been professed for religion at home. Charity the most fervent, cannot, indeed, be so blind as to imagine that this profession is very extensively sincere. Yet though it may neither, in this point of view, be the subject of great triumph to Christians, nor productive of lasting benefit to individuals, still this certain advantage results from this temper of public opinion, that the doctrines of the gospel are listened to with greater respect, and its followers regarded with less prejudice. How widely different was the aspect and reception of religion in the world at a very late period! Innumerable pretenders to science, astonishingly dissimilar in spirit and manner to the philosophers of ancient times, and destitute of the features and the love of genuine wisdom, had poisoned, by their seductive lucubrations, the public mind. The encyclopedists, œconomists, and witty, superficial sophists of France, the grave and argumentative sceptics of Britain, the metaphysical, pompous, or extravagant pretenders of Germany, had obtained a wonderful and pernicious ascendency over the opinions of their readers; and these readers were found in almost every rank of society in Europe. The unprincipled were delighted with their imaginary triumphs over religion, order and virtue. The giddy and unthinking were intoxicated with their wit. The grave were astonished at their presumption. The studious were perplexed with their sophistry. Even the well disposed and sober minded were somewhat abashed at the boldness of their assaults, at the arrogance of their pretensions, and the seductive splendour of their promises. The world was to be enlightened. The nations were no longer to be deceived. Man was to be restored to his rights. Their philosophy was to effect miraculous revolutions.And the golden age was to return to the world. The fatal experiment was at last tried. The dreams of these pretended sages were for a time realized. And they were permitted, by awful lessons, to teach the nations what human society would be without religion; what man is by his nature, when freed from all restraint; and what is the happiness and the freedom which such philosophy as theirs can confer. The current of public opinion is now changed, and, in some countries, flows back even with too violent a revulsion. In France, such is the impression of the people's fatal experience, such the cravings of remorse in some, such the impulse of fear in others, such the prevailing horror for the enormities of atheism, and such the defect of salutary instruction, that, tho' real religion is little known, Popery, with all its defects, is again, in many districts, eagerly embraced. It is not merely the illiterate and bigoted who are seen to adopt this, the most irrational and superstitious perversion of Christianity; but many of the learned, many that were once even its most decided opponents, now willingly profess its peculiarities. Of these the amiable and eloquent Laharpe was a singular example; once the favorite disciple, the intimate friend of Voltaire, and consequently a zealous and remorseless infidel; but lately the most active defender and professed champion of the established religion of his country. The very form of the new ecclesiastical establishment of France, is infinitely more favorable to the revival of Popery, though the priests are far from thinking so, than the restoration of its ancient power and splendor would have been. The late persecutions, the present poverty, the increased parochial duties, the higher exertions, and respectability required in the clegy, expose them less to the temptations of their former pomp and affluence, and tend to render them more venerable in the eyes of the people. The present ruler of France has sufficiently shewn, that he regards the established religion merely as an engine of state, and that he will model and direct its forms as he thinks most conducive to his views. But if ever the royal family shall be restored, it may be readily conceived, that the aspect of the public religion will be totally dissimilar to what the restoration of the British Charles exhibited, though from precisely similar causes. As during the prevalence of the republic and the usurpation of Cromwell, a strict and severe religion was professed, in direct contrast to this, infidelity and licentiousness, even to affectation, became the characteristic badge of the court. In France, as licentiousness and atheism have been the boast of the republic, it is highly probable that if royalty should be restored, it would be the fashion, even among courtiers, to affect to be religious and devout. From the present goverment of France, the Protestants, in that country, have received con siderable encouragement. By the Roman Catholics, they have been accused of partaking in the enormities of the revolution; particularly of joining in the persecution of the priests, and bending too obsequiously to the ruling powers. When not only the long exclusion of the Protestants from the common privileges of their country, but the actual and severe persecutions for conscience sake which they had endured, are considered, it was not to be expected, that, under a change of