Chapter XIV

_Excursion to Lake Simcoe—Hope—David Willson—Meeting-house—Tenets of
the Children of Peace—Northumberland Farmer—Soil—Notices—Excursion
to Niagara—Scenery of Lake Ontario—Return to York._

Next day my friend D—— and I set out for Lake Simcoe by the Newmarket stage, passing along a road called Younge street, a small part of which was Macadamized, in the vicinity of York. At Richmond hill, our dinner consisted of roast beef alone, so tough that my friend remarked the animal must have died in the yoke from distress. Human teeth could make little impression on it, and I satisfied hunger with bad bread and water, thankful that keenness of appetite exceeded my nicety of palate. At Newmarket we were disappointed at learning the steam-boat, passing round Lake Simcoe once a-week, had left Holland-landing shortly before our arrival, and there was no other possible mode of conveyance; I therefore committed letters to people residing on the margin of the lake to the post-office.

In the morning we were conveyed in a waggon round the neighbourhood of Newmarket, our first stage being the village of Hope, known also by the name of Davidstown, the residence of a religious sect called the “Children of Peace,” founded by David Willson. It is upwards of four miles from Newmarket, and consists of sixty or seventy houses scattered up and down. Not finding Mr Willson at his house, where we saw his wife, a thin yellow sickly looking person, we proceeded to the counting-room, a fanciful building, which was open, and no one within. Mr Willson being pointed out on the street, I introduced myself as a stranger anxious to see his place of worship, to which he dryly assented. He asked if I belonged to government, and on learning the object of my tour, and place of residence, two men who accompanied him enquired anxiously about Scotland, and the state of the working classes there. On entering the building we took off our hats, placing them on a table, and were told we might walk round the house.

The building is of wood, painted white externally, seventy feet high, and consists of three stories. The first is sixty feet square, with a door in the centre of each side, and three large windows on each side of the door. On two sides there is a representation of the setting sun, and the word “Armageddon” inscribed below. The second story is twenty-seven feet square, with three windows on each side; and the third story nine feet square, with one window on each side. The corners of each of the stories are terminated by square lanterns, with gilded mountings, and the termination of the building is a gilded ball of considerable size. The interior was filled with wooden chairs placed round sixteen pillars, in the centre of which is a square cabinet of black walnut, with a door and windows on each side. There was a table in the centre of the cabinet covered with black velvet, hung with crimson merino and fringe, on which was deposited a Bible. On the four centre pillars were painted the words “Faith, Hope, Charity, and Love;” and on the twelve others, I believe, the names of the Apostles. The centre pillars seemed to support the second story, and at the foot of each was a table covered with green cloth. The house was without ornament, being painted fawn, green, and white, and had not a pulpit or place for addressing an audience. It is occupied only once in a month for collecting charity, contains 2952 panes of glass, and is lighted once a-year with 116 candles.

There was a cold suspicious reserve in Mr Willson’s manner, which prevented me at first engaging him in conversation. After fruitless attempts I remarked the temple was a handsome building, and he muttered in satirical sounds, “we did not wish to raise a temple, it is only a meeting-house.” I said the interior of the building was tastefully finished, and asked if the design was his own,—when he repulsively replied, “Did you ever see one like it?” On answering in the negative, he said, with a great deal of self-complacency, “That is the work of the mind.” I had now a key to his good graces, which was used, and he conversed freely on a variety of subjects. I had a publication in my pocket, entitled “Canada as it is,” wherein he was mentioned; and on reading the particulars, he emphatically said, “Part is true—but three-fourths are lies.” From seeing Mr Owen’s name in the book, he said he had his writings, and asked how he got on in Scotland. I stated shortly his late career, and he seemed pleased at hearing of the breaking up of New Harmony.

David Willson seems about 65 years of age, and is a middle sized, square built man, wearing his hair over his forehead, and squints considerably. He reminded me of my early friend and preceptor, Edward Irving, but the association, in all probability, arose more from semblance of character than of feature. He was dressed in a short brown cloth jacket, white linen trowsers, with a straw hat, all perhaps home-made. Originally from the State of New York, he had resided thirty years in this country. The number of his followers is unknown, but all offering themselves in sincerity are accepted, as he dislikes sectarianism, and has no written creed. He seems to act on Quaker principles, assisting the flock with money and advice. The produce is sent to York market weekly in common, yet individuals are left to guide themselves. There is a school for teaching young women to be industrious, whether they join the sect or not. Most people in the neighbourhood say the “Children of Peace” are good people, but scandal has been busy with their leader.

