GREAT BRITAIN.

The Protestant Churches.—THE REFORMATORY AGITATIONS IN THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH are growing more numerous than ever. As they proceed from opposing parties, they not rarely counteract each other. But it is easily observable how the aspects of the Church gradually change, and we think it may be predicted, with a high degree of probability, in what direction the further development of the Church will take place. It is especially the RELATION BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE that is constantly undergoing great changes. Thongh great difference of opinion still prevails with regard to an entire separation between Church and State, the current of public opinion is, at all events, strongly in favor of giving to the Church a greater amount of self-government. THE CONVOCATION of the Province of Canterbury, which met again on June 7, is awakening a greater interest, because it begins to occupy itself with more important questions, and speaks out on them with greater decision. The Association for reviving the Convocation of the Province of York, which had given up the hope of attaining its end during the lifetime of the late archbishop, is now renewing its efforts with better prospects of success, and the Irish Episcopalians are beginning to claim likewise the privilege of having a convocation. With a view to strengthening the position of the Episcopal Church in Great Britain, a memorial to the prime minister has been extensively signed, praying for an INCREASE OF BISHOPRICS, inasmuch as the number of bishops in England, since the middle of the sixteenth century, has increased only by one, while the population within the last fifty years has more than doubled. The scheme

was said to be pushed in particular by the High-Church party, yet the Union (the Romanizing paper of London) ridiculed the idea of entreating a minister of the State as the best way of expediting an ecclesiastical reform. The number of colonial and missionary bishops continues in the meanwhile to increase, and the constitution of the Episcopal Church, outside of England, is evidently tending to develop in a monarchical direction. After the precedents of Australia, New Zealand, and India, Canada also has received a metropolitan, who has in the main the rights and duties of an English archbishop. The idea of sending missionary bishops beyond the British possession so charms the zeal

ous

Churchmen that already another scheme of this kind has been devised for South Africa, and others are expected soon to follow. Not only an extension, but also a closer UNION OF THE SEVERAL BRANCHES OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCHES of Great Britain is taken into consideration. The Bishop of Exeter has recently employed a former Scotch bishop. Dr. Trower of Glasgow, to act as his suffragan, and has conferred on him the sub-deanery in his cathedral; and the Bishop of Argyle and the Isles recently managed to assemble at London the most numerous and influential body of bishops, clergy, and laity ever brought together, to consider the welfare of the Scottish Episcopal Church. The Archbishops of Canterbury, York, and Armagh, and five English bishops, were present, and letters of regret and sympathy were read from seven other bishops. THE PARLIAMENT has had to deal, as usual, with a number of Church matters. The most important of them was a clause in the Census Bill which required an enumeration of the religious profession of the people. The opposition of the dissenting

bodies to this clause proved so strong that the ministers, though reluctantly, gave it up. A bill introduced by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, to economize the funds of the Church and make them more generally useful, was not likely to pass; while another bill, introduced by the Bishop of London, for uniting benefices in cities like London, where the population has crowded toward the suburbs, has better chances. THE SPREADING OF RATIONALISM, in a very advanced form, among the clergy of the Established Church, is likely to prove soon a prolific source of great trouble. The Christian Observer of London tries to prove that the doctrines of Theodore Parker, Francis Newman, and the latest volume of the Oxford Essays, are essentially the same.

THE WESLEYAN DISTRICT RETURNS in England and Wales show a net increase of 17,534 members, the largest increase ever made in one year, except in 1833. In Ireland upward of 3,000 members were added, chiefly in the northern districts, where the revival prevailed. A case of great importance for the BAPTISTS has been recently decided by the Master of the Rolls. The substance of it is, that a Baptist congregation does not lose its right to its endowments by change from Particular to General Baptists, or from close to open communion. Among the INDEPENDENTS new doctrinal dissensions have broken out in consequence of a work published by a Congregational minister of London, Mr. Brown, some of the religious papers designating it as heretical, others defending its orthodoxy.

The Roman Catholic Church.The Parliament occupied itself with the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHARITIES BILL, a measure which professed to bring Roman Catholic charities under the inspection of the Charity Commissioners, but which, on examination, proved to make so many excep tions in favor of the power of the Roman hierarchy that it was warmly opposed, and would in all probability fall through. In Ireland A BLOODY CONFLICT between Roman Catholics and Orangemen took place near the town of Lurgan. An Orange procession was attacked by the inhabitants of a village through which their road lay. Having recourse to fire-arms, they soon repelled the assailants and wounded sev eral, two of whom have since died. Many leading Protestant papers strongly condemned, on this occasion, the continuance of the Orange processions as being an irritation to the men of the rival Church.

GERMANY.

