same as those of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

4. The Evangelical Association, founded in 1800. This is another sect of German Methodists, and is similar to the Methodist Episcopal Church in doctrine and church polity. It has 2 bishops a general conference, 4 annual conferences, 112 travelling ministers, 200 local preachers, about 900 places of preaching, and 17,000 communicants.

5. The United Brethren, or "Moravian Brethren," as they are often called. They have several settlements, chiefly in Pennsylvania, 1 bishop, 23 churches, 27 ministers, and 3,000 communicants.

6. The Evangelical Church, of quite recent origin, an offshoot of the Evangelical Church of Germany. They have a synod of some 25 or 30 churches in Missouri, and are increasing.

7. The Mennonists, a small body, who are often classed with the Baptists; but they rather pour, than either sprinkle or immerse. They worship chiefly in private houses, and their congregations, estimated at 400, are small. They have about 240 ministers. They can hardly have more than 30,000 communicants.

8. The Tunkers, or Dunkers. A small sect of German Baptists, that appeared in America more than 130 years ago. They retain some customs which are quite oriental and primitive, such as washing the feet, and giving the kiss of charity. But little is known of their numbers, as they publish no statistics. It is believed that they have as many as 250 preachers, and 8,000 or 10,000 members. They are generally farmers, and are most numerous in Pennsylvania and Virginia. They have lately had a great religious meeting in the latter, to which they came in great numbers, and from afar, in their wagons. They are a simple-hearted, industrious, quiet, worthy people.

9. The Winebrennerians, a growing sect in Pennsylvania chiefly, of good people, founded by Mr. Winebrenner, of Harrisburg, in that state; I know not their numbers.

10, and lastly, there is a small German Seventh-day Baptist Church, much attached to monastic life; but of their statistics I have nothing that can be depended on. They are not believed to exceed a few hundred in number, and their ministers may be as many as ten or twelve. It appears from this statement, that there are no less than ten German branches of the Protestant Church in America, almost all of them offshoots of German bodies in Europe, and that they have about 1,827 regular ministers, 550 local preachers, 5,356 congregations, many of which are very small, and 833,000 members.

Society of Friends.

It only remains that I speak of the Society of Friends, whose "meetings," or congregations, are estimated at about 500; of which 300 are supposed to be orthodox, and 200 "Hicksite," from one Elias Hicks, who was a celebrated preacher in that body some twenty years since, and taught doctrines of a very deistical character, which, in process of time, led to a complete disruption of the body. Whilst it is not doubted that there are many excellent and truly picus people in the orthodox portion of this denomination, it is thought that the society is not increasing,-at least, not perceptibly. Many of the Hicksite branch, especially of the young people, are fall

ing into infidelity, in which some will probably continue to wander; whilst many, it is believed, will ultimately be merged in the other Protestant Churches.

Grand Total.

The result of all the investigation which we have been able to bestow on the subject is, that there were last year in the United States, in the several branches of the Protestant Church, which may be termed Evangelical,-first, 23,614 ministers (besides the "local preachers" of the several branches of the Methodist Churches, who are not less than 9,000 in number); second, 58,304 congregations, or assemblies; third, 3,292,322 communicants. Given in a condensed tabular view, they stand thus.

CongreDenomination. Ministers. gations. Protestant Epis. Ch. 1,504 Congregational Body 1,687

Baptist Body

Members of

Churches.

1,550

73,000

1,971

197,196

8,018

13,455

948,867

Presbyterian Body Methodist Body German Churches.... Friends or Quakers...

Total.... 23,614 58,304

EXPLANATORY OBSERVATIONS.

A few remarks are needed by way of explanation:

1. When we pronounce all these churches to be Evangelical, we do not affirm that they are equally so. There are some of the small German denominations about which we are not so well satisfied as we could wish to be, and there may be two or three others, all of whose members are not as sound in their religious belief as they should be. What we affirm is that, to the best of our belief, not only are their symbols of faith orthodox, but that the ministers and people hold the great doctrines of salvation; such as the Trinity, the Divinity of Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, &c., that "repentance towards God," and "faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ," are held by them to be the only terms of salvation.

2. Although we cannot doubt that there are many who are self-deceived-some even that are hypocrites, though the motive for a hypocritical profession of religion, since no special honour, or temporal advantage, presents itself, cannot be considered great-yet taken as a body, the members of our churches give as credible evidence of Christianity as can reasonably be expected. With all their deficiencies, they will compare well, I think, in point of intelligence, proper walk and conversation, liberality and zeal, with an equal number taken in the same way in any other country. Almost all our churches endeavour to maintain discipline among their people, and require a good "reason of the hope that is in them." Still we must acknowledge that there is much to be desired in regard to the spiritual life of our churches. But where is this not the case?

