Page:The Homes of the New World- Vol. III.djvu/468

Rh His voice, and become both ear and tongue for his truth. Everything in this respect depends on purity and obedience in the individual man. It may be unpardonable audacity to stand forth in the pretention of a higher knowledge; it may be criminal cowardice to remain silent; God alone can be the judge of this. The human being always stands at the last alone with God, and no one can then come between them. The church can teach much, society can give much culture, but at the last they are insufficient. The human soul must converse alone with God. In this lies a great danger, but great strength and consolation likewise. The founders of sects in America have known both.

If you should inquire in what way this division of the church into so many sects exhibits itself in the New World, I would reply, firstly, in a large and universal love of the church, and a powerful form of church discipline. The number of churches—always well and handsomely built—in both the larger and smaller cities, must strike every traveller in the United States. Generally the churches are in proportion to the number of the inhabitants, one for each thousand persons, frequently each five hundred, sometimes for less. Each religious community governs itself, and takes cognisance of all its members, and of its poor, and exercises a salutary supervision of morals and general conduct. The minister is exclusively the shepherd of souls, and occupies himself with nothing excepting the care of souls, by public preaching and private admonition and sympathy. The community, which elects its own minister, is generally very much attached to him, and estimates him very highly if he deserves it. Much has been said in Europe on the fortune-hunting of the ministers in America; but I must say, that I found those ministers who were possessed of great Christian worth and great independence of character, always were regarded with great affection by their congregations, supported