Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1866-11-07

is nearly equally divided into Protestant
and Catholic communities. The cantons
are either nearly all Catholic or Protestant.
Geneva is Protestant, while Valois, which
joins it, is almost whc1ly Catholic. Lu.
cerne is altogether Catholic, while Zurich
is as thoroughly Protestant. There is the
same friction here as in Canadl between
Canada East and Canada West-the same
marked and distinctive features, of energy
activity and progress in the Protestant
cahtons while those which adhere to the
Church of Rome are inert, lifeless and non-
progressive. There are between six and
seven thousand Roman Catholic priests
besides Sisters of Charity, which are sup
ported by the one million of people accep-
ting the tenets of the Chulch of Rome.
| dropped into the Cathedral at Lucerne
last Sunday, and saw several sbrines fit,
ted up with human skulls. All of them
| believe were the skulls Of children
There stood the priests going through the
| genudections of the service, with grea t
crowds of people counting their beeds
Saturday was Saints day and the great
bell of the Cathedral called all the people
with deep and solemn voice to honor the
departed Saint. Monday was another
Saints day and through the morning,
men, women and children streamed past
my window to the Cathedral, neglecting
work, because somebody at some time, ac.
cording to the traditions of the priests,
did good deed. There are legions Of
Saints, and so the people are called upor
year in and year out to count their beads
and cross themselves, and drop their con
=, tributions into the box at the Cathedral
door, In all the Roman Catholic church
es you see boxes bearing the inscription
For the relief Of the Pope"
The Protestant religion is Calvanisti'
in principle, hardly that however, ii
Practice 1t is Presbyterian in form
and the magistrates of the cantons, to
gether with the Superintendent of edu
catiap, have the supervision of matters
ecclesiastical.
A movement has already begun for th'
severance of Church aud State A gent
leman informs me that at the next meet
ing Of the Federal Assembly the advocates
of the movement will present this matter
and that it undoubtedly will be the mali
question in the next elections. w
are not to infer that because the majority
of the people of Switzland are Protestans
and adhere to the doctrines enunciated b.
Calvin, that they are therefore thoroughly
evangelical. Religion has its dry husk
here as elsewhere.
A State church supported by taxation
will not be long in losing its sap, ant
then the dry trunk of the tree becomes
convenient and ready partisan lever II
, politics So it is in England, and S
Switzerland There is very little vitalit.
Q in the Protestant church of Switzerland
and the theology now preached is so tire
' mendously pantheistic, that Calvin, wer
ne now in the flesh, would have to la
, anew his foundation of religious belief
=. There is dissenting or free cburc
: which is most numerous in the Canto
vaud, which was organized twenty or NOR
years ago, by men who could not submit
to the arbitrary, obnoxious, and tJJrar
J. ical measures dictated hsy the FEEDER,
y Council. About: one hall Of the pastor
0 Withdrew from the National Church, an
;; went out into the world peniless and VIII
# out means of support. They formed
/" free Evangelical Church. but the peop
ia as a mass we're not ready to follow the
:. and the movement has been slow. Tho
,s Of the people who preferred religious II
. =
70 erty to a connection with the State we
Door, and therefore despised but th'
have held steadily on their way. Throut
: their present influence and power q
= question will be brought before the re
:, eral Assembly, for disuniOn Of Chur
% aud State. ..af
,o EDUCATION.
ho Each Canton takes care Of its own sehoo
ed The Protestant Cantons are far IN a
is vance Of the Roman Catholics In th'
its which are almost wholly Protestant
children attending school are as one to D