AN APOSTOLIC CHURCH. 21 



he remarked that he belonged to a congregation of Christian 

 Brethren, whose worship he would be gratified if it would be 

 agreeable for us to attend. They had no distinct organization, 

 but simply met as a company of believers in Christ, to wor 

 ship as they were prompted in the spirit. They liked to have 

 any one join with them, who loved Jesus Christ, whatever his 

 theoretical opinions might be. 



In this way commenced our intercourse with a body of 

 men, who, even if I thought their opinions most damnable, I 

 could not help remembering but with a respect approaching 

 to reverence. During the week that followed we saw many 

 of them in various circumstances, and of very different educa 

 tion and habits : some were ignorant, unrefined, coarse of 

 speech, and plainly narrow-minded, fanatical, and bigoted ; 

 others of them were learned men, large-minded, truly humble, 

 charitable, generous, and catholic and gentlemen, with as 

 much ease of manner, accomplishment, and polish as I ever 

 met ; but in our acquaintance with them there was not one 

 that did not seem to be constantly guided by a spirit of the 

 warmest love for all his fellow-beings, by the liveliest and 

 ever-working desire to see them happy and growing better. 



The next morning I breakfasted with this gentleman, and 

 afterwards attended the meeting of the brotherhood with him 

 and his family. It was held in a plain &quot; upper room,&quot; appa 

 rently designed for a school-room, which was well filled with 

 people, representing every class, except the aristocratic, in the 

 community, females being slightly preponderant. The ser 

 vices were extremely simple, much like those of a Presbyte 

 rian prayer-meeting, with the addition of a rather lengthy ex 

 hortation from one who, I was told, was, like myself, a stranger 

 to the most of those present, and concluded with the admin 

 istration of the communion. 



Nothing could be greater than the contrast of the place 



