"Yes,' said a youth, 'our deceased father brought from Suabia this beautiful book, and we children know it all by heart.' These books also further served for the instruction and cultivation of the youth. Since the separation had taken place, the education of the children who were ready for school was undertaken by the elder members of the families, and partly by the parents. But they well perceived that this was an inadequate substitute." In former times those who were inclined to Protestantism were accustomed to hold great meetings under the guidance and direction of the more advanced and eminent in their community. For the reasons already mentioned, these had latterly been discontinued, so that there remained to them only the service of God in their families. To prevent the evil consequences incidental to such a divided state, some individuals felt strongly impelled to exercise a kind of pastoral care over the others; they visited the brethren, instructed, admonished, warned; and especially brought comfort to the sick and dying. Yet, notwithstanding their extensive influence in this respect, and their deep insight and experience in spiritual subjects, they ever forbore fromwhat must in their circumstances have been a strong temptation all intrusion on the sacramental functions. This deprivation of the sacraments was a severe affliction to these faithful servants of their Lord; "for," remarks their biographer, "there occurred among them no contempt of the visible sacraments, after the manner of the pseudo-mystics; still less, as their adversaries admit, any self-willed administration of the sacred office." "No man shall administer the sacrament without a regular call," they said, with a knowledge as accurate, as their observance was conscien. tious, of the Augsburg Confession (Art. 14.) Under these circumstances, among all their wishes, that for a regular church and school system was the loudest and most urgent: When asked whether they could support a clergyman and schoolmaster, they replied, "Why not? butter, and cheese, and bread he shall have as much as he needs; we can also build him a little house-but indeed we have not much money." The circumstances of the Protestants in Zillerthal had been for several years partly known in other countries. The king of Prussia and the king of Hanover -our own late sovereign-had heard the tale of cruelty and injustice. To the honour of William IV. be it recorded, that he was the first who moved in the matter. Again and again, in February and March, 1837, he called upon the king of Prussia to interfere. They had both been parties to the Act of Confederation, and they could not see its provisions trampled under foot, to the oppression and ruin of the Protestants of the Tyrol, without sacrificing every principle of self-respect, humanity, veracity, honour, and religion. They did not however ask for a revocation of the sentence of banishment, for this among other reasons, that it would not be desirable for the Protestants themselves to remain in the Tyrol. Their spokesman, Fleidl, says, in his affecting address to the king of Prussia, on behalf of his "companions in the faith," amounting to between 430 and 440: "We have the choice between a translocation into another Austrian province and an entire emigration; but we prefer the latter, in order to spare ourselves and children all further animosities. Already once Prussia gave to our perse. cuted forefathers a secure asylum; we too have placed all our trust in God and the good king of Prussia. We shall find help, and not be ashamed. We therefore most humbly be seech your the Augsburg Confession; we have read both with diligence, and well know the difference between the word of God and man's additions. From this faith we neither can nor ever will deviate; for its sake we leave house and home, and also our father-land. May your majesty graciously permit us to remain together in one community; that will increase our mutual help, our mutual comfort. May your majesty graciously place us in a region whose circumstances have some resemblance to our own Alpine land, wherein agriculture and the rearing of cattle have formed our occupations. About two-thirds of us have property, a third support themselves by daylabour; only eighteen are tradespeople, of whom thirteen are weavers. May it please your majesty to give us a faithful pastor, and a zealous schoolmaster, though at first we shall probably not be in a condition to afford much for their support. The journey will be very expensive, and we do not yet know what we shall be able to bring to our new home, and we have long been deprived of the consolations of religion and school instruction. Should any want show itself among us, especially among the poor, to whom the more opulent may not be able to give sufficient assistance, as they will be obliged to begin life anew, so may your majesty be a father to us all. But especially will your majesty graciously intercede for us, that the prescribed term of four months from the 11th May to the 11th September may be prolonged till the next spring (1838). The sale of our farms, which already has begun, but which