No one, perhaps, would condemn such meetings when called for by particular circumstances; but when people seem inclined to rely more on them than on the ordinary services of the sanctuary, and to think that without them there can be no revivals and no conversions, it is time they were abolished, or at least restored to their proper use. But what was thought worst of all was the proposal, for it hardly went farther, of having an order of "revival preachers," who should go through the churches, spending a few weeks here and a few there, for the sole object of promoting revivals. This was justly opposed as subversive of the regular ministry, for it is easy to see that such men, going about with a few well-prepared discourses on exciting topics, and recommended, perhaps, by a popular delivery, would throw the pastors in the background, give the people "itching ears," and in a few weeks do more harm than good. No one would deny that "evangelists" might be very useful in the new settlements, where a regular clergy cannot be at once established, and even in building up churches in the older parts of the country, or preaching to churches without pastors. Few, likewise, would deny that some zealous, able, and judicious ministers might render important services in going from church to church at the special request of the pastors for their assistance. Such men should have an eminently humble, kind, and prudent spirit, and an overruling desire to seek the interests of their brethren rather than to promote their own, and some such we have had who were widely useful. But should it be thought that the churches require such men, they ought to be placed under the special control of the ecclesiastical bodies to which they belong, and without whose express and continued approbation they ought not to undertake or continue such engagements. Nothing could be more dangerous to the peace of the churches than that every man, who may fancy himself a “revivalist," or "revival preacher," should be allowed to go wherever people desire to have him, with or without the consent of their pastors. Accordingly, the institution of any such order was opposed, and the preachers who had been thus employed were urged each to settle at some one spot, which they did; and thus the churches hear no more of "revival preachers," or "revival makers," as some deserved to be called. I have said more on this subject than I intended, but not more, perhaps, than was required. Yet, should any of my readers have been led to suppose that the abuses I have described affected our churches generally, he is mistaken. They began to manifest themselves about the year 1828, and lasted about ten years, without, however, having ever prevailed widely; and in some extensive districts they have been altogether unknown. Of the twice ten thousand churches of all denominations among us, in which "the truth as it is in Jesus" is preached, only a few hundreds. are believed to have been affected by them, and even these have now become pretty well rid both of the abuses and their consequences. During the last four years our churches have been more extensively blessed with revivals than at any time before, and all well-informed persons, whom I have consulted, agree that those blessed seasons have never, probably, been more free from whatever could offend a judicious Christian. For these things we are glad; they demonstrably prove that, though our sins be great, the God of our fathers has not forsaken us. Before closing the subject of the abuses attending religious revivals, although there be no special connexion between them, I may say something about camp-meetings, respecting which I have had many questions put to me in some parts of Europe. Most foreigners owe their notions of these meetings to the same sources from which they have taken their ideas of revivalsthe pages of tourists, who have raked up and woven into episodes for their travels, all the stories they have chanced to meet with, and some of whom, possibly, have even gone to the outskirts of one of these assemblages, and looked on with all the wonder natural to persons who had never entered into the spirit of such scenes, so far as either to comprehend their nature or ascertain their results. Camp-meetings, as they are called, ori-ginated in sheer necessity among the Presbyterians of Kentucky in the year 1801, during that great religious revival, which, after commencing in the western part of North Carolina, penetrated into Tennessee, and spread over all the then settled parts of the West. It so happened that, on one occasion, in the earÎy part of that revival, so many people had come from a distance to the administration of the Lord's Supper at a particular church, that accommodation could nowhere be found in the neighbourhood for all, during the successive days and nights which they wished to spend at the place. This induced as many as could to procure tents, and form something like a military encampment, where, as provisions were easily to be had, they might stay till the meetings closed. Such was the origin of camp-meetings. They were afterward held at various points during that extraordinary season of religious