one who could sing joined with fervour in the sacred song. Even my old subaltern, whose voice was painfully harsh and unmusical, drew from his pocket a hymn book and a pair of copper spectacles; his tones were tremulous and discordant, but, in my estimation, his musical deficiencies were amply redeemed by the tears which rolled abundantly down his hollow and time-worn cheeks.

Thus was this terrible camp scene converted, as if by miracle or magic, into a solemn, and, surely,an acceptable service of the Almighty.

From the Algemeinen Kirchenzeitung.

THE following table contains the number of Christians, who lived in each Century of the Christian era, from the 1st till the 18th, included:

Century.
1st,

Number of Christians.

500,000

Christians, (at present increasing very fast,)

Supposing now the population of the whole earth to be 1,000,000,000, the following numbers will show the population dívided in regard to religion:

Jews, (their number remains nearly stationary,)

2,500,000 200,000,000

Muhamedans, (remaining stationary, or decreasing,) 140,000,000

Pagans, or such as have no religion, (decreasing,)

657,500,000

Since 1818, the Christians have very much increased in all parts of the globe. A thousand and more Bible Societies spread the Scriptures in many languages throughout the world. In the year 1800, the Evangelical Missionaries had only 157 establishments, now their number is no less than 300. The Roman Catholics, also, are not behind in the propagation of their religion, and in the course of this present century, they have printed many editions of the Bible for their Missions.

(Communicated.)

STATE OF RELIGION IN THE REPUBLICS OF SOUTHAMERICA.

1.—BUENOS AYRES.-As this Country has been, for more than sixteen years, independent of the mother country, the consequences of the revolution have here taken a deeper root than in any other part of South-America.

After the Bishop had been exiled, for his attachment to Spain, the secular Clergy chose another out of ther own midst, who still continues to administer to the spiritual concerns of the country, assisted by a Consistory. The tithes, which were formerly collected by the Viceroy, are in the hands of the new government, which applies them, in part, to the maintenance of the higher Clergy, and of thirty or forty Parish Priests, and in part for the establishment of Schools and other general purposes.

The revenues of the several Monastic Orders have all been confiscated by government, and the Monasteries suppressed; except that of the order of St. Francis. The members of this order amount yet to 20; but it has been resolved that they are to receive no monies, and as soon as the number is reduced to 18, this order shall share the fate of the others. Two nunneries yet exist, one with 22 the other with 12 nuns. Monastic institutions have in a great degree lost their former credit, and the members of them are even treated with derision.

The Government favors education, and several Lancaster Free Schools have been established. Protestants enjoy liberty of conscience. An American Presbyterian Minister, is in Buenos Ayres, busily engaged in printing and distributing Tracts, in the Spanish language.

2.-CHILI. In this country the state of Religion is nearly the same as in Buenos Ayres. The secular Clergy here likewise receive their salaries from the income of confiscated tithes, amounting only to 1-4th of what they formerly received. The number of festivals has been greatly reduced. A Bishop was exiled in consequence of his monastical sentiments. The Papal Delegate, Musci, after first coming to Buenos Ayres, where he was received with much enthusiasm by the people, was compelled to leave that country in twenty-four hours, by

an order of Government, because he would not deliver his credentials to the existing authorities, and then turned his steps to Chili. There, likewise, he soon excited suspicion, and was desired to return to Europe. A law has been passed for the suppression of the Monasteries, but has not yet been fully put in force; and their still remain six Monasteries and seven Nunneries in St. Jago, the Capital. In the Province of Coquimbo, many buildings erected by the Jesuits for their Colleges are now used for Schools and hospitals.

3.—PERU.-Lima, the capital of Peru, was the most valuable possession of the King of Spain, in America, if we except the City of Mexico. In Lima was the residence of the Viceroy; here the nobility assembled, and here was also the rendezvous of the higher Clergy, where they possessed palaces and drew rich revenues; here was the seat of the Inquisition; and in no part of the world, Rome perhaps excepted, did the Catholic Religion shine with equal splendour.There are eighty Churches in Lima, some of which have a length of 450 feet, two steeples, and a high dome in the centre, and from six to fifteen heavy bells attached to each Church. More than twenty Monasteries are connected with these Churches. Before the revolution, all the sacred vessels were made of massive gold and silver. During the war they lost a great part of these riches, but they still derive large revenues from their lands, some of them to the amount of 20, 000 dollars per annum. The authority of the Clergy is still undiminished here. The Monks have not yet felt the heavy hand of the new rulers, and young men still enter one or the other of the monastic orders. However the measure of secularization has been mentioned in Cổngress, and will no doubt be gradually effected.

4.-COLOMBIA.-The religious state of this Republic, resembles that of Peru. The Monastic Orders continue to hold their possessions. A law has been passed for the secularization of all the Monasteries, but is not yet put in force. In Bogota, a Bible Society has been established, to which the first characters in the Republic have contributed.