On leaving Mr Willson he presented me with a small tract, which may be regarded as the tenets of the family, to the following effect.

“MATTHEW, CHAPTER XXV. VERSE 34.

“_Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world; for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I
was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me
in; naked, and ye clothed me._”

“I make use of this text to explain the purposes of a building erected
at the small village of Hope, in the county of York, and province of
Upper Canada.—We who are distinguished from other worshippers, of our
country, by the name of Peace, which name we have given to our place
of worship, here insert singular purposes, not generally known to our
friends abroad; we esteem all such who are not our enemies; these
latter, in a literal sense, cannot be our brethren or our friends.

“The world is in a singular system to us, as we can be to them; that
is, that they are in a state of servitude to a set of Christian
priests, since Christ came to liberate the captives. The objector may
say, they are in no servitude on the classical plan, but what is
voluntary. I answer, a child should be directed in his choice, and a
disciple taught to pray. We confess the people are directed in their
choice, and invited to be baptized, join society, and partake of the
holy ordinances. If we may give the ancient names to the present
apostles, Peter saith come, for this is the way, and I can prove it by
scripture; Paul saith come, for I can condemn the very creed that
Peter approves, and justify mine own to an extreme. Now, we are of the
mind to leave the creeds of the Christian Apostles of this age (of
which they have no scant number) and take into a simple way, in which
there can be no dispute, and which, we think, will outwit the priests
of the Christian church to condemn. We take the words of Christ our
Saviour for truth, but to believe in all the contradictions of the
age, is to us impossible. Priests quarrel now for titles; the printers
print them, and sell them to the world, and make barter of priests’
disputes; and the clashing of creeds has become a popular trade, and
brings in a considerable wealth to the craftsmen that have set up
selling these tales from their refined presses, which makes religious
disputes and new occurrences subjects of detail.

“We publish these lines, and refuse for a considerable time to publish
any more. We give them gratis, because the Lord hath given to us; not
that which is the form of others, but of our own that we may rejoice
in his favours, and envy not. Our form or ceremony is not in
contradiction to any religious creed, and will therefore admit of no
dispute; and with us, we intend that religious arguments shall come to
a close.

“The Son of God hath plainly shown us how we shall gain admittance to
the blessed purposes of the creation, for this is the kingdom prepared
from the foundation of the world.

“We have built a house for the purpose of offering to God Israelite
fashion; we purpose to commence the last Saturday in October, at
twelve o’clock, and continue to offer to God for the purposes
contained in the text, once in the month throughout the year, and so
on successively until the year we die, leaving this example and
precept to our children always; this we perform without the direction
of a priest, or any officer in the church, for we are brethren.

“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world. Then he begins to justify, showing cause of mercy and of
favour; (and when the harvest is ripe, and the wheat shall be
gathered, and the tares burned;) I was hungry and ye gave me meat;
here is the power and glory of religion, here teaching comes to an
end. Can a priest preach to a man, when his heart is to do the deeds
justified of God? As a doctor to a man in good health, so is a literal
teacher to these. I was thirsty and ye gave me drink; various favours
continue from the human mind, throughout all the excellent deeds
contained in the text; the whole amount is this; Loving God, and the
salvation of the world. (We have no written creed, and therefore we
have no image to quarrel about, or literal rule to argue for, we are
against nobody, but for all.) The answer of these souls shall be this,
When saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee; or thirsty, and gave thee
drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in; or naked, and
clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto
thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto
you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my
brethren, ye have done it unto me.