The Protestant Churches.-THE CONSTITUTION OF THE CHURCH is still the great question in Germany. The Prussian government is bent on introducing a Presbyterian constitution into the six eastern provinces, whose congregations have been hitherto governed exclusively by the pastor and the aristocratic patron; and this being carried through, nearly all the evangelical State Churches of Germany may be set down as Presbyterian, similar in many points to the Established Church of Scotland. At the Berlin Pastoral Conference, which is entirely under the influence of Stahl and Hengstenberg, and was this year again presided over by Stahl, an attempt was made to hinder the introduction of the new constitution. A petition was got up, signed by thirty-six members of the Conference, and presented to the Supreme Church Council, praying, 1. That in the circular of the Church Council the eldership in the Church should not be represented as an ordinance founded on the revelation of God, but resting merely on the command of the highest bishop of the land; 2. That the eldership should have no power except in mere temporal matters; and lastly, that the pastor should not be obliged to use the form of prayer which prescribes thanksgiving for the institution of the eldership. In the reply, dated June 29, the Supreme Court shows its firm resolve not to swerve from its course; yet, to avoid compulsion, it gives permission to the pastor to omit, in the formula for the ordination of elders, the form of thanksgiving. Since, the introduction of the constitution has commenced with good prospects, the High-Church party abandoning their opposition. The EXCITEMENT OF THE HUNGARIAN PROTESTANTS, on account of their new Church constitution, has now mostly subsided, as the government has relinquished the obnoxious patent of September 1, 1859, by declaring those districts which continue to oppose it free from its requirements, and by binding only the districts which had given in their adhesion to abide by it. The final solution of the constitutional question is now adjourned until the meeting of the General Synod, which the gov ernment has promised soon to convoke. In Southwestern Germany the conflict respecting alterations in the constitution and administration of the Church, is essentially a CONFLICT BETWEEN THE EVANGEL ICAL AND RATIONALISTIC PARTIES, in which the former enjoys generally the support

of the governments. In the Bavarian Palatinate it is the introduction of a new orthodox hymn book which causes continuing troubles. The King of Bavaria supports the decisions of the Synod, but a vast body of the people oppose obstinately. In Hesse-Darmstadt it is the substitution of Luther's Catechism for one long in use in the schools, which proves an apple of discord. The old Catechism did not enjoy the estimation of the "believing" portion of the Hessian clergy, who prefer by far a return to the old Lutheran, though the evangelical school would have preferred the selection of one representing the views of the United Evangelical Church. In Baden a number of influential clergymen and laymen, mostly belonging to the Rationalistic party, have repeatedly held conferences at Durlach, to bring their views on Church constitution into a definite shape. They would leave to the grand duke his character as supreme bishop, but demand that the gov erning powers emanate from the body of the Protestant population, that ministers and church officers be elected by the people, that in the Synod lay and clerical members be equal, and that the president of the Supreme Church Council be always a layman. Thus the connection between Church and State is more and more a source of annoyance to the former, many of whom will be glad to rid themselves of it by giving to the Church a greater amount of Church government. A BODY OF MILLENARIANS in Wurtemberg, calling themselves the Society for Gathering God's Faithful People in Jerusalem, have broken off all connection with the State Church, and hold their own Synods in Wurtemberg. They are earnest supporters of the Evangelical Alliance, but too intolerant against the evangelical men who remain in the State Church. They have organized a colony on a little farm, in accordance with their peculiar views, which they intend afterward to convey to Jerusalem. Their number, however, is not increasing. They have recently sent a deputation to England, and it was their intention to convene a meeting of all true Christians in London.

The Roman Catholic Church. REFORMATORY MOVEMENTS are still reported to agitate to a large extent the lower clergy of Bohemia, which celebrates this year the millennial commemoration of the introduction of Christianity. It is intended to demand that there may be reëstablished in Bohemia the primitive ritual and

liturgy, which were introduced by Saints Cirillus and Methodius, but at a later period renounced by the Church of Rome. THE CONCORDAT WITH BADEN has been rejected by the upper house of that country as well as by the lower, and may thus be regarded as solemnly and deliberately rejected by all the classes of the population. The Catholic party felt greatly disappointed in seeing the high aristocracy vote this way. A large number of the parish priests memorialized the archbishop in order to express their concurrence in his views of the Concordat as a legal treaty actually binding upon all the subjects of the grand duke. The Roman Catholic journals misrepresented this as a unanimous support of the archbishop by the lower clergy, not a single member dissenting; but a few weeks later they had to record the pronouncing of the greater excommunication over one of the deans who refused to indorse the policy which the archbishop chooses to pursue in this question.

SCANDINAVIA.

