more excitable ones, not very much 
 to the gratification of Brother Regnor, or Father 
 Bursdall, " lost their strength," and fell on the floor. 
 McRorey, young Davis, Alanson, and Big Ben were 
 in their glory. The Squire was not noisy, but he 
 could stand any amount of it, if he thought " God,'* 
 in any good degree, " was in the whirlwind." 
 
64 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE " QUARTERLY CONFERENCE " AS IT USED TO BE. 
 
 HE only church edifice in that early day, in 
 the Lake River Circuit, was three miles dis- 
 tant from the Squire's, at Round Island, and 
 that constructed of logs. There the quarterly 
 meeting business and religious services were to be 
 conducted. Thither all the lodgers at the Hospitium 
 wended their way on Saturday, after an early dinner, 
 to hear the sermon to be preached at two o'clock ; 
 and all that were " official members " of any kind to 
 attend the transaction of the circuit business, which 
 followed the sermon. 
 
 The Elder preached a short discourse, and called 
 upon a preacher in charge of a neighboring circuit, 
 the Transmorass, who had come over to pilot that func; 
 tionary through the woods and swamps to his own 
 circuit the following week, to exhort after sermon. 
 For this particular duty, that preacher was pre- 
 eminently adapted, being voluble, pathetic, and un- 
 trammelled with any notions of logical precision. 
 Alternate smiles and tears, as well as shouts of triumph, 
 attested his peculiar power. The fine mellow voice, 
 discursive imagination, and impetuous emotions of 
 bluff, honest David Bluffen specially qualified him for 
 the exhorter's function. An observing, though rough 
 
THE "quarterly CONFERENCE." 66 
 
 man of the world, who knew the three parties well, 
 had said a few years before our present date, " If you 
 would set Puffer to preach, Metcalf to pray, and 
 David Bluffen to exhort, the world couldn't stand be- 
 fore them." 
 
 There was nothing remarkable in the routine busi- 
 ness of the quarterly conference which followed it. It 
 was composed of the presiding Elder, (in the chair,) 
 the two circuit preachers, four or five local preachers, 
 as many exhorters, all the leaders of the circuit who 
 could get there, nearly all the seven stewards allowed 
 by discipline. The money matters (save the mark,) 
 were soon settled ; each preacher received about 
 tiventy dollars as his quarter's pay — in cash. Wheat 
 at Sam Sifter's Mill, and orders on stores, written 
 with such hideous chirography, orthography, and syn- 
 tax, that Bluffen facetiously, and not over reverently, 
 said, " It would be no idolatry to worship them ; for 
 they were not the likeness of any thing above or be- 
 neath." 
 
 As the docket of " appeals " was light, and it did not 
 chance to be the quarter for the renewal of licenses, 
 (after constituting a new trustee board for a meeting- 
 house to be built on the north side of the Missipe- 
 moaning, the preacher in charge nominating, and the 
 members of the quarterly conference approving or 
 negativing,) the presiding elder made a specialty of 
 two particular subjects of consideration. 
 
 These were the newly instituted Indian mission 
 work ; and measures for arresting the progress of in- 
 temperance. The work among the natives had been 
 
 E 
 
66 THE. SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 projected by the good Elder himself, in the face of 
 unbelief and ridicule, about two or three years before, 
 and the preceding conference had received the return 
 of 104 Indian members. Already, Peter Jones, the 
 first native preacher, was exerting his powers on whites 
 and Indians. The necessity of prayer for the con- 
 tinuance and extension of the work was often brought 
 before the quarterly conference, as also appeals were 
 made for the means of supporting it ; these were the 
 first tentative efforts towards raising a missionary fund. 
 His essay to arrest intemperance consisted, as yet, 
 only in getting the officials of the several circuits to 
 pledge themselves to each other to have no " liquor " 
 (it usually meant merely no whisky^ at their bees and 
 raisings ; and for the leaders and all of them, in their 
 several neighborhoods, to persuade the members of 
 their respective classes, and all they could influence, to 
 act on the same principle. This was the inchoative 
 beginning of that glorious temperance reformation 
 which has done so much for Canada, although it has 
 yet so much to do, both here, and in all lands. The 
 Methodists were by far the most temperate people in 
 the land. Wesley's general rule in prohibition of the 
 " drinking of spirituous liquors, unless in cases of 
 necessity," was supposed to commit his followers to 
 abstinence ; and with the more strict observers of dis- 
 ciplinaiy rule, it went a great way towards doing it. 
 But the rule itself, by some manipulation after its first 
 promulgation in America, had become materially 
 changed. It stood originally, " Drunkenness, or the 
 buyingy selling, or drinking, spirituous liquors, unless in 
 
THE " QUARTERLY CONFERENCE." 6T 
 
 csLses of extreme necessity." This had come to read 
 thus : " Drunkenness, or drink spirituous liquors, un- 
 less in cases of necessity." " Buying" " selliNg,'' and 
 the qualifying word " extreme " added to " necessity," 
 had been left out. 
 
 It is true, another part of discipline made it unlawful 
 for a local preacher to " manufacture or sell," on pain 
 of losing his office ; but a private member might keep a 
 spirit store or tavern, without forfeiting his member- 
 ship, provided there was nothing " disorderly done on 
 the premises." They might sell as much as they liked, 
 to be taken away to drink, and embroil and ruin the 
 families and neighbourhoods whither it went, so long 
 as there were no rows or noises adjacent to the spirit 
 store or tavern where it was sold. True, the influence 
 of the preachers, and the piety of the people them- 
 selves, prevented such liberty from degenerating into 
 all the licentiousness and ruin it otherwise would have 
 done. 
 
 Furthermore, the words "spirituous liquors," it is likely 
 by the framer of the rule himself, was not intended to 
 include anything but "ardent spirits," and not to prohibit 
 the moderate use of vinous and malt liquors, especially 
 the weaker kinds of them. Whether correct, or not, 
 this opinion passed unchallenged until the rise of the 
 Teetotal Soci .ties about the year 1832 or '33, so that 
 a Methodist might go on educating his appetite for 
 stimulants with the milder liquors, until nothing but 
 the quintessence of spirits would do for him. And 
 then, the use of it was made to fall under the provision 
 of " necessity," a case for which was made out by the 
 
68 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 drinkers being hot, or cold, or wet, or dry, under the 
 influence of colic, relax, or some other ailment for 
 which it was a specific almost universally prescribed. 
 Yet, as the lighter liquors were hard to obtain, and ale 
 was dearer than whiskey, unless in cases where the 
 appetite had become imperative, the rule, as it then 
 stood, had a very restraining effect. Nevertheless, 
 there was a great deal ot moderate drinking, if the 
 words are not a contradiction of terms j and every now 
 and then there was a lamentable instance of intoxica- 
 tion among the members of the Church, the community 
 having not yet awoke to the fact, that a little, almost 
 invariably, leads to much. There were more cases of 
 discipline to be disposed of in the Church arising from 
 this source, than from all other causes of offence put 
 together. 
 
 Some of the circumstances accompanying the use of 
 liquor would have been very ludicrous, if they 4iad not 
 been very sad. The 'Squire, in his days of backslid- 
 ing, had, for a time, sold liquor, but happily escaped 
 enthralment to their use, and never, after the good 
 Elder's appeal, did he offer it as an article of hospi- 
 tality in his house. Prior to that, even after his 
 restoration and reunion with the Church, he had, in 
 great moderation, complied with what was then consid- 
 ered a necessary act of courtesy, and offered his visitors 
 the glass. Two worthy Irish " layders," having called 
 one day on business, were shown into the best room, 
 where the decanters and glasses stood on the table, and 
 were invited to " help themselves." Some little time 
 after their ensconcement, one of the females of the 
 
' THE "quarterly CONFERENCE." 69 
 
 I 
 
 family, going in on some errand, found the two worthy 
 men, mellowed with a single glass apiece, relating 
 their "expayriance" to each other, with tears running 
 down their cheeks. 
 
 In another case, when a preacher who is yet to come 
 to view, was laboring on the circuit, a certain member 
 of the Church, who had not succeeded too well as a 
 farmer, thought if he built a little nearer the " Cor- 
 ners," and commenced keeping tavern, he would 
 make a living "aysier" and "accommodate the pub- 
 lic too." His wife, a pious woman, knowing enough ot 
 his frail tendencies in a certain direction, opposed it 
 with all her might ; and the aforesaid circuit preacher, 
 hearing of his intention, most earnestly expostulated 
 with him on the danger he and his family would incur, 
 and the evil the sale of liquors would do others. But 
 he was unpersuadable. The only tavern at the " Cor- 
 ners" had been closed (closed because the innkeeper 
 saw closing it was the only means of preserving his 
 wife from becoming a hopeless sot), and our vei ture- 
 some friend commenced operations. After he had 
 become fairly settled in his new home and business, 
 he had "a house warming;" a large number of 
 friends and neighbors were there, and liquor constituted 
 one of the elements for warming the house. All kept " 
 themselves within bounds, excepting the host himself, 
 who became very much elevated ; and his excitement 
 took a decidedly religious direction; he was bound 
 henceforth to war with the powers of darkness with all 
 his might ; and " if the divil would thin come up out 
 of the cellar, he would fly upon him and tear him, 
 
70 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 tear him all to payees." The discipline of the Church 
 did not interdict his keeping a tavern, but it punished 
 the drunkenness tavern-keeping induced. Poor Paddy 
 Pict was brought to trial, and, in the issue, lost his 
 standing in the Church ; and the fear is to be enter- 
 tained that he lost his soul as well. Alas, alas, poor 
 Paddy Pict ! 
 
THE QUARTEHLY-MEETING, RELIGIOUS. 71 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE QUARTERLY-MEETING, RELIGIOUS. 
 
 ,W0 "Saturday-night. Prayer-meetings" were 
 held in connection with our quarterly meet 
 ing — one in the Chapel at Round Island and 
 the other in the School-house at River Side. 
 Many prayers and several exhortations were delivered 
 at each — many "got happy" — and "the shout of a 
 King" was heard in each of the "camps." The 
 Methodist householders in each of the neighborhoods 
 had a plenitude of lodgers, and many a camp-bed, or 
 " shakedown" was extemporized. Conversation on 
 Saturday night was abridged ; for the prayer-meeting 
 continued late ; and then all must be up for a seven 
 o'clock breakfast, to reach the "Sunday-morning Love- 
 feast," the doors of which were " opened at half-past 
 eight and closed positively at nine." 
 
 No tickets were exacted or shown at the door, 
 (printed ones could not always be obtained) ; but the 
 two circuit preachers usually stood at the entrance, 
 and canvassed the claims of all candidates for admis- 
 sion. The well-known members, with bonnets un- 
 mistakeably plain, passed readily enough ; but woe to 
 the high-flyers, doubtful characters, and expelled mem- 
 bers, who had not exhibited the necessary conditions 
 of " contrition, confession, and proper trial," for they 
 
72 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHt^TS. 
 
 were inexorably turned away ! The door was closed 
 during the opening prayer, and opened for two or 
 three minutes at its close, to admit those who might 
 be at the door then, when the door was closed again, 
 to be opened no more to any application until the love- 
 feast was concluded. 
 
 The whole of the " hour and a half," to which the 
 disciplinary authority restricted the love-feast, was 
 filled up with the utterance of Christian experience. 
 The presiding Elder, who conducted it, dropt a word 
 of encouragement, now and then, to those who seemed 
 to need it. A young boy, a son of the 'Squire, re- 
 lating a thrilling experience, which moved the meeting 
 to shouts and tears, Brother Case broke out, " Bless 
 God, He is about to take all Brother Firstman's sons 
 into the Gospel field." This referred to the fact, that 
 the eldest son was an exhorter; the second, on the 
 eve of going on a circuit ; and now little Banaby, so 
 serious and good, evinces unusual fluency and bold- 
 ness in declaring what God had done for his soul. If 
 any were too long and prosy, the Elder, (if not some 
 one else,) started an enlivening verse, which he knew 
 so well how to sing. A crazy sort of man connected 
 with his experience an account of a vision in a bam, 
 where he had gone to pray, in which the Enemy of 
 God and man was the subject of manifestation, — 
 " with teeth," said he, " as long as my finger ;" but he 
 was soon extinguished by the discreet Elder's timely 
 interposition : " Tut, tut, tut," said he sharply, " No 
 more of that." 
 
 Eleven o'clock arriving, "the doors were opened " for 
 
THE QUARTERLY-MEETING, RELIGIOUS. 73 
 
 public worship, to which succeeded the usual " fifteen 
 minutes intermission before sermon ;" during which, a 
 large amount of cold chicken, bread and butter, and 
 cheese, with fried cakes, (among those of American 
 and Canadian origin,) appeared and disappeared almost 
 as quickly. 
 
 You would have expected the Elder to appear as the 
 preacher of the occasion, seeing it was supposed to be 
 the proper work of the minister who filled that office ; 
 but no, it was the Rev. Julius Regnor, " the preacher in 
 charge " of the circuit, who appeared in the pulpit. Mr. 
 Case, unlike Mr. Ryan, was distrustful of his ability to 
 interest and profit an audience at best ; and about this 
 time, and forward, he had so much care on his mind, 
 and generalship to perform, that he did not expose 
 his own life (that is to say, reputation^ in the ranks, 
 any more than was absolutely unavoidable ; but put 
 forward younger men of improving talents and rising 
 fame, to stand in the breach, whenever he could lay 
 his hands on such. One of this kind was Julius Reg- 
 nor, a man of great force of character, eloquent by 
 bursts ; and very studious, especially in sermon-making? 
 based on the models of Sautin and Blair, sermon- 
 writers much in vogue for eloquence in that age of the 
 world, to the perusal and memorizing of which he 
 gave his days and nights. How much, or how little, 
 of some of his sermons were original, he was regarded 
 about that time as a very eloquent preacher, and drew 
 the elite of other denominations in great numbers to 
 hear him. His text on this occasion was, •' Did 
 not our hearts bum within us, while He talked 
 
74 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 with US by the way, and opened to us the Scrip- 
 tures ?" 
 
 At the close of this sermon of his, striking as the 
 contrast may have been thought, such was the custom 
 of the times and the policy of the authorities, the two 
 young men, Pond and Davies, about to be sent out as 
 supplies under his direction, were set up by 
 the presiding Elder at the close of this polished 
 sermon; to exhort one after the other. Pond was 
 measured and orderly, Davies was full of fire and 
 flame. 
 
 The Lord's Supper followed the public service ; 
 then a hearty leave-taking, and the most of the as- 
 sembled people wended their way to their distant 
 homes. But some followed up the 'Squire and his 
 retinue to the neighborhood of River Side, where there 
 was to be another sermon and prayer-meeting in the 
 evening. 
 
 This was rather unusual at that time ; for in ♦:hose 
 days, hard as the preachers worked in general, they 
 usually forbore preaching any where the Sunday night 
 after quarterly meeting, and ruminated on what they 
 had heard, seen, and felt, and discussed those topics 
 in connection with the great festival. But on this 
 occasion. Brother Bluflfen was there, and they wished 
 to utilize his visit, for, just then, he was considered 
 very lively, and had considerable fame as a revivalist. 
 He gave a unique and moving sermon, from the 
 words of St. Paul, " Now they desire a better country, 
 that is an heavenly," in which he drew largely on the 
 sympathies of the new settlers, by illustrating his sub- 
 
THE QUARTERLY-MF^'TINO, RELIGIOUS. 75 
 
 ject from the circumstances and needs of emigrants ; 
 the farewells on the one side of the ocean, and the 
 welcomes, rejoicings, and rich inheritance on the other 
 were made touching use of. 
 
76 
 
 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 SUNDAY NIGHT AT RIVER SIDE. 
 
 ^HE service being ended, with a short exhor- 
 tation and earnest prayer, the Sederunt of 
 the Prophetic School began at the 'Squire's. 
 One or two of the old country members 
 asked the Elder, if he had not been too hard on the 
 use of the " drink," in what he said in the Quarterly 
 Conference. 
 
 " Shure," said one of them, " there could be no bet- 
 ter min than the praychers in the owld country j such 
 min as Mr. Clegg, Mr. Maine, Mr. Sturgeon, Mr. 
 Strong, and Mr. Hadden, who used to lodge wance a 
 fortnight in me father's house, so there couldn't; 
 and not wan of them iver rayfused a glass of good 
 whiskey punch after dinner, or when they went to bed 
 at night, so they didn't." 
 
 "Yes," said the Rev. Shubal Sauvity, who was a 
 native of Ireland, and knew a good deal of Irish 
 Methodist affairs, although converted after he arrived 
 in the States, " and a fearful risk they ran of becoming 
 enslaved to the glass, as, at least, some of the Irish 
 preachers found to their bitter cost. Take the case 
 of poor ' Billy Lytle,' for an example, a giant for stature 
 and strength, a man who boldly travelled in some of 
 the most disturbed districts all through the rebellion 
 
SUNDAY NIGHT AT RIVER SIDE. 77 
 
 of '98, his sole defence his own right arm, and a large 
 riding whip with its butt-end loaded with lead: a 
 Boanerges too in his preaching, before his fall. Alas, 
 alas, poor Billy." 
 
 Elder Case resumed at this point, "The example 
 of drinking, by white professors, is a fearful stumbling to 
 our Indian converts, who have no conception of drink- 
 ing any quantity without drunkenness ; and who cer- 
 tainly cannot take a little without taking much, if it is 
 to be had. I will give you an example of their aston- 
 ishment at their seeing a white professor drink ; some 
 of the Belleville Indians had occasion to pass up the 
 country towards Cobourg, and I told them of a hospi- 
 table and tvell-to-do old Methodist at whose house 
 they might stop, who would give them a night's lodg- 
 ings and something to eat. When I met them again, 
 I asked them if they had found the place, and if 
 Brother so-and-so had used them well, they answered 
 ' Yayze, but he drink whiskey.' * Does he indeed ?' 
 * Yayze, me see him !' as though it was an awful dis- 
 covery. They probably had seen the old man take 
 his morning or noon glass of grog, which I suspect he 
 foolishly imagines necessary to keep up his strength." 
 
 The remark about the Indians led a gentleman in 
 the company to observe, "That is a glorious work you 
 are doing among the Indians, Elder." 
 
 " Say, rather," remarked Mr. Case, " a work which 
 
 God has done by us his unworthy servants ; a work so 
 
 swift, and thorough, and extraordinary, as to partake 
 
 almost a Pentecostal character ; and I am persuaded 
 
 it will go on, until all the Aborigines of this continent 
 
78 THE 5CH00L OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 are brought to Christ." There was no subject that 
 would set the good Elder aglow like a reference to the 
 conversion of the natives. He was usually cautious 
 and restrained in his utterances, but he became san- 
 guine to enthusiasm when the Indians were concerned. 
 
 But the person whose remark' elicited the Elder's 
 ardent expressions, deserves, along with his lady, a de- 
 scription in our portraiture of those times. This was 
 Captain Adolphus Playrtght. He was of respectable 
 Scotch- English parentage, had been well educated, and 
 furnished with a commission in the army, in which he 
 had served a number of years, and was placed on half- 
 pay at the close of the war. He had lived up to his 
 income and more, as most officers of the army do ; 
 but as he drew a large tract of wild land for his ser- 
 vices, including a mill-site on the north branch of the 
 Missipemoaning River, he was sanguine of success as 
 a mill-owner. He sold, or mortgaged, his half-pay to 
 procure capital to start with, and located his family in 
 a small log-house, in the midst of a dark, towering 
 forest, stretching away on all sides, on the bank of 
 this roaring stream. 
 
 But milling was a business to which he was unused, 
 and he soon became very much embarrassed for the 
 means of getting on ; debts, executions, duns, and bailiffs 
 followed in the train. Neither he nor his wife could 
 )e expected to be adapted to such a situation. The 
 idy had received a fashionable education, which did 
 not include the knowledge of ordinary household 
 economy, any where. He had been proud and 
 haughty, and she had been vain and frivolous, if not 
 
SUNDAY NIGHT AT RIVER SIDE. 79 
 
 dashing and reckless ; yet, both were personally inter- 
 esting. He was tall and commanding ; she also was 
 tall and graceful in her carriage. Her complexion 
 was not very clear, but her figure was fine, her move- 
 ments agile, and her hands, feet and features all that 
 aristocratic fastidiousness could require. In a word, 
 they were the last people that you would have expected 
 to become Methodists, such as Methodists were in that 
 day. Amid the pressure of their worldly embarrass- 
 ments, the Methodist revival began. They had heard 
 the fame of Mr. Medcalf, the Methodist missionary — 
 his beauty of person, gentility of manners, ease of 
 elocution, and ability as a preacher, and they embraced 
 an opportunity of hearing him ; and were very much 
 impressed — indeed, soon convinced and converted. 
 And, when once they had tasted of the sweets of reli- 
 gion, they learned to relish the liveliness and fervor of 
 Mr. Metcalf 's less polished colleague. Brother Barnabas 
 Driver, as also, the demonstrative, social meetings of 
 the Methodists. 
 
 Both the Captain and his lady, in a very short time, 
 became conspicuous in religious matters. He was 
 gifted, zealouS; and demonstrative, and soon began to 
 preach as a local preacher ; and, could he have satis- 
 factorily answered the question asked of all candi- 
 dates, " Are you in debt ?" he would, no doubt, have 
 been called into the itinerancy despite his numerous 
 family. For marriage and children were not an in- 
 superable hindrance to being received as a travelling 
 preacher in those days. His wife also was active in 
 religious meetings, whether ordinary or special ; and 
 
80 THE .SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 was gifted in speaking, prayer, and, perhaps, I might 
 add, exhortation as well. Her mind underwent a 
 complete revulsion, from frivolity to an absorbed, 
 rapt sort of piety. There was not only the right of 
 way opened for the supernatural, through her moral 
 constitution, but, almost, for the visionary and fanati- 
 cal also. She \vas a frec^uent subject of religious 
 catalepsy. She read Hester Ann Rogers, Mrs. 
 Fletcher, Bramwell, and others of that type, and soon 
 professed to have entered into the state of grace at- 
 tained to and taught by them, 
 
 She was solemn and devout, almost to asceticism. 
 Her deep expirations, accompanied by a slight groan, 
 and " the upward glancing of her eyes," showed the 
 habitual prayerfulness of her spirit. She condemned 
 " religious anecdotes," and was seldom seen to smile, 
 much less laugh ; but in lieu of merriment, she seemed 
 to be the subject of unutterable spiritual happiness. 
 She was much in prayer, had great faith, and held 
 that it was " only the culpable lack of faith, which 
 prevented the return of miracles to the Church." 
 
 Nevertheless, there were certain worldly convention- 
 alities to which this worthy couple were not indifferent. 
 Their taste had been cultivated by a polite education, 
 and they well understood the conventional proprieties 
 of refined society above referred to. These advantages 
 rendered their company not unimproving to the young 
 preachers, who had not enjoyed the same privileges : 
 especially so was the society of the lady. The society of 
 Messrs. McL<:alf, Regnor, and a few of the more ( ulti- 
 yated early preachers, was very much desiderated by 
 
SUNDAY NIGHT AT RIVER SIDE. 81 
 
 this lady. She was one of the most pronounced pro 
 fessors of the Methodist doctrine and experience of 
 perfect love to be found at any time ; and was charac- 
 terized by that almost mysterious kind of phraseology, 
 which distinguishes some who profess to be subjects of 
 this higher state of grace, and who look with pity on 
 those who are not versed in the nomenclature of the 
 inner arcana of spiritual life. 
 
 A person of her solemn, not to say severe, cast of 
 religious thought and feeling, was not likely to have 
 much in common with brusque, hilarious David Bluf- 
 fen, who was one of the company ; and it was curious 
 to see how the conversation veered from grave to gay, 
 as the saintly sister, or the rollicking pioneer itinerant, 
 swayed the course of remark. At one time, it was 
 eddying around the depths of Christian experience ; 
 at another, it was diffusing itself over the picturesque 
 scenes and comical occurrences of itinerant life. 
 
 Sister Playright inquired of Brother Bluffen, if he 
 had yet experienced the inestimable blessing of per- 
 fect love : "he thought he must have felt it, for he 
 had no feeling contrary to love, either to God or man, 
 in his heart." She wished to know further, whether 
 laughing was consistent with such a high state of grace? 
 " He thought it must be consistent ; for he found 
 that the happier he was, the more he laughed." He 
 once tried to give up being lively and laughing, and 
 found he was losing all his religious enjoyment and 
 desisted ; and finally said, " they could not cure him 
 of his merry temperament, unless they cut his head 
 off." 
 
 r 
 
82 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 Perhaps before we go further, some fuller account 
 should be given of this antipodes to our solemn sister. 
 He was as plain in dress as she, and that was as plain 
 as need be ; his drab, or snuff-colored, Quaker-cut 
 coat and broad leafed hat, would have made him no 
 ill impersonation of George Fox himself; yet the 
 fineness of its texture, if it were possible to procure 
 them fine (and even when made of home-spun, 
 Bluffen's clothes seemed fine); and the gracefully 
 curved lines of his round-breasted coat, and the taste- 
 ful turn-up to the sides and hind part of the pliable 
 brim of his finely textured hat, gave these sober habili- 
 ments a jaunty appearance, he being always scrupu- 
 lously neat and clean. 
 
 These matters, joined to the fact that his figure was 
 erect and sprightly, while his full person, smoothing 
 out the wrinkles from his clothes, made him very per- 
 sonable and presentable. The editor of these papers 
 once met in Europe an effigy of Governor William 
 Penn, and was immediately reminded of his friend, 
 honest David BlufTen. But then, his prevailing humor 
 and facetious conversation was anything but Quaker 
 like. Besides, the contrast between his garb and his 
 sayings and doings, made those sayings and doings all 
 the more ludicrous. Imagine a person a little short of 
 the medium height, whose breadth and rotundity made 
 him look still shorter than he was, with a large hand- 
 some face, a laughing, mischievous eye, straight and 
 trim, strong to a degree, and so wiry and springy, that 
 he could vault on his horse's back, with the slight 
 pressure of his '^^.nd on the saddle, or jump over a 
 
SUNDAY NIGHT AT RIVER SIDE, 83 
 
 gate without touching it at all ; I say, recall these and 
 you have some idea of his person, and find some 
 'reason for his exuberant spirits, and some excuse for 
 his sallies. He was mischievous and full of practical 
 jokes before he became religious ; and lively, loving, 
 zealous, and religiously hilarious after his conversion. 
 He never was a methodical preacher, but so pathetic 
 and arousing as to give him great power over an audi- 
 ence. Smiles and tears chased each other over his 
 hearer's faces, like sunshine and shade on a warm 
 showery day. Sympathizing with the sorrowful, power- 
 ful in prayer, arousing to the conscience in preaching, 
 industrious in his pastoral habits, he, in the early years 
 of his ministry, especially, excelled in two qualities not 
 always united — facility in gathering members to the 
 Church, and success in retaining them. Circuits 
 always rose under him. And as to " foraging," he 
 could live, and live well too, where men of more 
 calibre would starve. It would be amusing to relate 
 some of his exploits in that line. 
 
 At a fitting moment, when the conversation had 
 taken a mellowing, if not solemnizing, turn, the good 
 Elder struck up, in his own melodious tones, his 
 favorite hymn, in which Bluffen's deep undulating 
 voice assisted, while all the other tuneful voices — 
 tenor, treble, bass, and whatever other parts there are 
 in music, chimed in. And, surely, the following lines, 
 with the rest of that deeply devotional hymn, were 
 never more touchingly rendered : 
 
 " Come, O thou traveller unknown. 
 Whom still I hold, but cannot see ; 
 
84 . THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 My company before is gone, 
 
 And I am left alone with thee, 
 With thee, all night, I mean to stay, •* 
 
 And wrestle till the break of day ! " 
 
 Then there followed a season of "wrestling" 
 prayer in earnest. Case was pleading and pitiful ; 
 Bluffin was alternately tender and confident ; Sauvity 
 rose from a subdued manner, to bursts of eloquent 
 supplication; Regnor, when warmed, seemed as though 
 he would "take the kingdom by storm;" and, to 
 mention no more, Sister Playright was rapt and 
 ecstatic, her prayer contained more claiming than 
 asking, more praise than prayer ; and ended in her 
 being "overwhelmed." 
 
"HE EVE OF A GREAT EVENT. 85 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE EVE OF A GREAT EVENT : LOOKING BEHIND AND 
 
 BEFORE. 
 
 HREE years have rolled around, since the last 
 interview at the 'Squire's. Much of interest 
 has transpired in Canadian Methodism at 
 large, and some things of the same character, 
 on Lake River Circuit. Those which relate to the 
 connexion have been largely pleasing, and partly 
 painful ; and perhaps, some things dubious. Some of 
 these connexional matters, it may be, we ought to 
 have gone into a little more in detail. 
 
 The work among the Indians had gone on in a 
 glorious manner. The number of native christians 
 had increased, from one hundred and four to nine 
 hundred and fifteen. Jones, Sunday, Jacobs, Doxtater, 
 and several others, had begun to evince '-"cipient 
 preaching talent, some of them of a powerful kind. 
 And the general membership in the church had in- 
 creased, from six thousand eight hundred and seventy- 
 five to nine thousand six hundred and seventy-eight. 
 
 But matters of a painful, or dubious character had 
 also occurred. Elder Ryan had never returned to the 
 regular circuit work, much less to the Presiding 
 Eldership. He had fallen into some disfavor with 
 
THE. SCHOOL OF THK PROPHETS. 
 
 the Bishops; and was not nearly so influential with 
 the Conference as he used to be. Many of the old- 
 fashioned members, however, clung to him. During 
 the Conference year — 1824-25 — he was a "missionary 
 to the Chippewa and Grand River Falls, and the new 
 and destitute settlements in those parts." This meant, 
 all the settlements along the Grand River, from Chip- 
 pewa village to where Elora now flourishes. The next 
 year, 1825-27, he travelled up and down the country, 
 holding revival meetings in several places, which were 
 pronounced a great success. But, singularly enough, 
 wherever he had been, a feeling of distrust and dis- 
 content towards the Conference, in the form of an 
 under current, began to prevail; and certain agitating 
 missives, in the form of hand-bills, were s(:attered 
 among the societies. 
 
 Coincidently with these things, the Regnor brothers, 
 three in number, arose into influence and power, but 
 that power, as yet, was exercised in concert with Elder 
 Case. Each possessed a distinctive talent of his own. 
 Juiim was supposed to possess great resolution and 
 skill as on ecclesastical ruler. At the very next Con- 
 ference after the last meeting at River Side, re- 
 corded, he displaced, or succeeded the venerable 
 Thomas Madden, as Presiding Elder over one-half the 
 Provincial work. His elder brother, Chrysostom^ who 
 had not been so long in the travelling ministry as the 
 first mentioned, had in six years developed great 
 powers of argumentation and eloquence, and great ex- 
 ecutive energy, to say no more. But his powers of 
 persuasion and of swaying an audience, were almost 
 
THE EVK OF A GREAT EVENT. 87 
 
 exceeding belief to those who never heard him beating 
 down opposers with cutting sarcasm, and raising up 
 " the bruised reeds " with the tenderness of a weeping 
 mother. 
 
 The youngest of the three brothers, Justin^ how- 
 evei, "exceeded them all." Fully equal, in the writer's 
 humble opinion, to Chrysostom as an orator, in his own 
 way ; and equal to Julius as an administrator, if he 
 had diosen to be one ; he developed and displayed 
 anothtr talent, without wliich their influence would 
 have lieen incomplete, and, humanly speaking, the 
 connexon would have been without an advocate and 
 defendtr ; namely, a capacity like his great namesake, 
 for 7vrimg apologie:. 
 
 His Irst attempts of this kind were anonymous. 
 
 They enbraced a defence of the Methodists against 
 
 the acctsations of a certain ecclesastical dignitary, 
 
 made firt in a public sermon, and then as a witness 
 
 before a :ommittee of the British House of Commons 
 
 in Englaid. These anonomously published defences 
 
 thrilled tie connexion and country from end to end. 
 
 Some blimed the writer, more praised him, and all 
 
 were anxious to know who he was. At length it leaked 
 
 out tiat it was Youn;^ Justin Regnor, the Methodist 
 
 Prea;her. , 
 
 rtving crossed the Rubicon, it was too late to turn 
 bacl$ but having drawn his sword and thrown away 
 the cabbard, he advanced from the defensive to the 
 V aggrssive, especially, as he was encouraged by the 
 real general in the Canadian Methodist camp. Elder 
 Cas^ albeit, that general was pretty generally con- 
 
88 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 ce.iled in his tent. He, although " keeping out of the 
 line of shot," did all he could to encourage and 
 supply with munitions of war those who were "jeoixir- 
 dizing their lives in the high places of the field." 
 
 The monopoly of one seventh of the landed property 
 of the Province, with sundry other penjuisites, bi-'ing 
 in the hands of the original aggressors in this corflict, 
 was the Malakoff, which the young hero sought to 
 storm, and around which the battle raged for years. 
 No doubt the assailants of this fortress had justice on 
 their side, and they ultimately won a capituation ; 
 but the terms of capitulation were such, that the 
 besieged, after all, secured the lion's share. \nd as 
 all good things are not without their alloy, it ii doubt- 
 ful whether this war spirit was not somewhat acverse to 
 the Church's spirituality, and led to political illiances 
 and complications from which it was hard for the 
 connexion to disentangle itself, in after years. 
 
 One of the immediate incidental evils of these 
 alliances was, that it gave our enemies, outside, 
 occasion to say, unjustly enough it is true, that the 
 Methodists were disloyal; and furnished tie poor, 
 mistaken old gentleman, who was agitating the 
 connexion with means to increase the discoitent 
 within the Church. I 
 
 The Conference of 1827, was eventfnl, on two 
 accounts : first, for the withdrawal of the tnce 
 influential, but now dissatisfied member of that bdy 
 just referred to, the Rev. Henry Ryan ; and secorily, 
 the action which was taken relative to the peacable 
 separation, organically, of Canadian Methodism rom 
 
THK EVK OF A (iRKAl KVKNJ. 86 
 
 the Methodist P'.pisropal Church in the United 
 States, * 
 
 The farts relating to the first subject may be thus 
 briefly summarized, from the MS. Minutes of the 
 Conference for that year: an anonymous circular had 
 been widely disi)ersed throughout the Connexion 
 charging the Conference with several matters of wrong 
 doing, but i)articularly with ill-treatment of Mr. Ryan ; 
 and he himself was susj)ected of the authorshii) and 
 circulation. When his character came up, in the 
 usual course of examination, a motion was ])ressed to 
 oblige him to say, whether he were connected with the 
 allegations or not ; but it was overruled, on the 
 princijile, that " no man was bound to criminate 
 himself" A committee was ajjjjointed to take the 
 accusations of the circular into consideration, " with 
 power to call for persons and papers, and to report 
 thereon." None of the "Reports," or "Minutes of 
 Iwidence" are in the MS. Journals of Conference, and 
 the fyles of the detached i)ai)ers of that period are lost, 
 hence no particulats can be rei)orted. An arrest of 
 Mr. R.'s character grew out of the incjuiry; but, after 
 being before the conference at several successive 
 sederunts it was "dismissed," by resolution. 
 
