The Press. — 1857-11-21 (London, England)

THE PRESS, NOVEMBER 21,1857.  of the people. The upper classes, though hesitating to join the ignorant Liisare, are equally unsatisfied with the clergy and their teaching. The Swedish nature is one that cannot rest content with mere scepticism or with rationalism unlightel by religion. It is inclined to reli• gious faith and consolation. It is, by temperament, almost superstitious. It will be long in taking to itself new sup. porters of its faith, or in adopting new means for imparting religious life, but when it does, it will be with a thorough renouncing of the old. The present clergy will become to the peasants as did the hierarchy of England to the Puritans of the Revolution. They will abhor and renounce them; and when the change comes, ono of the great things done will be the utter sweeping away of the House of Clergy and all political powers belonging thereunto. The Church will be left to rest where it should, on the personal relations of pastor and people, on the sac. tion of the one, and the abilities and self sacrifice and piety of the other.  Mr. Brace is better at collecting his matter than in weighing or sifting it. He uses a drag-net, and offers us worthless stones and useless sea-weed. A traveller ought to be specially careful in sorting his subjects. This volume abounds in matters which a critical eye would recognise as "quasi facts."  We shall extract some parts of Mr. Brace's account of a " Sunday in Stockholm "  I have been to-day to the Lutheran High Mass. The forms are somewhat complicated. The officiating clergyman first, with his face to the people, repeats the " Holy Holy! art Thou," dtc.—then kneels and utters a prayer. The congregation do not kneel nor respond. He then rises, singing the " God have mercy upon us !" and the congregation respond. The Prayer book, or " Hand. book," requires responses when prayers are sung, but not when read. After this, he turns to the altar and sings the " Gloria in excelsia ;" this is followed by a long hymn from the worshippers, from ten to twenty verses. The clergyman then turns to the congregation and says the " Lord be with you !" they responding; next, facing the altar, he reads the extract for the day (he sings it on feastdays). Here he makes another prayer, which is auc• ceeded by the reading of the Epistle, and the reading or singing of the Creed. During the first part he faces the audience, during the latter, the altar. At the name of Jesus all bow the head. Another hymn is sung, and the sermon follows, which was shcrt. After this, prayer again, and on feast-days, they tell me, the Litany ; and then the royal proclamations, notices of marriage and of death, and the like. The last exercise is a prayer by the second cler gyman at the altar, and then, after a few words, the be►utiful blessing of Moses. The principal priest is dressed in a white " mass.shirt," trimmed with lace, over which is a rich red velvet cope, with a gold cross embroi• dered on it. He recounts furthet•:—  There still survive on the Swedish Church book the rules for secret confession to the pastor. It is still resorted to for the worst class of sins ; and the clergyman is forbidden, under the strongest penalties, to disclose what is confessed. Only in cases of treason, or where assassination or murder is threatened, can the clergyman warn the objects, yet still without disclosing the names of the guilty parties. In former times, the pastor has been known to forbid the Sacrament alter such confessions.  elsewhere. The fact that " there arc scarcely " any houses of ill-fame in Stockholm " cuts both ways, when we recollect the statistics already quoted ; and the following fact must not be overlooked :-It is significant, in this connection, that the Swedish Prayer•book alone, perhaps, of all the Church•books of the world, has a prayer for " Mothers who have been deceived by promise of marriage ;" and the Swedish law recognises that the promise, if it can be proved by reliable witnesses, secures, even before the marriage, to the children the right of legitimate children, and to the woman all the rights of a wife.  There is a quantity of matter, good and middling, in this volume, and it may suit the list of some book-clubs on account of its variety. Even now, after its numerous describers, Sweden presents a good subject to a close and quick observer like Inglis, or a brilliant painter in words like Borrow.