CHAPTER XII.

RELIGION.

THE importance of religion in civil society is too great not to demand great attention. No people, except perhaps the savages of Australia, have ever existed uninfluenced by religion of some kind. The characters of nations have been changed by it, and its revolutions have been as great as those of governments. In America, its effects, though similar to those it has produced in England, are not so exactly correspondent as to be passed over unnoticed.

Assemblies of almost every denomination of Christians exist in the United States, generally in harmony. No religion being in alliance with the government, one great cause of jealousy and dislike is removed. No large endowments being in possession of any denomination, and the incomes of the clergy being regulated in nearly all cases by their congregations, but little disparity of station in society exists amongst them. Hence the proud, consequential air so obvious in some of the English clergy, is seldom or ne Nor is there much appearance of dif

ver seen.

ference in dress between the clergy and the laity. Except that black is a more prevalent colour among the former than the latter, I observed nothing by way of distinction. Yet though without a badge to impress the populace with the opinion of sanctity, without gilded chariots to loll in, without the prospect of obtaining rich sinecures to operate as a stimulus, they have great influence. The rivalship between the different sects, instead of producing a constant jar as might be supposed, seems to be productive of a decent observance of religious duties amongst all classes. In few countries, if public worship more generally attended than Instances of openly avow

in the United States.

any,

is

ed deism are rare. opinions generally either keep them to themselves, or veil them under the garb of flimsy hypocrisy. I recollect only two persons of all with whom I conversed on religion, who unhesitatingly proclaimed their disbelief in Christianity; though I met with several whom I suspected to be concealed deists. In many parts a man's reputation would be seriously injured if he were to avow himself one.

Persons who hold deistical

But though instances of avowed deism are rare, a strong deistical feeling is apparent in the

opposition made to missionary societies. Those societies have certainly deputed persons to the task of heathen conversion, who, in many instances, have been as little qualified for the duty as Robespierre to establish liberty. But because some of their agents have acted improperly, sometimes manifesting undue presumption, sometimes interfering too much with political affairs, and on most occasions evincing fanaticism, are we to infer that no good has resulted from their labours? Far otherwise: but the American opponents of those societies have endeavoured to persuade the public that evil, without any redeeming qualities, has been the result. On examining some of the numerous pamphlets on missionary societies, I was struck by observing that the opposition to them was not founded on a well grounded jealousy of the cause of Christ being injured, but in a concealed hatred to vital Christianity. Yet neither their labours against missions, nor against Christianity itself (which though concealed, are still apparent), have had the effect of withdrawing public support from them: still less, of inducing a neglect of public worship, or a contempt for the practisers of it.

From these circumstances, those persons who

suppose that a compulsory provision for the clergy is necessary to the support of Christianity, may see the groundlessness of their opinions. They may also learn that ecclesiastical authority may be maintained without an alliance with the State, in matters purely ecclesiastical. Prelacy, both Protestant and Catholic, is established in America; and though with respect to the latter, it has been found defective on one or two occasions, that is no more than has been the case in England and Ireland with the Established Church. So long as Virginia continued a British colony, the episcopal clergy were supported by tithes, or rather by a smaller provision of the same nature. In whom the superior authority was lodged I cannot state, there being no bishop in the colony. But I was assured by many persons that they were exceedingly lax in morals, and negligent of their duties; so much so indeed, that their Church sunk into disgrace from which it has not yet fully emerged. After the alliance with government was broken, an amend ment was soon perceptible; a convincing proof of the inutility of the alliance. Another point of importance proved by the experience of America is, that edifices for public worship will be built and kept in repair, without any rate being levied on the inhabitants. Not only so, many

of them are not merely commodious and comfortable; they are ornamental. Their number too, seems quite as proportionate to the population as in England. This is exemplified in the following list of those within the limits of the city of New York, which will be examined with interest by such persons as like to trace the progress of religious sects. It was made out in the summer of 1823:

Besides these, there are a Mariners' Church and one at the Alms-House, neither of which is exclusively for one body of professors, and a Jews' Synagogue. The population for whose use they are built, is about 130,000. Let this statement be compared with a similar one of Liverpool, Manchester or Birmingham, and it will I believe be found to show, that accommodations for worshippers are equal, if not superior to those in each of those towns. Yet, be it again observed, that every one in the United States is left at liberty to pay or not as he thinks fit, or, if