faith more than I have for some months past; yet I was
never kept in greater steadfastness and peace of mind, nor had such
openings of the Spirit and life of Jesus in my soul. The judgments
of God are spreading apace--the cholera is more deadly in London,
and it has now broken out in Ireland, and in the centre of Paris,
where it is said to be very destructive. You need no other evidence
of its being a work of God, than to be informed that it is made the
public mock of the infidel population of this city; a state of
feeling and conduct in regard to this pestilence that never,
perhaps, was witnessed from any country, and that would make a
heathen or Mahommedan ashamed. I have seen gangs of men traversing
the streets and singing songs in ridicule of the cholera, and have
seen caricatures of it in the windows.
_August 29th, 1832._--To-day, in a valedictory editorial, Dr. Ryerson
took leave of the readers of the _Christian Guardian_, having been its
first editor for nearly three years. In that valedictory Dr. Ryerson
said (p. 116):--
I first appeared before the public as a writer, at the age of two and
twenty years. My first feeble effort was a vindication of the
Methodists, and several other Christian denominations against the
uncalled-for attack made upon their principles and character. It also
contained a remonstrance against the introduction into this country of
an endowed political Church, as alike opposed to the statute law of the
Province, political and religious expedience, public rights and
liberties. I believe this was the first article of the kind ever
published in Upper Canada, and, while from that time to this a powerful
combination of talent, learning, indignation, and interest has been
arrayed in the vain attempt to support by the weapons of reason,
Scripture, and argument, a union between the Church and the
world--between earth and heaven; talents, truth, reason, and justice
have alike been arrayed in the defence of insulted and infringed rights,
and the maintenance of a system of public, religious, and educational
instruction, accordant with public rights and interests, the principles
of sound policy, the economy of Providence, and the institutions and
usages of the New Testament.
Dr. Ryerson also published in this number of the _Guardian_ the general
outline of the arrangements proposed at Hallowell (Picton) on behalf of
the Canada Conference
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