PRIMITIVE CHRISTIAN SPIRIT. 51 



for services of such a nature. lie had been a scholar also, 

 and had written a dictionary of the Mahratta tongue. Besides 

 him, there was a lieutenant in the navy, who had thrown up 

 his commission from similar religious scruples, and a pro 

 minent surgeon of the city, devoted, like the rest, to Christian 

 efforts almost entirely. They had been to a prayer-meeting, 

 and the conversation, with the Bible open on the table, com 

 menced at once on a passage in John. It was beautiful, the 

 simple, natural way they all conversed of religious topics 

 no straining for sanctity, but easily and earnestly, as men 

 usually would speak of weighty political matters. 



&quot; But, free as is the plan of these brethren, I am sorry to 

 say that in real liberality they do not go beyond most others. 

 The conversation during breakfast turned on the Roman 

 Catholics. Most of them went so far as to doubt whether 

 a Papist ever could bo a Christian. The major disagreed 

 with them, and it was noble, the enthusiasm with which he 

 spoke of the pure and earnest Pascal. Generally, however, 

 their feeling toward men of different doctrinal opinions was 

 much like that of any sectarians. The Independent clergy 

 man at Hereford says that the most he has known are men 

 of the Church of England, and that they have just grasped a 

 few great ideas, which the Independents have been preaching 

 since the time of Cromwell. And certainly, as compared 

 with the Church, their religious character is most simple 

 and free. It was curious to notice, as an illustration of 

 English manners, that all these men, the most spiritual of the 

 whole community, took their beer or wine as regularly as we 

 would pur tea.&quot; 



In addition to the evidence of the sincere character of the 

 &quot; Brethren&quot; instanced above, I may mention that another of 

 our company had been an apothecary, and given up his busi 

 ness from a conviction that Homeopathy was a better way 