circumstances, at first flattering and plausible, with prospects of protection and new privileges under the new constitution of the state, all of them should have been able to maintain the tempers of moderation and wisdom. Irregularities and errors were certainly committed by some of their unstable and misguided members in Provence and Languedoc; but many more were perpetrated in their name, or laid with aggravations, by designing men, to their account. When under the present government, they received a legal pledge for protection, and restoration of some valued privileges, they expressed their gratitude to the Chief Consul, and submission to the powers that were, in language far stronger than might be thought becoming men professing godliness, which the feelings of repose from the horrors of anarchy, and the hope of peace and security seemed to have, dictated. Mr. Marron, their chief pastor at Paris, an able and eloquent preacher, is much esteemed, and sometimes consulted by Bonaparte, who seems disposed to be favorable to the Protes 1 tants, either from the conviction | pave the way for unprejudiced of their respectability as citizens, or the desire of being supported by their good opinion. The present Protestants in France, however, have degenerated sadly from their venerable predecessors of the reformed church in that country, not only in solid learning, but in true religion and pure manners. Once possessed of two celebrated colleges, of many zealous pastors, and of numerous converts and followers, whose lives adorned the doctrines they professed, they can now boast of very few of these honors. Their pastors have been long reduced to seek instruction in divine and human science at Geneva, a fountain once deemed so pure and hallowed; but now also neglected or polluted. Their children Their children they are permitted now to educate in schools of their own appointment and principles; but they complain of a sad scarcity of competent and zealous teach ers. New places of worship they are allowed to erect, and are likely to increase; and some among them are sufficiently desirous to supply them with faithful and able pastors. discussion, and for the active labors of enlightened and zealous Christians. In Germany, the prevalence of sceptical and licentious opinions was lately greater, perhaps, than it had been even in France before the revolution. An active but unsound ferment, which, for some time past, has been operating with violence in the literary spirits of that country; the ambitious desire, not merely of celebrity, but of notoriety, in the needy professors of so many rival universities; the seductive effusions of some popular but pernicious poets; the fatal example and writings of the admired Frederick of Prussia, the Russian Catherine, and Joseph the Second; with the delusions of many petty Princes in the Empire, aspiring to ape their sentiments, or emulously flattering and supporting the bold sophists of the day, from the affectation of being supposed patrons of literature, with the laxity of the clergy even in the Protestant states, and the glaring revolting defects of superstitious establishments in other districts, had all combined to poison the public current of opinion, and to foster widely, licentiousness in principle and It is computed that there are about two millions and a half of Protestants now in France. They reside chiefly in the south-in practice. In the late convulern provinces, and in the ancient Alsace, though they are also to be found in considerable numbers in many of the more populous cities. The most favorable prospect for religion in France, arises from the spirit of toleration, forbearance, and attention to serious inquiries, which, in many places, now prevails; and which, by the blessing of God, may sions of Europe, the sophists have been disgraced, by the practical display of their systems in actual experiment; the immoral and seductive poets are neglected, from the discovery of the dangerous tendency of their writings, and the introduction of a better taste; the princes are alarmed, if not converted, and profess now, to despise pretenders to modern phi losophy, and to encourage the restoration of religion. The well known attempts of Joseph the Second, to disperse the gloom of bigotry and ignorance which prevailed in the Austrian states, to suppress useless convents, and to introduce a more liberal toleration in religious opinions, have been productive of some advantage. The present Elector of Bavaria has been still more active in scattering the inhabitants of the convents, and more liberal in promoting the interests of the Protestants, and the temperate discussion of religious principles. inhabitants of these countries are called Reformed, or Calvinists. The Landgrave of Hesse Cassel professes the same distinction of principles, and promotes the interests of religion. Though he was at one time highly unpopular among his subjects, chiefly for hiring out and transporting his troops to America, in the unhappy contest of Britain with her colonies, he is now much respected, and exercises his power for the solid interest of his country, and the advancement of piety and learning. The