LIBERALITY OP SECTARIES IN AMERICA. 



183 



Ing the time of service. The day was hot, and 

 the precentor, as usual, in the centre of the front 

 gallery, opposite to the minister, officiated, not 

 only without a gown, but without a coat upon his 

 back. There was some sort of instrumental 

 music hautboys and bassoons, I think, against 

 which there are no prejudices in this country. 

 The clergyman, a very unaffected, sincere-look 

 ing person, delivered a plain sensible discourse, 

 in which he introduced the names of Dr. Erskine 

 and Dr. Chalmers, which sounded strange to us, 

 considering where we were, on the western side 

 of the Atlantic, not very far from the falls of Ni 

 agara. At the close of his sermon, he addressed 

 his hearers in some such terms as these, My 

 friends, the sacrament of the Lord s supper is to 

 be dispensed here this evening. This is a free 

 church, open to all Presbyterians, Methodists, 

 Baptists, and all other denominations of Chris 

 tians. This is according to our belief. All are in 

 vited ; the risk is theirs. Such liberality is, we 

 find on inquiry, not unusual among the clergymen 

 and congregations of different sects, with the ex 

 ception in general of Unitarians. I observe an 

 example recorded in Hosack s Life of Clinton ; 

 and as it relates to the great Father of the United 

 States, and is of unquestionable authority, I think 

 it of sufficient interest for insertion. While the 

 American army, under the command of Wash 

 ington, lay encamped in the vicinity of Morris- 

 town, New-Jersey, it occurred that the service of 

 the communion (then observed semi-annually 

 only) was to be administered to the Presbyterian 

 church in that village. In a morning of the pre 

 vious week, the General, after his accustomed 

 inspection of the camp, visited the house of the 

 Rev. Dr. Jones, then pastor of that church, and, 

 after the usual preliminaries, thus accosted him : 

 Doctor, I understand that the Lord s supper 

 is to be celebrated with you next Sunday. I would 

 learn, if it accords with the canons of your church 

 to admit communicants of another denomination. 

 The Doctor rejoined, Most certainly. Ours is 

 not the Presbyterian table, General, but the 

 Lord s table, and we hence give the Lord s invi 

 tation to all his followers, of whatever name. 

 The General replied, I am glad of it ; that is as 

 it ought to be, but as I was not quite sure of the 

 fact, I thought I would ascertain it from yourself, 

 as I propose to join with you on that occasion. 

 Though a member of the church of England, I 

 have no exclusive partialities. The Doctor re 

 assured him of a cordial welcome, and the Gene 

 ral was found seated with the communicants the 

 next Sabbath, 



&quot; During my residence in the United States, 

 subsequent to this period, I was frequently wit 

 ness to the good understanding which generally 

 prevails among clergymen professing different 

 opinions on church forms and doctrinal points, 

 in this country ; and I occasionally observed 

 notices in I he newspapers to the same purport. 



The two following I have preserved : Tho 

 corner-stone of a new Baptist church was laid at 

 Savannah in Georgia, and the ceremonial ser 

 vices were performed by clergymen of the Metho 

 dist, German, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episcopal, 

 and Baptist churches. The sacrament of the 

 Lord s supper was administered in the Rev. Mr. 

 Post s church (Presbyterian church at Washing 

 ton) and, as usual, all members of other churches 

 in regular standing were invited to unite with 

 the members of that church, in testifying their 

 faith in, and love to, their Lord and Saviour. 

 The invited guests assembled around the table; 

 and it so happened that Mr. Grundy, a senator 

 from Tennessee, and two Cherokee Indians, were 

 seated side by side. Nothing is more astound 

 ing in the stage-coach intercourse with the peo 

 ple of this country, as well as in the bar-rooms 

 where travellers meet, than the freedom and 

 apparent sincerity of their remarks, and the per 

 fect feeling of equality with which the conversa 

 tion is maintained, especially on religious 

 matters. I have heard the most opposite creeds 

 maintained, without any thing like acrimonious 

 discussion or sarcastic remark, by persons in the 

 same stage, professing themselves undisguisedly, 

 Calvinists, Episcopalians, Methodists, and 

 Unitarians,&quot; &c. 



If such are the liberal views entertained in 

 America on religious subjects, and if such dispo 

 sitions are more congenial to the spirit of the 

 Christian system, than the fiery and uuhallowed 

 zeal and unholy jealousies which many religion 

 ists display why are they not more frequently 

 manifested in our own country ? For, the differ 

 ence of localities and customs cannot alter the 

 nature and obligation of moral principles and 

 actions. What a striking contrast to the scenes 

 now exhibited are such facts as the following; 

 &quot; The Rev. J. T. Campbell, rector of Tilston, 

 in the diocese of Chester, has been suspended 

 from his clerical function, for twelve months, 

 with a sequestration of his benefice, for that time, 

 for preaching in a methodist meeting-house in 

 Nantwich, and in other similar places within 

 the diocese.&quot; &quot; The Rev. Dr. Rice, curate of 

 St. Lukes, London, who made himself conspicu 

 ous the other day, at Mr. Wakely s dinner, and 

 who, in consequence of the liberal sentiments he 

 then expressed on the subject of Church Reform, 

 has fallen under the censure of his diocesan.&quot; 

 Both these notices appeared in most of the 

 newspapers in January 1833, and were never 

 contradicted ! If such conduct in the rulers of 

 the church were warranted by the doctrines or 

 precepts of the New Testament, Christianity 

 would be unworthy of any man s attention or 

 support. If the principles and persecuting 

 spirit involved in such decisions, were coun 

 tenanced and supported by the laws of the state, 

 we should soon be subjected to al 1 the burnings, 

 hangings, mannings, tortures, a:.d horrid cruel* 



