,,john ,,ronge  ,,the ,,holy ,,coat ,,of
 ,,treves  ,new ,german-,catholic       
,chruch   ,how has the ,devil dressed up
 dead bones1 garments1 and vessels1 into
 the holy bones1 garments1 and vessels6 
,how confidently have people believed   
all impudent liars6 how have they       
crowded on the pilgrimages6 ,all this   
the ,pope1 the ,bishops1 the ,priests1  
and the ,monks1 have confirmed--or1 at  
all events1 they have been silent1--and 
quietly receive the money and the       
offerings1 whilst the people go astray  
',what results have been brought about  
by this parading at ,treves of the ,coat
 of ,christ4  ,luther's ,warning1 in    
reference to this very ,coat of #ahad4  
,,thomas ,,nelson ,,edinburgh3  ,,and   
,,paternoster ,,row1  ,,london4  ,,sold 
,,by ,,all ,,booksellers4 ,,mdcccxlv4   
,,john ,,ronge ,,and ,,the ,,holy ,,coat
 ,,of ,,treves     ,,the ,,holy ,,coat4 
,we believe that the best way to        
introduce our subject is to quote some  
few passages from the authorized        

document published at ,treves1 with     
special reference to the ceremonial     
which took place in that ,cathedral1    
giving an account of the history of the 
,holy ,goat1 and explaining and         
defending the step which the ,church was
 about to take in the matter4 ,the      
following are a few extracts3--         
,thirty-four years have now elapsed     
since our city found within its walls   
#bjj1jjj strangers1 all actuated by a   
pious longing after this holy relic1    
before which they might present their   
adoration1 and1 in lively feelings of   
devotion1 strengthen themselves in the  
faith and the love of the ,lord4 ,the   
order which prevailed during the whole  
ceremony1 though nightly between twenty 
and thirty thousand persons were        
quartered in the city--the universal    
devotion and edification manifested by  
the pilgrims--still live in the         
recollection of all those who witnessed 
the ceremony from its beginning to its  
close4 99 99 ,meanwhile1 since this     

period1 the youth of our city have grown
 to ripe manhood2 and1 accordingly1 they
 have expressed the wish that the       
venerable relic should be once more     
exhibited4 ,these pious wishes could not
 remain unknown to our worthy ,bishop1  
who1 indeed1 had previously resolved to 
meet them4 ,before his consecration in  
#ahdb1 when he met ,prince ,metternich  
in ,coblentz--who is1 from reasons known
 only to few1 in possession of one of   
the holy nails1 and who then promised to
 restore that which was the rightful    
property of the ,cathedral of           
,treves--the ,bishop had determined to  
signalize the event of the restoration  
of the ,holy ,nail1 by exhibiting both  
the ,nail and the ,coat to the religious
 worship of the people4 ,but the        
promised return of the nail has not yet 
taken place1 although the confidence    
placed on the promise of the ,prince    
still allows us to cherish this hope4   
,notwithstanding1 as this could not be  
the case1 in the present year1 the      

,bishop resolved to satisfy the general 
desire expressed for the exhibition of  
the holy coat4  ,from the historical    
inquiry it appears1 according to the    
author1 that this said relic was brought
 by ,helena1 the mother of ,constantine1
 from the ,holy ,land1 in the fourth    
century1 and deposited in the ,cathedral
 of ,treves1 which was then the         
residence of the emperors1 and the most 
famous city in the empire1 after ,rome  
itself4 ,it lay in concealment till the 
#ith century4 ,to ,frederick ,i4 is     
attributed the honour of reviving the   
attention of the ,church and people to  
the great treasure of their cathedral   
and city4 ,after being again #cjj years 
concealed1 ,maximilian ,i41 to give pomp
 and distinction to a diet held in the  
city1 caused it to be exposed to the    
adoration of the inhabitants4 ,in the   
three following centuries1 7#afth1      
#agth1 and #ahth17 the occasion of its  
exhibition was the holding of the       
,german ,diet1 when the city was filled 

with princes and princesses1 as well as 
crowds of devout pilgrims4 ,in the      
period of the ,french ,revolution1 it   
fared ill with the holy coat4 ,it was1  
according as danger threatened1 carried 
to the fortress of ,ehrenbreitstein4 ,on
 the new political organization of the  
,rhine provinces1 it was made the       
subject of earnest diplomatic           
transactions between ,nassau1 ,france1  
and ,bavaria--the last ,elector of      
,treves1 and the ,bishop1 ,carl ,maunay2
 and the ,church of ,treves has to thank
 its ,bishop--whose requests ,napoleon  
did not generally refuse--for the       
recovery of much of their possessions1  
and for the restoration of this relic1  
the most valuable of them all4  ,after  
being concealed for centuries1 the first
 public representation took place in    
#aaif4 ,in #aead1 ,leo ,x4 issued a     
bull1 proclaiming complete absolution of
 sin to all who1 in the proper spirit1  
made a pilgrimage to ,treves1 and       
contributed to the expenses of the      

spectacle4  ,after a great deal about   
the history of the coat with its various
 exhibitions1 and a defence of the      
worship of relics1 the ,address closes  
as follows3--  ,the believing sight of  
this pre-eminently sacred relic1 with   
which stand connected1 in a manner so   
immediate and impressive1 the           
associations with the whole life and    
sufferings of the ,saviour1 must at once
 cause many overpowering thoughts and   
feelings to be awakened in the soul1 so 
that one must feel himself involuntarily
 torn asunder by them1 and believe that 
he is placed in the immediate presence  
of the body of our ,lord4 99 99 ,in all 
these lively associations1 the          
,christian believes that he hears the   
voice of ,him who wore this raiment1    
proclaiming the words of eternal truth1 
and exhorting sinners to repentance2 he 
believes the holy garment encompassed   
with that brilliancy of light which on  
,mount ,tabor made ,peter exclaim1 ',it 
is good to be here2' he believes that it

 is covered with that sweat which       
bedewed his face on the ,mount of       
,olives4 ,hence the phenomenon that     
often hardhearted men were led1 by the  
sight of the holy coat1 and the feelings
 of devotion thereby awakened1 to turn  
into themselves2 their heart has melted 
like ice before the heat of the sun1 and
 thus have they been brought back to    
,god and his means of grace in the      
,church4 ,o6 may many such miracles take
 place in these days1 which are now     
approaching4 ,may ,god bless the        
resolutions of the faithful1 who come on
 a pilgrimage to our venerable          
cathedral1 guide their steps on the road
 to the august sanctuary1 and infuse    
devotion and love into their souls6     
,such is the spirit of the authorized   
document1 issued under the auspices of  
the ecclesiastical authorities at       
,treves2 and it may well be questioned1 
whether1 in the most gloomy periods of  
,catholic superstition1 anything has    
appeared which savoured more of all that

 is degrading and blasphemous in the    
system4 ,on the #fth of ,july #ahdd1 the
 general announcement of what was to    
take place was made1 with the           
regulations to be observed by the       
different processions of pilgrims4      
,after stating their joy at the proposed
 spectacle1 the chief announcement is   
made as follows3--,this holy relic will 
accordingly be exhibited for a period of
 six weeks1 beginning with the #ahth    
,august1 in order to satisfy the desires
 of those who may have the pious        
intention of proceeding to ,treves1 to  
worship the holy garment of our divine  
,saviour by immediate view1 each of whom
 will1 according to the bull of ,pope   
,leo ,x41 dated #bfth ,january #aead1   
receive complete absolution4 99 99      
,accordingly1 we intimate to all within 
the bishopric1 what we believe to be    
called for1 that there should not be a  
too numerous streaming together of the  
faithful on the same day1 causing       
disorder and confusion2 and also that no

 neighbourhood may be deprived to too   
great an extent of its inhabitants4     
,accordingly1 it is required that two   
separate days be allocated for each part
 of the bishopric1 so as to divide the  
number of those who intend to come to   
,treves2 and also that the localities   
for particular days be so arranged as to
 prevent the crowding together of too   
many pilgrims on the same line of road4 
,then follow fourteen regulations to    
carry out these views1 the whole signed 
by the ,vicar-,general4  ,the           
long-looked for day at length arrived4  
,the whole country was in commotion1 and
 from many hundred places at once the   
pilgrimages began4 ,every possible      
arrangement had been made by the        
authorities of ,treves for the reception
 of1 and maintenance of order among the 
vast and motley assemblage that streamed
 hither and thither1 to take part in the
 ceremonial4 ,it was a period when      
devotion was worked up into a wild      
enthusiasm1 and all for the time1       

whatever their age1 or sex1 or land1 or 
character might be1 were hurried along  
by the same frenzied zeal1 and felt the 
ordinary differences of life and society
 to vanish before the august ceremony   
that for the time had assimilated all   
classes of the faithful4 ,on the morning
 of the #ahth ,august1 all the bells in 
the churches were made to announce that 
the ceremony had actually begun4 ,the   
steamers on the ,moselle were crowded   
with passengers1 who disembarked amid   
the discharge of cannon4 ,all kinds of  
vehicles1 in addition to the regular    
post-conveyances1 were called into      
requisition1 and the romantic appearance
 and interest of the whole was enlivened
 and enhanced by the motley groups of   
pilgrims1 in all varieties of costume1  
who had made the journey on foot4       
,pontifical ,high ,mass was performed by
 ,dr4 ,william ,arnoldi4 ,an oration by 
,dr4 ,braun followed1 bearing upon the  
great event of the day4 ,then came the  
elevation and exhibition of the holy    

relic2 and at ten o'clock the procession
 of the pilgrims commenced4             
,gens-d'armes were stationed without1   
the clergy of the cathedral             
within1--whilst1 in the immediate       
neighbourhood of the relic1 was a guard 
of honour1 composed of the most         
respectable of the citizens1 and        
recognised by their silk sashes over the
 shoulder1 in the yellow and red colours
 of the city4 ,benches were placed from 
the portal on the right side of the     
cathedral1 to the choir1 and between    
these the procession moved4 ,each of the
 pilgrims was allowed to stand a short  
time before the relic1 yet so vast was  
the concourse1 that between one and two 
thousand are reported to have passed in 
the short space of an hour4  ,the relic 
itself was placed near the altar in a   
gold frame1 with a glass front at a     
considerable distance from it2 its shape
 resembling a ,french blouse1--the      
colour somewhat brown--though the poor  
peasantry were taught to believe that to

 every eye it presented a combination of
 colours entirely distinct4 ,an opening 
was made on each side of the frame1 to  
allow the hand to come in contact with  
the relic2 and whatever did touch it1   
was believed to acquire a peculiar      
sanctity4 ,a deep basin was placed in   
front1 to receive the offerings of the  
pilgrims1 which were to be given to the 
,cathedrals at ,treves and ,cologne1 and
 to a ,catholic seminary in the former  
city4  ,no certificate of creed was     
required1 so that the crowds of         
,protestants1 who were drawn from mere  
curiosity1 had the fullest opportunity  
of seeing what was to be seen4 ,the     
ceremony continued daily1 during the    
whole six weeks1 for twelve hours1 and  
was opened and closed by the chime of   
the cathedral bells4 ,at the            
commencement the weather was fine1 but  
in a few days it became quite unsettled 
and stormy2 yet nothing could damp the  
long-cherished ardour of the pilgrims4  
,band after band advanced1 and1 like the

 crusaders of old1 all the sufferings   
and hardships of the journey were       
forgotten as they approached the ,holy  
,city4 ,the fatigues of long travelling 
were so far relieved by addresses from  
the clergy who marched with their       
parishioners1 and still more by the     
sacred music which1 ever and anon1      
filled the air4 ,vast bodies of clergy1 
from distant parts1 arrived to take part
 in the ceremonial with the general body
 of the faithful1 and1 afterwards1 share
 in the heavy duties of the ,mass and   
the ,confessional1 as required for such 
an extraordinary occasion4 ,at last1 to 
complete the arrangements1 on the       
evening of the #bc;d1 an immense banner1
 with a red cross on a white ground1 was
 elevated to the top of the cathedral1  
to direct the weary steps of the        
pilgrims1 and to cheer their hearts as  
they approached the august city4 ,so    
vast occasionally was the concourse1    
that on some days not fewer than about  
#bj1jjj were quartered within the walls4

 ,fortunately such arrangements had been
 made with regard to the supplies of    
provisions1 that but a small rise of    
price in the necessaries of life was    
perceptible1 which is certainly         
remarkable1 when it is stated that in   
one week1 at least #aej1jjj strangers   
visited the city1 and in the whole time 
about #a1bjj1jjj4 ,truth also requires  
the remark--that1 taken as a whole1     
matters were conducted with general     
decorum and regularity1 though it       
requires but little knowledge of human  
nature to see that where there was such 
a miscellaneous concourse of people1    
often ill fed and ill lodged1 the       
ordinary regulations and observances of 
society would be disregarded1 and a     
strong encouragement and temptation be  
given to immorality and crime4 ,although
 it was officially stated that there was
 accommodation in the city and          
neighbourhood for #bj1jjj persons1 still
 all the powers of military police1 and 
clergy combined1 could not prevent many 

mournful scenes of misery and vice4 ,it 
is1 by the way1 a most significant fact 
that1 along with the announcement now   
mentioned there was added1 under equally
 official authority1 the urgent request 
that all citizens and strangers should  
avoid all criticism on religious matters
 or opinions4 ,if anything were required
 to convince one that the high          
authorities of ,treves were afraid of   
the effects of free discussion1 or even 
doubtful allusion to what might well    
make the most bigoted inquisitive1 this 
significant sentence is sufficient4     
,such were the scenes which1 with every 
variety of incident1 were being enacted 
at ,treves--a melancholy exhibition of  
priestly power to give currency and     
strength to superstition and blind      
idolatry1 as well as of the state of    
passive submission on the part of the   
people1 to all that the ,church1 in the 
arrogance of its blasphemies1 may       
command4 ,the voice of politics was1 for
 a time1 hushed--the busy commerce of   

the city1 and even the harvest labours  
of the field were silent--everything    
like this world's occupations and       
concerns were all alike neglected1 to   
give pomp and emphasis to the sad       
spectacle of men's faith deceived and   
led astray by a piece of an old garment4
 ,not merely from the poor villages in  
the vicinity1 but from the enlightened  
towns on the ,rhine1 from ,coblentz1 and
 ,bonn1 and ,cologne1 the processions of
 pilgrims came4 ,take one specimen3--,on
 the evening of the #bb;d ,september1 a 
most numerous procession1 which had left
 ,cologne nine days before for ,treves1 
returned4 ,this procession was composed 
chiefly of the lowest classes1 with a   
vast proportion of women of every age4  
,a body of white-dressed girls had      
advanced a long way to meet the         
procession1 bearing all kinds of church 
emblems in their hands--crucifixes1     
flowers1 anchors1 hearts1 c4 ,the       
pilgrims were all supplied with medals  
and engravings of the ,holy ,coat1 as   

well as with small books containing an  
account of its history and miracles4    
,these were people who looked poor and  
miserable1 and who evidently had not the
 means to undertake such a journey1 and 
yet1 such was the passion for visiting  
,treves1 that the pawnbrokers reaped a  
rich harvest from the desperate attempts
 made to collect money enough to supply 
their bare wants during their absence   
from home1 and to give their votive     
offerings to be applied as before       
mentioned4 ,cases the most heart-rending
 have been published of poor people     
parting with their last possessions to  
obtain means for the journey1 from which
 they looked for such marvellous        
results4 ,the sick even were carried    
thither1 with the firm belief that they 
would be healed2 and the debased        
devotion of the pilgrims broke out in   
such expressions--,holy ,coat1 we pray  
to thee4 ,holy ,coat1 pray for us1 and  
the like4 ,the higher classes1 of       
course1 consulted their own convenience 

in their modes of travelling1 employing 
the ,rhine and ,moselle steamers or     
their private conveyances2 but it is    
melancholy to think1 that such vast     
bodies of the respectable classes did   
lend their influence to these unholy    
exhibitions4  ,but without entering into
 farther details let us hasten to the   
closing scene on the #gth ,october4 ,at 
#b p4m4 the doors of the ,cathedral were
 closed1 and the ceremony of removing   
the holy relic from public view         
proceeded with in presence of the whole 
body of the clergy4 ,at four the doors  
were re-opened1 and ,bishop ,arnoldi    
delivered a discourse1 to a vast        
audience1 on the ,unity of the ,church4 
,at its close1 began the procession of  
the civil officials1 of teachers of all 
grades1 of merchants and artisans1 and  
of the guard of honour1 dressed in      
black1 with wax torches1 through the    
transept into the choir1 to join in the 
,te ,deum4 ,after the hymn of ,st4      
,ambrose had been sung1 accompanied by  

the thunder of the cannon and the       
pealing of all the bells in the city and
 neighbourhood1 the general procession  
advanced through the chief streets of   
the city4 ,the committee were in front1 
followed by the guard of honour2 they   
were succeeded by the different         
fraternities1 all with wax candles--a   
strong choir of singers1 then vast      
crowds of the people1 with the various  
trades1 each with their peculiar flags  
and emblems4 ,they proceeded through the
 chief parts of the city to the palace  
of the ,bishop1 which was brilliantly   
illuminated4 ,he1 accompanied by the    
head ,bishop of ,verdun and the         
dignitaries of the ,cathedral1 dispensed
 the benediction4 ,then advanced from   
the arch-diocese of ,cologne a          
torch-procession1 accompanied by        
instrumental music4 ,the whole          
proceedings were closed by the          
chorus1--,lord ,god6 we praise thee1 in 
the ,cathedral4 ,the chief streets of   
the city were illuminated in the        

evening1 and the grand organ continued  
pealing4 ,in the middle window of the   
,cathedral where1 in former times1 the  
exhibition of the relic had taken place1
 was a transparency of the ,cross1 with 
splendid emblematic devices4  ,while all
 this was going on within the           
,cathedral1 outside there was everything
 to call the mind of the devotee from   
the scene in which he had taken part2   
for1 in addition to the jostling and    
bustle of the crowded city1 there was   
everything in the way of the ordinary   
and extraordinary sights of a fair1 to  
make him forget the feelings and object 
of his pilgrimage4 ,menageries1         
panoramas1 plays1 c1 all solicited the  
attention and money of those assembled1 
equally with the music and services of  
the ,cathedral4  ,the bishops who had   
officiated during the ceremonial from   
first to last1 were those of ,metz1     
,nancy1 ,verdun1 ,luxembourg1 ,spires1  
,limburg1 ,osnabrueck1 ,muenster1       
,cologne1 with several from ,holland4   

,each bishop entered the city amid the  
ringing of the church bells4 ,the       
pilgrims from ,france did not enter the 
city in processional order1 but their   
clergy were numerously represented4     
,during the whole period1 processions to
 the city were not uncommon4            
,controversies between several of the   
journals1 as to many occurrences        
connected with the proceedings1 have    
taken place4 ,charges have been         
advanced1 and as flatly contradicted1 so
 that we do not feel called on to detail
 either the nature of the charges or the
 defence4 ,it is easy enough admitting  
exaggeration on both sides4  ,it only   
remains to notice the inseparable       
adjuncts of such proceedings--the       
miracles which are said to have been    
effected4 ,to a ,protestant1 who has not
 spent some time in a ,catholic country1
 it must seem in the highest degree     
strange to hear of solemn statements1 by
 opposite newspapers in support of1 or  
in opposition to1 certain pretended     

miracles2 nay1 not only so1 but to have 
counter-medical certificates pitted     
against each other on the issue4 ,yet   
all this has lately been done4 ,it would
 be worse than useless to recite the    
floating stories which one hears in the 
neighbourhood1 about ,protestant        
clergymen dying suddenly in the full    
possession of health1 for having        
denounced the whole thing as a piece of 
imposture to a body of passing pilgrims1
 or of the many miraculous cures of     
sight1 lameness1 and the like4 ,yet1    
that all this is fact1 any intelligent  
and inquiring tourist of the ,rhine can 
testify4 ,one case1 in particular1      
created great interest1 that of the     
,countess ,droste-,vischering1 a        
relation of the ,archbishop of ,cologne1
 who has been for many years unable to  
walk without the use of crutches1 but   
who1 after beholding the ,holy ,coat1   
was enabled1 to the wonderment of all1  
to walk home unassisted4 ,the plain     
truth comes out from her medical        

adviser1--that she had been long        
suffering from a diseased knee-joint1   
that she resolved at all hazards to go  
to ,treves1 and that1 while in a fit of 
ecstasy before the relic1 she had       
excited a degree of energy1 in          
stretching or bending the diseased limb1
 which had given the temporary relief1  
by relaxing the long rigid muscles4     
,since this period she has had relapses1
 and is1 we believe1 now using the      
crutches1 which had been too hastily    
hung up in the ,cathedral as a          
thank-offering for her marvellous       
restoration4 ,yet this simple story is  
paraded about and magnified into a      
miracle1 to give still greater eclat to 
the ,holy ,coat and the church          
ceremonies connected with it4 ,it would 
be useless to enter into other details1 
when all are equally barefaced4 ,the    
above case may be selected as a rather  
better than average specimen of the     
popish miracles of the continent4  ,and 
now1 in finishing this part of the      

subject1 we may be allowed to quote the 
opinion of one of the great organs of   
,german ,catholicism3--,who can deny    
that this exhibition of the ,holy ,coat 
has been an event for the ,rhine        
provinces and the ,west of ,europe1     
which1 in its consequences1 must be of  
the greatest moment1 whilst1 for its    
grandeur1 in church history it is       
unprecedented8 ,proceeding from a small 
circle1 it has already embraced a wide  
circumference in its influence4 ,after  
enumerating the quarters from which the 
crowds of pilgrims flocked1 he          
proceeds3--,who shall name those1       
principally from the higher classes1 who
 came as single pilgrims from distant   
cities and lands1 and what language do  
all these bands speak8 ,they proclaim   
the triumph of faith over a system of   
false enlightenment2 the victory of the 
newly-awakened elements of the day over 
all overthrowing tendencies--in a word1 
they proclaim the power of the ,church1 
which has brought together such vast    

bodies of men1 separated among so many  
princes by language and habits1 yet made
 to act as the members of one and the   
same body4  ,we now turn to the more    
pleasing part of the subject1 the       
statement of the more striking          
particulars connected with the late     
re-action against this ,god-dishonouring
 spectacle4 ,it was impossible that a   
movement so singular and extensive      
should escape being made the subject of 
general newspaper remark and criticism4 
,and1 as the fact has proved1 it has    
been argued and re-argued in a hundred  
ways by ,catholic and ,protestant       
journals1 so that the whole bearings of 
the case1 and the positions of all the  
different political and religious       
parties in the country in relation to   
it1 have been brought and kept steadily 
before the public mind4 ,this1 it is    
clear1 can be but seldom realized where 
the ,state puts its imprimatur upon the 
full freedom of the press1 and where1 in
 consequence1 public opinion is but     

struggling for existence and definite   
expression1 instead of being1 as in     
,britain1 the one element which         
overrules and directs the movements of  
the whole social system4 ,we can        
appreciate the effects of free          
inquiry2--and when we know that this is 
now being unsparingly applied to the    
workings of that system1 which loves the
 darkness rather than the light1 we may1
 under ,god's guidance and blessing1 be 
allowed to look for new and large       
results1 in the way of the exposure of  
errors1 which have the sanction of long 
centuries of ignorance1 and of great    
preparatory movements at least1 for the 
reception of the truth as it is in      
,jesus4 ,this is one great point gained2
 and if the spirit of inquiry1 which has
 now been excited1 could be but well    
directed1 we might already rejoice in   
the ,protestant prospects of ,germany4  
,that men feel unsatisfied with what is1
 is manifest--that feelings long kept   
under1 are now obtaining clear and full 

expression--that men are being          
undeceived in having so long believed a 
lie1 and often in agony of spirit are   
seeking for the simple truth to bring   
peace to their souls--all this1 and much
 more is evident1 and calls loudly for  
our active sympathies and prayers4  ,a  
few points call for especial notice3--  
,very many of the ,catholic journals    
have taken their stand against the late 
scenes at ,treves4 ,it is true1 that    
several of those ,journals may have been
 actuated by secondary motives in so    
doing1 or what is the notorious fact1   
that some1 at least of such ,journals1  
want almost entirely a religious        
character2 and though ,catholic in name1
 are infidel in fact4 ,still it is      
equally notorious1 that several of the  
,catholic ,journals1 whose orthodoxy is 
above suspicion1 have lifted up their   
voice against what has taken place1 as  
scandalous to ,christianity1 and        
eminently perilous to the ,church4  ,in 
addition to the discussions which have  

appeared in the public prints1 a vast   
mass of pamphlets has been issued on    
both sides4 ,the most remarkable of     
these is1 one issued by two professors  
in ,bonn1 ,gildermeister and ,sybel 7the
 latter a ,catholic17 entering into a   
grave and learned historical inquiry as 
to the genuineness of the relic1        
exposing in the most triumphant manner  
the various defences which have appeared
 on the ,catholic side1--and all        
characterized by the most severe        
sarcasm1 in holding up the trumpery of  
the system of relic-worship to contempt4
 ,the title of the book is ,the ,holy   
,coat of ,treves1 and the twenty other  
,holy ,coats4 ,a second edition was soon
 called for1 in which four other such   
relics were stated as discovered4 ,it is
 generally known1 that among these      
numerous claimants for genuineness1 the 
great body of the ,french clergy have   
bid hard to prove that the ,coat of     
,argenteuil is the genuine one2 and this
 view has been warmly defended by one of

 the ,catholic clergy of ,einsiedeln in 
,switzerland--notoriously one of the    
most celebrated places of pilgrimage in 
the world4 ,more than this1 writings    
have appeared stating the events        
connected with the other relics of the  
same name1 and treasured with equal     
sanctity in numerous ,cathedrals2 also  
giving an account of the separate and   
independent series of miracles wrought  
by each as the true ,coat of the ,lord4 
,it would be tedious to detain the      
reader with more of such details4 ,we   
desire merely to notice the various     
workings of the movement in and out of  
the ,catholic ,church4 ,it may          
accordingly suffice to state in         
addition1 that poetry as well as prose  
has been called into requisition1 and   
that satirical ballads and lyrics have  
been numerously circulated1 and eagerly 
read by all parties4 ,many of them are  
filled with the most stinging remarks on
 the general position and moral         
character of the clergy4  ,but by far   

the most important element in the       
movement1 and1 in fact1 that which has  
determined its subsequent direction1 has
 been the following letter of ,john     
,ronge1 priest in ,silesia1 dated       
,laurahuette1 #ast ,october #ahdd1 and  
entitled1 ,opinion of the ,catholic     
,priest ,john ,ronge1 on the ,holy ,coat
 of ,treves3  ,laurahuette1 ,october    
#ast4  ,opinion of a ,catholic ,priest  
in regard to the ,holy ,tunic at        
,treves4  ,christians of the nineteenth 
century1--you have heard--you know      
it--men of ,germany--you know           
it--spiritual and temporal teachers of  
the ,german people1 that what would once
 upon a time have sounded in our ears as
 a fable or a fiction--is neither a     
fiction nor a fable1 but real truth and 
verity4 ,bishop ,arnoldi of ,treves has 
exhibited for the adoration and         
reverence of ,christians1 a garment     
called the ,tunic of our ,lord6         
,according to the last account1 five    
hundred thousand persons have already   

made a pilgrimage to see this relic1 and
 every day fresh thousands flock to it1 
especially since the garment in question
 is found capable of curing diseases and
 working miracles4  ,the news has spread
 among the people of all lands1 while   
certain priests in ,france maintain that
 they alone possess the real tunic of   
,christ1 and that the one at ,treves is 
an imposture4 ,truly the saying here    
applies1--',he who can occupy his mind  
about such things without losing his    
reason1 has none to lose4' ,five hundred
 thousand men--five hundred thousand    
intelligent ,germans have--already      
hastened to see or to adore a piece of  
dress at ,treves6 ,the greater number of
 these thousands are from the lower     
orders of the people1 and1 besides1 in  
deepest poverty1--oppressed1 uneducated1
 stupid1 superstitious1 and in part     
demoralized4 ,they leave the cultivation
 of their fields1 the labour of their   
workshops1 the care of their households1
 the education of their children1 to    

