The Express.
London, England, 1851-04-17 00:00:00

dilt4 in England. These sects in Pnuisia have bud
their sentence of detith pronounced by the order of
the limaisterial Directory of Dantzic.
BERLIN APRIL t.

I little nnticipated, when I closed my letter yester-
day, that I should receive within the next twenty-
four hours the most startling confirmation of the
fears I expressed therein. In that letter I endea-
voured to shadow forth the dangerous consequences
to the protestant dominion in Germany, which must
ensue from the enormous growth of political power
in the hands of catholic Austria from the admis
don into the Germanic confederation of her
now German but catholic provinces, and I
sought to establish good reasons why, apart
from all other political considerations, Lord Palmer-
mot, should, on behalf of prutestantism in Europe,
oast strenumisly oppose this part of the Austrian
plans. I mentioned the anxious hope with which
the catholic party in Westphalia and the Ithiew pro-
vinces were waiting for the full success of Austria
to commenee a violent struggle for the repossession
of their ancient supremacy in civil as well ns reli-
gious matters; and I stated that, from the influence
of the ultrumontane party in Paris, the opposition
of France would eventually prove to he mere words.
One argument I certainly mated. It is, the very
little diffiwence, beyond mere form, which exists
between the protestant pietist party in Germany,
the Kreuzritter or Junkers, headed in Prussia by
Gerluch and Stahl, and the arch-agitators of Ric
Roman entholies. I forgot that, while the latter
have resolved to leave no stone unturned to bring
Europe back again to the thraldom in which
it was held by the papal church previously
to the Reformation, the former are exerting
themselves in the same direction, without any pre-
cise limit to their Woos ; I forgot that the latter are
combating the spiritual, and the former the material
or political results of the reformation ; in fact,
that both are fighting in the sate cause, though
under different burners, and that the pietist protes-
tant is far more to be dreaded than the catholic. Ile
is trusted by the ignorant protestant, who dues not,
and by the cunning catholic whim dors see the ten-
dencies of his doctrines. The catholic knows that
there is hut one step between his seeming enemy and
catholicism. The Goluchs and Stahls of Germany
have much in common with the English Puseyites.
The last stage of Poseyism, conversion to Roane, is
ulso, though it, has nut been apparent until now,
the last resting-place of the German pietist.
The evidence necessary to prove this to its
full extent is to be found in the fact to
which I Oudot in the commentement of my
letter, us startling confirmation of my fears for pro-
testantimem. That fact is the sudden eonversiou to
Humanism of five or six of the highest member% of
the Kreuzritter or Pietist party in the duchy di
Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and when I add that the
Mecklenburg section of that party arc generally con-'
sidereal to be the most advanced, I conceive I am jus-
tified in assuming that the whole is necessarily tend-
ing in the same direction. The names of the parties •
have not been mentioned, but I um told that there
is mine, if not more, of the Bohm fondly amongst
them. The inborn:aim of this fact has created a
great sensution in those circles in which the interests
of protestantimn are watched with zealous affection.
It is feared that the example of the Mecklenburg
nobility will, if not immediately, before very long,
be followed by numerous others, and as one of the
chief impulses rs political fanaticism ; and as, mom-
ov: r, this very party is thedominant one in northern
Germany, theme is no hope of any edit:iced oppose
:ion in (Women,: to the enormous increase of politi-
cal power at which !tumult catholic Austria is grain-
ing. The cony, radians in Mec.:lomburg have been
achieved under the immediate agency of the church
of Rome. In that duchy there ore but very few
Roman catholies, but for some years lost a certain
Ronan catholic legate, named Prosperi Russo, has
!seen in the habit paying regular visits in Meck-
lenburg, and has smoothed the channels of commu-
nication with Rome. The holy see has been busy,
too, during time past year, in several Prussian cities,
which love been honoured by curelinals with more
than one vomit. It behoves the protedunts of Ger-
vq be on their guard.

ME SUSPENSION OF A CLERGYMAN AT
unAvEsEND.

(From the/PUN :V.v.)

The following statement of facts, the accuracy of
which we have assurance of, is at once characteristic
of traetarian audacity mid of episcopal habits:—
There is at Gravesend, in the diocese of Rochester,
a proprietary chapel dedicated to St. JtillN. This
chapel belongs to the Rev. Mr. BLEW. On the prin-
ciple, it is to be presumd, that every man has a right
to do us he likes with his own, he performs divine
worship therein in what Bishop BLOMFIELD has de-
signuted the " histrionic" stele he has ineesnant ser-
vices going on, constant bell-ringing. or rather con-
stant bell-tinkling, choral performance. and all the
other mummeries" of his sect. With these, of
course, so high a churchman us the Bishop of Roetiels-
Teat did not interfere; and, though they give offence
to the church laity of Gravesend, yet, us St. Jolm's
was not a parochial place of worship, they did not
complain; they simply staid away.
Notoriety mid excitement seem, however, indis-
pensable to clergy of Mr. way of think-
ing ; and he certainly hits on a novel mode of
obtaining the one and stimulating the other. For,
whilst all the rest of England was addressing and
protesting against the pupal aggression, this Graves-
end 'fracturian fell to memorialising Cardinal
WISEMAN, and he persuaded sonic of his congrega-
tion to join him. The prank soon gained wind, and
a vcry respectable gentleman in Gravesend brought
the report under the notice of Bishop NIVRILVI ; but,
as it was only conveyed to that prelate as a report,
he had that excuse fur paying no attention to it, and
he paid none. The text of the address to the car-
dinal, however, oozed out : and as such a document
from a clergyman of the church of England and his
congregation is as yet a rarity, our readers will, per-
haps, like to know its purport. After expressing
unfeigned respect for the cardinal's person and epis-
copal office as Archbishop of Westuunster, the ad-
dress proceeds thus :
We venture not to offer to your Eminence the tribute of
our sympathy and condolence under the painful divappoint-
ment of hopes unexpectedly thwarted, and countenance un-
worthily withdrawn; yet this we do presume to
that the opposition ostensibly directed against your
nave is really pointed at ourselves; at those •
us who, trusting to the sacramental element of the eh
aspire after that meekness of heart and spirit which Christ.
our common toaster, has enjoined upon us, and that charity
which his blessed apostle has bidden us to follow after, to
cherish, and maintain. We pray you, therefore, to weeps
this simple avowal of our feelings which the circumstances
of the case seem to call for, as an earnest that the clamour
of the many is not to be regarded as the unequivocal voice
of religion sad of the church of England.
Fortified with a certain knowledge of this extra-
ordinary. address, the gentlemani
n question again
communicated with the Bishop of Roan:suit ; Mr.
BLEW, too, went to his diocesan and the result of
the two communications was, that the bishop re-
marked " It is a pity," but did nothing.
And there, in all probability, the matter would
have ended, had it not been that Lord ASHLEY, in-
formed of the circumstances, took upon himself to
address Bishop Muittur. Now Lord ASHLEY is,
amongst the bishops, quite a power ; a sort of super-
visor of episcopacy ; a man whom they dislike and
fear, but obey. And what the bishop would not do
for the plebeians of Gravesend, he quickly did on
Lord AsnLev's reclamation; and that was, he sus-
pended Mr. BLEW from his spiritual functions in the
diocese of Rochester for six months.
This is a fair specimen of the manner in which our
bishops rule their dioceses, of the influences which
prevail with them, of the remonstrances they pay no
attention to. Let a lord or a great proprietor address
them, and they are all suavity, cordiality, and ac-
quicacence. But let an humble tradesman or an active
Churchwarden, in his zeal for the church, complain
to them, and he meets with severity, frowns, and
repulses.