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until large drops of sweat, falling from their bodies upon the floor, such a degree of friction was thereby occasioned, that the noise of their feet rubbing the floor was heard by the spectators. Upon this the third and last signal was made to them to halt, and the dance ended.

Besides these dancing Dervishes there are some called howling Dervishes, who set up a constant howling of prayers, &c., sufficient to deafen the hearers, but which they pretend has something supernatural and even miraculous in it.

At present this religion prevails throughout the Turkish dominions in Europe, Asia, and Africa; in the Barbary states, in the interior of Africa; the eastern coast of Africa, and the island of Madagascar; in Arabia; the Persian states; the Russian states of Little Tartary, Astrachan, Kazan, Kirghis, Kazaks, &c.; amongst the independent Tartars; in a great part of Hindoostan; many of the eastern islands, as Malaya, Sumatra, Java, &c. &c. There are also many Mahometans in China and other countries.

TABULAR APPENDIX.

A SKETCH

OF THE

PRESENT STATE OF THE WORLD,

AS TO

RELIGION, POPULATION, RELIGIOUS TOLERATION, GOVERNMENT, EDUCATION, &c.

NOTE-In the following Table-The Religious Denominations Established or Tolerated in each Country, (the former printed in Italics,) are inserted on the left hand column-The Present State of Religion in each of these countries is inserted on the right hand column directly opposite.

Religious Denominations, &c. EUROPE. ENGLAND and WALES. Church of England, or Episcopalians, with a general toleration of all sects of Dissenters in Religious worship; but which however are restrained, by the Corporation and Test Acts, from certain offices of trust and honour.

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It is difficult to estimate the number of dissenters in this country. The Arminian Methodists(including the new Connexion) amount to more than 180,000 in Society, besides occasional bearers. The Calvinistic Methodists are probably equally numerous with the Arminian; and the Independents, Baptists, and Presbyterians, with a few other sects, may be reckoned equal to both classes of Methodists. The Roman Catholics are estimated at nearly 100,000; and the Friends are very numerous; so that the whole body of Dissenters must certainly exceed a million, and make about one tenth of the population. All who are not Dissenters are generally considered Members of the Establishment; but if we farther deduct all who make no profession of Religion, and who attend to no forms of worship, the number of real Churchmen must be still considerably reduced. For a man who neither believes the articles, nor attends the worship of the establishment, has no more right to be called a Churchman than a Mahometan or a Chinese. Population 11,000,000. Government, limited monarchy.

The two celebrated Universities of Oxford and Cambridge

give

Present State of eligion, &c.

EUROPE.

ENGLAND and WALES. Among the circumstances favourable to vital Religion in this country may be reckoned the following: 1. The Institution of Bible Societies, and particularly that great engine of benevolence, The British and Foreign Bible Society,' which in ten years, has been the mean, in whole or in part, at home and abroad, of printing and distributing 1,148,850 bibles and testaments. With this parent society are connected more than 400 Auxiliary and Branch Societies, in the British dominions only.

2. The general establishment of Free Schools for the Education of the poor: as 1. Sunday Schools for children employed in manufactories and manual labour. 2. Daily Schools either for children of the Church of England, as Dr. Bell's; or for all denominations, as those of the British and Foreign School Society, whose influence promises to be as extensive as that of the Bible Society. 3. Schools for Adults, whose education has been neglected till they came to years of maturity.

3. Village preaching, by which the gospel is spreading in all the obscure and distant parts of the Kingdom, where it had not usually been heard.

4. Societies for Foreign Missions, which now exist in almost every denomination of Christians, and extend to every quarter of the world.

5. Benevolent Institutions, adapted to meet and to relieve almost every species of human

misery ;

Religious Denominations, &c. | Present State of Religion, &c.

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give a spring to education through the kingdom. The number of members, teachers and students, about 3000 in each. These universities have, for several ages, produced many of the first scholars in Europe. During the present century, by means of the Lancasterian and other systems of instruction, education has been much more extended to the children of all classes of the community, than at any former period. More than 200,000 children are now enjoying the benefits of instruction under the patronage of the National Education Society.

SCOTLAND and the adjacent

Isles.

misery; and these supported in times and circumstances, which bear very hard upon the class of persons by whom they are chiefly maintained.

In Wales, it may be added, the children of the poor have derived great advantage from Circulating Schools, which remain for a certain time to teach the children of a particular district, and then remove to instruct another.

SCOTLAND

Partakes in all that has been

The Scotch Kirk, or Pres- said of England; and has been byterians; the Protestant particularly benefited by the Dissenters from which are call-institution of Sabbath Schools, ed Seceders, and are divided which have been introduced into Burghers, Anti-burghers, into many parts of the country and the Relief Kirk, &c. It is with great success. remarkable that Episcopalians also, by crossing the Tweed become Dissenters. Population 2,000,000. Government, limited monarchy.

IRELAND.

Four Universities testify the literary eminence of Scotland. That of Edinburg is very famous. In no country of Europe is education so fully enjoyed by the poorer classes of community as in Scotland. Parish Schools are established throughout the country. The religious system of the Presbyterians requires much attention to be paid to family instruction, and has produced the most visible and salutary effects.

IRELAND

Church of England, with Is certainly far behind England the like toleration as in Eng-in mental culture, and has been land; and the like disabilities kept back by priestcraft and as to the Catholics, who form superstition. Now, however, (according

the

Religious Denominations, &c.

Present State of Religion, &c.

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The Wesleyan Methodists have in their Societies above 29,000 (besides occasional hearers; there is also a considerable number of Presbyterians (especially in the North) and other protestant dissenters; so that the established Religion can hardly claim more than one fourth of the population. Population 5,000,000. Government, limited monarchy.

(according to some writers,) the various denominations of two thirds of the population Protestants are vying with each of Ireland." other in the propagation of evangelical doctrine through the country. The SundaySchool, Hibernian, and other societies are displaying great zeal in teaching the rising generation to read the bible, not only in English, but in the Irish language, where the former is not understood. The University of Dublin is ancient and respectable, containing, usually, about 400 students. The Dublin Society, for the improvement of agriculture and manufactures, founded in 1731, is the oldest in Europe. Learning among the great mass of the people is lamentably neglected. The Catholic Priests prohibit the reading of the Scriptures.

HOLLAND.

Before the French Invasion of Holland, there were reckoned 1579 Ministers in the Establishment, 90 of the Walloon Church, (or Protestant Church of the United Netherlands) 800 Catholics, 53 Lutherans, 43 Arminians, and 312 Bap; tists. The French introduced their infidel philosophy, but it was not adapted to the people, who are generally grave and steady. There are also many pious Christians, who have not only contributed freely of their property to the cause of religion; but several of the most useful Missionaries in Africa

HOLLAND and the Netherlands. The Reformed Church, or Calvinism, is the Established Religion of Holland, with a general toleration to all other sects; but though Calvinism must be considered as the Established Religion, a great part of the people are Arminians, under the forms and discipline of Calvin, as is also the case in Scotland. The Netherlanders are generally Catholics, with a limited toleration to all other sects; but being now brought under the same government as Holland, will probably much increase the Protestant interest. Popula7,000,000. Government, lim-have been from that country, ited monarchy.

DENMARK

as Vanderkemp, Kicherer, &c. There are seven Universities in the kingdom of the Netherlands, of which, those of Ley

den

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