Page:Adventures of Baron Wenceslas Wratislaw of Mitrowitz (1862).djvu/47

 Suddenly orders came from Vienna that this intercourse must cease, and the poor Protestants of Fleissen must find a clergyman, and build a church and schoolhouse for themselves. The representations of the Saxon government were of no avail. Just at this time the German Protestants were celebrating the 200th anniversary of the death of Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden at Lützen, in 1632, and Dr. Grossmann, of Leipsic, bethought himself of the idea of a society for the assistance of struggling Protestant congregations, which is now being so magnificently carried out, and appears on the stage of the world as a worthy rival of the great English Bible and Missionary Societies.

This excellent society has assisted several congregations in Bohemia, both Lutherans and Reformed; and last year one of its agents travelled through Bohemia and Moravia with a view to the furtherance of its objects in those countries. The result of his journey has appeared in the October number of the Protestantische Monatsblätter of 1861. The writer of this article draws particular attention to the entire freedom from Rationalism enjoyed by these Slavonic churches, and to the fact that nothing but the most strictly Scriptural doctrine is heard from their pulpits, or would be endured by the congregations. He laments the poor and dependent position of the Protestant clergy, and also the great difficulty which they have in procuring a regular academical or theological education. Owing to the expense of and difficulty in obtaining such an education, and also owing to the dependent position of the clergy, as paid entirely by their congregations, it has come to pass that there are now four Reformed benefices vacant in Bohemia, and only two young men studying as candidates of theology. If they become salaried by the Government, their offensive power against the mass of Popery would be gone, and they would be looked