“I now leave the text, and turn to the practice of life, to show cause
for a change of system; and we are required to give a reason for the
hope that we possess. The priests are as despotic in their several
congregations, as the potentates of the age; not all, I should say. I
will say that all are above their brethren, and press subordination to
their written creed, or line of doctrine. If a stranger comes to him
of another creed, will he take him in as himself, or one of his
religious kinsfolk? No; like the Almighty setting bounds to the sea,
hereunto thou mayest come, but here thy freedom and thy liberty shall
be stayed. As for me, I am numbered with the impostors, and am so
contented with the name, I forgive all my accusers; but tell them how
they use their creed, brethren, who can equally prove themselves as
right as they are. How do we of the latter named class use each other?
I confess upon an equal plan. You sell each other’s failings for
money, through the means of the press, and electioneering converts by
public arguments, and send them round sea and land to proselyte the
world. And what are they when they are gained? We will impartially own
the good with the evil. It puts away some rough and profane language,
and some extreme immorality, a work glorious in its place. Do we not
teach them to pray? To an extreme, but not how to receive. Do we not
teach them the way to embrace society? Yes, a hundred ways. Christ
said, I am the way, and that way through preaching is perhaps divided
into a hundred parts; the number of sects in the Christian name, I
know not; but I know that priestcraft hath done this, and with us it
is coming to an end. It is not the one way, Christ the hope of glory,
that hath divided the whole world, and produced vain argument to such
an unlimited degree as it is now extended, from priest, pulpit, and
press, and it is chiefly sold to the poor inhabitants of the world.
And some extol themselves to be of high value, for they take shameful
sums for doctrine, and the divines are more extravagant than the
apothecaries. But a man cannot have soul or body mended now, but at
dear cost. In the days of Israel, productions of this kind were
cheaper, in the days of Christ, without money or price; a happy day
for poor souls when Christ preached the gospel to the poor, and healed
the sick without cost. The text suffers no man to go in distress, and
binds us to use lawyers, doctors, and priests well; when we see them
hungry, give them meat; if thirsty, drink; if naked, clothing; if they
are in a strange place, show friendship, take them in, they are our
brethren; if they are sick or imprisoned, go to them, they cannot come
to us; and as we use this part of the creation, so do by all other
classes, for they are our brethren; if we do it to the least of these
that hope for salvation in Christ, we do it unto him, for this hope is
the gift of God; and him that practises, doeth the will of God, the
same is my mother, my sister, and my brother. Do the sects use each
other as brethren, or doth not the priest use the common people, in
many instances, as his footstool? Amongst the liberal kind, they only
take the liberty of sect abusing sect, and priests liberally
quarrelling with each other, which hath been operating in penmanship,
ever since the dark ages of the world, that succeeded the apostles.
Can you tell me, contending priests, how many quarrels will make a
millennium? If you cannot, quarrel no more; for common people are
laughing at such barter as this; selling priests’ quarrels at the
printer’s office; dividing the world into unnumbered parts; and by
example and precept, inviting divided proselytes to follow you; this
is the practice of sects. But there is a practice between the priest
and his brethren I think worthy of note, for the information of those
more ignorant than ourselves in our home capacity, if it is possible
that any such there be.

“The priest gets on a stool or pulpit, and preaches over what is
already spoken, which is well done, and cannot be bettered. The
potters prepare men for this purpose, take them in, passive as clay,
and make of them what they will. It is far from me to speak against
learned men; but rather note a little of the principle by which
education is used. Literal education is no distinguishing mark of an
apostle, for or against the service of God. Why, then, are learned men
so highly extolled above their brethren, and sold at the highest price
at market, like the best beef? The son of God equalizes, and owns all
equally his brethren, that are for God and his righteousness. But some
classes are taught by these self-thinking superior qualities, that an
unlearned man should not be heard; if he comes to their house, the
sentence is this, Be off with the goats, on the left hand; ye are fit
for nothing, but to be convicted for ignorance; but ourselves for
learning and office, are worthy of thousands a-year for preaching
scripture creeds to the people. Poor people! little is obtained for
your money, for you are not taught that equalization is man’s right,
and that the poor are the heirs of the tribute in a Christian Church.
Christ united Jew and Samaritan, and remnants of every kind to
himself, and gave them the name of brethren; he is the pillar of a
glorious Millennium. And when priestcraft is fulfilled, and God hath
said it shall come no farther, it will come to pass. The priest is
heir of the big sum—other church officers of less, whether according
to their righteousness, what they do, or what proportion of learning
it takes to fulfil their respective offices, I do not know; but this I
know, the high priest first puts his head in the purse, for he is a
general of an army, and holds subordinate titles under him, like
military order, not equalizing his brother with himself, but a step
lower on the righteous stairs that reach from earth to heaven (like
Jacob’s ladder), he holds the chief power of putting in and putting
out of office—of calling one a sheep, and another a goat—taking in and
casting out of the church. This last prerogative descends quite down
to the foot of the stairs, and they have got the world divided indeed;
and one priest will call his neighbour’s sheep goats, and keep them on
his left hand, because his creed is not written in their foreheads.
But there is another dark class called sinners, and they are not fit
for any body’s building materials, and have no mark upon them but the
black mark, unworthy or uninformed. I belong to these, and I am
resolved never to wear a priest’s creed on my forehead; for if I do, I
am sure I will despise my neighbour or brother, and will not account
him equal with myself. I am on the goat side of the question—the
priests have put me there; but I mean to prove that such judges as
ours may be in error, for these that some call goats, others call
sheep. This judgment cannot be correct, and wants amendment. Christ
hath passed the sentence, and it needs no alteration, and the priests
need not preach any more about the matter.

