Six months in the West-Indies, in 1825

Page 191

177

MONTSERRAT.

Indies at least, do not pretend to impute to the Church of England any doctrines that are false or practices that are sinful: on the contrary, they profess an entire accordance with the first and a simple indifference with regard to the last. Unfortunately the evil consequences of their schism are much greater than would be the benefits of their conformity. The disturbing forces of sectarian zealotry are able to impede, although in themselves they could but slightly accelerate, the course of the establishment. If the Methodists are sincere in their frequent declarations that they merely filled up a void left by the church, that they have no ambitious designs against the church, and that they wish the church to prosper in the colonies, then it may surely be expected of them either that they will become themselves the catechists of the church, or if under the new edition of Wesleyanism they cannot submit to a Bishop's control, that they will gradually and peacefully retire from a field where they must see and cannot but acknowledge that the necessity for their services is rapidly disappearing. Persuaded as I am that the supposition of the exclusive propriety of Methodist teaching even in the case of the adult negros (for with regard to the children educated upon the national plan the grounds of the supposition fail, and all the children will sooner or later be so educated) is unfounded in fact, unreasonable in principle, and mischievous in its consequences, I cannot but express my N


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