cannot in so short a time be well ended without disadvantage, the setting in of winter, the helplessness of the old people and children, are considerations which make such a prolongation in the highest degree desirable. May God reward your majesty for all the kindness which your majesty may show to us! Faithful, honest and thankful will we remain in Prussia, and will not lay aside the good qualities of our Tyrolese nature. We shall only increase the number of your majesty's brave subjects, and stand in history as a lasting monument that misfortune, when it dwells near compassion, ceases to be misfortune; and that the Gospel, when obliged to fly from the Papacy, ever finds protection from the magnanimous king of Prussia," The petitioner was graciously received in the highest quarters, and his suit was answered to his entire satisfaction and that of his constituents. Dr. Strauss, (not the neologist, D. F. Strauss,) the president of the Consistory, was sent to Vienna to negociate the particulars, and to request a prolongation of the term for their emigration; in which application he was successful; the Austrian government showing a disposition to avoid everything that might give to the affair the odious colour of a religious persecution. Fourteen days earlier than the expiration of the originally prescribed term they began their departure. Many who had hitherto been their enemies, moved with sympathy, now declared that "they never thought their opposition would have led to such a sad result: that they only intended to effect a change in their resolution." Some were induced to promise their relations and acquaintance great worldly advantages, if they would remain in the valley and return to the Romanist connexion. The family of L(including seven children,) had packed up their scanty effects upon a small cart, which, in the evening, was standing before the door, ready to depart the next morning. A female relative came and offered the husband the free. hold of a rich farm, if he would consent to adhere to the Roman Catholic church. "I do not sell my religion," he calmly replied. In Maierhof many came forward to give them a friendly farewell, and to express their sorrow" that matters had come to such a pass." Even in Romanist Fügen, the women were seen weeping at their departure, and presenting, unasked, refreshments to the women and children. According to the wish of the Austrian government, they took their way through the Imperial States, Saltzburg, the Archduchy, Moravia, and Bohemia, and in small divisions. We will extract some interesting passages descriptive of the journey of the second division. The details of the proceedings of the others are of the same character. "No sooner had the congregation at Rutzenmoors heard that a second division was to follow, than they sent deputies on the high road as far as Boeklabrug to meet the emigrants, and to invite them to take up their quarters with them for the night, and to attend Divine service on the 8th of September, the festival of the Nativity of the Virgin. Here many, for the first time, entered a Protestant church. Pastor Trautberger preached on the twenty-third Psalm, commencing his discourse with the words, "This day is salvation come to my house." Immediately after, the commissary of the march directed them to proceed forward over Maria Scherten. This train was more considerable than the first, consisting of two hundred persons. Every two or three families had, in common, a waggon drawn by horses. Many of the poorer dragged along a small two-wheeled cart, carrying their goods and children. In this manner Fleidl conveyed his mother and four little children. On the Saturday they arrived in Wels and in Scharten, the seat of the Protestant superintendent; where the inhabitants opened their houses to them, and where also, for the first time, they met with unkindness from the adverse party. Even a priest suffered himself to do them this wrong. After accosting the Zillerdalers with a certain show of kindness, he proceeded to harsh words, and concluded: Now you are going to the place you belong to, even the desolate Riesengebirg; few of you, however, will arrive there, most will perish on the way through Bohemia.' 'That does not trouble us,' replied an artisan; 'if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die we die to the Lord.' On Sunday, the 10th of September, they distributed themselves in the chapels (Bethauser) at Scharten, Wallen, and Efferding; but the greater number remained at Efferding. "There the congregation devoted the front seats around the altar to the stran gers. The service began with the hymn, "Christ says, Come follow me," &c. “After this, Pastor Kotschy commenced his discourse with those lines of Terstegens: CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 26. "Forget not God's free grace and love, "He then acquainted the congregation with the fortunes of the Zillerdalers, and strikingly reminded them of the banishment, a century before, of the Saltzburgers, who then sang, "A wandering exile here I roam, For God's truth driven from land and Yet I will not repine, Since Thou, my Saviour, didst