The State of Religion in Germany
A CORRESPONDENT of The Presbyterian (Phila.), who is studying theology at Leipsig, writes:- It is rather difficult to take a hopeful view of things as they stand in Germany. The increase of crime is alarming, and is attributed largely to the granting of free licenses to sell liquor (three-fourths of the crime is attributed largely to drink), to dance-houses, etc. The common people put into practice theories with which the philosopher amuses his study hours, and the removal of all fear of God and release from responsibility bring forth their natural fruit. Tell a man that he is descended from an animal, and that he is nothing more than an animal, and it will not be long before he manifests himself as such, and then it will take all the wisdom of the wise to keep the beast chained. The Germans have a proverb, If a man will not hear he must be made to feel. The difficulty in fighting with evil here is that the church has no standing-ground. Sunday, as a day particularly devoted to religion, is gone, almost beyond hope of recovery, and with it all chance of reaching the masses with religious and moral truths.