peopled, but of a populous country converted I find no traces. And now I shall take my leave of the Moravians by observing, that whatever may have been the extravagant doctrines they taught during the fermentation of their first establishment, they seem long since to have worked that off, and to have settled into a quiet, peaceable, and inoffensive people, who have many things in their characters worthy of imitation.

OTHER MINOR ESTABLISHMENTS.

Baptists.

A great light is thrown upon the proceedings of this society by a most excellent though severe critique, which appeared in the Edinurgh Review for April, 1808. In this the folly and senseless conduct of these enthusiasts is finely exposed. As my object is to expose their want of success, I shall run quickly over them, beginning with the East Indies.

1. Chittagong. "My school is my congregation; for I have only my scholars to read the word of God to on Sabbath days; and sometimes an old woman or two, besides some of their relatives. I am in hopes that reading the scriptures regularly and daily to the scholars will not be in vain." Reg. 47.

2. Decca. "Mr. Lennard's exertions have been owned of God, while his conduct has gained him the esteem of the principal inhabitants." Ib. 47.

3. Sahebgung. "There are about 20 communicants. Five heathens have been lately baptized; others have declared themselves convinced that Jesus is truly the Saviour of men. A whole village has desired to be called Christian." 47.

4. Calcutta. "The state of this city is lamentable beyond description. Many, it is true, hear our addresses, assent to our doctrine-many receive and peruse our scriptures and tracts, but remain careless and hardened sinners still. The darkness of their understanding appears in some degree removed, but the veil which covers the heart is not yet rent."

52.

5. Serampore. The bible is translated-there are many children in the schools.

6. Cutwa. "Thirteen persons were baptized last year." 54. 7. Moonshedabad. "God has been pleased to give me friends and a large English congregation. I have baptized 22 have 50 communicants." 55.

We

8. Malda. "Though this spot was almost the first in Bengal where the inhabitants heard the gospel in their own language, it has hitherto met with a less favourable reception, than in many places where it was introduced much more recently." 55.

9. Dinagepore. "Twelve persons have been baptized since

1818."

· 10. Monghir. "A place of worship has been built, and many resort to hear."

11. Digah. "Preaching has been better attended, and a few enquirers have manifested a considerable degree of attention; but there is not one of whom we can say, behold he prayeth." 56.

12. Benaces.

"William Smith, country-born, has bap

tized several persons and among them two Bramins." 56.

13. Allahabad. "The gospel has been diffused to a considerable distance round this city, hitherto however but to little effect." 58.

14. Delhi.

"Some persons appear to have been benefited by Mr. Thompson's preaching." 59.

15. Midnapere. "Multitudes hear the gospel with willingness." 70.

16. Columbo, in Ceylon. "Mr. Lyers remains at Hangwell, where he is not without success." 72.

17. Sumatia. "These missionaries received much attention from the governor in settling here." 77.

At Kingston and Spanishtown in Jamaica, the baptists have two missionaries, where they reckon about 200 communicants; but it is not said that they are negroes.

There appears nothing at all worthy of a single remark in the accounts of this society; we shall therefore proceed.

Methodists.

These are the most slippery and most untangible gentlemen of any we have yet had to deal with. They are formidable not from their strength, but from their weakness. They are not easily grappled with, because you know not how to lay hold of them. I shall, however, make short work of this business, and dispatch them in a few words. I have never yet known any respectable Protestants refer to them as instances of suc

cessful conversion. Their street-preachers may have collected a mob round them in the East or West Indies, as they frequently do in our own country, the inhabitants of which we are told are so enlightened-they may have worked upon the ignorant imaginations of poor slaves, and from enthusiasts driven them to frenzy,-but that they have made any sensible, sober, well-instructed christians, of those who were formerly heathens, will require some demonstration. You shall however have a few extracts from their own accounts; and the first in the East Indies.

1. Bombay. "The schools continue to receive the attention of the missionaries, but little effect appears to have been yet produced in the adult nations. The way, however, is opening." Rég. 62.

2. Bangalore. "Two missionaries are appointed to begin this mission."

3. Negapatam. Two are to be sent to this place.

4. Madras. "Last year six Indian converts under my care exchanged earth for heaven, and two poor heathens, who had never seen a missionary, but heard of Jesus by a country-born female, died, and I hope went to heaven." 70.

