Past and present, or, A description of persons and events connected with Canadian Methodism for the last forty years

Front matter

OR A

DESCRIPTION OP PERSONS AND EVENTS

CONNECTED WITH

Preface

About twelve years ago I was in the receipt, monthly, of the Ladies' Repository and Gatherings of the "West ; and felt myself much interested in the sketchy and memorial part of it. I naturally thought, " Why should not similar memorials be preserved of what God has done by the instrumentality of Methodism in Canada?" During that year, at several intervals of leisure, mostly at night, after being wearied out with severe studies, a few of the following sketches, substantially, were thrown off — although without any definite decision about publication in any form. My occupation of an invalid station, about eight years later, afforded me leisure to add a few more ; when all of those which related to deceased persons in my reminiscences, to the number of twenty -six, were given to the public in the columns of the Christian Guardian, over the signature of "A Voice from the Past" — to test what reception matter of that description would receive. So far as I learned any thing about them, they were regarded with some favor. Relief from the full amount of 'pulpit work, about a year after, by the presence and labors, in my next station, of the Rev. James Caughey, gave me time to retouch them ; the rest I had by mo ; and I then arranged them pretty much in the order they now assume, with the persuasion that

some day they might see the light. Mr. C encouraged

me to have them published ; still I hesitated, mostly because I thought they would scarcely make a sizable book. There the

VI PREFACE.

matter slumbered till the late Conference, when I fell in with Watson's Tales ^.nd Takings, and the notion possessed itself of my mind — more fully expounded in another place — of adding some sketches of living Ministers, and thus make out a medium volume. I was now pretty much decided to publish, if it met the approval of disinterested and judicious friends. This course was followed* The rest is known from my Circulars.

By those who can think of nothing being worthy of perusal but what relates to far distant times and scenes — aye, and those described too by some writer far away — such a volume about Canadian Methodism will be likely to be spurned. Still it has recurred to the writer : — What is literature, but a picture of manners ? If we have pictures of other things, why not a picture of them ? If a picture of manners in general, why not of Canadian manners ? Or, why not have Canadian literature ? If a picture of Canadian manners in general, why not that particular phase of them found in its religious society ? And religious society within the pale of Methodism ; or within tke circle of its influence? Such v a description would not necessarily ignore, much less disparage, what has been enacted within the operations of other evangelical communities (whom the Lord in mercy bless !) while it simply portrays what the writer happened to have witnessed.

Some of these incidents may seem very simple, if not trivial, to some minds. Still, are they not natural ? And when nature is addressed, she will always respond. The arts of the literatuer the unpretending author knows nothing of; but he found by frequent recitation of parts of these incidents by the fire-side, that they always interested. He therefore concluded that what interested the jew might also interest the many * and probably some outside of Methodism. For, "as in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man." "But you wrote the sketches merely to amuse people!'' a serious

PBEFACE. Vll

brother exclaims. Not wholly so ; but if I had, I would have done a good work in furnishing a book that was mirthful without being harmful, which, alas ' cannot be said of all books of amusement. But I further aspired to the production of a work,, which, while it was adapted to amuse the young people of our Methodist families, would reveal to them something of its heroic animus, and attach them more fully to its institutions ; and aggressive, onward efforts. Was that wrong ? And will our favored land and Church furnish no materials for such a book? Shame on the Canadian Methodist who says "wo ;5 !

As to what relates to " matters personal," I refer the reader to the article " The Conference and the Crayons." Some will have prejudged the writer's ability to accomplish creditably the task undertaken : to such our only answer is, the work must testify ; it will give us pleasure if those who thus object will write a better.

Having written most of the articles at different periods and under the difficulties of interruptions, and some of them after the previous ones were sent to the press, there may be a want of congruity between some of its parts, as well as some repetitions ; if so, we promise to correct and reduce them to greater conformity in a second edition, if a generous public buy up the present.

Such are some of the reasons for our presumption in attempting this piece of authorship. We have yet another, no* before revealed. We hoped the avails of our publication might furnish us the means of educating liberally our two children, which we find our ministerial salary wholly unequal to. With this frank disclosure of our position and views, we shall patiently await the ordeal of criticism.

TO THE READER.

Every one has observed in reading, occasional mistakes of the Printer; such as a letter, a word, or a point misplaced. The wonder is, that such inaccuracies do not more frequently occur, considering the care which is necessary to procure perfect correctness, and the haste with which printing is often executed. The following ingenious and eloquent apology for faults of this kind is given in Peter Martyr's " Common-Places," a book Which was published in the year 1574. The original spelling is preserved : —

" There is no garden so well trimmed but hath some weeds ; no silver so well tried but hath some drosse ; no wine so well fined but hath some leeze ; mo honie so well clarified but hath some dregs ; finallie, no human action, but hath some defect : mervell not then, (good readers,) that this volume, consisting of so manie leaves, lines, and letters oftentimes varied, both in forme and matter, a fault or two doo escape ; were the corrector's care never 60 great, his diligence never so earnest, his labour never so continual, his eies never so quick, his judgment never so sound, his memorie never so firm ; brieflie, all his senses never so active and livelie. Such faults, therefore, as are passed, being but few in number, if it please you, in reading favourable to amend."

Part I. Page

The Old Framed Meeting House, 37

My Spiritual Father, 40

An Early Qassmate, . 44

An ' ' Elect Lady," 47

Sammy Richardson ; or the Zealous Irishman, , 60

One of my first Pastors, 55

A Nation Born in a Day, 56

A Canadian Camp-Meeting Thirty-five years ago, 62

" Father" Youmans, 66

One of our Supplies 68

" The Venerable Thomas Whitehead," 73

The Rev. Thomas Madden, 86

The Rev. James-Wilson, SO

Rev. Franklin Metcalf. 95

Ezra Healy, 99

The Rev. Alexander Irvine, , 103

The Outset, 106

" My First Circuit," 110

My First Colleague, 114

An Estimate of Prindel, 121

An Old Fashioned Quarterly Meeting, , 123

The Last Night of a Youthful Homicide, 127

Rev. William Smith, 134

" Father Magraw," 147

Bread Cast on the Waters, 152

Scene in a Ferry-Boat 157

Admonitory End of an Early Colleague, 160

My Fellow Candidates, 1<>2

X CONTENTS.

Traditionary Recollections,. • • • • ^

Revival Coincidence^ • 18 *

Experiences of a SelPTaught Minister 182

Genius in Poverty and Obscurity, • 197

The Big Snow Storm, '"'[ 203

Remarkable Answers to Prayer, .206

Though Reprehended, Still 'Remembered, ." 213

The Father of Canadian Missions, 220