“If men are generous, hospitable, and kind to all people in necessity,
the Son of God hath justified them; he hath taken away their selfish
and proud heart, and given them a generous one, equally wishing
salvation to all the world, dividing their crumbs equally to those
that stand in need. This is the glory of God, and power of religion.
Where is the priest’s office here? The Son of God saw it would come to
an end, when the hearers were preached or converted into the practice
of the text.

“We have built a house to sacrifice to God, feed the hungry, and
clothe the naked. Any stranger may come in and sacrifice with us,
without giving us money or price. It is for the various purposes of
God’s glory, the end of doctrine, and the perfection of the world. We
are not perfect; but the system adopted by us is justified of God in
Scripture, and draws the soul near unto God and Christ. It is beyond
all creeds and sectarian plans, and is with us the end of craft. We
lament the divisions of the world, and the pride of the people, the
superiority professed by priests, and the tribute paid to them.
Therefore, in adopting this plan, we expect to employ them no more.

“DAVID WILLSON.

“We now commence a building of a different structure, and for a
different purpose from the other. We hold that doctrine is good for
the soul, as the physician is for the sick; but the above-written
purpose is the end, when the soul is restored from selfish delights
and purposes, and prefers the will of God before his own, he is as the
patient healed. But this doth not constitute him to be an idle
creature the rest of his days. What shall he do? Do as the sick man
healed of God; devote his strength to praise, vocal and instrumental,
that the harp of David, and the hymn sung by the apostles, may be
united together. He shall not be idle with his hands, nor still with
his feet; he shall not be redeemed from hearing the widow cry, or her
offspring mourn; his eyes shall not be closed from seeing the hungry
naked soul; he will take his burden upon him, and lighten his grief;
he shall till the field, or improve the mechanic’s shop, and the widow
and the fatherless shall rejoice in the works of his hands; and his
soul shall rejoice before the Lord, because he shall dwell with
Christ; for he hath said unto this description of people, Come, ye are
blessed of God. This is riches indeed, of which we have reason to
believe that very few high-priests enjoy; for they bear away the
widow’s crumbs, and deprive their offspring of a garment. They are so
greedy and selfish, the world mourns under the burden of these
practices, and the very earth groans for relief.

“As for the purpose of our contemplated building, it is to prepare the
heart for such a mansion as we have already. And as for our public
friend, he is growing old, and seems hastily preparing to die, and he
has enabled us in the hand of God to see as we saw not, and to
liberate our hands from priests’ wages, lawyers’ fees, and the judge’s
sentence at court. He will give way for nothing but civil power; to
such we esteem him as a true subject, and not of the alien kind.
Church matters with him are voluntary; he is bound to none, and
refuses the control of creed or priest in the service of God. We
rejoice in his labours; they make glad the heart for the exhibiting of
such liberal and generous doctrines as hath so far liberated our hands
and feet from a kind of veiled Christian slavery. We build a house
where we intend they may be handed down after his death to our
children, and the succeeding ages of the world. We covet craftsmen no
more. Our adviser prefers his brethren before himself, and will not
enter the peaceable mansion with us where we sacrifice to God. He
saith he hath sacrificed his own interest, and received the liberal
abuse of the sects, and gave up his family to provide for themselves.
He tells us that the priest’s office is below ours, and that he, by
appointment, is not worthy of that title that is justified of God; for
you observe in the text, that a priest is not set above his
fellows—that justification belongeth to brethren, those that love God
and the salvation of the world. We cannot persuade his feet to enter
there. He saith his eyes are forbidden to see the quiet place, but his
children and his grandchildren may see it after him. He hath given us
exact orders to perform by, and put a new song in our lips. We esteem
him as a brother indeed, but he is not always used as such amongst us,
but that amounts to our shame, and not his. His works, we trust,
through the blessing of God, will speak for him for ever.

“We purpose not to open our present building but once in a month,
commencing the last Saturday in October, and so on in succession, as
time and God may permit. We refuse to open to every visitor. We are
not indebted to the public for money, nor Parliament for ground; and a
little dust on the floor from the feet, and a dry compliment for
turning the key, will not pay the cost of leaving our labour—the work
of our hands are for better purposes than these. If far distant
strangers should come unto us, we may open unto them, and all our
neighbours and friends once in a month. We think ourselves done with
the sectarian plan of worship—rather the principle than the plan. We
think that no priest can preach us to a better end than the purposes
of our present house, and that no doctrine can lead us to better
purposes than these. Therefore, we embrace our own, and set the
dividing plan, of converting into a hundred divisions, free, and give
this testimony to the world, that if our testimony in public doctrines
is unworthy, not to suffer them into your houses, for we do not covet
that yours should be offered unto us.