3. It is very difficult to ascertain the exact number of those who are preaching the Gospel. We have given the number reported, on the best authority that we can find in each religious body.

And although it is certain that a considerable deduction should be made from the numbers given, for superannuated ministers, professors and teachers, missionaries, &c., yet all

this is far more than made up in the great number of licentiates, or young ministers, who are not settled, many not having finished their theological studies-of whom there are not less than two or three thousand. Besides all this, there are at least 9,000 local preachers in the several Methodist Churches, all of whom do less or more in the way of preaching and holding meetings for prayer, conducting Bible classes, superintending Sabbath-schools, &c., &c., as well as various forms of pastoral labour. This would make the number of Evangelical preachers more than 32,000.

4. There has been no portion of this investigation attended with more difficulties than that relating to the number of individual churches. I have found it to be impossible to attain entire accuracy. The number given is rather that of the congregations or assemblies. Large as it is, it is certainly much under the mark. The several branches of the Methodist Church, and also the Cumberland Presbyterians, have their circuits, each comprehending, for the most part, several places of worship. They may be churchedifices, school-houses, court-houses, or privatehouses. If all the places where the Gospel is occasionally preached by pastors and others, but where there is no church organised-because not necessary-were to be added to those in which a church or body of believers is organised, the entire number of places where the Gospel is preached would, it is believed, be found to exceed one hundred thousand!

5. There are various ways of measuring the progress of religion in a country. One of these is statistical, and this we may legitimately apply, at this point, to the country of which we are speaking. It is impossible to ascertain with entire precision the number of Evangelical ministers, churches, and communicants in the United States at the epoch of the Revolution, seventy-five years ago. We cannot ascertain the number for the year 1800 with strict accuracy; but we can ascertain enough, and I have already given the data, to show that while the population of the United States increased something less than fourfold and a half, from 1800 to 1850, the number of Evangelical ministers of the Gospel, churches, and members of the churches, has increased nearly, if not quite, tenfold! As to other modes of measuring the advance of the truth in the United States, I shall speak of them presently.

Support of the Gospel.

Let us next speak of the Resources of the Gospel for Self-sustentation in the United States. The general Government pays the salaries of two chaplains every session of Congress for opening each House daily with prayer, and for preaching to that body on the Sabbath; it also pays the salaries of ten chaplains in the navy and fifteen in the army. It helps to civi. lise and Christianise some of the Indian tribes, by paying annuities to missionary societies for the promotion of education, and a knowledge of the mechanic arts among them. This it does according to treaties made with those tribes. Besides this it does nothing. Several of the States Governments pay the salaries of chaplains to their prisons, and a very few pay the ministers who open the daily session of their legislative bodies with prayer. This is all that the State does with us, or has done, for many

years, for the support of public worship. This duty, therefore, devolves upon the people; and after an experiment which may well be pronounced to be sufficient, the sentiment is universal with us, that we would on no account have the task placed in other hands. Let a few facts confirm our confidence in the resources in the church, or of the Gospel rather, under God's blessing, for this work.

Salaries.

First. After the most careful inquiry which I have been able to make, I have come to the conclusion, that our congregations paid, last year, to their ministers, in the shape of salaries, parsonages, or glebes, and other perquisites, at least 7,670,150 dollars.

Chapels.

Second. There is, probably, nothing that tries the voluntary principle with us more effectually than the building of churches to meet the demands of the country. Last year the population increased nearly, if not quite, 800,000 souls. This would require the building of churches to accommodate at least 400,000 persons; for room is not needed for more than half the population in places of worship in any country. Dr. Chalmers once told the writer that he should not think any country adequately supplied with church accommodation, if it had not sufficient room in its places of worship for one-third part of the population. I think that I cannot be mistaken in my estimate, that more than one thousand edifices were erected last year in the United States, by all the bodies of Christians, Protestants and Romanists, Evangelical and non-Evangelical. Indeed, the Evangelical denomination alone certainly built 950. And although some of these were erected to replace old ones, yet there is reason to believe, that the rest quite came up to, and even exceeded, Dr. Chalmers's demand. It must also be kept in mind that in very many places (especially in the newer districts), religious worship is kept up, for a time at least, in school-houses, courthouses, and private-houses. The cost of the church edifices built by the Evangelical Churches, including the entire of the expenses for the matériel of public worship, such as fuel, light, sextons' wages, &c., &c., must have been great; for although such houses can be built with us in the interior villages and rural districts for 1,000 dollars, 500 dollars, and even less, yet in the large towns they often cost three, four, five or more thousand; whilst in the large cities they often cost twenty-five, thirty, forty, fifty, and sometimes one hundred thousand dollars, and even more. We may fairly put this item of annual expenditure at the sum of 3,000,000 dollars.

