as many as ten stations, with fourteen or more agents, as preachers and teachers, &c., throughout Belgium: and the missionaries whom they employ are French, or those who can speak French. They have made only feeble attempts among the Walloons. The devoted men who are the chief staff of the Evangelical Society, are either Englishmen, or those that act in connection with an English community. The persons that are employed in the mission of the Evangelical Society for Belgium, have numerous assemblies, who congregate from time to time to hear the exposition of Divine truth. They preach the Gospel sometimes in the midst of opposition, but oftener among a favourable audience, with tokens of favour. They have converts from the Roman Catholic community; and these converts are frequently instances of the power and beauty of religion. They are, however, but as a handful of corn on the tops of the mountains: as yet a weak and despised few amongst a dense population. There are four millions and a-half of people in the kingdom of Belgium; and there are only those few individuals that I speak of employed in preaching or disseminating the evangelical doctrine amongst that mass of people. They are in need of the sympathy of those that dwell in this country, who would promote the cause of pure and undefiled religion; and I think they deserve our co-operation, from the circumstance that they have a prominent field for labour, that opens itself without danger or obstruction, and that gives encouragement to future exertions. I spent the hours of public devotion on the Lord's day with a few of these fellow-Christians, and derived both pleasure and profit from the association." -(pp. 40-43.)

Dr. Massie's brief but just conclusion, on a more detailed review of the state of religion, is as follows:

"I am satisfied that the decay of cities, which I alluded to at the beginning -the present superficial state of society in the whole country of Belgiumthe flippant amusements which the people resort to-and the superficial scepticism that characterizes the mass of men who boast of their intelligence, may all be traced to the want of a true, plain, faithfully-preached Gospel: such a Gospel as we profess to have received, as we profess to rejoice in."(p. 45.)

As confirmatory of the view we have given, in regard to the prospects of Belgium, we must just quote one more passage :

"I mingled," says Dr. M., " in the intercourse of some individuals, intelligent and enlightened in their character, who laughed at religion, and who laughed at monarchy as well as at religion; and from them I ascertained that there is throughout Belgium a species of secret association, a fraternity of liberals, who confidently, perhaps presumptuously, are preparing to cast off, as they may think in their own time, not only monarchy, but Popery,or, as they would call it, religion and there is great danger, very great danger, that, should some sudden emergency arise, some unforeseen excitement unsettle society, the same scenes may be enacted in Belgium and in France, as were enacted at the close of the eighteenth century. The only probable antidote will be the leaven of Divine truth infused by other means,-evangelical associations and scriptural agencies efficiently conducted among the people." (p. 63.)

The practical character of Dr. Massie's "Recollections" will appear from his concluding remarks on quitting Belgium:

"Let me pause," he says, "in approaching a conclusion, to remind you, that my object is not merely to acquaint you with the ancient scenes or historical recollections, or with the modern cities of Germany: but it is also to

bring before you the state of the people of these lands. In all the regions that I have traversed, nothing but gross Popery prevails. There are no ministers of revealed truth, such as you and I should wish our fellow-men to appreciate as the instructors of the people, but those whose spheres and offices I have specified. From the borders of Belgium to the further territorial confines of the French and Dutch, the people, with but few exceptions, are left to the forms and observances of the Roman Catholic Church. I do not say but, in that Church, there may be individuals who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, and truly believe in his atoning merits and justifying grace as their Redeemer: who exercise charity toward their fellow-men: who fear their God: and who, living according to the precepts of Divine authority, are the heirs of a better world, of a richer inheritance than can be enjoyed here; but I do say, that when those called priests and teachers of religion in that Church can sit down and indite prayers to the Virgin Mary,-can represent her to the whole nation as the Mother of God; as having more power in heaven than Jesus Christ; and as deserving of more prayers on earth than the Deity himself;-when they can thus act, and prostitute an office deemed sacred as between God and men, and their religious influence, to the forms of idolatry, it is only the exceptional cases that I can look to for any thing like an enlightened religious influence. It is only here and there, a stranger to his own creed under the forms of the Church of Rome, that I can expect to recognise as a servant of God, as a child of heaven. I fear that idolatry serves even as an opiate to soothe and lull to sleep; as an extinguisher rather than a veil to exclude the light, and as a bandage to shut up the eyes of the mind, and that its influence is characterized by all that debases and demoralizes; that unfits for the best acts of man towards his fellow-man, and of the creature towards his God. And I do not expect the overthrow of so baneful a system, till Britons, or Christians of other lands, those that feel the truth and love the truth, shall arise and avail themselves of the liberty of teaching and the liberty of association, which we find in Belgium; till Christian associations shall arise and go forth with all the pity that has been expended upon Tahiti, and the other islands of the South. Tahiti with its 10,000 inhabitants, has had twenty times the number of missionaries sent to it that we have sent to Belgium, with its 4,000,000 of people.