 The case seems to have been very fairly considered; 
 the Rev. Mr. Richardson was a[)pointed Secretary of 
 the proceedings; and Mr. Metcalf appointed to 
 conduct the matter on behalf of the Conference. 
 But some were dissatisfied after the resolution for 
 " dismissing" the case had ])assed ; and one in the 
 majority, the next morning, moved a resolution for 
 
90 THK SCHOOL OK THE PROPHETS. 
 
 " reconsidering" the case, which carried. Ui)c)n the 
 passing of this resolution, Mr. Ryan re(iiiested to 
 withdraw ; and, ui)on resokition, was permitted to do 
 so, and was returned "withdrawn" in the pubHshed 
 Minutes. 
 
 At that Conference, a decision was come to, to ask 
 the American General Conference, to be held the 
 ensuing May (1828), for a peaceable separation of the 
 Canadian part of the Church, to stand in fraternal 
 correspondence with the parent body. Delegates 
 were chosen, instructed to seek that result. The (len- 
 eral Conference considered they could not divide the 
 Church, but they could withdraw their jurisdiction 
 from British territory, and allow the Canadian brethren 
 to set up for themselves, which was done. 
 
 There were no conditions asked, or pledges given as 
 to the form of Church polity the Canadian part of the 
 Connexion should adopt ; but there was an implied, 
 or tacit understanding that the Presbyterial-Episcopacy, 
 which had existed from 1784, would continue to exist 
 in the Independent Church in Canada. And they 
 consented that one of their Bishops should be per- 
 mitted to consecrate one for Canada, when elected. 
 
 Things were in this statu quo, when the Sederunt 
 took place which we are about to describe. But before 
 we proceed to give the details of these circumstances, 
 it will be best to allow the reader to rest himself, and 
 uiake a separate chapter of them, 
 
DISCUSSIONS OF THE COMINO EVENT. 91 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE SAME SUHJECT CON'I'INUKI) : DISCUSSIONS OF THE 
 
 COMING EVENT. 
 
 i 
 
 HE meeting, looked forward to at the close 
 of the last chapter, began in Father Mc- 
 ^ Rorcy's shop, and adjourned to the Squire's 
 le) before it was finished. It was on this wise : 
 The Rev. William Welchman, a bachelor, who had 
 been in the work eight years, having been whirled from 
 Long Point to Ottawa River; and had traversed the 
 country from the Lakes and the St. Lawrence, to the 
 extreme northern settlements, l)oth east and west, was 
 now on his way out from the Missipemoaning Circuit, 
 where he had been travelling during the last twelve 
 months; and as he was accjuainted with the Lake 
 River Circuit, having labored on it the year before 
 that, he halted at Round Island, on his way to the 
 famous Earnestown Conference. 
 
 Eight years was then considered to be a long time in 
 the itinerancy, as ten, fifteen or twenty years, at most, 
 were sufficient to break down an ordinary constitution; 
 and thus, to either force a man to " locate," or to place 
 himself on the superannuated list. 
 
 As Mr. Welchman must stop in the village long 
 enough to rest and feed his weary, hungry horse, so 
 will he take the opportunity of seeing and conversing 
 
92 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 with the friend and acquaintance of all the travelling 
 preachers who ever came into those parts. 
 
 He came in accoutred as we once saw him, when 
 he was changing from one circuit to another, which he 
 expected to do that year also. His strong, good mare 
 (he was a capital judge of horseflesh) heavily laden 
 with a large linen bag across the animal's loins, con- 
 taining all 1 is bachelor traps ; his well-filled leather 
 saddle-bags across the saddle ; and a large valise, upon 
 the top of which was strapped his cloak and umbrella, 
 was buckled to the mail-pad on the horse's withers. 
 These, with the compact, heavy little man^perched on 
 the top, gave " Nancy" no inconsiderable load. He 
 unloaded his faithful beast at an inn, and ordered her 
 " hay and a gallon of oats, in half-an-hour thereafter." 
 
 Pending the mare's process of devouring these, he 
 walked over to McRorey's shop. The reader will 
 gather, that he had labored two years before on what 
 was then the Lake-River-Missipemoaning Circuit, the 
 two branches being worked together ; and Capt. Play- 
 right, a Presiding Elder's supply, was his colleague. 
 The year immediately preceding the date to which our 
 incidents belong, the Missipemoaning was a separate 
 charge, and Brother Welchman had labored thereon 
 very much to the people's satisfaction. 
 
 At McRorey's shop he met a brother preacher, the 
 incumbent of the Lake River Circuit. This was no 
 other than our quondam friend, Owen Davies, an out- 
 growth of the Circuit itself. Davies' father had be- 
 come deceased, and this, his eldest son, had certain 
 filial obligations to discharge to his widowed mother, 
 
DISCUSSIONS OF THE COMING EVENT. 93 
 
 and fraternal (almost paternal) ones to the younger 
 members of his family. This rendered it desirable for 
 him to receive an appointment near them, if possible. 
 Knowing that he would be acceptable to his early 
 friends in that Circuit, the Presiding Elder had advised 
 the Bishop to send him back " into his own country, 
 and among his own kin." His reception proved an 
 exception to the general rule that " prophets are with- 
 out honor" in such circumstances; and he succeeded 
 fairly well. His laboriousness and fervor of spirit 
 made up for any lack in his yet but partially devoloped 
 mind and talents. An old Irish leader told the writer, 
 that "You couldn't hare him spakin' long without 
 feelin' your hert warum towards him." 
 
 After their first salutations, they were joined by 
 another person not yet introduced to the reader. 
 This was a noted and influential member of Father 
 McRorey's class, in fact, his right hand man, also one 
 of the stewards of the Circuit. This was no other 
 than Mr. Solomon Grayly, a man strong, sizable, and 
 courageous as well. He was a good deal older than 
 he seemed, and had been a trooper in disturbed times 
 in Ireland, his native country. He had a slight lame 
 ness in one hip, which might have been from a bullet 
 wound, or something else, which gave him a slight 
 halt in his gait. He was still active, however, and 
 could train a horse to perform the feat, and afterwards 
 ride him over the roughest corduroys of that new 
 country, without stumbling — striking the tops of the 
 logs, with unerring precision and a clinking noise, 
 

 
 94 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 at every stride. His horse was handled with rein and 
 the never-dispensed-with dragoon spurs. 
 
 But Brother Grayly thought he could ride a Theo- 
 logical Pegasus, as well as his sinister, wall-ey^id, tricky 
 horse, ^^ Dicky Our friend had been long a Methodist, 
 and meant to be loyal to Methodist theology; but 
 then, according to the custom of his native country, 
 while he had listened to the Methodist preacher, in a 
 farmer's kitchen, once a fortnight, on a week day 
 evening, he had also sat every Sunday morning under 
 the Rev. Knox Farrel, the Established Church parson ; 
 who, although decidedly Evangelical, like most of the 
 Evangelicals in that church, was a thorough Calvinist ; 
 from whose preaching Mr. Grayly's theological opinions 
 received an unmistakable Calvinistic tinge^— a tinge, 
 however, which, ultimately, wore off in Canada. But, 
 on his first arrival in the Province, he was inclined 
 to charge the "American preachers," as he termed 
 them, with Pelagian tendencies. 
 
 He was a man of some means ; had seen a good 
 deal of life, in his way of it ; and was farmer, wheel- 
 wright, and horse farrier all in one. These things, 
 with a little constitutional tendency that way, gave him 
 somewhat the air of self-opinionateness and importance. 
 He was a man who had very good control of himself : 
 for, although he had an Irishman's courage, he had 
 not an Irishman's precipitancy. Therefore, when he 
 heard any theological discussion being held, he would 
 usually listen, with his eyes partially closed, for a time, 
 while a smirk of self-satisfaction sat upon his counten- 
 ance, and with an occasional shake of the head, if not 
 
DISCUSSIONS OF THE COMING EVENT. 95 
 
 a leer of scorn from time to time, as if he felt like 
 saying, "I could set you all right in that matter, if I 
 chose." If appealed to he gave his opinion, or rather 
 fiat^ with ex cathedra authoritativeness, which was some- 
 times a little amusing. 
 
 He had no noticeable brogue, but a peculiar sort of 
 lisp, or tendency to give, in some cases, one consonant 
 sound for another : this, with a habit of grappling with 
 the largest words, the pronounciation of which he did 
 not always know, sometimes made the result a little 
 trying to the risibles of well-informed listeners. But 
 the result for his reputation was quite different with 
 the less-informed ; for they listened with gaping won- 
 der at his " words of learned length and thundering 
 sound." 
 
 With " Brother McRorey" he was always an oracle. 
 Grayly conceded to the leader the meed of superior 
 piety ; but McRorey accorded to the steward superior 
 knowledge and wisdom. Grayly took the strongly 
 Calvinistic view of faith, or "faif," as his organs pro- 
 nounced it; and this was one day the subject of 
 conversation. Mr. G. was led to put in his demurrer 
 to the many distinctions made by preachers with 
 regard to faith — such as " traditional," " historic," 
 " saving faith," and so on. He maintained there was 
 " but one kind of faith." McRorey feeling the subject 
 required a little more elucidation for his own satis- 
 faction, turned his meek and confiding-looking oval 
 face towards his intellectual superior, asked with 
 docility and expectancy, as follows : " Brother Grayly, 
 what sort of faith would you call that, which the 
 
96 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 devils have, when it is said, 'They believe and 
 tremble?'" 
 
 The answer to the question was awaited with open- 
 mouthed anticipation. It was evidently a poser to the 
 hair-splitting theologian himself; yet, affecting not to 
 hesitate, he answered off-hand, although not without 
 some stammering : " Why, why, I, I would call it — I 
 would call it, Dammifi Faif." This was said with a 
 slight chuckle, as much as to say, " That is final, and 
 incontrovertable." It did not occur, however, to the 
 good old man, that if there was such a thing as saving 
 faith, which he was always extolling, this definition of 
 his, descriptive of the devil's faith, was scarcely con- 
 sistent with his position of there being " only one kind 
 of faify But we have wandered, and return from a 
 too long episode. 
 
 On this occasion, coming in and looking on those 
 present, and seeing the Rev. Mr. Welchman, he soon 
 began to banter him about his proceedings in the 
 Missipemoaning Circuit, where there was a large Scotch 
 element yet unsupplied with their own Presbyterian 
 ministry, who, though many of them did not become 
 members of the Methodist Church, were much attached 
 to the ministry of " Muster Wulchman," as they termed 
 him. For, being of a metaphysical cast of mind, he 
 had contrived to preach Arminianism, so that they 
 could scarcely distinguish it from Calvinism; and 
 where they could discern such a difference, he made 
 Arminianism appear the more Scriptural and reasona- 
 ble of the two. And what appears to have Scripture 
 and reason on its side, will always enlist a Scotchman's 
 
DISCUSSIONS OF THE COMING EVENT. 97 
 
 respect. They had gathered up a load of wheat, and 
 taken it to the nearest market, to procure " Mustur 
 Wulchman some braw claise." 
 
 " Brother Welchman," said Grayly, " Brother Slashly," 
 (an Enghsh-Scotch local preacher, of some learning 
 and great cleverness) " Brother Slashly tells me, that 
 while you thought you were converting the Scotch 
 Presbyterians, they were converting you all the time." 
 
 " How is that. Brother Grayly ?" said Welchman. 
 
 " Why, have you not been administering the Lord's 
 Supper without using our Liturgy ? And giving it to 
 the communicants in a sitting posture, instead of 
 kneeling?" 
 
 Welchman replied, " that is pr.rtly true and partly 
 not ; and as far as I did deviate from our usual form, 
 it was all according to discipline. I did use the essen- 
 tial part of the Liturgy, the prayer of consecration, 
 although I used it from memory without reading it ; 
 and it would be more impressive, if we knew how to 
 disuse the book in all of our sacramental services. I 
 combined extempore prayer with the service, which 
 the discipline allows us to do. A word as to the sitting 
 posture, our discipline gives the candidate the choice 
 of position ; whether sitting, standing, or kneeling. It 
 is only in one neighborhood in the circuit where we 
 have allowed any departure from the usual mode, and 
 our sacramental occasions there have been quite as im- 
 pressive as any. You were a Methodist in the Old 
 Country : Do you not know that our Wesleyan breth- 
 ren of Britain dispense the supper in Scotland alter 
 the Presbyterian form, which would not be acceptable to 
 
 G 
 
98 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 them in any other ? To vary in these external matters, 
 when scruples demand it, is the true genius of Method- 
 ism, which is principally concerned to maintain the 
 vitals of religion.'' 
 
 Grayly answered, "I think myself there are several 
 things in our Connexion which might be changed with 
 advantage ', and I hope that this Conference you are 
 going to attend, and which they say is to organize a 
 church for Canada, will provide for some things which 
 are not quite as they ought to be." 
 
 "What are they. Brother Grayly?" responded 
 Welchman. 
 
 "Why, I think the lay members of the Church 
 should have a greater share in the proceedings of the 
 Connexion than they have at present, and I am told 
 some of Elder Ryan's friends are advocating lay- 
 delegation in the Conference, just as they have among 
 the Primitive Wesley ans, or Cloanites in Ireland." 
 
 " I have heard something about that," said Welch- 
 man, "it is a wave of the lay-delegation storm from the 
 States, which is now pretty well set at rest in that 
 country. But as long as the British and American 
 Conferences do not adopt it, an infant Connexion 
 such as ours will be, would not like to take the initiative 
 in such a matter, for fear we might be denounced as 
 illegitimate altogether. But I have lately learned 
 through my Presiding Elder, on the strength of a 
 private letter to him, that the Regnor brothers have a 
 scheme on foot of some new element in our 
 constitution, that while it will not appear so ultra as 
 lay-delegation in the Conference, will as effectually 
 
DISCUSSIONS OF THE COMING EVENT. 99 
 
 guarantee lay rights and interests. I do not know 
 precisely the intended working of the measure, but it 
 is to give the Quarterly Conferences of the Connexion 
 some check on General Conference legislation, in all 
 matters which affect the interests of the laity." 
 
 Young Davies here spoke up and said, " Brother 
 Welchman, do you know does anyone contemplate 
 moving for that other change, agitated in the United 
 States affecting the influence of the generality of the 
 preachers by limiting the prerogative of the Bishop : that 
 is to say, the appointment of the Presiding Elders by 
 Conference election, instead of the Bishop's choice as 
 it now is. 
 
 Welchman replied, " A letter from one of the 
 preachers, near York, informs me, that also is under 
 consideration ; and that a medium course is contem- 
 plated in that matter, as well as the other question we 
 were speaking of, but I cannot give particulars." 
 
 " Who will you be likely to have for Bishop ?" said 
 McRorey. " You could not get a better man than 
 Elder Case." 
 
 " Case would answer the best of any one we have 
 among ourselves," said Welchman. 
 
 " 'E his not 'alf as desarvin' hof hit has hold Helder 
 Ryan," said Bursdale, who had just entered the door, 
 outside of which he had been listening to the conver- 
 sation for some minutes. 
 
 He was accompanied by the 'Squire, who chanced 
 to be in the village on business, and whose dispassion- 
 ate good sense led him to make ihe following utter- 
 ance : " The rivalry between the two old Elders (that is, 
 
100 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 the fact that other men seem to pit them against 
 each Other) is the very reason why neither of them 
 should be appointed to that high office, both having 
 friends and partizans. If it were not for that, I would 
 say, by all means make a Bishop of Elder Case. As to 
 making a Bishop of Elder Ryan, that is now out of 
 the question, he having withdrawn at the last Confer- 
 ence ; and, from the way he is going on, I am afraid 
 he will not soon return. Only for the remembrance 
 of the old rivalry. Elder Case's long services entitle 
 him, and his good temper, seriousness, and dignity 
 qualify him for the position. The only other preachei 
 remaining, who is likely to be thought of at all. 
 Father Whitehead, though he would command respect 
 for his intelligence and genteel manners, is a super 
 anuate, has an impediment in his speech, and has 
 never had any chance to display administrative quali- 
 ties, having nc ^er been even a Presiding Elder. Case 
 is an administrator ; and is so viewed by intelligent 
 outsiders. I am told Archdeacon Stewart, of King- 
 ston, a shrewd man, has said ' The Methodists should 
 elect Elder Case for their Bishop.' But if they pass 
 these old men by, it would be unseemly and hazard- 
 ous to appoint one of the young ones." 
 
 At this stage of the conversation, young Alanson 
 Firstman, who had been out travelling the whole of the 
 preceding year on the Cornwallis circuit, under the 
 Presiding Elder, but had run out to see his parents 
 before Conference, had ridden up to the door ; and 
 bendir\g downwards from his horse's back, looked in, 
 and asked, if his father were there, McRorey's shop 
 
DISCUSSIONS OF THE COMING EVENT. 101 
 
 being at that time, a very likely place to find a stray 
 Methodist. Hearing his voice, all rushed out, and 
 gave him a cordial greeting. 
 
 The 'Squire now lifted his shrill voice and said, 
 " Come, brethren, all of you, and finish this conversa- 
 tion at my place. It is too late now, brother Welch- 
 man, to go on your journey to-day ; besides, wife says, 
 there are some of your traps at our place ever since 
 last year. And as to you, Brother Davies, you, at any 
 rate, didn't mean to start for Conference to-day. You 
 will have a chance to ask Alanson how he has been 
 getting on in his new circuit. There is no feed for your 
 horses in the village unless you buy it ; but there is 
 plenty of hay in my barn, and any kind of grain you 
 like at the mill ; or, if you prefer it, you can have your 
 horses out on good pasture. Come ! " 
 
 Upon a short consultation, the preachers decided to 
 go. The lay brethren also received an invitation to 
 " drop in during the evening," when their business or 
 work was over ; which most of them promised to " try" 
 to do. All were soon in their saddles, and on the 
 road to River Side : the two Firstman's, father and son, 
 and the two preachers, Welchman and Davies — the two 
 young men riding in front, and the two seniors behind. 
 
 Just as they had cleared the village and had come 
 to the turn westward to the 'Squire's from the 
 Missipemoaning Road, they saw another equestrian 
 bearing down upon them from the east, who beckoned 
 to them to stop. And who should it turn out to be 
 but genial, hearty George Pond? 
 
 He had been out in the work two years at least, the 
 
102 THE SCHOOI- OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 last of them on the Jockland Circuit. He had been 
 just now visiting the old homestead and his relatives 
 in the neighborhood ; and was riding over to see hi: old 
 friend and fellow-countryman, Grayly, when he espied 
 the cavalcade. The members of the troop now insisted 
 he should go with them. He made some faint show of 
 resistance, alleging he " must see Grayly ; " but when 
 they told him that that friend was almost sure to be 
 with them before they broke up, he yielded himself a 
 not very unwilling captive ; and was borne off, as it 
 turned out, to spend the night at River Side. 
 
 Their arrival made a great bustle in that hospitable 
 " lodging place for wayfaring men." The time would 
 fail to describe the mother's joy at meeting her long- 
 absent son, the sisters' pride at seeing their showy 
 brother, and the more boisterous demonstrations of 
 the lesser ones at Alanson's return. It was also a 
 great treat for the three young preachers, who had 
 gone into the work from that Circuit. Two or three 
 years before, they had sung the following together, 
 with quivering lips and moistened eyes : — 
 
 " When shall we three meet again ? 
 When shall we three meet again ? 
 Oft shall glowing hcpe expire ; 
 Oft shall wearied love retire ; 
 Oft shall death and sorrow reign ; 
 Ere we three shall meet again." 
 
 But they had " met again," and now they can and 
 do sing, with glowing hearts and faces : 
 
 " Saviour of sinful men, 
 
 Thy goodness we proclaim. 
 
DISCUSSIONS OF THE COMINC EVENT. 103 
 
 /hich brings us here to meet again, 
 And triumph in Thy name." 
 
 But their young joy found extempore modes of 
 expressing itself: and stories of hardships, adventures, 
 comical scenes, ups and downs, things touching and 
 things inspiring, followed in heterogeneous confusion 
 and until a late hour. 
 
 Alanson, having been the last to try the vicissitudes 
 of the itinerancy, was the first to be questioned. 
 
 " What is the size of the Cornwallis Circuit at the 
 present time?" asked Pond, who had preceded him 
 there as junior preacher, only the year before. 
 
 " We have enlarged it a good deal since your time," 
 replied the other ; "it extends from Provost to Corn- 
 wallis on the River, and from the River to the streams 
 which run into the Francofluvia, embracing, in length, 
 the breadth of five townships; and in its greatest 
 width, the depth of two townships — that is to say, it 
 is about fifty miles long, and twenty-four or five miles 
 broad. It is now a six weeks' Circuit. Except at the 
 Meeting-house, where we preach every Sunday, we are 
 each once in six weeks in each place, which gives the 
 people, in all the neighborhoods, except the one I 
 mentioned, fortnightly preaching." 
 
 " You have then a third laborer on the circuit,' 
 said Welchman : " Who is he ?" 
 
 The preacher from Cornwallis resumed, " Abner 
 Throwdart is the man." 
 
 " I am not surprised to hear it," said Davies, " he 
 gave promise of usfulness, when I travelled with 
 Brother Metcalf in the region where the family of 
 
104 THK SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 Throwdart resides. His eldest brother, Woodman, if 
 he had obeyed an early call, would have been out in 
 ?he field years ago; and the next younger, Didyfuus, 
 is both gifted and zealous. The brothers are not 
 brilliant but they are a strong-minded lot of fellows, I 
 can tell you, and they will be sure to wear bright, and 
 become like polished steel." 
 
 " That applies to Abner," resumed Alanson : " he 
 is timid and bashfully awkward, but he has plenty of 
 ideas and words as well, and, as he is very studious, 
 he is sure to make his mark after some years. He 
 was on the point of being married to one of the old 
 German-Irish stock, which planted Methodism in New 
 York and Canada; but he and she have agreed to 
 postpone their marriage till he has passed through 
 his probation." 
 
 " You had some American preachers from the 
 States at your frontier camp meeting, I believe ?" said 
 one of the brethren in the rear. " How did you like 
 them ?" 
 
 " O, very well indeed, but they were not all Ameri- 
 cans : one of them was an out and out Yorkshire man. 
 His Yorkshire is so broad that he calls page, " poige,'' 
 faith, " fith," preach, " proich," and the like. But he 
 is a workman for all that : rich in Scriptural matter, 
 fertile in invention as a sermonizer, and calm and able 
 in delivery. He is at first sight a very forbidding man; 
 large and shapely enough, but very dark skined, with a 
 projecting forehead and beetling brows, almost con- 
 cealing his small dark eyes, a heavy, homely unread- 
 able countenance, and pock-marked also, rather neg- 
 
DISCUSSIONS OF THE COMING EVENT. 105 
 
 lectful of his person, withal ; he- however, is impressive 
 from the opening sentences and fires up tremendously 
 as he goes on. His voice is so strong and heavy that 
 he never has to strain it, so that it is agreeable to hear; 
 and in his private conversation, all the repulsiveness of 
 his first appearance vanishes. Although he is no 
 laugher, he is the most irresistably provoking 'to 
 laughter of any man I know. 
 
 " He told us a story- of one of his stopping places. 
 It seems the wife of a Brother Brooks, a well-to-do 
 class leader, was an oddity, and never offered the 
 Circuit preachers, in their visits to the neighborhood, 
 either food or lodging ; and they always had to travel 
 further on for refreshment. Bro. Bevitt, for that is his 
 name, was forewarned at his first round on the Circuit; 
 and it was no very good news to him as an Englishman, 
 which nationality have a proverbial fondness for their 
 stomachs. He never says much, but he simply 
 remarked, '/'// get sonnet king to eat, lUl let them see.* 
 His account of it was as follows: — I rode up to the 
 door and knocked. A squeaking voice said, ' Come 
 in.' ' Is this where Brother Brooks, the class leader, 
 lives?' 'Ya'as,' in the same squeaking voice. 
 'Well, I'm Brother Bevitt, have you a^ stable?' 
 ' Ya-as.' * Tell the boy to take my horse to the 
 stable, rub him down, give him hay, and after a little 
 while give him water, and then oats.' ' Ya-as, here 
 boy, take Brother Bevitt's horse to the stable and give 
 him hay, oats, and water.' 'Sister Brooks, what 
 have you good to eat ? ' Here commenced a long 
 list of the very best edibles. 'Then,' said I, "go and 
 
106 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROVilETS. 
 
 cook me some of everything you vj got, for I am 
 hungry.' *Ya-as, Brother Bevitt.' She did as I bid 
 her, and as she had promised, cooked it well, and I 
 never had a better dinner. After dinner was over, I 
 sat down by the fire, and asked her, * Sister Brooks, 
 have you a pipe and tobacco?' *Ya-as.' 'Will 
 you give me both, I want a smoke.' After I had 
 smoked awhile, I felt very comfortable, and said, 
 * Sister Brooks ! ' * What is it. Brother Bevitt ? ' 
 I am told that you never offer the preachers anything 
 to eat. Is it so ? ' 'I didn't know they wanted 
 anything ! ' ' Well, I will, for I am an Englishman, 
 and like plenty to eat. And I mean to come here 
 when I like, stay as long as I like, and have plenty for 
 myself and my horse, while I am here.' ' You'll be 
 very welcome. Brother Bevitt.' After that her first 
 question after entering the house was, "Brother Bevitt, 
 are you hungry V ^ 
 
 "But the best part of the joke is to come; Mr. 
 Bevitt became so great a favorite, that Sister Brooks 
 insisted on his bringing Mrs. Bevitt to see her, he did 
 so, and she was treated with great kindness; and 
 before leaving Mrs. Brooks led her into the garden, 
 and told. her she thought ' Brother Bevitt the purtiest 
 man she ever seen.' When Bevitt came to that part 
 of the story, he laughed outright, for he makes a sport 
 of his own ugly looks. 
 
 "He has been a local preacher since he was 
 eighteen, and must have studied hard all that relates 
 to sermon-making. He is travelling in the Genesee 
 Conference under the Presiding Elder, not having 
 
DISCUSSIONS OF THE COMTNCx EVENT. 107 
 
 united with the Conference. There are several things 
 in the States he does not Hke ; and I shall not be 
 surprised if he apply to our Canada Conference for 
 admission. One thing he does not like there, is the 
 pother they make about immersion. He says he 
 would prefer beiiig a 'Quoiker,' who satisfies himself 
 with the thmg signified by his baptism, to those who so 
 far forget the spiritual character of the Christian 
 dispensation as to exclude those whom ' Christ has 
 received,' from the Lord's table, because they have 
 not been put under water. 
 
 " He would have been eligible to receive elder's 
 orders, in consideration of the long time he had been 
 a local Tieacher, but he declined it, for fear he might 
 be asked to immerse some one. He can be pretty 
 blunt and sarcastic towards pragmatical pretentiousness, 
 if he likes. A Baptist Elder within his Circuit had 
 proselytized some of the Methodists, and with the 
 boastfulness which characterizes some of that ilk, 
 called after the Methodist preacher as he was passing, 
 ' Ho ! Brother Bevitt, I've been doing you the favor 
 of washing some of your sheep.' Bevitt a little crusty 
 at the loss of members, albeit he did not think them 
 first-class, and disgusted at the impertinence of the 
 purloiner, gruffly replied, without scarcely deigning to 
 turn his head, 'P'raps yo'll foind out yo'av been 
 scrubbin' soam of moi ^^^^i-.^'" 
 
 The brethren resumed their talk about the Corn- 
 wallis Circuit. 
 
 Welchman spoke up, " Alanson, Bluffen is your 
 preacher in charge, is he not?" 
 
108 THE SCHOOI- OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 " Yes, and a jolly good fellow he is, too ; and pushes 
 the work with all his might." 
 
 Here they discussed another Circuit. Davies, turn- 
 ing to Pond, said familiarly, " Well, George, how are 
 you getJng on among the Irish immigrants of the 
 Jockland Circuit? All well and smooth, I hope?" 
 
 " All right," rejoined the other, " only this wet sum- 
 mer has made the roads, which are always more or less 
 miry, almost impassable. 
 
 The 'Squire, who had been a pilot of parties of dis- 
 tinguished explorers th.ough that region, when it was 
 new, and understood the nature of the country thor- 
 oughly, here became interested, and said, "It is the 
 muddiest country I was ever in ; and I suspect your 
 lodgings are not very good, after your hard day's travel 
 is performed?" 
 
 " Indeed, you are right, 'Squire, but the people do 
 their best," replied their preacher ; " the good woman 
 of the house will often put the ' praycher ' in their 
 best bed along with her husband, and make a ' shake- 
 down' in the opposite comec for herself and the 
 ' childer.' " 
 
 " It is well," remarked Welchman, " if she does 
 not have to put one or two of the latter into the foot 
 of your bed, as I have often had it done to me, in 
 more Circuits than one." 
 
 " That is nothing," said Davies ; " it is only the 
 other night, that I lodged where there was a large 
 family in a one-roomed house, in which there were two 
 beds, one in each of the two comers of the house 
 farthest from the fire. The mother and two daughters 
 
DISCUSSIONS OF THE COMING EVENT. 109 
 
 occupied one ; and the father, son, and myself, the 
 other one — while the entire floor, between the two 
 beds, was occupied with a * camp-bed,' and filled with 
 little children, God bless them!" 
 
 " By the bye, George,'' said Davies, as if suddenly 
 recollecting something, " George, they tell me you are 
 getting soft on that young brunette — a mere girl — that 
 step-daughter of Captain Wilson's ; but I couldn't 
 believe it, she is so young and giddy." 
 
 "Come, come!" said Pond, half jocular and half 
 indignant. " Come, come, Master Owen, don't you 
 talk irreverently of that lady ; she is my wife !" 
 
 " Wife? Why, you are not married are you?" 
 
 " Yes, married a fortnight ago." 
 
 " Why, man, what were you thinking about ? You 
 are not yet through your probation ; they will be haul- 
 ing you up, at the Conference." 
 
 " Let them haul away," said Pond, defiantly, " I 
 have broken no rule ; there is no time fixed when a 
 preacher is to be married.* Of course, I can claim 
 no support until I am a member of the Conference, 
 which I hope to be one year from now." 
 
 "You have just saved your distance, then," said 
 Welchman, " if what I hear is true, that the leading 
 influences of the Connexion, Elder Case in particular, 
 are agreeing to recommend the enactment of a rule in 
 our prospective organization, that any preacher marry, 
 ing while on trial, shall be dropped in silence ; a very 
 
 * He was right, there was no rule forbidding a probationer to 
 marry, as yet. 
 
110 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 wise and a very necessary piece of ecclesiastical 
 economy, in my humble opinion." 
 
 " You can very well afford to say that, Brother 
 Welchman," said Pond, " seeing your own probation 
 is passed." 
 
 Then turning to Davies, he said, " You were down 
 on me. Master Owen, for getting married. You your- 
 self will be married as soon as you are through your 
 probation, I'll be bound." 
 
 " J/^, Brother Pond?" said Davies. 
 
 " Yes, you. What about that plump, personable, 
 comfortable-looking, pious Maria Wrong, of the town- 
 ship of Blank; that girl with the maternal sort of 
 tone in her voice, like the subdued cluck of a motherly 
 hen, who nursed you through that severe fit of sick- 
 ness, you had while on that Circuit ? If you are not 
 engaged to her, you ought to be, if it were for nothing 
 else but out of gratitude — that is to say, if she will 
 have you ; and I suppose she would, if you plead hard 
 enough, for I think she is very pitiful." 
 
 " Talk of falling in lore," said Pond, heated with 
 his theme, " There is young Alanson, who has only 
 been travelling about a year and a half; I'll be bound, 
 that he has a sweetheart already — most likely on the 
 Cornwallis Circuit. If he has not already done it, I 
 would advise him to speak in time for that little, tidy, 
 black-eyed, dark-haired daughter of old John Bailiff, 
 by his first wife, who has been brought up by her aunt, 
 that old retired Presiding Elder, Sawright's wife, who 
 have no children of their own. Besides being cultivated, 
 respectable and pious, she will stand a chance to have 
 
DISCUSSIONS OF THE COMING EVENT. Ill 
 
 what the Scotch about here call a tocher, from two 
 several sources, something which a poverty-stricken 
 Methodist preacher should not reject, no matter how 
 fond he may be of singing, — 
 
 " No foot of land do I possess, 
 
 No cottage in this wilderness, 
 
 A poor, wayfaring man." 
 
 To all this badinage Alanson made no reply, but 
 looked a little something between shame and pride, 
 while his mother furtively sought to read his counte- 
 nance. 
 
 Welchman here interrupted Pond in his revelations 
 of prospective marriages, in the following somewhat 
 severe style : " It is a shame for you boys to be 
 entangling yourselves with matrimonial engagements 
 so early. Here am I, thirty-three years of age, and 
 although I have travelled eight years I am as free 
 to-day as the first day I went out to travel. There is 
 not a circuit I have travelled on but I might have been 
 married to some fine young woman if I had chosen." 
 
 "Then you ought to have chosen," chimed in the 
 Mrs. Firstman, "and it would have been better for you 
 to-day: a wife would have taught you lessons you 
 need to learn, but which no one else will ever be 
 interested enough in your welfare to take the pains to 
 teach you." 
 
 Perhaps he thought she had observed reasons in him 
 for what she said, and he made no reply. 
 
 The announcement of an appetizing supper stopped 
 all mouths figuratively and literally for a time. 
 
 Singing followed. Alanson was a splendid singer 
 
112 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 and he had to give specimens of the new pieces and 
 tuixes he had learned in his absence. Biother Welch- 
 man also sung his favorite, which he often gave as a 
 solo in the pulpit, "The Weary Pilgrim's Consolation," 
 with its sweet refrain, 
 
 "Jesus, Jesus is my portion, 
 Love as boundless as the ocean." 
 
