lie at so great a distance from each other, that a native is frequently obliged to travel three days, in order to attend divine service. The Laplanders have now a translation of the new testament in their language, and many of the natives are able to read and write.* DENMARK. THE establised religion in this kingdom is the Lutheran, which was introduced in 1536. Missions for the conversion of the pagans are established in the more remote possessions of the crown in Lapland, Greenland, and Tranquebar.† The Danish clergy consist of bishops, provosts, and ministers. In Denmark there are six bishops, four in Norway, and two in Iceland. Of these the bishops of Zealand have the precedence, and are the metropolitans, there being no archbishops. The bishops are called, in publie acts, superintendants. All ecclesiastical affairs are subject to the regulations and the jurisdiction of the college of supreme inspectors. The provosts con vene every six months a subordinate meeting of the ministers under their inspection, in which they preside, and over which they exercise a jurisdiction; from which an appeal lies to the supreme inspectors. The Calvinists enjoy great freedom in the Danish territories; though in some places they are not allowed to make proselytes, or to preach against other religions. Papists and Mennonites are under greater restrictions: they cannotmarry Lutherans without a license, and must educate the children of both sexes Lutherans. Lutheran preachers who deviate from the established doctrines are deposed, but the government allows them pensions.§ * Encyclopædia, vol. ix. p. 572. ↑ The Moravians have missionaries established in the Danish West-India islands. Two Moravian missionaries formed the project; and were exceedingly desirous of selling themselves as slaves, that they might have an opportunity of preaching Christ to the negro slaves at St. Thomas's. They supposed that a teacher, by becoming himself a slave, might be always among them, and hence able to instruct them without interruption. Upon being informed that no white persons could, according to law, be admitted as slaves, they purposed to work at a trade for a livelihood, and arrived at St. Thomas's, December 15, 1732. Their sufferings in the beginning of the mission were exceedingly great, but at length their labours were crowned with abundant success. To use the words of one of the Moravian society, Many thousands are now gathered around the throne of the Lamb from that quarter; and about ten thousand, in onr connexion, are at present belonging to his church here on earth." See Baptist Annual Register. Zimmermann, p. 62. Erskine's Sketches of Church History for 1790, p. 215, SWEDEN. re strained from public schools, seminaries and monasteries, for spreading their opinions, and not allowed public ceremonies and processions.† THE religion established of offices in the state, in Sweden is Lutheran, which the sovereign must profess, and is engaged to maintain in the kingdom. Calvinists, Roman Catholics, and Jews, are tolerated. The superior clergy of It appears from a narrative Sweden have preserved the of a tour through Sweden, dignities of the Roman Ca- lately published in German, tholic church. It is composed that the Swedenborgists are of the archbishop of Upsal, successfully and rapidly proof eleven bishops, and one pagating their sentiments in hundred and ninety-two pro- that country; and that a large vosts, or presidents. The number of the men of genius jurisdiction, in ecclesiastical and science in the kingdom matters, is in the hands of are of that denomination. The nineteen consistories. The two principal associations of number of inferior clergy, the Swedenborgists, are those comprehending the ministers of Stockholm and London. of parishes, &c., amounts only From them originated the to one thousand three hundred proposition of abolishing the and eighty seven.* slave trade, and the richest among them have zealously collected immense sums to found the colony of Sierra Leona, on the west coast of Africa. The diet at Stockholm, in 1779, granted the free exercise of religion to strangers settling in Sweden; yet so that they should be incapable RUSSIA. THE established religion in this empire is the greek. This church keep lent and other days of fast, which are very numerous, with the utmost strictness; its liturgy in Russia continues to be read in the old Sclavonian language. There is a sect of dissenters who call themselves christians of the old faith, but who are called apostates by the established church: the differences between them relate chiefly to ceremonies. The church is not subject to the jurisdiction of the patriarch of Constantinople, but has been governed * Zimmermann, p. 78. ↑ Erskine, p. 215. Monthly Magazine for 1798, vol. vi. p. 458. since the time of Peter the There are numerous cereGreat by a national council, monies in the worship of the called the Holy Synod, com- greek church. The great posed of a president, two vice- sanctification of the waters is presidents, and nine other periormed at St. Petersburgh members. The Russian clergy twice in the year, in commeconsist of three metropolitans; moration of the baptism of viz. those of Kiew and Tobolsk, our Saviour. This ceremony, and the newly appointed me- which is one of the most magtropolitan of Georgia; of nificent in the greek church, twenty-eight bishops, inde- is celebrated in the following pendent of the metropolitans, manner: and subject to the authority of the synod, who preside over dioceses, called Eparchies, and of proto-popes, popes, and deacons. Marriage is forbidden to the archbishops and bishops, but allowed to the inferior clergy. There are four hundred and seventy-nine convents for men, and seventyfour for women, containing about seventy thousand persons. The convents of monks are governed by presidents, called Archimandrites; those of nuns by women, called Igumenias. Above nine hundred thousand peasants belong to the estates in possession of the clergy.