take part in a ,heathen festival at     
,treves--a disgraceful spectacle1 which 
the ,romish ,church displays before     
their eyes4 ,yes1 it is a ,heathen      
festival1 for many thousands of the     
credulous multitude to render to a piece
 of dress1--the work of human           
hands1--that regard and adoration which 
are due to ,god alone4 ,and what        
pernicious consequences must follow from
 these pilgrimages6 ,thousands of the   
pilgrims deprive themselves of the      
necessaries of life to raise the money  
for their journey1 and the offering     
which they make to the ,holy            
,tunic--that is1 to the clergy4 ,they   
purchase it by sacrifices of their      
comfort1 or by begging--only to starve  
on their return2 to suffer want1 or to  
fall sick in consequence of the fatigues
 of the journey4 ,if these external     
results are sufficiently melancholy1 the
 moral consequences are far more so4    
,will not many of them1 reduced to want 
by the expenses of their journey1       

endeavour to relieve themselves by      
unlawful means8  ,many wives and virgins
 sacrifice their purity of heart1 their 
reputation1 and their chastity1         
destroying thus the peace1 the          
happiness1 and comfort of their         
families4  ,in fine1 this most          
unchristian exhibition but creates an   
inlet for superstition1 hypocrisy1 and  
fanaticism1 with all the vice that      
follows in their train4 ,such is the    
blessing spread abroad by the exhibition
 of the ,holy ,tunic1 and it is a matter
 but of small moment whether it be      
genuine or false4  ,and the man who     
publicly displays this piece of         
dress--the work of human hands--for     
reverent regard--who leads astray the   
religious feelings of the credulous1    
ignorant1 or suffering people--giving   
thereby an impulse to vice and          
superstition--who wrings their substance
 from the poor and starving             
multitude--who entails on ,germany the  
ridicule of other lands1 and who draws  

more close together the heavy clouds    
which float already dark and dismally   
above our heads--this man is a bishop1 a
 ,german bishop4 ,it is ,arnoldi1       
,bishop of ,treves6  ,arnoldi1 ,bishop  
of ,treves1 ,i therefore turn to you1   
and demand1 by authority of my office   
and calling as a priest and teacher of  
the ,german people--in the name of      
,christendom1 in the name of the ,german
 nation1 and in the name of its         
instructors--that you put an end to the 
unchristian spectacle of the exhibition 
of the ,holy ,tunic--and withdraw this  
garment1 that the offence which it has  
given may not be still increased6 ,for1 
do you not know--as bishop you ought to 
know--that the ,founder of the          
,christian religion left to his         
disciples and his followers not his coat
 but his spirit8--his coat1 ,bishop     
,arnoldi of ,treves1 belongs to his     
executioners6 ,do you not know--as      
bishop you ought to know--that ,jesus   
taught--',god is a ,spirit1 and they who

 worship him must worship him in spirit 
and in truth8' and ,he may be worshipped
 everywhere1 not only in the temple at  
,jerusalem1 on the ,mount ,gerizim1 or  
at ,treves1 in presence of the holy     
tunic2 do you not know--as bishop you   
ought to know--that the ,gospel         
expressly forbids the adoration of every
 image and of every relic8 that         
,christians in the ,apostolic age1 and  
in the three first centuries1 suffered  
neither images nor relics in their      
churches 7and they might have had plenty
 of them78 that the worship of images   
and relics is a ,heathen custom1 and    
that the ,fathers in the first three    
centuries abused the ,heathens on       
account of it8 ,we read1 for instance1  
7,div4 inst4 #aa41 c4 #b17 ',neither do 
these besotted men understand that if   
the images possessed life and motion1   
they would rather worship the man by    
whom they had been formed4' ,lastly1 do 
you not know--as bishop you ought to    
know this also--that the vigorous and   

healthy mind of the ,german people was  
first degraded to the worship of relics 
by the ,crusades in the #acth and #adth 
centuries8 when the exalted conception  
of the ,godhead which ,christianity     
inculcates1 had been obscured by all the
 lying marvels brought from eastern     
lands8 ,hark ye6 ,bishop ,arnoldi of    
,treves1 you know all this1 and better  
probably than ,i can tell it to you4    
,you also know the effects which        
superstition and the idolatrous         
adoration of relics have worked among   
us1 namely1 the religious and political 
bondage of ,germany2 and yet1 you can   
display your relics to the admiration of
 the multitude4 ,and were it even       
possible you should be ignorant of all  
that ,i have told you1--that the        
salvation of souls was your sole aim in 
the exhibition of this ,holy            
,tunic1--you would1 notwithstanding1    
have two sins upon your conscience4 ,in 
the first place1 it is unpardonable1 if 
the garment in question actually possess

 saving power1 that you have withhold   
its benefits from suffering men until   
the present time4 ,and1 secondly1 it is 
unpardonable that you accept the        
offerings of these countless multitudes4
 ,and is it not unpardonable that you1  
as bishop1 should accept of money from  
our poor and starving people1 especially
 when you have seen1 not many weeks ago1
 that hundreds have been driven by      
necessity to mutiny1 despair1 and death8
 ,do not allow yourself to be deceived  
by the influx of thousands upon         
thousands1 but1 believe me1 that while  
hundreds of thousands of the ,german    
people hasten with holy fervour 787 to  
,treves1 millions1 like myself1 are     
filled with horror and the deepest      
indignation by the disgraceful          
spectacle4 ,and this indignation        
prevails not in individual ranks and    
parties1 but among all classes--even in 
the ,catholic priesthood4 ,judgment will
 overtake you1 therefore1 sooner than   
you think4 ,arnoldi6 the historian is   

already seizing his pen1 to submit your 
name to the contempt of your            
contemporaries and of posterity1 and    
stigmatizes you as the ,tetzel of the   
nineteenth century6  ,and you1          
fellow-citizens of ,germany1 whether    
near or at a distance from ,treves1     
unite your efforts to prevent the       
continuance of such an insult to the    
,german name4 ,you have various means of
 working1 take courage and employ them2 
endeavour each and all1 with resolute   
determination1 to encounter and restrain
 the tyrannous despotism of the ,romish 
,church4 ,for it is not in ,treves alone
 that the modern traffic in indulgences 
is carried on2 you are aware that in the
 east and west1 the north and south1    
rosary1 mass1 indulgence1 burial moneys1
 and the like1 are still increasing1 and
 with them spiritual darkness4 ,forward1
 then6 ,catholics and ,protestants1     
together to the work6 ,our happiness1   
our honour1 our freedom are at stake4   
,do not the manes of your fathers1 who  

stormed the ,capitol1 frown to see you  
suffer patiently the ,castle of ,st4    
,angelo to lord it over ,germany4       
,dishonour not the laurels of a ,huss1 a
 ,huetten1 and a ,luther4 ,give words to
 their ideas1 and convert their will    
into deed4  ,finally1 my colleagues1    
whose sole endeavours and desires are   
centred in the welfare of your          
congregations1 the honour1 the freedom1 
and the happiness of your ,german       
countrymen1 keep no longer silence6 ,you
 sin against your reputation1 your      
religion1 and your fatherland1 if you   
longer hesitate to follow out your      
improved convictions4 ,i have already1  
elsewhere1 briefly addressed you1 and   
shall therefore now conclude4 ,prove    
yourselves the true disciples of ,him   
who gave up all for truth1 and light1   
and liberty4 ,show that you have        
inherited1 not his garment1 but his     
spirit4  ,johannes ,ronge1 ,catholic    
,priest4   ,it may be at once seen that 
this letter is the production of no     

ordinary man2 and1 at a glance1 it      
cannot but remind us of him whose words 
were half battles4 ,few living ,germans 
have such mastery over their language in
 all its native strength4 ,it was just  
such a production1--short1 nervous1 and 
earnest1--that was required to give     
utterance to the slumbering thoughts and
 sympathies of thousands4 ,appearing in 
a distant and comparatively unknown part
 of ,germany1 it soon found its way     
wherever the ,german language was       
spoken1 and1 wherever it has found its  
way1 there it has called forth a deep   
and hearty response4 ,it has now been   
translated into various languages1 and1 
despite all the preventive measures of  
police and clergy1 it may now be found  
by the thousand all over ,germany4 ,it  
is not our present purpose to state in  
what points the views of the author seem
 defective4 ,our immediate object is    
simply to lay before the reader some    
facts illustrative of the anti-,catholic
 movement which has taken place1 and is 

now advancing steadily4 ,but first a    
word about the course pursued with      
regard to the author4 ,from events which
 had previously taken place in the      
,cathedral of ,breslau1 to which diocese
 he was attached1 the suspicions of the 
ecclesiastical authorities were not long
 in fixing upon ,ronge as the author of 
the above letter1 which appeared        
anonymously in the ,saechsische         
,vaterlands-blaetter4 ,his manly love of
 truth disdained equivocation or        
subterfuge1 and1 as the result of all1  
he was deposed and excommunicated4 ,a   
complete host of pamphlets were called  
suddenly into existence by the daring   
letter of one who1 calling himself a    
,catholic priest1 had still the         
hardihood to asperse the character and  
cause of the one all-holy ,church1 by   
attacking one of its most imposing      
rites1 and treating with scorn and shame
 one of its consecrated bishops4 ,every 
possible charge1 affecting his character
 as a student1 as a clergyman1 as a     

teacher1 and as a man1 was raked up     
against him4 ,those who had not a tithe 
of his power of fierce and indignant    
invective1 when truth called for the    
vindication of its claims1 made up for  
the defect by personal scurrility and   
the most vulgar abuse4 ,his former      
associates in the priesthood openly     
denounced him1 to exculpate themselves  
from any supposed sympathy with the     
sentiments or with the man4 ,a friend   
generously undertook his defence--who   
declares1 that at the ,catholic seminary
 he was distinguished by great diligence
 in his studies1 as well as by the      
purity of his moral life2 so much so1   
that the superintendents stated that    
they had seldom under their care a young
 man who sought to become acquainted    
with the truths of the ,catholic faith  
with such a deep and holy earnestness4  
,after a slight sketch of his doings in 
,breslau and ,grottkau1 he states1 that 
every friend of his must feel persuaded 
that the above letter proceeded from his

 inmost convictions4 ,he is utterly     
incapable of falsehood1 in word or deed2
 and1 as regards moral character1 that  
he is1 perhaps1 too stringent towards   
himself1 but mild and considerate to    
others4 ,it was only the public wild    
proceedings of the ultra-,montanists and
 ,jesuits that filled him with holy     
indignation4  ,ronge himself soon felt  
and saw the importance of the step which
 he had taken4 ,he was now beyond the   
pale of the ,catholic ,church1 obliged  
to relinquish all in defence of the     
truth1 and exposed1 from all quarters1  
to attacks which his conscience told him
 to be groundless4 ,the cause of truth1 
for which he had already suffered1 again
 demanded that his voice should be      
upraised2 and this he does in the       
following ,justification1 which cannot  
but interest the reader as the          
autobiography of a remarkable man1 but  
especially from the fearful disclosures 
which it makes of the present state and 
actual workings of ,romanism4 ,all the  

facts adduced with regard to his anguish
 of mind--his deep sense of the         
spiritual bondage under which he        
lay--his inward and outward             
struggles--his determined opposition to 
what he believed to be wrong and        
unjust--his plain but triumphant        
vindication of his conduct              
throughout--all give a character of     
truthfulness to the document1 which is  
its best guarantee1 and makes it        
emphatically speak for itself4 ,it may  
enhance the interest of the following   
document to know that it was soon       
prohibited by the censor of the press1  
notwithstanding that the press of       
,leipsic is one of the freest in        
,germany3--     ,,preface4  ,in the     
following pages are submitted to the    
unbiassed judgment and consideration of 
my fellow-citizens and the ,christian   
public1 the various documents connected 
with my deposition and excommunication4 
,it is not therein my aim to vindicate  
my conduct in the eyes of the so-called 

national teachers1 or priests1 or of the
 so-called ,catholic ,christians who are
 notoriously hypocrites1 and who only   
follow religion for a livelihood1 or as 
a means of attaining power and eminence3
 to attempt my vindication before such  
as these would be degrading to myself   
and to the nation4 ,i desire a verdict  
of acquittal from those alone1 who      
either have1 or long to have1 religion  
dwelling in their souls1 and who are    
earnestly striving after light and      
truth1 ,christian love1 and moral       
freedom4 ,all such will acknowledge that
 ,i have fought a good fight1 and not   
for myself alone2 they will grant me    
their confidence1 that we may devote our
 united strength to the accomplishment  
of that great and desirable end1 to the 
achievement of which we are called1 as  
well by our holy profession1 and our    
sense of duty1 as by our care for the   
moral and temporal well-being of        
existing and of future generations4 ,the
 ,author4     ,,childhood1 ,,school     

,,days1 ,,and ,,college ,,life4  ,i was 
born on the #afth ,october #ahac1 in    
,bischofswald1 a village in the circle  
of ,neisse1 and near the ,giant         
,mountains4 ,i was the third child of my
 parents1 who had ten others1 of whom   
two died young4 ,we were set to work at 
an early age1 and while my elder brother
 was employed in the cultivation of the 
farm1 my father's little flock of sheep 
was placed under my care and keeping1 as
 the second surviving member of the     
family4 ,such was my chief occupation   
between the ages of six and twelve1     
during spring1 summer1 and autumn1 the  
winter being spent in the performance of
 other species of rural labour4 ,my     
father was serious1 fearless1 of sound  
judgment1 and devoid of superstition4   
,he died in ,march #ahdb4 ,my mother was
 entirely devoted to the care of her    
family4 ,she died in ,october #ahca4 ,my
 earliest instruction was obtained in   
the village school of ,bischofswald1    
where the only branches taught1 even in 

the highest class1 were reading1        
writing1 arithmetic1 and the learning by
 rote of the ,catechism and ,bible      
history4 ,it was only during my last    
year at school that ,i was instructed in
 geography and the history of ,silesia4 
,in my lonely shepherd life my mind     
dwelt often on religious subjects 7,i   
studied my ,catechism and ,bible history
 for the most part when in the field    
with my flock7 on the future life1 on   
time and the eternity beyond2 and from  
such thoughts it acquired at times a    
melancholy tone4 ,one of my teachers    
persuaded my father to send me to the   
,high ,school1 which1 owing to his      
numerous family1 he would not otherwise 
have done4  ,in #ahbg1 ,i entered the   
,high ,school at ,neisse1 and left it in
 #ahcf4 ,i had but little taste for     
foreign languages1 and could not form a 
friendship for ,horace or the other     
,romans2 but1 on the other hand1 ,i     
delighted in history and ,german        
literature4 ,rotteck enchanted me4 ,it  

was with inexpressible joy that ,i      
entered the ,university of ,breslau4 ,i 
felt and knew that ,i was free1 and     
would indeed have been ashamed to waste 
my time and freedom in idleness and     
sloth4 ,associated with a company of    
noble-minded youths1 it was our earnest 
endeavour to cultivate our minds199 and 
strengthen our bodies4       99 ,after a
 somewhat different fashion1 perchance1 
than that      prescribed by ,rome4  ,i 
chose theology as my profession1 because
 ,i felt a strong leaning towards       
teaching1 for the gratification of which
 the holy calling appeared to me        
peculiarly suited4 ,i somewhat feared   
its formalism1 but was not then         
acquainted1 as ,i now am1 with the      
compulsory and hypocritical system of   
the ,romish hierarchy4 ,although several
 of my friends endeavoured to dissuade  
me from the choice1 ,i fancied myself   
possessed of such strength of character 
as would enable me not only to meet the 
danger1 but to turn it to account4 ,my  

father1 who made me so ample an         
allowance1 that beyond a small bursary1 
,i needed no further assistance1 left me
 free to choose4 ,as ,i perceived1      
however1 that his means of providing for
 my brothers and sisters were straitened
 by his liberality to me1 and feeling   
desirous1 also1 not to diminish their   
fortune1 ,i deemed it my duty to relieve
 my father1 as soon as possible1 from   
the sacrifice which ,i knew he made on  
my account4 ,this was an external       
reason1 and one1 ,i do not blush to own1
 for determining to enter the ,roman    
,catholic priesthood4 ,and how many of  
the clergy are there who can say1 that  
in their choice of a profession1 they   
have not been influenced by similar     
motives8 ,while ,i was at the           
,university ,i also fulfilled my period 
of military service at ,breslau1 in the 
corps of sharpshooters1 under ,major von
 ,firk4     ,,the ,,seminary4  ,in the  
month of ,december #ahci1 ,i was        
received into the ,seminary1 and entered

 on a period of mournful and painful    
conflict4 ,the confidence ,i had        
hitherto reposed in our spiritual       
teachers was soon expelled from my      
breast by a nearer survey of their mode 
of life1 and replaced by the deepest    
horror and loathing1 which seized me    
when ,i became aware how shamefully they
 abused religion1 for the purpose of    
degrading and subjecting the people to  
their will2 when ,i saw by what a       
fearful veil of hypocrisy deceitful     
,rome surrounds us from our cradles to  
our graves2 when ,i saw how the holiest 
ordinances are insultingly misused1 to  
crush the dignity of human nature4 ,the 
disgraceful fetters galled me1 which1   
till now1 ,i had not felt1 and ,i       
perceived what many of my fellow        
sufferers endured1 and all the more     
severely1 the less they dared avow the  
causes of their suffering4 ,for the     
policy of ,rome knows how to entwine in 
bonds from which there is no escape1 all
 ,christians who profess its creed1 and 

more skilfully than ,moses1 who once    
drew water from the barren rock1 can    
conjure money from the impoverished     
people2 but their principal care and    
most consummate skill are constantly    
directed towards their servants1 that is
 to say1 to the inferior clergy and     
their education4 ,the inferior clergy   
are so securely bound in spiritual and  
external fetters1 that for the greater  
number it is almost impossible to       
escape4 ,the peculiar and appropriate   
armoury for these degrading bonds is the
 ,college or ,seminary for priests4 ,it 
is there that the youth1 who wishes to  
devote himself to the teaching of the   
people1 has the brand of slavery stamped
 deep and painfully upon him2 it is     
there that he is condemned to holy      
idleness2 it is there that his spirit is
 fettered1 and bowed to blind obedience 
by superstitious dread and sacred       
statutes2 it is there that he is        
inoculated in heart and soul with       
hypocrisy and selfish egotism2 it is    

there that man is degraded to the       
condition of a slave1 and becomes a     
passive tool4 ,the pain1 the torment of 
this sacrifice is fearful1 and nature   
instinctively revolts when she is robbed
 of her holiest rights1 of the most     
valued gifts of the ,creator4 ,and yet  
the slave is silent1 and all the more   
so1 as the grave is deeper where his    
freedom and his dignity lie buried4 ,it 
is but seldom that a despairing cry     
escapes from his inmost soul1 and dies  
away in utterance1 amid the empty sounds
 of simulated prayer4  ,i cannot think1 
without a trembling in my every nerve1  
on all the ignominy which was heaped    
upon us1 and on the disgraceful         
treatment which we must endure2 and ,i  
could wish the pen ,i write with were a 
blazing torch1 to illuminate the deep   
abyss wherein hearts are stifled1 and   
spirits overwhelmed amid hymns of       
praise6 ,i need1 however1 only to depict
 in quiet1 softer colours1 what ,i have 
seen and felt1 to rouse with certainty  

the wrathful horror1 and the deepest    
sympathy of the greater part of my      
fellow citizens1 who may still be       
unacquainted with the fearful strategy  
of the ,church of ,rome4     ,,the      
,,earlier ,,period ,,of ,,my ,,stay ,,in
 ,,the ,,seminary4  ,during the first   
few days after entering the seminary1 ,i
 saw depicted in the countenances of my 
companions in misfortune1 consternation1
 or timidity1 the deepest grief1 or a   
sort of desperate resignation1 according
 to their several dispositions2 the     
first evening1 for example1 of six      
acquaintances and friends1 who were     
consigned to the same cell1 none uttered
 a single word--all the six were so     
amazed1 that they strove to forget their
 speechless misery in sleep4 ,forty     
young men1 in the bloom and strength of 
manhood1 glided silently about like     
mummies4 ,we looked on one another in   
gloomy1 speechless sorrow1 and each one 
sought in the countenance of his friend1
 to ascertain the state of feeling in   

his heart4 ,we all endeavoured to attain
 that heroism1 which can resolve at once
 to sacrifice the heavenly dreams of    
youth1 its hopes1 its wishes1 and its   
freedom1--in order1 as they told us1    
that we might the more successfully     
promote the temporal and eternal        
well-being of our fellow-men2--as if it 
were possible for him to raise men to   
independence and to self-respect1 who   
cannot boast of their existence in his  
own bosom4 ,that1 however1 which most   
excited my indignation and horror1 was  
the ghastly stagnation1 which seen from 
one side exhibited depression1--from the
 other1 levity1 discontent1 or          
cowardice4 ,the young man of four and   
twenty had closed accounts with himself 
and all mankind1 the dearest ties were  
broken which bound him to his           
fellow-men4 ,the glowing and joyful fire
 of youth1 which seeks to achieve for   
itself a bright futurity1 was           
extinguished2 and egotism poured the    
freezing poison of suspicion1 envy1 and 

self-interest1 into the warm and        
youthful veins4 ,we felt as if we were  
all enveloped for eternity in one       
impenetrable shroud1 and as if doleful  
spirits were singing to us burial songs 
throughout the gloomy night4 ,the       
despotism of the ,roman hierarchy glared
 at me like an awful monster--a monster 
which digs graves for the burial of     
living youth--graves which engulf the   
freedom and the happiness of nations4   
,the young man who wishes to become a   
teacher of the people1 must witness his 
open and upright manliness ruined2 he   
must blindly obey1 and submit himself to
 the most degrading oppression1 for the 
first injunction laid on him is         
unconditional obedience4 ,he sees that  
the arrangements and decrees of the     
hierarchy are contrived for the         
degradation1 not the improvement of his 
country1 and that he himself1 as the    
servant of a foreign power1 is expected 
to assist in the oppression of the land 
which gave him birth4 ,he is also doomed

 to bear the weight of infamy which     
accompanies every state of slavery1 and 
the disgrace which now attaches to the  
entire priesthood1 from the immorality  
of many among them1 whose celibacy is a 
false profession4  ,can glittering coin1
 wrung from starving poverty and pious  
fanaticism1 or wines and dainty viands1 
make amends8 ,yes1 if he prefer the life
 of a gluttonous animal to that of a    
man4 ,what can sustain him8 ,the hope   
alone that he may one day aid in        
breaking the chains which1 bind his     
native country6 ,that thought it was    
which animated me1 and kept me upright  
under the pressure of my fearful        
servitude4 ,but must not the nature and 
the disposition suffer from the         
depression1 and will the moral vigour   
take no scathe8 ,ah6 ,what if one were  
to give way to the pressure--to settle  
down into a hypocrite--to become an     
object of contempt to one's self and the
 rest of mankind4 ,all these doubts and 
apprehensions forced themselves even at 

the first before my mind1 and filled my 
spirit with ineffable sadness1--and they
 were and are justified--but too well   
justified4  ,then the time was skilfully
 divided between attendance at          
ceremonies1 and the repetition of       
lip-prayers1 for from five to six hours 
daily 7including the breviary           
prayers4997 ,five hours of prayer daily1
 and such prayer6 for young men of      
twenty-four years1 designed to be the   
salt of the earth6 ,rome uses devotion  
as a means of enslaving men4 ,i tried by
 every means to escape from the debasing
 feeling1 from the reproach of          
conscience that ,i had done nothing49999
 ,after the breviary prayers were       
concluded1 there were only about three  
hours left daily for private study2 and 
the spiritual work was to be performed  
in the midst of twenty youths who had no
 farther examination for office to      
undergo1 and who besides were otherwise 
finished6 ,it was with horror that ,i   
contemplated the possibility that my    

moral strength might be weakened by the 
influence of idleness and dissimulation4
 ,my case was therefore often desperate1
 and many a time in fever heat have ,i  
outwatched the night1 and prayed in     
spirit ,if it be possible1 let the      
bitter cup pass from me4 ,i was forced  
to drink it2 but a gleam of prophetic   
brightness lighted me through the night1
 and showed me in my dreams the day of  
my emancipation4 ,miserably diseased in 
mind and disposition1 ,i left the       
seminary in #ahdj4       99 ,the time   
was divided in the following            
manner3--,morning1--      ,from #e #a_/b
 to #f1 matins2 from #f to #g1 breviary2
 #g to #g #a_/b1      mass2 from #g     
#a_/b to #h1 breakfast2 from #h to #aj1 
lectures2      from #aj to #aj #c_/d1   
free2 from #aj #c_/d to #aa #a_/b1      
study2      from #aa #a_/b to #ab1      
breviary4 ,afternoon1--,before and after
      dinner1 prayers in the            
chapel--altogether about #c_/d of an    
hour2 then #a_/d or #a_/b an hour       

breviary2 from #b to #d1      lectures2 
from #d to #d #c_/d1 free2 from #d #c_/d
 to #g1 study4      ,after supper1 about
 #a_/b an hour of prayer in the chapel  
and      an hour breviary4 ,the prayers 
are ,latin1 and always the same2      a 
larger number on ,sundays and feast     
days4 ,it is the duty      of every     
ecclesiastic to pray through the        
breviary once each      day2 the vicars 
go through these prayers for the canons 
as      a sort of feudal service4 ,the  
pupils are allowed1 twice a      week1  
to cross the threshold of the           
institution for a few      hours only4  
,no speaking is allowed during meals4   
,the      treatment is degrading4 ,two  
rooms for study are allotted to         
each twenty individuals4 ,the sleeping  
places1 without      stoves1 are        
arranged for three1 six1 eight1 and     
fifteen4      ,the largest was called   
,the ,menagerie4       9999 ,one of the 
,prebendaries themselves1 at the time of
 our      departure1 called the         