 The Scriptures and prayer succeeded to this, and all 
 parties retired for the night, with the purpose of rising 
 early to allow the weary, wayfaring men to " head off" 
 for the Conference. There were preachers enough to 
 fill comfortably all the beds in the Prophet's Room. 
 But though they retired, it was not to sleep until "the 
 wee sma' 'ours." For stories of odd adventures; grave 
 or tender incidents; texts, sermons, preaching, good 
 times, and hard times in delivering the word; books; 
 and discussions held, personal and public, (for every 
 brother had to "club" his way in those days) occupied 
 their thoughts and tongues till far on in the night. , . 
 
A SHORT ACCOUNT OF A LONG PROCEEDING. 113 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 A SHORT ACCOUNT OF A LONG PROCEEDING. 
 
 N the morning, notwithstanding the late hours 
 of the preceding night, they were up and off 
 betimes, riding two and two, and adding to the 
 cavalcade every half day, or so, until they 
 reached the Conference, which took them nearly a 
 week. 
 
 They knew the country well: that is to say, they 
 knew where the good stopping places were — where to 
 " bate" and wliere " to stop over night" — as also how 
 to distribute themselves, so that some of the hostelries 
 should not "be eased, while others were burdened, 
 but that there should be equality." At night, they 
 usually agreed on the place of rendezvous for the next 
 day. 
 
 There was prayer in every family where any one or 
 two of them called ; and usually preaching every night 
 by some of the brethren. You must not suppose a 
 day's ride was very long ; not often over thirty miles. 
 Their horses were heavily laden, and some might have 
 to traverse the Province nearly from end to end before 
 they reached their fields of labor for the next twelve 
 months, and they felt the importance of keeping their 
 noble animals in travelling trim. Hence they usually 
 arrived in time to circulate word that one of the 
 
 H 
 
114 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 preachers on his way to Conference would preach in 
 such a chapel, school-house, or private residence. 
 
 Each preacher usually aired his eloquence in turn : 
 so that they had a chance of hearing and profiting by 
 each other. There was preaching as diversified as the 
 respective talents of the several brethren. There were 
 the expository, — the argumentative, to the borders of 
 the polemical, — and the hortatory styles of preaching. 
 
 They took the " back road" to Conference, as being 
 the nearest, although by no means the smoothest. 
 
 Firstman took the travelling company, or at least 
 some of them, to sundry families of relatives of his 
 on the road. Davies took some of his choice friends 
 to the mother's house of a certain young lady, who 
 was referred to a page or two back, and they were 
 kindly and comfortably entertained. Two young peo- 
 ple m the company endeavored to seem as though 
 there was nothing special between them, but they 
 could not quite accomplish it. 
 
 The cavalcade called by the way on old Doctor 
 Haystack, one of those primitive physicians, most of 
 them from the States, perhaps not very regularly edu- 
 cated, who had contrived to get a license from the 
 Board of Medical Examiners, who in that day authen- 
 ticated all the physicians of the country; through 
 whose hands, furthermore, it was not very hard to pass, 
 for the good and sufficient reason, that some of its mem- 
 bers were not very profound, and doctors were very 
 much wanted throughout the country. Those extem- 
 porized physicians, although they may have been 
 rather profuse in the prescription of barks, and 
 
A SHORT ACCOUNT OF A LONG PROCEEDING. 115 
 
 calomel, and jalap, learned a great deal, after killing 
 a few people ; and as they were shrewd and discerning 
 men, were better qualified than any one else in the 
 country to advise people in extremity. Two or three 
 things may be said in their favor ; they usually remain- 
 ed with their patients and watched the effect of their 
 medicine ; they were good nurses at least, and were 
 not above taking hints from the wise old goodies, 
 always found in a sick room, who looked important 
 and talked knowingly of " yarbs," and " sumps," and 
 such like. 
 
 Some of these doctors were irreligious and some 
 were infidels, but a large number were God-fearing 
 men ; and they, as they had not many intelligent 
 associates, loved the company of the preachers 
 who traversed the country, who were found to be men 
 of reading and thought at least. On both sides, their 
 several vocabularies of technical terms, were 
 unsparingly drawn upon; and "exordium," "corallary," 
 and " peroration," mingled with " phlebotomy," 
 "cathartic," and "vesication." 
 
 The preachers often lodged with those hospitable 
 sons of Esculapius, who, moreover, always prescribed 
 in cases of need for the black coats gratis. Such a 
 kind-hearted physician was Dr. H., who was truly 
 serious, religious, and helpeful to the cause in all 
 respects. He had furnished Davies with a horse upon 
 his first going into the itinerant field, and it was 
 natural for them to be mutually glad to meet. 
 
 The troop also all rode up together to the 
 commodious house of Captain Burch. He was not a 
 
116 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 brother, but was called by the Methodists "Brother- 
 in law Burch." He was not a member of the Church, 
 but his excellent lady was. He was one of those men 
 who might sit as models of Mercien's men of 
 " Natural Goodness : " amiable, truthful, moral, calm, 
 dignified, quiet, large-hearted, always at public worship, 
 a liberal supporter of the cause, and a cordial 
 welcomer of the travelling preachers, whom he was 
 always glad to see, and whose company he very much 
 enjoyed, yet who felt he was "not good enough to 
 join the church." Good or bad, it would have been 
 a good bargain to have exchanged half a dozen of some 
 in the church for this one outsider. He began with a 
 captaincy in the militia, but although he was promoted 
 in due order to a higher rank, in common parlance, he 
 was still "Captain," and he was too meek to be 
 exacting on the subject. A large personable man was 
 he, not unlike Bishop Hedding, when in middle 
 life. 
 
 At Regiopolis, the cavalcade was swelled by such 
 distinguished accessions as Metcalf, and Healy, and 
 Presiding Elders Case and Smith, and even Bishop 
 Hedding, while yet others augmented the retinue 
 before the historic, if not classic, " Eamestown 
 Meeting House" was reached, with its glorious 
 surroundings of Palatine homesteads. 
 
 It is no part of our province, or intention, to give a 
 literal and detailed history of the eventful Conference 
 of 1828 at Eamestown. If the reader desires authentic 
 and full particulars, are they not written in the 
 Published Minutes, Playter's History, and the 
 
A SHORT ACCOUNT OF A LONG PROCEEDING. 1 17 
 
 Itinerant's Memorial, otherwise called Case and his 
 Contemporaries ? Consult them. 
 
 It is enough for us to say, that after the hand- 
 shaking, embracing, shoulder-slapping, among the 
 ardent brotherhood assembled, had subsided, one ot 
 the reverend Bishops of the general church, with 
 which Upper Canada Methodism had been identified 
 until that time, the venerable Elijah Hedding by 
 name, opened the Conference in the usual form, 
 calling for the reading of the roll, and the election of 
 a Secretary. 
 
 After which the usual routine business was transacted : 
 characters were examined — candidates were received — 
 and probationers passed on another degree, held back, 
 or put back for some fault, as the case demanded, or 
 graduated to deacons, or elders' orders. 
 
 One item of extraordinary business was transacted : 
 a resolution was passed, resolving themselves into a 
 Convention for the organization of an Independent 
 Canadian Methodist Church. At this, the Bishop 
 essayed to vacate the chair, as having no further 
 jurisdiction ; but he was urged to retain it, and aid 
 the Canada preachers in completing the business they 
 had undertaken, which he consented to do. 
 
 What was done, will come out in the course of a 
 conversation, the particulars of which we have yet to 
 give. 
 
118 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 A NEW PREACHER BUT THE OLD GOSPEL. 
 
 jFTER the preachers had been absent from 
 Lake River Circuit about three or four weeks, 
 the Methodist people at Round-Island, River 
 Side, Botheisom's Comers, Sifter's Mill, 
 Richey's Falls, Windfall, Bumtland, and other places 
 in that region, began to be very anxious to hear from 
 the Conference. To appreciate their dearth of 
 intelligence the reader must ignore the existence of 
 railroads, daily mails, daily papers, or indeed any 
 paper whatever that dealt in Methodist news, and 
 telegraph offices ; and place himself back in the age of 
 weekly papers and mails, and few of them ; private, 
 for public conveyances, and slow at that ; and nine- 
 pence (15 cents) for each several bit of paper 
 transmitted through the mail : he will then have some 
 conception of the slowness with which intelligence 
 travelled from one part of the country to another. 
 
 True, Alanson Firstman had written to his friends 
 from Regiopolis on his way to Conference ; but then it 
 had taken a week to come to Round Island post-office ; 
 then there must needs be a delay of a day or two be- 
 fore its seal was broken at River Side. And when it 
 was opened, it contained nothing but the incidents of 
 the journey to the place where it was dated, and the 
 
A NEW PREACHER BUT THE OLD GOSPEL. 119 
 
 news relative to the relations of the family, seen or 
 heard from ; and of no special interest to any outside 
 of the family-connexion, who might chance to get 
 some snatches of its often-read contents. 
 
 Indeed, there was no time for a letter, after the real 
 business of the Conference was completed, to transmit 
 information with the facilities then in existence., before 
 a courier direct from the Conference might reach 
 there. Nay, the preachers themselves did not know 
 with any kind of certainty, where they or their breth- 
 ren were to be the next twelve months, until their 
 names were read off in the very last act of the drama, 
 for Forest Circuit, or Swampland Mission, or some 
 other pUce equally uninviting. 
 
 Round Island was the point of ingress to the Lake 
 River country. It was on the main road to Missipe- 
 moaning and all the back regions. McRorey's shop, 
 although it furnished no accommodations for man and 
 beast, was usually the place where an incoming 
 preacher was directed to call for information on his 
 -way to " Head-Quarters " and elsewhere in the circuit. 
 It was also the trysting, or lounging place for all the 
 Methodist influencer. from the country around, when 
 they came into market, to mill, or the shop, as the 
 case might be, to call to make inquiries, and talk over 
 whatever might be transpiring in the Methodist world, 
 or the Church at large. 
 
 On about the 13th or 14th of October, 1828, sun- 
 dry of the above mentioned influences chanced to be 
 in " the shop " of Brother McRorey, inquiring if he had 
 received any news from the Conference. 
 
120 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 There was the 'Squire, Brother Bursdale, Solomon 
 Grayly, Didymus Pond, a worthy brother of George 
 Pond, and a local preacher, Johannis Johnson, an in- 
 telligent and pleasant Methodist from England, who 
 was long the Recording Steward of the circuit, and 
 several others, who will be mentioned if need require. 
 Their common solicitude was " news from the Con- 
 ference." The two Englishmen present resorted to 
 the sedative influence of their pipes, which the others 
 were happily not in the habit of using. 
 
 At length, about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, 
 their attention was drawn to a gentleman on horse- 
 back, or more strictly speaking, mounted on a smart, 
 wiry, showy, little bay mare, with the usual accom- 
 paniments of valise and saddle-bags. It beginning, at 
 this time in the autumn, to be a little cool — night and 
 mornings, his gracefully cut cloak was on his person, 
 instead of being on the mail pad, and was worn jaunt- 
 ily by him, who was straight and showy. He dis- 
 mounted, tied his steed to a post, and entered the 
 room. As he was a stranger, no one took any liberties 
 with him, for his personal appearance vvas such as to 
 command respect. He was a little above the medium 
 height, but being lithe and slender, he seemed taller. 
 His head was small and round, but well poised on 
 a long, straight neck, and covered with jet black hair, 
 rather closely cut. His features were regular and 
 delicate, and his cheeks showed the " native white and 
 red." His carriage was free and graceful, and ii his 
 hands and feet had not been a trifle beyond the aris- 
 tocratic size, he would have been pronounced fault- 
 
A NEW PREACHER BUT THE OLD GOSPEL. 121 
 
 lessly genteel looking. Despite a marked peculiarity 
 of air and utterance, he soon placed them at their 
 ease. 
 
 " I see from the sign over the door, this is Mr. Mc- 
 Rorey's shop?" (making the while, a graceful bow, 
 with hat in hand.) " My name is John Black, I'm a 
 native of Gorey, County of Wexford, Old Ireland. 
 Some years ago, I landed on the shores of Canada ; 
 and I said. Lord, if thou hast anything for me to do, 
 here's John. In 1823, Elder Ryan called me out and 
 set me to help our beloved Brother Williams on the 
 Cornwall circuit, in the time of the great revival. 
 Since then, I have travelled in the Goulbume circuit 
 among my countrymen. Next, I went to Cobourg 
 among the stylish Methodists there, who would call 
 you brother in the lovefeast, but mister if they met you 
 on the road. The last two years I have been on the 
 noble Toronto circuit. And the Conference which 
 has just risen, has sent me to spend this Conference 
 year wid you. Hope we will have good times, brethren 
 — good times !" 
 
 Then he gave the extended hand to every one of 
 the company, attended by his unfailing bow, and 
 quick and kindly inquiries about each person's coun- 
 try, residence, employment, and number in family. 
 And he could have remembered them, and made them 
 all occasions of prayer at the next season of social 
 devotion. 
 
 . Then, with a shrewd perception of their desire for 
 news, and in conformity with his usual custom of 
 anticipating inquiries, he said in his laconic way: — 
 
122 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 " Fine Conference, brethren ! Have set up for our- 
 selves, and have adopted the name of ' Methodist 
 Episcopal Church in Canada.' Have elected Rev. 
 Wilbur Fish, M. A., for our Bishop. He is to have 
 associated with him an * Advisory Committee,' elected 
 by ballot, to recommend the choice of Presiding 
 Elders. You laymen have now a hand in all legisla- 
 tion, affecting lay and financial interests : two-thirds 
 of all the Quarterly Conferences in the Connexion 
 must give their consent, before any new measure on 
 such matters can become law. Each class has more 
 concern in the appointment of its leader now ; for the 
 preacher in charge cannot appoint a leader to any class 
 ' contrary to its wishes.' " 
 
 Mr. Johnson, the only drawback to whose general 
 appearance of cultivation was, that he invariably gave 
 his aspirates the reverse position to the one they 
 ought to have occupied, observed: "Mr. Black, I 
 wonder that you, han hold country Methodist, did not 
 hoppose the American idea of ha Bishop hon British 
 soil." 
 
 " British soil, British soil ! Did not Mr. Wesley 
 himself appoint Bishops for America ? And, sir, did 
 we not get that form of Methodism from the States ? 
 The Methodist Bishops are noble men, noble men, 
 Sir ! I wish you could see Bishop George and Bishop 
 Hedding, sir. When I came to Canada, in 1818, the 
 British Missionaries were on the ground, and I joined 
 Mr. Pope's Society, out on the majestic St. Lawrence ; 
 but when the arrangement was made between the two 
 Conferences, and the Missionaries withdrew from 
 
A NEW PREACHER. BUT THE OLD GOSPEL. 123 
 
 Upper Canada, in 1820, or '21, I did not, like some 
 of his flock, wander away on the commons, but went 
 at once into the Canadian fold. And it becomes me 
 to be as humble as a little child, and not innovate on 
 the form of Methodism where I have found a home, 
 sir." 
 
 " But," said Mr. Bursdale, " you 'av honly one 
 Coonference ? What do you do for a General Coon- 
 ference, that tha heelect delegates to, once hin hevery 
 four years hin the Staetes ?" 
 
 " No, we can have no delegated General Conference 
 yet ; but, until we have more than one Annual Con- 
 ference to elect them, our General Conference, which 
 is to meet like theirs, once in four years, will consist 
 of ' all the travelling Elders, who have travelled the 
 four years last past.' These are likely to be the wisest 
 and most experienced men of the Connexion." 
 
 After these statements, no one was much inclined to 
 criticize the doings of Conference. In fact, Mr. 
 Black was always so loyal to the authorities of the 
 Connexion, and so obligingly condescending among 
 the people, that his Circuits were never liable to be 
 the theatres of agitation. 
 
 After an understanding with the 'Squire, that he 
 should ride up to River Side for supper and lodging, 
 Brother Johnson was allowed to bear the stranger away 
 to his home in the village for dinner, where he was 
 smilingly received by the Scotch-Presbyterian mistress 
 of the family. Two or three country brethren fol- 
 lowed. 
 
 After dinner, Mr. Johnson, while solacing himself 
 
124 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 with a pipe, said, "Mr. Black, har' you married?" 
 
 To this question he replied by singing his favorite 
 solo : — 
 
 " No foot of land do I possess, 
 No cottage in the wilderness, 
 
 A poor wayfaring man ; 
 I lodge awhile in tents below, 
 And gladly wander to and fro, 
 
 'Till I my Canaan gain. 
 
 " I have no babes to hold me here. 
 But children more securely dear. 
 
 For mine I humbly claim ; 
 Better than daughters, or than sons. 
 Temples divine of living stones. 
 
 Inscribed with Jesus's name." 
 
 Big Ben Bummer was one of those who accepted 
 Mr. Johnson's invitation to share the preacher's 
 dinner and company, and gave the appropriate big 
 drum tap at each emphatic turn of the tune. Prayer 
 followed, in which the newly-arrived mentioned the 
 names, families, and secular or spiritual interests of all 
 he had met with or heard of, since coming into the cir- 
 cuit, a few hours before. A dish of talk about " Ould 
 Ireland " with Brother Bummer filled up the afternoon 
 until it was time to set out for the 'Squire's, on the way 
 to which he was overtaken by his late fellow traveller, 
 Owen Davies, who had lingered over the previous 
 night at a certain place in the township of Blank; 
 as also Alanson Firstman, who had tarried at an 
 uncle's in the township of Catley, where he had 
 awaited the arrival of Brother Davies by appointment. 
 
A NEW PREACHER BUT THE OLD GOSPEL. 125 
 
 Precious was the company of a brother through the 
 long stretches of bush without human habitations, 
 which the preachers had often to pass in those 
 days. Davies was returning, to pick up his traps 
 on his late circuit, and to pass on to the Jock- 
 land circuit, which G. Pond was vacating for the 
 " Boy town " circuit, who had come in with them also, 
 but turned his horse's head towards the paternal home- 
 stead. A. Firstman was appointed to the Missipe- 
 moaning circuit, and had, of course, if had had no 
 friends to visit, to pass over the Lake River Circuit, in 
 getting to his own. 
 
 Arriving at the 'Squire's, it was only a few minutes 
 before Brother Black had the baby on his knee, and 
 all the little ones around him, with whom he continued 
 a great favorite as long as he remained on the circuit. 
 When the company had got finally seated for the even- 
 ing around the fire, which began to be agreeable of 
 nights, then Conference and Connexional matters 
 were resumed. The 'Squire kindly asked " what 
 position his old friend and frequent lodger. Elder 
 Ryan, occupied." 
 
 " Alas," said Mr. Blkck, " he is just where his with- 
 drawal, last Conference, placed him; outside the 
 church." 
 
 " Oh, that's a pity. Was he not at the Con- 
 ference ?" 
 
 Davies replied in behalf of the Conference. 
 
 "Yes, he sent in a letter, accompanied by petitions 
 from a number of his friends, proposing an outside 
 arbitration between him and the Conference. The 
 
126 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 Rev. W. Chamberlayn, A. Prindle, W. Brown, and J. 
 Richardson, were appointed a committee, of whom he 
 chose two, the Conference two, and they a fifth, (Ezra 
 Healy,) to take the proposals into consideration and 
 report thereon. Their report was adverse to the out- 
 side arbitration. A motion carried, offering him the 
 privilege of makmg further proposals in writing. His 
 final proposal was literally as follows, for I took a copy 
 of it : — * If the Conference will rescind that vote, which 
 was the cause of my withdrawing, I will give them a 
 pledge in writing that I will agitate nothing among 
 the people respecting former difficulties, provided 
 they will give me a written pledge, that their members 
 shall not with impunity attack my character.' The 
 exact resolution of the Conference I also copied ; it 
 was this : — * The Conference cannot accede to the 
 above proposal.' Thus, the old gentleman's case was 
 dismissed from the Conference." 
 
 " I am not a very wise man," said Black, " and 
 must hope the Conference wiser than I am; but I 
 felt to wish they might have stepped down a little to 
 humor the poor old man's foible, and thus open some 
 way for his return." 
 
 " There was nothing to hinder his return," said 
 Davies, who began to develope his characteristic 
 loyalty to the Conference and its doings, " there was 
 nothing to hinder his return; the Bishop told him 
 when he withdrew, that there was * nothing against his 
 character.' If he had asked to be allowed to return, 
 without stipulating conditions, the recollection of their 
 old love to him, would have caused their hearts to 
 
A NEW PREACHER BUT THE OLD GOSPEL. 127 
 
 go out towards him anew, notwithstanding the un- 
 easiness he has been creating for several years." 
 
 " I learned," said Alanson, " from some of the older 
 ministers, that the old Elder is disappointed at the 
 separation from the States, and the organization of a 
 Canadian Church ; as he was fully persuaded that 
 those who are now at the helm would not have sought 
 for such a separation ; or the American General Con- 
 ference would not have consented to it, or that they 
 would not have withdrawn their jurisdiction, if it had 
 been sought ; in which case, he would have appealed 
 to British feeling to aid him in forming a party." 
 
 " Has he no friends in the Conference ?" said the 
 'Squire. 
 
 " I hope we are all his friends ;" said Mr. Black, 
 " and for my part, I cannot forget old times. Besides, 
 I observed at the Conference, that several have a very 
 strong sympathy for him ; his old friends Whitehead 
 and Jackson, for instance ; and among younger ones, 
 Bluffen, Atwood, and others." 
 
 " His not Mr. Fisk han Hamerican, that you 
 'ave helected Bishop," said Mr. Bursdale, who had 
 come in and joined in the conversation some time 
 before. 
 
 " He is," replied Mr. Black, " but he is said to 
 have a great admiration for British institutions." 
 
 " I should have thought," said the 'Squire, " that 
 Nathan Bangs, who was converted and performed his 
 first labors i.i Canada, would have been a more likely 
 candidate." 
 
128 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 " He was the first thought of, but he discouraged it, 
 and recommended the choice of his friend Fisk." 
 
 " If he refuses," asked one of the company, " what 
 can you do ? " 
 
 "There is provision in the constitution," said 
 Davies, " for calling a special meeting of the General 
 Conference, which alone has the power of electing a 
 Bishop." 
 
 "You have regular meetings of the General 
 Conference only once in four years, I suppose ? " said 
 the 'Squire. 
 
 "Yes," rejoined Davies, "but the time appointed 
 for the first regular one is in 1830, only two years from 
 now." 
 
 Brother Black, who could not sit long in one place, 
 and who wearied of any very long discussion of one 
 subject, here arose and walked the room, twirling 
 his watch-key the while, and singing the " Apostate's 
 Lament." It did not, however, have the solemnizing 
 effect he perhaps anticipated ; for certain peculiarities 
 in his manner of singing it, sometimes moved the 
 risibles of some of the tasteful singers in the company, 
 while he moaned out — 
 
 "O that I were some burd or a beast, 
 O that I were a stork, or an owl ; 
 O that I were some lofty tree, 
 And the winds around me howl." 
 
 At head-quarters he found the "Plan of the Circuit," 
 something as different firom what you understand by 
 a " Circuit Plan " at this time as any thing you can 
 
A NEW PREACHER BUT THE OLD GOSPEL. 129 
 
 imagine. Fancy a ruled sheet of paper the columns 
 headed as follow, and in the order : 
 
 Preaching 
 Places 
 
 Day of 
 Week 
 
 Hour 
 
 Dist'ce 
 
 Leader 
 
 Lod'gs 
 
 Rem'ks 
 
 From this plan, he found that the following evening, 
 being Thursday, was the fortnightly turn for the 
 School-House in that neighborhood. 
 
 Couriers were sent around to announce that the 
 "New Preacher" would preach at "early candle- 
 lighting," and the house was comfortably filled. He 
 opened with an appropriate hymn impressively, but 
 peculiarly read : 
 
 " How beauteous are their feet. 
 Who stand on Zion's hill ; 
 Who bring salvation on their tongues, 
 And words of peace reveal." 
 
 This was followed by a truly characteristic prayer for 
 the people, of whom he had obtained knowledge by 
 rambling among them through the day, (for he was a 
 diligent visitor, and easily introduced himself) for 
 himself, and the brethren in the pulpit with him. 
 Next, another short hymn, and he introduced himself 
 as follows : "A new preacher, brethren, but the old 
 Gospel ! You have often been addressed from the words 
 of the Psalmist — the Prophet — or the Apostle, but I am 
 not agoing to address you from any of these; I will 
 preach to you to-night from the words of a Fallen Spirit, 
 You will find my text in Acts xvi., ry. : * These are the 
 servants of the Most High God, which show unto us 
 the way of salvation.'" A great deal followed by way 
 I 
 
130 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 of introduction about witches and fortur'^;-tellers, in 
 which many people " in Old Ireland " be'icved, where 
 he showed, in his own peculiar way, man's need of 
 salvation — the salvation provided — the need of being 
 shown this method of salvation, and the appointment 
 of human mstruments to do it. After announcing his 
 plan, he informed his congregation that he would be 
 short, in order to make way " for their late worthy 
 preacher. Brother Davies, to exhort," and that Brother 
 Alanson Firstman would pray; and he hoped they 
 would have " good time, a good time." 
 
 It was " a good time," for though his very unusual 
 manner was something to be got used to before you 
 could perfectly relish it, like acquiring a new appetite, 
 his unmistakable piety, simplicity, and originality soon 
 won all hearts. He was not what you would call a re- 
 vival preacher, yet he was very successful in keeping a 
 flock together, and in building up a charge. 
 
 The only thing noticeable in his history connected 
 with this circuit was, that immediately before leaving 
 for another circuit, he took a step which prevented his 
 singing " The Pilgrim's Lot " with the same propriety 
 he used to. His smoothly shaven face looked young, 
 but, as he had some recollection of the troubles of '98, 
 it was evident that, if he ever intended to marry, it 
 was time he should take some measures in that direc- 
 tion. Joined to this, a blooming young widow, pious, 
 gifted, and notable as a house-keeper, the respectability 
 of whose friends in Ireland he thoroughly knew, had 
 " a cottage in the wilderness," ^and on that circuit if he 
 had none, and if he had " no babes to hold him here,'» 
 
A NEW PREACHER BUT THE OLD GOSPEL. 131 
 
 she had an interesting Httle daughter, to whom the 
 preacher became greatly attached. No wonder, there- 
 fore, that when his name was read off at the close of 
 the next Conference, for the neighboring Missipe- 
 moaning Circuit, he should have turned to his friend 
 Davies, who was standing, (by his side,) like himself, 
 to receive his sentence ; no wonder, we say, that he 
 seized him by the arm and said, in his quick, eager 
 
 manner, " I'll take the Widow I I'll take the 
 
 I 
 
 widow !" 
 
 
132 
 
 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 NEW EVENTS, AND NEW MEN. 
 
 j^WO years passed since the last recorded meet- 
 ing at River Side. Mr. Black has completed 
 his year on Lake River Circuit, " taken the 
 widow," and performed a year's servics on 
 the Mibsipemoaning. 
 
 Davies has spent one on the Jockland, and one on 
 Frontier Circuit, where he fulfilled Brother Pond's 
 prediction about Maria Wrong, who upon trial turned 
 out all right. 
 
 Alanson has filled up his year on Missipemoaning, 
 and another he has spent back among his friends on 
 the Lake River Circuit, whence he went out into the 
 field. In this particular, he has passed through the 
 same experience as Davies. 
 
 These two years we say have passed, and these 
 brethren, and all the other members of the Conference 
 have met at Regiopolis Annual Conference, and have 
 received their appointments. The statu quo^ and 
 some of the station will be understood from the fol- 
 lowing short note from A. Firstman to his friends at 
 River Side : — 
 
 "Regiopolis, August 24, 1830. 
 
 " Dear Parents, — Instead of going out to Confer- 
 ence by the Back Road ; I pushed straight out to the 
 
NEW EVENTS AND NEW MEN. 133 
 
 Great River, and went up the Front Road. Conse- 
 quently, I saw none of our relations by the way, ex- 
 cepting uncle Virgil. It was livelier and more cheer- 
 ful the way I went. Brother Black joined me at 
 Round Island, and we picked up several of our old 
 friends by the way, such as Welchman and Davies, 
 besides several grave old ministers, such as Waldron, 
 Healy, and Madden. 
 
 " Bishop Hedding is here on a visit, and performed 
 the ordinations on Sunday ; but Elder Case, of course, 
 occupies the chair as the legal Superintendent, pro tent. 
 I perceive, however, that he keeps the Bishop by his 
 side, and is very glad to avail himself of his sugges- 
 tions in any case of perplexity. I imagine that our 
 young Conference, with its new-bom energy, will re- 
 quire to be kept a little in check. 
 
 " The stations are all but decided, although there 
 is a good deal of unfinished business, which we are 
 to adjourn to Belleville to close up, it being the place 
 fixed for the first General Conference to meet, accord- 
 ing to the decision of the Earnestown Conference, two 
 years ago ; and all the travelling Elders have to be 
 there, who constitute a large part, and, of course, the 
 most influential men in our Annual Conference. As 
 I am now a member of the latter, having received 
 deacon's orders last Sunday, I go there also. 
 
 " I give you below the stations on the circuits 
 adjoining to Lake River, in which you will feel inter- 
 ested : — 
 
 Transmorass (Circuit,) E. H , and a young Irish- 
 man, (who will travel under the Presiding Elder,) 
 whom they call Jeremiah Brogan, said to be 
 promising. 
 
 Missipemoaning. — Carlos Bush ; ^ockland^ Baptist 
 Bombas, a new man in our region. 
 " I am sent myself, away beyond Missipemoaning, 
 
 to the Wild Woods Mission, a new creation. 
 
134 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 " River Sideh.2& a stranger appointed to it, whom I 
 never saw, and who was not at Regiopolis, although, 
 they tell me, he has travelled on three several circuits. 
 He is, I believe, a very young man, and said to look 
 much younger than he is — like a beardless boy. Let 
 us hope he may be able to manage the circuit, with 
 all the cases of difficulty which seem to spring up so 
 frequently of late years. 
 
 "His name is William Warble. He has been 
 • travelling the last year with Brother Bluffen, who calls 
 him " Willie," and ' Little Will' Perhaps I shall see 
 him at Belleville. Bluffen tells me he has written to 
 him to put his Jinny before his waggon, and bring his 
 Betty, (his wife,) dr vn to Belleville on his way to his 
 circuit. 
 
 " If I meet him there, I will drop you a line by him, 
 as I intend to go down to Cornwallis Circuit before I 
 return home en route to my mission. 
 
 " I hope Brothers Alton and George, and Brethren 
 Dydimus Pond and Playright are trying to keep up 
 the Sunday appointments (?) 
 
 " Love to all at home. 
 
 " Your affectionate son, 
 
 " Alanson." 
 
 On a Thursday afternoon, about the 15th of 
 
 September, ominously bright (for all the early part of 
 
 the day had been dark and lowering) the family stood 
 
 at the wide door of the passage-way (it scarcely 
 
 deserved to be dignified with the name of hall) of the 
 
 "Old House," at River Side, the "New House" being 
 
 still in the future : I say the 'Squire's "family," or 
 
 rather a representation of them, consisting of father, 
 
 mother, Hephzy, the only daughter who had come up 
 
 to woman's estate, Lucinda, yet a school girl, and 
 
 four or five younger ones of both sexes, were either in 
 
NEW EVENTS AND NEW MEN. 135 
 
 the passage-way, the door or grouped around the door, 
 enjoying the glories of the western sun, for it faced 
 north-west, when a man on horseback was seen on the 
 crest of the hill in the lane which commanded a view 
 of the house and mill, together with the river. 
 
 He was in preacher garb and accoutrements : a 
 pair of moleskin overalls covered a pair of corduroy 
 trousers, made for every day service; a single-breasted, 
 parson-gray coat, but with turned down collar, not 
 rounded away below, but notched instead, a kind of 
 cross between the " daddy coat " and the dress coat, 
 which cross, young men about that time largely adopted, 
 as a compromise between a fashionable coat and the 
 Quaker cut which had been considered the orthodox 
 preacher's coat since the days of John Wesley. 
 
 If any one wants to have an ocular representation 
 of the kind of coat I am trying to describe (the 
 compiromise coat I mean) let him examine the portrait 
 of the eloquent John Summerfield, and he will see 
 how neat and sightly they were. The stranger had, 
 young as he was, the broad-leafed gray hat on his head. 
 He was mounted on a sleek, strong, low, long-bodied 
 bay mare, said to be one of the Dutch type of horses, 
 with valise in front, saddle bag across the saddle, and 
 his fear-nought great-coat strapped on behind, while 
 his umbrella, like a pistol in holster, dangled from the 
 saddle pommel. 
 
 A fat little girl, about three years of age, with her 
 flaxen hair hanging around her plump little shoulders, 
 toddled on her thick fat legs up the lane to meet, 
 what she thought to be hqr brother; the stranger 
 
136 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 reached down and took hold of one of her two little 
 cushion-like hands extended upwards, and drew her 
 up on the saddle before him, and imprinted a kiss on 
 her cheek. He was not afraid to kiss little ones ; 
 except in whose case, he had never touched any 
 woman's lips but his mother's since he was bom, as 
 he had never had a sister to kiss ! 
 
 The tall figure of the 'Squire approached him, 
 extended his hand, and said, "This is our new 
 preacher, I suppose ? " 
 
 " Ye-es, a substitute for a preacher, sir ; you will 
 have a good deal to bear with in me, and you must 
 put up with me the best way you can." 
 
 "Come, alight! This is my wife; this is Hephzibah, 
 my daughter ; this Lucinda," then came the names of 
 the younger children. 
 
 The two sons at home and some stout growing boys 
 were absent. The preacher was told that he was 
 welcome "a thousand times" — that that was his home 
 while on the circuit — and he was shown the way to 
 the "Prophet's Room," and the plan of the circuit 
 handed to him, in the hand-writing of his predecessor, 
 Alanson Firstman. 
 
 The column for "Remarks," contained nothing 
 very noticeable excepting in connection with one 
 "Lodging Place," there was this, "N.B. — Be not 
 dismayed at the roughness of 'Squire Richer : he is 
 very kind at the bottom/' albeit this 'Squire Richer 
 was a character in his way, who possibly may come to 
 view among our portraitures. 
 
 The preacher, according to previous intimation, was 
 
NEW EVENTS AND NEW MEN. 137 
 
 the bearer of a letter from Alanson to his sister, with 
 the contents of which Warble became acquainted long 
 after. It was to this effect : — 
 
 "Brocton, Sept. 13, 1830. 
 
