1 866.] CATHOLICS. 283 



The Catholic religion, at least, keeps alive the ideas of duties 

 with rights, and humble obedience, and acts of repentance. 

 There is a tremendous show of rich Protestantism here." 

 Alluding to the number of churches near him, he adds : " If 

 spires are heaven-conductors, Jacob's ladders are plentiful ! " 

 " Catholic interests,"' he wrote to me, " are supreme : and others 

 must give way with, as good a grace as they can. For my part, 

 I consider that this country was settled by the French Catholics, 

 and they have a right to have things their own way. If the 

 English choose to come and settle among them, they must have 

 pot-luck. I don't see that the conquest of the French by the 

 English is any reason why the English should strut about here, 

 and expect every one to obey them. . . . All the Catholics, 

 French and Irish, trust British freedom much more than that 

 of the United States.. If the Catholic rule is felt unpleasant, 

 people can easily move West. I don't like a whole continent 

 being made uniform." He came to Montreal, therefore, well- 

 disposed to Catholic influence : but the experience of his later 

 years made him speak very strongly of the conduct of those who 

 pandered to priestly domination. He had written : " Though 

 the Evangelicals were highly scandalized at my preaching for 

 the Unitarians, they have shown no wish to fight shy of me on 

 that account. A much greater heresy is — asserting that many 

 Catholics are far better Christians, than many Protestants." 



His dislike of the Puritan mode of worship and his love of 

 the English liturgy, led him to prefer an Episcopal church. At 

 first he attended St. James's, which was near him ; but he soon 

 became attached to St. George's, where his help was acceptable 

 in the large Sunday school, and which supported missions, 

 where he often preached on a week-evening. The rector, 

 Canon Bond (afterwards Dean, and now Bishop), won his heart 

 from the first, and in many respects reminded him of his 

 beloved father. He did not wish, however, to tie himself to 

 any Denomination : his opinions changed ; but to his imsec- 

 tarian principle he was steadfast to the last : and on " Damnation 

 Days," as he called them, i.e. when the " Athanasian Creed" 

 is recited by priest and people, he absented himself : ' on one 



