necessity for every nobly constituted mind, whether male or female, to 'press forward,' and sought to show that it is our duty to go ceaselessly forward' with our understanding, and 'forward' with our heart. Of this urgency of advancement, and the necessity that exists for it, I desire once more to speak; and I would especially call attention to the fact, that our opponents are everywhere on the alert, to dispute every inch of ground with us. I would call your attention to the abuse, the calumnies, and the falsehoods, which they circulate against us, both in word and writing, from the pulpit, at the table d'hôte, in the streets, and everywhere. We must not remain indifferent to all this, far less be discouraged by it; but only be impelled to press 'forward' more intrepidly. God stands by the courageous combatant. Let us reflect on what our enemies do, only that we may shape our conduct accordingly. Have you not perceived how the Roman Catholic population is at this moment worked upon in all conceivable ways, and every bait thrown out which can be supposed most likely to attract or retain them? Look at the great processions and pilgrimages by which the people are enticed to the so-called places of grace. See how the Archbishop of Posen set on foot a great procession, to which multitudes were specially invited, for the purpose of making a politicoreligious demonstration, on which occasion he had the bones of two 'glorified kings_of Poland' carried about, and the minds of the people were worked up to such fanaticism that the most shameful excesses were committed, though not by the populace alone. Have you yet to learn how the Bishops of Limburg and Fulda, in particular, thunder forth against us, as disloyal and revolutionary persons, and launch their excommunications against us? Have you not heard that, in Cologne, a Borromäns Society has long existed, which seeks by all means, and with a zeal worthy a better cause, to propagate and distribute Roman Catholic writings amongst the people? But, above all, are you not aware what subtle manœuvres the Jesuits, those truest satellites of the

Romish hierarchy, put in use, in all quarters, and by all means, to work their ends, whether publicly or secretly? And shall we stand by, tame spectators of all this? No; let us go 'forward.' Let us oppose to our enemies a fearless front, and meet them with corresponding, although more powerful weapons, as far as the distribution of books is concerned, but, above all, by bringing the Bible into every house to which we have access. To feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, is a work of corporeal benevolence; but it is a much greater to instruct the ignorant, to counsel the doubting, and to open the eyes of the spiritually blind. We must blush, as Christians, if, in any house belonging to our people, the Christian code were wanting. The Bible Societies aid us nobly; they help us "forward,' but we must ourselves unite in the work to the utmost of our power."

This letter, in conjunction with many other similar appeals in favour of the formation of a society for the purchase and spread of German Catholic publications, has led to an establishment of the sort in Berlin, as being the most suitable, both for procuring the requisite publications, and the means for printing and distributing them.

As to what shall be printed and distributed, the difficulty of choice lies in the multiplicity; not the paucity, of suitable writings: for, assuredly, never was such a flood of publications bearing on one subject, seen to issue from the press, within so short a time, as the reform cause can boast of. Even the booksellers allow that they are astounded to think where the writers found leisure to pen such close successions as sometimes appear, or where the readers are to come from. Yet these last must exist, for every work of any pretension goes through several editions in an incredibly short space of time; and these are emissaries exceedingly difficult to prevent entering and operating even within the strongly-guarded bounds of Austria and Bavaria, and, if report may be credited, have made some impression in the latter, whose Roman Catholic population is allowed to be the most thoroughly papal in Europe.

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CHAPTER XIX.

PROTESTANTISM IN THE AUSTRIAN DOMINIONS.

Statistics of Protestantism in Austria-Religious Houses and Orders -The Engines of Popish Proselytism-Number of Protestants who have joined Rome-Protestant Movement in Northern Bohemia-Translation of the Austrian Enactments against the German Catholics Opposition to this Document in the Saxon Chamber-Remarkable Secessions from Rome, in Hungary.

ACCORDING to an official statistical report published in Vienna, in 1837, the number of Protestants within the Austrian empire amounted to

When to this disparity is added the influence of the court, the vast number of religious orders, and the immense privileges they enjoy, it may easily be perceived that it requires no small share of decision of character, or of serious religious conviction, to maintain a Protestant profession under such circumstances.

A specification published in the "Diario di Roma," May,

1842, gives the following list of religious houses within the Austrian bounds :-766 monasteries belonging to 27 different orders—containing 10,354 enrolled monks; and 157 convents, belonging to 29 different orders, and containing 3661 nuns. Besides these, the Austrian almanac for 1842 asserts the number of Jesuits to have then increased to 302, of which 125 were priests; and we may well believe them to have at least doubled during the last four years. In Galicia, they then possessed 16 establishments of various grades of importance; and colleges in Gratz, Verona, Inspruck, and Linz. The Redemptorists (which is only an alias for Jesuits), who possess one large monastery in Vienna and a smaller one in Styria, amount to 122, of which 68 are priests. The Purists (another subdivision of Jesuits) are 800 in number, with 67 religious houses.

It is self-evident, that so large a disposable spiritual force can and must work with good effect, in promoting the spread of popery, and no engine has been found more conducive to proselytism in Austria, as elsewhere, than the opposition to the formation of mixed marriages, or a judicious use of them after they are made. If the Protestant party, whether male or female, is more in love with the Catholic partner desired to be obtained, than with the doctrines of his or her church, proselytism takes place at once, and a new convert is introduced with triumph into the fellowship of Holy Mother Church. If, on the contrary, resistance be made to that, the refusal of priestly benediction on the union, unless all the children be engaged to be brought up in the Romish faith, proves effectual, nine times out of ten, either before or after the union; and, in either case, the progeny at least is gained for the Romanist party. But the ferment produced by the disputes on this subject, which arose some years since, in the Rhenish provinces, and were thence transplanted to other parts of Catholic Germany, has occasioned a notable decrease in the number of mixed marriages celebrated of late years in strictly orthodox Austria; the result, probably, of a

greater feeling of hostility and consequent diminution of intercourse between the confessions, perhaps also of a stronger alarm having been infused into the Catholic population regarding the danger of contact with heretics. The fact, at all events, is proved by a statistical survey of the Austrian population from 1834 to 1840, published by Becher, which shows a regular decrease in the number of such marriages. In 1836 they amounted to 1317. The following year showed a deficiency, as only 1294 occurred, and in 1839 the number was only 1177. The Protestant church, however, loses many members through other legally facilitated and zealously exercised means of proselytism by the agency of the Roman Catholic clergy. Eichler, from whom I quote, says, "A specification now lying before me, gives the following statement of the number of Protestants who had returned to the Catholic church (as this Catholic author phrases it), as being, in 1833, 481; 1834, 470; 1835, 474; 1836, 528; 1837, 493; 1838, 578; 1839, 588; 1840, 491; or, on an average, about 500 annually, the greater number of proselytes being obtained in Bohemia and Moravia." In respect of this last statement, it is highly gratifying to know that in 1842 Bohemia began to evince symptoms of an opposite tendency. The "Algemeiner Kirchen Zeitung," published 9th October, 1842, relates, "It is very remarkable that in Northern Bohemia, a strong inclination to separating from the Roman Catholic communion has manifested itself. In the vicinity of Morgenthal many families are said to have arrived at the conviction, that a number of Romish ordinances and appointments are inconsistent with the doctrines of Holy Writ; ecclesiastical commissioners have been already sent amongst the people to try to calm their doubts, and turn them back to their own faith, but their arguments have been met by peasants with the Bible in their hands. It is further asserted, that several families residing in Tetschen (on the Elbe) are preparing to separate from Rome." This, then, was two years before Rongé's voice `was raised against the papacy; and we rejoice to know that,