 " Dear Hephzy, — This will be be given you by the 
 hand of your newly appointed preacher, who I think 
 will not fascinate you very much, with his high, round 
 shoulders, short neck, and hat with leaf so broad that 
 it nearly drowns him. Nevertheless, you will see he 
 has a fair, fresh young countenance, when he takes off 
 his hat. You will probably never get very well 
 acquainted with him, for he is bashful in the society 
 of ladies, a little hard of hearing, and with his nose 
 forever stuck in a book. He was studying Lord 
 Kaims' Elements of Criticism, by my side in the wagon 
 all the way from Belleville to G . 
 
 " Apropos of this ; I left old Boxer in pasture at 
 
 G on the way up, and passed up in a boat to 
 
 Regiopolis. I went to Belleville by a similar convey- 
 ance. But during my stay in the latter place, I got 
 the chance of purchasing a rockaway cheap, and I 
 bought it. Brother Warble having his horse at Belle- 
 ville, a noble animal for saddle or harness, was easily 
 persuaded to put her before my covered carriage ; we 
 put our traps inside, and rode together to where I 
 had left my horse ; when I put Boxer into the shafts, 
 and allowed Brother Warble to take to his mare's back 
 again, although he gave certain significant indications, 
 that he would like to retain his place under the awn- 
 ing, and lead his mare behind ; but I thought it too 
 much of a good thing. He chose not to turn north 
 at the Bessytown meeting-house, but to come on with 
 me to see this village, where we are stopping to-night. 
 He leaves for Lake River in the morning ; but I will 
 go on down as far as Father Sawrit^s, where J have 
 
138 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 sojne little matters to attend to. I shall probably be 
 home next week, some time. Good-bye ! 
 
 " Brother Alanson. 
 
 " P. S. — I preached once, and Brother W. twice in 
 our journey here. 
 
 "A. F." 
 
 Our hero was very much pleased to have a home. 
 He had not had one on any one of the three several 
 Circuits he had travelled : no place in particular where 
 he might go when his work was done, or to rest him- 
 self when he was tired ; no place where to leave his 
 clothes to be washed and mended, such matters being 
 left to accident ; but here he had all the desiderata 
 required. And the place, furthermore, was so quiet 
 and so tidy. All were kind, and all connected with the 
 family seemed to fulfil the conditions of Methodist 
 strictness and plainness. 
 
 If there was any exception to the last item, it was 
 Hephzy, perhaps ; and yet Warble could hardly say in 
 what particular she was wanting m Christian plairmess 
 and simplicity in dress. She wore nothing but a buff- 
 colored gingham dress; her flaxen hair was waved 
 into no curls ; but then, she was so straight, slender, 
 sylph-like, and gliding in her movements, that the 
 plainest articles of dress on her person seemed showy. 
 
 But worst of all, she wore two very tiny ear-drops, 
 evidently of pure gold and shiny. That was a viola- 
 tion of Scripture and the Discipline, both of which 
 prohibited " the wearing of gold." 
 
 Then, if we may be allowed to anticipate, the next 
 Sunday afternoon, when she came into the service at 
 
NEW EVENTS AND NEW MEN. 139 
 
 Round Island, whither she had ridden down (for she 
 was a fearless and elegant rider) habited in her tight- 
 fitting, but flowing skirted riding habit, and jaunty 
 looking bonnet — without bows, feathers, or artificials, 
 it is true — but with ribbons so gently puffed and com- 
 posed of such well contrasted colors, he saw it was 
 not the solemn Quaker scoop, nor yet the modestly 
 flared, open cottage bonnet, and thought, somehow, 
 that her appearance was hardly Methodistical. Yet 
 he would scarcely like to have seen it changed, the 
 whole was so well-fitting and comfortable, and so 
 pleasant a vision for the eye to rest upon — so different 
 from those nondescript feathery hats, which might as 
 well be carried on a ten feet pole over the shoulder as 
 where they are, so far as comfort and symmetry are 
 concerned. 
 
 When he became a little better acquainted with her, 
 he felt it his duty as her pastor, to expostulate a little 
 with her about her ear-rings : at which time he re- 
 ceived the following plea : — She was always her father's 
 favorite ; at one time " when she was a very little, 
 little girl," he went to Montreal for goods and brought 
 these home to his little daughter ; her ears were pierced, 
 and she wore the rings until she became converted, a 
 few years before our present date. She was immersed 
 in Lake River, and having heard the General Rules 
 read, which prohibit " the wearing of gold," she had 
 laid them aside until some little affection of the eyes 
 formed the excuse, if not the reason, for resuming 
 them. She never wore them both at a time after this 
 conversation. Sometimes a single tiny drop glistened 
 
140 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 through her blonde locks. A certain engagement, 
 entered into a year later, induced her to forego them 
 altogether ; and we never learned that her eyes ever 
 severely suffered from giving them up. 
 
 So much for Hephzy, except that we might say, that 
 from about this time, she became so much the sub- 
 ject of approval and speculation on the part of un- 
 married preachers, that because of the occurrence of 
 her name in that notable passage in the prophet (Isaiah 
 Ixii., 4,) they came to call the neighborhood of River 
 Side — " The Land of Beulah." 
 
 We have given a paragraph or two which may per- 
 haps interest the ladies, if no others, and now turn to 
 matters of more indispensable value. 
 
A NEW OFFICIAL, BUT AN OLD FRIEND. 141 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 A NEW OFFICIAL, BUT AN OLD FRIEND. 
 
 ^HE first quarterly meeting of this Conference 
 year for Lake River Circuit was a time of 
 great enjoyment at River Side. 
 
 The Presiding Elder was new to the Dis- 
 trict and new to the office, although thirteen years a 
 travelling preacher, which was then thought to be a 
 long time in the ministry ; but he was not new to the 
 Circuit and to the 'Squire's hospitable board and 
 cheerful hearthstone : he was no other than the pious, 
 gentlemanly, able, and lovable Franklin Metcalf. He 
 was then a widower, and his native exuberance of 
 spirits was somewhat suppressed by his recent bereave- 
 ment of the estimable Irish lady who had been the 
 companion of his joys and sorrows, a person who had 
 been well known in that region. 
 
 Besides the preacher on the Circuit, the following 
 laborers on neighboring Circuits had come to meet the 
 new Presiding Elder, and enjoy the quarterly meeting ; 
 these were the Rev. Carlos Bush, Baptist Bombas, and 
 young Jeremiah Brogan. A short description of each 
 may be desirable : 
 
 The first, Carlos Bushy was a Canadian. He had 
 been converted young, and soon began to exhort; 
 and being lively and tender in his mode of address, 
 
142 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 and able to utter words with volubility, whether signifi- 
 cant or not, his unsophisticated neighbors thought him 
 " terrible smart," and speculated on the probability of 
 his "producing a dreadful great man." And as the 
 demand for laborers was great, he had been taken out 
 on a Circuit, full eight or ten years before our present 
 date — at first, for one or two years, under a Presiding 
 Elder, and then received on trial. But strangers had 
 not the partial view of his capabilities that his relatives 
 and neighbors entertained. 
 
 Canada had afforded him but an imperfect English 
 education. He did not pronounce correctly, he could 
 not spell, and his Syntax was equally at fault. He 
 was in the habit of using such contractions as the fol- 
 lowing, then very common among the country popula- 
 tion of Canada : grandfather was " granfer ;" and the 
 question " What sort of a preacher is he ?" would be 
 " What fer a preacher is he ?" 
 
 Next, his mode of analyzing was fertile to the ex- 
 tent of making distinctions where there was no differ- 
 ence. In preaching from the words of Scripture — 
 
 " Walk in the lig^" as He is in the light," he "dis- 
 covered" (a word oJ on used by raw preachers in that 
 day) he "discovereo ' that the "light" spoken of 
 comprised — 
 
 1. The Light of Nature. 
 
 2. The Light of Conscience. 
 
 3. The Light of the Spirit. 
 
 4. The Light of Experience. 
 
 5. The Light of Revelation ; and 
 
 6. The Light of the Scriptures. 
 
A NEW OFFICIAL, RUT AN OLD FRIEND. 143 
 
 " Walking" in that light included, — 
 
 1. Motion. " And sometimes a man makes a motion 
 
 and his wife seconds it" — good in itself but scarce- 
 ly deducible from the motion implied in walking. 
 So also, 
 
 2. Walking itnplied movement. 
 
 3. And it implied Progress. 
 
 With some, he had been well received and made 
 useful, but his deficiencies kept him on trial so long, 
 that his practiced farmer's eye discovered a good lot 
 of land in one of his circuits to be had cheaply \ and 
 that same eye also discovered a comely farmer's 
 daughter. The result was, he " located," took up the 
 Jot of land, and took to himself Miss Philips to aid 
 him in bringing the comforts of a farmstead around 
 him. During the years of retirement, he had been 
 active as a local preacher, and learned a good many 
 things adapted to develope his mind, and to prevent 
 his repeating the mistakes of early years. 
 
 God had set him free from domestic entanglements 
 by removing his wife. He was called out a year under 
 the Presiding Elder, and now proposed as a single 
 man, and placed in the last year of his probation. 
 And though he was only on trial, yet he had obtained 
 deacon's orders as one more than four years a local 
 preacher, which gave him a pfestige he would not 
 have had as an unordained probationer. This was 
 one of the adaptabilities of the Episcopal regime, and 
 one of the contrivances of that day, to give certain 
 preachers an influence and to furnish people with 
 
144 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 sacramental opportunities which otherwise thyy would 
 not have had. 
 
 The ordination of such a brother, given while in the 
 local ranks, made his administration of the ordinances 
 as valid as if he had first travelled four years; and 
 though but newly coming out, he entered on his 
 circuit with all \he prestige of'-^^e in the full ministry — 
 performing baptisms, assisting the Elder at the 
 sacrament, and celebrating marriages. For about 
 this time, the Methodist clergy, in common with all 
 dissenters, obtained the right of legally solemnizing 
 matrimony ; thanks, in a good part, to the trenchant 
 pen of Justin Regnor. Yea, this ordination gave its 
 recipient influence in other * circuits than his own. 
 Thus, Brother Warble, who entered the Conference in- 
 full connexion the next year along with Brother Bush, 
 was fain to procure him to come over into his circuit, 
 to dispense baptism, in remote parts of his field of 
 labor, too distant for the mothers to take their babies 
 to the quarterly meetings, where vast numbers of little 
 ones were usually dedicated to God by the Presiding 
 Elder, and where the wail of infants was often heard 
 making it "a place of weepers." This brother worked 
 
 his circuit very Qfficiently during the year of which we 
 write. 
 
 Th« Rev. Baptist Bombas, who has been mentioned 
 as one of the company at River Side enjoying the 
 company of Mr. Metcalf, was also in deacon's orders, 
 but not ordained like the other mentioned, as a local 
 minister, but a travelling minister, to which status he 
 had graduated by a slow process ; he had been nearly 
 
A NEW OFFICIAL, BUT AN OLD FRIEND. 145 
 
 two years under the Presiding Elder's direction, and 
 three under the Conference, after having been received' 
 on trial. 
 
 Willie Warble had heard him exhort, in the absence 
 of a regular minister, full ten years before, in the 
 meeting-house where Warble's' mother worshipped. At 
 that time Mr. Bombas wa^ dressed in a coat of " bottle 
 green" color, cut however in the orthodox preacher 
 style, and he had the bearing and empresstnent of a 
 preacher. 
 
 He was a character in his way : clerical in his man- 
 ners, and leaving the odor of sanctity in the families 
 where he sojourned — serious in his conversation and 
 authoritative in the pulpit. And many of the guileless 
 would say, he was a "larnt man, and used beautiful 
 language." 
 
 His subject was always propounded in pretended 
 logical form, and he always used the longest and most 
 pretentious words to be found. His diction and 
 style of speaking were after the model of the preacher, 
 who, in assigning the reason why he intended to be 
 brief, remarked, " I have an evil in my physical organi- 
 zation, and must therefore avoid prolixity, and study 
 compenderosity." Or it was after that other preacher 
 (these are real facts) who announced for his text, "We 
 are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, 
 rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the 
 flesh ;" and then said, " We have four things in this 
 text, which I shall endeavor to present before you, 
 namely: istly. An Evangelical Appellative : 'We are 
 the circumcision.' 2ndly. We have Fruity of Unctu- 
 
 K 
 
 ■■*;•**> 
 
146 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 osity : ' Worship God in the Spirit.' 3rdly. Divine Ex- 
 hilaration : * Rejoice in Christ Jesus ;' and 4thly. Ex- 
 cision of Corporality : ' No confidence in the flesh.' " 
 
 Some might think that these violations of simplicity 
 and good taste, would neutralize the truth expressed in 
 such pompous phrase. Such, however, should remem- 
 ber that as they became e^irnest, they fell into more 
 natural forms of expression. And even with these 
 blemishes remaining, where the truth is taught in the 
 spirit of the Master, they cannot restrict the blessing 
 which God Himself gives to the word. As an example 
 of our position. Brother Bombas was more successful 
 that year on his Circuit than almost any other preacher 
 on the District; and the people within his field of 
 labor witnessed such a revival as they had not seen for 
 many years before, if indeed they had ever enjoyed 
 such a one before. 
 
 The two men already described were over thirty, if 
 indeed the last mentioned were not nearer forty ; the 
 other preachers in the company were very young. The 
 reader has already received some inkling of Brother 
 Warble, then a little past twenty-one years of age. The 
 next to be described, barely mentioned before, was 
 perhaps a few months younger. 
 
 This latter was yeremiah Brogan, whom his inti- 
 mate friends, mostly in his absence, with the kindliest 
 feelings and from no feeling of disrespect, but because 
 of his youthfulness and vivacity (albeit he was some- 
 times somewhat of a wag) familiarly designated as 
 " Jerry Brogan." 
 
 He and Warble had a good many things in com- 
 
A NEW OFFICIAL, BUT AN OLD FRIEND. 147 
 
 men, with some dissimilarities. Neither of them was » 
 quite up to manhood, if you take years and physical 
 development into account ; but Brogan had a bet- 
 ter physique, yet in the long run showed scarcely a 
 better constitution. He had a comfortable and per- 
 haps indulged boyhood ; Warble had experienced a 
 hard one. Brogan was a native of Ireland, and his 
 accent was a rich Doric; Warble was an Irishman's 
 son, but born in British North America, and showed 
 some Canadlanism in his talk. Brogan spoke somewhat 
 pretentiously (a national tendency) of the history, rank, 
 and means of his family and friends, sporting besides 
 a family coat of arms ; Warble, on the contrary, made 
 no secret of the poverty and meanness of his. Brogan, 
 although free and communicative in general, spoke of 
 some things with a significantly mysterious air and toss 
 of the head ; Warble was transparent and detailed to 
 the borders of simplicity. The former had been the 
 better grounded in the elements of education ; but the 
 latter had cultivated some knowledge of Latin and 
 Greek. Warble was the more practiced as a preacher, 
 having exercised his gifts in that way for approaching 
 three years, while Brogan had just entered on his first 
 Circuit. Both, for that day, and considering their 
 youth, were esteemed quite above mediocrity as 
 preachers. Both had read extensively, for their age 
 and opportunities, but each perhaps having pursued a 
 course peculiar to himself : Brogan began to show his 
 characteristic divergence tovvards theology; Warble 
 evinced his tendency towards literature. Brogan was 
 a fearless controversialist ; Warble kept out of contro- 
 
148 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 versy all he possibly could. The former fought his 
 battles with the tongue ; the latter preferred settling 
 such difficulties with the pen. In one respect, they 
 resembled each other — they were regarded in social 
 life as "good company:" that is, free, voluble, and 
 vivacious talkers, and possessing the ability to raise a 
 frequent laugh. Brogan did it by genuine Irish wit, 
 and readiness at repartee : Warble by a natural humor 
 and quaintness of expression. Brogan was frequently 
 incisive as it respected others ; but Warble often com- 
 mitted the mistake of raising a laugh at his own ex- 
 pense, by telling stories of his own mishaps and blun- 
 ders. Brogan magnified the greater matters of his 
 work ; but Warble wore himself out by a slavish atten- 
 tion to its details. Brogan held himself up, and was 
 careful where he lodged ; Warble went " through all 
 the families in order," accepting nearly every invita- 
 tion, and often suffered like a dog — cold, smoky, dirty 
 houses — squalling children — cheerless sleeping con- 
 ditions in winter, and almost no possibility of sleeping 
 in summer, from the ingress of several sorts of not-to- 
 be-named invaders, were his frequent sorrowful ex- 
 perience. Brogan awed the people by his claims. 
 Warble won them by his condescensions. They were 
 both earnest and impressive in their manner of preach- 
 ing. Brogan the oftener, however, drew tears, as he 
 often wept himself; and Warble often produced a 
 smile, or an exultant religious laugh. But enough 
 respecting the boys (for only boys were they,) at 
 present. 
 
 It will be surmised, that a gentleman with a mind 
 
A NEW OFFICIAL, BUT AN OLD FRIEND. 149 
 
 and manner such as we described Mr. Metcalf to 
 possess on an early page, would find i)lenty to correct 
 in the opinions and mode of uttering them of brethren 
 such as we have described : older men with poor 
 early advantages, and young ones, who had not yet 
 made full use of the better advantages which they en- 
 joyed. 
 
 Brother Bombas, having used the word " ponder- 
 osity," was asked " What kind of a ponderous thing 
 that was ?" 
 
 Brother Bush, in a late exhortation, having spoken 
 of " man ' as " the most noblest part of creation," was 
 told that *' therefore, man must be something more 
 than a creature." 
 
 A young brother in reading the verse, " Barba- 
 rian, Scythian, &c.," pronouncing the second word 
 " Skithimt" was asked " what kind of a formidable 
 being that was ?" 
 
 An Irish brother saying his mare was " a good hand 
 to walk," was asked " if she walked on her hands ?" 
 
 Sister Firstman here created a diversion which 
 produced a change of base in the circle around the 
 fire, by giving the burning logs a furious punching 
 with the ironwood handspike, used as a poker, which 
 obliged them to sit further back, thus enlarging the 
 circle ; after which, the conversation took a weightier 
 turn. 
 
 The 'Squire was anxious to know of Elder Metcalf, 
 he being the only minister present who was a member 
 of that body, what business had been transacted at 
 the late General Conference. He was answered, that 
 
150 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 " there were but two measures of any importance: 
 one was executive, the other legislative. The execu- 
 tive measure was the election of a Bishop to serve in 
 the place of the Rev. Wilbur Fisk, who had declined 
 the ofifice." 
 
 " Whom did you elect in his place ?" said the 
 'Squire. 
 
 " The Rev. Nathan Bangs, who had been first asked 
 in an unofficial way, but declined. Now he is formally 
 invited, but, of course, we have not yet received his 
 final answer." * 
 
 The 'Squire resumed, " What was your measure of 
 legislation ?" 
 
 " Oh, nothing affecting the people's rights or privil- 
 eges, or we should have to bring it before the Quar- 
 terly Conferences, but relating to the composition of 
 the General Conference : Our first draft of constitu- 
 tion made that ecclesiastical Court to consist of ' all 
 the travelling Elders, who bad travelled the four years 
 last past ;' now the legal rendering of that form of ex- 
 pression, debarred from membership in that body all 
 our Superannuated Elders, as they were not literally 
 travelling preachers, although they were technically so. 
 It could not have been the design of the framers of 
 the constitution to exclude these experienced men. 
 Hence it was necessary to make the wording more 
 explicit for their sakes. And the reading above men- 
 tioned excluded another class ; namely, those travelling 
 Elders, that were in the efficient ranks, who may have 
 
 * His answer declined the honor of the office. — Ed. 
 
A NEW OFFICIAL, BUT AN OLD FRIEND. 151 
 
 been * located ' any part of the four years preceding 
 the General Conference session, although now restor- 
 ed. To reach both of these cases, the constitution 
 was so altered as to read, ' All travelling Elders.' This 
 was submitted to the Annual Conference, and received 
 the concurrence of the required majority. Itjs now law, 
 and will be embodied in the next printed edition of 
 the Discipline.* The General Conference is now, 
 therefore, composed of 'all the travelling Elders,' 
 whether superannuated, or recently re-installed in the 
 trnvelling connexion, as well as those continuously 
 connected with the effective work for the last four 
 yerrs." 
 
 " Well," said the 'Squire, " I think that was wise 
 and just ; for, on the interpretation of which the first 
 draft was susceptible, you would have lost the counsel 
 and weight of several of your best men." 
 
 Brother Warble, accosting the Elder said, " Bro- 
 ther Metcalf, have the kindness to inform our . 
 host what the Conference has done relative to a 
 Seminary of learning ; he wished to know, and I am 
 not so well informed as you are about it ; besides, I 
 had not heard whether the rival offers and claims of 
 the several places bidding for its location among them, 
 had been adjusted or not. Which of those three 
 places, Kingston, Belleville, or Cobourg, will be likely 
 to get it ?" 
 
 * A good deal of misunderstanding would have been avoided, 
 if there had been another edition of the Discipline printed be- 
 fore the Conference of 1832, but there was not. 
 
152 THE SCHOOL OF THK PROPHETS. 
 
 The Elder responded, " I have not much more to 
 tell the 'Squire, than what he and you knew before. 
 I think the Committee will, if it has not done so al- 
 ready, decide in favor of Cobourg, as being the most 
 central in the Province. Also it has been determined 
 to canvass the connexion and country at once for sub- 
 scriptions. I understand that the Rev. John Beatty is 
 to be released from his circuit work to act as Agent 
 for the Institution. 
 
 Warble, who was always inclined to look on the 
 amusing side of everything, after remarking that "a 
 good many of our homespun Canadian people look 
 upon the enterprise with a good deal of fear, lest in 
 some way a 'Ciminary' was agoing to spoil our simpli- 
 city. An old sister ^aid to me, 'I'm afeared, the 
 Methodist Church will all go to ruination by runnin' 
 after sich things. The starched up families 'ill be 
 sending on their boys and gals there, and they'll 
 become more stuck up than th'are now, and that's bad 
 enough. And the next thing'ill be, there'ill be no one 
 allowed to preach, no matter how loud his call, onless 
 he's edecated. I've often heam my father say (my 
 father was a Quaker), I've heam him say about these 
 edecated, or college bred ministers, that they proved 
 the truth of what our Lord sed to the Phayrisees, 'Ye 
 compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and 
 when ye have him made, he is two-fold more the child 
 of hell than yourselves.' But I said, (continued 
 Warble), * Mammy, your father did not surely think 
 that a proselyte meant an educated minister ? ' 
 * Sartin, what else does it mean ? ' 'Why, a convert. 
 
A NEW OFFICIAL, RUT AN OLD FRIEND, 153 
 
 or one brought over to a party.' * Wall, izzent that 
 the same thing? Wasent them Phayriseees jist like 
 these Church of England clargymen and lamed 
 Pristbeteren ministers that comes from them Univar- 
 sayties over in the Old Country?' As there was no 
 answering such argumentation, I gave up the contest, 
 and the old lady went off with flying colors ! " 
 
 After a hearty laugh all round, young Brogan here 
 very sensibly remarked, " It is very strange that 
 Methodists, above any people in the world, should be 
 frightened at any attempt to promote or diffuse higher 
 education, in view of the fact that the revival we call 
 Methodism originated in a University, and its founder, 
 John Wesley, was one of the foremost scholars of his 
 day — a Fellow of Lincoln College and moderator of 
 the'debates conducted in Latin." 
 
 "I urged my old friend with those considerations," 
 said Warble, " but she said, 'What if they was larned? 
 They throwed away all their larnin', for the sake of 
 gettin' people convarted.' It was in vain for me to 
 say, that their learning enabled them to get people 
 converted all the easier, by making things plain, 
 for she thought ' Ef a man didn't throw away his 
 larnin' he would be usin' great high-flown words that 
 nobody couldn't understand.' " 
 
 As the Elder was among them, and he a man of 
 enlarged intelligence and discernment, it was agreed 
 that each one should propound any subject in which he ' 
 found difficulty, and many inquiries were accordingly 
 made. But they mostly related to the management 
 of cases of discipline, as three out of the preachers 
 
154 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 present were in charge of circuits, although but Httle 
 experienced, and it was a day when judicial inquiries 
 were far more common in the Church than at the pre- 
 sent time. 
 
 This arose from various causes, such as the 
 childishness of society itself, which led them to attach 
 importance to little things; and there was also the 
 want of that sense of dignity, which blunted their 
 perceptions to the disgracefulness of litigation; but the 
 causes for the frequency of these cases of discipline 
 were principally two, arising from very dissimilar 
 sources — scrupulosity and laxity. 
 
 The Church at that time was conscientious to 
 scrupulosity about matters distinctive of the 
 denomination, which narrowed the path a Methodist 
 was expected to walk in : such as those which related 
 to dress and what are called fashionable gayeties, which 
 at that time were carried to as great an excess of 
 rigidity as they are now, alas, tending towards 
 laxity and worldly conformity. The desire to keep 
 the Church pure, prevented any winking at a peccadillo, 
 even in the case of the young, and led them to " prefer 
 a charge," which no one could now be found to take 
 up. Besides, frequent cases of discipline gave the 
 people, proportionately, ten times as great a knowledge 
 of the discipline of the church as now prevails. This, 
 .then, was one cause. 
 
 Another was laxity in a matter, in which, although 
 it is still much too prevalent among members of the 
 church, yet, thank God, professors of religion go on 
 much safer ground than they did at that time. We refer 
 
A NEW OFFICIAL, BUT A^^ OLD FRIEND. 155 
 
 to the frequent, if not habitual, use of intoxicating drink. 
 So long as a person was not seen disguised with licjuor 
 no evil was thought to have been done, and no danger 
 was apprehended. But, alas, the danger of tampering 
 with the evil was ever and anon transpiring. Every 
 now and then some brother's flagrant fall called for 
 the exercise of church discipline; and the greater 
 part of those who were dismembered, were cut off for 
 this cause. Expulsions were open, and involved 
 disgrace ; and no one would incur the disgrace who 
 could prevent it. Consequently, a study of the law 
 ecclesiastical, made many persons so expert, that it was 
 almost impossible to so conduct a case but what they 
 would non-suit you, or quash proceedings some other 
 way. And as appeals were liable to be made every 
 quarter to the Quarterly Conference, with the Elder 
 to hear the appeal, "preachers in charge" were 
 anxious to become so learned in the law as to prevent 
 any complaint for mal-administration being sustained 
 against them. Hence the inquiries for the Elder's 
 critical judgment. But the cases proposed and solved 
 at this sederunt were not of sufficient consequence to 
 be registered. 
 
 The conversation took rather a doctrinal if not 
 speculative direction. Young Warble wished to know 
 if he were liable to ecclesiastical censure for 
 performing the rite of baptism in a case of extreme 
 necessity, not being in orders. 
 
 " What were the circumstances ? " said the Elder. 
 
 " One of our members in an extreme part of the 
 circuit (at least ten miles from an ordained minister of 
 
156 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 any dcnominatioh,) and thirty or forty from any 
 ordained minister of our own, had a dying infant, 
 which they did not want to have pass out of the world 
 without baptism, and urged -me, as their minister, to 
 perform the rite, and I did." 
 
 " Upon what ground do you justify yourself? " 
 
 "Upon the ground of these following considerations : 
 I believed myself a minister truly in God's account, 
 commissioned by Him to do a much greater work 
 than baptize, namely, to preach the Gospel. I 
 disclaimed authority to do it by the lower commission 
 of the Methodist Church, but did it on the higher one, 
 of God's call. I did not record it in the Baptismal 
 Register, and thereby make our church answerable for 
 it, I took all the responsibility on myself." 
 
 " But how are you to be satisfied of your call from 
 God to preach itself, until your probation was ended, 
 and the church had proved the evidence sufficient to 
 give you authentication as a preacher ? " 
 
 " My trial is to satisfy the Methodist Church of my 
 call ; my experience of comfort and success in preach- 
 ing, was sufficient to satisfy myself. Then, further, if 
 I were only a layman, I thought I committed no act 
 of guilty intrusion in venturing to baptize the child 
 under -^ihe circumstances; for as far as my knowledge 
 and recollection of apostolic times and early church 
 history are concerned, I thought that I discovered 
 that any one who was qualified to lead another to the 
 faith of a disciple, was considered authorized to give 
 him the mark of a disciple. Besides, that both the 
 Church of England and the Church of Rome allow, of 
 
A NEW OFFICIAL, HUT AN OLD FRIEND. 157 
 
 lay baptism in such cases, subject, however, to clerical 
 baptism afterwards, in case of surviving. I had re- 
 ceived baptism, and thought I might give it in an ex- 
 treme case." 
 
 Here Brogan spoke up, " Elder, in the event of 
 living, would you require that child to be re-baptized ?" 
 
 " I should require nothing about it ; our Church 
 leaves a good deal in the matter of baptism to the 
 choice of the recipient, and, by consequence, the 
 choice of his representatives or sponsors." 
 
 But Brogan, who was very acute, returned to the 
 charge, " Would you consent to re-baptize one baptized 
 in that way, if requested ?" * ^ 
 
 * Some may say, " Where is the use of recording such specu- 
 lative inquiries, unless, to unsettle, as they can never be of any 
 practical interest ?" Not so fast : The writer of this note was 
 once on a charge, which had been supplied by an excellent and 
 able local preacher, now for many years in the ministry, who was 
 employed — indeed brought out of England by them — to serve a 
 colony of Methodists from the Old Country. He preached to 
 them a year or two, or more, and baptized many of their children, 
 and his Steward duly recorded the baptisms. Years after the 
 place had been taken in charge by the Conference, the same Stew- 
 ard showed the book to the Rev. Dr. Stinson, Superintendent of 
 Missions, and President of the Conference. Something like the 
 following passed between them : — Steward, " All these baptisms 
 
 were performed by Mr. F— before ordination, and they 
 
 were never re-baptized. What shall I do with them ?" Dr. 
 Stinson, with the good sense which characterized him, lowering 
 his voice, replied, "Say nothing about them." My own opinion 
 is, that these baptisms, performed in that emergency by that 
 gifted preacher and holy man, although he had received no com- 
 mission from ecclesiastical Courts, were as valid in God's ac- 
 count, as any in the world. — Ed. 
 
158 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 " I should like to make up my mind before I answer 
 that." 
 
 A lay-brother present said, " Whence was the 
 urgency for the baptism of the dying child at all ; was 
 it necessary to the child's salvation ; and if not, what 
 good does baptism do a child ?" 
 
 " You might as well ask," said the Elder, " what 
 good does baptism do an adult ? you would find one 
 about as hard to answer as the other." 
 
 Here Warble resumed, " I did not baptize the 
 child, as necessary to its salvation, (for I believe the 
 child already in a saved state ) ; but gave it baptism 
 to satii^y the parents' scruples ; and because I thought 
 that where the thing signified was already possessed, 
 (and Christ says, ' of such is the Kingdom of God,') 
 it, at least, was not wrong to give it the sign," 
 
 " If your mode of defending yourself for dispens- 
 ing baptism while not ordained be correct, on the 
 ground that you yourself had no personal scruple, 
 and that you did not subject the Methodist Church to 
 any responsibility on account of it, then a minister 
 who had no scruple, might re-baptize a person baptized 
 in infancy by sprinkling, if that person questioned the 
 validity of his baptism, provided the minister did it 
 privately, or without making the Methodist Church 
 answerable for his doing. Does not such a logical 
 conclusion frighten you ?" said the Presiding Elder. 
 
 " It does not," said the young man, •* but if its 
 propriety were allowed by the Church; it would 
 relieve both me and others from embarrassment. 
 That baptism is an ordinance to be administered 
 
A NEW OFFICIAL, HUT AN OLD FRIEND. 159 
 
 but once, (as*the rite of initiation into the Church,) 
 I fully grant ; but the thing is to have people 
 satisfied that they are baptized. Now there are scores 
 who have been converted under our ministry, and 
 prefer the doctrines and institutions of Methodism 
 to any other branch of the Christian Church, with the 
 one exception of baptism ; their early training, the 
 prima facie argument for adult immersion from a 
 superficial view of the Gospels and Acts of the Apos- 
 tles ; together with something aquatic in the very 
 natural instincts of some people, render it apparently 
 impossible for many to conceive of baptism 
 under any other conditions than adult immersion. 
 Now as baptism is confessedly a secondary matter, 
 where is the evil of allowing a minister of ours to 
 satisfy such a person's conscience by immersing him, 
 and thus save to the Church a worthy person, who is 
 a thorough Methodist in all respects but one ? I am 
 a decided Paedo-baptist for my own part, but there is 
 so much to be said on the other side, that I do not 
 wonder at those who are not what I am. Besides, 
 there is nothing so likely to cure a person of hydro- 
 pathic tendencies as putting him under water. There 
 is a section of Methodism which givee a minister his 
 option to comply with such demands, if he personally 
 have no scruples ; I refer to the United Brethren in 
 Christ, founded by the friend of Asbury, the devoted 
 Otterbien. 
 
 " There is another aspect of the subject ; if a person 
 come and demand baptism, without telling us whether 
 
160 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 or not he had received infant baptism, are we bound 
 to inquire about it, Elder Metcalf ?" 
 
 " That is indeed another view of the subject, which 
 I would require to think over before I formed an 
 opinion ; and I should not like to give it, when it was 
 formed," said he. 
 
 " Weil," resumed Warble, " our mutual friend 
 Rogers informed me, that Elder Case told him, (per- 
 haps in confidence,) that he was the instrument of a 
 great revival in the United States, the subjects of 
 which loved him and preferred Methodism to any 
 thing else, but the immersionists were trying to get 
 them all. This determined him, right or wrong, to 
 make no inquiries ; but he dispensed the ordinance to 
 all applicants who were truly serious and had faith in 
 Christ, provided they did not tell him point blank that 
 that they had been baptized before." 
 
 " Did Elder Case really say he pursued that course ?" 
 said Mr. Metcalf, " I would not have thought it." 
 
 " I shall not prosecute you, but I would advise you 
 to be cautious what you say, and still more what you 
 do. I am free to confess, however, that baptisms were 
 repeated, under certain circumstances, in patristic 
 times; and that the ordinance in some quarters in 
 our day is magnified out of all due proportion." 
 
 As there seemed to be a desire for further 
 elucidations of these positions, the Elder pro- 
 ceeded, " Baptism and all the other outward forms 
 and ordinances are undoubtedly secondary to 
 the promotion and maintenance of spiritual 
 life, which they are doubtless, if worthily used, 
 
A NEW OFFICIAL, BUT AN OLD FRIEND. 161 
 
 a means of aiding : our Lord fixed no particular 
 form, or mode of celebrating his own Supper, nor 
 specified the precise frequency with which it should 
 recur, but simply said, * As often as ye eat this bread 
 and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till 
 he come.' St. Paul asserted that Christ sent him not 
 to baptize, but to preach the Gospel." 
 
