The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-03-16
Religion In Leipzig.

WI m"Icii Nu, loOA, uhueT hcCtJtOuo
News and Notes Is the following item
Leipzig, In Germany, has only
seven churches, all poorly attended,
and no such thing as Sabbath-school.
The people are Indifferent to religion,
and look upon religious person with
curiosity"
From communications direct from
Leipzig which I had read in German
papers, and from what 1 had known
from other sources, the item looked
suspicious to inc. On making further
inquiry / obtained the following COM
munication which submit for publi-
cation. The communication is taken
! from the N. Y. Independent. The
item In question appeared first in the
Presbyterian and has made the rounds
In other papers. submit the commu.
nication partly to correct false impress
sion which the item may have made,
but more especially for the informa-
tion of those whom 1t may concern.
The following is the communication
direct from Leipzig, by Caspar Rene
Gregory.
An indignant correspondent has lust
forwarded to me The Presbyterian for
January l4th, which contains upon
page l6 the following note about Leip.
zig: Leipzig has only seven
churches, poorly attended, and no such
thing as aSabbath-school. The people
are Indifferent to religion and look
upon religious person with curiosity
and amusement"
1t would perhaps be as we'll to take
up first the general statement al the
close of that note and declare that the
people of Leipzig are by no means "in-
different to religion" and that any
one inclined to look upon religious
person with curiosity and amusement"
| would find in Leipzig ample exercise
for his curiosity and II great deal of
amusement.
We grant that religion, especially
in its eXternals, is, upon the whole,
less cultivated in Leipzig than it is in
many parts of America; but it must
not be forgotten that the cast and
! phase of religion in Germany is alto.
| gether different from that in England
and America and that the tokens Of
| its life are of "A different character. The
Millennium has not yet come here.
| We question whether it has already
come in America.
The names Of Luthardt and De.
| litzSch will suffice to assure theologians
that there is strong stream of warm
Christian influence flowing from the
headquarters of the theological faculty,
who, by the by, instruct during this
term some 400 or 800 students of the
ology. Professor Lechler, the super
intendent (bishop) of Leipzig, the au-
thor of the life of Wiclif; and, singu-
larly enough, one of the foremost SUI
dents of Presbyterian Church poity;
o member of the upper house of the
| Saxon Parliament; and although over
seventy, still vigorous preacher, is
perhaps the leading man in the direc-
ton of all that pertains to schools, and
1t Is unnecessary to say that religion is
well cared for in these schools. A
single example, the St. Nicholas Gym
nasium, with 500 scholars, appears to
have over forty hours week of reli-
gious instruction in the different
classes, and this includes lessons on
church history, introduction, exegesis,
and doctrine. 1t is my impression
that there are three teachers of religion
in this one School, and this system
of religious instruction is carried
through all schools.
AS other general tokens of religious
life, we may refer, in the first place,
to the existence of two missionary So
cieties, one of which has its head
quarters here, with q school for the
special training of those who are 60
ing out to mission-tields; and, in the
second place, to the Evangelical
Union, which here, as in other Ger.
man cities, has large house devoted
to all manner of good work. This
house is the central point for twenty
or more societies, among others q
Young Mems Christian Association
The fourth series of Luthardts = apollo
getical lectures were delivered in the
hall of this house, before large audi
ences, during the last winter. AS q
rule, two series are held here during
each winter, one series free and one
requiring the payment of small Ell
trance fee, about S0.l24.
But we must touch upon the Sab
bath-schOols. mo such thing as
Sabbath-school!" In Saturdays pa
per is list o: eight Sunday school,
held in Leipzig and the Immediately
adjoining villages. The largest. con
tanning several hundred children, il
in the house of the Evangelical
Union, mentioned above, and is lee
by Pastor Iinsser, the director of tina
large charity and an evangelical an,
popular preacher. One of the other
is led by DR.. Robert Kenig, the ediio
OF the Ddheini, a valuable illustrated
weekly newspaper for the family
"No such thing as q Sabbath-school,'
indeed! Still, we wish. there wer
more of them. AS for the "sevel
churches" in Leipzig proper there ar
nine churches, with edifices of thei
own; and, if we include the immedi
ately adjoining villages and the sci
vices held in chapels (all of which
with the hours and the preachers, ar
noted regularly in in the newspape
every Saturday, there are nineteel
. places of worship. Besides this,
should be remembered that two of tn
} large churches, and as well the CathC
5 lie church, have service three times ol
Sunday. In these numbers we hav
not included the services of the Eng
lish and French chapels, or of til
: American chapel, with its Sunday
z school. The large churches hav
three or four pastors During tn
week there are about eight minor SCI
! vices. 1t may added that thre
, churches are about to be built in Leil
b.. zig aud its suburbs. Yesterdays pi
per calls for proposals for the prepara
;. tory work on one of these churche:
: amounting to over Sl0O, 900.
, The attendance upon the church Sc
e vices varies with the preacher; but tn