Brothers, let us then rejoice and return thanks! Let us think of what we were and of what we now are. No discouragement, no faint-heartedness. Let our hearts beat high, high above all fear and distrust, very high above all littleness and unwholesome zeal for the spirit of sect or party. Let us work with those who work, let us love with those who love, let us pray with those who pray, let us hope with those who hope. The future belongs to the eternal God.

ART. XI.-FOREIGN RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

PROTESTANT WORK IN SPAIN.

A LEADING German Protestant of Stuttgart recently made a visit to Spain, with a view of there studying the present evangelizing work in its various phases, and in an extended report gave a very interesting account of the activity of foreign Protestant workers on Spanish soil. In the north-eastern section of the land an American mission, led by Mr. Thomas Gulick, of Boston, supports eleven churches. In nine cities there are regular pastors or evangelists; while two cities, though without their own pastors, have regular meetings. The expense of supporting these amounts to about $20,000 yearly, which passes through the hands of a brother of the above, now stationed in San Sebastian. In his report of the work he declared that fifteen or twenty years ago he would not have thought of urging the Spaniards to support the mission from their own means, but that now he endeavors tó take collections from the congregations, though the members are nearly all of the poorer classes. In Valladolid a worthy English gentleman by the name of Armstrong commenced the work of evangelization in 1870 by forming a congregation. This work has already extended to nine centers, which together count 120 Church members and about 80 children in a school taught by a Spanish teacher. In Seville, where the Inquisition once had its principal seat, we find the only churches for Protestants in Spain; the other buildings are merely chapels or prayerrooms. The pastor of the principal one of these churches is supported by a Scotch Committee, and the congregation numbers about 140 members. The minister of a second congregation is maintained by the Anglican Church, and still a third church is in possession of the Protestants, as is a chapel in the suburbs. Four hundred children are reported to be in the Protestant schools of Seville.

In Cadiz and Xeres there are small Protestant congregations, ranging from 9 to 45 members, with 150 school children in all. The pastors of these are supported by the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland. This body also sustains a school of 150 children in Puerto. This is a sea-port and a very important city, to which has been transferred the English Seminary for the training of teachers and preachers.

In Malaga there are 130 enrolled members, with 100 communicants and about 200 school children, all supported by the Anglican Church. There are three principal Protestant congregations in Barcelona, of which the most effective one is controlled by a Swiss Committee of Lausanne, and whose preacher is said to speak Spanish better than any other of the foreign clergy. Auberlen gives it as his decided opinion that the Protestant work would be very weak were it not for the foreign teachers. The Spaniards have not in themselves the strength and enterprise to carry on the work without direction and aid. He thinks that of the many school children a very small proportion will be likely to grow up into genuine Protestant Church members. On the whole, his judgment is not very encouraging in regard to the children.

THE WORSHIP OF THE SAINTS IN ITALY.

When the United Kingdom of Italy was formed, and Rome became its capital, the government and local authorities in a great many sections adopted various measures with a view to confine the celebration of the saints within the churches, and to put an end to all noisy and pomp ous celebrations in public. The first step to be taken in this direction was to prevent all state officials from taking any official part in the ceremony, and for a time there was comparatively little outward show in Italy of the saint-worship of the churches. But for the last few years the ceremonies are again gaining ground in public, while the rescripts and regulations are being forgotten. Of late many of the patron saints have their former noisy festivals, which crowd out all regular religious service, and at which many of the civil authorities again appear. We quote a few examples as illustrations. In Modena two pretended martyrs are worshiped as patron saints. In the financial report of the city is an entry entitled "Expenses for participation of the City Council in the festival of the patron saints." For years this entry did not appear, but in January last public opinion pressed so hard on the city authorities that they were forced to introduce the former customs and "respect tradition." Quite a bill was incurred for the purpose of obtaining new gala uniforms, at the expense of the city, in honor of said saints. The second example may be found in the city of Catania, in Sicily, which boasts of the honor of possessing the body of Saint Agatha, who protects the city as a patron saint. Her festival is one of a very magnificent character, in which the worldly and the spiritual meet in strange medley. The silver coffin of the saint is borne along in solemn procession, while crowds of men and women, clad in long white robes, follow it with loud cries and fantastic demonstrations. These festivities, that last for about a week, resemble the Saturnalia and the Bacchanalia of the ancient Romans. After some years of absence the city authorities appeared at the last one in February. The municipal buildings were adorned with immense figures and wax tapers, and the councilors, clothed in gay garbs, took part in the procession. We need scarcely say that this