,seminary a little hell4     ,,the      
,,warning4  ,i entreat you1 ,german     
parents1 permit not one of your sons to 
enter this grave of moral freedom and   
independence2 you draw upon yourselves a
 heavier weight of blame than if you    
took their lives--for the moral death is
 worse and more painful than that of the
 body6 ,german mothers preferred in     
former times to put their children to   
death1 rather than that they should be  
,roman slaves2 while now-a-days it is   
esteemed the highest honour which can be
 conferred upon a ,german youth1 that he
 should become the slave--the           
consecrated slave1 forsooth--of the     
,roman bishop6 ,but the yoke is not     
acknowledged1 for it is imposed under   
the holy name of religion4  ,and you1 my
 youthful friends1 who choose for       
yourselves the profession of teachers1  
let me conjure you to retire from this  
grave of moral strength1 and            
independence--from the seminary6 ,you   
will be losers there in mind and body1  

were you even giants in both6 ,you will 
become slaves6 ,you will become         
hypocrites6 ,attractive though the      
office of a teacher be1 and enlarged his
 sphere of working1 it is rendered a    
dangerous one for manly dignity--for    
truth and freedom1 by the disgraceful   
ignominious fetters imposed on it by    
,rome4 ,choose1 therefore1 rather a hard
 couch and a laborious life than the    
degrading indolence of a polluted       
existence4     ,,my ,,departure ,,from  
,,the ,,seminary4  ,the gates of the    
,institution1 which we were only        
permitted twice in the week to pass1 to 
visit our fellow-men1 at length were    
opened--the gates of that               
martyr-seminary for soul and body1 that 
grave of independence--the proscribed   
threshold was crossed1 and ,i beheld    
once more before me the free and lovely 
world2 ,i inhaled long draughts of the  
fresh air1 as ,i gazed on the free blue 
sky in all the brightness of the        
glorious sun4 ,but the sun and the      

heavens were changed to me--the world   
itself seemed narrow and contracted1 for
 my soul and spirit were in bonds1      
disgraceful bonds6 ,i hastened to my    
native place--there1 ,i fondly hoped1 to
 lose my burden--there1 where ,i dreamed
 the dreams of youth--there1 in my      
mountain home6 ,the kindly eyes of my   
brethren1 said ,i to myself1 will revive
 and warm this heart1 which has been    
frozen by the hypocritical and          
piety-feigning glances of the           
domineering creatures of ,rome4  ,and   
the kindly eyes of my brethren did      
revive me1 and the joy of meeting again 
did scare away the inworn pain of       
servitude2 but before long the feeling  
returned with redoubled force4          
,dishonouring marks of reverence awoke  
me from my short-lived dream4 ,an aged  
man approached1 well-known to me1 and   
dear from boyish years4 ,i extended my  
hand to him--he fain would kiss it1 the 
aged man6 ,is it not sufficient1 ,i     
exclaimed within myself1 that ,i should 

be a slave8 ,must ,i also be a tool to  
work the degradation of my fellow-men6  
,o ,rome1 thou hast mixed poison in thy 
consecrated oil1 to kill the dignity of 
man4 ,i was regarded by all with        
timidity and reserve1 as if ,i had all  
at once become a higher1 a superhuman   
being6 ,and how8 ,by the fiat of the    
,pope8 ,oh1 not a more exalted being2   
but a slave1 who1 by the practice of    
holy hypocritical pretence1 was intended
 to deceive his fellow-citizens6 ,so    
passed the first period1 in dead        
stupefaction of soul1 while ,i1 adorned 
like a victim1 was installed in the     
ceremonial service of the ,romish       
,church4 ,the thought of my father and  
my family1 the prejudices of the        
,catholic world1 which must believe1 and
 for the most part does believe1 in the 
eternal duration of the ,roman bondage  
7called a ,church17 paralzyed my spirit 
and my character4 ,and yet1 amid my     
fetters1 there survived still somewhat  
to uphold me2 a presentiment that my    

chains would break2 a feeble ray of     
light illumining the dreary1 and        
seemingly eternal darkness of my prison4
 ,but when and how should they be       
broken8 ,i was now to be occupied in the
 cure of souls1 the pulpit and the      
school attracted me--through them will  
,i labour1 thought ,i1 my position may  
perhaps improve4 ,so ,i went to         
,grottkau1 whither ,i was called in     
,march #ahda4     ,,my ,,office4        
,firmly resolved to be a teacher of the 
people1 in the true sense of the        
expression1 not in that assigned to it  
by the ,church--resolved to speak the   
truth1 without respect of persons1 and  
to become no hypocrite1 ,i entered on my
 office at ,grottkau4 ,being            
unacquainted in my sphere of labour1    
some time elapsed before ,i came to know
 my field of action1 or was enabled     
efficiently to discharge the practical  
duties of my station4 ,i found my school
 to be the field best adapted to the    
measure of my capacity4 ,independently  

of the natural love ,i have for         
children4 ,i was always happiest in this
 holy garden of the ,lord1 where        
youthful minds expand1 which is         
brightened by thoughts as swift and     
radiant as the lightning1 and where the 
lovely innocence of childhood exhales   
its sweetest fragrance4 ,in school ,i   
was free from the espionage by which ,i 
knew my pulpit to be surrounded--which  
oppressed my heart1 and nearly stopped  
my utterance2 free from the humiliating 
feeling which the ,confessional aroused 
within me1 where ,i seemed to be an     
idol1 or a judge set over the thoughts  
and consciences of my fellow-men4 ,when 
the pressure of the priestly yoke at    
times became too much for me1 ,i have   
fled for refuge to the youth and        
innocence of the school1 and have never 
failed to leave it with my strength     
renewed4 ,these children little knew the
 infinite service which they rendered   
me6 ,notwithstanding that ,i laboured   
with all my might1 as well in the school

 and the confessional1 as in the pulpit1
 most resolutely to oppose and          
counteract the superstition1 the        
hypocrisy1 and all the consequences of  
priestly oppression and dissembling1 the
 result could be but small1 on account  
of the mighty barriers interposed by the
 hierarchy to every step in the         
direction of spirituality4  ,within     
these fearful barriers1 and under such  
restraint1 and fettered thus in mind and
 body1 with watchful care to sow and    
plant1 what1 after all1 might be doomed 
to suffocation in the choke-damp of     
superstition1 became from week to week  
less bearable2 and all the less so1 the 
more clearly ,i perceived the terrible  
effects of ,popish despotism on the     
people1 and the depth of moral          
degradation to which many of my brethren
 had sunk1 bringing the danger all the  
nearer to myself4 ,i saw it now to be my
 duty1 openly to declare against the    
abuses and the soul-killing tenets of   
the ,church of ,rome1--rather to die a  

bodily than a spiritual death4          
,,motives ,,for ,,standing ,,forth      
,,against ,,the ,,constraint ,,exercised
 ,,by ,,the ,,pope ,,in ,,matters ,,of  
,,religion4  ,the inducements which     
gradually brought my determination to   
maturity1 and imposed the carrying out  
of it upon me as a duty1 ,i here submit 
to the consideration of all men3  ,i    
stand forth against the ,romish         
hierarchy1 because it is the means of   
crushing my dignity as a man1 and       
reducing me to a state of disgraceful   
servitude4 ,the dignity of man is       
acknowledged to consist in his reason   
and his will1 and in the unrestrained   
use of both1 for the attainment of moral
 freedom1--,be ye therefore perfect1    
even as your ,father which is in heaven 
is perfect4 ,as ,romish priest ,i dare  
not freely exercise my reason and my    
will4 ,as such ,i only dare to think1   
and speak1 and write1 what the ,church  
decrees1 or what my superiors may allow4
 ,if ,i think1 or speak1 or write1 more 

or otherwise1 ,i am declared to be a    
heretic1 i4e4 a most grievous criminal4 
,god himself must only be conceived of  
and adored1 according to dictation of   
the ,romish ,church2 and even ,he dares 
to accept no other adoration at my      
hands1 than that prescribed by the      
,romish ,church1 in which1 forsooth1    
salvation only can be found4 ,as ,romish
 priest ,i have no freedom1 either of   
thought or conscience4 ,neither can ,i  
boast1 as such1 of any of the other     
rights of man1 in opposition to my      
superior1--him ,i must blindly obey4    
,the ,romish priest is not regarded as a
 being personally free1 but as an       
automaton1 employed to spread abroad the
 mist of superstition4 ,to cast off this
 bondage1 and become a free moral agent1
 is a holy duty and injunction of the   
,christian religion1 which demands      
freedom in the exercise of virtue4 ,in  
order1 however1 to convince all men more
 clearly of the urgent nature of this   
duty1 ,i shall attempt a feeble         

portraiture of the paralyzing influence 
exerted on myself1 by priestly          
oppression1 while ,i held an office in  
the ,church--a portraiture in which the 
chief features in the case of hundreds  
among my colleagues may1 at the same    
time1 be recognized4  ,i felt a morbid  
irritability in contemplating the       
consecrated barriers which cut me off   
from my fellow-men2 my spirit1 sympathy1
 and active impulse died away1 and in   
their place1 in spite of my endeavours1 
cold indifference1 and emotions even of 
hatred crept upon me4 ,i likewise felt a
 suspicion of my colleagues1            
inexplicable in its earlier stages1 and1
 in particular1 ,i shunned those friends
 in whose society ,i had passed the     
unfettered years of college life1 in    
order that ,i might not unnecessarily   
open the wounds which the loss of my    
freedom had inflicted on my heart499    
99 ,i have often heard the complaint    
made1 that the younger      members of  
the ,catholic priesthood keep aloof from

 former      friends2 a moving cause is 
given above1 which may lead us          
rather to compassionate than to condemn 
them4  ,but most crushing of all was1   
the performance of certain ceremonies at
 the altar1 by which1 as ,i knew and    
could perceive1 many of the community   
were misguided into superstition and    
hypocrisy4 ,was ,i not forced to be a   
party to dissimulation1 in the          
performance of such ceremonies8 ,could  
,i help feeling myself lowered in my own
 opinion8 ,when ,i knelt at the altar1  
with the credulous people behind me1 and
 cast a look within1 ,i shuddered in my 
inmost soul1 an unspeakable woe         
tormented me1 and ,i uttered the        
despairing cry1 ,and hast thou so long  
suffered this humiliation8 ,each morning
 ,i was awakened1 as with a piercing    
shriek1 by the thought that ,i was a    
slave1 and that my life was not only    
useless but fraught with degradation to 
my fellow-men--that ,i had been robbed  
of a bright career of useful labour1 and

 that not even time itself might put an 
end to all my ignominy6 ,my fetters were
 indeed consecrated1 and1 according to  
the prejudices of the world1 they seemed
 to be unremovable4 ,the world appeared 
determined to bear patiently the hideous
 yoke--its course was still the same6   
,i saw before me the abyss of falsehood 
or an early grave6 ,should ,i succumb8  
,unworthy cowardice6 ,my courage        
gradually rose2 courage for the contest 
of life and death within me4 ,i         
determined to burst my fetters1 and to  
leave the enchanted circle1--a circle   
drawn amid the incantations and the     
curses of ,romish tyranny in the middle 
ages2 ,i resolved to assist in tearing  
off the mask of holiness from the       
hypocrisy of a thousand years4 ,this my 
resolve was only strengthened by        
contemplating the fate of my colleagues1
 some of whom were greater sufferers    
than even ,i4 ,a few were snatched away 
by early death2 they sank mute1 and     
cheated of their lives1 into the grave4 

,he cannot surely have a drop of blood  
within his veins1 who would not feel it 
boil with indignation to witness such a 
sight4 ,and yet their fate was envied by
 the others1 who glided through the     
world like mummies1 in the springtime of
 their days1 and hourly1 slowly faded   
into death4 ,some rush1 to deaden       
feeling1 into drunkenness and other     
vices1 or sink into insensibility1 and  
passively vegetate from one day to the  
next4 ,others still1 of livelier        
character1 seek to lose themselves in   
the hierarchical spirit of the middle   
ages1 and because ours are other days1  
and they1 although they know it not1    
belong to them1 have originated that    
modern species of bigotry which rises   
ofttimes into madness4 ,such heroes then
 surround themselves with halos borrowed
 from the early ,fathers1 and affect the
 startling voice of the preacher of     
repentance4  ,at last ,i sought1 in     
order quite to fix my resolution1 the   
countenance of those among the priests  

esteemed of noblest character2 but found
 little real manliness1 good and amiable
 787 as several of them might be1---or  
from a certain vacuity of mind1         
effeminate inertness1 or well-concealed 
ambition1 might appear to be4  ,i stand 
forth against the tyrannical dominion of
 the ,romish ,hierarchy1 because it     
prevents me from faithfully pursuing my 
avocation as teacher of the people4  ,i 
am bound1 as teacher of the people1 and 
as teacher of religion1 at all hazards  
to guard1 not only my own freedom and   
independence1 but those also of my      
fellow-men4 ,in accordance with the     
language of the ,new ,testament1---we   
are all the children of one father1 we  
are brethren1 it is my duty1 as teacher 
of the people and of religion1 not only 
to proclaim freedom to all mankind1 but 
to endeavour to realize the lesson1     
because it is the freeman who alone is  
virtuous4 ,it is1 in fact1 my duty as a 
teacher1 not only to strive after       
intellectual perfection for myself1 and 

to keep pace with the gradual           
development of mind1 but to carry before
 my parishioners1 the banner of         
civilization and humanity4 ,i am not    
only impeded by the tyrannical          
oppression of the ,romish ,hierarchy in 
the discharge of all these duties1 but  
am even commanded to proclaim bondage   
for freedom1 darkness for light1 and for
 progress--intellectual stagnation6 ,i  
must thereby call down upon myself the  
deserved hatred of the present age1 and 
the curses of posterity4  ,i stand forth
 against the tyrannical dominion of the 
,romish ,hierarchy1 because ,i am       
convinced that what the ,hierarchs call 
the ,catholic religion is not the true  
,catholic doctrine1--is not a doctrine  
calculated to promote the happiness of  
nations2 that the ,romish1 ,hierarchy   
does not teach and act in accordance    
with the leading and fundamental        
doctrines of the religion of which      
,christ was the author1--but that it has
 introduced abuses1 and framed          

ordinances which are calculated to      
undermine the intellectual and physical 
welfare of nations1 and only to increase
 the power and riches of a privileged   
priesthood1 of whom the ,roman ,bishop  
is the head4  ,it were superfluous here 
to attempt the proof of this position by
 a long-winded1 learned treatise4 ,the  
fruits of the ,romish ,hierarchy have   
been proving it for centuries1 and it is
 in the power of every man to convince  
himself1 who wishes to be convinced4 ,or
 is it perhaps in consequence of the    
blessings emanating from ,rome1 that a  
portion1 and not a small one1 of our    
people1 languish in the most abject     
poverty86 while another portion1 and    
within it many preachers of religion1   
especially the higher prelates1 are     
rolling in superfluous wealth8 ,are     
these the fruits of a ,church in which  
alone is salvation1 that some should be 
kept by spiritual oppression and        
ignorance in superstition and           
insensibility1 and even degraded to a   

level with the brutes1 in order that    
others1 and among them many consecrated 
servants of the ,pope1 may be the lords 
and drivers of the dishonoured horde6   
,how then can the injunction of love to 
our neighbour find a place in such a    
,christian ,church1 in such a society of
 ,christians8 ,where then is the succour
 of alone-saving ,rome1 amid so deep    
spiritual degradation1 amid so great    
bodily want among our people8 ,where is 
the practical working of brotherly-love6
 where does she labour for the elevation
 and improvement of the people6 ,where  
is the right understanding of the       
,lord's ,supper1 the feet-washing6 and  
where the living exemplification of so  
many others of the essential doctrines  
of the ,new ,testament8 ,has it not all 
degenerated into form and pretence6 ,has
 not religion been degraded to a system 
of usury and hypocrisy1 which aims alone
 at the enriching and aggrandizement of 
the ,church of ,rome6 ,the ,church1 as  
the ,romish ,hierarchy exhibits and     

teaches1 is but a phantom of falsehood  
and dissimulation1 which floats unseen  
above the nations1 keeping them in      
constant dread and blind obedience4     
,hence comes the alienation from the    
priests1 the horror and bitterness of   
feeling unanimously entertained by the  
considerate and right-thinking portion  
of mankind1 towards the so-called       
,romish ,church6 ,and the animosity is  
well deserved2 for what efforts do the  
priesthood make for the temporal and    
spiritual amelioration of the suffering 
people8 ,the greater number of them pass
 coldly by1 as the priests and ,levites 
passed by the poor ,samaritan of old4   
,we grant that hundreds of the priests  
are not aware1 or are careful to avoid  
the knowledge of the game they play1 and
 the ,power they serve as blinded       
instruments4 ,they speak1 ,his true1 of 
the spirit of reconciliation and the    
,church1 but they halt by the dead      
letter4 ,they know not1 and they do not 
desire to know1 that the ,church means  

all mankind1 and mankind here on earth6 
,that the need of reconciliation is     
indeed most pressing1 for mankind in its
 present condition--,i mean a           
reconciliation and approximation of the 
educated and uneducated1 the moral and  
immoral1 portions of mankind4 ,yea1     
more1 ,i mean a reconciliation between  
the rich and the needy portions of      
humanity4 ,this reconciliation and      
approximation must be brought about     
preeminently by the teachers of the     
people2 it must result1 not in empty    
words--with them we have been           
surfeited--but in actual deeds4 ,this is
 a vineyard of the ,lord1 where the ears
 are ripe for harvest1 and where        
labourers are required4 ,these labourers
 need no authority from ,rome1 no       
outward consecration--it must be in     
their spirits--they must have           
consecrated hearts6 ,when they appear1  
the people will acknowledge them1       
although they bear no ,roman symbols4   
,but seeing that the ,romish ,hierarchy 

love no such labourers--the people's    
truest friends and guides1--seeing that 
she resolutely opposes the moral        
elevation of mankind1 it is a duty to   
contend against her and her false       
system--and such is the duty ,i shall   
now endeavour to fulfil4  ,lastly1 ,i   
stand forth against the tyrannical      
dominion of the ,romish ,hierarchy      
because its statutes tend directly to   
the sundering and oppression of my      
native land4  ,the ,roman ,catholic     
priest is debarred by celibacy from the 
family tie1 bound by his vow of blind   
obedience1 by the tenets of his faith1  
as well as by external interest1 to the 
,bishop of ,rome1 and thus withdrawn and
 estranged from the interests of his    
fatherland4 ,instead of awakening and   
strengthening patriotism and community  
of feeling1 the ,catholic priest1 as    
teacher of the people1 is engaged1 by   
the statutes of his ,church1 to stifle  
both4 ,history abounds with proofs of   
the truth of this assertion1 with       

instances in which their fatherland1 and
 the most sacred interests of their     
country have been betrayed1 by bishops  
and priests1 to the ,roman ,pontiff4    
,but we dare not stop to consider the   
past2 every day bears striking testimony
 that the priesthood strives with might 
and main1 again to bring the ,german    
nation under the tyranny of the ,pope   
and of the ,jesuits4 ,hundreds1 truly1  
of the priests are not aware of this2   
but what a load of guilt should ,i      
incur1 were ,i to lend myself to the    
work of degrading and subjecting my     
fellow-countrymen1--of delivering my    
fatherland over to the ,jesuits and the 
,pope6 ,on the contrary1 it is my       
bounden duty to contend against the     
despotism of ,rome1 and to lend a hand  
in working out the emancipation of my   
native country4 ,these are the arguments
 which render it incumbent upon me--on  
all of us--to fight against the         
,hierarchy1 and strive to bring about   
such an improvement and a reformation in

 the ,church1 as shall satisfy the      
requirement of the times4  ,a thorough  
reformation of the ,church1 it appeared 
to me1 could only be brought about by   
,general ,councils199 in which laymen   
should bear their legitimate part2 and  
,i determined to lay down my views in   
writing on this subject1 together with a
 sketch of the ,romish abuses1 which ,i 
expected to have ready by the autumn of 
#ahdc4 ,the necessity for such a step   
was the more impressed upon my mind1 the
 more ,i saw increasing the violence and
 lordliness of the ,high-,church and    
,jesuitical party throughout ,germany1  
and particularly in ,silesia1 under ,dr4
 ,bitter1 who was at that time ,vicar of
 the ,bishopric4 ,dr4 ,bitter disposed  
and managed all things to his own       
heart's content4 ,such curates and      
chaplains as did not please him were    
most unceremoniously deposed1           
translated1 imprisoned1 admonished in   
letters couched in ,russian terms1 and  
dealt with as suited his humour4 ,thus  

was ,mr4 ,beer1 the curate of ,brieg1   
translated in defiance of his people's  
wish to retain him2 ,mr4 ,schotte was   
degraded to the lower office of         
chaplain1 and ,mr4 ,weiser1 the         
chaplain1 on a mere calumnious charge1  
without examination or opportunity of   
defence1 ordered to the ,seminary for   
punishment4 ,these were men of          
unblemished reputation1 their only fault
 being that they were not sufficiently  
abject and ,romish4 ,but ,dr4 ,bitter   
rained and hailed on right and wrong1   
and enacted the part of ,providence in  
the diocese of ,breslau4       99 ,even 
in the ,seminary ,i spoke to several of 
my quondam      friends1 of the         
necessity of ,general ,councils4 ,some  
of them      have probably forgotten    
now1 what then they acknowledged to     
be needed4  ,the inferior clergy1 who   
besides had few or no privileges in     
comparison with their superiors1 were   
really most arbitrarily dealt with4 ,a  
feeling came over us at that time1 as if

 the days of club-law were at hand4 ,in 
some places1 as in ,brieg and           
,ziegenhals1 it really came to violence4
 ,but ,ritter's creatures rose1 and     
managed in the spirit of their master4  
,he1 in the fulness of his power1 issued
 an interdict against mixed marriages1  
at once dishonouring to us1 and         
injurious to chastity2 he commanded that
 the old ,silesian ritual1 which        
probably dates from the time of trials  
for witchcraft199 7it contains at least 
much of the same stuff17 should again be
 brought into universal use1 because he 
learned that some curates no longer     
employed it49999 ,neither did the       
,seminary escape him2 he ordered the    
pupils never to mix with their          
fellow-men except in clerical costume1  
7probably for the sake of exemplifying  
neighbourly and brotherly love17 and    
enjoined it with suitable earnestness4  
,bigotry and fanaticism increased still 
more and more among the young and       
newly-appointed chaplains1 and the old  

experienced ministers saw themselves all
 at once outdone in piety4       99     
,this expression is not too severe2 for 
according to the      ,silesian ritual1 
in baptism1 for instance1 the ,devil is 
three times driven ont of the innocent  
little child4 ,at the      consecrating 
of ,holy ,water1 and at other           
consecrations1 in      like manner1 a   
number of exorcisms are employed4       
9999 ,at the same time1 indeed1 he      
promised a new one1 which1      however1
 after a lapse of three years1 has not  
yet appeared4  ,numerous rosary         
associations and prayer-meetings were   
established4 ,schneeweiss1 the professor
 of divinity1 instituted such meetings  
in ,neisse1 and introduced rosary-books 
from ,bavaria1 which1 pandering to the  
grossest materialism and sensuous       
worship1 manifest the most horrible     
,jesuitism4 ,the members paid weekly two
 silver groschen1 which money1 with that
 realized by the books1 was reported to 
find its way into the coffers of the    

,jesuits in ,bavaria4 ,herr ,schneeweiss
 is generally considered in ,neisse to  
be a ,jesuit4 ,the pupils at the ,high  
,school were compelled to join these    
associations4  ,similar reunions were   
established in other places1 among which
 that under pastor ,schaffraneck1 at    
,beuthen1 in ,upper ,silesia1 was       
distinguished4 ,thus were we placed by  
,dr4 ,hitter1 the quondam ,hermesian199 
quite on the ecclesiastical war         
establishment of the middle ages4       
,nothing now was wanting to ,dr4        
,ritter1 except monasteries and         
convents1 for which pious mites were    
already beginning to be collected1 and  
the bishop's mitre of ,breslau4 ,he lost
 his point1 however2 for ,mr4 ,knauer1 a
 mild and humane priest1 was chosen4    
,now commenced a general intrigue among 
the ,high ,church party4 ,mr4 ,knauer   
was complained of at ,rome as incapable2
 ,rome1 therefore1 hesitated for a year 
to confirm the appointment1 during which
 time the agitation and disturbance in  

the diocese increased4 ,citizens and    
honest ,churchmen in the province       
complained loudly of this bad state of  
matters2 but neither the incorporation  
of burgesses1 7who1 to be sure1 have no 
voice in matters affecting the good of  
their souls1 or regarding their clergy17
 nor a single pastor1 deemed it         
incumbent on them to oppose the tide of 
disorder and of bigotry4 ,aroused by the
 disgrace of our increasingly gloomy    
prospects1 and excited by the           
shamelessness of the creatures of ,rome1
 as well as by the intrigues in regard  
to the bishopric of ,breslau1 which were
 daily coming to our ears1 ,i resolved1 
although ,i had never yet written for   
publication1 to attack the scandals     
which issued from the chapter of        
,breslau1 and wrote the paper entitled1 
',rome and the ,chapter of ,breslau     
signed ',a ,chaplain4'       99         
,disciples of ,professor ,hermes1       
formerly of ,bonn4   ,this article      
appeared in ,no2 #ace of the            

,vaterlands-blatter1 of the year #ahdb1 
and runs thus3--  ,,rome ,,and ,,the    
,,chapter ,,of ,,breslau4  ,although a  
year has already elapsed since ,prebend 
,knauer was chosen ,bishop by the       
,chapter of ,breslau1 the appointment   
has not yet been confirmed at ,rome1    
notwithstanding that the diocese has    
been two years without a bishop1 and    
that other bishops1 much more lately    
chosen1 have been confirmed long ago4   
,the circumstance excites1 however1 no  
surprise2 for ,knauer is a moderate1 and
 humane1 perhaps even a liberal-minded  
man4 ,and yet it is somewhat strange    
that the ,chapter of ,breslau should    
submit so patiently to see its own and  
,knauer's honour so abused by ,rome1 and
 the rights of the diocese so           
disregarded6 ,to object to this1 that   
the ,pope considers ,knauer unfit for   
his office1 were absurd4 ,how should the
 ,pope know aught about it1 unless from 
informers1 7his divine qualifications   
being now no longer admitted17 since the

 ,chapter1 by its choice1 has declared  
him to be fit1 and since it cannot be   
supposed that a college of venerable men
 would elect as bishop an unsuitable    
person1 merely for the sake of          
appearances--not to advert to the       
influence of the ,holy ,spirit1 whose   
efficacy would thus have been           
unrecognized in the election6 ,but how  
can the ,pope have more faith and       
confidence in a few pitiful informers1  
than in a whole college of men upon     
oath8 ,how can he place these men in    
such an equivocal light before the eyes 
of the world1 and so impede their       
usefulness in the diocese6 ,should this1
 however1 happen1 will not the ,chapter 
incur a moral obligation1 to vindicate  
its own and ,knauer's honour1 as well as
 to preserve the rights of the diocese8 
,hitherto the ,chapter of ,breslau has  
been silent4 ,is this from meekness8 ,no
 one recognises in this silence an act  
of ,christian forbearance1 but somewhat 
very different6 ,of course1 the people  

have learnt in the catechism1 ',the     
,church is the community of all         
,christians1 not the ,pope4' ,people    
have strange notions in our day1        
especially about ,church and ,state1    
freedom and the rights of man6 ,all     
would fain have freedom and their       
rights1 and1 as they say1 their warrant 
is in the ,bible6  ,it will here be     
objected1 however1 that the ,pope1      
having the right of confirming1 has1    
consequently1 also the right to refuse  
confirmation4 ,let us cast all else     
aside1 even reason and honour1 and      
consider the matter from the point of   
view of historical right1 acquired by   
force4 ,the ,pope1 then1 has the right  
to confirm the bishop1 consequently also
 to refuse confirmation2 but the        
,chapter1 in like manner1 has the right 
of choosing1 and1 consequently1 of not  
choosing--perhaps even the right of     
refusing admission to a bishop not      
elected by themselves4 ,it is not       
difficult to determine whether ,rome or 

the ,chapter of ,breslau would fare the 
worst in such a contest4  ,or may not   
the informers1 who throw suspicion on   
the sentiments and fitness of ,knauer1  
perhaps be members of the ,chapter2 and 
the ,italians1 presuming on their want  
of unity1 venture to enact in ,germany a
 part they have not dared for long8 ,the
 silence of the ,chapter and the        
impudence of ,rome are scarcely capable 
of any other explanation4 ,should it    
indeed be so1 and should individual     
members of the ,chapter have sacrificed 
the welfare1 the rights and privileges  
of the diocese1 to their private        
ambition1 their jealousy1 or to other   
interests1 and thus have made a level   
road for the ,italians again to enter   
,germany1 then would we call upon these 
men1 who bear rule in the diocese1 and  
whose part it is to promote our welfare1
 and to protect our rights and          
liberties1 to vindicate their trust1 if 
they do not wish to incur the reproach  
of want of principle1 and dereliction of

 their duty4  ,are those days to return1
 in which it was necessary to send      
gold-laden cavalcades to ,rome1 in order
 to become a bishop8 ,if so1 the ,canons
 of ,breslau would have but faint chance
 of a mitre4 ,it is very remarkable what
 the ,italians have of late demanded of 
us ,germans4 ,we are commanded to pray  
that the ,spaniards may return to their 
old ecclesiastical bondage6 ,who have   
been the leaders of this bloody drama8  
,perhaps the disobedient people8        
,espartero1 and such like6 ,we know in  
,germany1 and almost every school-boy   
knows it1 that1 next to the tyranny of  
royalty1 the bloody slaughtering of this
 fine people has been for the most part 
occasioned by the licentious1 lazy1     
,rome-subjected priesthood6 ,we also    
know that the ,french ,revolution was   
not occasioned by ,danton1 ,camille     
,desmoulins1 and others of their stamp2 
but by the tyranny of ,louis ,,xiv41 the
 profligacy of ,louis ,,xv41 aided by   
the shameless excesses of the court     

nobility1 lay and clerical4 ,no less are
 we aware that the ,thirty ,years' ,war 
was not caused by ,luther and           
,melancthon1 but had been hatching for  
centuries by ,rome and the lay and      
clerical nobility of ,germany4 ,it is1  
indeed1 most necessary that we pray for 
ourselves and for the ,spaniards1 but it
 shall be for the freedom and           
independence of ourselves and them--in  
union with which alone can true religion
 and morality exist--and not for slavery
 and dependence1 which can at best      
engender dissimulation and hypocrisy4   
,a ,chaplain4   ,well did ,i know that  
,i was subscribing my own sentence2 and 
yet1 on closer consideration1 ,i could  
not believe that the ,hierarchy1 or     
,church as it is called1 would treat    
both truth and justice with such open   
scorn as ,i found that it could1 through
 ,dr4 ,ritter and the vicar-ship of     
,breslau4  ,about six weeks after the   
appearance of the article1 ,i received a
 note from ,dr4 ,ritter199 in which he  

called upon me to tell him1 on my       
priestly word of honour1 whether ,i were
 the author of the article1 ,rome and   
the ,chapter of ,breslau1 or had taken  
any part in the drawing up or           
despatching of it4 ,dr4 ,ritter1 the    
vicar of the bishopric1 a priest1 nearly
 sixty years of age1 with grey hair1    
dared to call me to account for speaking
 the truth6--me1 who1 as a priest and   
proclaimer of the truth1 had lately been
 sent into the world with the           
commission1 to speak the truth without  
fear of man1--,dr4 ,ritter1 who himself 
had sent me forth1 ventured to call me  
to account for doing so6 ,and is        
religion thus to be turned to mockery   
and reproach6 ,should ,i not speak the  
truth8 or had ,i not spoken the truth8  
,i had written down that the ,romish    
priesthood were preeminently the cause  
of the ,german ,thirty ,years' ,war1 and
 of the ,revolutions in ,france and     
,spain4 ,are these not facts of         
historical notoriety1 contained in every

 manual1 and should ,i not dare to write
 them8 ,i had also asserted that the    
calumnies and want of unanimity among   
the candidates for the bishopric1 were  
probably the reasons for the ,pope      
daring so long to delay the confirmation
 of ,bishop ,knauer1 and keeping the    
diocese in confusion4 ,the divisions and
 quarrels of the candidates for the     
bishop's mitre were known to all the    
diocese1 and also who had principally   
contributed to the retiring of the      
humane ,bishop ,sedlinitzky--much       
indignation was felt at the discord     
occasioned by clerical ambition2 and ,i1
 forsooth1 should not give utterance to 
the opinions of my fellow-citizens and  
colleagues6 ,dr4 ,ritter1 then1 placed  
falsehood and hypocrisy on the altar1   
and desired that ,i should honour them1 
in calling me to a reckoning for my     
truthfulness4       99 ,,dr4 ,,ritter',s
 ,,decree4       ,public opinion points 
to you as the author of the article     
entitled ,rome and the ,chapter of      