for me "The sermon was founded especially on the epistle for the day, Ephesians iii. 18, &c. After which the congregation sang the hymn, commencing "Glory and praise to God most High." "This ended, there followed a baptism, then a confession, and the holy eucharist. As it was all new to the Tyrolese, they remained silent spectators in the church. "At noon they were hospitably entertained by the members of the congregation. Many now, lifting up their hearts and voices, said, "God be thanked, it has happened quite otherwise than was reach Hausruck, no one will regard you foretold us. It was said, If indeed you as fellow believers. They will sweep you out as with a besom, and least of all, will permit you to enter their chapels.' "In the afternoon they attended the day was held on the 41st chapter of the catechising of the children, which that book of Genesis. To this the pastor added, with reference to the case of the emigrants, a discourse on the 11th verse of the 8th chapter of the Prophecy of Amos. At the conclusion, he directed his address especially to them, admonished them to be faithful, and, commending them to the divine protection, imparted to them the blessing. Afterwards, several of them visited the clergyman at his own house, conversed with him on several passages of Scripture, and expressed their thankfulness at the wonderful leadings of God's providence. Especially joyful were a blind old man of eighty-three years, and a still more aged widow, for having lived to attain the privilege of worshipping their Lord in a Protestant church, and hearing His word without distraction. We will copy a sketch of a family in the third division, which consisted of sixty persons. A clergyman from Franconia writes: Q like the Apostles who forsook everything for their divine Lord. We cite a brief illustration : "I found in Finkenberg, Q- and his family busily occupied in preparing for their emigration. A deeply interesting picture! The man with his brothers was standing in the entrance, filling baskets for their journey. The grey-headed father was within the house, surveying with a keen eye every corner of the place still so dear to him, lest any. thing should be forgotten. The wife, with an infant eight days old at her breast, was, with christian resignation, sitting by a cradle wherein a sick boy was lying. At the door stood the sister in tears, lamenting the separation from her kindred, whom she would gladly have accompanied, had she not been held back by her love to the children of her rigidly Catholic husband. They invited me to their noonday meal, the last they were to partake of in the paternal home. At table, the father of the family-of whom I may not think it evil that he did not bear this trial with the patience of his Lord-confessed that he felt the flesh still to struggle against the spirit; but,' he added, I hope, by God's help, it will soon be overcome.' Among other questions, I asked him if he was going to take his religious books with him, as the Bible, Schaitberger's Epistle, &c., or whether be had sold them. He replied, smiling, 'I do not sell the word of God; that I have bestowed upon people by whom it will he duly valued, as others also have done, because many have earnestly besought us to leave them same of our little books. Besides, the good king will not fail to give us others when we arrive in Prussia."" The following are the current testimonies of Romanist wit nesses. "The hostess of the brewery at Wiesgrund thus expressed her opinion: I should only like to know what really is the matter with these poor mad people. I know them to be honest and industrious; they have also wished to give my husband some little books, but, as he cannot read, he is not able to make any use of them. It is true, they lead a temperate and sober life, only they are not right in their religion, for they do not believe in the mother of God; and yet they are stricter than most of us in their honour of the Lord.' An apprentice asserted that they were deserving of all praise, only their inclination to Protestantism was bad." Many of the exiles had to sustain very severe trials in quitting their beloved relatives; but they were enabled to surmount them, "Among the Emigrants were two sisters who had joined one of their relatives, leaving the rest of the family at home with their father, who was sick. On my asking them whether they thought it right so to forsake their invalid father for ever, they replied, 'Yes, for had he been well, he would have come with us, and, at parting, he gave us his blessing for the journey.' In many places the exiles had to encounter great hardships; as for example: "In the hill town of Iglau, their leaders, nothwithstanding the badness of the weather, and their earnest entreaties, could obtain no quarter. On some of them going to an inn to prepare some food for the children, who were perishing with cold and hunger, the fire was extinguished, and they were with threatenings of the lash, driven out of the town. Several were refused the necessaries for the journey, though they offered to purchase them with money. More than once, the weary were directed to sheds