This last extract deserves particular notice as containing the very essence of Methodism. Who can see without horror and disgust, this wretched missionary usurping the prerogatives of the Almighty, pretending an acquaintance with his judgments, and pronouncing, without either fear, doubt, or dismay, that his converts are gone to heaven. Nor is it less shocking to witness the presumption, by which he hopes that a man who has merely heard of Jesus, without any other recommendation, is gone to heaven. This passage will throw great light upon the nature of their conversions, and how little is required to become a Methodist. In the East Indies they appear to have made no progress yet. In the West Indies they have preachers in almost every island, in each of which they count members various in numbers from 100 to some thousands. It is not worth the while to state their calculations, as they would make no difference to my argumeut. For by the fundamental principles of Methodism as drawn up by Wesley himself, in order to become a member, it is not necessary that a person should have

either faith, hope, charity, baptism, virtue, or any thing else. which constitutes a Christian. The only condition he requires for admission is, "A desire to flee from the wrath to come, to be saved from their sins". Hence persons of any religion may be Methodists, and frequently are Methodists to day, to-morrow something else,

They have no other missions, nor any where reckon any members of consequence, that I am aware of, except in the West Indies. I shall therefore conclude by repeating what I have elsewhere observed, that slaves are always anxious to be baptized without meaning to take upon themselves any religious obligations by the ceremony. Individuals who have escaped from the West Indies, where they had been slaves, have applied to me for that purpose, who knew nothing at all about religion, but were perhaps just going on board a ship again, but did not like to sail near their old habitations without the protection of baptism. When once a slave has been baptized, they think he cannot be reduced again to bondage.*

* In the review of Methodist missions the author could introduce several curious pieces of information, illustrative of the nature of their converts; but he cause they do not depend upon the testimony of Methodists themselves, he has, consistently with his plan, not introduced them into the context. He will however allude to some of them in this note, that the reader may believe them or not as he chooses. The author will, however, assure the reader, that he has every fact here alluded to from the mouth of persons who have resided abroad, and related what they heard or saw. In the first place it is well known that the generality of planters in the West Indies, have great objections to the Metho dists coming on or near their estates. There must he a cause for that. The obvious one appears to me, that those ignorant enthusiasts produce terrible effects upon the minds of the poor slaves, and instead of making them better servants or better men, actually make them madder than Yorkshire Ranters or Welsh Jumpers. Again, they talk a great deal about Christian Liberty, which, being a term not well understood by slaves, encourages insubordination. The language of St. Paul to Philemon, when he sent back the fugitive slave, is not particu larly familiar to this description of persons. Of estates improved by their preaching, I have yet heard nothing, but of many irregularities arising out of the interference of Methodist preachers, I have heard. It is true they will baptize a slave, who submits to the rite without knowing its meaning-but I wish it were equally true that they were instructed first in the Christian religion. I know an instance, and it is by no means a solitary one, in which a slave returning from the conventicle, where he had that very day been regenerated, was asked the simplest question about the Christian religion, the Trinity, in which he had been baptized, &c. and could only reply, that he knew nothing about these things. "He had not been told them." In fact, how should he know them? How could he collect them from the casual mention of such things

VARIOUS OTHERS.

The reader is probably satisfied with the review of the foregoing societies, and enabled to form an opinion from them of the general character of all. He must not however by any means suppose that these are all the societies who are employed upon the great work. Oh no! there are many more. There is first, A Society for Propagating the Gospel, which has been established some years, and which lately collected not less than 50,000l. in one year, because the king recommended it to the notice of his subjects. What an advantage it is to have royal favour! But what they have yet done for the conversion of heathens I cannot learn.

There is, secondly, a Christian Knowledge Society, of whose successes I must say, as I did of the last, they do not appear. There is again, a Scotch Missionary Society, of which I must say ditto.

There is also an American board of Missions, of which I can say something, because they inform me that about five years ago they sent out to one place six missionaries, a physician, and in their ranting sermons, without regular and frequent familiar instructions? There is an individual of no mean repute among his sect, who has been some years on the West India mission, and even wrought wonders there according to recent accounts, who has found it prudent to return again to England. Report says, he was very rapacious, and has reaped a very large harvest the time he has been there, whether from the society's money, or the contributions of converts, or both, is not stated. There is one fact, however, which I tremble almost to report, and which the reader will hear with unmixed sentiments of horror and disgust. This man had communicants as well as neophytes, and that too in such numbers, that the wine, which was both scarce and dear in that part, became an object of more serious expense, than his parsimony was willing to submit to, though each communicant was forced, according to his regulations, to pay a certain stipend every time he received. What therefore was to be done to obviate this evil? It occurred to his sordid mind, that rum, when well diluted with water, would be much cheaper, and serve the purpose quite as well as wine. And he actually did administer the Lord's Supper under the form of bread and rum!!! What words can convey to the pious reader the execration in which such a wretch deserves to be held? I have only to add, that the slaves were so little acquainted with the nature of the sacred institution, and the injury that was thus done to them by destroying the blessed sacrament in such a sacrilegious way, that they complained-but of what? Hear ye heavens and be astonished, "that they were not fairly dealt with-that the rum was so diluted that they could get more for their money from their masters, or at the tavern, as we should say. Beyond this point I cannot conceive that ignorance sacrilege and impiety could possibly go farther. Judas was nothing compared to this, Quid non mortalia pectora cogis auri sacra fames!”