,breslau1 and signed ,a      ,chaplain1 
in ,no4 #ace of the ,saxon              
,vaterlands-blatter4 ,i      hereby     
require you1 on your word of honour as a
 priest1      distinctly to declare1 by 
return of post1 whether you are      the
 author of the above-named article1 or  
the sender of it1      or1 in fact1     
whether you had any share in the drawing
 up or      despatching of the same4    
,ritter1       ,canonical ,vicar and    
,general ,administrator of the          
,diocese1       ,breslau1 ,december #bj1
 #ahdb4  ,had ,i given vent in words to 
my first angry feelings1--had ,i not    
allowed some weight to the existing     
relations between the higher and        
inferior clergy1--had ,i not1 in short1 
considered the situation of my orphan   
sisters--,dr4 ,ritter would indeed have 
received a very different reply from    
that1 which1 after the exercise of much 
self-control1 ,i sent him4 ,after calm  
reflection and consultation with a man  
of experience1 ,i came to the           

resolution1 that as ,i had written in   
the name of my fellow-citizens and      
colleagues1 ,i ought not to make any    
concession prejudicial to their rights1 
and must rely for protection on the     
laws4  ,according to the laws of        
,prussia1 the name of an author can only
 be required1 and that by the courts of 
law1 when his writings contain matter of
 a libellous or seditious nature4 ,if   
this law be not applicable to one of the
 inferior clergy1 it follows that he    
dares not give utterance to any         
assertion or opinion which may be       
distasteful to his superiors 7were it   
the most undeniable truth17 without     
being deprived of his situation4 ,but   
who would willingly at once give up his 
place8 ,were governments to proceed     
after the fashion of ,dr4 ,ritter1 or   
the ,church1 no commissioned-officer    
would dare to notice an abuse1 without  
running the risk of being examined and  
cashiered by his superiors4  ,dr4       
,ritter had no right to take me to task1

 since by so doing1 he interfered with  
the privileges and the duties of the    
whole body of inferior clergy1 in       
calling me to account1 by his           
inquisitorial questions1 for a simple   
expression of opinion4 ,i dared not     
accede to his demands without injuring  
religion and my colleagues4 ,or has the 
so-called inferior priest1 perhaps1 no  
right to tell the truth8 or to tell it  
without placing his situation in        
jeopardy6 ,is the so-called inferior    
priest not under the protection of the  
laws of his native country8 and are the 
superior clergy perhaps the only1 and   
the infallible pillars of the truth8    
,with a due regard to my good cause1 and
 my defenceless condition1 compared with
 that of an unfettered opponent1 ,i gave
 the short reply--that my conscience    
forbade me to satisfy such queries4 ,the
 ,papists and priestlike blockheads     
always turn the darkest side1 and so    
they did in my case4 ,dr4 ,ritter and   
his ,popish allies would gladly have    

attributed to me falsehood and          
cowardice1 and pointed triumphantly to  
these words1 as well as to other        
disconnected passages1 in order thereby 
to lower me in the eyes of my           
fellow-citizens1 but in vain4 ,that ,i  
desired to save my place1 as was        
asserted1 by cowardice and falsehood1 ,i
 have practically refuted1 by demitting 
my office1 braving poverty and want1    
although it would have been very easy   
for me1 by falsehood or retractation1 to
 have escaped from the suspension499    
99 ,see the ,vicarial document of       
,february #ahd #c4 ,the letters      of 
,mr4 ,schneeweiss1 and the conference   
with the ,prebend ,f4      at the       
,episcopal audience4     ,,objections4  
,on the other hand1 ,i have heard the   
objection made1 that though ,i only     
wrote the truth1 it was still unbecoming
 in me to write it as ,i did 787 ,those 
good folks who so degrade the truth1 and
 whose knees tremble before every       
tribunal1 are informed1 that it was not 

only my privilege1 but my sacred duty so
 to write4 ,the paper in question was   
written with the feeling of a ,german1  
who was ashamed and irritated1 by seeing
 the despotic sway of ,rome ever        
extending1 wider and more boldly1 and   
constantly employing for its extension  
7an extension which brings all vices in 
its train17 ,germans--men whose         
paramount duty it is1 as teachers of the
 people1 to lead them to freedom and    
independence--since without these no    
virtue is conceivable4 ,i wrote that    
article as a teacher of the people1 and 
as a teacher of religion1 who holds it  
as his most sacred duty to oppose all   
injustice1 and to call it by its proper 
name1 should it even be perpetrated     
under the shelter of the altar1 and the 
hypocrisy of the more than millennial   
supremacy of ,rome4 ,there was besides  
somewhat peculiarly novel in ,dr4       
,ritter's distinctive characterizing of 
the peculiar word of honour4 ,he puts   
questions to me which ,i am called upon 

to answer on my priestly word of honour4
 ,does ,dr4 ,ritter always rate the     
quality of honour by the office of the  
individual8 ,if so1 are those who have  
no office also without honour6 ,my      
honour is one and indivisible--that     
which ,god has implanted within me--the 
honour of being a man4 ,this honour ,i  
esteem more highly than that priestly   
conceit with which1 instead of love1    
,rome seeks by consecration to inoculate
 her slaves1 and which generally sinks  
them far below the level of their       
fellow-men1 though they may dream that  
they are high above them4 ,my honour and
 my manly dignity are of greater value  
in my eyes than all your livings1       
prelacies1 and mitres2 and ,i am ready  
to defend my honour against every one1  
even against ,dr4 ,ritter4 ,dr4 ,ritter 
will perceive from this that ,i was not 
lying bound1 as he supposed1 by that    
hierarchic spell which extinguishes     
reason1 and de grades man's will to the 
condition of a limping slave4 ,no1 ,i   

had seen the ,church beneath the screen 
of her hypocrisy--,i had seen her in all
 her deformity1 and ,i felt myself      
called on1 at once by my manly dignity1 
and my love to my neighbour1 to assist  
in tearing off her curse-laden mask4    
,,farther ,,expedients ,,of ,,dr4       
,,ritter4  ,as his ,jesuitical plan of  
terrifying had not the effect which he  
probably desired1 he tried other means  
to entrap me2 and behold6 a denunciation
 appeared to him likely to achieve his  
purpose4 ,about a year before1 it had   
been observed by a burgess nearly       
related to the priesthood1 that ,i wore 
a shorter coat1 and longer whiskers1    
than accorded with his orthodoxy1 and he
 denounced me in consequence4 ,dr4      
,ritter had not delayed1 from his giddy 
height of holiness1 to set me right1 in 
the genuine style of ecclesiastical     
dictation4 ,i had replied to his        
communication in something like the     
following terms3--,it would grieve me1  
by my external appearance1 to give      

offence to any pious ,christians1 and ,i
 should gladly 7though my present dress 
is exactly what ,i wore while in the    
,seminary7 avoid it4 ,i would indeed    
even relinquish my vocation were ,i     
considered unfit for it4 ,i added at the
 close1 that ,i might be able to        
exonerate myself in some particulars1   
but that ,i would not occupy1 with such 
insignificant matters1 his valuable     
time1 which was doubtless demanded for  
the consideration of things of more     
importance499  ,proceeding upon this1   
,dr4 ,ritter applied to ,kaspar         
,hoffmann1 clerical superintendent at   
,grottkau1 and called upon him to report
 concerning me49999  ,i had never       
interfered with this ,kaspar ,hoffmann4 
,in money matters1 usually an apple of  
discord between vicars and curates1 ,i  
had allowed him to do as he pleased4 ,he
 paid me only #cb dollars annually 7#af 
were added by the town17 and derived    
handsome profits from offices1 which ,i1
 perhaps1 discharged for him1999999     

,still he would gladly have seen me     
removed1 because we held opposite       
opinions1 and ,i enjoyed the good-will  
of the community1 which he seemed to    
grudge me4 ,he truly reported the       
crimina1 which he had perceived in me1  
and added1 that he spoke the sentiments 
of all the citizens1 although1 as it    
afterwards appeared1 he had two only on 
his side4       99 ,dr4 ,ritter says ,in
 his lecture1 when alluding to this     
occurrence1 that he does not know       
whether ,i have vindicated      myself4 
,very satisfactory6       9999  ,kaspar 
,hoffmann showed me this application    
before my      departure4       999999  
,curate ,pech1 a learned1 accomplished1 
and distinguished      man1 wearied with
 the long-protracted contest1 had taken 
a      curate and retired4              
99999999 ,from one dollar1 which ,i     
received for reading the      burial    
service1 he deducted #aj silver         
groschen4 ,may ,i ask      whether an   
usurer takes so large a percentage1 as  

such a      curate from his chaplain8   
,these said crimes1 as contained in the 
,decree of ,deposition1 are as          
follow3--#ast1 ,that ,i wore too short a
 coat1 and unsuitably long hair4 ,i     
could only treat this silliness with    
derision1 gave therefore no reply to it1
 and direct my readers to the answer of 
my honoured defender1 and to the        
testimony of the citizens and           
magistrates of ,grottkau4 ,i must1      
however1 observe1 that this accusation  
was only made as a pretence1 the real   
ground of complaint being my conduct in 
the school and the church1 as the       
following occurrence will disclose499   
,in the schools of which ,i was the     
director1 ,i ordered the teaching of    
,german history1 caused the pupils to   
write exercises for the improvement of  
their style1 commenced the formation of 
a juvenile library1 and conducted the   
religious instruction not altogether    
according to the authorized ,catechism1 
because ,i perceived that it tended     

rather to prejudice the minds of the    
pupils against religion than to implant 
it in their hearts4 ,i visited1 besides1
 the ,sabbath-schools1 and strove to rid
 them of superstition and hypocrisy4    
,kaspar ,hoffmann1 like many other      
suchlike faithful ministers1 had        
instituted a regular system of          
espionage1 and watched my doings4 ,in   
his priestly zeal he slipped privately  
into one of my schools1 put several     
bullying questions to the children1 and 
when they1 in terror1 could not answer  
him a word1 he beat the religion of love
 into them with a birch-rod4 ,when ,i1  
enraged at his ill-treatment of the     
pupils1 called him to account1 he       
replied1 that well-grounded doubts were 
entertained of my orthodoxy1 that ,i did
 not proceed according to the accredited
 ,catechism1 taught ,german history1 c46
 ,this betrayed the quarter whence his  
inspiration had descended4 ,my answer   
had1 however1 this effect1 that ,mr4    
,hoffmann discontinued his visits to my 

schools4       99 ,my dress was quite   
black1 and was far outshone in elegance 
by that of the clergy of ,breslau4      
,besides1 ,i know full well1      that  
,catholic priests may deck themselves   
most gaily1 and      yet retain their   
offices4  ,in the second place1 ,kaspar 
,hoffmann had reported that ,i conducted
 the ordinances of worship in an        
indecorous and undignified manner4      
,this1 in the sense in which he meant   
it1 is a shameless lie2 for1 although ,i
 held1 and still hold1 many ,church     
forms to be contrary to the exalted     
conception revealed to us of the        
,godhead in the ,christian religion1    
7can it1 for instance1 be supposed1 that
 ,god is honoured or the community      
edified1 by unintelligible mumbling of  
,latin and hypocritical up-turning of   
the eyes87 ,i have still too great      
respect for all religious conviction1 in
 whatever form it may be manifested1 to 
insult it1 or endeavour to bring about a
 change1 in such a manner as ,i am      

represented to have done4 ,i submitted  
to the forms prescribed1 without1       
indeed1 hypocritical up-turning of the  
eyes1 whining1 or the like1 by which it 
is easy to acquire extravagant metage199
 and a character for sanctity 7,i saw   
this shameless game played almost       
daily47       99 ,the fee paid for the  
performance of masses4--,trans4  ,it    
was1 besides1 a moral impossibility that
 ,i should have given offence by my     
remarkable behaviour1 being so          
constantly galled and worn down by my   
bondage1 and by my grief at being       
compelled to assist in disseminating    
superstition and hypocrisy1 that ,i     
stood generally quite exhausted by the  
altar4 ,yes1 the mental agony which ,i  
have endured on that spot1 and which was
 manifested in my exterior1 must have   
produced an exactly opposite impression 
than that for which he blamed me--and it
 did produce it4 ,if ,kaspar ,hoffmann's
 piety took offence at this1 then must  
it be equivalent to none1 since he      

considered hypocrisy alone to be true   
decency and dignity4 7,what remains to  
be said on this subject will be found in
 my ,defence before the ,council47      
,lastly1 ,it had been reported that no  
one would take me for a ,catholic       
,clergyman who did not know me to be    
one4 ,this1 ,i must confess1 sounded to 
me very like the language of praise1 as 
,i have endeavoured never to make any   
distinction between myself and my       
fellow-citizens1 seeing that ,i desired 
to be neither more nor less than a man  
and a citizen4 ,does the narrow blue    
stripe constitute the pastor and        
teacher8 ,we know that lying and feigned
 words are uttered in spite of the      
clerical stripe1 and that the glittering
 vestments of the priest cannot shut out
 dissimulation1 but1 on the contrary1   
that they promote it4     ,,letters ,,of
 ,,persuasion4    ,,desires ,,of ,,my   
,,official ,,colleagues4  ,in addition  
to this charge to ,kaspar ,hoffmann1    
,dr4 ,ritter had commissioned a zealous 

divine of the younger school199 to      
persuade me to retract4 ,on the #ast and
 #aeth of ,january #ahdc1 ,i received   
letters from him1 and from a            
narrow-minded priest in the ,college at 
,neisse1 in which1 under cover of the   
most high-flown expressions of          
,christian brotherly-love1 ,i am        
required to become a contemptible liar4 
,as these letters are written in        
ecclesiastical style1 and reveal the    
character of ,dr4 ,ritter--his          
artifices1 and those of the men who     
permit themselves to be made his tools1 
,i consider myself called upon to       
publish them3 besides1 the writer is no 
friend of mine1 as the ,decree of       
,suspension falsely intimates1 but      
merely an acquaintance4  ,i had at first
 almost believed that the assurances of 
friendship contained in the letters of  
,schneeweiss were true1 in spite of     
their suspicious highflying2 and        
although ,i had already1 in like manner1
 been deceived by others of my          

colleagues1 ,i was almost tempted to    
believe in their honesty4 ,but after the
 epistle of the narrow-minded priest had
 betrayed to me that ,dr4 ,ritter was in
 the game1 ,i was forced to despise the 
letter-writer as a hypocrite4           
,schneeweiss feigned friendship1 but he 
could have no respect1 and therefore no 
friendship1 for me1 when he recommended 
me to commit an act of baseness1 namely1
 the denial of well-known facts--the    
shameful recall of that which ,i had    
lately asserted--and a cowardly and     
degrading submission to the despotism of
 ,dr4 ,ritter4 ,i suppose1 also1 that   
,schneeweiss had imagined that ,i was   
quite imbued with hierarchic views4 ,he 
might in that case represent the blind  
and cowardly submission as an act of    
virtue on my part2 but he could not     
expect that ,i should retract the blame 
,i attributed to the quarrels and       
informings99 of the candidates for the  
episcopate1 and even my censure of the  
long delay on the part of the ,pope--for

 they were injurious to the ,church4    
,had he considered my station as a      
,catholic priest1 as a teacher of the   
people1 and of religion in the sense of 
,christ's teaching1 and desired to be   
accounted such himself1 he could not    
have advised me to a disgraceful        
retractation and denial of a truth which
 ,i had dared to avow4 ,no2 he would    
have encouraged me to bear unflinching  
testimony to the truth1 and in the face 
of greater danger than the loss of      
office4       99 ,compare the ,decree of
 ,suspension of ,january #cjth1 #ahdc4  
,for that is true1 which ,i have        
written2 the quarrels and intrigues of  
the candidates for the bishop's mitre1  
,i repeat it1 have been proved1 and they
 were 7,i myself have heard it17 the    
theme of scandal and censure at once to 
priests and laymen4 ,it was disgrace    
enough to the clergy1 that no one of the
 elder ministers dared openly avow his  
censure--that they loved their livings  
more than truth and their fair name4    

,but ,schneeweiss does not seem to have 
thought of these things4 ,it may be     
gathered from the mixture of assertions 
and contradictions in his letters1 that 
he was not quite clear of the propriety 
of what he required of me1 at the same  
time that he does not seem very well to 
know what he would be at4 ,however1 so  
it also happens with many others of my  
colleagues4 ,they become inconsistent in
 their opinions2 for1 being called to   
fight in the front rank for truth and   
freedom1 they1 on the contrary1 act in  
opposition to them1 as the conscious or 
unconscious slaves and servants of the  
hierarchy4 ,i fancied1 when ,i knew     
,schneeweiss in earlier days1 that he   
had a more enlightened zeal1 but        
,gibbon's words1 alas6 are true--,the   
spirit of bigotry1 at once so credulous 
and insinuating1 when it has once taken 
root in a noble mind1 overturns by      
degrees the living principles of virtue 
and of truth4       99 ,i have received 
the most precise information in regard  

to      them from trustworthy men1 well 
acquainted with the      episcopal      
candidates4     ,,letters ,,of          
,,schneeweiss ,,and ,,glockner4  ,my    
,dearly ,beloved ,brother1--,you will be
 surprised to receive a letter from me1 
but do not let your surprise induce you 
to forget that it is sincere affection  
which prompts me to address you4  ,i    
have just learned in ,neisse that a     
heavy storm is gathering over you4 ,you 
are said to be the author of an article 
in the ,saxon ,vaterlands-blatter1 in   
which language is employed very unlike  
what one would expect from any          
,catholic1 not to speak of a ,catholic  
priest4 ,it is also said1 as ,i am      
assured by an otherwise trustworthy and 
respectable man1 that you have been     
questioned in regard to it by the right 
reverend ,administrator of the          
,bishopric1 and that you have returned a
 very evasive1 answer4 ,if it be really 
so1 ,oh1 let me entreat that you will   
not neglect to say at once ,pater1      

peccavi6 7,father1 ,i have sinned67     
,write immediately to the right reverend
 ,vicar1 and assure him1 with a         
self-denial which would be highly       
honourable 787 to you1 that you wrote in
 well-meant 787 precipitation4 ,if you  
do not follow my brotherly counsel1 you 
may expect1 from the determined         
character of the right reverend ,vicar1 
soon to be suspended 7deposed71 as ,i   
have also learned from respectable      
authority4 ,and to what would this      
suspension lead6 ,oh1 believe me1 my    
dear brother1 it would then be no longer
 in the power of your former friends to 
help you4 ,so long as we are ,catholics1
 ,rome must always be to us the centre  
point of the visible ,church2 and so    
long as we wish to be ,catholic         
,christians1 and particularly           
priests--servants of the ,catholic      
,church1 we dare not speak and write of 
,rome in such a slighting manner1--,i   
might say1 with the hatred and contempt 
exhibited in the article1 which ,i have 

also read4 ,i assure you1 that not even 
,protestants would take you under their 
protection1 if you are really the author
 of that article4 ,i will not speak of  
,catholics4 ,in so far as ,i am         
concerned1 ,i marvelled at the author's 
deficiency in historical and theological
 knowledge1 who had subscribed himself  
',a ,chaplain4'  ,be not offended at my 
openness4 ,a well-meaning brother must  
not hesitate to speak the truth even at 
the risk of the momentary loss of a     
brothers affection4 ,i entreat you once 
again to do immediately what ,i advise4 
,i know you to be an otherwise          
well-disposed person 7what honour672 it 
would grieve me to see you brought into 
a position which cannot1 now-a-days1 be 
honourable 7do ,i not understand874 ,it 
is great-minded to make amends for      
faults and for offence which one may    
have given6 and little-minded to have   
the courage only to impugn time-honoured
 truths1 without acknowledging the fact 
as soon as questioned by those who1 in  

virtue of their station1 have a right to
 demand the acknowledgment299 and so1   
dear friend1 behave wisely and well1 and
 turn away all evil from yourself4 ,make
 my respects to your ,vicar4       99   
,great is the absurdity of this         
sentence2 small the man      and priest 
who can desire to see truth degraded to 
the      condition of a venal slave4    
,now1 dear friend1 seek counsel of your 
,god1 and ,i know you will take decided 
steps in consequence4 ,may peace be with
 us throughout the new year4 ,with this 
invocation ,i conclude these hasty      
lines1 which sincere brotherly love has 
dictated4 ,your true ,brother1          
,schneeweiss4   ,the letter of the      
narrow-minded priest referred to above  
is as follows3--  ,neisse1 ,january     
#abth #ahdc4  ,honoured ,brother1--,you 
will not surely take it ill that ,i     
speak my mind to you in regard to a     
matter which must be causing you        
embarrassment at present--,i mean the   
article in the ,vaterlands-blatter4 ,the

 paper had lain here unnoticed for      
several weeks1 when it accidentally fell
 into my hands at the house of          
,baumgarten the merchant2 and on account
 of its bitter1 passionate tone1 not    
only in regard to the ,pope himself1 but
 the extent of his authority--on account
 of certain hints in regard to the      
narrowing of the power of the bishops   
and the want of the proper conduct of   
the cure of souls1 which the people have
 a right to expect1 as the grace of the 
,church1 from the apostolic vicars and  
curates--in short1 on account of all    
these circumstances1 ,i hastened to     
submit it to ,schneeweiss for           
inspection4 ,but besides the ,number    
which contained this article1 there was 
another1 and indeed the preceding one1  
which at the end gave a list of the     
contents of the letter box1 and also    
mentioned a contribution from ,grottkau4
 ,this it was which led to the suspicion
 that you were the author4 ,full scope  
was now given for violent discussion at 

the parsonage1 and they wished at once  
to inform you of the suspicion under    
which you lay4 ,an opportunity was found
 in candidate ,n41 who1 at the          
suggestion of ,schneeweiss1 was enjoined
 to call upon you on his homeward       
journey to ,breslau1 and disclose all to
 you1--but nothing farther4 ,no         
application to ,ritter was made from    
hence1 and1 according to the declaration
 of ,schneeweiss1 ,n41 who is at present
 in the ,seminary1 must have blabbed    
there4 ,since your embarrassment is now 
known1 that is to say1 ,ritter's threat 
in case you should not                  
confess--,schneeweiss has written to you
 at once1 ,ritter having expressed a    
wish that your friends and brethren in  
this quarter should come to an          
understanding with you1 and try to move 
you to a retractation of the article4   
,schneeweiss1 much puzzled at not       
hearing from you1 has again applied to  
,ritter1 through ,peschke in ,breslau1  
to endeavour to stave off the execution 

of the threat1 and successfully1 as we  
yesterday learned4 ,peschke advises him 
strongly to persuade you to confess1 in 
which case nothing more would be        
demanded of you than that you should    
insert a modified article in the same   
paper1 without signature1 and adds1 ',if
 you had not entreated for him1 ,ronge  
would already have been proceeded       
against--he would have been suspended4' 
,i have already told a long tale1 but   
not yet come plainly to the point which 
so much annoys me4 ,it is this1--through
 me it was that the article first became
 known to the clergy1 and ,i should     
bitterly reproach myself were you to be 
brought into trouble on account of it4  
,you may judge from this what comfort it
 would afford me were you to relieve me 
from my unpleasant situation by a       
settlement of the affair4 ,do it for my 
sake1 787 regard my peace of mind1      
should it cost ever so great a          
sacrifice6 ,it involves no sacrifice of 
conscience--such a sacrifice no one has 

a right1 ex abrupto1 to demand4 ,the    
,catholic ,creed is not                 
involved--otherwise1 ,i apprehend1 from 
your straightforward character1 you     
would no longer be holding office in the
 ,church4 ,i beseech you1 therefore1 to 
relieve me from my painful situation1   
where ,i am tortured now1 and may be    
incurably tortured at a future day1     
should you be overpowered4 ,s4 would    
gladly talk over with you this          
unpleasant affair1 if it were agreeable 
to you to come here2 and1 if that be    
inconvenient1 he will employ his        
acquaintance with ,ritter to facilitate 
an adjustment4 ,ask ,n4 also1 who knows 
me1--and ,i think you will entertain no 
suspicion of my sincerity4 ,perhaps he  
may even accompany you1 which would     
delight me4 ,he also is among the       
shipwrecked ones4 ,with all brotherly   
love1 your friend1  ,,glockner4   ,on   
the #aeth of ,january ,i received a     
second letter from ,schneeweiss1 which  
differs essentially from the former one4

