244 AX AMERICAX FARMER 71V ENGLAND. 



Most of them went so far as to doubt whether a Papist ever could 

 be a Christian. The major disagreed with them, and it was 

 noble, the enthusiasm with which he spoke of the pure and earn- 

 est Pascal. Generally, however, their feeling toward men of 

 different doctrinal opinions was much like that of any sectarians. 

 The Independent clergyman at Hereford says that the most he 

 lias 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." 



In additi&n to the evidence of the sincere character of the 

 " Brethren" instanced above, I may mention that another of our 

 company had been an apothecary, and given up his business from 

 a conviction that Homeopathy was a better way than the common 

 drugging, and that we afterwards met one, a near relative of one 

 of the most distinguished noblemen and statesmen of Great Brit- 

 ain, who had retired from a highly honorable and lucrative official 

 position, from a desire to live more in accordance with his reli- 

 gious aspirations than his duties in it permitted. I shall omit 

 to narrate what more we saw of them, as we proceeded further 

 on our journey ; but must say, to conclude, that if, in letting no 

 man judge them in meat or in drink, or in respect of a holy day 

 if, in teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and 

 hymns and spiritual songs if, in bowels of mercy, kindness, 

 humbleness of mind, meekness, self-sacrifice, and zealous readi- 

 ness to every good work if, especially, in real genuine hospital- 

 ity to strangers, there be any thing of " primitive Christianity," 

 our entertainers seemed to us to have had no ordinary degree of 

 success in their purpose to return to it. They certainly were not 

 without their share of bigotry and self-confidence in such matters 

 of creed as they happened to hold in common ; but this did not 