“While we have in Belgium the liberty of teaching and of association, we pass over the ignorant and perishing multitudes that are near, who, when themselves enlightened and converted, might work with us in efforts of Christian benevolence; who might expend and consecrate energies and sanctified resources in promoting the same work, and in diffusing the blessings of Christian fellowship amidst the inhabitants of neighbouring lands. Instead of thus concentrating and accumulating our power to do good, we almost neglect the fields of proximate lands, and range the wide extremes of the world, casting our corn in handfuls upon comparatively barren rocks. I would say nothing to disparage missionary work, but I would undertake missionary work at home as well as abroad. I would take missionary work amongst the milions of continental nations, as I would take missionary work amongst the hundreds of the islands of the Southern Seas. It is the duty of Christians to seize the best means of extending their religion; and I say, let them extend it amongst the countries that are near them, with zeal and energy proportionate to their efforts amongst the countries that are more remote." (pp. 101, 102.)

Our acquaintance with the labours of Evangelical Societies on the continent is by no means extensive. We should say, however, from what has met our eye, that hitherto the fruit has been ample, and that it is doubtless the duty of evangelical Christians in this country, of whatever visible communion, to unite their efforts in

continental labour, and every where indeed to lift up their combined testimony against the lying delusions of the Church of Rome. To be valiant for God's truth in the earth, wherever a faithful testimony on its behalf may be required, is one of the indispensable conditions of our Christian standing, and cannot be neglected but at infinite peril.

We have heard much of the orgies and infidelity of German students, but were not prepared for so dark a picture as Dr. M. has drawn of them, not from report, but from personal observation. The detail we should be sorry to transcribe. Let us give the

summary.

"Mr. William Howitt," he observes, "has written, upon Germany, several interesting works: and summed up his views and conclusions of the student's life in German universities. I can most fully corroborate his judgment pronounced in the following quotation, and lament the truth when he says,Amongst the whole number of German students whom I have known, it would be difficult to select a dozen who were not confirmed deists. Let those who doubt the extent to which this philosophical pestilence is spread, go and judge for themselves; but let none send out solitary youths to study in German universities, who do not wish to see them return very clever, very learned, and very completely unchristianized.'.... No one will wonder, when you have such a system as I have described. This is the progress of knowledge without piety. The young men are sent to these universities, where they can hear and note the lectures that I referred to, without much cost where they can associate, smoke and drink together: where they can attend to the class, indeed, during the hours of lecture: but where they can neglect the preparation for the class; and during the twenty-four hours that intervene, abandon themselves to absolute wickedness.”—(pp. 157, 158.)

Dr. M. has bestowed some twenty-five pages or more on the Coat of Treves and Father Ronge. The particulars are interesting, but the subject has become stale--we might say unprofitable-except that, by inference, the lessons are alike monitory and affecting. Dr. M.'s opening and concluding paragraphs may just be quoted to show, that with him, as with many others, hope in this case has told a flattering tale.

I have already," he says, 66 alluded to the sacred tunic, 'the Coat of Treves, events which occurred almost simultaneously with my visit, which were indeed then in embryo, and have since attracted the attention of Europe, require that I should not so slightly dismiss the claims and connections of the seamless vesture, which has been the glory of Treves, and may be reckoned its disgrace, but which I hope will be the confusion of Rome, and a star of morning light to reformed Germany....

"I shall hereafter meet again with him (Ronge) and those who have identified themselves with his cause, when I may be better able to estimate his character, and the consequences of his fearless struggle and generous undertaking. Leipsig and Halberstadt will recal his adherents to the new German Catholic Church. A few weeks may produce a mighty change in the religious aspect of the German nation and the present century."-(pp. 212, 227.)

Ronge has done more for Treves then did Helena or Constantine, and the coat of Treves, reversed d'or, may be interwoven with his quarterings

by the heraldist of some future age, though a greater honour awaits him than the renown of earthly titles."—(p. 245.)

The present aspect of the question will probably warrant our appending the note which Dr. M. has given at the end of his volume. It suggests perhaps the true view of the case, and, with the extract underneath from Dr. Pinkerton's annual statement as

1 Dr. P. thus writes:-"The movement on the Rhine and in Westphalia seems to have been chiefly produced by the intolerant and oppressive measures of the priests against Roman Catholics married to Protestants, so that nine-tenths of all the members of the new congregations which have left Rome in those parts belong to such families: and though the same proportion does not seem to hold in reference to the congregations in Berlin, Silesia, and Saxony, yet the numbers are very considerable; more so, I believe, than I have been able to ascertain; for the leaders of the movement in those parts seemed unwilling to disclose the truth on this point, and studiously avoided giving direct answers to my queries, or gave such indefinite replies as to render it impossible for me to get at the truth. Among the proofs which I have already given you of the tyranny of the priesthood, I will merely add one more, taken from the higher ranks of society. The

spake to me feelingly of her own trying circumstances in this respect, to the following effect:-"My aged father," said she, "is a strict Roman Catholic, and it would be more than he could bear were I to leave that communion. My husband is a Protestant, and my children are all educated in that faith, and for this reason alone the bishop and clergy have for five years refused me the communion: the Bible I dare not read, for they strictly prohibit it," &c. &c. I pointed out to her that it was her bounden duty to peruse the Holy Scriptures, that her conscience might, through their light, and the teaching of the Holy Spirit, become emancipated from the bonds of Popery and priestcraft, and be brought into the liberty of the children of God, &c.