 ,if the tone of the first is lordly and
 dictatorial1 that of the second is     
gentle1 more prudent1 is addressed to me
 as an individual1 and calls in my      
nationality to his assistance3--  ,my   
,dear ,brother1--,once more ,i write you
 a short letter1 although ,i feel nearly
 persuaded that you will not thank me   
for it4 ,my former hasty lines have     
remained quite unnoticed4 ,were ,i      
actuated by any other motive than       
affection1 ,i might feel myself somewhat
 slighted1 but love bears all1 hopes    
all1 and does all1 that can promote the 
welfare of a brother 78674 ,once more ,i
 beg of you to bring this unhappy affair
 in ,breslau to a conclusion4 ,i assure 
you that your character1 supposing you  
to be the author of the article in      
question1 shall not be compromised 7how 
forbearing is our mother ,church671 as  
,i know from an authentic source4       
,believe me1 you have injured yourself  
by your evasive answer1--it will not    
bring you out of your scrape4  ,act     

resolutely6 ,if you be the author of the
 article1 answer1 like a man1 ',yes ,i  
am1' and submit to reproof 7indeed674   
,if you be not the author1 answer also  
in that case like a ,german man 7even   
this chord the ,church does not disdain 
to strike67--',no1 ,i am not4' ,if your 
time permits1 pray visit me for a few   
hours4 ,things are more easily explained
 when face to face4 ,you have no time to
 lose1 as ,i learn from a sincere and   
honest friend in ,breslau4  ,only       
believe that ,i love you sincerely while
 giving you this advice4 ,should you    
consider me mistaken or shortsighted1 ,i
 cannot help it4 ,you may1 in time1 be  
convinced that these lines are dictated 
by the purest and most anxious          
affection4 ,god be with you1 and with   
your sincere friend4  ,,schneeweiss4    
,neisse1 ,january #abth1 #ahdc4         
,,the ,,seventy ,,curates  ,about the   
same time seventy ,silesian curates     
inserted a most pathetic article in ,the
 ,sion1 and1 in an address to ,dr4      

,ritter1 implored him to call me to     
account1 and1 if ,i made any difficulty1
 to depose me4 ,as ,i afterwards        
learned1 this address was not peculiarly
 well received at the ,chapter1 but ,dr4
 ,ritter issued a letter of thanks499   
99 ,i thank you for the ,declaration you
 have sent to me from      seventy      
clergymen1 in regard to the affair of   
,ronge1 and      request you hereby to  
express to them my acknowledgments and  
thanks4 ,the diocese of ,breslau may    
rejoice 7if ,ritter      compose the    
diocese7 that it possesses such a       
company 7why      not flock67 of worthy 
young men in the vineyard of the ,lord4 
,chaplain ,ronge is already suspended1  
and has been summoned      to the       
,seminary at ,breslau4   ,should he     
offer any      resistance1 ,i shall     
commission the ,right ,reverend         
,vicarial      ,board to dismiss him1   
without further delay1 from the         
service of the ,church4--,ritter4       
,breslau1 ,feb4 #h1 #ahdc4       ,it is 

requested that the foregoing be         
forwarded to the      dear colleagues   
and subscribers of the ,declaration     
against      ,ronge4--,strzynby4        
,ratibor1 ,feb4 #af1 #ahdc4  ,i have not
 replied to these seventy brethren1     
because ,i heard that the greater number
 had signed it from fear of ,ritter2 but
 ,i consider that ,i have atoned for the
 neglect1 seeing that whilst they1      
according to promise1 were probably     
praying for me1 ,i worked industriously 
for them4     ,,the ,,deposition4       
,after ,dr4 ,ritter had also asked my   
friends in vain1 whether ,i had hinted  
to them anything about their article1   
the ,decree of ,suspension was sent to  
me4 ,dr4 ,ritter had1 at the same time1 
issued an order to a portion of the     
,silesian curates1 to refuse me the     
administration of all religious         
ordinances4 ,they1 on their part1 had   
issued the like order to their          
bell-ringers and sacristans1 so that1   
owing to the zeal of many of those      

individuals1 ,i could visit no church1  
without running the risk of causing a   
disturbance1 or being turned out4       
,,decree ,,of ,,suspension4  ,the right 
reverend ,board of ,administration made 
known to us1 on the #aath of this month1
 that1 as public opinion had pointed you
 out as the author of the well-known    
article1 ,rome and the ,chapter of      
,breslau1 you had been asked1 on the    
#bjth ,december last1 whether you really
 were so4 ,you replied to this question1
 on the #bdth of the same month1 that   
you could not reconcile it to your      
conscience to answer the question put to
 you by the right reverend ,board4 ,time
 was allowed to you after this1 and a   
vicar1 a private friend 99 of your own1 
was commissioned to encourage you to    
make a distinct declaration and         
acknowledgment1 in which case you would 
still have been treated with            
indulgence49999 ,up to this time1       
however1 you have sent no reply to the  
right reverend ,board1 wherefore we have

 been charged by the same to bring you  
to an investigation1 999999 eventually1 
however1 to suspend you1 and to summon  
you1 ad exercitia1 to the ,seminary in  
this place4 ,it has been further shewn  
to us1 by ,mr4 ,rector ,hoffmann of     
,grottkau199999999 that so early as the 
#bith of ,october #ahda you had been    
seriously rebuked by the right reverend 
,board1 on account of your peculiar     
dress and unsuitably long hair2 and     
although ,hoffmann1 and several others  
of your colleagues1 kindly warned you of
 the impropriety of your dress1 all has 
produced no effect1 so that they who did
 not personally know you1 would never   
take you for a clergyman4 ,in addition  
to this1 it has been said that you      
performed the priestly functions without
 decorum or dignity1 7in plain ,german1 
without hypocrisy and grimaces17 whereby
 you have occasioned manifold offence1  
7unfortunately1 the community has       
accused the right reverend ,board of    
falsehood17 and impeded the efficacy of 

your ministry47v7 ,since1 under these   
circumstances you cannot be appointed to
 the cure of souls1 as you yourself1 on 
calm reflection1 7how liberal67 on your 
sentiments and your efficacy1 7why were 
not these two important items earlier   
introduced87 must perceive4       99 ,i 
leave the reader to frame his own       
opinion of this      procedure1 and of  
the friend who allows himself to perform
      the office of a spy4       9999   
,why did ,dr4 ,hitter make so great a   
work about the matter1      if he wished
 to appear indulgent8       999999 ,what
 the right reverend ,board understand by
 an      investigation1 is shown at the 
end of this ,decree4   ,i shall         
also give my idea on the subject4       
99999999  ,why does the right reverend  
,board conceal the fact1      that      
,kaspar ,hoffmann was required to       
report6 ,he himself      showed me the  
requisition2 and we know full well that 
my      ,lords are accustomed to have   
even the slightest indications      of a

 wish on their part most carefully      
attended to by their      obedient      
servants4 ,hoffmann naturally strove to 
please ,dr4      ,ritter1 and prepared  
his information accordingly4       7v7  
,it is scarcely credible that an entire 
,chapter should      wander so wide of  
the truth4 ,the town of ,grottkau       
professes      to have found in me      
zealous energy in the improvement of    
youth4   ,since we forbid you the       
exercise of priestly functions1 you are 
hereby-charged to leave your present    
situation immediately on receipt of     
this--to resort to the ,seminary in this
 place1 there to undergo exercitia      
spiritualia1 to submit yourself entirely
 to the orders of the master of the     
,seminary1 i4 e41 the ,pro-,rector1 ,dr4
 ,sawer1 to whom you are required to    
announce your arrival in this place1 and
 await our further commands499       99 
,what of the investigation8 ,the right  
reverend ,board must      entertain an  
odd idea of the meaning of the word2 it 

imposes a twofold punishment upon me1   
and ,i am left to      picture to myself
 an investigation behind it6            
7,signed7 ,latussek1 v4 ,ploto1 ,elsleb1
 ,freis4 ,breslau1      ,jan4 #cj1      
#ahdc4     ,,declaration ,,on ,,the     
,,part ,,of ,,the ,,town ,,of           
,,grottkau4  ,on the very day on which  
my deposition was made known1 7without  
any prompting on my part17 ,i received a
 ,declaration1 to be forwarded to the   
right reverend ,council1 from the       
undersigned individuals 7all            
,catholics479999       9999             
,,declaration ,,by ,,the ,,town ,,of    
,,grottkau4       ,it affords the       
undersigned individuals the greatest    
pleasure to be enabled1 in all truth and
 duty1 to assure      their vicar1 ,mr4 
,ronge1 that he has never given occasion
 of      offence to the public1 either  
by his dress1 his behaviour1      or    
otherwise2 nor has there been anything  
unbecoming in his      everyday life and
 conversation2 or in the manner of his  

performing the functions of his priestly
 office4       ,on the contrary1 ,mr4   
,ronge has justly acquired the          
universal love and esteem which he so   
richly enjoys1 by his      modest and   
highly decorous conduct1 by the         
exemplary      morality of his          
life--which even the foulest calumny has
      never ventured to assail--and1    
further1 by his zealous      energy in  
the improvement of youth1 as well as by 
his      friendly and winning carriage  
towards all men4  ,illustration3 ,list  
of signatures   ,this ,declaration1 and 
my own ,defence1 ,i forwarded without   
delay to the ,reverend ,council1 with   
the observation1 that ,i should also    
send a testimonial from the magistracy  
of ,grottkau1 so soon as ,i should      
receive it4 ,after the ,declaration had 
been despatched1 several other citizens 
desired to sign it1 and complained that 
it had not been sent to them4 ,it will  
not be a difficult matter for my        
fellow-believers and townsmen to make   

comparisons of the ,decree of           
,suspension and the ,declaration of the 
town of ,grottkau1 and to draw their own
 conclusions as to which party were in  
the right4 ,without further remark1     
therefore1 ,i shall merely put the      
following questions3--  ,i4 ,why was ,i 
suspended1 and condemned to degrading   
imprisonment8 and  ,,ii4 ,how was ,i    
treated8  ,i was suspended1 and         
condemned to degrading imprisonment--   
,i4 ,because1 in fulfilment of my       
vocation as pastor and teacher1 ,i had  
reminded the episcopal candidates of    
their duty4 ,had ,i1 perhaps1 no right  
to do so8 ,yes1 it was my privilege and 
duty1--because ,i was1 and still am1 a  
teacher of religion1 and dare not as    
such betray the truth1 even to obtain   
thereby a rich living for my treachery4 
,or1 are the prebends of ,breslau       
infallible8 ,they are as little so as ,i
 or any other man4 ,if ,dr4 ,ritter1 and
 the other members of the ,chapter1     
desire to represent the ,christian      

religion--that religion of which truth  
and love are essential conditions--they 
must take courage to hear the truth     
itself4 ,if ,i spoke the truth1 why was 
,i smitten on the face8 ,was ,i1        
perhaps1 as chaplain1 considered too    
insignificant an individual to deserve  
such notice8 ,i dare not suppose this of
 those whose duty it is to teach and    
exemplify the doctrine--,we are all the 
children of one father1 we are all equal
 in the sight of ,god1--and with whom1  
in respect of ordination1 ,i was on an  
equality4 ,if1 however1 they have not   
understood these words of the gospel1 ,i
 shall shew that ,i at least have       
comprehended them--for ,i shall not     
intermit my endeavours to arouse the    
inferior clergy1 oppressed and trampled 
on as they are1 from their moral        
wretchedness1 ignominy1 and             
bondage--because ,i know what they      
suffer and how their hearts bleed1      
having bled and suffered with them4  ,i 
was besides deposed1 because ,i had     

offended by my dress and the cutting of 
ray hair1 and because ,i had set dignity
 and decorum at defiance in my          
performance of the priestly functions4  
,these accusations have been            
sufficiently exposed as untrue by the   
,declaration of the town of ,grottkau4  
,were they1 however1 in fact1 not       
altogether unfounded1 7which they have  
been shown to be17 let them for a moment
 be compared with the vicious practices 
of a no small portion of the right      
reverend servants of the ,pope1 who1    
notwithstanding the unanimous           
condemnation of public opinion1 are left
 in quiet possession of their           
offices6---- ,however painful it may be 
for me1 and presuming though it may seem
 to others1 ,i cannot refrain from      
opposing my moral character to the high 
station of those men1 who are accustomed
 to refer everything to mere sensuality1
 and to drag down all things into the   
mire2 and ,i demand1 why was ,i not     
accused of drinking1 gambling1 or of    

some particular crime66 ,why am ,i not  
accused by the right reverend ,council  
of some negligence in the discharge of  
my duty8 ,did they ever hear even one   
equivocal report in regard to my moral  
character6  ,,ii4 ,how was ,i proceeded 
against6  ,i was suspended1 and         
condemned to dishonouring imprisonment1 
without a hearing--without an           
opportunity of defence1 or proof adduced
 of my culpability4  ,it is unlawful    
that any ,german or ,prussian citizen   
should be imprisoned for a crime1 by any
 other than the civil executive power4  
,it is only the ,catholic priest that is
 liable to be coerced without appeal to 
his civil rights1 or the ceremony of a  
trial4 ,the ,apostle ,paul laid claim to
 the privileges of a ,roman citizen2    
while the ,roman ,church herself denies 
to her followers the exercise of the    
most ordinary civil rights4 ,i did not1 
therefore1 submit to the sentence6      
,,reasons ,,for ,,not ,,submitting ,,to 
,,the ,,orders ,,of ,,the ,,right       

,,reverend ,,board4  ,to this finding of
 the ,vicarial ,council1 dictated by    
ecclesiastical caprice1 without regard  
to the law of the land1 or even to the  
statutes of the ,church1 it was         
impossible for me to submit--and ,i did 
not submit to it2 because ,i should have
 thereby degraded1 first1 my moral      
dignity2 secondly1 the honour of the    
nation2 and1 thirdly1 the rights of the 
whole body of inferior clergy1 by a     
cowardly submission to the unjust and   
disgraceful punishment4  ,in the first  
place1 my moral dignity was slighted4   
,if ,i am bound as a man to resist all  
violent infringement of my freedom and  
individual privileges1 and rather to    
hide a free and virtuous heart beneath  
the poorest clothing1 than to strut     
about as a slave in rich attire1--,i am 
still more solemnly engaged to such a   
course1 as teacher of the people4 ,as   
such also1 in order to bear vigorous and
 successful testimony to the truth1 ,i  
must maintain an unblemished reputation 

among my fellow-citizens4 ,the right    
reverend ,board1 however1 have at once  
assailed my freedom and my honour4  ,as 
the citizen of a civilized state1 and   
belonging to a civilized nation1 where  
the law and not caprice is paramount1 ,i
 should have compromised the national   
honour1 had ,i1 the subject of such     
privileges1 submitted in a cowardly and 
passive manner to the despotical        
dictation of a foreign power4  ,lastly1 
seeing that it is at once the duty and  
the privilege of every teacher of the   
people 7as also of each vicar17 to speak
 the truth without respect of persons1  
,i should have incurred the guilt of    
sacrificing the privilege and duty of   
the whole body of inferior clergy1 by   
tame submission to the power of those   
who thus dispute the one1 and hinder us 
in the performance of the other4  ,as   
regards the latter1 the inferior clergy 
have certainly renounced their duty1    
when1 in opposition to their superiors1 
they have submitted to be robbed of     

this--and many other of their rights as 
men--and to see themselves reduced to   
the condition of blind slaves2 but the  
cowardice of many in the past and       
present time1 cannot relieve me or any  
other man1 from the duty of guarding    
intact the possession of our civil      
rights4 ,i am only the more solemnly    
bound most vigorously to contend for all
 our rights1--as men and citizens1 and  
to free myself from slavery1--the more  
clearly ,i perceive1 that by the slavery
 of the popular teachers1 the moral and 
physical suffering of the people is     
ensured4 ,does a man cease to be a      
citizen when he becomes a priest8       
,,my ,,defence4  ,on receipt of the     
,decree of ,suspension1 ,i took the     
legitimate course 7if such a term       
applies17 and sent in a ,defence to the 
right reverend ,board1 along with the   
,declaration of the town of ,grottkau1  
and testimonials from the authorities4  
,but ,i was so excited by the calumnies 
which ,i found in the ,decree of        

,suspension1 that ,i was but ill fitted 
to write a calm defence4 ,i felt myself 
therefore laid under great obligations1 
which ,i embrace this opportunity of    
again and publicly acknowledging1 to a  
,catholic lawyer1 who offered1 in the   
noblest and most friendly manner1 to    
take the necessary steps4 ,i did not1   
indeed1 conceal from this my honoured   
defender1 my determination at once to   
demit my office1 should they proceed to 
execute the threatened and dishonouring 
sentence1--but left him otherwise at    
liberty1--in order to shew to my        
fellow-citizens1 that even the most     
modest proposals and requests on my     
part1 and the sufficiently distinct     
expression of feeling on the part of the
 town of ,grottkau1 as well as of the   
rector and the principal inhabitants1   
were alike unavailing to effect the     
rescinding of the unjust sentence4      
,right ,reverend ,canons1  ,i have been 
deeply moved by hearing the sentence of 
your right reverend ,council1 held on   

the #cjth of last month1 which orders my
 suspension from office2 in the first   
place1 because ,i am convinced that     
worthless men have shamefully traduced  
my character2 and1 farther1 because ,i  
have been publicly branded1 and deprived
 of honour and office1 on the strength  
of a current report1 and on the credit  
of a private informer1 without          
communication of the charge1 or awaiting
 my vindication4 ,the cause of my       
answering1 as ,i did1 the question      
whether ,i were the author of the       
article entitled1 ,rome and the ,chapter
 of ,breslau1 was this3 that ,i felt    
exceedingly annoyed at being asked1--and
 vexed1 that ,i1 who live here in the   
most perfect retirement1--serving all   
men as ,i have opportunity1--should be  
called on to defend myself from empty   
rumours1 and be subjected to the        
necessity of allowing persons1 with whom
 ,i am not on a friendly footing1 to use
 the most impertinent language towards  
me1 under the guise of brotherly        

affection1 as my colleague ,schneeweiss 
has done4 ,if the right reverend ,board 
believe that ,i am the author of the    
article1 and consider it offensive1 ,i  
expect that1 agreeably to the laws of   
,prussia1 the authorship shall          
be-brought home to me by proof2 until   
then1 ,i do not consider myself called  
upon to render account regarding it to  
any one4 ,i might otherwise1 with equal 
propriety1 be held to be the author of  
any anonymous production1 and should    
have time for nothing else than         
constantly assuring and bringing proof1 
that ,i lead a retired life1 and trouble
 myself neither about worldly nor       
clerical affairs4  ,the denunciation by 
,hoffmann1 ,i here declare to be a      
contemptible falsehood4 ,my hair is not 
an inch longer than that of ,hoffmann4  
,that it curls naturally1 while his is  
smooth1 is no fault of mine4 ,besides1  
,i may observe1 that on account of      
headache1 ,i never allow my hair to be  
cut quite short4 ,my dress is of a dark 

colour1 like that of other respectable  
citizens2 and the reason that my coat is
 some inches shorter than that of       
,hoffmann1 is1 that it is of newer      
fashion4 ,i am young1 healthy1 vigorous1
 and1 it is said2 spirited2 hypocritical
 bigotry is foreign to my nature1 and   
hateful to me4 ,i assume no other manner
 in the performance of my priestly      
functions than that of ordinary life4   
,it may be that ,mr4 ,hoffmann makes    
lower bows1 beats his breast with deeper
 groans2 it may be that this imposes    
upon uneducated people1 but1 to my      
thinking1 it bears no proof of piety1   
nor does it elevate the feelings of     
educated men4 ,i would even say that my 
unvarying behaviour must tend to        
convince the congregation that ,i am    
sincere1--that that which ,i preach is  
my own conviction1--that my words       
proceed not merely from my lips1 but    
from my inmost heart4  ,dignity and     
decorum are relative ideas1 and the     
answer to the question--who possesses   

them8 depends upon the view entertained 
by the individual who is appealed to4   
,it is well if ,hoffmann and my other   
secret accusers can comfort themselves  
with the consciousness of possessing    
dignity and decorum4 ,i hope the        
contrary may never be proved of them4   
,if ,i am devoid of these two fancied   
qualities1 they have been denied to me  
by nature1 and ,i am therefore not to   
blame2 ,i do not repress decorum and    
dignity2 ,i do not purposely neglect    
them1 and ,i expect a proof to the      
contrary--for it is only when the       
intentions are evil that our actions can
 be blamed4 ,that ,i had given great    
cause of offence to the congregation was
 unknown to me until now4  ,for the     
clergyman of this place1 where a portion
 of the congregation is highly educated1
 another portion tolerably1 while a     
third is altogether uneducated1 it is   
peculiarly difficult to satisfy all     
parties4 ,i thought1 therefore1 that the
 most prudent course for me to pursue1  

would be to vary my sermons1 and address
 myself by turns to either class4 ,if my
 point has not been gained1 and all     
parties have not been equally satisfied1
 it has arisen from a fallacy in the    
plan1 not from premeditated carelessness
 on my part1 which alone would be       
culpable4  ,without egotism1 ,i may say 
that the annexed testimonial99 from the 
,catholic gentry1 the most respectable  
citizens1 and regular church-goers of   
this town1 appears to me to prove that  
my labours have not been fruitless1 and 
that at least ,i have given no public   
cause of offence4       99 ,i have      
printed this testimonial with its       
signatures1 for      the sake of        
contrast1 immediately after the ,decree 
of      ,suspension1 and give here the  
testimony of the authorities4  ,although
 ,i consider that1 by this testimonial1 
the secret and shameful accusations     
against me have been sufficiently       
refuted1 still1 for my more perfect     
exculpation1 ,i shall also produce the  

testimony of the magistrates and        
sheriffs of this place1 which will not1 
certainly1 be found less favourable4 ,i 
cannot possibly believe that your right 
reverend ,council1 after ,i have proved 
a portion of the accusation to be       
untrue1 will carry out in full severity 
the sentence of the #cjth ,january4  ,i 
beg1 therefore1 humbly to request1      
should the sentence be so far modified  
as to leave me in possession of my      
office1 that ,i may be translated as    
soon as possible1 seeing that even in   
the exercise of all ,christian          
forbearance1 it must still be           
disagreeable for me to live so near my  
false accuser1 and to eat at his table4 
,in the lively hope that your right     
reverend ,board will not publicly       
condemn me on false accusation1 marring 
my earthly prospects1 and robbing me of 
my credit as a citizen2 but1 on the     
contrary1 that it will remove my        
,suspension1 ,i shall await here the    
arrival of a very different decision1   

especially as the production of the     
necessary witnesses1 and the arrangement
 of my affairs1 require my presence here
 for some days longer4  ,as for the     
rest1 ,i have announced my suspension to
 ,mr4 ,hoffmann1 and shall not venture  
on the performance of any priestly      
functions until the arrival of the      
longed-for reversal1 which must most    
clearly show1 that my non-appearance in 
the ,seminary does not proceed from     
contumacy499  ,besides my own ,defence1 
and the voluntary ,declaration by which 
the town of ,grottkau nobly and         
honourably annihilated the accusations  
heaped upon me1 ,i sent to the right    
reverend ,council 7about six days later7
 the testimonials from the authorities  
of ,grottkau1 which ,i applied for to   
assist in my vindication4 ,they run     
thus3--       99 ,,the ,,testimonials   
,,of ,,the ,,authorities ,,of           
,,grottkau4       ,of the ,rev4 ,vicar  
,ronge1 it is hereby certified1 at his  
own      special request1 that during   

his stay here he has always             
conducted himself in a moral manner1    
that he has not worn      unsuitably    
long hair1 nor dressed ur an improper1  
or      remarkable manner4--von ,ohlen1 
,member of ,administration1             
,grottkau1 ,february #fth1 #ahdc4       
,testimonial4--,that the ,rev4 ,vicar   
,ronge1 during the period      of his   
appointment in this place1 has at all   
times      conducted himself with       
decorum and propriety1 and in all       
respects irreproachably2 and that his   
dress has never been      unsuitable1   
nor indeed at all remarkable1 is hereby 
truly      certified1 at the request of 
,mr4 ,ronge4--,adam1 ,muller1 ,sahm1    
,reisewitz1 ,magistrates4               
,grottkau1 ,february #ith1 #ahdc4       
,at the request of the ,rev4 ,mr4       
,ronge1 the undersigned      delegates  
of the city hereby truly attest1--,that 
during the      period of his stay here 
as vicar1 he has always led a           
morally correct life1 and1 in so far as 

we know1 has always      conducted      
himself towards the inhabitants in an   
affectionate      and friendly manner4  
,in regard to his dress1 it was not at  
all indecorous nor unsuitable4          
,the delegates of the city have granted 
this certificate      from individual   
conviction1 and with a good             
conscience4--      ,ebel1 ,president44  
von ,donat1 ,stephan1 ,fleischer1       
,ratschbr1 ,kahlert1 ,stadler1 ,zibold1 
,anders1 ,olbrich1      ,friedrich1     
,fleischer1 ,schmidt1 ,thaum1 ,tannkrt1 
,registrar4       ,grottkau1 ,february  
#i1 #ahdc4       ,in justification of my
 signature1 in favour of the ,rev4 ,mr4 
,ronge1 of this place1--,i certify1 as  
an upright and      conscientious man1  
that since the #bdth ,march #ahda1 on   
which      day ,mr4 ,ronge presented to 
me the notice of his appointment      as
 vicar1 ,i have perceived nothing in him
 that could      compromise him as a    
,catholic clergyman4 ,neither have ,i   
heard      that he has performed his    

spiritual functions without             
reverence or dignity1 or that there has 
been anything      offensive in his     
dress1 or the cutting of his hair4      
,every      individual has his failings 
and peculiarities1 of which even        
accusers are not free1 and it is        
generally easy enough to      injure a  
man1 and bring him under suspicion99    
although no      charge can be preferred
 against him in a moral point of        
view4       ,grottkau1 ,february        
#e1ahdc4       ,pech1 ,rector4          
,,departure ,,from ,,grottkau4  ,soon   
after receipt of the ,decree of         
,suspension1 ,i discontinued my official
 duties1 but remained a few days longer 
in ,grottkau1 to take the necessary     
steps for clearing my character from the
 calumnies of ,kaspar ,hoffmann1 and    
,ebel the apothecary and president of   
the body of delegates199 who had brought
 their silly accusations against me     
under cover of the ,church4 ,by the     
other inhabitants of the town ,i was    

most kindly treated1 and the partially  
evasive testimonies which were          
afterwards given in by a soi-disant     
,church community of ,grottkau1 are only
 to be accounted for by the employment  
of ,chapter influence4 ,various reports 
were1 of course1 in circulation1 for but
 few were aware of the actual cause of  
my suspension1 or of the manner in which
 ,i had been treated2 and ,i was obliged
 to keep silence--to allow every report 
to circulate unchecked--deeply though ,i
 felt the altered looks of those ,i had 
accounted friends4 ,but it would have   
been unreasonable in me to have expected
 of them a more thorough appreciation of
 the circumstances of my case1 for no   
one knew how the slave-yoke of ,rome had
 galled me1 nor how my indignation was  
aroused to see my native land distracted
 and enthralled by a set of knavish     
,roman priests and their ,german        
assistants4 ,i felt it as a joy and     
pride to suffer undeserved reproaches   
for my fellow-citizens1 even for those  

who persecuted me1 as they fancied1 to  
the credit and in the name of the       
,church4 ,i felt an assured confidence  
that the day of light would come1 the   
day of emancipation from the tyranny of 
,rome1 when my conduct should be made   
public1 and my exculpation be complete2 
and ,i gave expression to these feelings
 in a few farewell words to the         
inhabitants of ,grottkau1 which ,i      
caused to be inserted in the weekly     
newspaper4       99 ,mr4 ,witke1 the    
former superior of the ,seminary1 named 
,ebel      7the brother-in-law of a     
canon1 and a converted proselyte17      
as my calumniator1 and ,i can prove him 
to have been so4 ,such      persons1 who
 can consciously assume religion as a   
cloak for      their false-heartedness1 
should be denounced by name to all      
the world4 ,our ,saviour tells us that  
hypocrisy is the most      heinous      
crime1 and that murderers and adulterers
 may be      saved1 but not hypocrites6 
,from ,grottkau ,i travelled to         

