The Council talked over the prohibition of Sir Peregrine Maitland, the Lieut. Governor, that our Indians should not attend any more of the Methodist Camp meetings. After mature deliberation on the subject, it was decided unanimously, that in matters of religion, no earthly king, governor, or any other person, had a right to dictate to our hearts how or where we are to worship the Great Spirit; that it was before that Great Being we all have to stand or fall. Therefore, this Council deem it right and just that they should obey God rather than man, and that so long as they see no evil arising from attendance at Camp meetings, which have already proved a great blessing to them, they would still consider themselves at liberty to attend them whenever they saw fit to do so. In the afternoon we all turned out and worked at the roads.
Friday 12th. — Having received a special message from the Lord Bishop of Quebec, Dr. Stuart, for my attendance at the Government House in York, I went down early in the morning, and about noon I had an audience with the Bishop, the Lieut. Governor, and Dr. Mountain. The Bishop asked me the following questions: 1st. To what body of Methodists the Preachers in Canada belonged? 2nd. Who was the Preacher at the River Credit? at Lake Simcoe, &c.? 3rd. How far the Methodists had extended their labours to the north and west? 4th. What number had been converted and baptized? 5th. In what relation I stood with the Methodists, whether as a Preacher, Exhorter, or Interpreter? As far as my knowledge enabled me, I gave the Bishop answers to the above queries. The Governor answered several of the questions for me, and I was glad to see that His Excellency was so free from sectarian prejudices. He remarked that the main point was to get the Indians converted and reformed. The Bishop complained much that the Methodist Preachers had interfered and intruded on their Mission grounds at the Grand River and Bay of