Colleges.

Third. Large sums are raised every year to build and endow colleges, of which there are now 120; all of them under Protestant influence, save 18 (the Baptists have 13, Episcopalians 10, the Methodists 13, Roman Catholics, 13, the Presbyterians and Congregationalists, 71), and theological seminaries, of which there are 42 Protestant ones, with 120 professors, and 1,537 students. But I can make nothing more than a conjecture as to the amount. It may be put down at 200,000 dollars.

Total... 40,744 28,674 The receipts of these religious societies last year amounted to 2,128,939 dollars, or £439,863. There are some of them that deserve a passing remark or two, as showing what can be done to meet the demands of our rapidly-increasing and widely-spreading population.

1. The American Home Missionary Society, supported by Congregational Churches and the New School Presbyterians, employed 1,032 missionaries in the home field; the Old School Presbyterians, through their board, 570; the Baptists, 168; the Episcopalians, 96; the Methodists, 737; in all, 2,603, at the cost of 426,868 dollars.

2. The American Bible Society distributed 633,395 Bibles and Testaments; that Society and the American and Foreign Bible Society *From Donations only.

have circulated 7,774,933 since the commencement of their operations.

3. The American Tract Society circulated last year 269,984,615 pages of tracts, 886,662 volumes, and employed 508 colporteurs during the whole or part of the year, who visited 428,000 families, of whom 44,800 were Roman Catholic. Its monthly paper, the Messenger, has a circulation of 200,000 in English, and 10,000 in German.

4. The American Education Society and the General Assembly's Board supported, last year, 809 young men, who were preparing for the ministry.

5. The American Sunday-school Union has issued 2,000 different publications, mostly books for Sunday-school libraries; the Methodist Sunday-school, 1,885; the Massachusetts Sundayschool Union, 3,000; and the Episcopal, 800. It is estimated that there are now not far from 8,000,000 of children, youth, and adults, in Sunday-schools in the United States, taught by 300,000 teachers; among whom are to be found many of the best of our young people, and even members of Congress and of our State legislatures, judges, lawyers, mayors of our cities, and other magistrates; and of our "honourable women" not a few.

6. The several Foreign Missionary Societies and boards sustained in the foreign field 358 missionaries, 729 assistant-missionaries at 366 stations, and have 40,744 communicants in their churches, and 28,674 pupils in their schools. In this notice of the receipts of religious societies, we have not included those of the Colonization Societies, Anti-slavery Societies, and several others of that class. It results from this statement, that the sum of 12,999,139 dollars, or £2,599,827 was contributed in the year 1850, by the Evangelical Churches of the United States, for the support of the Gospel at home, and its propagation abroad. The sum that was expended abroad was about 675,000 dollars, or £135,000. If we add the amount contributed by the non-Evangelical bodies for the support of their churches, &c., the entire amount will not fall short of 15,000,000 dollars, or more than £3,000,000. All this is given voluntarily for the promotion of religion. It is really a privilege and blessing to those who give this sum to be permitted to do it.

NON-EVANGELICAL BODIES.

The non-Evangelical bodies are the following: 1. The Roman Catholics. This body had, in 1850, 4 archbishops, 30 bishops, 1,073 churches, 1,081 priests, and a population of 4,500,000, according to the Roman Catholic Almanac.

2. The Unitarians, chiefly in New England. They count about 200 churches, 250 ministers, and 30,000 members. There are two parties among them; the serious and inquiring portion, who have still a deep reverence for the Scriptures; and the party of progress,-rationalistic, pantheistic, transcendental,-headed by Theodore Parker, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and men of like views. Among the former there are many worthy and excellent men.

3. Christians, or Christ-ians, as they are commonly called. They were, at the outset, a warmhearted, zealous, rather fanatical sect, which arose at various points almost simultaneously, some forty years ago, and more. These deny the Trinity, but hold to salvation by Christ, "by

sources of the working man? We confess that in this dilemma he may not unreasonably expect some aid. Here, however, we wish to direct attention to the fact, that, with few exceptions, he is able to provide the means of instruction for himself. The intelligence of an individual must be measured, not by the number of books which he has in his possession, but by the number which he has carefully perused. Hence, the object to be gained, is not that he should be the absolute possessor of fifty volumes, but that he should have the opportunity of perusing them. Now, though fifty working men might be quite unequal to the purchase of fifty volumes a-piece, they are each able to purchase one; thus, by a little friendly co-operation, each might have the opportunity of reading the entire fifty at the trifling cost of one-fiftieth of the entire outlay. It is equally within the power of the working man to procure the services of a skilled instructor. A single individual might be quite unable to pay, for example, twelve pounds per quarter for this purpose; such a sum would perhaps be equal to the whole amount of his earning during that period; but he could easily spare five shillings, which, from fifty persons, whose studies could be efficiently conducted by the same teacher, would make up the required

sum.

