funds, but insisted that no religious denomination should receive them; that churches and denominational colleges should depend alone on the voluntary support of their adherents. For twenty years or more this was the great political question of the time. It was part of the discontent that caused the MacKenzie rebellion, of course, the reform side won. You will observe I have not mentioned Baptists, they were very few. And as for those now known as Disciples of Christ or Christians, there were none. But almost simultaneously, starting at several different centres, in this new liberty-loving country, with its great lakes, broad rivers, immense forests, and unbounded horizons, most naturally it would seem that those who had tasted of the liberty wherewith Christ makes free, should go forward, and shake off the trammels of religious creeds and religious usages, and the semi-sacred influence of great names behind such things.

It is not to be wondered at, that alone with God and nature, and a sparse humanity, that they should fall back to THE BOOK, to the supreme authority, there to study out their course, and in a helpful, brotherly way with others like minded, to follow it. Donald McLaren, was not just one of this type, he only partly led the way, but others would not stop where he stopped. Father could see the plain beauty of apostolic preaching and apostolic ordinances. But he failed to see Calvinism interwoven with them. In that he tried to teach his teacher, but failed. But beginning in that little Highland Scotch congregation, many went out into the larger liberty of the children of God.

JAMES BLACK'S BEGINNING

Canada had a still more effective acquisition for religious teaching and progress in the person of James Black, who left Scotland early in the second decade of the century, a young man and a Baptist; he settled near the present town of Guelph, and taught school, and true to his Christian responsibilities, he opened a Sunday school and taught the Gospel and its duties from the New Testament. In a year or two he saw there were a number ready for Christian baptism. He wrote

back to Scotland, to a mission board, to send out an ordained minister to preach and baptize. One was promised, but was several years in coming. He did not wait but kept on with his good work, and added preaching to his teaching, till quite a number were ready to take upon themselves the name of Christ, and enter his service. His study of the New Testament showed him most plainly, that no consistent follower of Christ was debarred from preaching the Gospel or administering its ordinances. Accordingly, after receiving their confession of faith, he baptized the penitents, and formed a Christian Church in apostolic fashion; and had it going in good working order, when finally the Baptist missionary came, and proclaimed Brother Black's course to be wholly unauthorized, his converts illegally baptized; and that they must now be baptized by himself, as a lawfully ordained Baptist minister, in order to be a correct Baptist Church. And from his point of view the minister was right. Did Brother Black acquiesce? Hardly. He briefly, but courteous told him to keep his holy hands off, or words to that effect. These people were already Christians and there was not the least need of their becoming Baptists. So Brother Black left him to go elsewhere and make his Baptists out of the raw material. This was in the early times of A. Campbell's work in Pennsylvania; Brother Black knew nothing of it then, but began to learn about it shortly afterwards. Brother Black raised a large family of fine sons, and though a farmer, continued preaching most successfully, throughout his whole life, which ran up into the nineties; a constant pattern of purity and goodness. The marks of his influence are laid deep in the records of Canadian Churches of Christ. There were other Christian noblemen of this same type; about whom I can do little more than mention them. Elder John Menzies of Norval, who was an old man when I was almost a baby, but a vigorous preacher, and was said to be a walking concordance. Another notable highland minister, was Dougald Sinclair, the man who baptized my mother in Scotland. His home and sphere of influence was much farther west, in the township of Lobo. So far all these were High

landers, and while they talked English finely, yet could preach in the Gaelic when called upon. Wholly different from these was one that was associated with the congregation near Norval, a north-of-Ireland man, Stephens, by name, a man of fine education and culture, who resided for some time in New York, where he was a member of a congregation of disciples or Christians, that was started directly, or indirectly I am not sure, by one of the Haldanes of Scotland, from whom A. Campbell received much of his initiative. The father of Isaac Errett was also a member of this congregation. Brother Stephens had a family of seven sons and four daughters nearly all being grown and more or less influential and effective in the spread of the Kingdom of Christ. One more of those old pioneers should be mentioned, that is, George Barclay, of Pickering. His ancestral home being in Fifeshire, Scotland. Like Brother Black his work began near the beginning of the century, the effects remain to this time, not alone in the churches east of Toronto, but in the lives of his children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In all those large families of this olden time that would average about ten children each, there were no imbeciles or malformations, nearly every one counted up to his full measure, and filled his honored place in society.

This large digression from the family story has been necessary for a correct setting of the events and the social and religious conditions of the time. While father was never demonstrative or bold or showy, yet he was never misunderstood regarding his Christian duty. After his baptism and association with the congregation, his place was with it every Lord's day. Old friends and acquaintances who had been used to doing their visiting on Sunday would call on him. He pleasantly informed them that he and wife were going to meeting and would be glad to have their company. Though it might be against their inclination they would most likely go, and a few occurrences of that kind settled Sunday visiting between him and his friends.

WILLIAM TROUT SECOND MARRIAGE

Father was studious and attentive, not only in the acquisition or ordinary knowledge, but especially in what related to his millwright or machinery and builder's work. And when he became a Christian, the Bible and religious literature was added to his course of study, and as a matter of course he advanced beyond his fellows and was able to enlighten and encourage others, so he became a speaker and continued progress made him a preacher; that is, he preached on Lord's days and worked on the working days, which was his usual course throughout his whole life.

I have no doubt that it was through this congregation that father became acquainted with mother, who, though often referred to previously, now should have an introduction and further reference, along with her people as we proceed. She was Cathrine Mackinnon of Mull, Scotland, born on Easter Sunday, 1809, the date not being otherwise determined, she came to Canada with two brothers and a sister and other relatives about 1827. She lived a year or two in Toronto, as servant in the home of James Leslie, publisher of the Toronto Examiner. Afterwards for several years with her own relatives in Erin. I have already referred to Dougald Sinclair who had baptized her in Scotland and also her brother Laughlin, it is easy to see that they would gravitate to this Highland Scotch Baptist congregation. I know she was intimately acquainted with all of them. And most certainly father and mother for a few years at least belonged to them. However, before either saw the other, she had been notified by some wise friends that he was to be her coming man. So we may judge the interest she felt when first he drove up to the place where she was, with a dashing gray team through the deep snow. But at first sight she did not like him, so I heard her remark to a lady friend. Evidently the dislike was very short, as the liking was certainly lifelong. Incidentally too, I discovered that my aunts regarded the match of their clever oldest brother, with a young Scotch girl that could not speak good fluent English and was unfamiliar with the ways of the coun