excuse acts of licentiousness, or to justify practises inconsistent with the peace and safety of the country. The Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Baptists Quakers, Methodists, Roman Catholics, &c. being all well known in England, we shall pass them over in silence, and content ourselves with noticing some sectaries of a more curious description.

The Shakers are a sect who sprung up in Europe. A part of them went over from England to New York in 1774, and, being joined by others, they settled at Nisqueaunia above Albany, whence they spread their doctrines, and increased to a considerable number; but their interest is now declining. The late Anna Leese, whom they call the Elect Lady, was the head of the sect. Her followers asserted that she was the woman alluded to in the twelfth chapter of the Revelations, and that she spoke seventy-two tongues: And although these tongues were unintelligible to the living, she conversed with the dead, who perfectly understood her language. They also alleged, that she was the mother of all the elect; that she travailed for the whole world; that none could receive any blessing but only by and through her, and that in the way of her being possessed of their sins, by their confessing and repenting of them according to her direction. The elect lady used to assert that she was immortal, that the day of judgment had commenced, and that she and her followers were already set to judge the world. But her death having clearly proved the absurdity of her pretensions to immortality as respected her bodily presence, some of her followers have been induced to suspect the veracity of her other doctrines, and others have totally renounced her enthusiastic scheme.

The worship of this sect consists principally in dancing, singing, clapping their hands, falling on their knees, and uttering themselves in groans and sighs, in a sound resembling the roaring of water; turning round on their heels with astonishing swiftness, to show, as they say, the power of God. All these gesticulations are performed in the most violent and boisterous manner, and occasions at intervals a shuddering not unlike that of a person in a strong fit of ague. Hence they have received the appellation of Shakers.

The Moravians style themselves "the United Brethren of the Protestant Episcopal church;" but they are called Moravians because the first settlers in the English dominions were chiefly emigrants from Moravia. These were the genuine descend. ants of the church of the ancient United Brethren established in Bohemia and Moravia as early as the year 1456. About the middle of the seventeenth century, they left their native country, to avoid persecution, and to enjoy the free exercise of their religion. They were kindly received in Saxony and other Protestant dominions, and were joined by many serious people of other denominations.They adhere to the Augustan Confession of Faith, which was drawn up by the Protestant divines, at the time of the reformation in Germany, and which, at that time, contained the doctrinal system of all the established Protestant churches. They still retain the discipline of their ancient church, and make use of episcopal ordination, which has been handed down to them, in a direct line of succession, for more than three hundred years.

With respect to their doctrinal tenets, and the practical inferences thence deduced, they seem to be essentially right, and such as cannot be ex

cepted against by any candid and liberal person who takes the trouble to investigate them. They profess to live in strict obedience to the ordinances of our Saviour, such as the observation of the sabbath, infant baptism, and the Lord's supper: and in addition to these, they practise the "feet washing, the kiss of love, and the use of the lot;" for which they adduce several plausible reasons.

The Tunkers are so called in derision from the word tunken," to put a morsel in sauce." The English word that conveys the proper meaning of Tunkers is Sops or Dippers. They are likewise called Tumblers, from the manner in which they perform baptism, which is by putting the person, while kneeling, head first under water, so as to resemble the motion of the body in the act of tumbling. It is necessary to observe that the Germans sound the letters t and b like d and p; hence the words Tunkers and Tumblers have sometimes been corruptly written Dunkers and Dumplers.

The first appearing of this sect in America, was in the fall of the year 1719, when about twenty families landed at Philadelphia, and dispersed themselves in various parts of Pennsylvania. They are sometimes called General Baptists, as holding the doctrines of general salvation. They use great plainness of dress and language, and will neither swear, fight, go to law, nor take interest for the money they lend. They commonly wear their beards, and celebrate the Lord's supper, with its ancient attendants of love-feasts, washing of feet,. kiss of charity, and right hand of fellowship. They anoint the sick with oil, for their recovery, and use the trine immersion, with laying on of hands and prayer, even while the person baptised is in the

water. Their church government and discipline are nearly similar to those of the English baptists, except that every brother is allowed to speak in the congregation, and their best speaker is usually ordained to be their minister. They have also deacons, deaconesses, and exhorters, who are licensed to use their gifts statedly. "On the whole," says Dr. Morse," notwithstanding their peculiarities, they appear to be well meaning Christians, and have acquired the character of the Harmless Tunkers.

The principal settlement of this people is at Ephrata, about sixty miles westward of Philadelphia. It consists of about forty buildings, of which three are places of worship: One is called Sharon, and adjoins the sisters' apartment as a chapel; another, belonging to the brothers' apartment, is called Bethany, and the third, called Zion, is a common church, where all in the settlement meet once a week for public worship. The brethren have adopted the White Friars dress, with some alterations; the sisters that of the nuns; and both, like them, have taken a vow of celibacy, though this vow is often set aside. When any of them enter into wedlock, they quit their cells, and go among the married people, who subsist by cultivating their lands, and by the profits arising from a printing cffice, a grist mill, an oil mill, a paper mill, &c. The sisters generally earn their living by spinning, weaving, and various sorts of needle work. Their singing, in the celebration of divine worship, is very charming, owing to the general sweetness of their voices, the variety of parts, and their devout manner of performance.

On the fourth of July 1776, the United States VOL. X.

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of America declared themselves free and inde pendent, and at the same time they published certain articles of confederation and perpetual union between the states. But as these articles, after eleven years experience, were found inadequate to the purposes of a federal government, delegates were chosen in each of the United States to meet and fix upon the necessary amendments. Accordingly, they met in convention at Philadelphia in the summer of 1787, and agreed upon the constitution of which the following is the sub

stance.

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"I. That all legislative powers shall be vested in a congress of the United States, to consist of a senate and house of representatives. This last shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several states. No person is eligible under twenty-five years of age, and who has not been seven years a citizen, and when elected, an inhabitant of that state in which he shall be chosen. The number of representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty thousand, but each state shall have at least one representative, and until such enumeration shall be made, the state of New Hampshire shall be entitled to choose three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode Island and Providence one, Connecticut five, New York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Mary land six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three. The house of representatives shall choose their speaker, and shalk have the sole power of impeachment.

"The senate of the United States shall be composed of two senators from each state, chosen by the legislature thereof for six years; and each senator shall have one vote. Immediately after