CHAPTER V. Rev. John Young's Gifts And His Success In Strengthening The Presbyt rian C use I M ntreal—The S cial L fe O T e T me I T e C ty — nomalous P sition F r M nister A d C ngregation, H N ver H ving B en I ducted —Discontentment ith is inistry —Mr. Young's Resignation And Departure—His Subsequent Honourable Career—The 'recollet Church' — Hospitali y f T e Recoll t Fathe s Towar s T e Scot h n Givi g T e U e f The r Churc — T e S . Gabri l Stre t Chur h Bui t n 1792—T e Protesta t Chur h t Berthier—Origin l Tru t De d f S . Gabri l Stre t Church—T e O d Chur h A d T e Cha p e Mar . Although Rev. John Young does not appear to have been always able to exercise self-denial, he must have possessed many estimable qualities, or he could not have maintained his position in Montreal for eleven years. The social tendencies, which were his weakness, made him popular with many; so that he was able to accomplish a good deal during his incumbency in the way of getting a church erected and entirely paid for, and consolidating the congregation. He must have been endowed with energy and business capacity, as well as gifts of speech. And had he been fortified by the companionship and counsel of brethren in the ministry, he might have been a very useful pastor. As illustrating the solitariness of his situation, we find him, in the year 1800, baptizing his own. daughter, which is at least an unusual thing for a Presbyterian clergyman to do, although there was no irregularity in the act. There was much in his situation that was interesting, as there is in the position of any missionary in a new district. He had it in his power to mould the religious character of the young community. The sense of responsibility which attaches to one in these circumstances adds dignity to his office. The settlers for hundreds of miles around Montreal brought their children to him for baptism, and he made occasional missionary tours among them, with the view of confirming them in the faith and cheering them in the midst of the hardships and privations of life in the back-woods. He seems to have had occasion also to minister to the spiritual necessities of the aborigines. The following makes rather curious reading to-day :— "Jenny, the Red Bird of the tribe of the Hurons, aged twenty-four years, was baptised this twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six, by "John Young, "Minister." Mr. Young's geniality seems to have enabled him to maintain happy relations with the other Christian people of Montreal. For instance, he appears to have officiated at baptisms and funerals for the Anglican clergyman of the city at that time, Rev. S. J. Mountain, as his name is inserted in several Acts in the Registers of Christ Church, during the years 1798-99 and 1800. Symptoms of dissatisfaction with Mr. Young's ministry began to show themselves in the year 1800. Whether it arose from a want of appreciation of his professional services, or because rumours had reached a portion of the congregation that Mr. Young's conduct was not always becoming, does not appear. The question seems to have reached a crisis in November of that year, for a congregational meeting was held on the 10th of that month, for the purpose of testing the sentiments of the people towards him. There was no Presbytery to take the matter in hand, and so a short and easy method was adopted, as the following minute shows: "At a meeting of the Presbyterian congregation of this city, held in their church, the 4th instant, a number of those present expressed a wish for another clergyman, to which the Rev. Mr. Young, being present, replied, he had not the least objections to retire on an annuity, provided a majority of his congregation wished it." "Therefore all those of the said congregation who wish Mr. Young to retire from his present charge, on the foregoing conditions, will please to signify it by signing their names hereto, adding dissatisfied; and those for him to continue will signify it by adding satisfied." Montreal, 10th November, 1800." The result of this vote showed that Mr. Young had yet a strong hold on the confidence and esteem of the congregation. The following voted for his continuance :— John Lilly, Adam Scott, William Hunter, Richard Warffe, Wm. Gilmour, John Cuthbertson, James Laing, Robert Buchanan, James Strother, William Martin, James Logan, Alexander Chisholm, Hugh Tulloch, William Thompson, Peter McFarlane, B. Gibb, Mrs. Finlayson, James Henderson, Philip Ross, George Martin, Thomas Hunter, Duncan McNaughton, James McDowall, Hugh McAdam, John Watson, John McKay, J. Gottfried Glagau, David McCosh, Robert Algie, Arthur Gilmour, Thomas Prior, Thos. Reid, Chas. Falconer, William Graham, Jos. Provan, Jean McDougall, John Telfer, James Stevenson, John Hunter, Thomas Taylor, Donald McKercher, William England. Only six voted for procuring another clergyman. They were the following: Isaac Todd, John Russell, John McArthur, John Fisher, who appends this remark to his signature, “being firmly of opinion it will turn eventually for the good of Mr. Young,"—Alexander Henry, William Martin. As showing that his surroundings in Montreal had an unfavourable influence upon his habits, we follow his career with satisfaction after he left the city. He proceeded first to Newark, now Niagara, in Ontario, in the autumn of 1802, where he officiated for a time. He afterwards ministered to a congregation near Lake Champlain; thence he removed to Lunenburgh in Nova Scotia, and finally was settled at Sheet Harbour, in that Province, where he died in 1825, the Rev. John Sprott of Musquodoboit, officiating at his funeral, who wrote to a friend in Scotland that "his death was much lamented by that infant settlement." We have seen that Mr. Young was never installed as minister of the St. Gabriel Street congregation; but in point of fact, he came to be looked upon as if he had been. All things considered, his incumbency must be regarded as a long one, nearly eleven years altogether, he being without the protection and fortifying afforded by the permanent pastoral relation. In this fact we have satisfactory evidence that he must have possessed not a few points of worth and popularity. The tone of his last communication to the congregation, addressed to Mr. Benaiah Gibb, is sad enough:— "Montreal, 7th August, 1802. Sir, I hereby resign all claim to the Presbyterian Church; hoping you, and all concerned, will do what you can to collect what is due to me as minister of said Church, previous to this day; and I expect my old friends of the Presbyterian congregation, dearly beloved in the Lord, will give me a sum not less than one hundred pounds, which may enable me to land my family in my native land. May peace be within your walls, prosperity within your borders. Sir, Your humble servant in the Lord, Mr. B. Gibb." |