FROM a religious standpoint, Europe falls into three great divisions, Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Greek. The Protestants, numbering some 88,000,000, are found principally in Germany, Scandinavia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom; but the religious standard is generally low. In Germany, with a total population of 53,000,000, there are nearly 18,000,000 Roman Catholics, and of the Protestant portion, at least 10,000,000 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, associated almost invariably 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 and the poverty of people largely dependent upon charities administered by 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 efforts to circulate the Scriptures are, 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 true in France, where a number of the priests, 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 would dare to read the Bible. There are 700 Protestant pastors in France, as against 43,000 Roman Catholic officials. Nearly 8,000,000 of the population refuse to make any declaration of religious belief; 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.
In priest-ridden Spain various societies distribute nearly 100,000 copies of the Bible annually, and fruit occasionally appears.
The Greek Church comprises the Slavonic races in Russia, Greece, and the Balkan Peninsula, and has a following of 88,000,000. This church, tho showing little mercy to Dissenters, unlike the Roman encourages the circulation of the Bible, and the Russian Government offers many facilities to the societies engaged in this work, such as free passes over the railway for books and colporters. In view of this friendly attitude toward 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 6,000,000 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 7,000,000 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.