to know, as it is a matter of no consequence; but we are certain that the mere statement of the fact by this writer, considering the many inaccuracies he has published with the means of correct information within his reach, entitles him to little credit, and hence, allowing it to be false, is no slander. But why did not this tourist, who was charged by those under whose sanction he came to our country to make a true report, also state the amount of salary received by ministers of his own denomination? We might then have heard of their receiving from $500 to $3,500 a year. But this would not have answered his purpose. For he seems to have had in his eye continually the exaltation of his own order, at the expense of all others while the Methodists, whenever mentioned at all, are held up as objects of ridicule.

While reading the above paragraph, we were reminded of the old proverb, "Evil to him who evil thinks." The "unsocial plan," of men and women sitting apart, "is more likely to suggest evil than prevent it." Could not this chaste minister of Jesus Christ think of no other reason, but to prevent impure desires, for seating the men and women separately in our churches? Did he not know, or might he not have informed himself that this separation of the sexes in our houses of worship, arises almost necessarily from the free-seat system? In those churches where the slips are rented, families sit together as in all other churches without the slightest inconvenience or objection.

But our author visited Baltimore-and being much pleased with the city and its inhabitants, he was led, it seems, to rank it among the second cities in the union, instead of the third or fourth. Perhaps as he reports that there is but one Baptist, and that one a Christian Baptist church, in Philadelphia, he persuaded himself that it is but a "very little city." But these mistakes are mere trifles, in comparison to some others he has made. If the ten or eleven Baptist Churches in Philadelphia were treated with the same scurrilous contempt with which he has treated the Methodists in Baltimore, they might feel but little gratitude for his notice of them. Only read the following, which is given as a sample of Methodism in the city of Baltimore!

"When returning from an excursion in the town and some needful calls, I found a church open and lighted. I desired to close the day in a quiet act of worship, and went in. My wishes were but poorly gratified; but the service was somewhat remarkable, and even more amusing than I desired. It was a Methodist church, of full size and commodious. There were not one hundred persons present; and the preacher, in both exercises, was feeble and noisy, with good intentions. I was surprised to find more of the peculiarities of this people here, in the Monumental City, than are sometimes to be found in a sequestered village. There were not only interruptions and exVOL. VII.-January, 1836. 6

clamations in prayer, but in singing and in the sermon also. With many, it was a sort of chorus taken together; but there was one reverend old man, certainly a leader among them, who spurned association, and literally kept up a sort of recitative with the preacher. The following is an instance, which I could not help preserving that night.

Having passed through the explanatory portion of his discourse, the preacher paused, and then said,

Preacher. 'The duty here inferred is, to deny ourselves.'
Elder. 'God, enable us to do it!'

Preacher. It supposes that the carnal mind is enmity against God.'

Elder.

'Ah, indeed, Lord it is!'

Preacher. The very reverse of what God would have us be!' Elder. 'God Almighty knows it's true!'

Preacher. 'How necessary, then, that God should call on us to renounce every thing!'

Elder. God, help us!'

Preacher. 'Is it necessary for me to say more?"

Elder. 'No; O no!'

Preacher. Have I not said enough?"

Elder. O yes-quite enough!'

Preacher. I rejoice that God calls me to give up every thing! Elder (clasping his hands.) 'Yes, Lord, I would let it all go!' Preacher. You must give up all!'

Elder. Yes-all!'

Preacher. Your pride!'

Elder. My pride!'

Preacher. Your envy!

Elder. My envy!'

Preacher. Your covetousness!'

Elder. My covetousness!'

(

Preacher. Your anger

Elder. 'Yes; my anger!'

Preacher. 'Sinner, how awful, then, is your condition!'
Elder. 'How awful!

Preacher. 'What reason for all to examine themselves!'
Elder. Lord, help us to search our hearts!'

Preacher. Could you have more motives?—I have done!' Elder. Thank God! Thank God for his holy word. Amen!" Now we have been acquainted with the Methodists for about thirtyfive years, and we must confess that we never witnessed such a scene as this. We have, to be sure, heard noises and expressions that were highly censurable, but such a representation, so perfectly ridiculous in all its bearings, we never before read of, much less witnessed. While we contend that regular responses to petitions in prayer are both scriptural and praiseworthy, we should deprecate the day when such jargon as the above should be sanctioned in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Dr. Reed has several other characteristic notices of Methodist worship, all in perfect keeping with these, and they stamp upon his character that of a bigoted sectarist, an un

fair reporter of facts, and a slanderer of his neighbors. These hard epithets would not be applied to him, had there been any redeeming quality found in any portion of his book in regard to our Church, other than the nauseating slang of his prototypes in this work of caricature, which simply allows that we may be good intentioned in the midst of our ignorance and fanaticism. But even this seems to be wrung from him with such apparent reluctance, that we receive it merely as a lame apology for his wilful abuse.

That there may be defects among us in regard to the manner of conducting public worship, we readily grant, and we should not have been displeased with our author for detecting and exposing them, had his exposure been accompanied with an acknowledgment of those good things which all but the merest bigots allow may be found. That there are preachers and people among us who may be tinctured with enthusiasm, and hence may at times exhibit those weaknesses which arise from ignorance and a heated imagination, we are not disposed at all to question; but if Dr. Reed had sought for them, we do not doubt but that he might also have found some masters in Israel," with whom he might have been edified, and whose characters for eminent literary, scientific, and spiritual attainments, would not suffer by a comparison with his own. Had he informed his readers of these facts, while he was recording those instances of human weakness, or of pious incoherences, our remarks upon his performances would have partaken of less severity.

