The Rise of Canada, from Barbarism to Wealth and Civilisation. Volume 1Roger, Charles
History
The Rise of Canada, from Barbarism to Wealth and Civilisation. Volume 1
Roger, Charles
Canada -- History
The Home Government anxious to build up in some manner a Protestant
Church establishment had appointed the Right Reverend Jacob Mountain,
Doctor in Divinity, to the Diocese of Quebec. At the expense of the
Imperial Government, a Cathedral was built in Quebec, which was
consecrated in 1804, on the ruins of the Recollet Church of the
Jesuits. To this day it is possibly the most symmetrical in appearance
of any church of the Church of England in Canada. Exteriorly, it is 135
feet in length and 73 in breadth, while the height of the spire above
the ground is 152 feet, the height from the floor to the centre arch,
within, being 41 feet. The communion plate, together with the altar
cloth, hangings of the desk and pulpit of crimson velvet and cloth of
gold, and the books for divine service, was a private present from
George the Third. There was then also a Rector of Quebec, having a
salary, from the British Government, of L200 a year, such a sum as,
Bishop Mountain reported to His Excellency the Governor, no gentleman
could possibly live upon! a Rector of Montreal with the same salary,
and L80 additional per annum made up by subscription from the parish; a
Rector of Three Rivers with a like salary of L200 from home; a Rector
of William Henry receiving L100 from home and L50 from the Society for
the Propagation of the Gospel; an evening lecturer at Quebec, receiving
L100 from the Imperial Treasury; the incumbent of Missisquoi Bay,
obtaining L100 from government, L50 from the Propagation Society, and
L30 from the inhabitants; and two vacancies in the "new settlements,"
requiring L150 to be paid to each. The building of a stone church in
Montreal was commenced, but the structure which promised to be "one of
the handsomest specimens of modern architecture in the province," was
not finished, for want of funds, ten years afterwards. In Upper Canada,
so late as 1795, no church had been built. Even in Newark, it is
quaintly added by the Duke de la Rochefoucault Liancourt, in the same
halls where the Legislative and Executive Councils held their sittings,
jugglers would have been permitted to display their tricks, if any
should have ever strayed to a country so remote. His Grace, quite
correct with regard to Newark, was at fault in speaking of the whole
province. At Stamford there was a Presbyterian Church, built in 1791,
and another church built for the use of all persuasions, a kind of free
and common soccage church, in 1795, which was destroyed in the
subsequent war. It was in this year that one of the most remarkable
men, and one of the most able and indefatigable of the colonial clergy,
was strolling about Marischal College, in Aberdeen, studying
philosophy. He was a very plain-looking Scotch lad and very cannie.
Altogether wanting in that oratorical brilliancy so necessary for an
efficient preacher of the great truths of Christianity, Mr. John
Strachan had diligently acquired a dry knowledge of the humanities, to
fit himself for a teacher of youth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account