5.-GUATEMALA.-In this state, which has less commerce with foreigners than any of the others, the Monks still enjoy their full authority.

Lately, however, a newspaper in this state, has ventured to notice the immoral conduct of the Monks, and it is to be expected that very soon they will share the fate of their brethren, in the other Republics of South-America.

For the Lutheran Magazine.

CHRISTIAN PILGRIMAGE.

Ir not unfrequently happens to the traveller, that comparing his path with the end of his journey, which he beholds from afar, he stops, muses and doubts, and appears unable to comprehend how the road, which he is obliged to travel, can be the right one. It is only when he has reached the end, only when his journey is finished; and he now once more surveys the course he took, that he then not only perceives, that he has not proceeded in a direct course, but he also discovers, that because of the situation of the place, to which he had been travelling, it was impossible for him to approach it directly. Still he is satisfied, he has not lost his way; he has reached the destined haven, although now and then as it seemed to be, through a byroad and a circuitous route, he smiles at his former discontent and doubts, and he rejoices that he is at the end.

As with the traveller, so it often is likewise with the reflecting Christian in his wanderings through the wide extended field of church history. He also sometimes stops hesitating, and asks himself: Is it possible, that this circuitous road shall lead to the end? But at length the last hill is reached, a paradise appears, and before him he beholds the Cross in its heavenly lustre.

A glorious, holy assemblage surrounds me. Welcome ye all, known and unknown! Soon we will be at our journey's end. Here stop, look back and consider how we have found our way hither."

Proceeding from Jerusalem, it appeared, as if in all places wheresoever we came, all was prepared for a friendly reception. The Jews were our brethren, and the victorious eagles of the heathen-what had they to fear of the Jews, that contemned people? And our faith, said we comforting each other, has no reason whatever to shun the light; we believe nothing, except that which Jesus taught, and where is the sage, who has solved the great question of man concerning God-concerning the desires of the mind and life-concerning hope, happiness and a future state in so satisfactory and clear a manner, as He. Who can be offended, if we believe and say, that God is the Father of us all, that he delights more in obedience than in sacrifices, that, wherever thou prayest to Him fervently, there He will hear thee; that love and charity only, make us His children, and that we all shall one day appear in the presence of the great Father of all.-Who will be displeased, if we endeavour to open to others that heaven on earth, which we ourselves find every where? And in fine, what Monarch can justly complain, if we make the world the temple of God, and all men the people of the Most High.

Thus we went on in the name of the Lord. Our walk and our de

votions were silent and in secret. The poor rejoiced in our charity, and the good in our harmony. Baptism, the laver of regeneration, tended and alluded to purity of the heart-the Lord's Day was consecrated to heaven and heavenly things, and the last supper made us remember Him who was so dear to us.

But alas, how soon was this life so harmless and innocent, changed into discord and misery. The more the Jews became aware that we were going on in a road different from their's, the more hostility they showed towards us, and the more firmly the heathen believed us to be Jews, the more contemptible and odious did we appear to them! Who can relate the miseries we had to suffer! We offended no one, and behold, they decried us as enemies of the human race. They seized us like wild beasts, and our cruel judges endeavored to surpass each other in barbarity. We were chased with hounds, burned in the streets for torches, and crucified. Wherever we went, in Syria and Asia Minor, in Greece and Macedonia, we uniformly found men who accused us; wherever Christians lived, there also were martyrs; the imperial commands were written in blood, and the Governors frequently put to death numbers of Christians to appease the angry heathens. But it certainly requires more fortitude and courage of mind to suffer as a martyr, than to mock at the cruel death of a believer. We admired our martyrs-we celebrated their memory-we visited their graves-we called the days on which they died, their birthdays, and solemnized those days with infinite love. O, that love, which offers up all and gives even life itself for the brethren, knows of no bounds; why should we then in an unfriendly manner censure gratitude, when surpassing due measure. The time of the martyrs is the heroic age of Christianity; and the Christian Religion itself could perhaps only be preserved by considering apostacy as the greatest sin, and by calling into action a severe discipline, by which we watched for the honour of our religion in guarding the good name of the Church.

In Constantinople, all things had changed. The Christian Church had passed from a state of humiliation to one of exaltation. The Christians had forsaken their dark vaults and caves, and had entered the splendid temples of the heathen;-but, alas, Christian simplicity had been left behind. The Ministers showed themselves to the people in brilliant garments; but they began to doubt and to contend, and the light of the Gospel was darkened by superstition and fanaticism. All the people rejoiced in the Church of the Apostles, (the Cathedral of Constantinople,) that the identical cross of our Lord had been found, but the monks and nuns, just then beginning to exist, by no means appeared to be willing to follow the Saviour, and to bear His cross in humility, and meekness of heart. The Presbyter Arius, had by his assertion, that the Son of God was not like unto the Father, in power and majesty, thrown the apple of contention into the Church,