university of Marpurg, under his protection, is professedly a Calvinistic institution, and is distinguished by many respectable names, and some pious teachers. Giessen is Lutheran, where the venerable Koester long employed his zeal to oppose the progress of false religion and infidelity in Germany; but now, from the infirmities of age, he has desisted from his salutary labours. The schools and gymnasia, throughout the territories of Hesse, are, in general, under excellent regulations; and the people eager In the states professedly Protestant, a fatal departure from their original principles, and threatening laxity, both of practice and opinions, have been for a considerable period too conspicuous. Yet even this unhappy degeneracy is chiefly confined, in its operation, to the great towns, princely residences, or the more sophisticated universities. In these, the vices which so readily become the concomitants of courts, camps, luxury, pomp, intrigue, or sophistry, have produced their usual fatally seek to have their children effects; and, perhaps, from the peculiar circumstances of Germany, already mentioned, have there broke forth into action with peculiar virulence. Yet, In Saxony, the manners of the in the retired parts of the coun- people are not so pure; the try, the villages and smaller clergy are more relaxed; some towns, much of the primitive of the universities have been simplicity of manners still sub-conspicuous for obnoxious opinsits, much of the happy influ-ions; the rulers are either too ence of the principles of the reformation, and considerable zeal, in some parts, for genuine religion. This is peculiarly remarkable in the states of Hesse and the Upper Rhine. Like the Protestants of France, the VOL. V. No. 3. early and thoroughly taught the principles of useful knowledge, and the doctrines and duties of their religion. bigoted, like the Elector, who is a Roman Catholic, or too indiscriminating and inattentive to the manners or opinions of their subjects, like the Princes of Gotha and Weimar. Yet still there are many eminent char N acters, pious individuals, great the mode of preaching in the learning, and even much real | Lutheran churches, in Sweden religion in Saxony. The pre- and Denmark, as well as in some vailing forms are Lutheran.-parts of Germany, are addressed The Lutheran mode of worship powerfully to the heart and afis very interesting and attrac-fections, and employ strong tive. Forms of prayer, simple, language, and ardent scntiments, energetic, and comprehensive, which in England would be cal are prescribed in their books of led Methodistical. There are, devotion. To these, the offici- however, more than enough of ating pastor adds prayers called modish courtly preachers, whose extemporaneous, adapted to the discourses are as cold and unsubject of his discourse, or the impressive, and as destitute of circumstances of his audience. the peculiar and animating docThe sermons are of considerable trines of Christianity, as any length, often devout, animating, fashionable audience could wish. and eloquent. The hymns em- Such are the published sermons ployed, are many of them the of Folitz, Tischer, Ammon, compositions of Luther himself, Zolikofer and Reinhard, though and sometimes display wonder- they are admired and extolled ful felicity of expression, sub- by many in Germany. The limity of thought, and ardour sermons of Cramer, and of the of devotion.* Their sacred celebrated historian Mosheim, music is singularly beautiful and are of a different character.affecting; though, in their large The last indeed, if they were not towns, or courtly churches, their sometimes too long, and encumbands, and variety of instru-bered with some adventitious ments, appear unsuitable and superfluities, might be regarded theatrical. There are some fop-as modles of pulpit-eloquence peries and seemingly supersti- and faithful preaching. They tious rites in some of their forms, unite qualities which are seldom especially in the communion- or never found either in French service and the festivals of some or English sermons; ardent saints, that too obviously betray | piety, with vigorous judgment; their Popish origin. But still solid argument, with powerful the discipline, the tendency, the eloquence; a deep acquaintance spirit of Lutheranism claim with human life and the heart much well merited praise, and of man, with a thorough knowlhave been productive of unspeak- edge of the scriptures, and skilable good to the northern na- ful distribution of the doctrines tions of Europe. The usual of Christ. hyuns and prayers, and even *Besides obligations of infinitely higher value, for which the Germans (and Europe in general) are indebted to Luther, the first classical polishing of their language, the rudiments of their poetry, and the foundation of their literature, are to be numbered among the effects of his genius and his labours. The states which are subject to the Prussian government, display a motley variety of ecclesiastical forms. In Silesia and Poland, the Roman Catholic profession predominates. Prussia and Brandenburg, the Lutherans are most numerous. There are, however, a very great number of churches and In |
