With relation to schools, Norway has a very credita- ble history. Provision is made for the instruction of all classes of the people. Wlierevcr thirty children can be found in a neighborhood, a common-school is to be established in a regular school-house ; and to provide for remote and thinly settled districts, '• ambulatory schools'' have been established by law, whose teachers travel from one farm to another, giving instruction to the children of each in turn, and living with the peas- ants. The result is that it is almost impossible to find a young Norwegian who cannot at least read and write. One reason undoubtedly for the general fundamental education there is the system of compulsory attendance on school. Every child is required by law to be in the school from seven or eight years of age to the time of confirmation, which is usually in the fifteenth year — parents or guardians of such children as may ab- sent themselves being subject to a fine. In the very lowest of these schools instruction is given in read- ing, knowledge of the Christian religion, selections re- lating to history, geography, and knowledge of nature, writing, arithmetic, and singing. The law declares that all common-schools shall maintain a Christian charac- ter, and religious instruction be considered of primary importance. The school is always opened and closed with prayer or singing, or both. Of course there are many grades of schools above the common ; as the pub- lic schools, the high schools, the normal, Latin, high civic schools, and the like. In these higher schools pub- lic opinion has demanded — and it has been sanctioned by recent law — a reduction in the attention paid to the study of the classics, and a proportionate increase in the study of modern languages and natural science — a part of the great movement that is reaching all lands. The old Norse tongue and the English are both made oblig- atory branches of study. The schools of Norway cul- minate in the national university at Christiania. In- deed, it may be claimed that the inner life of the Church of Norway has been not a little affected by the founding of the university at Christiania in 1811, and the sepa- ration of the country from Denmark in 1814. Previ- ously the clergy were uniformly educated at the Uni- versity of Copenhagen, where German rationalism pre- vailed to a melancholy extent. Danes were freipiently appointed to the pastoral charge of parishes, to the great annoyance of the people, who were most unwilling to receive their ministrations. But from the time that the Norwegian students of theology had the privilege of attending their own national university a new life seemed to be infused into them, and from that kt!\ may be dated the dawn of a iruc spiritual Iii;;ht in the Church of Norway. Two excellent men, Hersleh and Stencrsen, disciples of the celeljrated Danisli tlieologiaii (irundt- vig, exercised a very favorable influence over the theo- logical students. Hauge also, both by his sermons and his printed treatises, had done much to revive true re- ligion among the people; and the Haugeanere. being
allowed perfect freedom of worship, have spread them- selves over a great part o( the country, and are recog- nised, wherever they are found, as a quiet, inoffensive, pious people. It is an important feature in the Norwe- gian Church at the present time that a large number of both the clergy and laity are disciples of the Danish theologian Grundtvig, and hence receive the name of Grundtfigians. Not that they are dissenters from the Lutheran Church, but they entertain peculiar opinions on several points of doctrine, somewhat analogous to those of the High-Churchmen in the Church of Eng- land. They hold, for example, that the act of ordina- tion conveys peculiar gifts and graces, and hence main- tain extreme views as to the sacredness of the clergy as distinguished from the laity. They hold high opin- ions as to the value of tradition, and attach a very great importance to the Apostles' Creed, which they regard as inspired. With respect to many portions of Scripture, they are doubtful as to their inspiration ; but they have no doubt as to the inspiration of the Creed, and that it contains enough for our salvation. Accordingly they are accustomed to address to the people such words as these : " Believe in the words in which you are bap- tized; if j-ou do j'our soul is saved." They consider the Bible a useful, and even a necessary book for the clergy, but a dangerous book for laymen. They hold a very singidar opinion as to the importance of '■ the liv- ing words," and maintain that the Word preached has quite a different effect from the AVord read. They even go so far as to declare that faith cannot possibly come by reading, and must come by hearing, referring in proof of their statement to Rom. x, 14. Even in the schools which happen to be in charge of Grundtvigians we find this principle carried into operation, everything being taught by the living voice of a schoolmaster, and not by a written book. Grimdtvig, the foimder of this class of theologians, who died Sept. 2, 1872, lacking but a few daj's of ninety j'ears, was bisho]i, and resided at Co- penhagen. He was the head of a large body of disci- ples, not only in Norway, but to a still greater extent in Denmark. Many of the most learned clergymen in both countries really belong to this school.