The immediate cause of the withdrawal of the Free Church Committee from St. Gabriel Street was the demand that the Kirk-session should be reconstructed, and, as a preliminary to this, that the former elders should resign. They declined at this stage, although they tabled their resignations afterwards, under pressure from Mr. Esson, when it was too late. Finding that it was unlikely that their ideal of an Evangelical church was going to be easily realised in the old edifice, the committee took the step of seceding from it, after little more than a year's connection with it, taking away with them as many as they could influence, as well as the Free Church deputy who had occupied the pulpit. This naturally exasperated those who remained and stuck to the old a ship. The Free Church Committee had run up a temporary erection in Cote Street, which was opened for public worship by Rev. John Bonar, of Larbert, on the 10th of May, 1845. Up to that time, the deputies from the Free Church of Scotland had officiated in the old church, but declined to do so afterwards. This was a great grievance to the St. Gabriel Street congregation, and led to a vast deal of warm feeling, during all the years that Cote Street Church was supplied with preachers from Scotland. Some of the most eminent ministers from the parent Church visited Canada in the course of those six years; and as they refused to give supply to St. Gabriel Street Church, and officiated in a new edifice so close to it as Cote Street, it will be seen that the congregation worshipping there had not a little to contend against.

But this period of the history of the St. Gabriel Street Church is not without its precious memories. At least three of the Free Church deputies filled the pulpit for several weeks each—these were the saintly Wm. C. Burns, the eloquent Mr. McNaughton, of the High

Church, Paisley, and the godly John Bonar. The occupancy of the St. Gabriel Street Church pulpit by Wm. C. Burns, for even a brief period, has made it almost holy ground. The Church was, of course, full to overilowing, while he, Mr. McNaughton and Mr. Bonar officiated in it. Besides the morning and evening diets of worship, there was a special service for the military at one p.m., the 93rd Highlanders being then quartered in the city, of whom four hundred came to the church. The remarkable devotion to his Master's cause on the part of Mr. Burns, and the earnestness of his efforts for the salvation of sinners, are well known. Many citizens can yet remember his attempts at street preaching to the French. But few probably know the means he took to quality himself for this work. He knew nothing of their language on his arrival in Montreal, but his faith and zeal made little of obstacles he determined to acquire French so as to be able to tell to that people in their own tongue the wonderful works of God. And it shows not only how great was his facility in mastering new forms of speech, but also how a consecrated heart sharpens all the faculties, that, shutting himself up in a room with Rer. E. Tanner for a few days, and devoting his entire powers to the study of French, he was able to speak in that language so as to make himself understood by the people. This is a most interesting phenomenon for the psychologist to study.

After the new exodus to Cote Street, the Presbytery afforded occasional supply, but this was quite inadequate, so that the congregation had to apply for assistance to other denominations. They were under special obligations to the Rev. Dr. Cramp, then principal of the Baptist College, who often filled the pulpit at an hour s notice, and earned the gratitude of the congregation for all time. Eev. Mr. Girdwood, of the Baptist Church, Rev.

Mr. McLeod, of the American Presbyterian Church, and Rev. Dr, Taylor, of the U.P. Church, were all helpful

at this crisis. No one knew a week in advance who was to officiate next. The Missionary Committee's aid was invoked, but to little purpose, and the wonder is that there was any congregation left, after months of such experience. Yet there was a band of faithful and determined men in the old congregation, and they kept the door open every Sabbath-day, even if they had to get a mere layman to officiate.

Mention has been already made of the Missionary Committee as being almost identical with the Free Church Committee. Mr. Leishman took exception to its constitution, because it was not composed of members of Presbytery. The St. Gabriel Street congregation also took up the complaint, and urged the fact that they had no representation in it. This complaint was signed by James Turner, A. Bertram, Chas. Mearns, Geo. A. Pyper, Jas. Allan, Jas. McLaughlin, Jas. Kinlayside, Donald Mackay, Peter Macfarlane, George Cruikshank, David Wylie, Alex. Urquhart, Wm. Murray, Arch. Macfarlane, A. Murray, Ken. Macaulay, Alex. Ronald, E. W. Scobell, Jas. McGibbon, Jas. Ewing and J. Macfarlane.

During this period, and after Mr. Leishman's pastorate, the Rev. Thomas Lowry, now of Toronto; Rev. John Scott, afterwards of London; Rev. Professor Lyall, now of Halifax; Rev. Robert Wallace, of Toronto, and Rev. J. C. Quin, officiated in the St. Gabriel Street Church for a longer or shorter period.

The congregation first tried to get a minister from Scotland, but they thought the influence of the Colonial Committee of the Free Church was against them, and they failed.

Then, at a meeting on 9th July, 1845: "The Session agreed to petition the Presbytery to make application on