The Protestant Churches. - THE PROGRESS OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY in all the three Scandinavian kingdoms is very cheering, and awakens the hope that Northern Europe, like North America, will soon be free from legalized ecclesiastical despotism. In Sweden the three conservative houses of the Diet, the nobles, the priests, and the peasants, have given their consent to the governmental bill, which repeals some of the worst provisions of the old code respecting secession from the State Church. The burghers rejected the bill as being not liberal enough. The government executes the new law, on the whole, in a liberal sense, and it is regarded doubtless that during the next year Sweden will advance farther toward religious liberty. Norway, which has long ago extended religious toleration to dissenters, has declared itself, through its legislature, willing to open all the State offices to the members of the dissenting denominations. A majority of the Storthing (lower branch of the legislature) voted in favor of this motion; but as a few votes were wanting to the two thirds majority, the question stands adjourned for three years, when the next Storthing will doubtlessly decide it in favor of religious liberty. Denmark, lastly, is still farther advanced than Norway, and claims from the government the entire separation between the Church and State. The present diet is again occupied with the ques

tion, and numerous petitions have been coming in its support. Besides the religious liberty question is the CONTINUANCE OF THE GREAT REVIVAL, which is drawing the attention of the Christian world specially to Sweden. Copious and cheering information concerning it is given from month to month by "The Messenger," a monthly periodical, issued by the Evangelical National Association, and conducted by talented men of evangelical convictions. The work is the more remarkable from the length of time during which it has continued at its intensity. THE CAUSE OF FOREIGN MISSIONS will be greatly promoted throughout Scandinavia by the organization of a Central Danish Missionary Society, which was resolved upon by a missionary conference held at Nyborg, in Funen, on the 13th and 14th of June. The meeting was very largely attended. Upward of one tenth of the whole members of the Danish clergy, and a great number of laymen, took part in it. The principal object of the conference was to unite all Danish Christians who take an interest in foreign missions, who hitherto have worked, through a number of smaller societies, into one general Danish Society. All the speakers warmly supported the project except one, and a number of important resolutions, besides the organization of the Society, were passed; for example, that endeavors should be made to awaken public zeal in the cause of missions by frequently holding missionary meetings throughout the country; that every year a general missionary meeting should be held, and that as soon as possible a Danish missionary school should be established.

FRANCE.

The Protestant Churches.-THE CENTRAL COUNCIL OF THE REFORMED CHURCHES has adopted a resolution which cannot fail to excite a most painful impression in the Protestant world, and which may yet exercise a highly disastrous influence on the civil rights of French Protestants. Last year a Protestant gendarme refused to kneel, in compliance with the military command, in a church when the host was elevated. A similar legislation existed in other Roman Catholic states, and some years ago most of the Roman Catholic deputies of Bavaria helped the Protestants faithfully to have the military code so changed that an act so revolting to Protestant feeling should no longer be demanded from them. The

Central Council of the Reformed Churches has estimated in this case the natural rights of the Protestant citizen and soldier lower than the Roman Catholics of Bavaria. They have blamed the resistance of the gendarme, pointing out that it was his duty to obey orders. They think that the honors which are rendered to the "Holy Sacrament," according to the regu lations, do not imply any idea of adoration upon the part of Protestant soldiers, who, in the fulfillment of a service upon which they are ordered, are obliged to share in it; that, therefore, the kneeling is an act of pure military obedience. The French Protestants, we understand, think generally on this point very differently, and we hope they will vindicate their right in spite of the Central Council. The occasional mismanagement of this board does not arrest THE PROGRESS OF PROTESTANTISM. In Paris the Reformed Church has been organizing her field of labor by dividing the recently extended city into new parochial districts. The flourishing Church of Lyons reports that sixty-three persons have been added to the Church during the year, chiefly converts from the Church of Rome. The schools are also well attended, and the work among the military is mak ing progress.

The Roman Catholic Church.THE INCREASE OF MONASTICISM in France formed, in July, the subject of an animated and interesting discussion of the French Senate. M. Dupin, ProcureurGeneral at the Court of Cassation, gave some official statements on the present condition of French monasticism, which created quite a sensation among the sen ators. "At the present epoch," he said, "there are many more congregations, associations, religious establishments of every nature and denomination than there were under the ancien régime. There exist now in France 4,932 religious congregations, authorized by the government, and 2,870 congregations not authorized. These associations have acquired immense property. They possess, for example, more than 100,000,000 francs in territorial estates, houses, etc. Besides this they have government securities and railway shares to unknown amounts. There is an enormous mass of wealth concentrated in the hands of these monastic orders, and which is increasing from day to day." M. Dupin demanded that three ministers-those of the interior, of justice, and of worshipshould be requested to take measures against the progress of the religious con