A combination of these plans is that which is adopted in Mechanics' Institutes, People's Colleges, and similar associations; and there is scarcely a branch of learning which may not by its means be made accessible to the working man. Mathematics, mechanics, chemistry, logic, intellectual philosophy, ancient and modern languages, are all opened to him ; nor is there any reason why, with a tolerable share of application and perseverance, he may not realize, at a trifling cost, many of the substantial results of regular academical training.

But an instructor, though highly useful, is not indispensably necessary; much greater progress may be made with such assistance, but success is not unattainable without it. A tolerable degree of capacity and effort is required to derive much good from the most accomplished teacher, and with this prerequisite the working man may accomplish much by his own exertions. We have already had occasion to refer to some of the incidental evils of self-tuition; many of these evils may be avoided by due attention to the order and method of study. A moment's reflection on our mental operations is enough to show us the difference between the mind and its acquisitions. A knowledge of what has transpired and is still transpiring in the world without, and of the various properties and laws of matter, is of great practical importance; it is secondary, however, to the development and discipline of the mind itself. In reference to everything besides itself, the mind is to be looked upon as the agent or instrument; it is evident, therefore, that its culture should take precedence of every other pursuit. Hence, an individual bent upon self-improvement, would do wrong to plunge at once into the lighter departments of literature, or even into the researches of physical science. He should begin with Euclid rather than with Spenser, and should postpone the gratification which he might draw from the "pictured page" of Hume, and Gibbon, and Macaulay, till he has fortified his mind by familiarity with the writings of such men as Whately, Whewell, and Mill. An ac

quaintance with intellectual philosophy should form the threshold of self-tuition; and to a deficiency in this respect may we ascribe many of the narrow views, and much of the fallacious reasoning which pass current with the partially educated. Having conformed to these conditions, there will be less danger of going wrong in the subsequent details of study. Instead of being satisfied with inferior books, the operative student will avail himself of the very best which the several departments of literature afford. Instead of reading indiscriminately whatever comes in his way, he will make a careful selection from the list of authors. A higher object than mere amusement will regulate his studies. He will not be niggard of patient investigation and hard thought. A few difficulties will not daunt him. The vapid tale and sensual romance will be loathed as they deserve to be, and nothing will be tolerated within the precincts of the mind, save that which will furnish refined and substantial pleasure, or subserve the attainment of useful ends.

But intellectual culture can only be regarded as an element of self-improvement as it is allied with moral principle. The former is immeasurably inferior in value to the latter; its chief and noblest end is to make its possessor intelligently acquainted with religious truth. On no subject are the majority of men more careless than on religion, and in nothing does it behove them to be more earnest. They neglect it as a matter of no importance; they regard it as a suppliant for the honour of their patronage, not as a messenger from heaven, laden with blessings which it would be folly to refuse, and invested with claims which they cannot without criminality resist. But so far from being at liberty to decline all anxiety on this subjeot, they are bound by the first obligations to examine it. Man cannot change the condition under which he is born; he cannot divest himself of his immortal and responsible nature; he cannot nullify the weighty responsibilities which press upon him; he cannot annihilate futurity, nor quench his own being. He is bound to ask-What am I? Whither am I destined? What is my present condition, and how does it bear upon the prospect of my future well-being? Does anything lie within my power by which my eternal interests might be rendered more secure? These questions are simple, natural, and manly; the disposition to sift them thoroughly has no necessary connection with fanaticism. He may refuse to ask them; but he may also refuse, if in business, to examine his books, or to escape from the fire which encompasses his dwelling, and we know with what result. How admirable to be free from care! How manly to retain composure in circumstances which would inspire others with profound alarm! True; but what shall we say of inevitable bankruptcy, or of being buried beneath a burning pile? The prudential character of any action is affected by its remotest consequences; men may deride religion in time,-but what shall we say of eternity?

Religion is the great lever of self elevation. Christianity is the only agency which can create the highest forms of personal excellence. This is far from being universally acknowledged. Thousands who join in the chorus which the whole age sings to religion as the herald of civilization, refuse to own her when she appears in