as one who dreamed, or something worse, but at length the Lord opened the hearts of two of his brothers to attend to the things he told them. Now the three brothers began to preach boldly in the name of the Lord, publicly, and from house to house, teaching repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. Their labours were blessed; many believed and turned to the Lord. The consequence was, numerous prayer-meetings were established, and a mighty alarm was excited in the enemy's camp. You may be sure these zealous young converts did not fail to denounce their Neologian clergy, and to warn the people against them as blind leaders of the blind. The clergy, on their part, were not slow in denouncing them as enthusiasts, fanatics, and everything that is bad. They even spreadthe most scandalous reports concerning their doings in their conventicles, and tried by every means to put them down. But, as the infection had spread among many of the first families, this was not so easy a matter. The circumstance was represented to government in the blackest colours, and as the representation had come from the proper authorities, government could not but listen to it. Orders were sent to a brave hussar officer, one of Blücher's companions, who had greatly distinguished himself in the campaigns against Napoleon, and who was quartered with his troops in the neighbourhood, to employ his hussars in dispersing the conventicles. His first step was to inquire into their nature. He asked if they were thieves, robbers, or murderers. Being told that their crime was meeting together in private houses to call upon the name of the Lord, he told the local authorities that if they had banditti to put down, he and his brave comrades in arms were at their service, but that neither he nor they would ever unsheath their swords to employ them in dispersing praying people, as he did not see how they could be dangerous to the state. He wrote the same thing to his prince in Berlin, and boldly told him that he and his men would engage in no such work; but whenever he required them to march against their country's enemies, they would do their duty. This led to the appointment of a commission to inquire into the affair on the spot. Fortunately the commissioners app inted were judicious, pious men. Their report to his majesty was published in the p blic papers of the day, and was to the following purport: "They found nothing to

ndemn, but much to praise, in the conventicles, and in the conduct of the people, who were loyal subjects, faithfully discharg ing their relative duties, and were in all respects a pattern to those around them. They only met together to edify one another, and if they had separated themselves from the established church, the fault was in their teachers, who had forced them, by their

erroneous doctrine and immoral lives, to do So. The only remedy they could think of for the evils complained of would be to remove their present teachers, and appoint pious, evangelical men to fill their places." Of course the conventicles were continued, and the awakening spread more and more. They even went so far as to administer the ordinances among themselves. What his Majesty did not find meet to do, God in his providence has done. All the clergy have been removed from that neighbourhood by death or otherwise, and excellent_evangelical men now fill their places. There was lately only one of the old school remaining, and he felt himself so awkwardly situated that he has petitioned to be removed to another sphere of labour, to escape from the enthusiasts. Thus wonderfully does the great Head of the church interpose at times on behalf of his own cause. The most of these good people have returned again to the bosom of the church; but a few, and among the rest one of the noble brothers, are said still to stand aloof Their prayer. meetings have been put down in consequence of the disturbances in Silesia, and some of them have been severely fined. You would see from my last that we have numbers of such meetings in the capital; but what is tolerated here is not tolerated in the provinces, but, on the contrary, persecuted with the utmost rigour; no doubt owing to the local authorities insisting on submission to the very letter of the law, and riding on the top of their commission. Here we enjoy something of religious freedom, but in the provinces there is not even a shadow of it. Some of the other towns in Pomerania are blessed with a Gospel ministry, and there are a considerable number of pious men scattered throughout both provinces, whose labours are much blessed.

The town of Posen, and indeed the whole government, are in a very destitute state, owing, no doubt, in part to the people speaking another language, the Polish; but still there are a few good men to be found even here. The labours of that excellent man, the Rev. Mr. Wermelskirk, one of the missionaries of the London Jewish Society, were greatly blessed in the town of Posen itself, where, for many years, though a foreigner, he was permitted to preach publicly, both to Jews and Christians; but owing to his having taken a decided part with the persecuted in Silesia, and his refusing to adopt the new liturgy, he has been silenced, and obliged to leave the country. This is much to be lamented, as he has left a blank which I fear will not be soon filled up. It is consoling, however, to know that he has left some precious fruits of his labours behind him; but as, in general, they also take his views of the Lutheran question, and refuse to conform, it is hard to say how long they may be able to remain in their native

country, deprived as they are of freedom of religious worship.