return to the Saturnalia by the Church is regarded with apprehension by the general government.

THE JEWISH QUESTION IN GERMANY.

Although we hear of but few external conflicts in Germany with the Jews, there is, nevertheless, no actual truce between the combatants; the strife is being waged on a deeper basis. A great many German Publicists are in the field, some discussing the atheistic character of the anti-Semitic leaders, and others attacking even Luther for having given the Jewish Bible to the people as a means of advancing the Reformation. One author still harps upon the question of the biblical proof of shedding virgin blood in sacrifice. To him and his school Delitzsch replies in a work, entitled "Latest Visions of the Anti-Semitic Prophet," in which he proves that no assertion of this kind can be found. Here, even, three Catholic theologians enter the field, decidedly contesting such a translation of any real or supposed book of the Bible. Dr. Lehnhardt gives us a very good review of the progress of the anti-Semitic movement. He acknowledges that though its course is now quiet its channel is very deep. His remedy for the trouble is mixed marriage of Jews and Christians, in which he would find the only means of reconciliation between the two opposing elements.

A new field of activity is found in the so-called "Institutes" of the students in many of the universities. These societies have been formed at Leipzig, Halle, Erlangen, Breslau, Berlin, and other cities. A young theologian is a special enthusiast in this work, endeavoring to awaken among Christians a mission zeal and activity for Israel. The Leipzig Institute is now engaged in publishing pamphlets on the Jewish question. In the midst of this war with the pen, the feeling in the Jewish camp seems at present divided; yet those writers seem best to reach the ear of the Jewish multitude who speak quieting words to them, and encourage their self-consciousness. An anonymous pamphlet, entitled "Why Do We Not Embrace Christianity?" has obtained no hearing among them. The common complaint is cast into their faces from every direction, that of the labor that all nations have to perform they are sure to choose the most agreeable and profitable. The statistics of the Jews of Berlin show that while eight per cent. of them enter the so-called liberal professions, eighty-five per cent. enter commercial callings, and the merest fraction thus adopt manual labor for a support. Or, while, according to the number of Jews in Breslau, 2,000 should enter the elementary schools, only 500 of them are there, while the remaining 1,500 enter the higher schools; three fourths of the entire number, therefore, press into the higher occupations. Another very unacceptable fact is the immigration of Jews from abroad into Prussia. So many of these come from Posen and other outlying districts to Berlin, that they form at least one fourth of the entire Jewish population of the capital. A large number of these foreign Jews seem to come simply to make rapid and

prosperous commercial ventures, and then retire. The social and intellectual growth of that great city thus clearly depends largely on the development of the Jewish question, which will certainly remain a very active one, and a very caustic and dangerous one, for some time to come.

CITY MISSION WORK ABROAD.