 "When I became converted, and felt the power of 
 religion, the pother that my good mother who was a 
 Baptist, kept up about immersion, so disgusted me 
 with the prominence many gave to things outward and 
 secondary, that I did not submit to baptism in any 
 form, not only till after I had joined the church, but 
 till after I had been preaching for a whole year." 
 
 " And here let me remark, that It comports with the 
 genius and history of Methodism, to place forms and 
 ceremonies secondary to conversion and holiness with- 
 out which no one shall see the Lord : At first, the 
 only organization Methodism had was a society union ; 
 and persons might belong to that society and partake 
 of the sacraments in different churches and various 
 forms, and some, who were of Quaker principles, 
 doubtless partook of them nowhere. 
 
 " And after the strong demand of the people for the 
 ordinances from the hands of their own ministers, who 
 had been the instruments of their conversion, and in 
 whom they confided, led to the organization of the 
 Methodist Society and connexion into a church proper, 
 tolerance was shown in relation to the ordinances. 
 Provision was made for the baptism of infant child- 
 ren, yet no provision was made for discipling and 
 
 L 
 
162 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 censuring those who scrupled to have them baptized ; 
 attendance on the Supper of the Lord was enjoined 
 as one of the General Rules ; yet I never heard of any 
 one being disciplined for absence from the Lord's table, 
 if he were exemplary in all other respects ; and as to 
 the form of this ordinance, although it invited the par- 
 ticipants to take that holy sacrament to their comfort, 
 and to make their humble confession to Almighty God 
 meekly kneeling upon their knees, yet provided that if 
 any scrupled the posture of kneeling, he might select 
 any other posture he preferred, and the minister was 
 authorized, or required, to dispense it to him in that 
 form." 
 
 At this point, Brother Bursdale, who had been 
 present nearly from the first, but who, for once, had 
 been remarkably abstinent from caviling, spoke up; 
 "Broother Meedcalf, Hi ham surprised hat your pre- 
 sumption, hin preaching the Goospel a whowl year, 
 han you hunbaptaized ! you howt to 'av' been stopped 
 whail you was baptaized. Whohever 'eard of such a 
 think has han hunbaptaized proicher ? Eh ! 
 
 While he was making this utterance, Metcalf faced 
 around, throwing one leg over the other, with his two 
 hands grasping the upper knee, see-sawing a little the 
 while, with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, as was 
 his want in his playful controversies ; and when the 
 sentence was closed, he responded, in his usual 
 Socratic method, " Brother Bursdale, by whom were 
 the twelve apostles and the seventy disciples who 
 preached, first among the lost sheep of the house 
 of Israel, and afterwards throughout all the world — 
 
A NEW OFFICIAT,, RUT AN OLD FRIEND. 163 
 
 by whom, I ask, where they baptized ? Or were they 
 ever baptized ? " 
 
 "Hoi don't hexactly knaw, per'aps by John the 
 Baptist." 
 
 " There is no evidence of that — two of them had 
 been disciples of John, but some of them certainly 
 had not." 
 
 "But maight not Chraist 'imself 'ave baptized 
 them?" 
 
 "He might, if it had pleased his inscrutable wisdom ; 
 but his most intimate friend and companion, John, 
 the beloved disciple, said, 'Jesus himself baptized not 
 but his disciples.' And if all the apostles and the 
 seventy had received John's or the baptism of 
 repentance itself, that was not the Christian baptism, 
 that is to say, the baptism which is in the name of tho 
 Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. That the 
 two several baptisms were different and distinct you 
 will be convinced, if you read attentively the 19th 
 chapter of Acts, in which we learn that the twelve 
 disciples at Ephesus, who had received only the 
 baptism of John, were afterwards 'baptized "n the 
 name of Jesus.' With that baptism alone, for a long 
 time before he was baptized in the name of Jesus, 
 ApoUos, and eloquent men, * taught the way of the 
 Lord.' I did not mean to say more, but as you have 
 magnified baptism into disproportionate importance, 
 I will further remark : I believe in the significancy of 
 and value of water baptism — I believe in the validity 
 of infant baptism, and wish our dear people would 
 understandingly and solemnly affirm their parental 
 
164 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 obligations, by having the name of the Lord called 
 upon their children, and I am persuaded a blessing 
 would follow it. Yet, I cannot but admit the weight 
 of the words of those who take the position, that 
 baptism has not the significancy and necessity in a 
 Christian country where all in some way profess the 
 name of Jesus, that it had in apostolic times, or has 
 now in places where a sharp line of distinction is 
 required between the visible church and surrounding 
 heathenism. Also, the Quaker opinion is plausible, 
 that where the thing signified is realized, there is no 
 need of the sign. Yet, it is best not to make ourselves 
 wiser than God : the commission to "go into all the 
 world, and preach the Gospel to every creature,' or to 
 ' teach (disciple) all nations,' is connected with the 
 promise, ' Lo, I am with you always even unto the end 
 of the world^ thus perpetuating the ordinance as well 
 as the word, to the end of time. The same is true of 
 the Lord's Supper: we are to do it 'often,' and in 
 doing it, we are to 'show the Lord's death //// he 
 come.^ ". 
 
 The subject was changed by a remark from Captain 
 Playright, who was there, but had taken no part in the 
 conversation, who said " Brother Metcalf the unity of 
 our Canadian Methodism has been broken since you 
 and I met ? " 
 
 " Yes, Brother, dear Father Ryan has drawn off ; 
 Mr. James Jackson has gone with him ; and about 
 a year ago, they held a convention and organized a 
 Church and a Conference." 
 
A NEW OFFICIAL, BUT AN OLD FRIEND. 165 
 
 "In what respects do they differ from the old 
 church ? " 
 
 " I can't say in every particular, for I have not been 
 inquisitive, and certainly not meddlesome with them 
 — for my maxim in all cases doubtful to me, is this, to 
 Met them alone;' so as not to hinder any good that 
 is doing, nor participate in any evil which, by 
 possibility, may be going forward. But to your 
 question, as to the difference between them and us. 
 We are called the Methodist Episcopal Church of 
 Canada, they call themselves the * Canadian Wesleyan 
 Church;' our Conference is composed of ministers 
 alone, our clerical legislation being only checked by 
 the Quarterly Conference veto, while they have one 
 layman in the Conference for every preacher travelling 
 on the circuit from which they come; besides, they 
 have yielded to that old agitation of the local 
 preachers, and, instead of Our District Conference for 
 local preachers, they have given each local preacher, 
 of a certain number of years standing, a seat in the 
 Annual Conference." 
 
 Here the Captain interrupted, " I am sorry that my 
 order of men, the local preachers, who have effected 
 so much good, must every now and then produce so 
 much disturbance by an agitation about their rights 
 and privileges." 
 
 " It will do for you to say that. Brother Playright, 
 and not me : all, however, are not disturbers ; and I am 
 persuaded that the best qualified and most laborious 
 local preachers are the least likely to litigate their 
 claims. But I have not yet fully answered your 
 
166 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETl 
 
 question: they kv'iep up the distinction between deacon 
 and elder as we do, but they have annual Presidents 
 instead of Bishops; and they have Chairmen of 
 Districts instead of Presiding Elders. There are some 
 further points of difference: they have, I believe, 
 abolished the probation for membership, and take 
 persons into the church at once, upon profession of 
 conversion ; and they have done away with closed 
 doors at love feasts, allowing any person who chooses 
 to enter. In this last particular, I suspect we shall ere 
 long be like them ; and what they have done by direct 
 enactment, we will come to by deterioration." 
 
THE SCHOOL TAKING ORGANIC SHAPE. 167 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE SCHOOL TAKING ORGANIC SHAPE. 
 
 IT was at this Quarterly Meeting, that the 
 deliberations at the 'Squire's took something 
 like an organic form. 
 
 I. It was agreed that those then present, and 
 those who had heretofore taken part in the dicussions 
 should be considered as constituting the original 
 association, which was to be called the School of the 
 Prophets. 
 
 2. That any Methodist, or Methodist Preacher who 
 chanced to be present might take part in the delibera- 
 tions, and be considered a member. 
 
 3. That as far as any chairman was necessary, the 
 Presiding Elder, when present, and in his absence 
 the oldest minister on hand, should moderate the 
 discussions. 
 
 4. That no brother should be liable to impeachment 
 for any utterances of his during discussion^ however 
 heretical they may seem, it being supposed that all that 
 was said and done was merely to eliminate truth 
 and for the discovery of error. 
 
 5. That Brother William Warble, shall, so far as a 
 secretary may be needed, be authorized and enjoined 
 to make a note of any points which have been under 
 discussion ; and if called for, produce the same. 
 
168 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 Warble, who" was appointed in this rather informal 
 and almost tacit manner, made all the entries that 
 were ever registered of the sayings and doings of this 
 nondescript, and, as it afterwards turned out to be, 
 migratory association. And it was from the blurred 
 and soiled papers of humble William, (written at first 
 in a clumsy hand, and with indifferent orthography — 
 two defects which he afterwards somewhat amended, 
 although the latter continued a besetting sin until the 
 last) that the present editor has made and published 
 this digest of the proceedings and surroundings of the 
 
 " School of the Prophets." 
 
 I 
 
 ■ l 
 
MATl'ERS PERSONAL TO THE SECRETARY. 169 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 MATTERS PERSONAL TO THE SECRETARY. 
 
 R. WARBLE remained two years on the Lake 
 River Circuit, something then very unusual 
 for a single man to do. A married man, 
 unless an Indian misssionary, could not then 
 remain longer than two years, according to Discipline* 
 This unusually long stay in the Lake River Circuit, 
 begot a great attachment to the Firstman family, with 
 whom he enjoyed almost the first really comfortable 
 home he had ever had in his life, which led in the 
 issue to still more intimate and endeared ties. Mrs. 
 F. washed and mended his clothes ; and made and 
 presented him with fine woolen under-garments, the 
 first time he had been indulged with that luxury dur- 
 ing his toilsome and suffering itinerancy. The first 
 two winters had been passed through without them, 
 and the first three his journeys were performed on 
 horse-back, a mode of conveyance which necessitated 
 him to turn out into the deep snow for all passing 
 teams, and these were mostly ox-teams, the delay and 
 suffering consequent was often very trying. These 
 unpleasantnesses, joined to cold and otherwise un- 
 comfortable quarters, in most cases, rendered his re- 
 turn to River Side a pleasing subject of anticipation 
 and enjoyment. 
 
170 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 Three several housekeepers on this circuit gave him 
 his first accurate conceptions of what constituted good 
 and sensible housekeeping, the conclusions to which he 
 came having been set down by him, and transferred 
 by the Editor to this resume of matters relating to him 
 and the times : — 
 
 The language held by Warble on the subject was 
 this : " Slatterliness and dirt are abominable in a 
 housekeeper ; and it is almost equally intolerable to 
 be forever in a muddle in pretending to keep clean. 
 But the good housekeeper is the happy medium be- 
 tween these two extremes. I had examples of each 
 class on the Lake River Circuit. 
 
 " The representative of the dowdy class I shall 
 mention, was Mrs. Slush. She claimed to be of a good 
 family, had respectable connexions at a distance, and 
 was more intelligent and cultivated than most of 
 her neighbours. Nevertheless, the sight and smell of 
 her house was offensive — there was want of ventila- 
 tion, and want of cleanliness. Dirt on the floor, dirt 
 on their persons, dirt every where. And what was 
 supposed to be clean was in disorder — furniture out of 
 place, and clothes scattered about. But one instance 
 will tell better than any general description : I went 
 there to lodge at nightfall, and ate my supper off a 
 stained, dirty table cloth, which nearly took away all 
 appetite for the food which was not otherwise par- 
 ticularly provocative of appetite ; when I went to bed, 
 I found that table cloth, made a little dirtier by the 
 meal, on the bed for an under-sheet ; that I hoped 
 was the end of my connexion with it, but no, in the 
 
MATTERS PERSONAL TO THE SECRETARY. 171 
 
 morning when I required a towel, that cloth was 
 thrown across a chair-back near the wash basin to 
 serve that purpose. 
 
 " The antipodes to Mrs. Slush, was Mrs. Scrub, who 
 lived hard by, and often, with a sneer on her face, 
 scouted Mrs. Slush among the rest of her mucky 
 neighbors. Mrs. Slush was Irish, Mrs. Scrub was a 
 Yorkshire English woman. There were no offensive 
 sights or savors in her house, which you must wipe 
 your feet a great many times, if not actually take off 
 your shoes, to be permitted to enter, unless you put 
 down among offensive sights, the frequent derange- 
 ment of furniture for the purpose of cleaning it. Com- 
 fort there was none in the house ; for her best chairs 
 were not to be used, but all must sit on a long bench. 
 Her delf and china looked inviting, and all her 
 drinking vessels, but then, no one was allowed to use 
 them, and all the family and visitors were forced to 
 drink out of a tin cup without a handle, scoured, it is 
 true, to an excess of brightness. Every thing was 
 scoured, from the pudding stick to the well pole, in- 
 cluding the broom handle. Her voice had become so 
 broken by scolding her poor hen-pecked husband and 
 her underling son, (I believe she had only one child,) 
 that its utterance was a sound between a scream and 
 the squall of a setting hen. Her husband, like an 
 underling rooster, kept a safe distance from the broom- 
 stick, by ducking his head about in the out-houses : 
 and her son early took refuge in matrimony, and made 
 a comfortable home of his own. She never allowed 
 herself more clothes than a chemise, bodice, and petti- 
 
172 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 coat, that her. bare, well tanned arms might ever be 
 ready for work. The preacher used to go there for 
 rest, but it was denied him. She kept a clatter that 
 prevented quiet, to say nothing of sleep, till 1 2 o'clock 
 at night ; when, if the hapless lodger should by dint 
 of weariness, have fallen asleep, he was aroused again 
 by Mrs. Scrub performing her devotions at the full 
 pitch of her dissonant voice for an hour. Her prayer 
 was more like a furious scold than anything else. 
 When that was over, if you could command sleep 
 again, you might be permitted to do so till four o'clock 
 in the morning, when the stirring racket and ear-split- 
 ting bawling recommenced for another eighteen hours. 
 Now this is only an exaggerated instance of which there 
 are many examples where housekeepers carry their 
 notions of cleanliness and exactitude to such a pitch of 
 insanity, that their house enslaves them; and they 
 either enslave their families, or banish them — it is 
 well if it is not to the saloon and to perdition. 
 
 " Mrs. Firstman was a happy medium between 
 these two : always industrious, but never frantic about 
 her work — gently urging her helps and leading the 
 way, but never scolding — she knew how to make her 
 house inviting to her visitors and neighbors, and she 
 knew how to sit down and enjoy its comforts with them. 
 So much for housekeeping." 
 
 Joined to the other grounds of attachment to the 
 Firstman family there was Hephzibah, for whom 
 Warble felt a respect from the first; next esteem; and 
 afterwards a more kindly and tender feeling. It was 
 no case of "love at first sight" although he was 
 
MATTERS PERSONAL TO THE SECRETARY. 173 
 
 naturally suscej)tihle enough, and there was enough in 
 her person and manner to impress those susceptibilities; 
 yet, it so happened, that he was not so impressed all 
 at once. But he was led to observe the confidence her 
 parents reposed in her, especially her father, to whom 
 she was a trusted counsellor ; next, the good sense 
 and kindness displayed towards her younger brothers 
 and sisters, over whom she exercised a mildly 
 authoritative influence for good ; and beyond all that, 
 he observed that her piety, although not ostentatious 
 and demonstrative, was deeply principled and abiding. 
 Thus did mutual affection grow until, when he left the 
 circuit, there was an understanding, that at a 
 proper time, he would return and claim her for a 
 help-meet for him. 
 
 And this was probably a very merciful intervention 
 of Providence in his behalf He was only a very 
 young man when the whole was matured ; she was six 
 months younger, it was true, but that means, as 
 women mature in mind and body much earlier than 
 men, that she was a few years the senior in point of 
 sense. He was noticeably open-hearted, even to 
 unthriftiness ; while she was prudent, economical, and 
 saving. He knew nothing of household affairs ; she 
 was, from the first, a first-class housekeeper. But we 
 must await further developments until they get to 
 keeping house. 
 
 Brother Warble's two years on that circuit were 
 regarded by his brethren as successful ones. The first 
 year there was a net gain oi fifty-two members, the 
 second of twenty^ making seventy-two in all. These 
 
174 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 were partly the fruits of the ordinary ministrations ; for 
 a preacher at that time expected some fruit of every 
 sermon, and an ingathering of members during every 
 'round' on his circuit — but the increase was largely 
 the result of two several camp-meetings, one held 
 each year ; for camp-meetings were almost the only 
 " special effort " of those times — protracted meetings 
 were not known, and "four-days meetings" were 
 things heard of as existing at a distance, about the 
 last of his time in that region. 
 
 The first of the two camp-meetings was the first in 
 that part of the country, and held near the village of 
 Round Island, announced without the knowledge and 
 coAsent of the Presiding Elder. 
 
 The good Elder, although rebuking the neophyte's 
 precipitancy came to his aid, and brought other 
 laborers with him; and the blessed results justified 
 the wisdom of the measure. It was the means of 
 opening a certain Scotch neighborhood to Methodism, 
 in which a bamfuU of that nationality were converted 
 in one evening. 
 
 The second camp-meeting took place a year later, on 
 the line between the Lake River and Missipemoaning 
 Circuits, the preacher and the people of which united 
 in the meeting. The place and scenes were 
 picturesque, and the services powerful. Here was to 
 be seen Elder Metcalf, Ezra Healy, Carlos Bush, 
 Jeremiah Brogan, Alanson Firstman and several 
 other preachers; Sister Playright was "lost in wonder, 
 love, and praise," while Father McRorey and Benjamin 
 Bummer were in their glory. The last mentioned 
 
MATTERS PERSONAL TO THE SECRETARY. 175 
 
 was Utilized by Brother Warble, by being set to exhort 
 whenever the prayer-meetings became so noisy that no 
 other voice could be heard above the din. When 
 Benjamin's drum-like call had somewhat restored order 
 out of confusion, a new departure was made, and, for 
 some time, sustained in a more orderly manner. And 
 experience proved in that case, as well as in earthly 
 warfare, that the most orderly arrangement and 
 prosecution of the plan of battle was the most efficient 
 and victorious in the end. 
 
 The preacher on the Missipemoaning Circuit, with 
 whom Brother Warble formed an intimate and life-long 
 friendship — a friendship so intimate that they were 
 wont to be called " Jonathan and David" — was a con- 
 tribution of the United States, along with so many 
 other lands, to the ministerial staff of Canada Method- 
 ism. His name was Simeon Symonds, a native of New 
 England, an alumnus of Wilberham Academy, and 
 one who, like several others who began among the 
 Indians, was turned over to the regular circuit work. 
 
 He was pure, pleasant, industrious, modest, but 
 faithful. One who had been tossed from one extreme 
 of the work to the other during the short tt.ree years he 
 had been in it ; spent a nice patrimony in its prosecu- 
 tion ; and died at his post about twenty years after. 
 A beautiful character was Simeon Symonds. 
 
176 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 CONFAB ON THE EVE OF A GREAT ADVENTURE. 
 
 M[ T was now near the celebrated Conference of 
 m\ ^^^^ > ^^^ ^^^ preachers in their several dis- 
 qk tricts, and sections of districts, whose several 
 outlets were the secondary thoroughfares which 
 converged in the great primary ones leading up and 
 down the country, which must be travelled in going to 
 the Conference, whether held east or west, which it 
 was alternately, were collecting like birds of passage in 
 the autumn of the year, which assemble, plume their 
 wings, and prepare for their " annual visits o'er the 
 globe, another spring to hail." 
 
 The Presiding Elder was returning from his last 
 northern tour ; and there followed in his wake Jere- 
 miah Brogan, from the Wild-Woods Mission, and 
 Simeon Symonds from the Missipemoaning Circuit ; 
 while Carlos Bush from Jockland, Alanson Firstman 
 from Hulton, and Clarke Rubric from Boytown, came 
 in at a side-road. 
 
 They had crossed Chain River at Cromwell's Ferry, 
 and soon found themselves in the Transmorass Cir- 
 cuit. There they fell in with its only circuit preacher, 
 Darius Rogers, and William Warble, who had left his 
 circuit one Sabbath in advance to assist Brother 
 Rogers in a field meeting, the second great speciality 
 
THE EVE OF A GREAT ADVENTURE. 177 
 
 ,■■■■( 
 
 resorted to in those days to arouse the community 
 and promote revivals. 
 
 Directly in their line of march, within the bounds of 
 that circuit, there was a shrewd old supernumerary, 
 once an influential preacher in the active work, who 
 had retired really tor want of health ; yet, now he had 
 regained his health, was too much entangled with 
 seculai matters and his large family to return to cir- 
 cuit labors again. He had taken up a farm, super- 
 added a merchant's shop, and was put in commission 
 of the peace ; and, had he possessed a little more zeal 
 for God, he might have been a great deal more useful 
 in that local sphere than he was. 
 
 This was Steward Butler, a man of more than 
 ordinary intellect, considerable attainments, slow, 
 argumentative, able, and, in his own way, eloquent, as 
 a preacher. A man of good judgment, inviolably 
 good temper, and possessing a quaint, sly laughter — 
 provoking humor, which made him very amusing to 
 his friends. 
 
 When together, he and Elder Metcalf were engaged 
 in frequent badinage with each other, which, from the 
 way it was conducted, was a fine intellectual exercise. 
 Although out of the work, he was still very much 
 attached to the travelling fraternity, and greatly in- 
 terested in the doings ' of the Conference. On the 
 road, the Elder ordered a halt, and after a short de- 
 liberation, it was decided to rendezvous at the hospi- 
 table hostelry of this quondam itinerant. 
 
 Brethren Firstman and Warble, who decided to 
 out-billet themselves at *' Uncle Virgil's," (a relative of 
 
 M 
 
178 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 the former, in" whom the latter also began to feel a 
 sort of family interest, and who lived hard by Brother 
 Butler's,) agreed to ride in advance of the cavalcade, 
 and notify the hostelry of the coming of the King's 
 servants. This they did, as they passed, and prepared 
 to return and join their brethren there ; for it was de- 
 cided, before they separated, to extemporize an ex- 
 traordinary meeting of the Prophets' School, in the 
 presence of Brother Butler, and for the benefit of at 
 least two new members who had never taken part in 
 the deliberations as yet. 
 
 When the two prospective brothers in-law, Firstman 
 and Warble, joined the larger party after dinner, or about 
 2 o'clock in the afternoon, they found the cloth remov- 
 ed and the members arranged around the room. Metcalf 
 was tacitly recognized as the head, and Warble very 
 informally sidled along to the end of the table and 
 put his pencil and paper in requisition, as he saw 
 occasion, it having been settled before his arrival that 
 Brother Batler would give himself a half-holiday and 
 join them, on condition that they would remain over 
 night, with the promise, on his part, that he would 
 accompany them himself to the Conference in the 
 morning. 
 
 It might be well to describe the two brethren new 
 to the reader, as they, on this occasion, took a leading 
 part in the conversation, I refer to Clark Rubric and 
 Darius Rogers. They were of the same standing in 
 the Conference, and both youngish married men. 
 Both tall, sizable persons, Rubric was very handsome, 
 
THE EVE OF A GREAT ADVENTURE. 179 
 
 aiid Rogers not unhandsome ; and both were deeply 
 principled, good men. 
 
 But beyond v^hat we have noticed, no two orthodox 
 Methodist preachers could be more dissimilar : Rubric 
 was Irish, Rogers Canadian; the former had more 
 learning, the latter more shrewdness and penetration. 
 Rogers' elementary training was defective, although he 
 had labored hard to remedy it ; Rubric had had the 
 elements well instilled into his mind, and a good 
 measure of classical learning besides, indeed, he was 
 the most classical in the company?. Rogers' voice and 
 manner were not commanding ; but, as he had mind 
 and pathos, he made himself felt, and almost always 
 was the instrument of revivals on his circuit — there 
 ."as one in progress that hour as the fruit of his labors 
 — although his pertinacity about carrying his point in 
 little things often undid all the good he had done. 
 Rubric had a good voice, almost too noticeably so, 
 was commanding and almost awe-inspiring in the 
 pulpit, was zealous and earnest, although he did not 
 much move his audiences ; he was a diligent pastor, 
 although he did not effect a great deal ; and was kind 
 and affable, in a patronizing way, but had very high 
 iiotions of clerical authority and dignity. 
 
 If there were ''ny leanings in these two meii from 
 the via media of Methodislic orthodoxy, Rogers' would 
 be in the direction of Quakerism ; and Rubric's would 
 be in the direction of High Church Ritualism. He 
 had good extemporaneous gifts, but he left no line of 
 our liturgical services unread. These several 
 characteristics and tendencies will throw some light on 
 
180 THE SCHOOT, OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 the part they each took in the afternoon's conversa- 
 tion. 
 
 Rubric opened the ball by saying, " This is good 
 news we are getting, brethren, from York of the 
 probability of a union between ourselves and our 
 fathers and brethren in Britain." 
 
 " What news is that?" said one of the less informed. 
 
 " Why, the Rev. Robert Alder, agent of the Secre- 
 taries of the Wesleyan Missionary Society in 
 London, has been sent out to make inquiries where 
 Missions can be planted in this Province ; and in his 
 exploring tour, he has been lately in York, accom- 
 panied by the Revs. John Hick, of Montreal, and 
 John P. Hetherington, of Kingston, as also the newly 
 appointed Missionary to St. Claire River, Rev. Thomas 
 Turner. They preached in the District School-house 
 and in our chapel, on Sunday, June the 24th. Our 
 Missionary Board, consisting mostly of laymen resid- 
 ing in that town, have invited Mr. Alder to remain 
 until the meeting of our Conference, to see if some 
 arrangement cannot be made by which we may labor 
 in concert, without rivalry and division. I am told 
 that our stationed preacher in York, Julius Regnor, is 
 favorable ; and it is plain that our Editor, Justin 
 Regnor, is so, from the animus of his editorials." 
 
 At this point, Rogers, who was not passionate, but 
 a determined opponent of anything he did not like, 
 spoke out, "This is a pretty tale, surely! What brings 
 those men into this Province at all ? Can we not take 
 care of the religious interests of the people within our 
 own proper boundaries without their assistance ? Was 
 
THE EVE OF A GREAT ADVENTURE. 181 
 
 it not arranged at the Conference of 1820, that we 
 should divide the land between us, like Abraham and 
 Lot ? Was not the Methodist Episcopal Church to 
 confine her labors to Upper Canada; and were not 
 the agents of the British Conference to be restricted 
 to Lower Canada ? We have not violated our part of 
 the convention, why must they violate their part ? 
 Have they not proclaimed that Wesleyan Methodism 
 is one the world over ? Why do they not act on the 
 principle by abstaining* from poaching on our pre- 
 serve?" 
 
 Rubric replied, " The convention referred to was 
 made by the British brethren with the M. E. Church 
 of the United States, but we have gone out from under 
 her jurisdiction, and cannot claim the benefit of that 
 compact ; albeit, it was never fully acted on, their 
 Missionary being continued till the present in King- 
 ston." 
 
 " Yes," said Rogers, with a sneer, " under the plea 
 of looking after the Wesleyan soldiery in the garrison, 
 as though we were too disloyal to be entrusted with it ! 
 Yes, and as an entrance wedge to enter the country 
 again. I know the soldiers to like our services better 
 than theirs." 
 
 " You are too uncharitable. Brother Rogers," said 
 Butler, " we got as much of their ground as they got 
 of ours : if they retained Kingston, we retained the 
 north side of the Ottawa River, which is in Lower 
 Canada." 
 
 " I know all about that matter," retorted Rogers. 
 "The cases are not parallel, they occupy a town in 
 
182 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 which we had,- and do have ministrations ; but with 
 regard to the Ottawa country, we supply settlements, 
 which they neglected to provide foi." 
 
 Young Brogan, who was very intelligent^ here re- 
 marked, " I thought the American General Confer- 
 ence of 1828 was to instruct its delegates to the British 
 Conference to secure for us in our independent state 
 the continuance of the arrangement about the supply 
 of the two Provinces of Canada made with them ; 
 and did not our newly organiffed General Conference 
 that same autumn appoint a committee, consisting, of 
 Case, Richardson, and George Ryerson, to open 
 fraternal relations with the parent body, and to claim 
 the continuance of the relation? Was it not so. 
 Brother Metcalf?" 
 
 " It is true," responded the Elder, " that we ap- 
 pointed the committee ; but, like a good many other 
 things relegated to committees, it received its quietus : 
 they never performed the duty imposed upon them. 
 Instead of that, our Editor wrote to some one of the 
 authorities of the British Connexion, but as it was un- 
 official on both sides, it came to nothing." 
 
 " Just so," said Butler, " and there are two or three 
 other things which give palliation to their proceedings : 
 Peter Jones has been sent over to England, to beg for 
 our Indian Missions, thereby confessing that we our- 
 selves cannot supply the country without their help. 
 Then again, I suspect our Provincial Government, or 
 governing clique, have contrived to possess the minds 
 of the authorities of the British Connexion with the 
 idea, that the indigenous Methodists are acting very 
 
THE EVE OF A GREAT ADVENTURE. 183 
 
 un-Britishly. Their inheriting John Wesley's loyalty 
 to Church and King, which, with their abstaining from 
 political inquiries and discussions, lands them in the 
 most obstinate Toryism, and makes them easily suscep- 
 tible to any misrepresentations of that kind. Then, we 
 cannot deny, but that our rightful contention for our 
 religious rights and privileges, and our opposition to 
 the would-be Established Church's clutching one- 
 seventh of the landed property of this land, has 
 almost unavoidably drawn our organ into mere political 
 discussions also, and allied us as a body to the Reform 
 party in the country, whom the clique find it very con- 
 venient to charge with 'disloyalty,' and whose dis- 
 loyalty our British brethren may very easily be brought 
 to believe. That Dr. Strachan and the Family Com- 
 pact has had a hand in it, is augured from Messrs. 
 Alder and Hetherington preaching in one of the Dis- 
 trict School-houses, which the would-be Established 
 Church claim as part and parcel of their patrimony." 
 " That is rich," interrupted Rogers, " Dr. Strachan 
 encouraging Methodism ! Surely the Millenium is 
 near : ' the lion and the lamb are lying down to- 
 gether!' Can any body believe, that the Doctor 
 believes any more in their Methodism than he does in 
 ours ? Or that he encourages them on any other prin- 
 ciple than to neutralize our influence ? Perhaps to 
 encourage them, he will throw them a scrap of the 
 prey, as he has to the Ryanites, that he may devour 
 the whole carcass, or * the lion's share.' It is most 
 surprising that two of the Regnors have lent themselves 
 to this business. I am not so much .surprised that 
 
184 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. • 
 
 yulius should do it ; but that yustin has, I will not 
 believe until I am obliged to." 
 
 " It is just there, Brother Rogers, that you are mis- 
 taken," said Metcalf, who knew the brothers well. 
 " In all their novel movements they have made, Justin 
 is the originator, and commits the others to the 
 matter ; next, comes yulius and rates him soundly 
 for his precipitancy, and a quarrel is the result, which 
 issues in Julius being brought over; then the two 
 have Chrysostom to bring into temper, who storms, and 
 threatens, and sulks, but, in the end, falls in with 
 them — perhaps on the principle of Adams' concur- 
 rence in his wife's transgression, according to Milton, 
 to sink or swim together ; and by the time the mea- 
 sure is brought before Conference, they are a unit in 
 relation to it." 
 
 " What is likely to be the effect of the measure on 
 the minds of our people, if it shall carry, brethren?" 
 asked Mr. Metcalf of the brethren. " Begin there at 
 the extreme east and travel this way." 
 
 " In Hulton," said *Firstman, " they have scarcely 
 waked up to the question ; but if the Conference itself 
 come to a unanimous conclusion, there will be no dis- 
 satisfaction among them, I think." 
 
 " Boytown is all right," said Rubric. " Most of our 
 people are old country folks ; and many of them Wes- 
 leyans while there : so that they will rather be pleased 
 than otherwise." 
 
 Brogan said, " All who are Methodists in my Cir- 
 cuit are old country by natural birth, and many of 
 
THE EVE OF A GREAT ADVENTURE. 185 
 
 them by spiritual birth also, and, like myself, will re- 
 joice in the arrangement." ^ 
 
 Symonds, though an American, confessed his flock, 
 who were mostly from some part of the old country, 
 would be well enough pleased with an arrangement 
 which wouxd restore in any measnre their early religi- 
 ous relationships; and he himself would go for any 
 thing which would be thought by the majority to 
 answer best. 
 
 Warble's people were mostly old country, who per- 
 haps would be rather pleased than otherwise ; and 
 those who were not, would give no opposition. As 
 for himself, he liked old country Methodism on its 
 proper ground, but he could not help feeling that we 
 were being carried into it through fear of having our 
 Societies divided. There they had built a chapel 
 and planted a Missionary in the town where he was 
 brought up ; and organized a Society in rivalry to the 
 one of which he was first a member, some of the 
 members of which had been lured away. Yet he 
 would go in for union, sooner than have such a state of 
 things extended and perpetuated. 
 
 Rogers thought his Canadian people, who were the 
 larger proportion on the circuit, would regard the 
 measure as distasteful, and the same class would feel 
 the same every where ; and as they were the majority 
 in the older parts of the Province, it would work us a 
 great deal of trouble. Nor could he blame them 
 much, if they did make trouble about it. 
 
 Butler thought that the fearful ones should cheer 
 up ; we had always regarded the British Connexion, 
 
186 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 not only as legitimately Methodistic, but " the mother 
 of us all." It was, therefore, rather indecent to op- 
 pose a union with such ; and, perhaps, it was Provi- 
 dential that we had never secured a Bishop, and that 
 our people had never become much indoctrinated in 
 Episcopacy, there never having been a Canadian 
 Bishop. We should wait and follow the openings of 
 Providence in the matter. 
 
 Upon this, the subject was dismissed, and the 
 brethren relieved the strain upon their minds by turn- 
 ing to current matters, not of such weighty importance. 
 
ABOUT HOLLOWELL CONFERENCE. 187 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 A FEW THINGS ABOUT HOLLOWELL CONFERENCE. 
 