In the immediate neighbourhood there are many excellent men to be found, mostly all young evangelists, who are labouring faithfully in their Lord's work; but as I have been prevented, by the weather and other circumstances, from going into the country, I cannot enter into particulars.

A few words at present in regard to the state of religion in Silesia. The university of Breslau has been long favoured in having Dr. Scheibel as one of its theological professors, a strict Lutheran, and, of course, no Neologian. His sentiments are purely evangelical; and under him a considerable number of pious evangelical young men have been educated for the ministry, and are now settled in different parts of the province. Others, no less evangelical, have entered it, who were educated at the other universities, so that there are a goodly number of Gospel preachers scattered over this extensive country. The majority of the inhabitants, however, are Catholics; but it is to be hoped that, as pure evangelical sentiments prevail, genuine Protestantism will increase. Professor Scheibel was also one of the clergy in Breslau, with a numerous congregation, to whom his labours were much blessed. Being the leader of the nonconformists in Silesia, he has been obliged to resign his offices of professor and pastor, leave the country, and is now residing in the neighbourhood of Dresden. He has, however, been succeeded by an excellent man, Professor Hahn, who, it is expected, will be no less useful than Scheibel was, if not more so. There is, besides, another sound theological professor in this university; so that there is every prospect of its continuing to send out many faithful labourers into this part of the Lord's vineyard.

I shall now state what I have been able to learn concerning the present state of religion in other countries of Germany, which I have no intention of visiting. The two Mecklenburgs, I understand, are still in a very deplorable state. There are a few good ministers who preach the ancient Gospel; but they are but few. Brunswick is still worse. The duke lately dismissed an excellent young minister, the son of my friend, the Rev. Mr. Geibel, of Lubeck, for no other reason, as he himself told him, but that he was too evangelically pious. This is sad. There has been a considerable revival of religion of late in Holstein and Sleswick, in consequence of the labours of that distinguished man of God, the Rev. Mr. Harmes, of Kiel, as also of the labours of a pious talented professor of theology in the university of that town, who has been called to succeed the far-famed Schleiermacher, in the university of Berlin. This good man assures me that there is an amazing change

or the better in Holstein of late years, and that now there are many pious young men settled, and labouring successfully in different parts of that country. The town of Lubeck has also been made a partaker of the blessing, which of late has descended so abundantly on other parts of Germany. Mr. Geibel has been long honoured to labour there with success, as pastor of the reformed church; but lately the Lutheran church is again favoured by a Gospel ministry. As to Bremen, I believe there are few towns in Germany that have been so highly favoured; and religion continues to flourish there more and more. Even Hanover begins to awake out of a long sleep, and to put forth her strength. Several Missionary Societies, on a small scale, have been formed in that country; and, on the whole, religion is beginning to revive; but it is as yet but the dawn of the morning. May the Sun of Righteousness speedily arise on that dark country in all his glory! So much for Germany, north of the Elbe. I have no doubt that there is much good going on in many places, of which I have been able to learn nothing; but, alas! there are many towns, both large and small, and many large districts of country, which have not as yet been revisited by the light of the Gospel; nor, in the ordinary course of things, could this be expected. Perhaps not one-eighth part of the clergy is yet evangelical, and there are no Dissenters, as with you, to make up the want of the Gospel in the state church. What Germany was, and now is, England and Scotland too would have been, and would now be, but for Dissenters; and with all the improvement which has taken place, I despair of ever seeing religion truly prosperous in Germany, until there is full religious freedom of conscience. At the same time, knowing as I do what Germany was twenty years ago, I am really astonished at the amazing change which has taken place. And while there is still much, very much to lament, there is also much for which to be thankful.