There is a wonderful activity in the line of city mission work in several European capitals, whose pastors and zealous laymen are waking up to the fact that the mass of the people will not crowd into the State churches, and that if they are to be reached at all by Christian effort they must be pursued. The famous court preacher of Berlin, Dr. Stöcker, is proving to be a noble leader in this aggressive Christianity. He acknowledges that the German capital has but few Christian congregations, churches, and preachers, and calls on the city mission work to supply these needs. He appeals not to the state, but to the people, for money, and generally finds by the end of the year that providential gifts make his accounts even. He began with a comparatively small yearly demand, but last year pleaded for $25,000, and received very nearly that sum. He has workers visiting individuals and families, and reports about 60,000 visits annually. The number of the children in the mission Sunday-schools has increased to over 3,000, and the individual assemblies of young people and adults have grown very noticeably. The enterprise is now extending its work to the suburbs, and Dr. Stöcker is calling for 100 city missionaries. When the individual missionary work was begun, a few years ago, the workers were received with rudeness, or even insult; now they report no coarse words, and declare the hatred toward the Church to be rapidly disappearing. The best proof of the influence exerted is shown in the increased number of marriages and baptisms, the percentage of these being far greater than in other German cities to which this mission work has not extended. Their mode of operation is seen in the increased activity of the clergy, in the extension of the system of deaconesses, and in the publication of circulars, appeals, and tracts of the Evangelical Association, of which their last report gives the following figures: 60,246 tracts, 161,403 sermons, 5,403 subscriptions to religious periodicals, especially the very popular and excellent "Berlin Sunday Journal." The society during the last year sold 225 Bibles, gave away 78, sold 1,045 New Testaments, gave away 583, and gave and sold about 8,000 Prayer-books. Small as this report may seem to us, who have long cherished this work in our great cities, it is large and encouraging for those to whom the work is new, and in the city where infidel and atheistic tendencies are so rife and aggressive among the masses.

ART. XII.-FOREIGN LITERARY INTELLIGENCE,

THE latest work of Padre Curci, who was some time ago expelled from the Order of Jesus, but who still claims to be a priest, is very severe on the Pope. It is entitled "The Vatican Desiring a Royal Throne::A Worm Still Gnawing Within the Catholic Church." Curci declares that the peculiar misfortune of the papacy and papal Church is the desire to continue the temporal power, because the loss of this now places the Pope in the highly undignified attitude of a pretender. The present condition of the Christian Church, he urges, will no longer tolerate such commingling of powers; and so long as the Vatican will not cease these claims, so long will it fail to possess the sympathy of the noblest spirits among the Catholics themselves, and will prepare for itself humiliation after humiliation from the direction of the secular powers. Curci dedicates his work to the young clergy and the thoughtful laical world. To such laymen and priests Curci may do much good through his book, for they can draw from it many good lessons. In former times the laymen found a pleasure in seeing the priests rich and powerful, clothed in purple and fine linen, sparkling with precious stones, and driving like lords in magnificent coaches, with proud lackeys. To-day, fortunately, the intelligent world finds no pleasure in such displays, but rather despises and condemns them. Such clergy as Curci would train up-rich in knowledge, modesty, and feeling-are those that are not wanted by the papacy of to-day; and consequently the Vatican -condemns this book and curses this keen and courageous old man in the most caustic terms.

In view of the above, a very timely publication is the "History of the Index Expurgatorius," by Professor Reusch, of Bonn. It is highly interesting to follow this historian in his investigation of the catalogues of forbidden books in all Catholic countries. In the first class of the Index are the authors whose entire writings are condemned; some of these are innocent jurists, who perhaps in only one single instance had censured the canonical law of marriage; or they are authors of lexicons and grammars, who through typographical errors or some misunderstanding have made themselves unacceptable. There are some special investigations as to the position in the Index of men like Savonarola, Macchiavelli, and Boccaccio. Among the details are to be found, the history of the suit of the Inquisition against the Archbishop Carranza of Toledo, on account of his Cathecismo Cristiano, and the discussion of the Ten Rules of the Index of Trent. This is claimed to be the first book published in regard to the famous Index, on which it throws a good deal of light.

In truth, Catholicism is receiving rather more than its due meed of attention in the publications of the day, a fact that shows how keen is the public appreciation of the ecclesiastical situation. Professor 38-FOURTH SERIES, VOL. XXXVI.