,valtorf1 near ,neisse1 where my friend 
the ,count von ,reichenbach offered me  
the shelter of his roof4 ,although ,i   
had relinquished certain competence1    
which the office of a ,catholic         
clergyman secures1 and knew not how long
 ,i might be a wanderer1 yet the feeling
 that at length ,i had escaped from the 
cursed and ignominious yoke of ,rome1   
under which ,i had groaned for three    
years1 was indescribably delightful1 and
 confiding in my righteous cause1 and in
 my youthful strength1 it seemed as if  
,i had but just emerged from some dark1 
dismal prison1 into the lovely light of 
heaven4 ,new energy glowed in my veins2 
a new and beauteous world bloomed before
 me1 in which ,i was to labour and to   
live as the free teacher1 and the pastor
 of my own1 the ,german people6     ,,my
 ,,sisters4  ,my joy was damped1        
however1 and turned to sadness1 when ,i 
thought upon the annoyances which my    
family1 especially my four sisters1 7our
 parents were dead7 endured1 owing to   

the numerous and often ill-natured      
reports that were spread regarding me4  
,homely country people1 reared in the   
,catholic religion1 young and           
inexperienced1 they did not think the   
motives were sufficient1 which led me to
 throw up my office4 ,although they     
placed unbounded confidence in me1 it   
was doubtless somewhat shaken1 when they
 found themselves disappointed in the   
prospect they had very properly indulged
 of future aid from me4 ,they           
endeavoured1 time after time1 to prevail
 on me to resume my office1 in          
consideration of the calumnies they had 
to bear4 ,this has caused me hours of   
bitter sorrow4     ,,the ,,answer ,,of  
,,the ,,council4  ,about three weeks    
after the despatch of my ,defence1 and  
the testimonials from the magistrates1  
,i received a negative reply from the   
right reverend ,board499 ,in this reply 
no farther weight is given to the       
testimony of the magistrates of         
,grottkau1 and the declaration of the   

inhabitants1 than that they silenced the
 false accusations of ,kaspar ,hoffmann2
 and the representatives of ,christian  
love and justice in the diocese of      
,breslau do not condescend to offer     
satisfaction for the annoyances to which
 ,i and mine had thereby been subjected4
 ,although they might not consider      
themselves called upon to pay me a just 
debt1 yet surely the united voice of an 
entire town was worthy of some little   
deference4 ,but here we touch upon the  
second curse by which the hierarchy     
overlays the people4 ,even as the       
thraldom of the inferior clergy1 in     
regard to their superiors1 annihilates  
their manliness of character and        
self-respect1 so the thraldom of the    
congregation in their relation to the   
clergy1 keeps the great mass of the     
,catholic people in darkness and        
insensibility4 ,that neither the        
congregations nor the inferior clergy   
have always been in this state of       
thraldom1 is well known4 ,it has been   

induced by their torpidity and          
ignorance4 ,but had they never before   
enjoyed a state of greater freedom1 the 
present times imperiously demand it4    
99 ,in reply to your remonstrances of   
the #eth and #ajth of the      month1   
you are hereby informed1 that as you do 
not      distinctly deny the authorship 
of the the article ',rome and      the  
,chapter of ,breslau1' our judgment of  
the #cjth of ,january      remains      
unaltered4--,latussek1 v4 ,ploto1       
,elsler1 ,freis1      ,canons4          
,breslau1 ,february #ahth1 #ahdc4  ,with
 my convictions1 to have remained one   
moment longer in my office1 after       
receiving the answer of the right       
reverend ,board1 would have dishonoured 
me4 ,how could ,i have met my           
fellow-citizens1 and spoken to them of  
the unfettered moral dignity of man1    
while ,i myself had sacrificed religious
 conviction in a pitiful and cowardly   
manner1 for a bit of bread1 secured to  
me by my condition as a ,romish priest8 

,this was my fixed                      
determination3--rather the grave than   
dishonouring punishment--rather         
starvation than self-degradation1 and   
injury of the rights of my              
fellow-citizens and colleagues6 ,in     
order1 however1 that ,i might leave no  
method untried of obtaining justice1 ,i 
wrote to the ,council1 stating that #a  
should appeal to the still unappointed  
bishop4     ,,audience ,,of ,,the       
,,bishop4  ,the confirmation of ,bishop 
,knauer's appointment did at last take  
place2 he was to enter ,breslau in      
,april #ahdc4 ,i had gone to that town1 
partly to attend to my affairs1 and     
partly to seek the means of future      
subsistence4 ,after the the arrival of  
,bishop ,knauer1 ,i went to a ,canon1   
whose name is appended to my ,decree of 
,deposition1 to ascertain at what time  
,i might speak with the ,bishop4 ,this  
right reverend gentleman told me quite  
naively that ,i should have             
answered--,no1 ,i am not the author of  

the article--bring it home to me6 with  
this addition1 if ,i desired to remain  
at my clerical trade4 ,he further       
informed me1 that although he had not   
read the article in question1 it was    
said to contain terrible things4  ,what 
say the younger clergy to the           
expression1 clerical trade6 and what    
shall one think of the justice and      
indepedence of a spiritual tribunal1    
whose members are not even aware of the 
nature of the crime for which they      
condemn their fellow-men6 ,justice6 how1
 indeed1 could ,i expect it at the hands
 of those who were at once my judges and
 accusers6  ,i found the ,bishop        
himself1 when ,i preferred my complaint 
to him1 essentially different from the  
greater number of the ,catholic clergy4 
,he received me in that winning manner1 
with which youth is easily fascinated by
 age4 ,there was no trace in him of that
 quasi lowly spiritual pride1 and vulgar
 affectation of pious condescension1 so 
common in prelates4 ,when ,i had made my

 request to him in few words1 he        
replied1 that the affair was not unknown
 to him1 and that ,i only needed to     
apply to ,dr4 ,ritter for a removal of  
the ,suspension1 to have the matter     
satisfactorily arranged4 ,on my         
objecting1 that ,i was of excitable     
temper1 and that1 under existing        
circumstances1 ,i feared myself         
incapable of dealing calmly with that   
individual--he offered to hold a        
previous conference with ,dr4 ,ritter4  
,he then asked if ,i were the author of 
the article4 ,i answered in the         
affirmative4 ,but why1 continued he1 did
 you invite all this                    
persecution8--,because1 ,i answered1 it 
was my duty to give utterance to the    
unanimous feeling of the citizens and   
the clergy1 seeing that no other priest 
considered himself called upon to do so4
 ,he said no more on this subject1 but1 
speaking of the situation as tutor which
 ,i had accepted1 he said that he needed
 my assistance in the diocese1 and      

appointed that ,i should return to him  
in the afternoon4 ,when ,i returned to  
the ,bishop1 he was embarrassed and     
reserved1 in consequence of the         
conference with ,dr4 ,ritter1 who had   
inveighed against me in coarse          
language199 and asserted that ,i had    
been invited to appear before him and   
had not come 7a falsehood6 for surely   
condemnation is not invitation674 ,i    
proved1 indeed1 that ,dr4 ,ritter had   
asserted an untruth2 but ,bishop        
,knauer1 already eighty years of age1   
found it very inconvenient to quarrel   
with his canons1 and excused himself by 
saying1 that he had not so fully entered
 on the duties of his office as to      
qualify him as a competent judge4 7,this
 was on the day before his              
,inauguration47 ,replying only by my    
looks1 ,i took my leave1 and set out for
 my new destination1 ,laurahuette1 to   
engage in the teaching of the children  
of the functionaries of the place4      
99 ,among other things1 ,dr4 ,ritter    

asserted1 as ,i was informed      by    
,bishop ,knauer1 that ,i had been idling
 about for some time      in ,breslau   
without making my appearance at the     
,cathedral4 ,a      speaking instance of
 the noble nature of the right reverend 
gentleman6 ,i had been staying all the  
time in the house of      ,mr4 ,wittig1 
a highly respected citizen1 who had     
hospitably      received me1 and ,i had 
scarcely quitted it for an hour4        
,l,a,u,r,a,h,ue,t,t,e  ,lies near       
,beuthen in ,upper ,silesia1 about half 
a mile from the ,russian frontier4 ,it  
is the most extensive foundry in ,upper 
,silesia1 and was only erected in #ahci4
 ,it may easily be imagined that my     
spirits were not a little affected by   
the difficult circumstances in which ,i 
had been placed2 for1 besides seeing all
 my past labours brought to a fruitless 
termination1 ,i had been compelled to   
submit in silence to all the attacks    
which had been made upon my character4  
,several of my ,catholic friends had    

slighted me1 or treated me unkindly2 and
 the greater number of my ,catholic     
fellow-citizens did not appear          
sufficiently to feel the oppressive yoke
 of ,romish superstition4--,the time had
 not yet come6 ,my confidence had been  
severely tried by all these causes4 ,i  
only clung the more closely1 however1 to
 my pupils at ,laurahuette1 and ,i often
 felt inclined to beg of them that they 
would not treat me so unkindly as other 
friends had done4 ,i trembled if they   
left me for even half a day4 ,i tried to
 find a resting place within their      
hearts1 by building on their love4 ,and 
truly1 the brightest hours of my life   
have been passed in the school-room1    
cheered by their innocent and youthful  
hearts4 ,my mind was gradually          
strengthened and refreshed1 to which    
result the tender kindness of my friends
 at ,laurahuette mightily conduced4  ,i 
employed my hours of leisure in work    
connected with my avocation1 and several
 performances were already completed1   

when the day of my release arrived1     
which ,i had been long expecting1 and   
with increased impatience and assurance 
the nearer it approached4 ,our feelings 
oftentimes outrun all reason1 and my    
confidence of ultimate release had been 
rising ever since ,i left the ,seminary4
 ,the day at length arrived6--the #ast  
day of ,october #ahdd4 ,from the moment 
when ,i saw my article in print 7,i     
trembled lest it should be interdicted7 
,i felt as if the month of ,may were    
come1 and spring were budding in my     
,fatherland4     ,,the ,,letter ,,to    
,,the ,,bishop ,,op ,,treves1 ,,and     
,,the ,,chapter ,,of ,,breslau4  ,the   
hope of ultimate emancipation from the  
yoke of ,rome1 to which ,i now look     
forward with confident assurance1 was   
excited by the slaves and blinded       
servants of the ,roman ,hierarchy and of
 the ,jesuits1 on seeing the extremes to
 which they carried their mockery of    
religion and trial of the patience of   
the ,german people4  ,a ,tunic1 of which

 they cannot even prove that it really  
was the tunic of ,jesus ,christ1 is     
exhibited by these ,baal-priests of     
avarice and greed1 for public adoration2
 and the credulous multitude are not    
only allowed to offer homage to this    
garment1 but are taught to hail it in   
these words3--,holy garment1 pray for   
us6 ,holy garment1 ,i bow down before   
thee1 c4 ,for such mockery of religion1 
such frenzy1 assumed as piety1 at the   
bidding of the ,church1 language is     
inadequate to the expression of our     
indignation2 and my letter to ,bishop   
,arnoldi1 condemned as all too strong1  
is childlike in comparison of the       
sacrilegious offence committed by the   
,church upon religion and the human     
understanding4  ,it was1 therefore1 with
 unfeigned surprise that1 in the        
beginning of ,november1 after leaving   
,laurahuette 7where a public school had 
been erected1 and furnished1 in the     
month of ,august1 with two teachers7 ,i 
received two written communications from

 the ,chapter at ,breslau1 calling on me
 to retract what ,i had written1 as     
offensive to that reverend body4 ,i was 
less surprised when1 after my refusal1  
,i received the ,decree of              
,excommunication4  ,i wondered less that
 ,dr4 ,ritter should demand a           
recantation of my article--,rome and the
 ,chapter of ,breslau1 it being far less
 dangerous to him to place a lie upon   
the altar1 in regard to circumstances   
which immediately after ,silesia alone1 
as the carrying out of his designs were 
likely1 therefore1 to attract but       
limited observation4 ,but that an entire
 ,chapter should venture1 in the face of
 ,europe1 and even of the world1 to     
countenance such undisguised abuse as   
that of the adorable relic at           
,treves--such an unheard-of             
money-trafficking in the most sacred    
matters--such an insane mockery of      
reason and the ,gospel1 was not only    
ecclesiastically impolitic1 but         
revolting to all ,christendom499        

99  ,,decree ,,of ,,excommunication1 ,c4
       ,breslau1 ,oct4 #bith #ahdd4     
,on the #cjth of ,january of last year1 
the sentence of the      ,canonical     
,council was forwarded to you1 whereby1 
in      consequence of your failing     
satisfactorily to disprove the          
authorship of the ,article ',rome and   
the ,chapter of ,breslau1'      and     
conducting yourself otherwise in a      
manner unbecoming a      ,catholic      
clergyman1 you were deposed from the    
,curacy of      ,grottkau1 and1 having  
been interdicted from the performance   
of spiritual functions1 were charged to 
submit yourself ad      exercitia       
spiritualia in the ,seminary here1 under
 the      orders of the ,superior1 and  
await the farther pleasure of      the  
,council4 ,you have hitherto paid no    
attention to this      judgment1        
especially in regard to its later       
requirements1      but have obstinately 
persisted in disobedience to your       
superiors4       ,there has lately      

appeared in ,no4 #afd of the            
,vaterlands-      blatter1 another      
,article1 dated ,laurahuette1 ,oct4     
#ast1 and      bearing your signature1  
in regard to the exhibition of the      
,holy ,tunic of ,jesus ,christ at       
,treves--an ,article most      offensive
 to all orthodox ,catholics1 and        
calculated      seriously to injure the 
character of one of the most worthy     
bishops of the ,catholic ,church1 and   
which1 besides1 contains      an        
invitation to rebellion against all     
existing and      universally recognized
 principles in the government of the    
said ,church4       ,this calls for the 
strictest investigation1 and excites    
well-deserved suspicion1--,i therefore  
require of you1 seeing      that you    
subscribe yourself ',a ,catholic        
,priest1' and call      yourself a      
member of the ,catholic ,church in this 
diocese1 to      declare within fourteen
 days1       #ast1 ,whether you         
acknowledge yourself the author of the  

above named ,article2       #b;d1       
,whether1 in case you do1 you are       
inclined to atone for      your offence1
 and the grief occasioned to the most   
reverend      ,bishop ,arnoldi of       
,treves1 by a solemn retractation in the
      same paper1 and in other much-read
 ,journals1 to be named by      me2     
#c;d1 ,should you have had no part in   
the drawing out or      despatching of  
said ,article1 and should your signature
 and      address have been used without
 authority1--are you willing      and   
able to prove it1 and to free yourself  
from the      suspicion which rests upon
 you1 and in consequence of which       
you are hereby enjoined to present      
yourself without delay6       ,if the   
required explanation be not furnished   
within the      time specified1 and     
should you not show yourself ready to   
satisfy the questions put1 ,i am        
reluctantly compelled1 in      addition 
to the ,decree of ,suspension1 which has
 already been      put in force1 hereby 

to suspend over you the ecclesiastical  
punishment of degradation and           
excommunication4       --,latussrk1     
,suffragan ,bishop and ,vicar-,general  
of the      ,diocese4  ,to the late     
,curate ,ronge1 at ,laurahuette4   ,to  
the ,right ,reverend the ,suffragan     
,bishop and-,vicar-,general of the      
,diocese4  ,on the #ahth and #aith of   
this month ,i received two letters of   
identical import2 one addressed to me as
 a ',catholic ,priest1' the other as    
'the late ,curate1' in which ,i am      
required1 before the lapse of fourteen  
days1 to answer questions upon various  
points4 ,to this requisition ,i reply in
 the following terms3--  ,as to the     
,article ',rome and the ,chapter of     
,breslau1' your ,lordship observes1 that
 ,i did not satisfactorily vindicate my 
conduct in regard to it4 ,my reply to   
the inquisitorial queries of ,dr4       
,ritter1 must have been misunderstood1  
if it was considered in the light of a  
vindication4 ,i have never endeavoured  

to vindicate myself in regard to that   
,article1 nor have ,i ever denied its   
authorship2--but1 on the other hand1 ,i 
have never recognized the authority of  
,dr4 ,ritter1 and the members of the    
right reverend ,board1 as at once my    
judges and my accusers in the matter4   
,the inquisitorial questions which were 
then put to me1 and the decision of the 
right reverend ,board1 by which1 without
 citation1 hearing1 or defence1         
7accorded to the lowest criminal17 ,i   
was deposed1 and condemned to           
dishonouring punishment in the          
,seminary1 are1 besides1 an insult to   
the rights of the whole body of the     
inferior clergy4 ,shall not the lower   
clergy 7like their fellow-citizens17    
have the right to express an opinion    
opposed to that of their superiors1     
without perilling their existence8 ,are 
the truths of our religion so powerless1
 as to render necessary compulsion and  
coercion8 ,did ,jesus found our ,church 
upon such principles6 ,or1 are the      

higher clergy the sole and infallible   
pillars of the truth8  ,the assertion1  
that ,i endeavoured to save my living by
 a falsehood1--by which it was attempted
 to bring upon me the contempt of my    
fellow-believers and fellow-citizens1 ,i
 have practically disproved--having     
relinquished my office in the face of   
beggary and want--although ,i might     
easily have escaped ,suspension by      
submission4 ,honour1 truth1 and justice1
 are of higher value in my eyes than the
 crumb of bread that nourishes my body4 
,i acknowledged to ,bishop ,knauer1 my  
lawful superior1 that ,i am the author  
of the ,article alluded to2 upon which  
his ,grace asked me1-- ,but why did you 
thus court persecution8'-- ,because1' ,i
 said1' ,i considered it a duty to give 
public expression to the universal      
discontent prevailing in the diocese1 on
 account of the delay of ,rome4'        
,besides1 #a shall not hesitate to      
vindicate my conduct in the eyes of my  
fellow-believers and my fellow-citizens4

  ,it is farther asserted by your       
,lordship1 that ,i conducted myself in  
,grottkau in an unbecoming manner4 ,the 
offences included in this charge have   
been sufficiently refuted1 as calumnious
 and false1 by the magistrates and      
citizens of ,grottkau2 and ,i shall     
claim the protection of the ,state and  
of the public against such accusations4 
,or have our spiritual rulers1 perhaps1 
the arbitrary privilege to blast my     
reputation at discretion8  ,as to the   
,article in regard to the exhibition of 
the so-called ,holy ,tunic at ,treves1  
my name was plainly and distinctly      
affixed to it1 and there has been no    
misuse in the matter4 ,i only spoke the 
truth1 and shall continue to do so      
without fear of men4 ,i shall not       
hesitate to denounce abuses8 even when  
they seek to hide themselves behind the 
altars of a thousand years4 ,i have but 
done my duty in lending words to the    
almost universal indignation of my      
countrymen at the adoration of a piece  

of dress4 ,it is truly marvellous that a
 high ecclesiastical authority should   
endeavour to defend so shameless an     
abuse4 ,is the abuse less blameable1    
because consecrated by a ,bishop8 ,what 
would have been said1 had inferior      
members of the priesthood1 or other     
,christians1 sought to win fifty        
thousand dollars by the exhibition of   
that ,holy ,tunic #a ,did ,christ1 or   
the ,apostles1 do such things8 ,christ  
fed those who came to him--but did not  
rob them of their money2 and ,he        
indignantly exclaimed in the            
,temple--',my father's house is a house 
of prayer--ye have made it a den of     
thieves4'  ,i have spoken the truth1 and
 shall never retract it1 as is required 
of me4 ,if1 on this account1 your       
,lordship should consider it your duty  
to degrade and excommunicate me--let it 
be so4 ,i1 for my part1 am firmly       
convinced that the exalted ,head of our 
religion numbers me among his disciples1
 notwithstanding2 and ,i feel assured   

that my fellow-believers and my         
fellow-citizens will not exclude me from
 communion with them4 ,for millions of  
men have heard my simple word1 and they 
have gladly received it because         
convinced that it proceeded from an     
honest heart4 ,millions have loved me on
 account of it1 and their love has not  
allowed itself to be deceived by the    
disgusting calumnies of embittered      
opponents4 ,their love will still       
support me4 ,i can give no other        
reply4--,i am1 my ,lord ,bishop1        
,johannes ,ronge1 ,catholic ,priest4    
,breslau1 ,november #cj1 #ahdd4         
,breslau1 #dth ,dec4 #ahdd4  ,in        
consequence of your reply1 dated        
,november #cj1 and received on the first
 day of this month1 wherein you admit   
that you subscribed the ,article ',on   
the ,holy ,tunic at ,treves1'           
acknowledge it as your own composition1 
and refuse to recall it1--,i find myself
 reduced to the highly painful          
necessity1 in pursuance of my ,decree of

 the #bith ,october1 and on account of  
the gross offence against the ,church1  
contained in the said ,article1 to issue
 the sentence of your degradation and   
excommunication1 in accordance with1 and
 by authority of1 the canonical statutes
 and decrees4  ,i therefore charge you  
to return to me1 without delay1 your    
letters of holy ordination4 ,as you have
 not complied with my injunction to     
appear before me in person199 and have  
thereby deprived me of the wished-for   
opportunity of convincing you1 by       
fatherly admonition and friendly        
conference1 of your false and heterodox 
views generally1 and1 in particular1    
regarding the worship of relics--as the 
adoration of the ,holy ,tunic1--,i can  
only add to the sentence1 which ,i most 
reluctantly pronounce1 my fervent       
prayer1 that by ,god's grace you may be 
led to a right understanding of the     
,catholic faith1 and to a discrimination
 of that worship of relics1 which is    
permitted and approved by the ,church1  

from the abuse of it1 of which alone you
 seem to think4--  ,d4 ,latussek1       
,suffragan ,bishop1 and ,vicar-,general 
of the ,diocese4  ,to the late ,curate1 
,rev4 ,johannes ,ronge4       99 ,my    
,lord ,bishop only called me before him 
in case ,i should      be inclined to   
retract1 or1 if ,i were not the author  
of the      letter alluded to2          
otherwise1 as is shewn by the document  
of      the #bith of ,october1 ,i was   
only called upon for an                 
explanation4 ,why this perversion of the
 truth8'     ,,the ,,conclusion4  ,the  
history of my life is now before my     
countrymen1 and they may judge between  
me and my opponents and traducers4 ,i   
have given documentary proof1 that1 on  
account of the ,article entitled ,rome  
and the ,chapter of ,breslau1 ,i have   
been deposed1 and sentenced to          
disgraceful punishment1 by the ,board of
 ,canons1 without citation1 hearing1 or 
defence1 which are accorded to the most 
ordinary criminal4 ,i have further      

proved1 that1 on account of the         
well-known letter to the ,bishop of     
,treves1 ,i have been excommunicated by 
the same right reverend ,board--that is 
to say1 ,i have been placed without the 
pale of the ,church1 as an irreclaimable
 sinner4  ,as1 however1 ,i have         
conducted myself1 in speech and action1 
in accordance with my calling and my    
duty as a teacher1 as also in agreement 
with the ,gospel2 and have1 in defiance 
of law and justice1 by unrighteous and  
despotic fiats of the ,romish ,church1  
been deposed and excommunicated--,i     
appeal to the justice of my countrymen  
against the ,hierarchy and its slaves1  
and demand that the members of the      
,canonical ,board at ,breslau be forced 
to rescind their sentence4 ,i do not    
prefer this accusation in my own behalf 
alone1 but stand forth in vindication of
 the rights of the whole body of        
inferior clergy1 which are trampled upon
 by their superiors--in vindication of  
the rights of congregations1 which are  

trampled upon by the entire priesthood6 
,lastly1 ,i stand forth for             
,christendom1 and1 in the name of all   
,christendom1 arraign the ,romish       
,hierarchy1 which falsely calls itself  
the ,universal ,church1 because it does 
not fulfil1 but directly opposes the    
,gospel call--the call to promote the   
perfect reconciliation of the family of 
man4  ,the ,romish ,hierarchy has       
reduced the ,gospel teaching to a system
 of usury1 compulsion1 and oppression1  
profanely--prostituted religion to a    
revolting ,jesuitism1--and1 instead of  
promoting the improvement and the       
reconciliation of mankind1 maintains in 
all their bitterness the antipathies of 
nations1 and1 kindling civil war1 7look 
to ,switzerland and other countries67   
debases human nature by hypocrisy and   
vice4  ,it is the ,roman ,church which  
has to rend so wide asunder the yawning 
gulf which separates the higher from the
 lower classes1 the ignorant from the   
educated1 the poorer from the richer    

portions of all ,european nations2 and  
it is she who is daily making that gulf 
still wider1 by dint of ,jesuitism and  
priestcraft4 ,in order to escape from   
utter ruin1 the overwhelming evil must  
be vigorously1 resolutely met1--in      
compact phalanx4 ,the nations--and above
 all the ,german nation--ought to call a
 free ecclesiastical convention1        
composed of laymen freely chosen1 and of
 honest priests1 to sweep away for ever 
all ,jesuitism and priestcraft--to      
establish freedom of conscience on the  
ruins of hypocrisy--to purify religion1 
and to show the ,church her actual      
calling1 imposed upon her by the spirit 
of the times1 and the exigencies of our 
people--namely1 the reconcilement of the
 higher and the lower classes of        
humanity--the reconcilement of the      
nations and the peoples of the earth1 by
 improving and ennobling them--by       
universal love and freedom4 ,by our     
regard to our neighbour1 we shew forth  
our love to ,god2 for we are told by    

,john1 that ,if a man say ,i love ,god1 
and hateth his brother1 he is a liar4   
,arise1 then1 men of ,germany and of    
,france2 men of ,great ,britain1 ,italy1
 and ,spain1 arise6 ,men of ,europe and 
,america6 let us unite with our         
governments in the noble enterprise6 ,to
 the work1 like men--the work of peace  
and freedom6 ,the hour is come6 let us  
break the yoke of faith and             
conscience--drag down lying priesthood  
and the ,hierarchy--annihilate          
disdainful ,jesuitism1 insulting ,god   
and man--and usher in the glorious reign
 of truth1 and light1 and               
righteousness--of virtue1 of freedom1   
and of love6 ,let us usher in the true  
reign of ,christ upon the earth6  ,this 
closes ,ronge's ,self-defence1 which1 in
 all probability1 would never have seen 
the light1 had it not been for the      
subsequent excitement caused by the     
affair of the ,holy ,coat4 ,for however 
triumphant has been his exposure of the 
authorities with whom he has had to do1 

still such cases of arbitrary tyranny   
are far too common to excite more than a
 mere passing1 or1 at best1 local       
interest4 ,it required such a fact as   
that of ,treves first to awaken a       
general interest1 and thereby to secure 
a proportionate degree of attention to  
the details of such a personal narrative
 as we have now given4 ,people desired  
to know about the history of the man who
 had brought home to their hearts and   
experience the abuses of the system     
which had hitherto ruled them as with a 
rod of iron4 ,but especially as charges 
the most base and unfounded had been    
directed against ,ronge1 with regard to 
the real cause of his suspension1 it    
became his duty to lay the whole facts  
before the public1 and manfully to      
appeal to their sentence against that of
 the ,church authorities of ,breslau4   
,we have inserted this ,justification   
before noticing the movements which have
 taken place in consequence of the first
 letter1 which1 instead of appearing as 

a documentary part of the               
,justification1 was inserted at a       
previous part of the narrative1 and     
which gave its real personal and        
historical interest to his              
,self-defence4     ,,opinions1          
,,addresses1 c4 c4  ,we must now return 
to the first letter1 and notice the     
excitement created by it over the whole 
of ,germany1 ,protestant and ,catholic4 
,the following appeared in the ,mannheim
 ,journal3--,the greatest attention has 
been lately directed to the admirable   
and pithy statement of a ,catholic      
priest concerning the ,holy ,coat4 ,it  
is peculiarly the citizen-class who have
 been electrified thereby4 ,not to have 
read it1 7and it is impossible to escape
 the question7--is declared to be as bad
 as never having read anything4 ,it is  
published in all the papers2 and truly  
the spreading of truth and light in     
religious matters--and both it contains 
in rich measure--is not merely a matter 
of honour but of the heart6             

