II. CONTINENTAL EUROPE.

"O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known."-Habakkuk iii. 2.

1. THE second half of the present century will, in after years, be referred to as the period in which the great reaction against Ultramontane views commenced in Roman Catholic Europe, and in which also Protestant ideas began to be largely and systematically re-introduced into Romanist Italy and Spain, after they had been carefully excluded for more than three hundred years. But as the earnest Christian looks upon nominal, unevangelical Protestantism as a system equally injurious with Romanism to the spiritual interests of mankind, it will also be recorded that attempts were at the same time made to influence the lukewarm Protestantism of Scandinavia and Germany, by agents of the Evangelical Churches of Great Britain and America. On the Continent, mere orthodoxy had, since the Peace of Westphalia, 1648, usurped the place of vital Christianity; and in spite of the Pietist Revival in the seventeenth century, German Protestantism had, to a great extent, lost its Evangelical character under the blighting influence of the Anti-Evangelical or neological teachings prevalent in the State churches. However undesirable foreign interference may be, it seemed natural that Protestant England and America, under these circumstances, were prompted to endeavour to revive orthodox and spiritual religion in Germany, especially when pressed by numerous applications from returned emigrants and their friends, who had received spiritual light in England and America. As, for the most part, the agents employed are natives of the same countries in which the work is carried on, it can scarcely be regarded as a foreign movement. Probably many faithful members of the communions in question may have doubted the necessity and desirableness of this interference. But the success and beneficial results of the new

influences brought to bear upon the religious indifference of Scandinavia and Germany are, we think, a sufficient justification for the action taken by the foreign Societies. The results of their labours will be beneficially felt in the contest with Rome, and in the probable disestablishment of the Protestant and Romish Churches, which is likely to be one important result of the "war to the knife" between the German States and the Popish Bishops in Germany. In the present imperfect state of the Christian Church, the friendly rivalry of the various denominations seems necessary to the maintenance of the zeal, enterprise, and purity of all Christian Churches; and we must try to say with St. Paul, "What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice." (Phil. i. 18.)

2. The zeal of the Methodist Minister, Toase, led him, during the French War, to labour among the French prisoners at Chatham and elsewhere. This was followed, after the Peace of 1815, by the commencement of a French Mission in Normandy, Paris, &c., the object of which was, the revival of French Protestantism, to which the labours of its Ministers contributed. In 1852 this Mission became a distinct, independent organization. The Missions of the English Baptists in Europe are found in France, Norway, and Italy. The American churches are well prepared to send labourers to Scandinavia and Germany, from the fact that from the flow of emigration from the Continent of Europe to America, they possess a large number of pious and educated Germans, Norwegians, Danes, and Swedes, fitted by their knowledge of the languages needed to preach the Gospel to their countryOf this advantage the American Baptists and the American Episcopal Methodists have largely availed themselves; and with what success the tables of these statistics show. The Wesleyan Missions in Germany, commenced by the German, Müller, in 1830, and the labours of the Missionary George Scott in Stockholm, (1830-1841,) were the forerunners of these new successful Missionary enterprises in Teutonic Europe. We must, however, remark that, however we may rejoice in the success of these Missions to the Protestant nations of Europe, we must the more regret that they were necessary. Our hope is that the revival of religion in the national Churches,

men.

and among the populations generally, may soon render foreign help unnecessary. In Norway already there is something like a national movement towards Church Reform. See "The Recent Religious Movement in Norway, 1873," by Dr. Duff, who, however, in tracing the origin of the movement, omits all mention of the labours of the English Baptists, and of the American Methodist Episcopal Church!

3. The Evangelistic efforts of the Haldanes and Malans in France and Switzerland are almost forgotten in the rush of zealous Churches to grapple with Popery in its strongholds, Italy and Spain. Besides largely supporting the ancient Waldensian Church of Piedmont in Italy, and the so-called "Free Christian Church of Italy," many of the leading Churches in England and America are establishing independent Missions in Italy. Of these the Wesleyan Mission is the largest and best organized. In Spain there is already a body which calls itself somewhat presumptuously, "The Spanish Christian Church," and which in its inexperience is meditating a new Spanish translation of the Bible! A fact which excites some misgivings as to the wisdom of its leaders. "The Edinburgh Spanish Evangelization Society" has done a great work in Spain. The Irish Presbyterian, the United Presbyterian, the Evangelical Continental Society, the American Baptist Missionary Union, and the Wesleyan Methodists, have their separate Missions in Spain. It is but just to the Wesleyan Missionary Society to remark, that since 1806 the efforts of its agents in Gibraltar have been unremitting in furthering the introduction of the Scriptures and other religious books into Spain, and that it has spent large sums of money in attempting to plant the Gospel in Cadiz and other large towns under most trying circumstances. (See Dr. Rule's "Mission in Spain.") Last of all, the American Board of Foreign Missions has sent out two Missionaries, one for Barcelona, and the other for Santander, as "two points" from which "it will be easy to reach about half the population of Spain !" It is pleasant to notice the faith. and hope of a Society which has so long laboured in the Mission field, with so much credit to its managers, and with so much benefit to the cause of Christ. The great danger at present to all the Continental Missions is, lest the zeal of the Protestant Churches should lead them to place an English or

American pastorate over the infant Churches, and, by supporting these agents, accustom these Churches to depend upon the charity of foreigners, instead of stimulating them to selforganization and self-support. The experience of the older Missionary Societies has convinced them of the necessity of distinguishing between the work of the Missionary Evangelist, the Messenger of a foreign Church, and supported by it, and that of the Native Pastor, whose support should be derived from his own people.

4. In Italy and Spain the policy of the present "liberal" governments is to tolerate and even encourage freedom of religious thought and action; not so much from principle as from hatred to priestly power and Papal assumptions. There is little religious earnestness in the population whether of Italy or Spain. The "liberal" politicians depend upon the growing religious indifference of the people as the main check to priestly supremacy. They forget that Satan does not "cast out Satan," and that the tree of liberty planted by an infidel liberalism is not "the tree, the leaves of which are for the healing of the nation." Experience proves the impotence of mere secular teaching or political organization, when opposed to the insidious continued aggressive action of the Romish Church. Antichrist laughs at the manoeuvrings of worldly statesmen, and scorns the exorcism of the men of mere literature and science. "Jesus

I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?" There is no safety for Italian liberty, or for Italian Protestantism, except in "No peace with Rome!"

5. The contest in Germany between the Imperial Government and the Ultramontanists must convince all Governments of the uselessness of the Syncretism acted upon of late years by latitudinarian Protestant and Romanist statesmen. То patronize and support truth and error as equally useful for state purposes, is already found to be a great mistake. If, however, the result of the contest be the full establishment of freedom of religious action on the Continent of Europe, there will be a large field for the labours of judicious and zealous preachers of vital Christianity, not only in Prussian Germany, but also among both the Roman Catholic and Protestant communions inhabiting Austrian Germany and Hungary.