solicitude. The country was still very thinly settled, and as a proof of the deep and wide-spread feelings that prevailed on the subject of religion, many persons attended from distances of thirty, forty, and fifty miles; nay, on one occasion, some came from a distance of even one hundred miles. It is not surprising that the meetings should have lasted for a period of several days, for many who attended them had few opportunities of attending public worship and of hearing the Gospel in the wilderness in which they lived. about them; but in densely-settled neighbourhoods, and especially near cities and large towns, whether in the West or the East, they are apt to give rise to disorder. The idle rabble are sure to flock to them, especially on the Sabbath, and there they drink and create disturbance, not so much at the camp itself, for the police would prevent them, but at taverns and temporary booths for the sale of beer and ardent spirits in the neighbourhood. It is true that, since Temperance societies have made such progress, these evils have much diminished; and even in more populous places good is undoubtedly done at these meet mere curiosity, being made to hear truths that they never can forget. Nor are these meetings blessed only to the lower classes, as they are called. A young man of the finest talents, once my class-fellow at college, and afterward my intimate friend, having gone to one of them from mere curiosity, was awakened by a faithful sermon to a sense of his need of salvation; his convictions never left him until he found peace by "believing in the Son of God." He lived to become a most popular and eloquent minister of the Gospel.* They were held, when the weather permitted, in the midst of the noble forest. Seats were made of logs and plank, the under rubbish having been cleared away; a pulpit was erected in front of the rows of seats; and there, in the forenoon, after-ings; the thoughtless, who go to them from noon, and evening, the ministers of the Gospel made known the "words of eternal life." Public prayer was also held at the same spot early in the morning, and at the close of the services at night. Around, at proper distances, were placed the tents, looking to the seated area prepared for the great congregation. Lamps were suspended at night from the boughs of the trees, and torches blazed from stakes some eight or ten feet high, in front of each tent. In the rear of the tents, in the mornings and evenings, such simple cooking operations went on as were necessary. Each tent was occupied by one or two families, intimate friends and neighbours sometimes sharing in one tent, when their families were not too large. A horn or trumpet announced the hour for the commencement of the public services. Camp-meetings are occasionally held in the Far West by the Presbyterians, especially by the Cumberland Presbyterians, as also by some of the Baptists, possibly, but for a long time they have been held mainly by the Methodists; and I understand that many among these have the impression that, except in the frontier and new settlements, they had better give place to "Protracted Meetings," which is the course, I believe, they are now taking. Such was a primitive camp-meeting in the sombre forests of Kentucky forty years ago. Solemn scenes occurred at them, such as might well have caused many who scoffed to tremble. Such, also, both as re- Such is the account I have to give of' pects their arrangements, and in many pla- camp-meetings. Wicked men have someces, also, as respects the spirit that has pre- times taken advantage of them for their dominated at them, have been the camp-own bad purposes, and such abuses havemeetings held since. They were confined been trumpeted through the world with the for years to the frontier settlements, as they view of bringing discredit on the religion of ought, perhaps, always to have been, for the country. Without having ever been a there they were in some measure necessa- great admirer of such meetings, I must say, ry. I have attended them in such circum- after having attended several, and carefulstances, have been struck with the order ly observed the whole proceedings, that I that prevailed at them, and seen them be- am satisfied that the mischiefs alleged to come the means of doing unquestionable arise from them have been greatly exaggergood. They served to bring together, toated, while there has been no proper acthe profit of immortal souls, a population knowledgment of the good that they have scattered far and wide, and remaining sometimes for years remote from any regular place of worship. The reader must not suppose that all who come to these meetings encamp at them. Only families from a great distance do so. Those within a circuit even of five miles, generally go home at night and return in the morning, bringing something to eat during the interval of public worship. In the remote settlements of the Far West, the utility of camp-meetings seems to be admitted by all who know anything done. In some parts of the West there is a practice, familiar to me in early life, and of which I still retain very tender and pleasing recollections. It consists in holding the