THE PROTESTANT.

'HERE,' said my uncle, while his faltering voice betrayed the emotion that prevented his looking up; 'Here, read this. One at least of the ten horns is at the old work. We shall see which will be foremost to follow the example.'

I took the paper that he held out, and read a preliminary statement of the fact, that, a hundred years ago, the Romish archbishop of Saltzburg drove above 30,000 of his Protestant subjects from their homes and their country, for adhering to their scriptural faith. The work seemed complete; no vestige openly remained of the obnoxious creed; nor is there any reason to suppose that it was not fully extirpated in that quarter. In the neighbouring territory of the Tyrol, however, a new manifestation appeared: the religion of the gospel sprung up among them, not from any missionary efforts made on the spot, but through means of the bibles and religious tracts given by Christians of other lands to wandering Tyrolese, who brought them home to their vallies, and were made wise unto salvation by the blessed truths therein contained. For ten years had this been proceeding they were persecuted, deprived of public worship and the sacraments, compelled to send their children to popish schools, held by the priests; were forbidden to marry, or to buy estates, or to travel out of the country. To complete the picture, their dead

were, like our own in Mary's reign, buried in the fields by night, without any decency, or any religious rite; a policeman and a mastiff-dog forming the funeral escort. These and a thousand other cruel wrongs proved vain: true religion increased; and in the Ziller Valley a hundred families, chiefly agriculturists, amounting to upwards of 430 souls, were found immoveably fixed in the faith. The emperor of Austria then ordered it to be proclaimed to them, That they must either return unto the Romish church or abandon their country: but that it was left to their choice to emigrate to other Austrian states, in which non-catholic communities are established.'

The Tyrolese determined to emigrate and God, their own God, by whose Spirit they had cast the abominable idols of Popery to the moles and the bats, raised them up a powerful protector in the king of Prussia, who, after interceding for them at Vienna, despatched his excellent chaplain Strauss to Ziller, to ascertain their real character and condition. The report of that good man confirmed all that his king hoped for and the Prussian territory was thrown open to them, with an invitation to settle in the most fertile and beautiful part. Then followed the letter, the reading of which had so deeply moved my uncle. It is dated Berlin, Jan. 1, 1838.

'When the approaching emigration of the Tyrolean Zillerthal Protestants was announced in July last, a hope was entertained that a longer delay before their departure would be granted; but it has not been so. This delay was not extended to them by the Austrian government, though solicited by the Prussian. On the contrary, it was shortened by some weeks. They have, however, against expectation sold their lands

and effects so advantageously, that they carried away with them a property of 200,000 Austrian florins (£20,000.) These men, then, assuredly have abandoned their fatherland' purely and simply for the sake of their faith, and neither as driven to this step by want, nor the desire to better their condition, as has befallen our emigrants. Including the aged and the suckling, they are in number from 430 to 440. The oldest has 91 years upon his head.

"They passed through Upper Austria in several divisions, and experienced there from their Protestant brethren a welcome so friendly as they had not looked forward to, but which they can never forget. The Protestants at Rutzenmoos, between Saltzburgh and Linz, went as far as Volklabruck to meet them, on hearing that a division of them was passing that way, watched for them, and took them for the night into their houses, and to their church the next day, and there, for the first time in their lives, did the greater part of these Tyroleans behold a Protestant church, or hear a Protestant sermon. The preacher threw aside his discourse prepared for the day, and began thus-This day is salvation come to this house,' (Luke xix. v. 9), and then preached on the 23d Psalm. The emotion produced on the Tyroleans, and on the whole congregation, was indescribable ; all burst into tears. This was on the 8th of September; on the 22d, of the 200 who travelled together, the greater part appeared at Efferding, near Linz. In some cases two or three families had a waggon drawn by horses in common; many of them drew themselves what property they had in light twowheeled cars. It may be supposed that their reception by the Roman Catholics was not flattering, nor

devoid of mockery and contempt. To the threats of a priest, that they would perish miserably in the desolate Giant Mountains, or on their way through Bohemia, a Zillerthaler replied, 'Well, then, whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.'

'Their reception at the church at Efferding, where particular places were reserved for them, was highly affecting. They saw for the first time at Rutzemoos the baptismal rite, and at Efferding the administration of the Lord's supper, though they did not partake of it. There was everywhere a rivalry between the clergy and their flocks in showing kindness to these Tyroleans, in taking them under their roofs, and in making them abundant presents of all sorts; and such were given even by the least zealous, as if under an irresistible impulse. In the way to Linz the wanderers were everywhere hospitably received into the peasants' houses. Amongst them was a man eighty-three years old, of singular vivacity, and a woman one year older, a true Hannah, who, in striking purity of language, expressed her happiness and joy in living long enough to hear the gospel preached in a Protestant church, and to possess the word of the Lord.

'At Linz the Tyroleans were received by the Protestants with great hospitality, and collections for them were made in some of their churches in Upper Austria.

It appears by a letter from Schmiedeberg, in Silesia, near to which town they are settled, that every bosom is animated with the liveliest sympathy. for these strangers, of whom Countess Reden, at

Buchwald, has taken charge as to their concerns, temporal and spiritual, and with motherly fidelity and care, at the express wish and desire of his Prussian Majesty. It is affecting to see these manly mountaineers, of lofty and Herculean frames, humble as lambs, and full of lively and animating faith. They ask for nothing but an apostle as their teacher and pastor. They find no words sufficient to express their sense of the kindness of their reception everywhere in the Prussian States, and now in Schmiedeberg.

'On the 29th of October they attended the celebration of the anniversary of the Reformation at the church at Fischbach, at which the family of his Royal Highness Prince William (brother of the King) was present, as it was also at the same church on the 12th of November, when the different members of it received the sacrament with the Zillerthalers. These different acts of worship are described as having been peculiarly interesting. The letter adds, 'No one can think or speak but of these people.'

While I was engaged in reading this, which I did aloud, my uncle walked to and fro, in restless but exulting emotion. Yes, she shall fall,' he exclaimed, and that speedily; for the summons is resounding through every recess of her dens, and God's people are coming out of her. Oh, my child, it is a privilege to live in these days! I have long felt confident that the final struggle was at hand—that the oppressor must soon cease-the golden city cease— the hammer of the whole earth be broken. Once more it is uplifted in impious rage to strike the blow that shall shiver it to atoms. The signs that thicken