LEEWARD
Isles.

Isles.

Present State of Religion, &c.

Danish government, and are still continued. The Methodists also have several little societies at Tortola, and other of the Islands.

The Methodists have missionary stations in most of these islands, particularly at St. Eustatia, Antigua, and Dominica, where they are rapidly on the increase. The United Brethren have also an established and growing interest at Antigua.

WINDWARD Barbadoes is but ill provided with religious instruction. The Methodists and United Brethren have however each a small society upon the island. The Missionary Society, and the Methodists, have each attempted to introduce the gospel at Trinidad, and at Tobago, but with no remarkable success.

APPENDIX

TO THE FOURTH AMERICAN EDITION.

As Mr. Williams has been very concise in his account of the religious denominations existing in the United States of America, the following brief sketch is added.

The Congregationalists are the predominant religious denomination in each of the New England states, Rhode Island excepted. It has been computed that there are in Massachusetts Proper 350 congregations; in Connecticut 212; in Maine 114; and in Rhode Island 8. The churches in New Hampshire and Vermont are chiefly Congregational.* They are divided into Calvinists of the old school, a large number of Hopkinsians, Arminians, Unitarians of different grades, &c.

The Congregationalists are not numerous in the Middle and Southern States; they have, however, a number of churches in New Jersey, and South Carolina.

The Baptists form the most numerous body, Congregationalists excepted, in New England. They have greatly increased of late, for it appears from the report of the General Convention of Baptists for Foreign Missions, assembled at Philadelphia, May 7, 1817, that the number of their churches, in the United States, was 2727, of their ministers 1935; that the number baptized last year amounted to 10,000, and the whole number of members in fellowship was 183,245. Their clergy are organized into Associations. This body is generally composed of Calvinists or Hopkinsians. In the foregoing account none of the members of the Baptist congregations are included, but only those in actual communion. There are also Arminian, or Free Will Baptists, Sabba* See General Repository, No. VI, and Boston Recorder, 1816. ↑ See proceedings of the General Convention at Philadelphia, 1817,

tarians, Haldamites, Mennonites, Dunkers, and Separates,* who, though differing from the Baptist Associations abovenamed, as well as from each other in many points, yet all agree in denying infant baptism. These denominations are not included in the preceding computation.

The Presbyterian churches, under the jurisdiction of the General Assembly, preponderate in the Middle States. In New York are Antiburgher Seceders, and other classes, who embrace the Presbyterian form of church government. The tenets of the Genevan school are generally maintained by this denomination; but some have adopted, at least in part, the Hopkinsian system.

The General Synod of the Reformed Dutch Church is a considerably powerful body of Presbyterians, not acting in concert with the General Assembly, nor with any other circle of Presbyterians; their churches are principally in New York and New Jersey. The General Synod of the Associate Reformed Church is another connexion of Presbyterians, not acting in concert with either of the bodies above-mentioned, The Presbyterians are also numerous in the Southern States; and have several large congregations in South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. It is computed that there are about eighty seven Episcopal churches in New England. Those in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island were, in 1810, organized, and styled "The Eastern Diocess of the United States of America." Their Bishop is the Right Rev. Alexander V. Griswold. Connecticut, where there are many Episcopalians, forms another Diocess, under the superintendence of a bishop. There are also bishops in those of the Middle and Southern States, where there is a large number of Episcopalians. A few of the Episcopal churches are Calvinistic; but it is understood, that they generally embrace Arminian sentiments.

The Roman Catholics have in the United States of America one archbishop in Baltimore, and bishops in Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Beardstown, Ken'y. and New Orleans.

There is an Association of Separate Baptists.

Boston Recorder, 1816.

Their number, including those in Louisiana and some Indian tribes, is said to amount to 140,000.*

The Friends, or Quakers, are a numerous denomination of Christians in the United States. There are thirteen collections of this people in New England. The celebrated William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, by his meekness and wisdom, did honour to this society, whose sentiments he embraced and defended. They have at present fifty four congregations in that state. This denomination have been eminently distinguished for their zealous and persevering efforts to procure the abolition of the slave trade. There are nearly one thousand congregations of Friends in this country.

The Methodists are a numerous and popular combination in the United States. The greatest part of this denomination are in the Middle and Southern States. There are, however,

in Massachusetts twenty societies of this people, and eighteen in Maine. Those in this country are all, with a very small exception, Westleian, or Arminian Methodists.

The German Moravians are a numerous and respectable body of Christians in Pennsylvania. In the village of Bethlehem they have two large stone buildings, in which the different sexes are educated in habits of industry, being employed in various useful manufactures. They have also flourishing settlements in North Carolina; and one church in Rhode Island.

The German Lutherans have several places of worship in Pennsylvania and New York.

There are twelve societies of Universalists in New England-seven in Massachusetts, four in Maine, and one in New Hampshire. There is also a society of Universalists in Pennsylvania. One part of this denomination are disciples of Chauncy and the other of Murray in their sentiments. The Separates are said to have six churches in Connecticut.

There are two Sandemanian churches in New England; one in Danbury, Connecticut, and one in Portsmouth, New * This statement was given by the Rev. Dr. Matignon, who now officiates at the Roman Catholic church in Boston.