tle difficulty, her journey from thence every | the child's forehead. To explain her con. Lord's day to mass, never failed to leave her duct, the mother produced a Bible, and, bones sore for most of the week; but morti- turning to the book of Revelations, read a fication was her trade, and she looked for- passage out of it, in reference to the subject. ward in hope that her passage through pur- The other had never read a page in the gatory would be tolerable, in proportion to Holy Scriptures, or before that moment so her sufferings here. In seasons of plenty much as heard a passage read. She had, she found no difficulty to get pupils in such indeed, heard that there was such a book, places; but the late and present hardship and that it was the word of God, but that of the times drove her to the necessity of none but the clergy should presume to look seeking employment in better circum-into its contents. After some time, howstanced situations. She came to this place ever, she took courage to indulge her cuhighly recommended by the titular bishop; riosity, and look into a book which she and being patronized by the parish priest, knew was forbidden to the laity. Her apand famed for her devotedness, she soon had probation of the book, and a desire for ina respectable school. Among her pupils quiry, led her frequently to converse with there were some Protestant children. While the mother of the child; and, in this way, residing in C, she had led the way in her doubts so increased, that she made them all the superstitious observances of the a very prominent part of her next confession Chapel. In the Mass-Houses, which are to a middle-aged priest, a coadjutor in that generally extensive buildings, there are parish. This gentleman dwelt largely on crosses painted in black on the walls, at the enormity of the crime of doubting any certain distances; these are called stations. principle of her religion; strove to obviate To these, devotees resort morning and even- all her objections, by alleging her incompeing, and take a circuit on their knees, which tency to judge; and besides a heavy pethey call performing stations; having to re-nance, laid her under an obligation, on pain peat a certain number of prayers within the limits between cross and cross. She was constant in her observance of those meetings, and by her zeal, stimulated many indolent Catholics to more painful and active devotions. On last Ash Wednesday, she repaired to Mass, and took with her all her pupils. Among them was a Protestant child, daughter to one M——, a carpenter. After mass, she accompanied the child home, and apologized for the liberty she had taken. The mother said, to be sure she would not wish her child to be in such a place; but, from her youth, she supposed she had paid but little attention to what had passed there. Looking, however, on the child, and observing the black mark on its forehead, which the priests on that day put on the forehead, or on the palm of the hands of all the flock, she exclaimed, "What! what! has my child been branded with the marking that we had mistresses employed to inof the beast?" The other inquired into the struct females, and that our schools were cause of her astonishment, and the indigna- Bible schools, she called on me to seek a tion she manifested on seeing the mark on situation.

of inevitable destruction, never to open a Bible, or converse with a Protestant on the subject of religion. All this, however, did not do; for though, while terrified and intimidated by the threats and injunctions of her confessor, she had unwillingly promised obedience, she relapsed in a few days, and returned to her Bible. About this time her attention to the Scriptures was perceived by the parents of her pupils. They were much alarmed; for, being able to pay for the education of their children, in order to preserve them from contamination, they had never sent them to any of our schools in C——, or that neighbourhood. Her continuing to read the Bible every leisure hour, and the omis sion of the usual regularity in attending the stations, made them more suspicious, and the result was, she was deprived of every Catholic child under her tuition; when, hear

430

At Hamilton and Haldimand Mr. Abner In Ameliasburg, Sydney, and Thurlow, Wright preaches, but no Church has yet there are also a large proportion of the in-been formed. In those two places there are habitants Presbyterian, who are able and willing to give a faithful Minister an adequate support, and are anxious to procure one to settle among them. These towns, at our suggestion, have adopted a similar plan to that in the above towns of Hallowell,

&c. and we are informed they can raise $150 for three months service. In the town of Sydney there is a lot of 200 acres appropriated towards the support of a Minister in the town. The village of Bellville is in Thurlow, at the mouth of Myers' creek or Moira river; it is beautifully situated on the bay, and has a fine harbour, and is rapidly increasing in trade and population. Hallowell and Bellville appear to us to be two most important, promising, and useful Missionary stations; and if a Missionary was stationed in each place, within a year, we believe, they would be settled here over fine congregations.

