Excerpt from The Eclectic Review, Vol. 10: 1841, July-December

Within the period of six years, to which the Scotch divines have referred, what multitudes have actually joined the dissent ing churches! Of those who in the strictest sense may be termed Dissenters - exclusive of all the borderers, the non descripts, and the intermediate order of Wesleyans, and apart from baptized infidels and unbaptized formalists, and masses Of the kind which swell the bodily form Of the Establishment - the bona fide additions to the real strength of the voluntary churches has been very numerous, consisting Of thousands Of godly, devoted, active Christians, who are shining as lights in the world. There is stamina here. Such persons are pillars in the house of God. It may be said that multitudes of this class have been born in dissenting families, and brought up Dissent ers. Be it so, at any rate they are additions, and their adhe sion demonstrates that the cause of nonconformity is sustained, and that all the demonstration professed to have been iven of the validity of the Church and state principle has not advanced with any convincing power in this direction. Moreover, a vast proportion of the thousands added to the ranks of an unen dowed and unestablished religion, have been converted from the world by the labors Of voluntary missionaries and ministers, and have brou ht with them into the dissenting churches en lightened min as well as sanctified hearts. Besides, although many of this second class may not be reckoned among the most Obviously intelligent or very educated persons included in the enumeration, they have become greatly instructed Of late years by two circumstances, and bid fair, many Of them, though in comparative poverty, to display the best endowments of mind. The first of these circumstances is the general progress of knowledge. It cannot be questioned that the spirit Of inquiry has been awakened since the schoolmaster has been abroad, and religious schools have multiplied over the land for in spite Of the pompous pretensions and the grasping monopoly of a state endowed Church, whose clergy have been eager to taboo the whole region of education, these schools have muliplied and prospered both for secular and pious instruction. The di¿'usion of every kind of knowledge among the lower classes, both by oral teaching and b the distribution of the Scriptures, has given an impulse to t 6 popular mind, expanded the faculties, and taught even the humblest to soar above the popish and priestl octrines which spread a dark and murky atmosphere aroun the free born soul.

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