I PROMISED I would write you all the oc­currencies in our journey; thus far, I hope, I have fulfilled it. This morning, as it would be but little out of our way to BATH, we called to see SAINT ROZO VILLOZO! the most celebrated Personage in this part of the country. As your life has been distinguished by uniform attach­ment to steady principles, adopted from investiga­tion, strengthened by practice, confirmed and ap­proved [Page 4] by reason and religion; and as I really be­lieve your judgment will ever prevent you from be­coming an enthusiest; so, I as sincerely believe, your faith will not permit you to be a sceptic—I shall relate to you the history of Saint Rozo Villozo, with as much accuracy as may be in my power.

THIS young girl, of seventeen years of age, of honest and discreet parents, who live at present, and have done for these many years past, near Sharpsburg, was some time since alarmed about the salvation of her soul, by the influence of a sermon she heard from a Methodist Preacher. At this time she was usual good health. The impressions she received were deep and powerful; her affections were engaged; her heart was warmed; and her imagination extremely elevated. Jesus was the [Page 5] theme of her song—That a Saviour, the Son of GOD, should condescend to come into the world, arrayed with heavenly majesty, and suffer the death at the cross for man, who had tendered himself un­worthy any favors, was an idea so sublime, it never entered her mind—but tears flowed down her cheeks. Her conversation at different times was often interrupted by an [...] of [...]ear [...] more pow­erfully expressive than the description of language. The impressions on her mind were soon visible in her counten [...]e, by a fixed and settled melancholy. A dejection of spirits—loss of appetite—decline of health—strong propensity for retirement—and, when in company, an aversion to speech, with that solemn silence which marks grief too deeply fixed to be removed by utterance; she often found a tempo­rary [Page 6] relief in prayer; in offering up her heart to that GOD who is ever present, and ever ready to help. The sublimity of whose attributes, when they first entered her feeble mind, unaccustomed to thought or reflection, struck her with astonishment. A gene­ral debility soon prevailed over her body. For these some months past she has, occasionally, been confined to her bed. Her diet is extremely light, and consissts mostly of fruit. During the whole of her indisposition, once in twenty-four hours, at a particular period, all the functions of the body cease to perform their office. Life appears suspended. During this interim, after she has recovered, she declares with the most solemn assurances, and ma­ny most sincerely believe her, that she has been to Heaven—seen Christ—and partook of the pleasures, [Page 7] and enjoyed the company of Angels—with a great many other wild, incoherent and unconnected de­ceptions.

MANY thousands of idle and curious people, from different parts of the country, have could to see, hear, and question, to look and wonder, and wonder and look—and, if possible, to obtain some information how their affairs and concerns may stand in the other world; which; a little previous enquiry into their own hearts and actions, conduct and characters, would have ascertained with more accuracy than phantom spirits; or Saint Rozo Villozo, passing and repassing from this world to the other.

THE Methodists have been guilty of extravagan­cies and follies, but they will never attempt, I am confident, to procure converts at the expence of [Page 8] their reputation, by artifice, deceit, and imposition. They have been guilty—and it is a melancholy truth, which good people must lament—of rousing and alarming the passions, without informing the understanding—of scattering fire without communi­cating instruction—of emiting a vapour, highly sul­phurous, the smell of which was alone sufficient to bewilder the ignorant, without discovering proper rights to direct them. And I am sorry to observe, some have been sent out among their preachers, whose morals and manners have been exceptiona­ble, and whose highest characteristic was their ig­norance, to perform the great office of unfolding the scriptures, to a people who really stood in need of it, and who would gladly have received instruction, if their teachers had been competent to so impor­tant [Page 9] a trust. But the Methodist church, like a huge structure, built in a hurry, of combustable ma­terials, without its proper foundation, (religious knowledge and learned men) will fall, as soon as the passions of its votaries subside; and this im­portant truth will be illustrated to the world, whether a fermentation in the minds of the people, and a change in their sentiments, in exterior garb and professions, is, ultimately, favourable to the improvement of manners and morals, to social hap­piness, to true and genuine religion.

THAT there is any imposition kept up upon a pre­mediated plan, formed by any sect of people to im­pose upon the public, the simplicity of the parents, and the simplicity of the daughter, together with the impracticability of supporting of it, for any [Page 10] length of time, with any degree of success, in this enlightened age, a moment's reflection precludes the possibility of a doubts—and a few facts will shew the grounds on which the idea of a premeditated imposition ought not to be indulged.

1st. A derangement of nerves will produce a de­rangement of ideas, infinitely varying.

2d. WHEN the mind has been exercised by any of the more violent passions of fear, joy, anger, it in­clines, in proportion as it has been agitated, to in­action, to langour, to melancholy; and there it re­mains, unless roused by introducing some new ob­ject, and putting it under the impulse of some new passion.

3d. HAD she have received proper information, after the first impulse of feeling was over, and her [Page 11] fears and terrors had subsided, instead of being gloomy and melancholy, her thoughts would have found agreeable employment in searching out the great truths of religion, and her whole attention would have been occupied in extending their influ­ence upon her life and actions.

4th. AGREERABLE employment of thought or ac­tion, of the acquisition of knowledge or property, banishes dejection and melancholy.

5th. THE discovery of religious truth must have as much happier influence on the mind, than any other, as it is superior.

6th. VANITY is a universal feeling, it has oc­cupied every human heart, and every character, in every situation; and when the opportunity offers for indulging of it, the impulse is too strong to be [Page 12] restrained. What at first might have originated in mere accident, is confirmend into a habit, and so long as it can be fed by the admiration of the cre­dulous, there is no danger but the love of being conspicous, in daughter and parents, if it should not induce them to encourage, will, at least make them cautions how they remove a disorder, which has supported, thus far, the delusion.

WHEN the laws which controul the connection of soul and body, are, periodically, once in twenty-four hours, mechanically suspended, a phenome­non is exhibited which seldom occurs. And when the soul, the invisible principle of life and motion, passes out and into the body, and it receives no in­jury, if true, is not easily to be accounted for. But when a certain debility of constitution must be a [Page 13] necessary preparation for the display of these won­derful things, the mystery unravels itself, and the most enthusiastic minds would give up their impli­cit belief, if they would only take time to delibe­rate.

CREDULITY and ignorance have, in every s [...]age of society, accompanied each other. The privi­lege of examining and investigating upon rational principles, the different occurencies of the day, in the moral and natural world, is confined to [...] nor do they alwsys use it without abuse. If a pup­pet dancer, or merry Andrew can command atten­tion, one whose exhibitions are behind the curtain which bounds human intelligence, the characters introduced not familiar to the conceptions of the wisest, the greatest, and the best of men, the descrip­tions [Page 14] given especially coming under the garb of religion must command the belief of that large proportion of mankind, whose ignorance prevents them from examining, and whose credulity makes it unnecessary. If when the novelty becomes more familiar, the admiration of the credulous stage for want of fresh matter to keep it up, when the air of the approaching season, by bracing up relaxed nerves, produces a change in the constitution;—when in short she arrives at her usual good health—the delusion disappears—her friends will be dis­appointed to have their SAINT remain with them, without any material change for the better, in worldly or heavenly circumstances—and ROZO VILLOZO herself obliged to return to her for­mer course of life—the ignorant will wonder;— [Page 15] and not single person bene [...]ed, but injured, by so glaring a spectacle of folly and imposition.