services of the sanctuary in a forest during summer, both to accommodate a greater number of people, and also for * The late Rev. Joseph S. Christmas, some time pastor of a Presbyterian church at Montreal in Canada, and afterward settled in New-York, where he died a few years ago. An interesting Memoir of him has been published. the sake of the refreshing shade afforded by the trees. Seats are prepared in rows before a temporary pulpit made of boards, and there, from a temple made by God himself, prayer and praise ascend unto Him "who dwelleth not in temples made with hands," and who is ever present where contrite and believing hearts are engaged in worshipping Him. In such scenes, too, it is now common, in almost all parts of the United States, for Sabbath-schools to assemble on the Fourth of July, if the weather be good; for the purpose of hearing appropriate addresses, far more religious than political; of uniting in prayer for the blessing of God upon the country, and the country's hope, the rising generation; and of praising Him from whom all our privileges, civil and religious, have been received. Temperance meetings on the same occasion are now held in our beautiful forests, and something better is heard than the boastful and unchristian self-adulation, to say nothing of the profaneness and ribaldry which too often characterized such scenes in the "olden time," when Temperance societies and Sunday-schools were unknown. CHAPTER X. order reigns to a degree not surpassed in any other country. There is no confusion of the respective rights of the ministry and people. The duties of both are well understood everywhere. Most of the churches, such as the Presbyterian and the Episcopalian in all their branches, possess and maintain a strong ecclesiastical government, and even the Congregational, however democratic in theory, have a government that exercises a hardly less powerful control. How seldom do we hear of disorder occurring at the little meetings of Christians held for prayer and the reading of the Word of God-meetings so numerous, and almost always conducted by pious laymen! How seldom do private church members encroach by word or deed, at meetings of any kind, on the proper sphere of those who hold office in the churches! Indeed, on no one point are our churches more perfectly united in opinion than with respect to the necessity of maintaining due order and subordination. The ministry enjoys its full share of influence. No one ever hears of unauthorized, unlicensed persons being allowed to speak in our meetings for public worship. Those levelling doctrines, now spreading in other countries-doctrines which would reduce the ministry to nothing, and encourage lay brethren to take it upon them to preach or CONCLUDING REMARKS ON THE CHURCH AND THE teach in the churches-I dare affirm, will PULPIT IN AMERICA. not make much progress among us. Attempts to introduce something of this sort have often been made, but in vain. We have, indeed, our meetings in which debate is allowed, and there the laity may even take the lead, but these meetings are about the temporal affairs of the church, or the calling of a pastor, not for the public worship of God." A STRANGER, upon visiting extensively our evangelical churches of all denominations, would be struck, I am sure, with the order that prevails in them; and this applies equally to the smaller prayer-meetings to be found in every parish and congregation that has any life in it, and to the greater assemblies that meet for public worship. Foreigners seem impressed with Experience has also taught us the nethe idea, if I may judge from what I have cessity of maintaining order at meetings often heard hinted rather than expressed, held during revivals-occasions on which, that there is a great deal of disorder and in consequence of the strong excitement lawlessness in the United States, and they of the most powerful feelings of the human infer that there must be no less insubordi- heart, there is a special call for watchfulnation in the religious commonwealth than ness in this respect. It is a sad mistake they ascribe to the civil. But both opin- to multiply meetings unnecessarily during ions are totally unfounded. It does not revivals, or to prolong them to unseasonfollow, because of a few disturbances, ari- able hours at night, to the exhaustion of sing from the disgraceful opposition made strength, the loss of needed repose, and in some places to abolitionists, and the the unnatural and dangerous irritation of resentment of an exasperated populace the nervous system. Yet these are the against gangs of gamblers in others, that points in which the inexperienced are most the whole country is a scene of continual liable to err. They begin a meeting, say commotion. In no part of the world have at seven o'clock in the evening. The there been so few dreadful riots, attended preacher feels deeply, and the people are with loss of life, as in the United States; much interested. Instead of preaching for during these last sixty years. There are an hour, he is tempted, by the manifest atbad men among us, and there are crimes, tention of his hearers, to go on for an hour but, after