"It appears evident, from all that I have been able to observe and learn, that the movement is everywhere confined to persons in the lowest ranks of life. I have made every inquiry, but cannot learn that a single individual from the higher circles of society has joined it, and, excepting a very few of the leading men, comparatively few persons from the middle ranks. Everywhere I found the same lamentations from the elders and preachers respecting the great poverty of the people, and also respecting their ignorance of the Scriptures; and therefore my offer to supply the people with them has met with a cordial welcome in many parts, though not everywhere.

They have about forty ministers among them; but what are these among so many scattered congregations in different parts of Germany? They are also destitute of churches and schools, and have not the means of erecting them. I have seen but one church being built among them, that of Schneidemühl, the funds for which have been contributed by the German Protestants. In some few places, such as Berlin, Breslau, Brunswick, Magdeburg, Stuttgart, &c., they are allowed the use of Protestant churches, and in many instances, during the suminer, they have kept their meetings in the open air, attended by many thousands. In many places, where they have no ministers, they attend the Protestant service; and, for the above reasons, it is highly probable that many of these small scattered communities will, at no distant period, take a step further,' as one of their elders expressed himself, and join the Protestant church.

"In my intercourse with their leaders, I have constantly borne my testimony to the inspiration of the Scriptures, the divinity of our Lord, and other vital doctrines of Christianity. May He, whose I am, and whom I seek to serve, bless this humble testimony, which found myself in conscience bound to make! With Dr. I spake freely on these and other points. I asked him if he was intending to write a catechism for the children. He replied in the affirmative. Then,' said I, I hope you will give the full testimony of Scripture respecting the person of Christ, and not merely bring forward one side of the subject.' He assured me that he was determined to abide by Jesus Christ, and that the necessities of the human heart would bring them at length to admit the whole truth. 'Well,' said I, 'I hope the definitions of the Catechism will make up for the deficiences of their creed.'

"In the leading circumstances of this movement we have an answer to the boasted unity of the Romish Church, and a salutary check to the ultramontane party, especially in Silesia but as extremes approach each other, so in this extraordinary commotion we behold many leaders of it casting off, not merely the superstitions of Popery, but also

the agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society, will be read with interest.

6

By some of my readers I may be thought to have taken too favourable a view of the present religious movement and its leaders in Germany. A more mature discussion of the subject would afford a clear index of my thoughts and inquiries: and I cannot hesitate to avail myself of a communication from a friend, recently a witness of the work and the labourers. His opinions may be useful to others. He found it difficult to sympathize with the movement on account of its rationalism. He says, 'With but few exceptions, (amongst whom Czerski deserves honourable mention, the more especially as he has left that body, and is tolerably orthodox, considering all things) these Reformers' are Neologists. The speculations of certain journalists, about the real character of this movement, are grievously at fault. The fact is undeniable that Ronge and Kerbler, at least, deny the inspiration of the Bible, the deity of Christ, and the Atonement, as fully as ever Belsham did. There is far more political and theological liberalism in the affair than religion. This is sad indeed, but I have the best evidence of its truth. To compare Ronge's agitation to Luther's is preposterous. It is admitted that both are antagonistic to Popery; but so were likewise the leaders of the French revolution. 'But the Confessions?' Confessions of faith are worth no more in Germany than at Oxford, nor so much even; for subscription is not obligatory. I have attended an ordination of one of their priests, where the only profession was a series of negations, which any Socinian might have declared.

"The state and tendency of the German mind differ much in the nineteenth century from what they were in the sixteenth. Perhaps something may be ascribed to these differences in the religious revolutions and developments of the present times."-(p. 548.)

We must not pass this extract without observing that the more carefully we mark the aspect of the times, the more inclined we are to set a high value both upon Confessions and subscription to them; we do not mean negative Confessions, but such as our national church, we rejoice to say, still boasts, and which, while maintained as a national Confession, will prove one of our truest bulwarks against every aggression that may be made upon us. say this not in the spirit of partizan churchmanship, but, we trust, in the spirit of true catholicism, and with the liveliest concern for the perpetuity of our Protestant State. It is true we have dis

We

some of the vital principles of Christianity itself. Another striking feature of Ronge's party is this that instead of appealing to the Holy Scriptures, like the Reformers, or fighting the battle against Rome with the sword of the Spirit, their appeal is chiefly to human reason, and their sword is the spirit of the age;'-a spirit of negation, which exalts human reason above Divine revelation, and subjects it to the interpretation of the spirit of the times; so that God is not allowed to say more than man permits, and human reason must sanction what He does say. What horrid blasphemies! But such is the fact. And yet we hope, that not only the congregations that hold to Czerski, but also in some of those who have adopted the Breslau creed, there are many individuals that are in search of truth and peace to their troubled minds; and it is to such especially that the Word of God will prove most seasonable and precious.

"Indeed, my present visit to the chief congregations of these new Catholics appears to have been just in time to call their attention to the Holy Scriptures, and to prevail upon many of them to adopt the Lutheran version of them in preference to any other.* (Monthly Extracts from the Correspondence of the "British and Foreign Bible Society," July 31, 1846.)