irit--the arrogant pretentiousness--the priestly insolence--the
anti-Christian spirit of certain members of that Church richly deserves
chastisement.... I know that your public services have been undervalued;
your faults have been shamefully exaggerated; your motives have been
misrepresented; your influence (connected as you are with a large and
influential body of Christians) is feared, and your enemies are as
bitter as Satan can make them; but, if you are conscious that, in the
sight of God, you are aiming at the right object, why not leave your
cause in His hands? why so frequently appeal to the people? You may not
see it; but there is a recklessness in your mode of writing, sometimes,
which is really alarming, and for which many of the members of the
Conference of our Society do not like to be responsible. I know well,
that the acts of the high church party are far more likely to excite
rebellion than your writings. There is a strong, a very strong, feeling
against a dominant Church; but a majority of the Province would rather
have that, and connection with Great Britain, than republicanism.

[99] On the other hand, the Editor of _The Church_ thus sketched Dr.
Ryerson:--As The promoter, if not originator, of prejudices of
indigenous growth, against the Church of England, and as the thoughtless
scatterer of the seeds of political error and of antipathy to the
national church. Notwithstanding these counteracting influences, the
Editor does not despair of seeing the day when Methodists in Canada will
join with Churchmen in vindicating the Church's right to the property of
the reserves, which will enable them to plant the established church in
every corner of these Provinces. And this they will do, not upon the
ground merely of filial partiality, but on the most rational security
for the permanence and purity of our Protestant faith, etc. Under these
circumstances, Dr. Ryerson said:--

I have felt it due to the _Guardian_ connexion to enter my protest
against the claims of the Episcopal Church, and to combat and explain
the opinion of my English brethren as not those prevalent in this
Province.

A lengthened communication, embodying those views, appearing on page 109
of the _Guardian_ of May 16th, 1838.

[100] With a view to increase the clamour against the Editor of the
_Guardian_ on this subject, Mr. Alex. Davidson, writing to Dr. Ryerson
from Niagara, said:--Dr. Alder's letter to you had been printed and
circulat