Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1821-12-18

anu HtstiC the people SS Hdd JUST seen
them in Boston) meet in convention to
amend the constitution of the state, with
the same good humor as men go to tha
annual meeting of the Humane Society
in London saw several Babtist Minis
tiers in the above convention, as we'll as
among the legislators of the state of
Maine. This may suffice for these SUBJ
jects.
Many places of worship in America,
among different denominations, have
wooden steeples which, however, when
painted, look nearly as well as stone.---
Among the Presbyterians and Congee-
| gatlonaists, The vestry, or session house,
is separate, and sometimes distinct
building; the small vestries, as in Eng
land opening into the chapel, where the
minister can retire, and see his friends
and deacons, are very rare in the states.
| The minister goes al once into the p0ipits
AL s-,-l1@ --i'' BIO s-Tpr rH4Ht d CLOAK, and
thro@s il over the side Of the pulpit, In
the winter a pan of Goals in box is
ready for him to set his feet upon. The
services are conducted nearly the same
as in EnglaEd--but was very sorry to
observe that our custom of lining out the
hymn as sung, scarcely exists and that
singing, in many cases, was profanely
abandoned to the choir, as though praise,
at any rate, might be done by proxy; or,
as though the Object Of the Christian
worship was partial to such and such
tunes which the congregation could not
acquire. How any person can blanc
cathedral worship as popish, and admire
| these exhibitions in the front gallery, I
know not. Notes entreating the prayers
of the congregation for the sick, &c. are,
IN many places, sent up into the pulpit;
and, directed by these notes, the minis
tiers visit the sick during the week. The
reading of the Holy Scriptures does not
commonly, regret to say it, make
part of the services of the Sanctuary
Doctor Watts generally supplies the
Horns of praise to the American people.
| have seen selections, the greater part,
however, the compositions of Watts, by
DR.. Dwight, DR.. Livingston, DIR. Wor-
cester, and Mr.. Winchel. American
editions of DIR. Rippon's selection are
not uncommon. The reading of their
sermons prevails, apprehend, to cou-
siderable degree among the Congrega-
tional Ministers, if not among others also.
The services are, in many places, con-
cluded, in the evening al least, with
doxology, the congregation standing
Blacks are members of the churches Of
The whites, and sit down 10 the Lords
table with the whites wherever travel
led.
" Elders, as the scripture name Of
ministers, is much used in some parts.
Black cloaks are generally worn by the
ministers in the New England states:
and saw several ministers wearing pig-
tails.
"The number of religious Institutions
| IN America exceeds, if possible, those Of
Engla Bible, Missionary, Tract, and
Sunday School Societies, are very nu-
merous. The American Bible Society
is noble institution, doing great good.
The Orphan Asylum at New York has
been favored with such remarkable in
stances of the Divine care, as to remind
one very strongly Of the institution Of
Professor Frank, in Germany. The
Deaf and Dumb Asylum, at Hartford,
Connecticut, under the care of the Rev.
Dir. Gallaudet, prospers exceedingly
| spent some hours at the Asylum, en-
Toying a How Of feelings so sacred and so
refined, that can never lose the recol-
| lections of this visit. Regular prayer
meetings confined to females, held at
each others houses, are very common in
America.
But there are some institutions ex-
isting in America, which I have not
heard of in other countries: At Boston,
and in other places, a missionary for the
town and eighborhood is maintained and
employed; his work is to carry the gos-
pel 10 the poor; to preach in cellars, in
garrets, and amongst those who, by their
poverty, or tiioir peculiar Giro u,nstanoeo,
or their disinc lination, are excluded from
the pubic means of grace. l met two
or three OF these interesting missionaries.
Societies ofladies exist for assisting poor
Christian students by purchasing Cloth,
and making them clothes. Other ladies'
are united to work together one day in q
week, fortnight, or month, devoting tho
produce of their sewing, &c. to some
good object. One Of the party reads for
the edi6cation of the rest Societies Of
girls, and separate ones for boys, are nu-
merous; these have meetings, and dc-
vote quarter, or half, or whole dol-
lar a year each to some Christian object.
In the church under the care of the Rev.
| MIR p3ySnu of portiand I. nu,pber ne