"In Germany, besides the Canstein Bible Institution, which does only the printing of the Bible, there are 25 Bible societies, the largest of which is the Prussian Prin- cipal Bible Society at Berlin, with 102 branch societies, Since its establishment in 1,814 it has spread more than four million copies of the Bible. All the 25 Bible societies in 1875 distributed 180,000, and since their establishment more than 8,000,000 copies. The 35 or 40 small or larger Tract and Colportage societies have done and are doing much to promote the reading aud understanding of the Bible.
"Great importance is now attached to the creation of a better popular literature and of a better daily press, and there are already five daily political papers with an earnest Christian tendency.
" It is encouraging that associations like those at Elber- feld and Barmen, for promoting a better Sunday's rest, begin to work, and it is a very hopeful sign that there are such societies as the Central Committee of the Home Mis- sion in Prussia, which has been so long and so ably pre- sided over by Dr. Wichern ; the Evangelical Society for Germany, which has its centre at Elberfeld and Barmen ; the Baden Colportage Society ; and that the Ratine Hans, near Hamburg, the John's Institution, near Berlin, the Barmen Mission-house, and the Orischona, near Basle, help to prepare earnest young men for the services of citv missionaries, colporteurs, and evangelists; and that such societies as the Evangelical Society send out meu whu
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visit the people from house to house, go to the poor and the sick, help the ministers in large parishes, hold Bible- classes, and conduct Sunday-schools and Tonne Men's Associations, and other meetings. The Evangelical So- ciety has now 22 colporteurs and city missionaries, and sonic travelling preachers and evangelists. It has in the last year begun popular apologetical lectures in large town's with much success, and it is quite certain that much i,. md must be done by it for Germany.
"It i- encouraging to think that abont 45 ordained min-
al work in the German home-mission field; yet
many more are wanted; many doors arc open for a larger
and freer distribution and proclamation of the Word of
G.kI.
"There is, besides, to be noticed the Reformed Church
in B( Kthi tin mi'l I:\t~t l-'rir.slaiul, colisistinir of !» coUL'ieL'a-
tii hi-, with 0 ministers. Its standard is the Heidelberg Catechism. The body was formed about thirty year- ago, after failing to induce the Church authorities to make certain reforms which it earnestly desired. It has no con- nection with the State. It is understood to lie in corre- spondence with the German Reformed Cbnrch iu North America, with a special view to the formation of a college for training ministers.
■■ Another noteworthy movement to bo mentioned here is the /'/.( h'riiii'h-h'rtil Church t,f (hrmany. Ill June, ]si;n. a number of Christians in Breslan, capital of Silesia, i, formed themselves iutoa Church, Calvin istic in doctrine and I'resbvterian in •roveminent, uii'ler the con- viction that the National Protestant church in that prov- ince was in many ways corrupt and unfaithful. They ob- jected particularly to the Lutheran view of the sacra- ments, and to the altars, images, and candles which the Lutherans retain; to the prevalent neglect of the doc- trine- of grace, and to the recognition ofthe king ns' first bishop' of the Church. Not being prepared to join the Reformed church of Bast Friesland, in consequence of their observing festivals, and for other points of differ- ence, they formed themselves into the Free Evangelical Church of Germany. There are three ministers of this Church, who have just formed themselves into a presby- tery. There are deacons and elders in the congregations, and an annual conference of elders. The conference has adopted the Westminster Shorter Catechism. The mem- ber- of this Church aim at the conversion both of .lews and Gentiles. The Church has been fostered by one, him- self a convert ofthe Jewish mission at Breslau, who takes a deep interest in Jewish missions."
III. Literature. — See Kuw Organismus ". Statistik des preuss. Stun/,.-: (Leips. 1842, 'id ed.) ; Frantz, Handb. des preuss. Staates (QuedL and Leips. 18.">4-5o); Hase, Church Hist. § 288, 374, 453, 456; Hagenbach, Church lli.<t. \s/h and 19th Cent, (see Index I; Alzog, Universal- Kirchengesch. (see Index in vol. ii); Scriptores Rerum Prussicarum (Lips. 1863 sq.) ; Voigt, Gesch. Preussens, vol. i.iv: Bender, l>< VeterumPmtenorum Diisi Braunsb. 1865); Beitragi z. Kirchengesch. des I9ten Jahrhunderts (Augsb. L835); Ellendorf, Die kathol Kirch, Preussens (Rudolfst. 1837); Ranke, Memoirs of th House ofBran- denburg and Hist, of Prussia (Lond. 1849, 3 vols. 8vo); Krabbe, Die < vangt I Lawk skirch Pn usst n*i Berl. 1849) ; Kurtz. Church Ili.<t. ii. 56, 327, 401 : Baur, Religious l.if, in Germany (Lond. 1870, 2 vols. 8vo) ; Brit, and For. Ev. Rev. Oct. L875, art. iv; Dorner, Hist, of I'm/. Theol ii. ions,,.; Edwb.Rev. April, 1874, art. iii; Lond. Qu. /.'"•. April, 1874, art. i; Chambers's Cyclop, s. v., which we have used in the treatment of secular history, though without accepting its extreme anti-Prussian ex- pressions.
Prynne, William, famous in the history of Eng- lish Puritanism, was bom of a good family at Swans- wick, in Somersetshire, 1600, and became a barrister^at- law and member of Lincoln's Inn at the time when Dr. Preston, a celebrated Puritan divine, was lecturer there.