all, life is quite as safe among us and a half or two hours, and instead of sendas in any country I have ever visited, and ing them home at half past eight o'clock, I have been in most of those that are con- or at nine at the farthest, so that they may sidered civilized. have time for meditation and secret prayer, As for the Church, a regard for law and in which, after all, the sinner is most like ly to give his heart unto God, he dismisses clearly bound to see that the candidate them at ten or eleven o'clock, fatigued, for membership gives such evidences of yet excited, and altogether unfit for the ex- piety as, on scriptural grounds, shall be ercises of the closet. This is sometimes deemed satisfactory. The one may be done under the idea that the people would perfectly right in desiring to enter, and in lose their serious impressions were the coming to them for admission; the others service to be short. But here there is may be no less justified in refusing until often a temptation of the Adversary. No they have had satisfactory evidence of the revival ever suffered by evening meetings applicant's piety. No harm can result from being confined to a moderate length. Let this temporary conflict of duty, if I may the people be almost compelled to leave call it so. Both seek to do what is right, the house rather than unduly protract such and both will soon find their way clear. meetings. One of the most important and difficult duties of a minister in a revival is rightly to direct awakened souls. Alas! how often are even good men found to fail in this. Many ministers, whom I have known, seem to me to excel in addressing unawakened sinners, and yet to fail when called to give clear, intelligible, and scriptural directions to those who are awakened. Many, too, fail in judging of the evidences of conversion, and "heal the hurt of the people softly." But on no point, I am convinced, from what I have seen in America, is there a greater call for the exercise of a sound prudence than in receiving into the Church persons who entertain the belief that they have "passed from death unto life." While they may possibly be kept back too long, | the great error lies on the other side. The new convert naturally desires to join himself to those whom he now considers to be the children of God. He thinks that it is his duty to do so, and he may possibly be right. But the office-bearers in the Church, whose duty it is to see to the admission of none but proper persons into it, are no less | I consider hasty admissions to our churches to be the greatest of all the evils connected with revivals in some parts of the country, and among some denominations in particular. But this evil is not peculiar to revivals. It is quite as likely to occur when there is no revival as when there is. With all possible care it is difficult to keep a church pure, in a reasonable sense of that word. How absurd, then, to expect it when the doors are thrown wide open to admit hastily all that profess to be converted! Experience shows the necessity of decided views on this subject, and of firmness in enforcing them. On this point, as well as on all others relating to the discipline and government of the Church, too much care cannot be taken to avoid latitudinarian practices. The Church must be kept a living body of believers—a company of persons who have come out from the world, and are determined to adorn the profession which they have made. In their organization and action, order, which is said to be "heaven's first law," must be maintained. In this opinion, I am sure, Christians of all denominations in the United States sincerely and entirely concur. BOOK V I. THE EVANGELICAL CHURCHES IN AMERICA. CHAPTER I. PRELIMINARY REMARKS IN REFERENCE TO THIS SUBJECT. the Methodists, and in that order we shall Consider as briefly as possible the smaller proceed to notice them. We shall then orthodox denominations, such as the Moravians, the Lutherans, the German Reformed, and other German sects, the Reformed Dutch Church, the Cumberland Presbyterians, the Protestant or Reformed Methodists, the Reformed Presbyterians or Covenanters, the Associate Church, the Associate Reformed, the Quakers, &c. THIS part of our work we propose to devote to a brief notice of the doctrines, organization, and history of each of the evangelical denominations in the United States, nothing beyond a sketch of these being consistent with our limits. We shall endeavour, of course, to confine ourselves as much as possible to what is important, Numerous as are the evangelical denomomitting what is least essential or neces-inations in the United States, yet when grouped in reference to doctrine on the one We begin with the five most numerous hand, or church government on the other, evangelical denominations in the United it is surprising into how small a number States. These, in the order of their rise, they may be reduced. In doctrine we have are the Episcopalians, the Congregational- but two great divisions-the Calvinistic ists, the Baptists, the Presbyterians, and and the Arminian schools; the former, sary. CHAPTER II. THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH. with its