,weimar4--,there prevails here a        
complete frenzy to read the production  
of ,ronge4 ,a number of the citizens    
have caused it to be circulated gratis  
among the poorer inhabitants4 ,for a    
very long period no production has      
created more sensation in the           
world1--and it is beyond doubt that     
,ronge's name will ever be distinguished
 in the history of the world and of the 
,church4  ,westphalia4--,the excitement 
which ,ronge's letter has made among    
friend and foe becomes daily more       
conspicuous from the public press4 ,in  
,magdeburg the whole middle class is    
against the ultra-montanist movement1   
and even the majority of the clergy1--as
 this movement throws all power into the
 hands of the bishops4  ,west           
,prussia4--,while the ,jesuits are      
interdicting1 by ,church censures and   
prohibitions1 the 'wandering ,jew' of   
,eugene ,sue1 ,ronge's letter is being  
circulated by the thousand4             
,kazbach4--,john ,ronge--a true ,german 

man--a true ,christian minister1 has    
openly shewn that the spirit of ,christ 
is not yet dead in the ,catholic ,church
 of ,silesia4 ,his letter is quite      
invaluable4 ,each community has         
treasured it as a true legacy to        
posterity1 to preserve ,christianity    
from being perverted by the ,hierarchy1 
and to shew that a ,silesian priest had 
courage thus openly to proclaim the     
truth4 ,and has not the whole of        
,germany welcomed the earnest words of  
the worthy man with hearty joy6 ,in a   
short space1 they have travelled through
 every ,german province1 from the ,oder 
to the ,rhine4 ,thousands of ,germans   
feel inspired by his name1 and declare  
him one of the most valiant combatants  
against the dark powers of hierarchical 
tyranny4  ,ulm4--,the ,germans of the   
south are determined not to be behind   
their brethren in other parts of        
,germany4   ,such are ordinary specimens
 of the extracts with which the ,german 
journals are filled1 up to the present  

date4 ,it is in truth impossible to take
 up any journal1 ,catholic or           
,protestant1 which does not contain some
 announcement on the subject4 ,ronge's  
name is in every one's lips--his        
portrait is to be found in every        
print-shop1 along with engravings1 in   
all styles of art1 of the ,holy ,coat4  
,addresses have been poured upon him    
from all quarters1 expressive of        
gratitude1 and sympathy1 and admiration4
 ,take the following specimen from the  
city of  ,dantzic3--,highly ,honoured   
,sir1--when more than #cjj years ago the
 monk ,luther declared war upon the     
,hierarchy1 and introduced a new epoch  
into the history of the world1 it could 
not but be that the man who declared ',i
 cannot do otherwise1' should be        
opposed1 declared heretic1 and          
persecuted4 ,so shall it also be with   
you for your exposure of the ,spectacle 
of the ,holy ,coat2 in that letter      
which1 through the press1 has now been  
made the property of all4 ,the enemies  

of the light shall not cease to         
calumniate and persecute you4 ,as1      
moreover1 the hearts of all lovers of   
the truth attached themselves to the    
monk ,luther1 and1 as to-day1 millions  
thank him for the light which surrounds 
them1 so does the present generation    
with joy congratulate you1 and future   
generations will preserve your memory in
 their thankful hearts1 as of a man who1
 without human fear1 declared the holy  
truth of ,god4 ,permit us1 though we    
live far from you1 to express to you1 in
 name of all friends of the light1 their
 most hearty thanks for the service     
which you have done by your open and    
noble opposition to the hierarchical    
spectacle of ,treves4 ,may the ,almighty
 take you into his protection1 and may  
his hand rest on you and bless you4     
,dantzic1 #afth ,november1 #ahdd4       
,this ,address1 and many of a similar   
nature1 have been signed by ,protestants
 and ,catholics alike4 ,individual      
addresses also have been sent1 signed   

exclusively by ,catholics1 and others   
signed exclusively by ,protestants1 as  
those from ,leipsic and ,berlin4        
,accounts from all parts of ,germany are
 of a similar nature2 even ,bohemia1    
where the voice of ,huss has long been  
silent1 has come under the influence of 
the excitement1--,ronge's letter having 
crossed the frontier1 and been          
circulated1 no one could tell well how1 
by the thousand4 ,it has now been       
translated into several of the languages
 of ,europe1 and it cannot admit of     
doubt1 that on all hands the eyes of    
many are being opened by it1 to see the 
awful bondage in which they and their   
fathers have so long been held4  ,while 
all this was going on1 it was not to be 
expected that the ,catholic party should
 remain silent4 ,accordingly1 they have 
been striving per fas et nefas1 to      
arrest the movement1 by calumniations of
 the author--by defences of their       
conduct--by appeals to the evils of the 
,reformation1 and occasional significant

 references to the powers that be in the
 ,vatican4 ,it ought to be stated1 that 
several of the ,catholic clergy1 before 
the appearance of ,ronge's letter1 had  
denounced the intended pilgrimage1      
manfully declaring1 in opposition to all
 the sayings and doings of ,arnoldi1 and
 even the ,bull of ,leo ,x41 that this  
was no matter of ,catholic doctrine1 and
 that it remained open for each         
individual ,catholic to treat the       
evidence for or against the genuineness 
of the relic1 as his private judgment   
and free inquiry might lead him4 ,from  
such quarters1 the movement of ,ronge   
could not well be opposed2 and it is    
striking1 that wherever a priest has so 
expressed his opinion1 but few1 indeed1 
of his people went to ,treves4 ,whether 
many of this class may join the movement
 remains to be seen1 but it certainly   
seems highly probable4  ,the            
ultra-,catholic party have expressed    
their opinions in two remarkable        
documents1--the one1 ,an ,address from  

the ,clergy of ,treves1 and the other1  
from the ,clergy of ,breslau1 with whom 
,ronge was connected1 to ,bishop        
,arnoldi4 ,a few sentences will show the
 spirit of each4 ,in the former it is   
stated1 that such scandalous ,articles  
7as the publication of ,ronge7 must     
produce among all ,catholics in ,germany
 the greatest indignation1 and shake to 
its foundation the peaceful relation of 
the two confessions2 and this all the   
more1 as before the ceremony alluded to1
 nothing had taken place to calumniate  
or asperse ,protestant ,christians4     
,when1 however1 such a publication1 by  
its tone and contents1 alike unworthy of
 refutation1 and calculated only to     
bring ,catholics into contempt1 is      
allowed to appear1 by permission of the 
,german ,union or ,prussia              
individually--this is a matter of deep  
sorrow to ,catholics4 ,after noticing   
the ,constitution of ,germany1 in       
reference to religious matters1 it      
proceeds1--,in so far as such calumnies 

are unattended to1 is the rightfully    
guaranteed position of the ,german      
,catholics overthrown1 and they are all 
the more called on to demand a          
guarantee1 as many late events have     
shown but too clearly1 that a section of
 the ,protestants is disposed to        
maintain a hostile and intolerant       
position towards the ,catholic ,church1 
,we1 the ,chapter of the ,cathedral1    
accordingly pray that communications may
 be sent to his ,majesty the ,king1 and 
the ,german confederate ,states1 to     
support the existing laws in opposition 
to what has taken place1 to maintain the
 guaranteed rights of the ,catholic     
,church1 and to request the interference
 of the law against such abuses of the  
,german press4  7,signed7 ,the ,clergy  
of the ,city of ,treves4   ,nothing     
could be more artful or cowardly than   
this document1 as if the great          
settlement at the ,reformation had been 
infringed by the open expression of     
opinion on what has excited the disgust 

and ridicule of all intelligent         
,catholics4 ,it is not difficult to     
trace in the above letter the very      
spirit which1 in a former age1 would    
have found no obstruction in executing1 
after its own fashion1 that law1 to     
which now they are obliged to make a    
respectful and almost degrading appeal4 
,most fortunate is it that ,ronge is the
 subject of a ,protestant ,government1  
which has it now in its power so        
materially to advance the cause of the  
,reformation4  ,let us now quote a      
portion of the address of the clergy of 
the ,cathedral of ,breslau4 ,most worthy
 ,lord ,bishop6 ',troubles must come4'  
,this saying of our ,lord and ,master   
has been confirmed so often in all ages1
 and especially in our times1 that we   
need scarcely question that an ,article 
in the ,saechsische                     
,vaterlands-blaetter1 from a ,catholic  
priest1 on the ,holy ,coat of ,treves1  
should appear unexpected1 amid the      
manifold experiences of your ,grace4    

,nor do we believe that this scandal in 
,germany will at all affect the         
veneration in which your ,grace is held1
 or cast the slightest shadow on your   
high and holy office4 ,taught and       
accustomed to suffer shame for the cause
 of the ,lord1 and comforted by the     
promise1 ',blessed are you1 when men    
shall revile you1 and persecute you1 and
 shall say all manner of evil against   
you falsely for my sake1' we would have 
passed by this calumny in silence1 as a 
drop of the teeming ocean of blasphemies
 with which the ,lord honours his       
,church1 to see them dashed on its      
,eternal ,bock1--if it had not come from
 the midst of us--from one who calls    
himself a ,catholic priest4 99 99 99    
,the name of the blasphemer is ,ronge1  
who was consecrated to the priesthood in
 ,breslau4 ,the spirit by which he has  
lately been actuated was not long in    
manifesting itself in him4 ,an ,article 
of similar stamp1 calumniating his      
ecclesiastical superiors1 and the       

supremacy of the ,church1 subjected him 
to an examination4 ,not being in a      
position to defend himself1 and too     
haughty and hardened to seek            
forgiveness1 by repentance and penance1 
he was obliged to give up his office1   
after the suspension of the ,church had 
been pronounced against him4 ,since this
 period1 ,ronge has had nothing to do   
with the care of souls4 ,what could be  
more welcome for the enemies of the     
,church1 who looked with indignation on 
the crowds of pious pilgrims proceeding 
to the ,cathedral of ,treves1 than that 
a pretended member of the ,church--aye1 
a priest--should take the ,holy ,coat   
into his unclean hands1 and tear it with
 logical power into pieces1 while even  
his executioners left it from pious awe 
undivided4 ,the holy ceremony is now at 
an end--the sacred shrine is closed--the
 holy relic1 by the contemplation of    
which hundreds of thousands have been   
encouraged1 and strengthened1 and       
elevated1 lies treasured up for future  

ages4 ,the calumnies will be            
silenced--the blessings will remain1 and
 when the holy treasure is again exposed
 to the worship of the believing        
multitudes1 another race shall live and 
think in the pious prayers of those     
pilgrims who have completed their       
pilgrimage1 and have attained from faith
 to sight4 ,may this new race see better
 days--days of outward and inward       
peace--days of peace1 which the world   
cannot give6 ,may the pious bands who   
may then go on pilgrimage to ,treves1   
attain the end of their undertaking1 not
 amid the sneers of the scoffer1 but    
amid the friendly congratulations of    
all1 even of those who are connected    
with it6 ,may the ,german people be then
 truly a people of brothers--one in that
 one thing which is needful--one in     
will1 and deed1 and faith1 and          
struggles2 and may the ,german          
fatherland1 like the holy garment       
itself1 be undivided6 ,god grant you    
grace and strength for this great end6  

7,signed7 ,the ,cathedral ,clergy of    
,breslau4  #cast ,october #ahdd4   ,this
 document1 like the preceding1 is its   
own commentary4 ,we leave our readers to
 weigh it along with the exposure made  
in ,ronge's ,justification4 ,it is not  
difficult now to see what influences    
have been at work in procuring its      
suppression1 and it is deeply to be     
lamented1 that a government so liberal  
as the ,saxon1 should have interfered in
 keeping back a statement so important1 
in the defence of truth and justice4    
,we do not deem it necessary to make    
long quotations from the ordinary       
,catholic journals on this part of the  
subject4 ,they breathe the same spirit4 
,many of them are filled with appeals1  
of which a single sentence may suffice  
as a specimen3--,laity and priesthood6  
have you already forgotten whither such 
proceedings lead8 ,know you not the     
causes and consequences of the          
,reformation8 ,will you lead the way to 
a second breach in the ,church1 as if   

the first had not been deplorable       
enough1 both for the ,church and        
country8 c4 ,all of such extracts are   
proofs strong enough1 how sensible all  
parties of ,catholics are of the danger 
to be apprehended from ,ronge's         
movement4     ,,the ,,new ,,church4  ,it
 is now our duty to turn shortly to the 
positive results of this movement1 in   
the formation of a ,new ,church1        
independent of all ,papal connexion1 and
 as such1 calling itself not the ,roman 
but ,german ,catholic ,church4 ,we have 
seen how ,ronge had been excommunicated1
 and in what terms his former           
ecclesiastical superiors now spoke of   
him4 ,having been discarded by the      
,church1 and no longer admitted to its  
ordinances1 he set himself1 without     
reserve1 to the formation of a new      
,christian community4 ,the first step   
towards this end was the publication of 
his second letter1 addressed4     ,,to  
,,the ,,inferior ,,clergy4  ,friends and
 former ,colleagues4--,before writing   

these words to you1 ,i asked            
myself--shall ,i be listened to by those
 to whom ,i am about to speak8 or will  
my invitations strike in vain upon their
 ears8 ,no1 they will not strike in vain
 upon your ears--,i feel it and ,i know 
it1 friends and former colleagues6 ,you1
 the so-called inferior clergy1 have    
been hitherto but little1 if at all     
addressed1 because1 although you        
constitute the real ground-work and the 
strength of the ecclesiastical body1 you
 have been1 and you still are held1 to  
be a mass inaccessible to moral         
freedom--in fact1 morally dead4 ,but ,i 
have been compelled1 by sense of duty   
and by love of my country1 to address   
you2 and besides1 ,i speak to you at a  
time when the laity themselves--the     
congregations--think and act1 not       
according to the dead letter1 but in    
agreement with the spirit of religion4  
,can it then be1 that you1 the          
priests--the teachers of the people1    
unlike them1 can choose supinely to     

remain in circumstances of blind        
surrender of your judgment8 ,can you    
alone1 and without exception1 be so     
deeply sunk in slavery to ,rome and the 
deadness of the letter1 that it is no   
longer possible for you to arise and    
shake your spirits free6 ,this ,i       
neither can nor will believe1 for this  
were to believe you had forgotten to be 
men--it were to doubt the triumph of the
 kingdom of ,christ--the triumph of     
righteousness1--it were to doubt the    
improvement and the advancement of      
society1 which you are imperatively     
called on to promote4 ,oh1 ,i have      
better thoughts of you1 for ,i have     
suffered1 and still suffer with you2 ,i 
know the giant-yoke you wear1 and to    
wear which is accounted 7to you87 as the
 fulfilment of a most sacred duty--as a 
merit--as religion4 ,many a one of you  
has lamented to me1 that the pain of    
blinded1 passive slavery to ,rome burned
 incurably in his bosom1 and ,i know how
 many among you writhe in desperation1  

and await with longing the hour that is 
to set you free4 ,it is1 therefore1 upon
 you1 and the triumphant strength of a  
righteous cause1 that ,i ground my      
confidence of an assured result4 ,i know
 full well that you will not all1 of one
 accord1 and at my earliest word1 strike
 off the shameful fetters of the ,roman 
despotism1 and stand forth as           
independent ,german priests--although   
each one must feel that there is        
inspiration in the very thought--but ,i 
entertain the hope that many a one may  
be aroused from stupefaction at my      
call--that many a timid one may be      
encouraged1 and many a dazzled eye      
restored to clearer vision--that many   
among you1 moved by my example1 will    
dare to cast a bold and fearless glance 
within1 and having done so1 with a cry  
of grief--a cry of horror1 at your      
condition1 to stride forward to the     
contest1 which is to make you once more 
men6 ,it is to that that ,i invite you2 
you must become men--independent men1   

for the sake of our holy religion1 for  
your own sakes1 and for the happiness of
 our common ,fatherland1--,i invoke your
 manhood6 ,you must become men1 filled  
with a sense of your great dignity as   
such1 as well as with the importance of 
your mission--glowing with active zeal  
for the spiritual and moral elevation of
 the nations of the earth6 you must     
become men full of love to your         
calling--burning to secure the happiness
 of your fellow-mortals6--men full of   
holy ardour to establish the rights of  
all your fellow-citizens without        
distinction--full of holy ardour for the
 bringing in of the reign of            
righteousness and brotherly-love among  
all the children of men2 men full of    
ardour to exhibit your convictions in   
your actions--to turn your words to     
truth and actual realization1 that all  
men may become brothers--as the children
 of one ,father4 ,in obedience to your  
calling1 you must become such men4 ,but 
you are not so at present--you are the  

hirelings of the ,pope6 ,yes1 you are   
hirelings1 without a feeling of your    
dignity as men1 or of the importance of 
your mission1 although you call         
yourselves the chosen1 honoured1 and    
consecrated servants of the ,lord6 ,you 
do not glow with zeal for the honour1   
the moral freedom1 the welfare of your  
fellow-citizens2 you even grind down the
 bourgeoisie and peasantry1 who number  
in their ranks your parents and their   
families--by whose sweat you are        
supported1--and anathematize them when  
they raise their heads1 impatient of    
,romish interference with their         
consciences4 ,you feast1 while they are 
hungry2 you riot1 while they pine6 ,is  
this falsehood8 ,see here a bishop with 
#dj1jjj annual dollars                  
7,l#fjjj7--religious institutions with  
incalculable wealth1 and not far from   
them a poor weaver1 who can barely earn 
five silver groschens 7#f;d47 weekly for
 himself and for his family6 ,you are   
not filled with holy ardour to spread   

abroad righteousness1 truth1 and        
light--although from desk and pulpit you
 deceitfully proclaim1 'with us alone   
are truth1 peace1 civilization1         
education1 and moral freedom2 we are the
 trusty friends and guides of the       
nations2 it is to us men must commit    
their faith1 in order after earthly toil
 to become blessed6' ,far rather do many
 of you labour1 some consciously1 others
 unconsciously1 to promulgate           
superstition1 darkness1 and spiritual   
bondage6 ,you will say to me1--',bring  
proof1 bring proof1' and proof you shall
 have1 an hundred-thousand fold3--the   
fruits of your words and of your        
actions6 ,look to your own consecrated  
class--what corruption6 ,look to the    
nations--what misery6 ',a good tree     
cannot bear evil fruit4'' ,the          
corruption of your consecrated order is 
the fruit of your soul-killing servitude
 to your superiors2 the misery of the   
nations is1 for the most part1 the      
result of your oppression4 ,the pressure

 under which you yourselves languish1 is
 fearful and unspeakable1 for you have  
been robbed of freedom in the exercise  
of reason1 will1 and affection4 ,you are
 slaves--and therefore wish your        
fellow-citizens to share your bondage4  
,your spirit lies enchained by despotic 
bulls and edicts--the unfettered flight 
of thought is restrained by curses4     
,your reason is the venal slave of      
selfishness and terror4 ,the so-called  
,romish ,church--more properly ,rome's  
despotism1 has placed your faith within 
such narrow bounds that you are forced  
to tremble at each rising thought1 and  
ask if it be 'orthodox8'--for these     
bounds of faith are beset by fiends who 
threaten your salvation when your spirit
 thinks to over-step them4 ,is it not   
so8 ,does not the fear of devils and of 
hell exert a widely greater influence   
than the love of ,god and of your       
fellow-men8 ,and what absurdities are   
you not commanded to believe and teach6 
,you have1 further1 been deprived of    

your free agency4 ,you must yield blind 
obedience to your superiors1 and this   
requirement of passive1 blind obedience 
is the prime injunction of the ,roman   
,church6 ,without this blind obedience1 
all your virtues are of no              
avail--without it you are criminals4    
,the ,roman ,church1 that kindly mother1
 has seized your rights as men2 you have
 not1 as my example may convince you1   
even such privileges as are accorded to 
the worst of criminals in your          
fatherland4 ,and of whom is this ,church
 composed8 ,you tremble before her and  
her edicts8 ,do you know that it is     
before yourselves you tremble8 for you  
no less belong to the ,church than those
 among your colleagues who sit in the   
chapter-houses or in the episcopal      
seats--no less than that ,italian       
,bishop who is called the ,pope6 ,have  
you forgotten that your colleagues1 to  
whom you are now required to offer      
almost idolatrous regard1 neither were1 
nor wished to be1 above yourselves in   

the early centuries of ,christianity8   
,have you forgotten that the bishops and
 priests of those days were chosen from 
among the congregations1--that is1 the  
people2 and that the people sat in      
council with them both6 ,the inferior   
clergy had their synods even in the     
gloomy centuries of the middle ages1    
and1 when they acted in concert1 could  
give due weight to their desires4 ,and  
what have you now1 in the nineteenth    
century8 ,lordly ,presbyterial          
,assemblies86 ,each one among you fears 
to utter an honest word in presence of a
 right reverend brother4 ,you are mere  
automata4 ,you have no will in          
opposition to your superiors4 ,demand   
your rights as men6  ,your freedom of   
affection also has been destroyed2 your 
heart is stifled and perverted4 ,and    
how6 ,shall ,i hesitate freely to speak 
out1 because ,i may subject myself to   
suspicion--because ,i expose myself to  
the attacks of vulgar-minded men8 ,ah1  
no6 the principle at stake is too       

important1 too elevated1 and too        
holy1--it involves nature's highest     
ordinance1 the holiest concerns of man2 
from it depends the happiness1 the      
welfare of many millions--the virtue1   
honour1 and freedom of the nations2 so  
that ,i would gladly expose myself on   
its account to suspicion and attack6 ,it
 is love1 marriage1 and the family-tie2 
you have been robbed of these--robbed of
 them by the ,rule of ,celibacy6 ,it is 
by this ,rule that your affections are  
stifled and perverted4 ,yes1 your hearts
 are corrupted by the ordinance of      
celibacy1 which has no warrant in the   
,gospel1 but has been introduced with   
blood and murder by an imperious ,pope4 
,this ordinance deprives you of your    
claim to the possession of a virtuous   
wife1 whose love would render you far   
happier and more honourable2 it robs you
 of the joys1 the hopes1 the love1 which
 bless the family-tie2 it impoverishes  
and desolates your breast4 ,this        
ordinance demoralizes your natural      

instinct1 hands you over to those       
outcasts of womankind1 through whom so  
many fall into the deepest mire of      
immorality1 and become an offence and   
mockery to their congregations4 ,this   
ordinance deprives you of the stamp of  
open manliness1 and makes you           
hypocrites6  ,if the free exercise of   
reason1 will1 and affection1 has been   
taken from you1 what have you left worth
 living for8 ,can your luxurious tables 
compensate for the loss of life's best  
blessings8 ,compensate6 when your feast 
is interrupted by the needy1 wretched   
cries of thousands of your starving     
fellow-creatures6 or are your revels    
only seasoned by the groans of your     
necessitous brethren8 ,you call         
yourselves the fathers1 the teachers of 
the people2 arise1 then6 conduct        
yourselves as such1 and help to         
extricate them from their depth of      
spiritual and physical misery6 ,such is 
your duty1 before all others6--',but how
 can we help them1' do you ask8 ,not by 

the bit of silver1 thrown to the poor   
man with an ostentatious air1 which1 in 
most instances1 but tends to lower or   
extinguish self-respect2 and is besides1
 but as a drop in the great furnace4    
,stand forth against the despotism of   
,rome6 abolish superstition1 that       
barrier to free agency1 and the free    
practice of virtue6 break down the      
dishonouring restrictions upon          
conscience and religion6 contend for the
 spiritual and physical wellbeing of    
your fellow-citizens1 and you will aid  
the people and yourselves6 ,yes1 arise  
and burst the chains of cowardice and   
shame2 tear asunder the web of          
dissimulation which ,rome has woven     
round you1 and become unfettered1 honest
 priests--true teachers of the ,german  
people6 ,you will become everything6 for
 at present you are nothing2 become men6
 attain at last to the conviction1 that 
the priests exist for the people1 and   
not the people for the priests2 that    
,christ established his religion1 and   

enjoined brotherly love1 that mankind   
might be rendered holy and happy even   
while on earth2 and that it is not his  
wish that they should pine in soul and  
body here1 in order to be saved at last1
 as ,romish despotism teaches2--dare to 
achieve this conviction1 and act upon   
it1 as in duty bound6 ,cast off the     
silly bigotry with which ,rome knows how
 to inoculate you1 and live and labour1 
not for ,rome's ,bishop and her         
ambitious prelates1 but with and for    
your fellow-citizens6  ,seek rather to  
attain an honourable place among your   
fellow-citizens1 and their respect and  
love--by activity1 unblemished          
character1 and a virtuous--life1 than to
 way-lay or supplicate an indolent and  
hateful benefice4 ,scorn at length that 
slave-like prejudice1 which would rather
 follow in the worshipful footprint of  
its right reverend master1 than listen  
to the unbiassed judgment and opinion of
 a freeman6 ,venture to contend for your
 own and the peopled independence and   

moral freedom--you will be cordially    
supported by your fellow-citizens6      
,employ the pulpit1 the confessional199 
and the teacher's desk1 which long have 
been abused for the darkening and       
degrading of your countrymen--for their 
improvement and emancipation6 ,with and 
by the people you may become            
independent6 ,assist1 therefore1 first  
of all1 in emancipating the national    
schools1 and in securing for the        
community the free choice of pastors1   
and keep abreast of the spirit of the   
people and of the times4 ,yes1 yes6 go  
hand in hand with your people1 and you  
will be invincible--you will work       
wonders6       99 ,it must be borne in  
mind1 that this letter is of prior      
date to ,ronge's ,justification1 in     
which he unhesitatingly      condemns   
the use of the ,confessional4--,trans4  
,am ,i dreaming8 ,look into the world1  
and mark the results of temperance      
societies6 ,here1 to a certain extent1  
you have aided in the moral improvement 

of the people1 although many of you have
 employed means by which your           
congregations have been more injured    
than they could have been by the most   
intoxicating drink4  ,do you fear the   
,chapters1 the ,bishops1 the ,pope8 ,all
 these are powerless without you--in you
 alone their strength consists2 their   
despotism has been erected on your      
cowardice and ignorance4 ,demand general
 councils1 and hold them1 as they once  
were held1 in union with your           
congregations4 ,demand of your spiritual
 superiors that they rule according to  
law and privilege1 and not after their  
own caprice2 be no longer their tame and
 passive slaves4  ,do not allow         
yourselves to be deceived by the        
apparent growth of the ,hierarchy2 it   
will1 it must fall1 for its watchwords  
are retrogression and degradation1 while
 providence has ordained improvement for
 the world--',be ye therefore perfect1  
as my father is perfect4'  ,do not allow
 yourselves to be persuaded that the    

ecclesiastical power is increasing1     
because you hear of numerous conversions
 to the ,romish creed in individual     
,german ,states6 ,the nation must and   
shall learn that these conversions are1 
for the most part1 brought about by the 
intrigues and money of the ,jesuits--by 
money which these spiritual and         
consecrated bands of freebooters of the 
,romish ,hierarchy1 wring from the poor 
by means of ,rosary and                 
,prayer-associations1 and of which they 
rob the rich by mortmain4 ,when our     
people shall have learned this--when    
they shall have discovered how fearfully
 all that they hold most sacred--their  
religion--is abused by the ,romish      
,church1 they will cast off ,rome and   
her hypocrites with inexorable          
indignation4 ,still you may object1--',a
 great portion of our people is more    
attached than ever to the formal        
mummeries of ,rome--to the doctrine of  
works2 they hasten more than ever to    
places of ,pilgrimage and ,indulgence1  

and these processions are not confined  
to the ignorant populace1 but are joined
 by educated wives and maidens1 while   
the younger clergy are full of          
fanaticism6 ,does not this indicate the 
increase and the triumph of the ,romish 
,creed8' ,such phenomena there are      
indeed--phenomena belonging to the      
sixteenth1 not the nineteenth           
century--but these phenomena are the    
curse upon your cowardice1 the          
consequences of a want of moral courage 
to contend against the hirelings of the 
,pope4 ,you have not dared encounter    
these ,roman wolves in ,german fleeces2 
you have not dared to honour ,god and   
his truth2 you have not dared to        
sacrifice your benefices to your heart's
 convictions1 to the welfare of your    
congregations--of the nation6 ,the      
slaves of ,rome have therefore been     
enabled to rule at pleasure in the      
,catholic ,states of ,germany1 speaking 
big words--shamelessly insulting and    
intriguing--disseminating darkness and  

superstition4 ,they have been free to   
rage in their congregations1 to mislead1
 unpunished and unchecked1 the credulous
 multitude1 and to excite them and the  
younger clergy to fanaticism2 they have 
been at liberty to proclaim the grossest
 abuses as the actual substance of      
,christianity1 announcing follies and   
absurdities as ,christian truths--for it
 is but seldom that any one1 now and    
then1 has ventured to raise his voice   
against them1 or at least it has been   
speedily reduced to silence when once   
raised4  ,hence the insolence of these  
creatures of ,rome1 who dare1 with      
unblushing front1 here in the midst of  
,germany1 to call the greater part of   
the nation1 which refuses to do them    
homage--a vulgar mob6 ,but1 woe to them6
 the day has dawned at length1--the mask
 of their hypocrisy will be torn        
aside1--the confidence betrayed of our  
people and the younger clergy will burst
 forth in flames of merited             
indignation1--truth will shed a purer   

and a purer light1 until at last the    
lying fabric shall fall down1 and the   
rotten timbers of the ,hierarchy shall  
crumble into dust6 ,for it cannot be1   
that the spirit of truth1 and justice1  
and brotherly love1 is to be crushed for
 ever1--the spirit which ,christ        
promised to ,his ,church1 and not to    
,romish ambition3 ',the spirit remains  
with you till the end1 and the spirit   
will make you free4' ,but you must seek 
for and follow after this spirit2 then  
you shall have nought to fear--you shall
 triumph4 ,this spirit will not greet   
you on your silken couches of indolence1
 ,he will not visit your licentious     
pillows--the ,spirit discovers ,himself 
now and ever as formerly1 working in and
 through human agents4 ,strive earnestly
 and zealously for intellectual         
advancement and moral freedom1 in union 
with your fellow-men1--lend a ready ear 
to the cries of the needy1 enter        
heartily into the wishes of your        
fellow-citizens1--and you shall find the