We need hardly to say to those who are acquainted with our churches in the city of Baltimore, that they are among the largest and most respectable in the city; and that the ministers who generally fill the pulpit, as well as the people who occupy the seats, are not behind their neighbors for intelligence and piety; and that it is very seldom that there are not over one hundred people attending upon public worship, in one of their large churches. Dr. Reed has been careful not to tell his readers in what street this church, into which he casually entered, is situated; but from his description we presume it must have been an African congregation; and as, from his peculiar sympathies for these people, he doubtless found it more congenial to his own feelings and views to associate with them; and more especially as it might afford him a better opportunity to gratify his spleen against Methodism, he preferred them, on this occasion, to a white congregation, which might have afforded him a more scriptural and rational sample of Divine worship.

But though we may have dwelt long enough upon the glaring defects of this deputation to the American Churches, yet we cannot forbear noticing some other instances of its obliquities. Bringing with them their prejudices against Episcopalians in their own country, and associating chiefly with their own denomination in this,

whenever they speak of others they betray a narrow-minded bigotry utterly unbecoming Christian philanthropists, and impartial observers, and reporters of facts and circumstances. Hence the Protestant Episcopalians fare but little better in their hands than do we. Indeed, a writer in the Protestant Episcopalian is so dissatisfied with their treatment of his Church, that he remarks that their account of it is so meagre and mean as to be beneath his notice, or unworthy of a public exposure. And perhaps self-respect might have led us to treat them with a similar contempt, had we not thought that our entire silence would have been construed into an acquiescence in the justness of their remarks.

As an evidence of this, we give one more extract, in which the reader will perceive that though there is some credit given for our "zeal in carrying the means of instruction and worship to the most neglected and scattered portions of these regions," yet there is so much of sneering at our method of doing business, and one such glaring misstatement, as to spoil the whole. The passage follows:

"The Methodists are quite as numerous, and are more efficient. They show a less amount of ministers, but a much larger one of communicants; the one being 2,223, and the other 619,771. Like the Baptists, they have a large proportion of slaves in their communion; and, like them, they are beginning to take decided measures to secure an educated ministry. They are, in fact, exceedingly like their kindred body in our own country, both in their virtues and failings. There is a considerable measure of ignorance and extravagance in that as there is in this; and they are certainly quite as sectarian. They have their own papers, their own books, their own tracts, their own psalmody, and, I believe I may say, are about to have their own version of the Bible. They depend here, as every where, rather on their method than the talent of their ministry, or the peculiarities of their faith; and this method has wonderful compactness and adaptation to its ends. They are a hive of bees, in which each one has his place, and each one his work to do; and where each, by the movement of all, is constrained to fulfil it; and thus the whole duty of the busy and happy community is completed. The perfect order and unity which reigns at home prevents the loss of energy by domestic bickerings; and allows them to seek and cull their treasures from the wild and waste world around them. Whatever may have been their failings, they have done more, both in America and Canada, than any other body of Christians, to carry the means of instruction and worship to the most neglected and scattered portions of these regions, and have been most successful in their efforts of Christian philanthropy."

In the first place, we would ask where this reverend gentleman learned to believe that we were "about to have our own version of the Bible?" The man that will write and publish such a manifest falsehood, with the means within his reach of correct information, surely forfeits all title to public confidence. But we "have our papers, books, and psalmody." And are we singular in this? Have not the

Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, and Protestant Episcopalians, "their own books, their own tracts, and their own psalmody?" And are we to be proscribed the rights which all others enjoy? Or to be censured and sneered at for availing ourselves of these rights? But we have the same " virtues and failings" with our brethren in England. And are we singular in this? Or are all other denominations become so perfect, that they are exempt from failings? We believe, whatever failings we may exhibit, that we have not been guilty of drawing such contemptible caricatures, and uttering such palpable untruths of others, as this tourist has respecting us. this "new version of the Bible," a thing never once thought of by a single member of our communion, caps the climax of absurdity and evil surmising.

Another instance of his extreme partiality is to be found in his account of the Bible, Missionary, Tract, and Education Societies. He is evidently enumerating these societies for the purpose of showing the salutary influence which they exert upon the American character. But from the account given of these institutions, the reader, who is a stranger to our country, would assuredly infer that there were no other missionary, tract, and Sunday school societies than those connected with the Presbyterian and Congregational Church, there being not the slightest allusion to the missionary societies of the Protestant Episcopal, Baptist, and Methodist Churches, or to their exertions in the tract and Sunday school cause. Had these gentlemen also imbibed the notion that all the institutions under the patronage of the Presbyterian and Congregational Churches were of a national character, and consequently that all denominations were absorbed in them? As we have already remarked, had they professedly restricted their report of the state of things to their own order, we should have no right to complain: but as they profess to give an account of the religious state of the country, instead merely of a sect, they should, it appears to us, have included the religious and charitable institutions of all denominations.

These are lamentable evidences of the power of prejudice, and of sectarian partiality over the human mind. And though we have tried to find an apology for such manifest departures from that impartial regard for truth which ought to characterize all such public documents, we find it extremely difficult to reconcile them to either honesty of intention, liberality of sentiment, or that accurate knowledge which should have guided them in recording facts. These things prevent our receiving even the praises of these gentlemen with that cordiality with which we otherwise should. They seem to come rather as a reluctant homage to truth, than as a willing compliment to excellences which do really exist. As an illustration of this, let us glance at Dr. Reed's account of his visit to the