 IFTER the confab at Brother Butler's, the 
 School of the Prophets no longer kept all to- 
 gether, but wended their way to the Confer- 
 ence in twos and threes, and by such roads as 
 suited their several tastes and individual intentions 
 and objects. Warble and his friend Symonds kept to- 
 gether, spending one Sabbath, and preaching in the 
 Brussels Circuit, where a great camp-meeting had been 
 held, conducted mostly by local preachers, under the 
 direction of the two brethren travelling the circuit, 
 which had lasted several weeks, and ended in the con- 
 version of a vast number of souls. 
 
 These two ministers were too much absorbed in the 
 work of saving souls to start for the Conference for 
 several days, and did not arrive till near its close, to 
 hear debates and discussions very dissimilar to the 
 devout employ in which they had been engaged. 
 
 That was a worthy close of a year of labor which 
 issued throughout the Province, in adding of between 
 three and four thousand souls to the Church, no evi- 
 dence that Canadian Methodism was effete, when the 
 British branch proposed to supplement it. 
 
 The two young brethren from contiguous circuits in 
 the bush, received a billet together, but rather distant 
 
188 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 from the village, yet with a very kind family of the old 
 fashioned Methodist type, the ancient head of which 
 entertained them with accounts of Lossee, Dunham, 
 Sawyer, and many others of the early pioneers; but 
 his greatest favorite seemed to be " Elder Je^vellf 
 whose singing he much admired, and which he en- 
 devored to reproduce for the delectation of the young 
 guests. 
 
 There were several caucussings at this Conference 
 among juniors — while the famous Committee of Nine 
 were in deliberation ; and then when the scheme of 
 Union was reported, embracing the " relinquishment " 
 of Episcopacy for an Annual Presidency, the adoption 
 of the English usage relative to the intioduction of 
 candidates into the ministry, which comprised giving 
 up one of the two ordinations, and the lengthening the 
 probation to four years. So, also, prior to the call of 
 the Annual Conference to vote the necessary consent 
 for the General Conference to do away with the Epis- 
 copacy, there were caucussings. 
 
 The most of the young men felt a pang at givii.g up 
 the distinctive features of the system in which they 
 had been trained ; but, when they saw that the changes 
 involved the sacrifice of no principle, that none of the 
 multitudes ot private and official members of the 
 Church, who v/ere present and allowed tc witness the 
 deliberations, objected, and that whatever change 
 there might be made, in carrying out the measure, 
 affecting the " rights and privileges " of any besides 
 the Conference, would have to be submitted to the 
 several Quarterly Conferences, and receive the concur- 
 
ABOUT HOLLOWELL CONFERENCE. 189 
 
 rence of the Disciplinary majority of those couits, 
 they were all ultimately and rather easily talked into 
 the propriety of giving whatever sanction it was in 
 their power to give, or withhold. 
 
 It is not the intention of the Editor of those papers 
 to go into a history of the Hallowell Conference, that 
 not being embraced in his plan ; but if any person 
 wishes to have a calm and consecutive account of the 
 proceedings of that important Synod, he may have his 
 desires gratified, by turning to the III. Vol. of Case 
 AND HIS Contemporaries, beginning at page 355, 
 and reading to the close of page 365. 
 
 We merely give so much of its routine business as 
 relates to the brethren with whom the reader has be- 
 come ac(|uainted, or may yet be likely to know some- 
 thing of. : 
 
190 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 SOME OF THE STATIONS — THE FATE OF OLD FRIENDS 
 
 AND NEW. 
 
 HE Rev. Mr. Metcalf was transferred from 
 I his late district to one far at the west ; and 
 he was succeeded by the Rev. Blake Vernon, 
 a younger man and minister, and one en- 
 tirely new to the office, but one always a favorite with 
 the Acting-General Superintendent, Elder Case. This 
 new Presiding Elder had the responsibility of having 
 in his charge the Rev. Chrysodom Regnor, whose four 
 years' term in the Presiding Eldership, in another dis- 
 trict, had just closed, who was sent to one of the 
 frontier towns in this district as stationed preacher. 
 This last mentioned gentleman was considered the 
 ablest pulpit man at that time in the connection. 
 The circuits around Lake River were thus provided 
 for : — Symonds was changed from Missipemoaning to 
 Wildwoods ; and Brogan brought from the latter to 
 supply the former. Alanson Firstman remained at 
 JIulton, but had the charge also of Boytown ; and 
 had for his assistant Levins Larmer, a young man, who 
 had travelled one year, stout, strong, zealous, boister- 
 ous, but with more advantages than most, and who 
 both promised and accomplished considerable. Bro- 
 ther Firstman had some time before this taken to him- 
 
SOME OF THE STATIONS. 191 
 
 ./ 
 
 selt, as a wife, the young lady so earnestly recom- 
 mended by Brother Pond. Brother Welshman^ 
 two years married, was brought from the frontier to 
 yockla7id. Brother Rogers was taken from Trans- 
 morass Circuit to solicit subscriptions for the projected 
 Academy, and Brother Abner Throivdart brought a 
 long distance to take his place. • 
 
 Poor Will Warble burst into tears when the Gen- 
 eral Superintendent said to him, " Willie, all the way 
 to Fra7icofluvia Circuit," for he was sorely grieved be- 
 cause he had hoped to be nearer some person and 
 place, which the reader may guess. His place was 
 supplied on Lake River by an old friend and school- 
 mate, a young man a few months younger than him- 
 self, but of the same standing in Conference, although 
 he had not labored quite so long. A person of more 
 advantages in early life, and more refinement; but 
 whether he or his friend were the better preacher, 
 would have depended on the taste of the person whose 
 opinion was asked. We are referring to Patrick 
 Hatnilton, who may, perhaps, figure somewhat in our 
 story. 
 
192 THE SCHOOL OF THK PROPHETS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 a letter from warble to hephzibah. 
 
 "St. Peter's, Francofluvia Circuit, 
 
 " Sept. ist, 1832. 
 EAR HEPHZY, 
 
 I certainly received my ^//Vappoint- 
 ment at the late Conference. I had fondly 
 hoped, that, in view of my slender health, 
 and two years in the bush, that I would have 
 received an appointment at the frontier within a day's 
 ride of you ; instead of that, here I am, hemmed in 
 by swamps, so that it would be impossible to ride out, 
 in summer time, to your place short of a week's travel ; 
 but I must not complain. 
 
 " My horse was tied to the fence, and I started to my 
 circuit the moment the Conference rose. Poor 
 Symonds and I rode together, until our roads diverg- 
 ed, and we could remain together no longer. It was 
 a tender parting. You would no doubt see him on 
 the way to his distant mission, for I extorted a promise 
 from him to call and spend a night at River Side. 
 He no doubt told you how near our ferry boat came 
 being 'Swamped while crossing the Bay Quinte ? 
 
 " Apropos of Simeon, I did not find time to write 
 you by his hand ; but shall I confess it ; I wrote by 
 him to another lady ! (Come now, don't be jealous !) 
 Well, to relieve your mind of further suspense. Bro- 
 ther Symonds is desirous of changing his situation in 
 life. He has seen a little of our mutual friend and 
 your confidant. Miss Annie Laurie^ and heard more 
 of her respectable connexions in Montreal, her good 
 
A LETTER FROM WARBLE TO HEPHZIBAH. 193 
 
 education, pleasing manners, and simple-hearted piety, 
 and asked of me a letter of introduction, which I gave 
 with pleasure, and said all I could to him and her to 
 help it on ; and you must do the same if it comes in 
 your way. I should like to see them go together, 
 they seem well adopted to each other. He is dapper 
 in person, and she is petite ; he is up to thirty, and 
 she is fully twenty-six. Her parents cannot give her 
 much, but he has a competency of private means. 
 He has American suavity, and she has Scotch 
 geniality. 
 
 " But, oh, I am afraid he is applying too late. I 
 suspect, that her boarding at old Capt. Sterling's, 
 while teaching the school in this section, has led to an 
 understanding between her and young Charley, which 
 I should greatly regret to find true, for her sake, at 
 least. He is much her junior, a rollicking young 
 sprout, who is never likely to be anything but a 
 farmer, and she is not adapted for a farmer's wife. I 
 had always marked her out as a ' clergy reserve,' and I 
 should be sorry if she passed into other hands. 
 
 " You will perhaps scold me when I tell you I have 
 parted with Cafitering Dick. He was a noble fellow, 
 in his way — showy, strong, 'sure-footed' to an aston- 
 ishing degree, and sure to fetch me out of any and 
 every hole that had a bottom to it at all. By the way, 
 I had meant to trust him to fetch me out of one with- 
 out a bottom. When our craft was so full of water as 
 to be on the point of settling down, I reined ' Dick ' 
 close to the gunwale of the scow, with all my para- 
 phernalia on his back, and stood upon that elevation, 
 keeping myself out of water, ready to vault into the 
 saddle in the last extremity, and I have no doubt he 
 would have swam out with me. Fortunately, the 
 boat's grounding near the shore, enabled us to ride out 
 without swimming. But 'Dick' had two faults; or 
 rather, one fault and one infirmity : he was almost un- 
 
 N 
 
194 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 catchable, when let loose, without a hobble ; and then, 
 so rough under the saddle, unless you golloped him 
 all the while, which is a gait not very seemly for a 
 preacher, that he shook me to pieces. I therefore 
 changed with Brother Welchman, for a tall, spotted 
 young mare, very last and agreeable under the saddle, 
 which I call 'Pussy.' But then I have to give him 
 twenty dollars ' to boot,' and that, some of my friends 
 think, is more than he should have asked me. 
 
 " This is a peculiar Circuit, easy, and yet hard : there 
 are only about twenty appointments for each of us in 
 the four weeks — five a week ; but then, to reach them, 
 we have to travel three or four hundred miles, riding 
 through long stretches of French settlements, with the 
 people of which we can have no intercourse, crossing 
 the rivers with which it is intersected by ferries almost 
 wholly. The people are very hospitable and kind, a 
 number being of American origin, whose habits of 
 living are quite agreeable; but then I have no one 
 central home, as I had at River Side, where I can go 
 and rest and study ; no, but my home is pretty much 
 ' where nig' ' overtakes me.' And often at nightfall I 
 feel lonely enough, and think of a cheerful fire, and of 
 dear ones that I could name. Fortunately, my dear 
 senior colleague and his precious wife are a solace to 
 me. You doubtless know that Brother and Sister 
 Black are the persons I refer to. 
 
 " I do not wish to alarm you, but the cholera, which 
 we hope is passing away, has not only decimated, but 
 almost depopulated some neighborhoods. I trust I 
 am prepared to meet God ; and I have taken pre- 
 cautioiis to be ready for other emergencies. As I am 
 among strangers, many of whom cannot understand 
 English, I have written out a statement of my name 
 and relations — what I possess, and how I want it dis- 
 posed of in the event of sudden death. I hope there 
 will be enough to bury me, and to leave the residuum 
 
A LETTER FROM WARBLE TO I1EPHZII$AH. 195 
 
 of a few dollars for my dear widowed mother. I have 
 devised my watch, as a keep-sake, for my dearest 
 Hephzy, it is all I have to bequeath. I hope for the 
 best, although I provide for the worst. 
 
 " Should God spare us both, I trust, that when the 
 frost bridges the streams and swamps, giving us sixty 
 miles of travelling on the ice, and glazes all the roads 
 with beaten snow, I will be able to slip up in one of 
 the berlins, or carioles, they use in this part of the 
 country, and see you all ; and hold one of the old- 
 fashioned confabs with the coterie around the old 
 kitchen fire once more. 
 
 " You will think it strange that I am talking of ice 
 and snow early in September ; but you need not be 
 surprised if I say, that it sniffs of winter already in 
 these hyperborean regions. When I and my fellow- 
 traveller reached the brow of the range of hills over- 
 looking the valley of this great river, on the evening 
 of the 23rd of August, a frosty blast, sweeping over 
 the wide plain below, in saddening contrast to the 
 sweltering heat in which we had rode across the 
 Highland settlements, through which we had to travel 
 in reaching this region, met us in the face, and made 
 my heart sink within me. There was a heavy frost 
 that night, which arrested all further growth, and the 
 ripening of the crops, and has tinged the forests with 
 autumn hues — beautiful, but the hectic flush indicative 
 of early dissolution. 
 
 " But I am getting melancholy. I must check * the 
 gloomy thoughts that rise,' and hopefully look forward 
 across the Jordan of Death to the ' sweet fields which 
 stand dressed in living green, and never-withering 
 flowers.' I wish I could hear your own sweet voice 
 and the choir in the old hive sing that animating hymn 
 once more. 
 
 " Yours, 
 
 " Willie. 
 
Vja THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 " P. S. — I forgot to congratulate you on the polished 
 young preacher appointed to Lake River. His culti- 
 vated manners, pleasing address, soft voice, diffusive 
 style, and declamatory method of treating his sub- 
 jects, attributes which ladies at least admire in a 
 preacher, will be a pleasing change from your late 
 incumbent's rusticity and awkwardness, dissonant tones, 
 severe style, and expository method. I may be more 
 original, but he is more recherche; I may study 
 harder, but he reads more. He swallows books by 
 the tome.— W. W." 
 
MEETINr, OF Ol.n AND NEW FRIENDS. 197 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 ANOTHER MEETING OF OLD AND NEW FRIENDS. 
 
 ^ROTHER WARBLE'S hope, expressed to 
 Hephzy, of seeing his old friends at River 
 Side was realized about the middle of Janu- 
 ary, 1833. He and his quaint but lovable 
 senior colleague on the Francofluvia Circuit had given 
 themselves after the watch-nights were over (they held 
 them on both Christmas and New Year's Eve in those 
 days) with some other indispensable matters, a vaca- 
 tion with a view to visiting Lake River Circuit, one in 
 which they both had reason for feeling a special inter- 
 est, one for retrospective considerations and the other 
 for prospective ones. 
 
 Warble's appointments, the Sabbath before leaving, 
 lay at the extremity of their circuit, pointing in the 
 direction of their intended journey. As his senior 
 had a long day's travel from his last Sunday's work 
 before he could overtake him, Warble had arranged to 
 spend a day in pioneering ; or more properly in satis- 
 fying a long expressed desire for a Methodist sermon 
 at a place about twenty miles beyond their cir- 
 cuit boundaries. This was a spot called Wolfe's Point 
 on the great Francofluvia River. The place had long 
 wished for preaching, but besides the great extent of 
 the circuit already, the supply of the place would en- 
 
198 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 tail an additional journey of forty miles. This, further- 
 more, could only be performed with his horse while 
 the ice was good in winter, there then being no land 
 road, and the water conveyance was uncertain. 
 
 But now, having to i)ass that way, he sent on an ap- 
 pointment for Monday night, and adddressed an at- 
 tentive congregation in the house of Mr. Wolf, by 
 whom he was hospitably entertained. He preached 
 with liberty and power from the words of Paul, 
 " Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye be- 
 lieved?" 
 
 A good impression was made, and, as he afterwards 
 learned, a young Scotchman, classically educated, and 
 brother of a learned Reverend author in the Mother 
 Country, was awakened and led to Christ as the result 
 of that service. Had the nearest Methodist Society 
 been more accessible, he would have united with it ; 
 and if he had, he would have probably became one of 
 the preachers, for he has been for a great many years 
 a minister in another branch of the Church of Christ. 
 Dilly-dallying lost a populous section of country to 
 Methodism, and gave others a footing, who have quite 
 forestalled any efforts of ours in that region. There 
 were great difficulties in the way, but with a little more 
 push, they might have been overcome. 
 
 The two colleagues joined company, and the 
 younger one took part of his senior's family, and the 
 snowy, cold journey of sixty miles ice travelling, and 
 all the rest of it, was accomplished, but the details are 
 not of sufficient interest to detain the reader. The 
 senior brother's goal was attained first, and Brother 
 
MEETING OF OLD AND NEW FRIENDS. 199 
 
 Warble went on alone to PLiver Side, where be arrived 
 on Friday night, after live days floundering in the 
 snow. 
 
 To give him a chance of seeing his old friends, 
 without travelling all over the circuit, a " Temporary 
 Quarterly Meeting " had been announced for the fol- 
 lowing Saturday and Sunday by the preacher on that 
 circuit. 
 
 Now, be it known unto the leader, that by this 
 strange designation was meant, a meeting in all re- 
 spects like another quarterly meeting, only it was not 
 one of the four, the Presiding Elder did not conduct it, 
 and the usual quarterly official business was not at 
 tended to. And this one lacked another element: the 
 Lord's Supper could not be held, the preachers al- 
 though both eligible to ordination, for want of a Bishop, 
 had not been ordained, although Warble himself had 
 travelled no less than five years and a half. They 
 had, however, the usual Saturday night prayer 
 meeting, Sunday morning lovefeast, and Sunday fore- 
 noon sermon. The two sermons were preached by 
 Warble, as also one at Round Island on Sunday 
 night. 
 
 • It was not till Monday night that the full conclave 
 assembled. Symonds came on foot from Wildwoods 
 Mission, (he had thought best to work his field of 
 labor without a horse,) to visit his friend Brogan on 
 the Missipemoaning Circuit, and the two drove over 
 togethei on Monday to River Side. Black, who had 
 prcttched at the other extremity of the circuit, drove 
 up with his fine, hearty, excellent wife ; and several 
 
/ 
 
 200 THE SCHOOL OF THE PRO^^ ETS. 
 
 Others dropped in, who may, or y not come to 
 view. 
 
 The Marriage Act had lately come into force, and 
 Brother Black had within a few days performed the 
 rite for the first time, with which he felt not a little 
 tickled ; and offered his services to any of the younger 
 brethren, who had matrimonial negotiations in a state 
 of sufficient forwardness to need them. This, of 
 course, gave rise to some laughter, and not a little 
 banter among the exuberant spirited young men re- 
 leased from their usual care and toil, and rendered 
 still more hilarious by meeting their young friends. 
 As to Black, although he laughed but little, he pro- 
 voked a great deal; his manner of expression, and the 
 very sight of him would create a merry titter on the 
 part of those who knew him. 
 
 The 'Squire, in a graver tone, expressed his great 
 satisfaction at the Marriage Act having received the 
 Royal assent. It was " altered times," he said, " since 
 Brother Metcalt's marriage to that beautiful Irish lady 
 he had wooed and won in these settlements. Mr. 
 
 M did not want to be married by a magistrate ; 
 
 his friend and admirer, Mr. Gong, the Presbyterian 
 minister, could marry none, unless one at least of the 
 parties was a member of his own congregation, such 
 was then the state of the law ; and Mr. Metcalf was 
 too spirited to resort to those who denied the validity 
 of the Methodist ministry, and claimed all other cleri- 
 cal rights in the country. The result was he and his 
 bride, with their company, had to trke a journey of 
 seventy or eighty miles, some distance within the terri- 
 
MEETING OF OLD AND NEW FRIENDS. 201 
 
 tory of the United States, to be marrieJ by a minister 
 of his own Church — a journey which was impeded 
 and delayed by storms for more than a week." 
 
 All the young brethren congratulated themselves 
 that they were still single ; as they could now be mar- 
 ried by a minister of their own Church, and according 
 to a ritual they approved. 
 
 Here the conversation received a turn by Brother 
 Brogan asking their host as follows, " Squire, you 
 speak of the Rev. Mr. Gong's friendship for Mr. 
 Metcalf, and, therefore, implied liberality ; those of his 
 denomination, or at least the Kirk section of them, 
 are not equally liberal. The Rev. Mr. McAlpin, the 
 newly-appointed Kirk minister from Scotland to Glen- 
 Rocky, whose people were supplied with the Word and 
 ordinances ever since the plantation of the settlement 
 by the Methodists, has commenced a series of the 
 most ultra-Calvinistic sermons, accompanied by 
 very uncharitable allusions to us, evidently to 
 neu::ralize what he supposes our erroneous teach- 
 ing. He produced an impression against us 
 at first. But as we occupy the same house 
 on the Tenth Line, on alternate Sabbaths, it has so 
 turned out as to greatly increase my congregations. 
 The Scotch are fond of Theological discussions ; and 
 when I arrive in the neighborhood on the Saturday 
 evening, I learn his last Sunday's text and mode of 
 treating it. That is enough to suggest a te/vt and line 
 of argument which presents an array of Lrulhs adapted 
 to counteract his extreme positions. This I do with- 
 out making any reference to him. They all, even the 
 
202 THE SCHOOI, OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 young people, understand it, and have become greatly 
 interested in the fusilade, in which all the candid ones 
 admit he is getting the worst of it. He is very slow 
 in his compositions, and feels that he is placed at a 
 disadvantage. The consequence is he has lost his 
 temper, aivd said some very illiberal things to our dis- 
 advantage. On which account I have addressed a 
 challenge to him to discuss the points at issue," — 
 [here Brogan produced a copy of the letter] — " but so 
 far, he has not been pleased to accept it." * 
 
 Said Hamilton, "Brother Brogan, you like Theology, 
 and that too, in its controversial aspect, I perceive ?" 
 
 " Yes, Watson's Institutes and Fletcher's Checks to 
 Antinomianism are the delight of my soul ; I give my 
 days and nights to them and kindred authors." 
 
 " I am afraid," said Warble, " that I do not like 
 Theology so well as a preacher should; and as to 
 sermon reading, unless one of special interest, I can- 
 not endure it. Of course I have carefully read Wat- 
 son, Fletcher, Wesley's Sermons, and similar works ; 
 but I must confess that my eager reading is Biography, 
 History, and Literature, especially our Methodist 
 
 * Discussion is not pleasant, and usually, not desirable, — but 
 sometimes it issues in good results. This reverend gentleman 
 became convinced, that much might be said on the Methodist 
 side of the question ; and, from first becoming charitable, he 
 was lead to entertain a profound respect for the character and 
 work of Methodist ministers, and mada inquiries of them on the 
 subject of holiness, with all the docility of a child. Next he 
 embraced our Evangelical Arminianism, and finally died within 
 the enclosure of the Methodist Church, leaving his family warm 
 adherents and liberal supporters of the cause. 
 
MEETING OF OLD AND NEW FRIENDS. 203 
 
 authors who fall under these categories. But I be- 
 lieve Brother Hamilton there is still wider in his range 
 of reading than I am : Are you not, my old chum ?" 
 
 " You are right ; finding them on the circuit, I 
 have read through the whole of Stackhouse's voluminous 
 History of the Bible since Conference, and I am now 
 far on in my way through the numerous works of 
 Edmund Burke. By the bye, Brethren, I am inclined 
 to think from the arguments used by Burke, that our 
 lately acquired hostility to Government Aid for Re- 
 ligion, has not as much foundation as we have pre- 
 sumed on. Burke shows that if a whole nation fav^r 
 the Christian religion, why may they not support that 
 religion by an Act of a Parliament in which the people 
 are represented, without any contravention of the princi- 
 ple, that he who feeds a flock should eat of the milk 
 of the flock. 
 
 " I have often thought the same," said the 'Squire, 
 " and that we are too ultra in spurning Government 
 Aid for Religion under all circumstances, even for 
 Education, because that education is somehow con- 
 nected with a Church." 
 
 " You are right, 'Squire," chimed m the Irish voice 
 of Brogan. " Such extreme views are no part of the 
 original testimony of Methodism. Methodism was 
 not a dissent, a disruption from the Establishment, 
 but a revival which out-grew the Church. Its early 
 adherents were nominal members of the Church of 
 England ; and Wesley himself claimed to be a minis- 
 ter of the Church of England to the last, albeit, he 
 disregarded some of her regulations. And, although 
 
204 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 he admitted that a church establishment was a purely 
 human institution ; he did not say it was necessarily 
 an evil institution." 
 
 Warble, who was slow to depart from any of the 
 acknowledged principles of the body, observed, " Al- 
 though Brother Hamilton's theory from Burke may 
 seem plausible, it can never be realized in practice, as 
 our Christian world is constituted. Our Christianity 
 is divided, and what some hold to be true and lawful, 
 others hold to be erroneous and fatal. How then, can 
 you get a whole nation or province agreed as to what 
 should be supported by the State? And although 
 you may fix on one, which might receive the suffrages 
 of the majority, will you have the State support their 
 clergy and institutions, and neglect all the rest ? And 
 if you say, let provision be made for the support of 
 the minor sects also, then you will cause the State to 
 support both truth and error at the same time. You 
 cannot fix on any scheme which can provide for sup- 
 porting discordant sects by the State, without con- 
 fusion and inconsistency. Then, if you leave it open 
 to be dealt with by the Executive, according to the 
 merits of such particular denominations, you open the 
 flood gates of chicanery and corruption. The simple 
 and best way is to leave all religious denominations to 
 support their own clergy." 
 
 " Yes," said Hamilton, " but what of the benevolent 
 agencies of the Church : Missions to the Abor- 
 igines are not merely for the promotion of religion, 
 which, if done by us, necessarily includes the propa- 
 gation of our religious opinions, but they are largely 
 
MEETING OF OLD AND NEW FRIENDS. 205 
 
 educational and civilizing. This is a debt our Gov- 
 ernment owes to the Indians, but all attempts of mere 
 Civil Governments have only aggravated the evils 
 sought to be corrected ; but experience has proved, 
 that the Christian Church can perform this work effi- 
 ciently. Where then is .he evil, (nay it is meritorious) 
 — where is the evil of the Government making any 
 denomination that has been successful in this woiji, 
 the almoner of its charity, or its agent for the ac- 
 complishment of these much needed domestic and 
 educational enterprises ? Our Wesleyan brethren 
 have received money in the colonies for this work, 
 which they accepted on the ground that it is a sub- 
 scription, as much as that of many a philanthropic 
 man of the world, who wishes to see pagan nations 
 elevated, but does not care a whit about the theology 
 you teach. And the same remarks will apply to 
 education work through the denominations for the 
 benefit of community at large." s 
 
 " The trouble is," said Symonds, whose characteris- 
 tic modesty had kept him silent till now, " the 
 trouble is, that there is no system in this Province for 
 receiving this aid without compromising the freedom 
 and independence of the Church receiving it. In the 
 United States, it is all arranged on a certain scale, fixed 
 by Legislative enactment; the Legislature has voted cer- 
 tain amounts of public money for the benefit of the 
 Aborigines and for higher education ; any community 
 that will perform a certain amount of work in either of 
 these departments, will receive a certain amount of 
 money. All the Methodists have to do over there, is 
 
200 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 to furnish evidence to the authorities of the work done, 
 and they receive a proportionate amount of the public 
 funds without any tiammeling effect on the denomina- 
 tion itself" 
 
 " I could have no objection to any arrangement of 
 that kind," said Warble, " but after all, we have said 
 and done in this country on the subbject of religious 
 g|3.nts, we could not participate in them, even if such an 
 arrangement were made, without seeming to stultify our- 
 selves. We would lay ourselves open to the scoffs of 
 the community for our inconsistency, and many of our 
 oldest friends would be highly dissatisfied." 
 
 " Why then," said the 'Squire, " do not our oldest 
 friends furnish the means to the missionary treasury 
 to answer the piteous calls for aid to the Indians in 
 the interior and the far North-West ? And will the 
 Methodists furnish the necessary funds to erect and 
 endow the Academy for which Brother Rogers and 
 another are now canvassing the country ? I think you 
 will find, after they have done all they can do, that 
 the Institution will need the aid of the Government, 
 from any money which may be at its disposal, for the 
 promotion of higher education. The benefits are not 
 to be confined to the denomination, but will be in 
 favor of the whole community. What imaginable reason 
 is there, therefore, why that Institution should not re- 
 ceive public assistance ? It would be a becoming and 
 salutary premium on private enterprise." 
 
 " The greatest trouble will be with the political party 
 which has aided us in successfully fighting the battle 
 of our religious rights. So long as we go with them 
 
MEETING OF OLD AND NEW FRIENDS. 207 
 
 in every thing, they will speak well of us, but the mo- 
 ment we venture to hold back in any particular, they 
 will denounce and destroy us if they can ; it is charac- 
 teristic of politicians." 
 
 Said Hamilton, " We need not fear anything being 
 accepted by us, as the party in power will never offer 
 us any thing. But I should not be surprised to find 
 they have offered the British Wesleyan Missionary 
 authorities something already to commence operations 
 among the Indians ; and if they have or do, it will be a 
 matter in which the Canada Conference cannot interfere, 
 even if the TJnion should be consummated. One of 
 the prelimiriary articles makes them responsible for 
 the sum required to carry on the missions, and that 
 they will have to furnish whether the Government 
 give, or do not give. What we raise will be merely 
 auxiliary to their fund." 
 
 Many were the lighter subjects discussed at that 
 meeting, and stories told, but we cannot give many of 
 them in detail for want of space. Warble took oc- 
 casion to ask Symonds how he had sped in his suit 
 with Miss Laurie, but it had turned out as Warble 
 had feared, Symonds was too late, the lady was pre- 
 engaged. Thus one who would have been a becoming 
 wife for a minister, entered on the duties of a farm- 
 er's wife, for which she was not well adapted ; and an 
 angel-minded young lady, who would have been led 
 heavenward by such a companion as Symonds, was 
 compelled to sojourn with one who had no comprehen- 
 sion of her spiritual aspirations; but who, uninten- 
 
208 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 tionally perhaps, fettered her to earth-born cares and 
 interests. 
 
 Hamilton confided to his early friend the severance 
 of an early engagement, which he regretted, and 
 which wrought him much sorrow in the long run ; and 
 expressed his hope to Warble that nothing would oc- 
 cur to produce an interruption of his understood en- 
 gagement. 
 
KINDRED MINDS ON A JOURNEY. 209 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 CONTACT OF KINDRED MINDS ON A JOURNEY. 
 
 JOINCIDENTALLY with Warble's visit to 
 Lake River Circuit, circumstances took place 
 which led to his transfer from the Francofluvia 
 Circuit to the Boytown. 
 The last-named Circuit had been united (or re- 
 united, for they were originally one) to the Hulton 
 Circuit at the preceding Conference, under the name 
 of Boytmvn alone. The Rev. Alanson Firstman had 
 been the incumbent of Hulton the year before, where 
 he still resided, and Boytown had had a married 
 preacher to itself, to support as best it could ; for in 
 those days there were no Contingent or Missionary 
 Funds to spend on such cases. And now, as to this 
 year, it was thought, as a matter of economy, that it 
 would be best to let Brother Firstman reside where he 
 was, inasmuch as he was paying no rent, old Father 
 Grimm, a rough but generous man, having given up his 
 upstair apartments to him ; and furnish him a single 
 man as a colleague, who could reside in Boytown and 
 attend to the special pastoral work in that place. The 
 young man was Levius Larmer. The married man's 
 claim for quarterage was $200 and the young man's 
 $100; and as the claim for board, horse-keeping, and 
 travelling expenses, were then usually very low, and 
 
 o 
 
210 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 the first two items usually paid in kind, it was making 
 things easy for the Circuit. 
 
 But Boytown had a few men, who initiated a system 
 of strife and debate, which cursed that ground, we 
 might say, almost for generations. These men had no 
 objections to receive Brother Firstman's labors, but 
 they stood on the ground, although their side of the 
 river was about two to one as to work, membership, 
 and means, that they were to do nothing but support 
 the single man. This led the preacher in charge, who 
 was always calm but always inflexible, to use discipli- 
 narian means to coerce them. That was resisted, and 
 a painful turmoil was the result, — albeit seven-eighths 
 of the membership knew that the stand of those two 
 men was unjust. 
 
 The Presiding Elder, to save the interests of 
 Methodism from utter ruin by two contentious men, 
 restricted Mr. Firstman to the Hulton side of the 
 Francofluvia, thus throwing him wholly on them for 
 support, and obliging that people to do a third more in 
 the way of contribution than they had expected at the 
 beginning of the year; and ordered Mr. Warble to 
 transfer himself to Boytown, to take charge of the 
 ground on the south side of the River as a separate 
 circuit. And Mr. Larmer was dispatched to Franco- 
 fluvia Circuit to take his place. Such adjustments a 
 Presiding Elder could make in those days, if he had 
 the advice and concurrence of two neighboring minis- 
 ters. The official and his advisers thought the action, 
 however hard on some, was necessary to prevent two 
 turbulent men from ruining the cause. 
 
KINDRED MINDS ON A JOURNEY. 211 
 
 The Conference and preachers had the name of 
 possessing great power ; but as they were wholly and 
 directly dependent on the people for supplies, those 
 who held the purse-strings and had social influence, 
 contrived usually to have things their own way, and 
 an evil way it was in too many cases. 
 
 [Perhaps this would be as good a place as any to 
 present one of the questions, which it is one object of 
 this work to discuss. The love of power is native to 
 the human heart, although some desire it more than 
 others ; also, the possession and exercise of power has 
 a tendency to foster the love of it, and the desire 
 to keep it, if not to enlarge its possession, as a general 
 rule. Therefore, it is absurd and unreasonable to 
 charge one class or order of men with the desire for 
 power rather than another. It has been fashionable in 
 some quarters to charge ministers, (" clergy/' " ecclesi- 
 astics," or " priests," as they have been called,) with 
 an undue love of power more than laymen. The 
 truth is, they all love it alike, not that they desire to 
 make an ill use of it at all times ; they all persuade 
 themselves, that the use they intend to make of it is 
 good ; and in some cases the intended use is good. 
 It is not always a merit to let power pass out of our 
 hands, or to neglect to secure that measure of it which 
 is legitimate and useful in any particular case. Take 
 the case of parents for an illustration. Sometimes a 
 large measure of power has been beneficially exercised, 
 and so long as it is in wise and good hands, its possession 
 is for good. Thus, the power of the Methodist minis- 
 ters, or preachers at first was great, and a great bless- 
 
212 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 • 
 
 ing : They were self-sacrificing, holy men, who re- 
 stricted themselves to small allowances, and for those 
 allowances they were dependent on the people they 
 ruled, while they pushed on the work with all their 
 might. It was not strange, therefore, if they thought 
 their power necessary to the efficient accomplishment 
 of their good enterprise ; and it was. And for a long 
 time, both in England and America, it was wielded with 
 moderation and for the good of the people alone. 
 Complaints against its manner of exercise were at 
 length made, from time to time, and checks on 
 ministerial authority invented ; and gradually a large 
 measure of power was transferred to lay-official courts, 
 or acquired by them ; and as far as they have come 
 into the possession of power, they have showed quite 
 as great a tenacity of that power, as the preachers 
 themselves ; and we incline to the opinion, that they 
 have shown a much greater tenacity. And it has 
 sometimes been felt to be more intolerable ; in as 
 much as that almost all the lay courts are self-con- 
 stituted; and are responsible to no one, and dependent 
 on no one, as were the preachers. 
 