There was considerable attention the last season among the Baptists, and a number have been added to the Church. The Me

a sufficient number of Presbyterians to give a Minister a sufficient support. There are a number of Presbyterian families in other parts of this district, but they live so scat tered, that there is no prospect of forming

any other Presbyterian congregation able to
support a preacher, except in the towns just
mentioned. Mr. Wright resides at Hamil
ton, where he teaches a school. He is the
person to whom the General Synod granted
a dispensation from the usual course of
study to enter the ministry, and who was
directed to apply to the Classis of Albany
for examination and ordination. Those who
know Mr. Wright represent him as a good,
pious, and studious man, and an acceptable
preacher. Should he receive ordination,
we think he will make a useful Minister in
that region where he resides.

Home district contains about 10,000
inhabitants, and the following towns,
Churches, and Ministers.
Whitby.

Pickering town, 1 Baptist Society.

York town, 1 Episcopal Church, 1 Ref.
Dutch Church. 1 Episcopal Rector, 1
Baptist Missionary.
Scarborough town.
Vaughan town.

Markham and Whitchurch towns, 1 Reformed Dutch Church, 1 Menese, 1 Dunkers, 1 Baptist Society, 2 Quaker Societies. One Presbyterian Minister, who preaches in the above four towns. The Menese and Dunkers have Ministers, but we know not how many.

King town, 2 Quaker Societies.

West Gwillimbury town.

byterian preacher over the Presbyterian Church or not. This is a little surprising, since they witness, frequently, a very intolerant spirit in the Rev. Dr. towards all other denominations. The elders of the Reformed Dutch have been refused, by him, the District schoolhouse, when otherwise unoccupied, for a Presbyterian Minister to preach in it. We had to preach in private houses. Our meetings were crowded, solemn, and some appeared deeply affected under the dispensation of the word. Our visit to this place has had this good effect, it has aroused the Presbyterians to provide

East Gwillimbury town, 2 Quaker So- a place for public worship. They were

cieties.

The Methodists have three Itinerants, who labour through this district, part of Newcastle, and in the District of Gore.

North Gwillimbury, Scott, Uxbridge, and Brocke towns. These towns, together with West Gwillimbury and Whitby, contain but few inhabitants, and in some the settlements are just forming by settlers from Europe. The other towns in this table are well settled, and some of them principally by inhabitants from Pennsylvania.

making arrangements for the building of a large and commodious schoolhouse, which will be under their control, and will answer as a place to preach. They are also exceedingly anxious to have a Presbyterian preacher; and if a missionary should be located there, they will be answerable for his support. As the seat of government, this is a very important station, and the influence of a faithful and godly Minister settled here, would extend to the different parts of the province. This people would probably give $1000 a year to a faithful and popular preacher.

The Rev. Mr. Jenkins, lately a missionary among the Oneida Indians, has settled in Markham, and preaches in this and the adjoining towns of Scarborough, Vaughan, and Whitchurch. By the ordinary blessing of God, these towns, in a year or two, will be able to support two or three Presbyterian

York is the seat of government of Upper Canada; but it is not so populous as Kingston. Here is an Episcopal Church established; the Rector is the Rev. Dr. Strahan. The principal part of the inhabitants are Presbyterians. There has been a Reformed Dutch Church organized here for some years, but there appears to have been very little zeal among them to obtain a preacher, or even a place for public worship. In Ministers. The inhabitants are generally 1816 the Missionary, Henry Smith, visited independent and industrious farmers. them, and his preaching greatly excited the attention of the people. After his departure Dr. Strahan proposed to one of the elders of the Reformed Dutch Church, to preach a Presbyterian sermon in the afternoon of the Lord's day, if they would be willing to attend. They accepted of the kind offer of the Dr., and it has had the effect of rendering some of the Presbyterians raised $300 towards supporting a Presbyvery indifferent, whether they have a Pres-terian Minister.

In Vaughan there is a lot of land, between 30 and 50 acres, appropriated for a Presbyterian Church. In Whitchurch there is a lot of 50 acres, given for a Presbyterian Church, and the Elder in that place offers a lot to erect a church edifice in a pleasant central situation. In this town they have

Among the Quakers there are two So- have neither of them many inhabitants, and these are principally Methodists by profession.

cieties that have separated from the others, and style themselves the Children of Peace, but in what they differ we know not. Between the Menese and Dunkers the only difference appears to be, that the one dips the subjects of baptism, and the other sprinkles them. Both reject infant baptism.

