EUROPE by W. T. Bartlett

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 8, 1899

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 25, No. 10.

EUROPE.

By W. T. Bartlett

From a religious standpoint, Europe falls into three great divisions, Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Greek.

The Protestants, who number some eighty-eight millions, are found principally in Germany, Scandinavia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. It must not be assumed, however, that the religious standard in these countries is a very high one. In Germany, with a total population of fifty-three millions, there are nearly eighteen million Roman Catholics, and a careful computation shows that of the Protestant portion at least ten millions must be without even a portion of the Scriptures. The Lutheran pastors in many instances discourage the reading of the Bible among their flocks, and socialism, almost invariably associated with avowed infidelity, makes rapid growth in numbers and influence.

The principal Roman Catholic countries are Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. The Church of Rome has in Europe 170,000,000 adherents, but, notwithstanding ecclesiastical tyranny, always ready to display itself in medieval methods, and the poverty of the people, who are largely dependent upon charities administered by the priests, there is, in more than one country, an evident breaking away from Rome. While this too often develops into a violent hatred for all religion, the faithful and persistent effort to circulate the Scriptures is, in many places, beginning to bear fruit. In Italy Rome is rapidly regaining her old influence over the populace. Yet priests and monks are leaving her ranks and preaching the Gospel to large audiences. The

same is here in France, where a number of the guests, desiring the purification of their church, have formed an Evangelical Reform Association, which publishes a paper of its own. In France, as in other countries, the Secularist hatred for all forms of religion grows more and more bitter. One missionary says that nine-tenths of the so-called Liberals would cast out any member of their family who should dare to read the Bible. At present Protestantism shares with the Jews the rancor which has been stirred up over the Dreyfus agitation. There are 700 Protestant pastors in France, as against 43,000 Roman Catholic officials. Nearly eight millions of the population refuse to make any declaration of religious belief.

The ice-covered Fuerst Bismarck coming up the Lower Bay. See the article, "The Earth Waxed Old," on preceding page. LANDING OF STEERAGE PASSENGERS.

Yet the Gospel finds a footing. The McAll Mission, now in its twenty-sixth year, has established eighty-two stations where the Word is preached. It also sends a floating mission hall, Le Bon Messager, which will seat 160 persons, up and down the rivers and canals of France. The population of Belgium is professedly Roman Catholic, but here also an increasing proportion are Free-thinkers. In priest-ridden Spain, various societies distribute 100,000 copies of the Bible annually, and fruit occasionally appears. In Austria, as in every other Catholic country, bitter political strife bars the way to the reception of the Gospel, but among the common people some hear it gladly. The principal work done is by colporters, a very necessary feature of evangelistic enterprise in countries like Austria, where, with a population of forty millions, there are only six cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants.

The Greek Church comprises the Slavonic races in Russia, Greece, and the Balkan Peninsula, and has a following of eighty-eight millions. Altho it shows little mercy to deserters, the Greek Church, unlike the Roman, encourages the circulation of the Scriptures, and the Russian Government offers many facilities to the societies engaged in this work, such as free passes over the railways for books and colporters. In view of this friendly attitude towards the Bible, it is easy to see how the Lord can turn to good account the rapid expansion of the Russian Empire over Northern Asia.

In Turkey there are, besides Greeks, about six million Mohammedans. These are mostly in deep poverty and a continual state of revolution. If any among them receive the Gospel they are subjected to considerable persecution, but the seed is being sown. There are also about seven million Jews scattered throughout Europe, for whose conversion to Christianity a number of societies are laboring, with very small success.

Europe is abundantly supplied with ecclesiastical organizations, but, considered as a missionary field, its need is not less than that of any other dark continent.

W. T. BARTLETT.