 How can you bring public opinion in a Circuit to 
 bear on a local preacher's meeting, or a quarterly offi- 
 cial meeting ? The rank and file of the membership 
 have no means of controlling them, nor have the min- 
 isterial Conferences themselves. The official boards 
 have means of influencing the private membership, 
 but as a general thing, the private members, if left to 
 themselves, confide more in the ministers than they 
 do in the lay officials. As a general rule, the lay 
 
KINDRED MINDS ON A JOURNEY. 213 
 
 official courts mean well and do well, and matters go 
 on harmoniously in ordinary ; but when these bodies 
 come under the domination of a few dictatorial men 
 their tyranny is unbearable. A one-man tyranny may 
 be got rid of in many ways, or starved into modera- 
 tion ; but there is no touching the few-men tyranny, 
 where, as has been the case with our Church Courts, 
 they are self-constituted and irresponsible. It has been 
 so great in some Circuits as to overtop both preachers 
 and people for years. We could easily give the names 
 and places of Official Boards which have had this no 
 very enviable reputation in our Wesleyan history for ^ 
 long periods. 
 
 And we wot of a large and laborious section of 
 Methodism, which has persuaded itself that it is the 
 most popularized system of church government in the 
 world, (and on a superficial view, it seems so to others) 
 having such an overwhelming preponderance of lay- 
 men in District Meetings and Conference, in which 
 body there is really no popular government after all, 
 as there is also no pastoral government, but an astound- 
 ing system of oligarchies. The quarterly meetings 
 are all self-constituted — no popular element, no single 
 member, can enter them from the ranks of the private 
 membership without the election of these Courts 
 themselves. Then, they decide who shall compose 
 the District Meetings, and those District Meetings who 
 shall compose the Conference, and all the delegates, 
 both to the one and the other, must go from out their 
 own self-constituted ranks. These Courts are in no 
 wise responsible, so far as we can see, to the people 
 
214 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 below them, or the Conference above them ; and as 
 they must be largely composed of men of narrow 
 views, bound together by this bond of mutual self- 
 appointment — [" You vote for me, and I for you "] — 
 it would be a miracle, if they did not perpetrate many 
 arbitrary and cruel acts. It is true, these Courts may 
 perhaps keep each other in check — that is, they are 
 afraid of each other — but it is only to prevent the 
 growth of connexional public opinion and connexional 
 progress. Such a system must necessarily be one of 
 mutual suspicion and espionage. No wonder, there- 
 fore, with a vast number of individuals both among 
 clergy and laity desirous of co-operating for the unifi- 
 cation of Colonia^ Methodism, nothing can be done 
 in such a populous body towards its accomplishment. 
 A purely pastoral government^ where the pastors are 
 dependent directly on the people for support ; or a pure 
 democracy, where there is fair representation from the 
 people, must be vastly freer than a government by a 
 congeries of close, irresponsible corporations. It must 
 be that an earnest spirit of piety is the reason why 
 such a system does not come to a dead-lock altogether. 
 We write thus plainly to prevent people deceiving 
 themselves by a plausible delusion. 
 
 The reader must not misunderstand the editor of 
 these papers. He has no sympathy with the reaching 
 after that degree of pastoral power, which seeks to 
 originate and control all that is done. Such an effort 
 to establish pastoral authority, deservedly overreaches 
 itself; for while it gives official influence, it destroys 
 moral influence. Neither is the editor dissatisfied 
 
KINDRED MINDS ON A JOURNEY. 215 
 
 with the lay elements which have been introduced into 
 the largest Methodist body of these Provinces, in con- 
 nection with the late unifying measures. Only he 
 thinks that in some respects they have not gone far 
 enough ; and in others, they have not been so wisely 
 applied as they might have been. 
 
 He is of the humble opinion, that the measure of 
 the Australian connexion, in introducing laymen into 
 the Annual Conferences, as well as the General Con- 
 ference and District Meetings, should be imitated. 
 He would say, keep the " Society Representatives " 
 in the Quarterly Official Meeting, if the majority think 
 best (for a large official board is rather desirable than 
 otherwise) ; but instead of the Stewards being ap- 
 pointed by the Quarterly Meeting on the nomination 
 of the chair, let the whole mass of membership elect 
 these men who handle their money, in any form they 
 prefer to elect them. Fix as a standard, that the 
 Stewards shall be matured, law-abiding members of the 
 Church, and of sufficient financial ability and business 
 capacity to transact the matters to which they have to 
 attend ; and if the people have elected any who does 
 not come up to this standard, give the pastor the right 
 of voiding the election, and of throwing the matter 
 back on them for a second choice. If this were done 
 annually, and a circuit not restricted to a certain num- 
 ber of Stewards, for which there is no imaginable rea- 
 son, there would be little, if any, need of Society 
 Representatives besides the Stewards themselves. 
 
 Then, as to the other members of the Quarterly 
 Official Meeting, let the leaders be appointed by the 
 
216 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 Superintendent, with the concurrence of their respec- 
 tive classes. Leaders share and represent his pastoral 
 authority and work, and their classes are those princi- 
 pally interested ir their qualifications for the functions 
 they have to experience. As to local preachers and 
 exhorters, their choice and authentication from year to 
 year, might safely be left with the Superintendent and 
 Quarterly Official Meeting as thus constituted.] 
 
 But we must now return to the thread of our narrative. 
 In the interregnum between one preacher's removal and 
 the arrival of another, several arrangements had been 
 made by the Society at Boytown, under the manage 
 ment of the leading litigant, which they had no dis- 
 ciplinary authority to make ; but Mr. Warble ignored 
 the irregularity, and took things as he found them. 
 Taking the reins in his own hands for the balance of 
 the year, and quietly exercising his pastoral authority 
 without brandishing it over their heads, he suc- 
 ceeded in calming the irritation, and directing 
 the minds of the members into that pious coiirse 
 of well-doing which should characterize the mem- 
 bers of a Church, and which is the only effec- 
 tual means of building it up, and of enlarging its 
 boundaries. Towards the close of the Conference 
 year, the fruits of patient continuance in well-doing 
 appeared in the out-breaking of a gracious revival, 
 which issued in the salvation of many souls in all parts 
 of the circuit. 
 
 So much for preliminaries, we come now to the 
 incidents and discussions of the journey indicated by 
 the title of this chapter. Mr. Warble had to make a 
 
KINDRED MINDS ON A JOURNEY. 217 
 
 long journey before the sleighing should break up to the 
 circuit from which he had been removed, to fetch 
 away his luggage up to his new place of labor. Be- 
 sides what he had on his back, all could be brought — 
 books, clothes and all, in one medium-sized hair- 
 covered trunk, and in a valise., excepting the saddle 
 and bridle, which were stowed away in the back part of 
 the cutter, while his trunk was bestowed in front. 
 
 Besides, the reader must be informed, that two rode 
 in the cutter, and his companion furthermore being a 
 very large man : this was his Presiding Elder, the Rev. 
 Blake Vernon. This officer had attended the Boy- 
 town quarterly meeting, and had to go down to the 
 Francofluvia quarterly meeting. They agreed to make 
 the journey together: Brother Warble furnished the 
 cutter adapted tD the single-roads and the shaft horse ; 
 the Elder's tall, smart mare was placed in front ; but 
 as they were not provided with the necessary sort of 
 reins to guide both horses, each man drove his own 
 horse. 
 
 They had about three days' journey to perform each 
 way, mostly on the frozen surface of the river. The 
 snow on a level was about four feet deep, but the top 
 of the road, from the packing on of drift snow, could 
 not have been less than seven, or ten feet from the 
 ice. It therefore resembled a very high, narrow turn- 
 pike. Another peculiarity of this road was, it was 
 wrought up into a succession of hills and hollows, by 
 the singular construction of the French sleds, or 
 tratneaux, which were principally in use in that part of 
 the country. These made the journey laborious, if 
 
218 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 not perilous, at best, but there was another source of 
 constant peril, and frequent misadventures. Miles of 
 loaded sleds were being met ever and anon ; for all 
 the merchandise for hundreds of miles up into the 
 lumbering country was conveyed in this manner. 
 
 There was not more than one driver to every two 
 sleds, and sometimes to every three. Moreover, whether 
 the driver was with them or not, the horses drawing 
 these loads never gave any part of the road on meeting 
 a conveyance ; but a lighter vehicle was rudely thrust 
 out of the track ; and to turn out, was almost always 
 to roll down to the foot of the " turnpike," and usually 
 to turn over, if not bottom-side up, involving the 
 necessity, before being righted again, of unharnessing the 
 horses in whole or part. How often exactly such 
 encounters happened in this journey, this deponent 
 would not undertake to say with precision, but cer- 
 tainly too often for comfort, although the affair was 
 sometimes provocative of laughter. Yet it was upon 
 the whole a very agreeable and profitable journey. 
 The Elder was a much older man than his companion, 
 and had had three or four years more experience in 
 the itinerancy than he. Besides, he was much better 
 educated and informed in general matters than the 
 average of the preachers of that day. He was conde- 
 scending and communicative withal, and many were 
 the subjects of ministerial and connexional interest 
 discussed during this wintry journey. The junior was 
 as yet not a very hearty approver of the projected 
 Union ; the senior was one of its cordial supporters 
 
KINDRED MINDS ON A JOURNEY. 219 
 
 from the first, and helped to indoctrinate his younger 
 companion. 
 
 The Elder was a native of York State, where he 
 had received his earliest Methodist training, under 
 such men as Heman Bangs, Daniel Ostander, Laben 
 Clake, Peter P. Sanford, George Coles, and others of 
 the same stamp, to talk of whom and to describe the 
 characteristics of their ministry constituted one of the 
 pleasures of the journey. Then to classify our own 
 Canadian ministry was another. They were divided 
 by Mr. Vernon into four classes. The first class, 
 according to him, consisted of only two men, alike in pre- 
 eminence, but dissimilar in the style of their talents : 
 these were Chrysostom Regnor and Mr. Metcalf. The 
 first excelled in eloquence, the second in elegance. 
 One took bolder flights, but the other was more accur- 
 ate. One had the more natural talent, the other the 
 better attainments. 
 
 Julius and Justin Regnor, Vernun, Highland, 
 Bevitt, Clarke, and a few others were put in a second 
 class. 
 
 According to him, Davies, Firstman, Hamilton, 
 Brcgan, Warble, &c., some of whom certainly have 
 since been in the second rank at least, were yet con- 
 sidered in the third class. 
 
 I am unwilling to say who all were placed in the 
 fourth class, the great receptacle of odds and ends ; 
 only it is remembered, that one who was classified 
 with these, afterwards proved himself not only one 
 of the best men of the body, but of superior in- 
 tellect. The endeavor to give a person his true 
 
220 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 classification is not always a very easy task ; the 
 gifts and peculiar excellencies of men are so diverse, 
 that few can strike an accurate balance between their 
 excellencies and defects. And perhaps the attempt is 
 as unwise as it is often unjust ; the better way is to 
 await the decision of the Judge of All the Earth. 
 
 A more sensible occupation of our two travellers 
 was that of reading and discussing a book. Neither 
 of them, at that time, had much acquaintance with 
 Latin or Greek ; all the way, therefore, they had of 
 becoming acquainted with the writers of classic an- 
 tiquity was through the medium of translations. These 
 they had not always the means of buying, certainly it 
 was so with Warble. His method was usually to read 
 all the books of value which he found in his circuit ; 
 and he embraced the opportunity of reading them at 
 once upon their discovery, for fear he might not meet 
 with them again. 
 
 On this principle, he read in a very zigzag way, and 
 some very curious kind of books. He had heard of 
 Homer's Illiad, and he had met with Pope's Homer, 
 and borrowed it; and he and his Presiding Elder 
 were fain to read it through in this journey, which they 
 did in the private houses and taverns in which they 
 stopped and in the sleigh itself, " taking turns," when 
 one reader became weary, or hoarse. The "blind 
 old bard's" descriptions enraptured them, and were 
 suggestive of many a remark of one to the other. By 
 the way, to read a book in concert between two, is one 
 of the best methods of mastering it. 
 
SHADOWS ACROSS THE PATHWAY. 221 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 SHADOWS ACROSS THE PATHWAY. 
 
 It had been understood by all the parties con- 
 cerned, that there should be a wedding at River 
 Side just before the next Conference — after 
 which Brother Warble having labored four years 
 in connection with the Conference, besides nearly two 
 other years under the Presiding Elder, he would be 
 entitled to a disciplinary allowance for a wife, if he 
 chose to take one. 
 
 So far as his own means and resources were con- 
 cerned, it was an act of temerity for him perhaps to 
 have projected marriage at the best ; but joined to 
 that, a series of R)sses and extra expenses had fallen 
 to his lot during the Conference year we are describ- 
 ing, which, added to losses connected with that very 
 precarious kind of property, horses, for two years pre- 
 viously, threw him into straits and perplexities. The 
 state of the care will be best explained by the follow- 
 ing letter, written in a fit of despondency to one very 
 dear to him : — 
 
 " To Miss Hephzibah Firstman, 
 
 " River Side, Round Island, P. O. 
 
 " My Dfarest Hephzy, 
 
 " I begin to feel that I have done you a very great 
 injustice. 
 
222 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 " I was a foolish young man to engage your affec- 
 tions and to extort a promise of marriage from you to 
 me at any rate — wandering, ill-paid Methodist itiner- 
 ant that I am. Then, oft-repeated losses prove that I 
 am either a poor manager, or else very unfortunate. 
 This year I have had a series of mischances. I have 
 received but little from either of my two several Cir- 
 cuits. My removal to this one has occasioned the 
 expense of about $45.00 for equipage that was pro- 
 vided in my first Circuit. My promising mare, for 
 which I gave my horse and will have to* pay $20.00 
 besides, proved with foal and unable to travel. I 
 changed her for a high-priced one, with a great name 
 as a traveller, which died in a few weeks, out of hand. 
 I am now horseless and owe about fifty dollars. To 
 procure the one and pay the other, will take a great 
 deal more than I can save out of my meagre allow- 
 ances, let me use all the economy I can, without 
 incurring the expense of housekeeping. 
 
 " Marriage, therefore, during the next year is out of 
 the question ; and I have not the face to ask you to 
 wait another year for so worthless a person. This sad 
 letter, therefore, is to set you free from all obligations 
 to me. If you meet any opportunity of a comfortable 
 settlement in life, do not feel any restrictions from 
 accepting it on my account. I may grudge the happy 
 man the possession of a prize so dear, but I will never 
 claim you, — although I will likely ever after prosecute 
 my earthly journey alone. But should you remain single 
 until my circumstances will decently justify the offer of 
 my hand, you may be sure of receiving the proffer. 
 
 " But, in the present state of things, it will only 
 torture us both for me to make my projected visit to 
 River Side on my way to the next Conference. I 
 must give the dear scenes of so much exquisite enjoy- 
 ment the go-by until more favorable circumstances 
 dawn on my sad heart. 
 
SHADOWS ACROSS THE PATHWAY. 223 
 
 " Please show this to your dear, honored parents ; 
 and give my kind regards to all the precious family. 
 Assure them all of my inviolable attachment. For 
 you may all rest assured that I am not vacillating in 
 my affections, or ungrateful, if I am imprudent and 
 unfortunate. 
 
 " Adieu ! my never-to-be-forgotten, once-claimed, 
 but now relinquished, precious Miss Firstman ! I 
 shall ever bear your image in my riven heart. 
 
 " Your sorrowful friend and well-wisher, 
 
 "William Warrle. 
 "Boytown, June, 1833." 
 
 The manner in which this unexpected letter was re- 
 ceived, and the character of the young lady, will ap- 
 pear from the following extract from a note from Miss 
 Firstman to Warble : — 
 
 " To the Rev. William Warble, 
 
 " Boytown. 
 " Dear Brother Warble, 
 
 " We are all very sorry for your losses and sorrows. 
 Father had heard of the loss of your horse, by a letter 
 from Brother Alanson ; and he had arranged to pro- 
 vide you with a horse. There is the colt out of the 
 mare we bought from Johnny Black, foaled when you 
 first came on this circuit. He has grown to be a nice 
 young horse, very well adapted to the saddle or cutter. 
 Father says you are welcome to him, if you will ac- 
 cept him. 
 
 " And whatever happens, you had better not keep 
 your purpose of defrauding us of a visit, on your way 
 to Conference. All the family have calculated very 
 much upon it. Whatever the relation we hold to 
 each other, we shall want very much to see you. 
 
 [Hear followed the usual family news and local 
 gossip.] 
 
224 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 " Hoping to hear from yon soon, I remain your 
 affectionate and sympathizing fnend in the Lord, 
 
 Hephzibah Firstman." 
 
 The reader will perhaps easily surmise, that Brother 
 Warble did not keep away from River Side. He did 
 go there again ; and when once there, matters were 
 viewed in a less gloomy light. He did put the saddle 
 on the colt and ride him away. And in a few months 
 after he did drive away with a still more precious 
 freight ; but we must not anticipate. 
 
NEWS SENSATIONAL FROM NEW YORK. 
 
 225 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI 
 
 NEWS SENSATIONAL FROM NEW YORK. 
 
 .HE Conference year, 1832-33, had closed 
 prosperously with the connexion at large. A 
 net gain of over a thousand members had 
 been added to the several societies ; only a 
 third as many, however, as had been added the year 
 before that ; but still it was a result whicli called for 
 thanksgiving. But it had been especially prosperous 
 to the brethren and their circuits who have come to 
 view in our humble narrative. Warble had just con- 
 summated his long correspondence by marrying 
 Hephzibah Firstrnan. 
 
 Symonds and Brogan, in their journey to Confer- 
 ence from their back-lying fields of labor, had arranged 
 to stop a few days at River Side to meet with Brother 
 Hamilton, the incumbent of Lake River Circuit, and 
 to pay their respects to Warble and his bride. For 
 the lady was destined to remain at home for another 
 four or five months, until the sleighing should furnish 
 facilities for removal to her husband's next year's ap- 
 pointment. We may say, in passing, that the exigen- 
 cies of the itinerancy with them did not allow this 
 young couple more than a fortnight, all put together, 
 in each other's company during the first four months 
 of their married life. 
 
 p 
 
226 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 That there was much talk and discussion among 
 these four active-minded young preachers and their 
 four sage old friends — McRorey, Grayley, Bursdale,and 
 the 'Squire during this happy season of relaxation at 
 River Side, will be easily imagined. Some of the dis- 
 cussions were pregnant enough with meaning j but a 
 good part of it was too hilarous for record. 
 
 It is true, they were on the eve of the notable 
 Conference of 1833, to be held in the Capital of the 
 Province, where the Union negotiations were to be 
 consummated; but discussion on that subject had 
 spent itself ; and, so far as was then known, the con- 
 nexion, lay and clerical, had settled itself down in an 
 acceptance of the expected situation. Indeed, all was 
 apparent harmony and hope. 
 
 The " news " to which reference is made in the title 
 of the chapter, was received further on in their journey 
 towards the Conference. The young brethren had 
 left Round Island — crossed Cromwell's Ferry into the 
 Transmorass Circuit — and spent the Sabbath in a re- 
 tired country neighborhood, the guests of some very 
 special friends of Brother Brogan, including an able and 
 influential local preacher and his excellent and talented 
 wife with their promising housefull of children ; two 
 of them, ] -ogan and Warble, each favoring the neigh- 
 borhood wlih a sermon in the adjacent school-house. 
 
 From there, they had a day's ride out to the main 
 water communication, where they meant to leave their 
 horses, and, for once in their lives, treat themselves to 
 a ride to Conference, for the rest qf the way, on a 
 steam boat. 
 
NEWS SENSATIONAL FROM NEW YORK. 227 
 
 The last place of rendezvous, before leaving the Trans- 
 morass Circuit, was Butler's Corners, where there was 
 a confluence of roads converging from various places 
 on the frontier into the great thoroughfare leading to 
 Round Island and the back country. Here was a 
 post-office kept by the ex-circuit preacher, the Rev. 
 Steward Butler, or if you choose to view him as farmer, 
 shop-keeper, post-master, and magistrate, you might 
 call him, Steward Butler, Esq. This was a sort of 
 centre of information, where the scattered rays of in- 
 telligence converged. 
 
 Here the young preachers, Symonds, Brogan, 
 Hamilton, and Warble, met the devoted circuit preach- 
 er, Ahner Throwdart, who had counted a net gain of 
 about fifty souls during the year then closing. These, 
 with Mr. Butler, Sister Butler, and "Uncle Virgil," 
 and " Aunt Priscilla," hard by, constituted a very 
 formidable conclave, when once fairly organized. 
 
 The event which gave character to their discussions 
 was the arrival of the Christian Guardian from York, 
 which had been about a week on its journey, and 
 bringing news of still more remote dates from New 
 York. The New York advices were to the effect, that 
 the Representative of the Canada Conference had re- 
 turned from England, and with him the prospective 
 President of the Canada Conference, appointed by the 
 British Conference, as also a Superintendent for the 
 Missions, which were to be accounted henceforth to 
 them. 
 
 But in care of the Rev. George Marsden there was 
 another arrival, not anti ipated by the general public. 
 
228 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 This was a petite young lady of genteel connec- 
 tions, fine accomplishments, and sincere piety, al- 
 though not of the Methodist denomination. By ap- 
 pointment, (the news said,) she had been met in New 
 York, by a dusky stranger from Canada, who led her 
 to the hymenial altar, where they had been solemnly 
 married by the Venerable Doctor Bangs. 
 
 It was Othello and Desdemona over again, so far as 
 the contrast of personal appearance and antecedents 
 were concerned. She was from the refined circles of 
 Lambeth, nec^ London, while he was erst of the Ojib- 
 way Indians, who from time immemorial wandered the 
 dense, dark forests on the banks of Ontario and its 
 tributary streams from the northward. These were 
 Kakeivahquonaby, native missionary of the Canada 
 Conference, and Miss Eliza Fietds of Old England. 
 
 The whole is explained when we say, that, 
 two years before he had been in Great Britain 
 begging for our Aboriginal missions; and, besides 
 being the guest of George IV., had been her 
 father's guest. She had heard him tell the story of his 
 savage days, his conversion, and missionary hardships, 
 on the missionary platform, and in snatches. Like 
 Othello he had told it all consecutively over to her. 
 She no doubt thought it 
 
 " Wondrous pitiful." 
 
 And finally commiserated him so much as to consent 
 to share his labors, and joys, and sorrows in his far-off 
 native land. 
 
 The recent voyage, meeting, and marriage in New 
 
NEWS SENSATIONAL FROM NEW YORK. 229 
 
 York was the result of the negotiations. The negotia- 
 tions were not without obstructions from friends, and 
 delays, which constitute a plot that would make the 
 fortune of any first-class novelist (say some George 
 Elliott) who might see fit to appropriate the facts, and 
 give them the embellishments of which they are so 
 susceptible. 
 
 The arrival of this news at Butler's Corners consti- 
 tuted a first-class sensation to the unsophisticated 
 company assembled, mostly conversant as they were 
 with the even tenor of rural, if not back-woods, life. 
 It produced surprise, wonder, approval, disapproval, 
 and an outgush of exclamations and remarks as diver- 
 sified as the persons who made them. 
 
 Most wondered at a fine lady's taste in marrying an 
 Indian. The unmarried young preachers had their 
 conceptions wondrously heightened of their matrimo- 
 nial chances, if they only bided their time, and played 
 their cards well. They became very exacting in their 
 demands for beauty, rank, accomplishments, age, and 
 wealth itself In the meatime, it lead off into a very 
 animated and long-continued discussion as to the 
 necessary characteristics of a good wife for a Metho- 
 dist itinerant. If we could produce all that was said, 
 pro and con^ by Brogan with his Irish vivacity. Aunt 
 Priscilla with her oddity, Uncle Virgil with its homeli- 
 ness, Symonds with his Yankee shrewdness, Butler 
 with his sly humor, and Throwdart with his quiet, good 
 sense, it would be very amusing ; but then, it would 
 take more room than we have to afford. Warble said 
 but little, as he had so recently given his own estimate 
 
230 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 of what a minister's wife should be, in the choice which 
 he had so lately ratified. 
 
 At first, there was a good deal of badinage and 
 balderdash — a good many extravagant things uttered 
 — and a good deal said that was not meant ; but at 
 length, good sense prevailed, and the unanimous con- 
 clusion, if fairly written out and recorded, amounted 
 to this : — 
 
 Get a wife from a family of a good honest name ; if 
 she is accomplished all the better ; but, at least, let her 
 be a person of good natural sense, for an itinerant 
 fool would be deplorable ; let her be unmistakably 
 pious, if possible, and the more heavenly minded she 
 is, the better ; but she must be a person of a sweet 
 amiable temper naturally, so that if she should de- 
 cline in religion, her husband would still have a toler- 
 able life with her ; as to beauty or comeliness, that was 
 taken as a matter of course, seeing it would be settled 
 by the choice of the only person concerned, the hus- 
 band, who would naturally esteem all the prominent 
 features to be so many beauty-spots : an ability to 
 pray and speak a word for God was thought to be de- 
 sirable, but it was concluded, that gifts were not grace, 
 and that grace was better than gifts ; as to the matter 
 of dress, she must not be so highflying as to stumble 
 the staid old Sisters in the Church, or as to encourage 
 the flittergibs, who will take license for all kinds of 
 frippery from any indication that way in the preacher's 
 wife ; but then, it was thought, she should be neat in 
 her attire, for the sake of its comeliness and for the 
 sake of example ; finally, next to good temper, and 
 
NEWS SENSATIONAL FROM NEW YORK. 231 
 
 above all other accomplishments, it was concluded 
 that a circuit preacher's wife would need to know 
 domestic economy ; how to milk the cow, if they were 
 so fortunate as to own one — to make the butter and 
 bread, both of them good, for what is worse than 
 spoiled bread and butter — cure, so as to keep from 
 spoiling, those extraordinary influxes of flesh-meat in 
 the preacher's larder, which characterized the " killing 
 time." It was thought a clean, cozy, quiet, well kept 
 home, and a kindly greeting when he returned from 
 his Circuit, had more to do with the preacher's preach- 
 ing good sermons and laboring efficiently than almost 
 anything else. When the summary was made up, 
 Warble thought that all the excellencies which had 
 received the imprimatur of the conclave centred in his 
 Hephzy ; and after a long time for reflection, the Edi- 
 tor thinks he was correct. 
 
232 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 A REVIEW OF MATTERS AFTER THE "UNION." 
 
 ]BOUT three weeks after the last sederunt, at 
 .^^ the house of Mr. Butler, there was a somewhat 
 \M|||n numerous gathering of members of the coterie 
 f Ir Ijllf at the the 'Squire's, at River Side. 
 
 There was Alanson, on a visit home, before moving 
 to his new circuit, Hamilton, who was reappointed to 
 Lake River, Brogan on his way back to Missipemoan- 
 ing for another year, and Warble for a very brief 
 sojourn with his new wife and friends, before his 
 entrance on another term at Boytown. Symonds was 
 not there, having tarried at his frontier circuit, where 
 he was to be the colleague of Alanson Firstman. 
 Warble had met his wife, paying a sort of valedictory 
 visit to her father's relatives, about forty miles from 
 River Side, whither she had gone on horseback. So 
 that the two had the delectable pleasure of riding 
 " cheek by jowl " together back to the parental home. 
 Equestrianism had the ascendency over carriages in 
 those days. 
 
 The notable unifying Conference had come and 
 gone, the four leading seniors of the neighborhood, 
 McRorey, Grayley, Bursdale, and the 'Squire, had 
 naturally a good many inquiries to make and have 
 them solved relative to the recent doings of the 
 
MATTERS AFTER THE " UNION." 233 . 
 
 Conference, and the then present and prospective 
 status of the Connexion. This session, therefore, 
 constituted a sort of " Committee of Review." 
 
 Bursdale wished to "knaw hif the union with the 
 Henglish Conference was raily haccompiished." 
 
 " It is," said Hamilton, " fixed, I hope, like the 
 laws of the Medes and Persians." 
 
 All the old country friends expressed themselves as 
 .greatly pleased, and no one expressed any displeasure. 
 
 McRorey wished to know if " the religious services- 
 of the Conference had been happy." 
 
 Warble assured him they had been, especially on 
 Sunday, when the English Representative preached 
 with great unction, in the morning. A lively prayer 
 meeting followed the sermon on Sunday evening, 
 where many were seeking perfect love under the 
 management of the blind Evangelist, the devoted 
 John Long; and some were "overwhelmed with the 
 power." 
 
 The 'Squire wiShed to know if there were " any 
 dissentients among the members of the Conference 
 themselves, relative to the union as a whole." 
 
 His son answered, " No, father, they were very 
 unanimous on nearly all the details. There were 
 some discussions and demurs about some of these, 
 and two aged men. Fathers Whitehead and Gatchel, 
 seemed opposed altogether to our merging ourselves 
 in the British Connexion. But when good James 
 Richardson, a very influential man in the Conference, 
 who had not such a cordial approval of some of the 
 details as some of his brethren, saw that they were all 
 
234 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 carried' by large majorities, stood up and urged perfect 
 unanimity on the final vote for the whole measure. 
 And the vote was really unanimous ; for although Mr. 
 Gatchel did not vote for it, he absented himself, and 
 did not vote at all. Mr. Whitehead made a show of 
 voting against it ; he did it, however, in a way which 
 showed he did not wish to have it recorded ; and the 
 chairman, Elder Case, pronounced the whole measure 
 * carried unanimously.' "' 
 
 Brother Grayley wished to know if there were any 
 modifications of the preliminaries sent to the British 
 Conference, made by that body, and finally agreed on., 
 All the brethren agreed there were none of any 
 account ; and as far as there were any, they v/ere 
 rather in the interests o*" the Canada side than other- 
 wise. 
 
 The 'Squire wished to know if there was to be no 
 submission of the matter to the members of the 
 Church for their approval. 
 
 His son-in-law answered, that all the changes pro- 
 posed which the Constitution of the General Confer- 
 ence required to be submitted to the Quarterly Con- 
 ferences, were those which related to the Local 
 Preachers, such as substituting a Local Preacher's 
 Meeting in each Circuit, instead of the District Con- 
 ference, which locals themselves complained of as 
 impracticable to work ; and some changes relative to 
 the method of bringing Local Preachers to trial, which 
 are altogether in their favor, giving a Local Preacher 
 the privilege of choosing half the jury by which he is 
 tried, which is a privilege neither minister nor member 
 
MATTERS AFTER THE " UNION." 235 
 
 enjoys but themselves ; and these changes do not be- 
 come law until they receive the approval of the pre- 
 scribed majority of all the Quarterly Conferences. Of 
 course, it is understood, that no one becoming a Local 
 Preacher in the future will be eligible for ordination. 
 
 The publication of the new discipline is suspended 
 until the return is made by each Presiding Elder of 
 the state of the vote on this question in the Quarterly 
 Conferences in his district. 
 
 Father McRorey asked, " What was now to be the 
 name of the Church ?" And was answered, " IVes- 
 leyan Methodist Church instead of Episcopal Metho- 
 dist Churchy 
 
 Father Bursdale wished to " knaw of the praychers 
 how they loiked the Henglish President?" 
 
 " He is everything that is good," replied Warble, 
 who felt the deepest veneration for him. " He is 
 bland, but grave — urbane, but condescending in man- 
 ner — very able and unctious as a preacher, and sub- 
 duing and powerful in prayer. There is only one 
 thing to regret about him ; namely, that he has to 
 return to Engk.nd so soon. His manners in and out 
 of the pulpit are so Christ-like and >, inning, that I think 
 if he could have stayed and travelled through the rest 
 of the Province after the Conference, as he did through 
 some parts before the Conference, it would have gone 
 a long way to assimilate and weld the two connexions. 
 The sight of him is adapted to allay any fears of spir- 
 itual loss to the Canadian Church from a closer union 
 with our British brethren." 
 
236 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 "You had a great many ordinations, I perceive," 
 said Mr. Grayley. 
 
 " Yes," said Hamilton, " there were twenty-one 
 brethren received into full connexion at different times, 
 for some years past, some of whom were in deacon's 
 orders, but who could go no further for the want of a 
 Bishop to ordain; these received full ministerial 
 orders, as did six others who were received into full 
 connexion this year. Among the former were Brother 
 Alanson, myself, and Brother Warble ; and among the 
 latter. Brother Brogan." 
 
 " Yo have got rid," said Bursdale, " of the distinc- 
 tion between daycons and helders." 
 
 " Yes," said Warble, " but the greater implies the 
 less." 
 
 " His not Mr. Marsden's hordination has good has 
 a Bishop's ?" 
 
 " Yes, at any rate ; but we ascertained that he is a 
 true Methodist Episcopos, Dr. Coke having given him, 
 before starting for India in 1813, letters of Episcopal 
 ordination, to preserve the succession, in case such 
 orders should ;ver be required. And this piece of 
 information did > great deal to reconcile the stickler's 
 for ordination by Bishops in the Conference to the 
 present ordinations." 
 
 Said Brogan, " It is a matter of small account ; our 
 brethren in the States have to acknowledge that there 
 is a Presbyterial-Episcopacy ; and if we are to be or- 
 dained by the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery 
 hereafter, it may as* well be done at once." 
 
 " As to that," said the 'Squire, who knew the senti- 
 
"• MAITERS AFTER THE " UNION." 237 
 
 ments of the Methodist people in the country well, 
 both those of American and those of European origin, 
 " the great bulk of the members of our Church care 
 not a fig whether we are Episcopal or not. If you 
 can manage the matter so as not to offend the local 
 preachers, there will be no demur to the Union." 
 And so thought they all. 
 
238 
 
 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 ^HE truth is, the first year after the Union 
 opened under promising auspices. There 
 had been no observable revolt, so far, and no 
 section or interest of the Church had de- 
 clared against it. The Rev. Joseph Gatchel's name, 
 (the dissident who constituted the germ of reputed 
 indentity out of which the reconstructed M. E. Church 
 was evolved,) still stood on the Minutes as a Super- 
 annuated Minister of the now Wesleyan Methodist 
 Church ; and being well and active, he travelled 
 largely through the Connexion, assisting at revival 
 meetings, for which his lively manner and hortatory 
 talents adapted him. And, according to the custom 
 of the times, he took up collections, in the still visibly 
 united connexion, towards his own claims as a Super- 
 annuated minister of the body, which he duly acknow- 
 ledged to the proper authorities of the Conference, and 
 received what was behind from the same authorities, 
 making it exactly the same sum as the other super- 
 annuates received, there not being then any graduation 
 of allowances according to the time a preacher had 
 labored. 
 
