speak. We are in the habit of regarding it as the land of liberty; but in ecclesiastical affairs, there is a great deal of constraint. In the Catholic cantons no Protestants, until recently, were tolerated, and in those purely Protestant, the laws were equally severe against the Catholics. The form of government in each canton, is peculiar to itself. In most, it is more or less aristocratical, and in all the Protestant cantons, I believe, the magistrates have a dominant influence inthe affairs of the church. The same may be said of the free cities of Germany, as Frankfort, Bremen, and Hamburg; and therefore the decline of religion in such cities, cannot fairly be cited as examples of the decline of independent churches. In the last named city, the evil of magistrates having authority in the church, is deeply felt at the present moment; the clergy have been prohibited from preaching on the points in dispute between the orthodox and the rationalists; permission has been refused to the advocates of the truth to publish on these subjects, and in various ways, the reviving spirit of piety has been repressed and opposed.

This is a deeply interesting subject. The great question whether the church can sustain itself without the aid of the state, has never perhaps been subjected to so fair and extended a trial since the fourth century as at present in our own country. As far as the experiment has hitherto been made, the result is as favorable as the friends of religious liberty could reasonably expect. Two centuries have elapsed since the first persecuted settlers of New-England set their feet upon these shores, to rear a church in all the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free. The population of that section of the country has increased from a few individuals to eighteen hundred thousand, and there is now one minister to every thousand souls; a proportion greater than in some of the oldest countries of Europe; and there is doubtless, no equal population upon earth to whom the gospel is administered with greater fidelity and purity. The same may be said of

our own church, and of various sections of our country and denominations of Christians. In estimating the success of this experiment, there are two important circumstances which should be taken into account. The one is the rapid increase of our population. The American churches have had to supply the means of religious instruction, not merely to the regular and natural increase of their number, but to keep pace with a population which doubles itself in twentyfive years. The other circumstance is, that in many parts of our country, the population is so sparse, that to bring the ordinances of religion within the convenient reach of every family, would require one minister to every few hundred individuals. Taking these circumstances into consideration, I think that it may safely be asserted, that quite as much has been accomplished towards supplying the people with religious instruction, as in countries where this duty rests upon their governments, and quite as much as would have been accomplished by any church establishment; and to unspeakably better purpose. Still, the experiment is but in progress, and the eyes of the friends of religion, and of religious liberty, are watching its advance with the most intense anxiety. Every effort made by the free churches in America, to supply the gospel to their destitute brethren, fills their hearts with joy. Nor are they alone in the interest which they take in the state of things in this country. Those who differ from them in opinion on this subject, are watching us too, and often appeal to what they deem the failure of the experiment, in America, of a church standing without the aid of government. The accounts so often published among us, of extensive regions destitute of the means of grace, are produced as evidence of this failure. The amount of good really accomplished, and the greatness of the task imposed on the American churches, they cannot appreciate, and are thus unfortunately led to argue, from our experience, against the expediency of releasing the

struggling church, in their own country. I have heard distinguished men affirm, that if the king of Prussia should withdraw his hand from the church in his dominions, it would fall at once; and that, at the expiration of a century, they did not believe there would remain a trace of Christianity in the land. But can this be so? is the gospel so powerless? must the kingdom of Christ be propped and supported by human power, or fall to the ground? must the church submit to the contamination, unavoidable on her union with the state, or cease to exist? For the honor of Christ and his gospel, let this never be said. But let us, brethren, awake to the full interest and importance of the task to which God has called us. If the sad tale be to be told, in every Christian country, and at every Christian fire-side, (for the interest taken in this subject is well nigh universal,) that the American church has fallen, that the grand experiment has failed, let it not be in consequence of the remissness of the present generation. Our fathers have effected much in this work, and have left the rapidly increasing task to us; and a more sacred duty, a duty more vitally involving the interests and honor of religion, cannot be conceived, than that of supplying the ordinances of the gospel to the rapidly increasing population of our country, without being brought to the sad necessity of resigning liberty for life. For we may rest assured that, if the state support the church, she will govern it. Then, farewell to the purest glory of this Western Hemisphere. America will have failed of her destiny, and left her grand vocation unaccomplished.

II. Permit me now to introduce another subject scarcely less important, as the second point I would mention, in which the mind of an American Christian would be deeply interested from a residence in Europe, viz. the training of youth in knowledge and religion.

The comparison between the state of things in our country, and that existing in Europe, respecting the church, is

most decidedly to our advantage; but in reference to the point now brought forward, I am afraid it is the reverse. I shall in a very few words, state the system pursued in Prussia, both because I had better opportunities of learning its character, and because I presume it is at least equal to any other in general use. And first, the schools are divided into three classes; the higher schools or gymnasia, designed for men intended for one of the learned professions; the schools for merchants and higher order of mechanics; and those for the peasantry. Teachers for all these are regularly educated for their business. Those intended for the gymnasia, after having spent seven or eight years in one of these institutions, proceed to the university, where they remain from three to five years, attending the lectures on the branches in which they are to become teachers. Having completed this course, they are subjected to a rigorous examination, which, if they satisfactorily sustain, they are eligible to the office of instructers in the higher schools, commencing with the lower classes and rising according to merit. Those who are designed for the second class of schools, have an entirely different training; for this purpose, there is in each of the ten provinces at least one large seminary. In these institutions the future teachers, are instructed, not only in the branches. they are themselves to teach, but also in the art of teaching; the whole object being to prepare and discipline them for their work. It is not until they have completed this course, and have sustained an examination by the proper authorities, that they are allowed to enter upon their duties as instructers. For the preparation of teachers of country schools, for which such a thorough course of discipline is not considered necessary, there are smaller institutions, several in each province, all under the direction of government. These teachers are also examined as to their moral and mental qualifications, before they are allowed to enter even on the lowest grade of elementary instruction. With respect to the mode by which

the schools are supported, it must be remarked that it is different in different cases. The gymnasia, as they are designed for the higher classes of the people, are either supported by their own funds, (for some of them are very extensive establishments which have been in operation for centuries; the one in Nordhausen being I think, 300 years old) or by the usual tuition fees. The lower schools are supported by tax, where there is no adequate provision already existing; very much as in Massachusetts. The whole country is divided into districts, and the property in each district is assessed for the support of its school. This is the simplest and most efficacious plan. The schools are then not only free, but every parent is required under pain of fine or imprisonment to send his children. This law extends to the Jews, Protestants, and Catholics. If the Jews in any one place be sufficiently numerous, and have property enough, they have schools of their own. If this be not the case, they must send their children to those of the Christains. The Catholics have their own seminaries for the preparation of teachers, and their own schools supported in the same manner, and under the same regulations with those of the Protestants.

As to the course of instruction pursued in these several institutions, my time will allow me to say very little. In the gymnasia, there is a very thorough course, in the ancient languages, in several of the modern tongues, in mathematics, geography, history, &c. The leading features of the system pursued, are, having a great number of teachers, generally in the proportion of one to every ten or fifteen students; and combining constancy with variety of occupation. During most days of the week, the pupils have from seven to eight exercises, on as many different subjects, passing from one teacher to another. It is in these institutions that the German literati lay the foundation of their future eminence. The course is from five to eight years. In schools of