In Barton resides the Rev. Daniel W. Eastman, who has been settled in this province about fifteen years. The scene of his labours has been along the Niagara River, and the head of the Lake. The laWe visited Lake Simcoe, and found bours of Mr. Eastman are divided, at preabout twenty-five families in a very destitute sent, between the Presbyterian Churches in situation, having never been visited before Barton, Gainsboro', and Grimsby. The by any Presbyterian Minister, except Mr. Lutheran people have no Preacher of their Jenkins. There has been a road laid out own denomination, but generally attend the from this Lake to Lake Huron, the distance services of the Episcopal Preacher, who about thirty miles, and lots surveyed for officiates, alternately, in this town and in settlement. There are a few inhabitants on Ancaster. The seat of justice for this disLake Huron, at Penctergenshire bay, and trict is the village of Hamilton, which 'is at the mouth of the Nottowaysaugee river. pleasantly situated at the head of Burlington

bitants, and the following towns, Churches, and Ministers:

Gore district contains about 9,000 inha-bay, and will probably increase in population very rapidly. The towns on the head of Grand River, Beverly and the two Flamboro's, is a very destitute region, and a wide field for missionary labour. The Church in W. Flamboro' has about twenty-Eve members in communion.

Torento, Trafalgar, and Nelson towns, principally Methodists.

E. Flamboro' town.

W. Flamboro' town, 1 Presbyterian Church.

Barton town, 1 Presbyterian Church, 1 Lutheran Society. 1 Presbyterian Mi

In this district resides part of the Indians of the Six Nations. At the Caughnawaga village there is a meeting-house for the use of the Indians, and the society for propagating the Gospel support a Missionary among them, who, it is said, visits them only once or twice a year, and stays just long enough to perform service, and then returns home. Aaron, a native of a serious and Christian character, reads the Episcopal service on the Sabbath, to which the Indians are very attentive. We preached to them in English, which most of them understand. The whole number of the Six Nations in the province do probably not exceed 2000 souls.

[To be continued.]

EVANGELICAL GUARDIAN

AND REVIEW.

VOL. II.

FEBRUARY, 1819.

NO. 10.

MAN A RELIGIOUS AS WELL AS A force of nature brings them back

RATIONAL CREATURE.

Continued from page 415. WE shall now take notice

II. Of some objections to this sentiment.

in spite of theories. The Bishop of Cloyne wrote and published a book, with a design to prove there was no material world, When he left his study, however, his theory was not sufficient to deprive him of common sense. 1st Object. There are atheists. He acted upon the fullest assurThe fool hath said in his heart, ance of the fallacy of his system, there is no God. Eminent philo- Hume attempted to prove that sophers have called the truth in there was no matter, no mind, no question. They were not defi- creature, no Creator, no real excient in natural abilities, and if by istence whatever. Was the emithe exertion of its natural facul-nent author of the History of ties the human must come to the England sincere in his profession knowledge of a divine existence, of scepticism? What evidence these men could not have doubted. can we have that he was uniformAns. We have already denied ly sincere in his profession of that atheists are sincere in their atheism. Admit, however, the professions. The fool saying in possibility of entire disbelief in a his heart, no God, is rather a Supreme Being, and all this will proof of his earnest wish there was prove is, that our mental organnone, than of the sincerity of his ization is capable of derangeatheism. Thus the apostle Paul ment; that stubborn and repeatseems to have understood, they ed attacks upon the moral sense did not like to retain God in their may injure it, and that some of knowledge. Rom. i. 28. our natural powers may be lost.

The greatest men are most in If you will apply it more extendanger of following their own sively, you lead to a manifest fanciful inventions to a distance absurdity, upon your principles. from God, and from truth; and if If the objection be valid, no moit is possible they are sincere ral truth can be ascertained. Re, while communicating to paper velation itself, as well as the light their deceitful speculations, the of nature, would become incapaVot. II....No. 10.

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