 And had it not been for politics and the question of 
 
CONCLUSION. 239 
 
 "Government Grants to Religious Bodies," the 
 dissatisfaction with the Union would have been small 
 indeed : the love for Episcopacy, and even the interest 
 in Local Preachers' Ordination, a much stronger word 
 to conjure with, would never have had sufficient force 
 to make a division. 
 
 We wish to close this first series at a sunny spot, 
 ^d will not anticipate future troubles, whatever we 
 may do in a future work. " Sufficient unto the day 
 is the evil thereof." 
 
 Our readers will probably be expecting some account 
 of the after-career of the persons with whom they have 
 been made acquainted by this book. Whoever goes 
 to River Side and Round Island, will not find the dear 
 old men, Firstman, Bursdale, Grayley, and McRorey. 
 Nor is Big Ben's drum-like voice any more heard on 
 earth. Thej^ all lived to a good old age, but they died 
 — died well, in the Church, and at their respective 
 posts of duty. 
 
 We are sorry to say that Sister Playright's tendency 
 to enthusiasm laid her open to the attack of a fanatical 
 epidemic, which ended her connection with Methodism 
 far on in life. Her husband's connection also, still 
 further on, was nominally dissolved^ by a series of 
 untoward things ; in which, although he was censured, 
 he had this writer's sympathy. He preached to the 
 last, and bore himself the christian gentleman and 
 man of energetic enterprise to a great age, when he 
 died suddenly and almost alone. Alas, that we have 
 to say, that the same epidemic to which we have referred, 
 swept away two of the 'Squire's noble sons, the oldest 
 
240 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 * - 
 
 and youngest. But enough of the family remained 
 adherents of the good cause to constitute the nucleus 
 of another series of stories. Alanson is in sequestered 
 retirement. 
 
 As to the after life (and death in some cases) of the 
 preachers who have figured in our book, Symonds was 
 the first single brother to follow Warble's example. 
 He wrote his friend during the year our story ends, 
 of his intention of taking to himself Miss Sarah Sharp, 
 2L preacher's sister, as a wife. He said in his letter, 
 ^* she is not pretty, but then she is so good." Their 
 future history showed that they were the complements 
 of each other: .if Simeon had too much placidity, she 
 had energy and vim enough to make up for it. They 
 are both gone, and gone well. 
 
 Hamilton and Brogan were the next to "depart this 
 life," as they termed a passage out of single-blessedness. 
 The latter married a Miss Grace Burch, cultivated and 
 well connected. The former, for reasons upon which 
 I will not dwell, went into secular life, and probably 
 did right. He proved himself, all through, a truly 
 Christian gentleman, succeeded in business and 
 became conspicuous in public life. He now represents 
 Her Majesty in an important office. He fills the 
 pulpit when needed, aids the Church in her operations, 
 and had the honor to serve in our first General 
 Conference. Brogan is nominally superannuated, but 
 makes his theological lore and talents valuable to the 
 Church. 
 
 Along with Symonds, Rogers, Welchman, Butler, 
 Healy, Pluffen, Pond, Black, and Metcalf, are in 
 
* CONCLUSION. * 241 
 
 heaven ; Chrysostom Rcgnor's plaintive, pleading voice 
 is hushed in death. His brother yulius is " in age 
 and feebleness extreme." But (wonder of a man ! ) 
 yustin^s tongue and pen are still active, and doubtless 
 his brain. Blake Vernon is still valuable in the coun- 
 sels of the Church. The same may be said of Davies 
 — both very influential. And we may say ditto of 
 Abner Throivdart. Clarke Kubrick has been for some 
 years a church parson. 
 
 Perhaps Warble, the Secretary of the Association, 
 requires a somewhat longer notice. He has never 
 been considered by himself, or any one else, to be 
 faultless. He often says, " I never was very good, but 
 I have been a hard worker." He has been often 
 blamed for making things so hard for himself, and hard 
 for those who succeeded hmi in his circuits ; but he 
 felt that he had to render in quantity what his services 
 lacked in quality. Although not absolutely without 
 success, he has almost all his life had to mourn that 
 he accomplished so little. Being very willing to work, 
 he has been almost everybody's slave. Any special- 
 ties he has had the honor of being invited to perform, 
 has " not been because Jack was the best horse, but 
 because he was the easieiit caught." He has not made 
 his services hard to secure, therefore they have been 
 lightly esteemed. He has not been pretentious and 
 assuming, therefore, many have acted as though his 
 claims might be lightly set aside, and his rights in- 
 vaded with impunity. He has found many people, 
 to be like the spaniel, which fawns the most on those 
 who kick him oftenest and hardest. He has not ac- 
 
 . Q 
 
242 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 cumulated wealth ; for the good reason that he has re- 
 ceived but little, and has been but poorly skilled in 
 keeping and husbanding that little. Being thought to 
 be a humble man, Stewards and Committees have 
 made him but humble appropriations. They took 
 him to be so etherial as to need little material good. 
 He has had an Oliver Goldsmith weakness for giving 
 away to worthless applicants : his judgment usually 
 suggested prudence, but his charitable and sympa- 
 thetic feelings overcame his judgment. His wasteful- 
 ness on designing knaves of what himself, his family, 
 and worthier objects should have had, has been a sin 
 before God ; but it is to be hoped, as this " failing 
 leaned to virtue's side," that while the compassionate 
 recording angel registered each successive fault, he 
 may have let fall a tear which blotted out the entry, so 
 that it cannot be deciphered. Certain bodily infirmi- 
 ties, want of dignity, and want of capacity, have pre- 
 vented his filling the highest positions in the gifts of 
 his brethren, albeit he has not been by constitution 
 indifferent to such expressions of confidence. As to 
 the people, he has always been a liberal interpreter of 
 Methodist law, and the steady supporter of all mea- 
 sures for advancing lay influence in the connexion ; 
 but he has always found, that the laity give the 
 greatest honor to those who hold them most in check, 
 and who merely make a merit of necessity, taking 
 credit for a progressive measure when it can no 
 longer be withheld, and who vault into the saddle and 
 take the management of the new steed when he is 
 harnessed. 
 
/ 
 
 CONCLUSION. / 243 , 
 
 Warble has all his ministerial life endeavored 
 to keep our original disciplinary rule about the circu- 
 lation of our connexional books; and of late years, 
 circumstances have obliged him to do the same with 
 some of his own productions, which have been 
 designed to advance the interests of the Methodist 
 connexion ; but neither by one nor the other, first or 
 last, has he much more than saved himself, and, in 
 some cases, he has not been refunded. The perti- 
 nacity of book canvassers and book venders is a stand- 
 ing jest and scorn ; but, if his own experience is any 
 guide, they must be far oftener sinned against than 
 sinning. Always excepting the noble few, to be found 
 everywhere, who not only act justly but generously, it 
 is his deliberate opinion, which he records for the in- 
 formation of mankind and the benefit of posterity, 
 that while there is no class of men who do more to 
 extend general knowledge, there is no class of dealers 
 treated so shabbily and so meanly defrauded of their 
 lawful claims. 
 
 There are Methodists who have become rich 
 since the transactions, who owe him considerable 
 sums for nearly half a century; and his case is not 
 singular. He has rightful claim to a large amount, in 
 sums ranging from fifty cents to fifty dollars, scattered 
 from Dan to Beersheba, He has not recorded this 
 to gratify spleen or to excite commiseration, but to 
 put the saddle on the right horse. He thinks some 
 one ought to have the moral courage to fling back the 
 calunniy, and to say, that many of those who make 
 
 r 
 
244 THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 
 
 themselves merry with colporteurs, have very likely de 
 frauded them. * 
 
 Warble has a modest competency : and, if he never 
 " learned to abound," he has "learned contentedly to 
 be abased." God in mercy has spared Hephzy to him, 
 to whom it is principally due that he has even a com- 
 petency. He is certain she will go to heaven, and he 
 is not without hope of crawling in there himself. In 
 the meantime, he is striving to serve the good cause, 
 by stopping one gap and another, (and in a way peculiar 
 to himself,) although having to pay the discount now 
 levied on people for being old. 
 
 END OF THE FIRST SERIES. 
 
 N. B. — There are yet half a dozen of the preachers 
 raised up out of Father McRorey's class, who have 
 been nothing more than named. Whether they shall 
 be the pivots on which any other stories will be made 
 to turn, or not, will very much depend on the estimate 
 entertained of this, as expressed by its sale. — Editor. 
 
 * There is an accomplished and literary lady, brought up in 
 
 genteel life, long the companion of a Canadian minister, who 
 
 filled a position in our Canadian work, which only he himself 
 
 could have filled, who having forfeited by a mistaken second 
 marriage her claims to connexional support, endeavored to 
 supplement her slender resources by circulating her own and her 
 deceased husband's works, both of them unique and valuable, 
 who has lost incalculable sums by persons taking her books to 
 " examine them," and never sending her the price, or returning 
 her property, as promised ; and her delicacy of feeling has kept 
 her from securing her own. We do not disclose her name or 
 residence ; and she is totally innocent of our reference to her 
 case. But if this should meet the eyes of any of those delin- 
 quents, they will surely send htr her own, with interest, if they 
 have any consciences left. 
 
/ ♦ 
 
 \ 
 
ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 The following tract, which has been in circulation 
 several months in a separate form, it has been 
 thought, would furnish an appropriate sequel to the 
 didactic parts of the story told; as it embraces a 
 categorical embodiment of the teachings of the book 
 as to the true animus and essentiaU^ of Methodism. 
 
HUMBLE OVERTURE 
 
 FOR 
 
 METHODIST UNIFICATION 
 
 IN THE 
 
 DOMINION OF CANADA. 
 
 BY 
 
 JOHN CARROLL. 
 
 » / 
 i ■ • 
 
 I ■ 
 
 " A brother dPended is harder to be won than a strong city ; and their 
 contentions are Ike tlic bars of a castle." Proverbs xviii. 19. 
 
 TORONTO : 
 BURRAGE & MAGURN. 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 ^HE dead-lock now existing to the further pro- 
 gress of unification among the Methodists of 
 Canada, appears to be on the principle of 
 "one is afraid, and the other dare not." 
 Men in office have their good standing with their 
 respective denominations to preserve, and they are 
 afraid of committing the body to something which 
 their backers will not approve. In which case, if some 
 unofficial man would propound a plan, which would 
 embrace the concessions to be made on all sides, in mere 
 outline, it would be something to start from. This 
 proposal few will be willing to make, for fear of losing 
 prestige or something else. 
 
 Now, I have neither office nor prestige to lose ; and 
 feeling a profound interest in Canadian Methodism, 
 with the central body of which I have stood associated 
 for more than fifty years — eschewing the invitations of 
 three successive generations of disruptionists. The 
 present brochure will be considered venturesome by my 
 friends, but I cheerfuly take the venture. I have 
 reason to know that former proposals did good to the 
 cause of unity, though perhaps not to myself 
 
 In the modifications of our own system proposed, I 
 am sure I have the majority of members and ministers 
 
250 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 on my side, if they are not over-awed l)y the rigid 
 conservatives, whose tenacity supplies the place of 
 numbers. But I implore them to consider the case 
 with an enli^irhtened consideration of all the circum- 
 stances, and to beware lest they prevent at this crisis 
 the accomplishment of unification forever. Some may 
 think that my disapproval of some pet theories are 
 rather bluntly expressed, but I think by this time they 
 ought to be convinced that I am neither partial nor 
 unkind. 
 
 I have mentioned several things as matters of 
 personal preference, which may be relegated to the 
 category of minor details, and accepted or not as in 
 no wise vital to the general character of the scheme. 
 Many things in the organization when first launched 
 would doubtless be modified in the process of legislation 
 from four years to four years. 
 
 Inviting the prayers of all the friends of unity, 
 " that we all may be one," I remain, with love to all 
 concerned, 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
A HUMBLE OVERTURE, &c. 
 
 METHODIST DIVISIONS A DISGRACE AND A CAUSE OF 
 
 FEEBLENESS. 
 
 ^HE many divisions in Methodism are nothing 
 to its credit, showing that those who bear the 
 name have set too Httle store by unity, which 
 they have so often severed for very trifling 
 considerations. If this pettish tendency to interrupt 
 communion on trivial grounds marked the infancy o^ 
 our denomination, it is time that we had " put away 
 childish things," in this particular ; and that we now 
 cultivate the dignity of denominational manhood. If 
 we do not, we shall find ourselves outstripped by a 
 sister denomination, which has recently composed the 
 differences between almost as many sections of 
 Presbyterianism as there are of Methodism. 
 
 NONE OF OUR ORIGINAL PRINCIPLES CONFLICT WITH 
 
 COMPROMISE. 
 
 Looking back on the original testimony and 
 character of Methodism, which all sections of it prtfess 
 to revere, there is really no principle involved that 
 need keep us apart. Methodism was not the result of 
 declaring for or against Church establishments, for it 
 pronounced an Establishment from the first, "a merely 
 
252 A HUMBLE OPINION. 
 
 human institution ;" it did not declare for or against 
 Presbyterialism, or Ei)iscopacy, for its Presbyterial 
 section in England holds fraternal relations with its 
 Presbyterio-Episcopal Sister in the United States, and 
 its ordinations and ministerial status are reciprocally 
 regarded as on a par. Cotinexionalism, however, is a 
 characteristic of Methodism under every name and 
 aspect which its many sections have assumed or 
 preserved. 
 
 There are only three features essential to Methodism, 
 and these have been retained by all ; namely, its 
 peculiar doctrines^ or its manfier of emphasizing the 
 doctrine of assurance, or the witness of the Spirit, and 
 the possibility of the " perfecting " of that " holiness," 
 " without which no man shall see God ; " certain 
 prudential means of grace of a social character, such as 
 the class and fellowship meeting, and the love-feast ; 
 and the itinerancy, or the united, rotating, itinerant 
 pastorate, including a central appointing power. 
 Methodism is a revival — it means conversion ; and 
 the preaching of the above-mentioned doctrines, and 
 the maintenance of a ministry detached from local ties, 
 and the frequent assembling together above referred to 
 are necessary to conserve that revivial and to promote 
 conversions, or to the " spread of scriptural holiness 
 over the land." If these essentials are preserved, 
 other things may be modified according to circum- 
 stances; for it has been a principle in Methodism 
 from the first, that no exact system of Church order is 
 taught in the New Testament. 
 
A RUMBLE OPINION. 263 
 
 THE CHANCES PROPOSED ARE NO " CONCESSION." 
 
 To adopt a useful feature by one section from 
 another, or in forming a union with another, cannot be 
 called a " concession." And, after the experience of 
 eighty-five years in Canada, and the experiments which 
 have been tried, I believe we could compile a better 
 system ot Methodism than is exemplified in any one 
 section of it now upon earth, a system which would 
 give all reasonable consideration to the laity, combined 
 with efficiency to the administration of the pastorate ; 
 and a system which would afford becoming liberty to 
 local courts, in all matters not infringing on connexional 
 authority and unity, 'and yet would provide for a 
 thorough central authority and sui)ervision, which the 
 exigencies and energy of a Connexion require. 
 
 LAY RIGHTS. 
 
 With these general principles laid down, I come to 
 the details of their application. As to the first of 
 these, a proper consideration to the laity, they should 
 share in all the counsels of the Church, excepting what 
 refers strictly to the work which is peculiarly a minister's 
 and to the character of ministers, which, so long as the 
 laity are tried by a jury of their own peers, should be 
 canvassed by ministers alone, not prohibiting charges 
 to be preferred by laymen, of course. Personally, I 
 do not attach so much importance to this particular as 
 some, for I would be quite as willing to be tried by 
 laymen as ministers, in expectation of quite as just or 
 lenient a verdict ; but the majority of all the 
 ministers in the older branches of Methodism do not 
 
254 A HUMBLE OPINipN. 
 
 feel as I do, and regard this point as vital. And it 
 would be unjust and unreasonable to wrest the 
 prerogative from them, so long as they continue to 
 exercise it with the fidelity they have done in the past, 
 especially as they only, in contradistinction from the 
 laity, are subject to an annual examination of character. 
 If all the lay-members of District Meetings and 
 Conferences had the following questions asked about 
 themselves, there would be some reason in making the 
 enquiry reciprocal: namely, "Is there anything against 
 his moral and religious character? Does he believe our 
 doctrines, and obey our discipline, especially in the 
 matter of reading the Scriptures, maintaining family 
 and private prayer, observing the Lord's Supper, and 
 fasting or abstinence ? Has he been punctual in 
 attending all the society meetings, especially prayer 
 and class meetings ? Is he equitable in all his 
 business transactions ? " 
 
 LAYMEN IN THE DISTRICT MEETINGS AND ANNUAL CON- 
 FERENCES. 
 
 But this one matter of character conceded, I tliink 
 it is very unwise in the ministry, whether it be to fur- 
 ther unify the denomination or not, to withstand the 
 claim of a seat to laymen in the District Meeting and 
 the Annual Conference, which is only the District 
 Meeting on a larger scale, on all the questions pro- 
 pounded, [as to the District Meeting] from question 
 " Fifth," page 40 of the Discipline of the M. C. of 
 Canada, to the end, on page 49, excei)t such as may 
 be construed to relate to the character and ciualifica- 
 
A HUMBLE OPINldtN. 255 
 
 tions of rpinisters ; and, [as to the Annual Conference] 
 all from question 3rd, Discipline, page 33, to question 
 19, on the following page, excepting question 12, 13, 
 and 14. I do not stop to argue the propriety of this, 
 as it is a necessary concession from the largest body 
 in order to the adhesion of nearly all the others ; and 
 I know of no reason from Serin ture, or practical 
 utility, against the lay participation indicated. The 
 Wesleyans of Australia have adopted it, and it is now 
 before the General Conference of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal Church in U. S., for adoption. 
 
 When I hear any reasons urged against this article, 
 it will be time enough to answer them, which, I pre- 
 sume to say, will be no very difficult task. With these 
 qualifications, I would most readily concur in the 
 manifesto of the Primitive Methodist Conference, that 
 " that there shall be an equal number of Laymen to 
 Ministers in all our Church courts." 
 
 But I do not think it would be wise or well to allow 
 " all business meetings to elect their own chairman." 
 If it be simply some committee for a temporary object, 
 that would follow of course ; or if it were a connex- 
 ional one and the disciplinary chairman unable to 
 attend ; but for District Meetings, Quarterly Official 
 Meetings, Leaders' and Stewards' Meetings, and Trus- 
 tee Meetings, to be able to set aside the Chairman or 
 Superintendent, is to empower them to sin against 
 connexional unity, and to carry a district or circuit 
 out of the body which it is the very design of connex- 
 ionalism to prevent. Such an act is as much disre- 
 spectful to the laymen in the court above, which ap- 
 
256 A HUMBLE OPINION. 
 
 pointed the presiding officer, as it is to the clergymen 
 in that body. 
 
 CHAIRMEN OF CHURCH BOARDS TO BE MINISTERS. 
 
 As to secular men being eligible to preside in Con- 
 ference, whether Annual or General, it is incongruous. 
 Can you expect a man to handle the deliberations of 
 an ecclesiastical body and to decide questions of 
 Church order, the bent of whose mind has been to the 
 " study of things carnal and secular," in preference to 
 one who has spent years in familiar intercourse with 
 such matters ? As well might you depute one of these 
 clerics to go and conduct the commercial transactions 
 of that secular candidate. Again, is it seemly that a 
 gentleman, whose business posters are at that moment 
 on the fence, should be presiding over the delibera- 
 tions of a grave ecclesiastical body? Would it not 
 shock the sense of propriety of ten thousand, where it 
 would gratify the preference of one ? It cannot be 
 hoped that this will ever be conceded. I believe I 
 would go farther than almost any other one of the 
 oldest body for organic unity, but I would never con- 
 cur in that. It is suicidal to the Church itself, to 
 wish to deprive ministers from performing ' the very 
 functions for which they have been trained and are 
 qualified. 
 
 NOMINATIONS IN THE QUARTERLY OFFICIAL MEETINGS. 
 
 As to " Circuit Quarterly Meetings nominating 
 their own officials," I am free to admit that leading 
 influences in older Methodist bodif^s have pushed the 
 claim of pastoral nomination so far and with such a 
 
A HUMBLE OPINION. 257 
 
 tenacity as has rather 'impaired pastoral influence, 
 while it was hoped to add to pastoral authority. But 
 then, both the clergy and the laity of the Church 
 should be represented in these official appointments. 
 And this is the ground for pastoral nomination : its 
 advocates say, not without show of propriety, " I 
 nominate, you electJ^ By this mutual veto on each 
 other, they must be forced to accord in the end. It 
 will not do to say, " The ministers may vote in the 
 Quarterly or Circuit Meeting as well as the lay offi- 
 cials; yes, but being outnumbered ten to one, they 
 are sure to be out-voted. I think the principle of 
 this joint action, or mutual veto, is correct, but we 
 have unfortunately reversed the Scriptural order : the 
 Apostles said, (Acts vi. 3,) " Look ye out among you 
 honest men, of good report, and full of the Holy 
 Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint. ^^ Our Dis- 
 cipline should first fix the standard of qualification, 
 then let the laity choose men corresponding with this 
 description, and let the pastorate have the right of 
 finally authorizing, or vetoing, if they have cause to 
 believe an individual unworthy ; but, of cours^, at the 
 same time being responsible as they are in all other 
 respects to the judiciary of the Church themselves. 
 
 I hold some peculiar o^jinions myself about the 
 powers of these local or circuit courts, and the way 
 they have exercised their powers in times past. Let 
 the stickler for lay-suffrage remember that those quar- 
 terly meeting elections are no election by the general 
 laity of the Church, but it is the election of lay-officials 
 of one another — the doing of a close corporation, 
 
 K 
 
258 A HUMHT.K OI'INFON. 
 
 answerable to no one, but often over-topping the 
 ministry and rank and file of the Church at the same 
 moment. Talk of priestly tyranny ; I have seen more 
 intolerable tyranny enacted by a few local courts that 
 I could particularize than all the ministers I ever 
 knew. I believe the true analogy would be, let the 
 whole society elect the Stewards who handle their 
 money once a year, and no Society " Representative " 
 would be needed.** Let the pastor appoint the 
 Leaders, with the concurrence of their several classes ; 
 and let these, with the local preachers, exhorters, S. 
 School Superintendents, and Representatives of Trus- 
 tee Boards, as at the present appointed, constitute the 
 Quarterly Official Meeting. The stewards would 
 represent the financial interests of the membership, 
 and the Leaders would be at once the sharers of the 
 ministers' pastoral work and authority, and yet the 
 representatives of their several classes as well. 
 
 METHOD FOR CALLING AN ARBITRARY CHAIRMAN TO 
 
 ACCOUNT. 
 
 I think that what the demanders for electing the 
 chairman of Church-meetings seek to prevent is the 
 right of a clerical chairman to refuse putting a vote, or 
 his adjourning a meeting at his own will. There is no 
 doubt that some tyrannical things have been done by 
 arbitrary men, (and all the enactments in the world 
 will not prevent some men being arbitrary when they 
 get into office — it is their nature,) especially when 
 
 * I do not, however, object to the continuance of this feature j 
 large official meetings are desirable. 
 
A HUMBLE OPINION. 259 
 
 fc goaded on by dangerous and turbulent levellers. 
 These two extremes create all the trouble ; but their 
 conduct on both sides works the cure of the mischief; 
 people get weary of it and put it down. Now this 
 power of a chairman complained of is practically pos- 
 sessed by the chairman of all bodies ; but both theirs 
 and ours are amenable for their acts, and they ought 
 to be. If a chairman of a meeting sees that a resolu- 
 tion is unconstitutional, he should refuse to put it ; 
 but if his ruling is reported to be in conflict with the 
 rights of the laity, there should be a court for trying the 
 question, in which the laity should compose a moiety 
 of the members. If a chairman refuse to put a mo- 
 tion which conflicts with connexional authority and 
 unity, he deserves respect and commendation ; but if 
 he does it barely out of stupid adherence to his own 
 preferences in matters unessential, he deserves to be 
 arraigned and deprived of his office. 
 
 CONCESSION TO THE EPIbCOPALS. 
 
 The preference and wishes of the Episcopal type of 
 Methodism deserve to be considered in a plan for 
 unification, and the introduction of some of its charac- 
 teristics would be not a concession merely, but real 
 elements of strength, energy, and usefulness. 
 
 THE EPISCOPAL OFFICE. 
 
 First, then, as to the Episcopal office itself: The 
 change in the original Canada Conference from a per- 
 manent Episcopacy to that of an annual Presidency 
 arose from no dissatisfaction with the Episcopacy, but 
 on the principle of compromise for peace sake, the 
 
260 A HUMBT-E OPINKiN. 
 
 same which is now being urged. All that remain of^ 
 the ministers and members who were connected with 
 the Church before 1832, have no prejudice, but pleas- 
 ant memories of that form of Methodism. It is true, 
 there is a large infusion in the present " Methodist 
 Church of Canada" who either came from non-Episco- 
 pal Methodist bodies in England since 1832, or were 
 brought into the Church during this period, and all of 
 those bodies of that type in this country, cortracting 
 parties to the Union, can not be expected to have any 
 proclivities for Episcopacy, and may even have preju- 
 dices against it, whose preferences will require conces- 
 sion. Besides, the views of the Eastern Conferences 
 deserve to be considered, which have not been trained 
 in notions at all leading to Episcopacy. Yet 
 even those, I would venture to say, if they went to 
 reside in the neighboring republic, would feel no 
 scruples in uniting, because of its Episcopacy, with the 
 prominent Methodist body in that country. 
 
 GENERAL SUPERINTENDENTS. 
 
 But even supposing our Episcopal friends will have 
 to surrender something for union in that particular, 
 the essential of Episcopacy may be preserved and a 
 real element of good secured. The very short experi- 
 ment in the newly-united body of a President of 
 General Conference, without any general supervision 
 of an authoritative kind, should have convinced us 
 that the contrivance is an anomaly and an instance of 
 connexional weakness and incompleteness. A General 
 Superintendency, presiding in the Annual Conferences, 
 
A HUMBLE OPINION. 261 
 
 would give a homogenity, a unity, and an energy to the 
 united body, which we need not expect to have in 
 our present disjointed mode of operation. But the 
 General Superintendency may be secured without the 
 form of a separate ordination, or a life-long incumbency 
 of office. An election from General Conference to 
 General Conference, or for the space of four years, 
 provided successful administrators were eligible to re- 
 election, would secure all the benefits of oversight, 
 without the danger of confounding an office with an 
 order. You could keep the efficient, or get rid of the 
 inefficient, which you cannot do with a life-long Episco- 
 pacy.* If our Episcopal brethren will yield the conse- 
 cration, which is absurd in a mere Presbyterial over- 
 seer, we shall be able, I hope, to secure the General 
 Superintendency in the united body. 
 
 A MODIFIED PRESIDING ELDERSHIP. 
 
 If we have Travelling General Overseers, we may 
 get rid of the expense of Presiding Elders, or Travel- 
 ling Chairmen — unless in the case of missionary ground, 
 where I would have the Annual Conference empow- 
 ered to relieve the chairmen of districts from the care 
 of particular charges, and to instruct them to travel 
 constantly throughout their respective districts ; in 
 which case, they might be called Presiding Elders, — 
 indeed, in either case, in my humble opinion, it is a 
 more expressive name than chairman. r 
 
 * The Preachers' meeting of Boston have, within a few days, 
 memorialized the General Conference, now sitting in Baltimore, 
 to dispense with the ordination of Bishops. — Ed. 
 
262 A HUMBLE OPINION. 
 
 THE DIACONATE, OR HALF-ORDINATION. 
 
 The restoration of the diaconate, or the giving of a 
 probationer the half-ordination, empowering him to 
 baptize and marry, and to assist the Elder at the Sac- 
 rament, at the end of two years' well endured proba- 
 tion, with a seat in the Annual Conference, would, 
 while it seems like a concession to our Episcopal breth- 
 ren, be a valuable administrative arrangement in itself, 
 for which I could furnish something like Wesleyan 
 precedents and many reasons for its probable use- 
 fulness. [The precedents to which I refer, are the 
 ordination of young men, before their probation has 
 expired, "for special purposes ;" and the appointment 
 of some of the more advanced probationers, by elec- 
 tion of District Meeting without ordination at all, to 
 assist the ministers in dispensing the ordinances, as 
 was practiced in former years, upon emergency, in the 
 New Brunswick and Nova Scotia Districts, so I was 
 informed.] 
 
 A MERE OUTLINE. 
 
 Now all these proposals could be amplified, illustra- 
 ted and argued or defended at much greater length, 
 if I did not think that a mere outline exhibition of my 
 plan, besides being simplest, is best at this stage of 
 proceedings. When I find any part to be misunder- 
 stood or challenged, it will be time enough to explain 
 or defend. 
 
 COMPROMISES ABOUT EQUAL. 
 
 According to the scheme which I have sketched 
 above there would be concession and compromise 
 
A HUMBLE OPINION. 263 
 
 about equally exercised on all sides : the present 
 Methodist Church of Canada would be conceding lay 
 co-operation to a much greater extent than now in the 
 District Meeting, and the same in the Annual Confer- 
 ence in lieu of its present mixed-committee system ; 
 the Primitive Methodist would be giving up one-half 
 of their lay-delegates; and all those bodies which 
 have full lay-delegation at present would be surrender- 
 ing several things to pastoral authority and ministerial 
 prerogative which ministers do not enjoy among them 
 now. I do not say anything about our Episcopal 
 brethren surrendering the matter of lay-delegation in 
 the Annual as well as General Conference, for they 
 have it under consideration ; but our brethren of the 
 Evangelical Association, if they came into the measure, 
 would be surrendering that which they have not yet 
 conceded to the laity — a lay representation in Confer- 
 ence ; and the Episcopal Methodists would be sur- 
 rendering their Bishops, proper, for General Superin- 
 tendents, elected for a term of four years ; and they 
 would be giving up their travelling Presiding Elders, 
 unless in rare cases, as a temporary expedient for 
 supervising the newer parts of the work, more likely to 
 be supplied with a younger and less experienced min- 
 istry. The diaconate, perhaps, might not be much 
 cared tor one way or another on any side ; but all the 
 other bodies besides themselves would be adopting 
 what they have not been much — or lately — used to, a 
 General Supervision instead of an Annual and Local 
 Presidency. 
 
264 A HUMBLE OPINION. 
 
 I. 
 
 I 
 
 ORDINATION OF LOCAL PRKACHERS. 
 
 . Let those who are now ordained, exercise their 
 functions, if called for ; but ordain no more secular 
 men. " 
 
 *jf.* If any considerable numlier of Methodists in 
 any locality, upon the perusal of it, approve of this 
 scheme, let them call an unofficial meeting and express 
 their approval. This might be done in sections, by 
 those of the several bodies apart ; or ,donc by a mass 
 meeting of all sorts of Methodists together. This will 
 give an impetus to the union movement, and show the 
 state of public opinion. 
 
PRAYER 
 
 AND ITS 
 
 REMARKABLE ANSWERS. 
 
 A Statement of Facts in the Light of Reason and Revelation. 
 
 BY REV- WM. W. PATTON, D.D. 
 
 This work covers j?roiind occupied by no other book. Its theme is one of 
 absorbing interest to the Christian, and it is believed that a perusal 
 of its pages will not fail to deeply interest all classes of people. It 
 will confound, if not convince, the sceptic, strengthen the faith of Believers, 
 and awaken to earnest thought the Impenitent. 
 
 The author has given, in popular form, both the facts and the philo- 
 sophy of the subject. It is written for the people, yet it assumes that 
 they are neither children nor fools, but desire an intelligent discussion of a 
 fundamental question. The heads of the chapters, herewith, will serve to 
 show how thoroughly the subject has been handled by the author. 
 
 It will be observed that about one-third of the book is devoted to 
 the nature, characteristics, methods and conditions ot 
 Prayer, and the remaining two-thirds to Striking Cases of 
 Answers to Prayer, for all variety of «)bjects. The cases (luoted are 
 largely original, and have been fiu-nished the author from trustworthy 
 sources, and in most instances the sources are given. These have been 
 culled from a much larger number that were supplied to the author ex 
 pressly for this work, but which had to be omitted for want of space. Tliey 
 are arranged carefully in distinct Chapters, to illustrate the auccMt i>f 
 orayer for different objects, and are accompanied by explanatory and critical 
 remarks. It is a book which every Pastor will welcome, as helpful to the 
 progress of piety in his church, and which will eiu'.«>nrage th^ Christian to 
 ank and expect greater blesaiugs for himself and for ottiers. 
 
PRATBR AND ITS RIM ARKAULE ANSWERR. 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 rhapter I. Prayer characteristic of Piety.— II. What true Prayer is.— 
 III. Why Prayer prevailH.— IV. The method of the answer.— V. (/onditions 
 of aucceBH in Prayer.- -VI. The Prayer of Faith.— VII. Sceptical asBaults 
 on Prayer.— VIII. Bible-answers to I'rayer— Old Testament.— IX. Bible- 
 answers to Prayer— New Testament.— X. Prayer for the supply of temporal 
 wants (commenced). --XI. Prayer for the supply of temporal wants (con- 
 cluded).— XII. Prayer for physical healing (commenced).— XIII. Prayer 
 for physical healing (concluded).— XIV. Prayer for sanctifying grace. — 
 XV. Prayer to overcome physical habit.— XVI. Prayer for individual 
 conversions.— XVII. Parental ''Prayers.— XVIII. Prayer for ministers, 
 churches and rtivivals.— XIX. Prayer for charitable institutions. -XX. 
 lieview of facts in conclusion. 403 pages. 
 
 The Rev. JOHN POTTS gives the following opinion of 
 
 this book. 
 
 "I have somewhat carefully examined Dr. Patton's book entitled ' Prayer 
 and its Remarkable Answers.' The subject is one of undying interest to 
 finite beings, and its treatment by the author is intelligent, interesting and 
 practical. The peruwal of these i)age8 must give greatly enlarged views of 
 the nature, obligation and privilege of Prayer. 
 
 " Those who habitually 'bow before the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ ' will feel especially encouraged to expect large blessings, as they 
 learn of the remarkable answers recorded on the pages of this book. 
 
 "JOHN POTTb. 
 
 "Metropolitan Church Parsokaob, ■ 
 
 "Toronto, i^'ctntflM-y, 1876." 
 
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