various peculiarities, comprehend- | before which they come for a decision of ing the Presbyterians, usually so called, their claims, is compelled to look to the evangelical Baptists, the Episcopalians points of doctrine and discipline in order (though they generally consider them- to settle this question as to property. selves as intermediate between the two), Thus it was in the great Quaker case the Congregationalists, the German Re- formerly referred to. formed, the Dutch Reformed, the Covenanters, the Associate, and the Associate Reformed Churches; the latter, with its variations, comprehending the Methodists of all branches, the Lutherans, the Cumberland Presbyterians, the United Brethren or Moravians, and some other small bodies. THE Protestant Episcopal Church in the Considered in reference to their forms United States derives its origin from the of church government, they all range them- Church of England, of which it is not only selves in three great families. The Epis- an offshoot, but to which it is "indebted, copal, comprehending the Protestant Epis- under God, for a long continuance of nurcopal Church, the Methodist Episcopal, sing care and protection."* It agrees with and the Moravians; the Presbyterian, in- that Church in doctrine; and its ritual and cluding the Presbyterians usually so called, formularies, with some variations introthe Dutch Reformed, the German Re-duced after the Revolution by which the formed, the Lutherans, the Cumberland Colonies became independent States, are Presbyterians, the Protestant Methodists, the same. Unlike the mother-church, the Covenanters, the Associate, and the however, it is in no way connected with Associate Reformed; the Congregational the State, nor do its bishops, in virtue of (or Independent, as it is more commonly their office, enjoy any civil powers, imcalled in England), embracing the Congre-munities, or emoluments. gationalists and the Baptists. But when viewed in relation to the great doctrines which are universally conceded by Protestants to be fundamental and necessary to salvation, then they all form but one body, recognising Christ as their common Head. They then resemble the different parts of a great temple, all constituting but one whole; or the various corps of an army, which, though ranged in various divisions, and each division having an organization perfect in itself, yet form but one great host, and are under the command of one chief. The chief particulars in which the Service Book differs from that of the Church of England are as follows: 1. A shorter form of absolution is allowed to be used instead of the English, which is, however, retained, and frequently used in the public service. 2. The Athanasian creed is omitted. 3. In the administration of baptism, the sign of the cross may be dispensed with, if requested. 4. The marriage service has been considerably abridged. 5. In the funeral service, some expressions, considered as liable to misconstruction, have been altered or omitted. 6. There has been a change, of course, in the prayers for rulers. 7. It is allowed to omit in communion service the prayer called the 'Oblation," and the Invocation. 8. It is permitted to change the words "He descended into hell," which occur in the Apostles' Creed, into "He descended into the world of departed spirits," or words equivalent. The other modifications, being of less importance and chiefly verbal, need not be specified. 66 This suggests the observation that on no one point are all these churches more completely united, or more firmly established, than on the doctrine of the supremacy of Christ in his Church, and the unlawfulness of any interference with its doctrine, discipline, and government, on the part of the civil magistrate. There is not a single evangelical church in the United States that does not assert and maintain the glorious doctrine of the Headship of Christ in his Church, and that from Him alone comes all just and lawful authority in the same. On this point they hold unanimously the great doctrine which the Church of Scotland has been so nobly contending for. If the civil power has ever referred for a moment to the doctrine and discipline of the Church, it has only been in courts of justice, and that solely for the purpose of determining which of two parties has a legal title to be considered as the church in question. For example A + When the bishop is unable to preside at the inchurch divides; the parties into which it stallation or institution of a minister as rector or is divided contend for the property that be-bouring presbyters to act as institutors on the occa pastor of a church, he appoints a committee of neighlonged when entire; and the court sion. So, also, in diocesses that have no bishops, if As in the parent church in England, there are three ranks or orders in the ministry, and these are believed, by its friends, to be of apostolical institution, viz., bishops, priests, and deacons. Ordination is peformed solely by the bishops. The churches choose their own pastors, but their installation, or induction, requires the consent of the bishop of the diocess.† The * Preface to the American Book of Common Prayer. |