As to discipline, there is really and truly none in the established church of Prussia. It is, in the fullest sense of the term, national. With the exception of Catholics, Jews, Moravians, and Menonites, every subject of Prussia is a member of the church. Every parent is bound to have his child baptized by the state clergy, and by them alone. And if not baptized before the end of six weeks, it is taken, if necessary, by force, and christened in the established order. When arrived at the age of sixteen or so, after a regular course of instruction by a clergyman, the children are confirmed, and receive the Lord's supper. Boys cannot be apprenticed, and neither male nor female can be married, till they present a certificate of their confirmation from the clergyman who confirmed them. Then it is left to themselves if they attend

church again or not; and I believe there are thousands who never receive the Lord's supper from the time they are confirmed till they are laid upon the bed of death; when, if they or their friends desire it, they receive it as a kind of passport to heaven. No matter how scandalous their lives may be, if they only say they repent, and are resolved to live a better life in future, they are admitted to a participation of all the ordinances of the church. Many of the good men lament this state of things; but they still go on to do what the state bids them. I need not say how injurious this must be to the church, to the cause-of truth, and to the souls of men.

The church is governed by general superintendents, of whom there is one in each province who has somewhere about twenty clergy under him, and consistories, corresponding, in some respects, to your presbyteries. Each province has its consistory, the members of which are appointed by the king as head of the church, and are partly clergymen and partly laymen, with a lay president and a clerical president; the former being the governor of the province, and the latter the general superintendent. The consistory is the only ecclesiastical court in the province; takes cognizance of all church affairs; receives all orders from government; transmits these to the superintendents of districts, who again hand them to the clergy under them, or to the individuals whom they immediately concern; examine candidates for the pastoral office; ordain and instal presentees in their livings; and correspond with government on all matters connected with the church. The supreme consistory has its seat in Berlin; and to it all the others are in some measure subordinate. The whole, again, stands under the minister for ecclesiastical affairs, who issues his orders in the name of the sovereign, the supreme head of the church in Prussia. Several of the general superintendents have lately been made bishops by his present majesty; but this is merely an alteration in the name, as their power and income remain the same. The king is supreme bishop, with all power lodged in his hands. The greater part of church patronage is in the hands of the sovereign; a considerable portion is in the hands of the landed proprietors; and in the towns, the magistrates exercise this power; while only in some instances, in the country, the heads of families choose the minister; and, in some cases, they do the same in the towns; but the consistory must confirm their choice, and they may also annul it.

In Prussia, tithes, properly so called, are unknown. There are, in some country parishes, certain estates obliged to deliver so much flour, so much butter, and so many eggs to the clergyman; but this remains fixed and permanent for ever, and does not

The

vary according to the market price, as with you. In general, there is so much land set apart for the maintenance of the minister, which he may either cultivate himself, or farm out to the best advantage. greater part of his income, however, arises from perquisites or dues at baptisms, churching of women, marriages, offerings at the altar when the Lord's supper is administered, and at funerals. The instruction of young people, previous to confirmation, is also a source of income. There is a fixed fee on all these occasions; but this is so trifling, that there are none but paupers who do not give more; so that, after all, the payments are voluntary. The ministers' stipends vary from £30 to £300, including everything. The average may be considered £100. But they have, in addition to this, a free house and garden; and, as living in the country is cheap, they are, in general, very well off. In the towns, no tax whatever is levied in the shape of church money on the inhabitants. In many cases, a very small salary is allowed on the part of government; many of the churches have funds of their own. The seats are let at a small yearly rent; and from these sources, together with the usual perquisites, the clergyman obtains a comfortable income, scarcely ever less than £150, and sometimes double or even treble that amount. Here, in Berlin, every clergyman receives from government, as a kind of gratuity, about £14 a-year. The court chaplains, or the ministers of the cathedral, are paid entirely by government, at the rate of about £300 annually, but are not allowed to receive any fees for ministerial duties. At confirmation, however, the parents generally make them presents in money or goods. The same is the case with all churches for merly belonging to the reformed communion; only, instead of being paid by government, the pastor is paid from the funds of the church. In this case, the fixed salary varies from £150 to £400. In the churches formerly Lutheran, there are also funds, and income from seat rents and burying grounds, from which, according to circumstances, a salary, varying in amount, is paid; but the chief part of their income arises from their perquisites, which alone, in some parishes, amount to from £300 to £500. Thus you see the clergy are comfortably supported without having recourse to an annuity tax. The voluntary principle is in operation, in part at least. No Dissenter from the state church is obliged to contribute to the support of the state clergy, unless he becomes possessed of an estate burdened to the church; and in this case, Protestant and Catholic are on a like footing. If the estate is burdened to the Catholic church, the Protestant owner must pay to the Catholic clergyman, and vice versa. Yours, &c.