and hog-sties, when there was no want of better accommodation; and sometimes they were even obliged to encamp, amid storm and rain, in the open air. It is true that such treatment was contrary to the will of the supreme authorities, nor was it repeated to those who came after." At the mountain village of Michelsdorf, in the circle of Landshut, the first company of Exiles first trod their new fatherland ; and received their welcome on the 20th of September, 1837, from the Protestant pastor and his flock. This company is thus described: "The first train consisted of about a hundred and twenty persons. At its head advanced the fathers and mothers, tall and well proportioned figures, wearing the well-known Tyrolese hat, and carrying umbrellas; otherwise habited in the simple costume of their country. Among all, it was easy to perceive that their dress had been newly provided for the journey. Earnest and still the procession moved forward; even the spectators, penetrated with sympathy, obresolution was expressed in the counserved a deep silence: firm, tranquil tenances of the men, humble resignation in those of the women. These were fol lowed by ten or twelve waggons carrying the aged and sick, women and children, as well as the most necessary articles of their moveable property. Then there came several small two-wheeled cars, drawn by their owners, containing their books, &c." The town of Schmiedeberg was appointed for the assembled emigrants as their first place of abode; and on the 8th of October, all the divisions having arrived, they came to the church to observe a day of public thanksgiving for their happy arrival. At the doors the clergy stood to receive them, and an appropriate hymn was sung. The church doors were then thrown open, and the clergy led in the people singing another hymn. In the course of the week all the heads of families, as well as the unmarried, were summoned to the town hall, and presented with Bibles by Pastor Siegert. With tears of joy and gratitude they received the gift. The government made provision for the instruction of the children and the adults. Daily, from the hours of eight till twelve, above eighty children, between the ages of six and fifteen, are instructed. From two till five, ninety adults are taught reading, writing, arithmetic, singing, and Bible history. From four o'clock to five, about twenty aged persons are taught to read. "Cost what it may," they said, we must learn to read the Bible." Four men of known experience and understanding were chosen from their number to preside over the little community. These were Heim, Brucker, Stock, and Fleidl, who watched over the general welfare, and superintended the occupations, which consisted chiefly in felling timber. Although not so capable as the natives of employments requiring so much exertion, they showed cheerful endurance of continuous labours. In the summer of 1838 they quitted their temporary abode at Schmiedeberg, and entered upon their new possessions in the domains of Erdsmannsdorf, where each obtained a house and farm suitable to his means and his former position in the Tyrol. The colony itself has received the name of their old home, Zillerthal, They are stated to conduct themselves in their new land in a truly Christian and edifying manner. One witness says: "Earnestly desirous for the pure word of God, they embraced with visible joy every opportunity of hearing its announcements, and are filled with gratiaffairs have taken, through the gracious tude for the happy turn which their mediation of our king. At the same time they do not conceal the sorrow and pain they felt on parting from those whom they left in the valley: However, they said, we parted from one another in peace.' And they rejoice over the victory which they then achieved, and only lament for those who, against their inward convictions, still held back. They speak without bitterness concerning the oppressions which they have endured, regarding them rather as the means necessary for the trial and purification of their faith. It must in order to attain such a glorious end.' needs all have so happened,' they said, Very many of them possess a comprehensive, fundamental acquaintance with Scripture, which they know well how to employ most effectually towards every one who asks a reason for their belief; and all maintain sound religious principles, without any partialities, eccentricities, or exaggerations. They are indeed healthy children of the vigorous times of the Reformation. "They lead among us a quiet, orderly life, displaying unaffected, harmless good nature; an earnest, tranquil, firm demeanour, a clear understanding, which, even in matters to which they are unaccustomed, speedily finds the right way. The aged Heim does not conceal 'that there are some wayward sheep in the flock:' but of a marked character these are very few. They are very desirous of exchanging their present temporary condition (this was written before their removal to Erdmansdorf) for their place of final settlement; for we are not bread without working for it.' accustomed,' say they, to eat our In short, we are firmly persuaded that when they |