“Signed on behalf of the brethren by

“MURDOCH M‘LEOD.
“JOHN DOAN.
“EBENEZER DOAN.”

After perusing such a production, many will wonder at the number and prosperity of David Willson’s flock, and the influence he has attained, which results from shrewdness, and not genius.

On leaving Hope, we proceeded north to Lake Simcoe, and returned by another road to Newmarket, being engaged to dine in the neighbourhood with Mr H——, who once farmed in the north of England, and has been several years in his present farm, which he rents. He manages 120 acres of cleared land, free from stumps, and none of it in pasturage, with two horses and two oxen. The potatoes and turnips were drilled, and howed in good style. Cattle and sheep are fatted, and, in common with those in almost all parts of America, get salt once a-week. Labourers can be had at all times, getting $10 a-month in summer—$5 in winter. Thrashing with the flail, one-ninth of the quantity; carriage, or teaming, from Newmarket to York, 7½d., Halifax currency, per bushel.

Timber around Newmarket is of the largest size, and the expense of obtaining the first wheat crop was stated by Mr H—— thus—

Purchase money of wood land, $ 3
Under bushing and chopping, 8
Logging, burning, and fencing, 8
Seed and harrowing, 3
Carting and harvesting, 2
Thrashing and teaming, 5
———
$29
Produce estimated at 25 bushels, at $1=$25

The country from York to Lake Simcoe is, generally, well cleared and settled, the soil being chiefly loam, carrying excellent wheat crops, and seems fitted for almost any kind of husbandry. It is difficult to classify the soil around Newmarket, which seemed well fitted for turnip growing, and such as would be considered of too soft a texture in the place of my nativity, yet it was producing wheat crops, with stiff straw and large ears. The farm-houses seem comfortable, and the stumps are chiefly removed. The surface is undulating, and free from stagnant water.

For the first time, we saw small flocks of wood-pigeons, collected after the breeding season, and people shooting them.

The bar-room of the Newmarket hotel was filled with drunkards of the lowest class, part of them in rags, and swearing in a disgusting manner. Before the arrival of the coach which carried us to York, we examined a large flour mill, and many samples of wheat it contained, not all of fine quality, and partly much sprouted. There were handsome iron ploughs, made by George Gray, Uddingstone, Ayrshire, Scotland, selling at $30, while wooden ones, of Canadian make, were $18. I observed a lime kiln, formed in a bank of clay, by excavation, without building materials, and which seemed to have been used for some time.

Our luggage, which Mr Chrystler, the landlord of the Pavilion house at Niagara falls, assured us had been despatched for York before we left his house on the 3d July, had not reached its destination, and not having received an answer to a letter written to him on the subject, I resolved to enquire personally. Next morning I got on board the steam-boat, King William the Fourth, for Niagara.

The scenery, when sailing up Lake Ontario, is uninteresting. Dark coloured monotonous forests fringe the low shore, on which, at different intervals, are the meanest habitations of civilized men; and now and then a puny vessel, with dirty sails, appears in view. On approaching Hamilton, the landscape is more varied from the heights and little lake, twelve miles in circumference, on which the village is situated, and divided from the main lake by a stripe of land eighty yards wide, through which there is a canal lined with wood. When going through the canal, the rope passing from the helm to the wheel in the forecastle, where the pilot of all American steamers takes his station, gave way, and the vessel narrowly escaped destruction. Six hours were spent in landing and shipping merchandise at Hamilton on Sunday. Many of the steerage passengers were tipsy, and some quarrelling. I walked into the woods to escape the scene. The stillness of a Scotch Sabbath is better appreciated after sojourning in a foreign land.

The steamer reached Niagara at ten o’clock. At four next morning I proceeded in an extra to the falls, which were visited before breakfast. Mr Chrystler assured me the luggage had been despatched as stated at the time; and on my return I discovered it in the lobby of a hotel at the village of Niagara, where it had arrived from the Pavilion house the night before. At noon I got on board the daily steamer for York. The day was so cold that people clothed themselves in great-coats in crossing the lake, and many became sick from the agitation of the waters.

On 14th July I found some wheat crops near Niagara almost ripe, the cherry-trees stript of fruit, and the graceful blossom of the sweet chestnut fading.