The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-01-08
LOG AL AFT Al r =
The Religious state OF Europe.

ef religion in Europe, particularly among the p-in.
cipal nations. 1t was well attended The Rev Dr.
Badcock was in the chair; there were aso pressn.
the Revs. DR.. Bethune, and Mr. Bertram, Of st.
Helena, and the Hon. B. F. Butler The proceed
ings having been opened with prayer, the Rev. Dr..
Baird stated that he had recently visited Europe,
where he had travelled for FIVE months, and he pro-
posed to give general view of what had been
tho progress of evangelical religion during the past
few years. It was an interesting matter to COM
pare the present state of things with the past He
thought that every well-informed man could feel
how important it was that what was called Chris
tendon should be regelerated. 1t was q great de-
sideratum that Christendom should become what
it ought to be, and that nominal Christianity
should become effective Christianity. Christianity
mum bered one-third part of the human race II
possessed Europe, with two hundred and sixty mil
lions of inhabitants and ten millions OF Mahome-
dams, Jews and heathens. 1t nearly had possession
of North and South America, and it invaded Asia
and Africa, and might, by the power of England
and Russia, take possession of the whole of the for
mer continent It had begun in China, under the
auspices Of England Christianity would ultimate
ly embrace the whole world, and Christianity AMI
civilization would be united. Christianity allied
to progression and power, and he referred to EGG
land and the United States as exa nple;. Turkey,
once powerful country, had been eclipsed by Rus
ala, and had sunk down into third rae nation.
He wished that there was as muca effective Chris
tianity in France, Russia, America, Italy, aud
Spain, as there was in England The first country
be visited was ireland, whose population was six
millions There were four millions of Roman
Catholics, and not two millions Of Pfotestants.
English. Scotch and Irish Professionals were begin
ming to labor earnestly and successfully in enligat
eHipg the Catholic population. The Presoyterians
labored in the north and the Episcopalians in the
ALL Tka lotk IL -
the Irish Established Church. and there about
1.60O parishes, and as many ministers. There we're
thirty seven missionaries, two hundred bible read
err and colperteurs He believed that thirty thou.
Protestants The Presbyterians had established
schools in the north ana west of Ireland In many
Of them there were hundred and fifty poor chill
dren receiving beneficial instruction They also
worked at useful occupations and received IS or 6s.
a week wages. These schools were presided over
by missionaries, and meetings were hell, which
attended by the elder children nd their parents,
and afforded the means of enlightenment. Scotland
was also field for the conversion of the Irish
Roman Catholic poor. Many of them went over
to the cities Of Glasgow and Edinburg, and during
the past year several hundreds had become Pro-
testants in those cities and in Dublin 1t cheer
ing to see the English people beginning to take
up the cause. When he was in France, during last
Septemb Der and November, he received the most
gratifying information There were not many
towns in France in which efforts were not made to
support the truth The colporteurs had opened a
way IOr the EVangeust, ana the EVGngolSt was
opening way for the minister. There were alto
gether 600 eff ,ient laborers, many Of them able
men. In one part Of France, $50 people had left
the Catholic Church, and had joined the Protest
ants. Ia one commune there were 40 people who
had the greatest desire to hear Professionalism
preached. He had learned from all the Protestant
brethren in the great cities, that there was no want
of occasion for supporting the truth What the re-
cent revolution would do in this respect, he could
not tell; but he apprehen ded that the man who had
placed himself at the head Of the French nation
justly called usurper-would undertake to govern
that nation by the double power of the bayonet
and the hierarchy-when he said hierarchy, he
did not mean the Roman Catholic people in the
mass. No man who knew the Roman Catholic
people would suppose that they were going TO do
the work of miserable and weak persecution That
not going to be the result in the Of the
struggle for liberty which is coming or in Europe.
for the Roman Catholics would stand by the side of
the Protestants. More than one half of the follow.
ers of Kossuth were Catholics 1t would be found
that the hierarchy would stand by the side of despo-
tism as long as it could do so. The bishops, carii
tholc clergy, were those he referred to- but thers
would be except ,ns The archbishop Of Paris ha
opposed the policy Of Louis Napoleon. He appre
hended that Louis Napoleon, a. long as he remain
ed in po yer, would employ not only the bsyonet,
while he had an army at his command, but would
also employ the Jesuits, and they would employ
him He thought the ProtestanN would go
work would bs somewhat hindered, but they must
not be discouraged He had received a letter dated
the 18th December-since the notwithstanding
on the churches of the United States for more help
He was certain that France would continue to be a
wonderful field for the spread of truth there might
be hindrances, but they must be disregarded in
sach In enterprise as this. He was delighted
by his visit to Belgium. There were four millions
OF Roman Catholic people in that country-s popu-
lation more Roman Catholic in spirit than hume
really. It was said, in 1870, that there not
consisted of foreigne-s-of Germans and English.
He supposed that there were about twenty-five
Protestant churches in Belgium in 1886, having
neither life nor activity. Several chapels had
people attended, and the whole Of them we're once
Roman Catholics. There were more than thirty
places in Belgium were the Protestant rel ion was
gaining ground where tn, missionaries were
GUM government nobly protected them, and
placed armed sentinels at the doors Of their
chapels Roman Catholic as the nation was,
they had q Protestant king, who was surrounded
by men nominally Roman Catholic, and they carried
out the spirit of the constitution and isious
liberty. (Applause In Holland and Germany
nally Protestant countries; the light that was
there appeared to become obscured, and grea. deal
you'd haye e be done to restore effective Protes
tantism. A large portion Of the professors in the
universities we're not evangelical men large
testants-seme were converted Jews. great deal
had been done in Holland by free circulation Of
the Scriptures. As to Germany, which contained
IOrty'o mlllons OK people, about one hall were
Roman Catholics and the other half Prctestants.
There existed surprising state Of things, in
spects cheering but in others the reverse Many
ofintegence and education Looked at religious mat
tiers in free and philosophical manner, hut the Pro-
testant evangelical religion was increasing in num-
bers. An interesting NEE ting was held in September
last, which lasted four days and nights, aud which
broughtS00 Protestant ministers from all parts OF
Germany When he first went TO Germany, eight
years ago, not single thing doing. Religion
was increasing on the one hand and infdelity on
the other, because the bands which connected the
church with the state were 10 ose ned At one time,
every citizen used to feel that unless be attended
church he was not q good citizen. In the La,
cities in Germany, the people went to chu.c any.
where There was great dissipation ana idleness
on the Sabbath, which was Tot properly observed
Chris.isrty had TO conquer the people again in
the Protestant parts of Ge.mapy. He thought that
If tremendous revelation should occur. and the
socialists should be predominant, there might be
trying times Ear thu evaneeiica ,h,istisns Ia Car.