The New York herald., 1870-09-19
MADISON SQUARE CHURCH.

The State of Religion in Austria and Hungary
With Special Reference to Protestantism and
tho Recent Reform Movements in The Eu-
pire.
On yesterday afternoon the Rev. DR.. r. Kocnig
addressed large congregation in DR.. Adams'
church, Madison square, on the religious condition
OF Austria and Hungary. Notwithstanding his
foreign accent he spoke In clear, Ineligible man.
ner, and was understood by every soul IN the
church, who by their rapt attention showed them
selves interested In the subject which the speaker
ably handled.
In commencing DR.. KOeng spoke Of the magni-
tude OF the task which he mad undertaken and said
1t could only DC very partial survey
that could be given In such necessarily mar
row limits as he should conlne himself to.
The field Of which he treated extended 'frOm the
frontiers OF Saxony. Prussia and Poland to the busy
harbor OF Trieste or still further SOUTH the lat
.ude Of Rome" In the great religious awakening
OF the sixteenth century the light Of
LUTHER AND CALvIN's TEACHING
broke in on the mediaval night and the power Of
Papacy might as soon have stopped the course of
the planets or the descent of the mountain torrent
as have excluded the light OF the Reformation from
the south OF Europe. Previous to the Reformation
the Waldenses ana Albigenses had prepared the
way and after them came the Hussites, OF whom
large number settled In the north Of Hungary. BY
their exertions considerable districts were made
acquainted with the pure doctrine OF the Gospel,
so that when Luther's teaching and works spread
over Germany they poured likewise into these be-
nghted regions, laundering against the barricaded
doors of the Papish citadel and calling on their in-
mates, as with the voice OF God,
AWAKE THOU THAT SLEEPEsT"
and arise from the dead All through the sixteenth
century the work continued to progress hopefully.
writ
spread far and wide, and the Word Of God was ac.
cOmpanied by awakening and renewing power.
OneIrkng feature OF the Reformation in these c0un.
tries was that the upper class took the lead and car
rled the townspeople and the peasantry along with
them Az the beginning OF the seventeenth century
nearly all the mobiles OF Hungary and Bohemia De,
lODged to the Church of the Reformation: In all
Lower Austria there were but i've noble families
that remained in the Romish Church, and In Styra
there was but one. Thus Professionalism became
power in the land. But the scene changes and
darker page is turned In the seventeenth century,
under Ferdinand H., the
PERSECUTION OF THE PRoTBsTANrs
began with terrible fury. The highest aim OF the
eminence in the Churchg OF Rome, and he accord
ingy pronounced all Protestants rebels ana tne
Evangelical doctrine crime which dlsqnaIllned M I,ae all
who held 1t from any high ONCE In tne state or
from the possession OF landed property. IN vienna
Protestant worship was prohibited IN Prague all
Protestant ministers were expelled from the town
at three days notice, and were obliged to leave the
country in eight days. Throughout all mat dismal
period we see nothing but blood stained hamlets,
gallows, large numbers OF Protestants obliged to fly
the country, others banished to unhealthy fever
swamps sand noble preachers Of the Gospel sent ike
felons 10 penal labor. In Hungary, on one occasion,
THREE HUNDRED PROTESTANT NOBLEMEN
and clergymen were summoned before the tribunal
at Presburg. or these several were executed and
the rest either banished or sent to hard labor in the
fortresses or galleys. In word, in the year 1920
the Protestant Church in the German States OF Aus
tra had to all appearance ceased to exist. But 1t
was stll kept alive in the hearts of the faithful and
secretly practised, that for almost century it
lived amid persecution. This state OF affairs con-
tinued till 1884, when Joseph H.. by his "Edict Of
Liberation" granted liberty OF worship and legal
status to the Protestant Church.
As soon as the first rays OF federation broke over
the German and Bohemian States the little Church
which the Lords eye had watched over and which
the Lords hand had preserved through evil days be-
gan to show herself on all sizes, like flowers in the
returning spring. At the present day the popula-
tiOn OF the German and Bohemian States is 49, OO0
among whom only there are
THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY THOUSAND PROTEST.
ANTS.
These are scattered over wide territory divided
into 32l congregations with 2l3 pastors, 372 schools
and 4s1 teachers The PrOtestants are for the most
part poor workingmen; therefore the income OF the
ministers ta yerv Inadequate. amounting IN q few