* A pavilion, supported by eight pillars, under which the chief part of the ceremony is performed, is erected on the Moika, a stream which enters the Neva, between the winter palace and the admiralty. This pavilion is painted and richly guilt; on the top is a gilded figure of St. John; on the sides are pictures of our Saviour, represented in different situations; and immediately over the hole, which is cut through the ice into the water, the figure of a dove is suspended. This place, which is called the Jordan, is surrounded with a temporary fence of fir branches. A plat * Zimmermann, p. 44. A modern English author asserts, that the church service in Russia is entirely performed in the Sclavonian tongue, which the people do not understand, as it is very different from the modern Russian; and that this service consists in abundance of trifling ceremonies, long masses, singing, and prayers; all which are performed by the priests, the congregation only repeating, "Lord, be merciful to me." They sometimes add a lecture from one of the fathers; but there are few churches in which sermons are ever delivered, and even in these they preach but seldom. See Payne's Epitome of History, vol. i. p. 91. Anecdotes of the Russian Empire, form of boards, covered with red cloth, is laid for the procession to go upon, guarded also by a fence of boughs. After the liturgy is finished in the chapel of the imperial palace, the clerks, the deacons, the priests, the archimandrites, and bishops, dressed in their richest robes, and carrying in their hands lighted tapers, the censer, the gospel, the sacred pictures and banners, proceed from the chapel to the jordan, singing the hymns appointed in the office; being followed by the empress, the grand duke, and the whole court. All the troops in the city are drawn up round the place; the standards of the regiments are also planted round it. After the rite is performed with customary prayers and hymns, all who are present have the happiness of being sprinkled with the holy water: the standards of the army and the artillery receive similar consecration, and the ceremony is concluded with a triple discharge of musquetry. The Russians believe that such virtue remains in the waters after this ceremony, that those taken in the night, when the service is performed in the church, will remain uncorrupt for years, and be as fresh as water immediately taken from the spring or river.* Beside the greek church all other religious professions are tolerated, and enjoy the free exercise of their worship. No person is excluded from any office or employment on account of his religion. Livonia, and some other provinces, which formerly belonged to Sweden, are of the Lutheran persuasion. The Roman Catholics inhabit the Polish provinces, in which the order of the Jesuits is still tolerated, and under the government of the catholic archbishop of Mohilow. The jews are tolerated in or near the Polish provinces. The Armenians have a bishop of their own residing at Astracan. In the province of Saratow there are several flourishing settlements ✦ King's History of the Greek Church, pp. 384, 385. The late Catherine the second had granted the Jesuits in her dominions the power of electing a vicar general to preside over the society, with all the privileges which that institution formerly enjoyed, provided only they were compatible with the laws of her empire; and without waiting for the consent of the holy see, she entitled the bishop of Mallo archbishop of Mohilow of the Roman church, The Jesuits in Russia were permitted to live according to their monastic rules; they were allowed to take novices; their colleges were frequented by young men of the most distinguished families in Lithuania and Russia; and nothing was wanting to their complete resurrection, the object of all their hopes and of all their intrigues, but the formal acknowledgment of Pius the sixth. See Life of Pius vi. vol. i, p, 63, are of Moravian brethren. Of the Asiatic nations belonging to this vast empire, some mahometans; others worship the dailai lama of Thibet, and others have a form of paganism peculiar to themselves.* : his father has done before him. Neither is there any thing like a religious test for admission to public offices. The first persons in the civil and military departments, are Greek, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Calvinistic, &c., as it may happen. The sovereign's choice is a sufficient qualification, nothing existing to controul it. Yet there is a national church, strongly marked by its privileges, and perfectly secured against the dread of all other churches' innovation for though the different sectaries may change at pleasure from one church to another, yet the true native Russian must inviolably adhere to the religion in which he was bornthe greek: any change in him is apostacy; and foreign ecclesiastics are forbidden to receive a Russian into their communities. Nay, if a fo reigner once conforms to the established religion, he is fixed in it for ever. If a foreigner's children, in defect of a clergyman of his own profession, chance to receive baptism from a greek priest, they must likewise ever remain members of the national church. Moreover: in marriages between a Russian and a foreigner, the offspring, without a very particular dispensation from court, must be educated in *Zimmermann, p. 45. For three centuries past it has been the practice of the Russian sovereigns to indulge strangers in the free enjoyment of their religious worship; and under the name of strangers, appear to have been included those numerous tribes, or nations, which have been adopted into the Russian empire by submission or conquest. This policy has probably been derived from the Turks, and other eastern nations; and it has in latter reigns been enforced by the necessity of inviting strangers, in order to carry into effect the great plans of civilization and improvement which have been transmitted from one sovereign to another. The account in question was drawn up in the reign of the late empress Catherine, whose managing spirit reduced this, like every other public concern, into a system. The following are its essential points: All religions are tolerated in Russia. Christians of every denomination, jew, mahometan, pagan, may each worship his God, or gods, in the way |