 ,holy ,spirit1 who shall declare       
,himself to you--you shall hear ,him in 
the voice1 in the call of your people1  
of your native country6 ,the nation     
calls you now to a great and holy work4 
',you must1' such is its call1 'cast off
 the degrading and unchristian despotism
 of the ,roman ,bishop2 you must1 in    
union with your fellow-citizens1 the    
laity1 restore1 without fear of men1 the
 ,christian-,catholic religion1 in all  
its purity and simple elevation2 you    
must establish a ,german-,catholic 7i4  
e4 universal7 ,christian ,church2 you   
must be no longer ,romish1 but honest   
,german priests and teachers4 ,such is  
the voice of your people1--the call of  
your country6 ,will you obey the call8  
,will you begin the work without fear of
 men8 ,oh1 ,i entreat you1 ,i conjure   
you to obey the call2 go promptly to the
 work1 now1 while there yet is time6 ,i 
beg of you to set to the work1 and ,i am
 not ashamed to beg1--the boon is so    
elevated and important6 ,i implore you  

in the name of our religion1 for the    
sake of honour1 independence1 and the   
peace of ,germany1--,i implore you1 for 
your own sakes1 by your dignity1 honour1
 virtue1--by your happiness as men6     
,some of you will object--',but then we 
must cast off the ,pope1 and that were  
contrary to the ,gospel2 for ,christ    
says to ,peter1--,thou art a rock1 and  
upon thee will ,i build my ,church2     
,peter was ,bishop of ,rome1 and the    
,pope is his successor6' ,what1         
brethren8 ,do you interpret the saying  
of the elevated founder of our religion 
according to the deadness of the letter8
 ,are you not aware that ,christ based  
,his ,church upon the faith and love of 
,peter1 and of his other disciples and  
followers1 but not upon his person8 ,do 
you not know that ,rome has spared1 and 
spares1 no fraud to aggrandize herself1 
and that as history informs us1 her     
prelates and her slaves have availed    
themselves of any means1 however        
inadmissible1 for the attainment of the 

self-same end8 ,do you not know that    
power and riches are the chief objects  
of the ,court of ,rome6 and1 therefore1 
must no ,catholic either think or speak 
freely on religious matters1 but        
blindly1 like an animal1 embrace and act
 upon the opinions of his priest6 ,ah6  
you know all this and more2--you know   
that you even act in direct opposition  
to the religion of ,christ in bringing  
mankind under the unworthy dominion of  
the ,pope1 and in the degrading of your 
fellow-citizens2 but you want the moral 
courage to shake yourselves free1 you   
fear to lose your livelihood1 you shrink
 from want and labour6 ,such fear is    
unworthy of the disciples of ,christ and
 of the ,truth4 ,as such1 you ought to  
fear nothing so much as the degradation 
of yourselves and of your fellow-men1 to
 which the ,papal yoke constrains you2  
and it is1 therefore1 your most sacred  
duty to renounce the ,pope1 and to      
become the true priests of your people4 
,or are you1 perhaps1 not in a condition

 to promote the welfare and prosperity  
of your fellow-citizens8 ,do you require
 the aid of a distant ,italian          
,bishop1--of a foreign power8 ,you are  
better able to promote it than a distant
 ,italian ,bishop can be6 ,do you fear  
that the renunciation of ,rome would    
lead to discord6 ,certainly not2 for we 
are men1 and we will act like men6 ,with
 manly energy and discretion1 in union  
with our fellow-citizens1 will we call  
together the communities1 freely to     
deliberate and determine what steps are 
needful for us all4 ,in such a work     
there is no room for discord1 for all   
violence is done away4 ,discord and     
violence are occasioned only by the     
,romish despotism1 which knows no other 
law than its own advantage and          
aggrandizement4 ,the ,romish ,hierarchy 
repels that ,german maiden from the     
altar1 who gives her heart to one who   
owns a different creed1--profanes the   
virgin modesty of our sisters by wanton 
questions under the cloak of            

religion1--takes upon itself1 here in   
the midst of ,germany1 to refuse the    
sacraments to mothers1 if their children
 be not nurtured in the faith of        
,rome1--rages against all attempts at   
reconciliation between ,german          
,catholics and ,protestants1--it is the 
,romish ,church that will not hear of   
peace1 however longed for by the people6
  ,the ,romish ,government has likewise 
brought us under an unchristian         
constraint1 and introduced abuses into  
our religion1 which lead to superstition
 and to vice1 and which deprive us of   
the blessings of the ,christian         
doctrine4 ,we must first of all sweep   
away these abuses1 we must dismiss1 as  
unintelligible to our people1 from all  
the houses of ,god in ,germany1 the     
,latin language1--that monument of our  
subserviency and spiritual bondage1 that
 unholy constraint which outrages the   
clearest injunctions of the ,gospel2 for
 ,paul says1 7#ast ,cor4 #ad1 #ai17 ',i 
had rather speak five words with my     

understanding1 than ten thousand words  
in an unknown tongue1' and in the #bc;d 
verse he justly and directly denounces  
as madness the use of a foreign and     
unknown language4 ,we must besides      
abolish the confessional1 that moral    
torture-chamber1 that degrading tribunal
 of ,inquisition1--which stamps men     
hypocrites and blinded slaves to        
priestcraft1--which expels from the     
,supper of the ,lord so many thousand   
,catholics who nevertheless feel        
themselves invited1--and which without a
 warrant in the ,gospel1 was first      
introduced by one of the most           
power-loving ,popes1 twelve hundred     
years after ,jesus ,christ4 ,we must    
abolish all those mischievous           
contrivances of ,rome1 which are only   
intended for the extortion of           
money1--which undermine true piety1 and 
degrade the priest to a farmer and a    
trafficker in salvation6 ,the pure and  
true and ,catholic ,christian religion1 
shall alone remain1 and its fundamental 

law--the law of love1--shall not only be
 expressed in words1 but practically    
evidenced in our dealings with all our  
fellow-men of every faith and creed4  ,i
 have been constrained1 my friends1 to  
address you in these few words1 to which
 ,i have felt myself called by a sense  
of the duty imposed on me as preacher of
 religion1 as a disciple of the         
truth1--these words1 dictated by love to
 my fellow-citizens1 and anxiety for    
their salvation1 honor1 and             
welfare1--and love to yourselves who    
languish under the yoke of ,rome6 ,it   
depends now upon yourselves whether you 
will obey the call of your religion1 and
 of your fellow-citizens1 and your      
improved convictions4 ,woe6 woe6 to you1
 who hear not this appeal6 and rest in  
error and hypocrisy6--the righteous     
indignation of your countrymen1 who are 
now awaking to consciousness1 will      
condemn you in a voice of thunder1 and  
the sentence will be indelibly engraved 
upon the page of history6 ,the work1    

besides1 will be achieved without you4  
,to you1 who obey this call1 eternal joy
 and blessing6 ,you1 who armed with the 
moral courage of your calling1 shun no  
labour and no sacrifice6 ,yes1 eternal  
joy and blessing to you6 ,your own      
consciences will reward you1 the love of
 your countrymen1 the enduring gratitude
 of history1 shall secure you a         
millennial fame6  ,in this letter1 as in
 the former1 it is easy to trace the    
same spirit which so evidently          
characterizes the author as an honest   
and fearless assertor of what he        
believes to be the truth4 ,the event    
soon shewed that he had not to fight    
single-handed4 ,previously1 he had      
received assurances of the sympathies of
 thousands2 and now1 when the period for
 action came1 there were not wanting    
many to cast in their lot with him1 as  
fellow-workers in overturning the great 
system of idolatrous worship4 ,when     
first suspended1 his whole flock        
petitioned that his services might still

 be continued to them--the best         
practical reply to the charges advanced 
against him4 ,several secessions        
speedily took place2 congregations were 
formed at ,schneidemuehl1 under pastor  
,czerski1 and at ,breslau1 where ,ronge 
now is occupied with the constitution   
and settlement of the new community4 ,in
 most cases1 the ultra-,catholic party  
have done what they could to create     
disturbance in the meetings1 and        
generally to obstruct the progress of   
business2 but such attempts have proved 
ineffectual4 ,of course1 much in the    
constitution of the ,church must for a  
long time remain incomplete1 but great  
unity1 as well as zeal1 has hitherto    
characterized their proceedings4  ,the  
principal places where congregations are
 being formed are ,breslau1             
,schneidemuehl1 ,leipsic1 ,dresden1     
,berlin1 ,magdeburg1 ,halberstadt1      
,offenbach1 ,brunswick1 ,coblentz1      
,worms1 and even ,cologne1 where        
priestly influence is at its maximum4   

,other places it would be useless to    
name2 in fact1 accounts have been       
received from a vast number of quarters2
 but definite and final steps have not  
yet been taken1 and1 on all hands1 it is
 found to be the ease1 that great       
numbers1 including clergy as well as    
laity1 desire the formal recognition of 
the ,church by the ,state1 before they  
openly avow their separation from the   
,roman ,see4 ,the documents connected   
with the origin1 constitution1 and      
principles of the ,church have now been 
laid before the ,prussian ,government2  
but1 while we write1 no final answer has
 been returned4  ,the following remarks 
will so far explain the relation of this
 ,government to the new                 
movement3--,hitherto they have          
maintained the position of strict       
neutrality4 ,the law of the land        
guarantees full freedom of conscience to
 every ,prussian citizen2 and as the new
 doctrines involve no principles of     
danger to the common safety1 their      

defenders are entitled to demand that no
 police restrictions be put in the way  
of their progress4 ,the law draws a     
distinction between religious societies 
merely tolerated1 and those formally    
acknowledged by the ,state2 the latter  
only having corporate rights and        
privileges4 ,the two ,protestant        
,churches--the ,reformed and            
,lutheran--have been united into one    
,church1 generally called the           
,evangelical1 which1 with the ,catholic1
 have alike the full sanctions of ,state
 protection4 ,it is manifest1 that where
 such strenuous efforts have been made  
to bring about this singular union1 and 
where unity of creed is the avowed      
object of the ,government1 the          
sanctioning a new class of separatists1 
whether from the ,catholic or           
,protestant ,church1 might lead to      
serious political consequences4 ,the    
party of the ,old ,lutherans1 who       
refused to co-operate in the scheme of  
union1 have1 strictly speaking1 no legal

 standing in the constitution of        
,prussia4 ,they are tolerated1 but not  
acknowledged by the ,state4 ,it seems   
exceedingly probable that such will be  
the position of the new ,german         
,catholic ,church1 which would at once  
secure the legally guaranteed rights of 
conscience1 and1 at the same time1 form 
no exception to the determination of the
 ,government1 as such1 to have only the 
two great antagonist ,churches and      
,confessions4  ,meanwhile1 the ,king of 
,saxony1 though a ,catholic1 has more   
openly avowed his principles in         
connection with the movement4 ,he was   
waited on by the ,bishop and ,catholic  
,clergy of ,leipsic1 for the purpose of 
impressing on him the duty of putting   
down the new sect by law4 ,his reply was
 as follows3--,i wonder much at the     
demand you have made2 and all the more1 
as you know that nineteen-twentieths of 
my subjects are ,protestants1 whose     
conduct of late to my ,catholic         
fellow-citizens has greatly rejoiced my 

heart4 ,you know1 moreover1 that ,i am  
,king of a constitutional ,state1 and1  
as such1 have promised and sworn to     
secure full religious freedom to my     
subjects1 of whatever faith4 ,i shall1  
then1 place no obstruction in the way of
 what has taken place1 but give events  
their free course1 because ,i will not1 
and dare not1 make any one swerve from  
that faith and worship from which alone 
he expects salvation4 ,this is my       
firmly-settled resolution4 ,and with    
these memorable words1 the ,bishop and  
,clergy were most graciously dismissed4 
,the joy in ,leipsic at the answer of   
the ,king was unbounded1 ,as an off-set 
to this state of matters in ,prussia and
 ,saxony1 we have to state1 that the    
papal influence has been brought to bear
 upon the ,governments of ,austria and  
,bavaria--we believe with success--to   
prevent by law the formation of any     
,church in connection with the new sect1
 throughout both kingdoms4  ,it is1 of  
course1 not to be expected that these   

congregations can as yet have had time  
or opportunity to draw up a full and    
duly authorized ,confession of ,faith4  
,as matters stand1 one congregation has 
adhered to the ,apostolical             
,creed--another to the ,nicene ,creed   
7a4d4 #cbe74 ,the following is the      
,confession drawn up1 and which has been
 generally adhered to by the            
congregation of ,schneidemuehl3--       
,,confession ,,of ,,faith4  ,art4 #a4   
,the foundation of the ,christian faith 
should be solely and exclusively the    
,holy ,scriptures and ,reason1 pervaded 
and actuated by true ,christian         
principles in their                     
interpretation--,art4 #b4 ,the community
 accepts the ,apostolic ,creed as its   
own4 ,it is the problem of the ,church1 
as of the individual1 to reduce its     
contents to a living recognition1       
corresponding with the principles of the
 age4--,art4 #c4 ,in the difference of  
statement and interpretation with regard
 to the given contents of this          

,confession of ,faith1 the community    
finds no ground for excommunication or  
anathematizing4--,art4 #d4 ,with        
reference to the objective principles of
 belief1 it1 is held that there ought to
 be no impediment to free inquiry1 and  
that no one should be anathematized on  
account of the exercise of the right    
conceded to him of free inquiry--because
 it is impossible to fix a completely   
definite rule of faith for the human    
mind4--,art4 #e4 ,the community consider
 the chief problem of ,christianity to  
be1 not merely the bringing of its      
principles to living recognition among  
the members of the community1 by public 
worship1 teaching1 and instruction1 but 
also the promoting1 according to their  
ability1 the spiritual1 moral1 and      
physical good of their fellow-men1      
without distinction4--,art4 #f4 ,the    
community acknowledges only two         
,sacraments1 ,baptism and the ,lord's   
,supper2 because only these have        
unquestionably been instituted by       

,christ1 according to the testimony of  
the ,scriptures4--,art4 #g4 ,baptism is 
the sign of reception into the          
,christian ,society2 it is administered 
to children under the reservation of    
their confirming the ,confession of     
,faith at the years of maturity4--,art4 
#h4 ,the ,lord's ,supper serves as a    
remembrance of ,christ1 and as a sign of
 a covenant of brotherhood for all      
men4--,art4 #i4 ,the ,sacrament to be   
received by the community in both kinds1
 as it was appointed by ,christ4--,art4 
#aj4 ,transubstantiation is not         
acknowledged1 because it cannot be      
justified from the ,gospel4--,art4 #aa4 
,marriage is declared as a holy         
institution1 and the blessing of the    
,church on the same regarded as         
necessary4--,art4 #ab4 ,there are no    
other restrictions on marriage          
recognized than those appointed by the  
laws of the ,state4--,art4 #ac4         
,celibacy is rejected by the community  
as an institution not found in the ,holy

 ,scripures1 as not to be justified     
before reason1 and as devised by the    
,roman ,popes for the advancement of    
their ,hierarchy4--,art4 #ad4 ,the      
community rejects the supremacy of the  
,roman ,pope4--,art4 #ae4 ,it abolishes 
auricular confession4--,art4 #af4 ,it   
uses the language of the people in      
public worship4--,art4 #ag4 ,it rejects 
the invocation and worshipping of       
saints1 7admitted into the ritual of the
 ,romish ,church71 relics1 and images1  
which are regarded as unchristian1 and  
as leading to gross abuse4--,art4 #ah4  
,all the previously existing customs of 
the ,church1 such as indulgences1       
fastings1 pilgrimages1 which could only 
lead to a useless work-holiness1 are    
abolished by the community4--,art4 #ai4 
,the outward form of public worship     
should ever adapt itself to the wants of
 time and place4--,art4 #bj4 ,the       
outward demeanour in the ,church cannot 
be prescribed1 and is left to the       
religious sense of each individual2 that

 which leads to superstitution is       
forbidden4--,art4 #ba4 ,only those      
festivals are to be celebrated which are
 sanctioned according to the laws of the
 land4--,art4 #bb4 ,the community makes 
use of its old right freely to elect for
 itself its pastors and                 
office-bearers4--,art4 #bc4 ,the        
community is to be represented by its   
pastors and the chosen elders2 the      
election of the elders to take place    
yearly at ,whitsunday4--,art4 #bd4 ,each
 pastor to be introduced to the         
congregation and to his office by a     
church service1 yet herewith avoiding   
everything which could be held as       
sanctioning the sacramental value of the
 ,roman consecration of the priesthood1 
and serve as the foundation of the      
,hierarchy4--,art4 #be4 ,the stipend of 
the pastor to be regulated according to 
the means of the members of the         
congregation4--,art4 #bf4 ,all church   
transactions1 such as baptisms1         
marriages1 burials1 to be gone about by 

the pastor1 without 7surplice7 fees1 for
 all members of the community           
alike4--,art4 #bg4 ,all these findings  
are not settled for all times1 but can  
be altered according to the belief 7lit4
 consciousness7 of a particular period1 
by the community in agreement           
therewith4--,art4 #bh4 ,to make a       
,christian ,church a truly universal    
7,catholic7 one1 and not to exclude the 
admission of congregations constituting 
themselves in different places--all     
these1 in every view1 merely provisional
 findings1 to be submitted to a         
universal 7,german7 council1--,art4 #bi4
 ,the reception into the ,church1 after 
its complete constitution1 takes place  
after the declaration of desire for     
admission1 and the acceptance of the    
,confession of ,faith adopted by the    
community1 before the office-bearers1 by
 public deed in the congregation4       
,another short document has appeared1   
which runs as follows3--,i believe in   
,god the ,father1 who by his ,almighty  

,word created the world1 and governs it 
in wisdom1 justice1 and love4 ,i believe
 in ,jesus ,christ1 one ,saviour1 who by
 his teaching1 his life1 and his death1 
has redeemed us from the bondage of sin4
 ,i believe in the work of the ,holy    
,spirit upon earth--a holy universal    
,christian ,church--the forgiveness of  
sins1 and the life everlasting4 ,amen4  
,the following is the order of          
,church-service for the ,church in      
,breslau4--#a4 ,introductory ,hymn4 #b4 
,confession of sins 7,confiteor74 ,lord 
pity us1 c4 ,glory be to ,god1 c4 #d4   
,the prayers of the ,collect4 #e4 ,the  
,epistle4 #f4 ,the ,gospel4 #g4 ,the    
,sermon1 with the usual prayers1 with a 
verse of a hymn before and after4 #h4   
,instead of the ,canon of the ,mass1 a  
passage from the ,passion and the       
,sacrament4 #i4 ,holy1 holy1 holy1 c4   
,o1 ,lamb of ,god1 c4 #aj4 ,lord's      
,prayer4 #aa4 ,concluding ,hymn4 #ab4   
,benediction4 ,it has also been resolved
 that part of the ,sabbath afternoon be 

devoted to catechizing1 as is now common
 in many ,protestant churches in        
,germany and ,switzerland4 ,the only    
point of difference1 so far as we are   
aware1 among the different communities1 
is on the doctrine of tradition2 some   
proposing to abolish it altogether1     
while others wish to retain it so far as
 in accordance with the ,bible--though  
to maintain a subordinate place4 ,an    
intimation has been published1 stating  
that representatives from all the       
churches--now about #ah in number--are  
to meet in ,leipsic at ,easter1 to make 
arrangements for the authorized         
constitution of the new ,church4        
,meanwhile ,ronge has prepared the draft
 of a new liturgy4  ,the community at   
,elberfeld1 in separating from the      
,church of ,rome1 expresses itself as   
follows3--  ,in the name of ,god1 the   
,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost1
 ,amen6 ,we1 the undersigned citizens of
 ,elber-feld1 belonged1 up to this      
period1 to the ,roman ,catholic ,church1

 and had1 for a long period1 been aware 
with increasing force1 of the errors and
 abuses which cling to it in its most   
inward principles1 and have assumed the 
ascendancy in its latest phases4 ,the   
more we have striven to become          
acquainted with the true doctrine of    
,jesus in the ,gospel1 which is the     
alone source of revealed truth1 the more
 deeply have we been penetrated with the
 conviction1 that ,christ is the only   
mediator between ,god and man1 and that 
the doctrine with regard to the ,pope   
and the one infallible ,church1 has no  
foundation in the word of ,god1 and     
weakens the merits of ,christ2 that the 
doctrines of the ,romish ,church of the 
,holy ,sacrament--of the priesthood and 
its relation to the people1 is false1   
and deprives believers of their choicest
 privileges4 ,the more clear this       
conviction has gradually grown upon us1 
the more oppressive do we feel the      
chains by which we are bound1 and the   
more are we in our consciences hindered 

from belonging to a ,church whose most  
important doctrines we can no longer    
reconcile with the ,gospel1 from        
adhering to a faith which we cannot     
openly avow as becomes the disciples of 
the ,lord4 ,herewith was connected the  
pain of having no worship of ,god       
corresponding with our altered religious
 views4 ,then came forth from the       
darkness1 whose shadows settled more and
 more thickly over us1 a light which1 in
 our extremity1 we view as the          
morning-dawn of hope1 and as announcing 
to us the good favour of ,god4 ,events1 
to which we do not require more         
specially to refer1 have given us the   
joyful assurance1 that the day is at    
hand1 which brings deliverance and      
freedom to those in bondage6 ,that which
 was struggling unconsciously within    
ourselves has now been brought to full  
consciousness1 and we thank ,god that we
 now know what we should do1 and that he
 has given us courage openly to bear    
testimony to the faith which we         

acknowledge4 ,in the sight of ,god we   
separate ourselves from the ,pope1 and  
the ,hierarchy1 and from the whole      
anti-evangelical system therewith       
connected1 whatever struggles or shame  
we may have to encounter4 ,we thus      
separate ourselves--not for the sake of 
carrying on a war against those who hold
 a different confession--not even that  
confession which we abandon--but for the
 purpose of finding rest for our souls1 
and of serving and thanking our ,god and
 ,lord in peace4 ,we separate           
ourselves--not in a spirit of vain      
glory1 or from a false desire of        
freedom1 we acknowledge1 along with our 
brethren in ,schneidemuhl1 ,jesus the   
crucified1 whose pure doctrines alone1  
whose kingdom alone1 whose glory and    
worship alone1 we seek and desire1      
,amen6  ,accordingly1 we hereby         
constitute ourselves into a ,christian1 
,catholic1 and ,apostolic ,church4 ,we  
solemnly declare that we adhere to the  
,confession of ,faith1 in the sister    

,church1 in all its essential points1 as
 follows1--7here follows a verbal copy  
of the ,schneidemuehl ,confession47     
,this true1 universal faith1 revealed by
 ,christ ,jesus1 we now acknowledge1    
freely and truly1 and promise1 by ,god's
 help1 to maintain and avow the same    
with unbroken steadfastness1 uncorrupted
 and unperverted2 as also to give all   
possible care that this faith be held1  
taught1 and avowed1 by those under us1  
or by those who have confidence in our  
intention1 until our ,confession of     
,faith has received the requisite       
alterations or enlargements in a future 
general 7,german7 council of the chief  
members of the entire                   
,christian-,catholic ,church4 ,may then 
,god and his divine ,gospel assist us6  
,amen6  ,in this ,confession of ,faith  
we have declared our inmost convictions4
 ,although we are still few in number1  
yet we feel ourselves strong enough in  
our ,christian faith to oppose' all     
difficulties1 obstacles1 and            

oppositions1 and by ,god's grace1 not to
 wander or waver in the way which has   
been marked out1 but to remain firm in  
our present intentions and desires unto 
the end of our days--even though the    
outward means for carrying these out    
should be wanting--even though our      
present limited number should be still  
more limited--yet even though only one  
of us should in this life stand alone in
 these his convictions4 ,at a later     
period we shall hold our public         
consulting assemblies1 and allow1 even  
to those who are most undetermined in   
the matter1 free right of admission1 and
 liberty of stating their views1 that   
all may be convinced of our upright     
intentions4  ,the members of the ,german
 ,christian ,catholic ,apostolic        
community in ,elberfeld4 ,in their name4
 7,signed7 ,c4 ,t4 von ,knapp1 ,r4      
,hockelmann1 ,t4 ,korner4  ,elberfeld1  
#aeth ,february #ahde4  ,it were of     
course quite premature to criticize the 
doctrines1 or system of government of   

the new ,church1 as they themselves have
 declared that their findings are not to
 be held as final1 until they have been 
examined and approved of by a general   
synod or council4 ,meanwhile we hasten  
to complete this hurried sketch4 ,since 
the events that have taken place1       
,bishop ,arnoldi has been honoured with 
torch-processions in ,cologne and ,bonn 
and ,coblentz1 and has been burned in   
effigy by the students in ,jena4 ,so far
 from wishing to undo what has been     
done1 he has instituted an annual       
,church festival1 to be called the      
,festival of the ,holy ,coat1 the       
,nails1 and the ,lance1 and to be held  
on the ,wednesday in the third week     
after ,easter4 ,nay1 not only so1 but it
 has been actually reported that he has 
resolved to establish another           
,pilgrimage in honour of the ,holy      
,nail1 which ,prince ,metternich has1   
after solemn conference and negociation1
 promised to restore to the ,cathedral  
of ,treves4 ,the ,bishop has lately     

given a proof of his tyranny as well as 
his superstition1 in suspending one of  
the clergy of his diocese1 by name      
,licht1 who had dared to doubt--and to  
express his doubts to his people4 ,he   
had been promised to be reinstated on   
retracting his obnoxious opinions about 
the ,coat--but has preferred degradation
 to dishonour4 ,our clergy1 says one    
account1 appear to lose in prudence     
exactly as the ,separatists increase4   
,thus1 so far from the more extreme     
section of them expressing themselves   
with greater caution than formerly1 some
 of them are declared to have taught    
openly since the event1 that not only   
was this the bona fide ,coat of our     
,lord1 but that it was the only ,coat   
which he ever wore--and that it grew    
with the growth of his body from the    
cradle to the ,cross4 ,to counteract the
 influence of the movement now in       
progress1 ,bishop ,arnoldi1 in          
conjunction with the ,bishop of         
,cologne1 has instituted a new ,catholic

 ,society for the ,rhine provinces1 the 
object of which is1--by a ,monthly      
,journal1 by the circulation of sermons 
and tracts1 by the publication of       
standard ,catholic works at a cheap     
rate1 by the founding of a new ,catholic
 library and the like1 to diffuse a     
spirit of stronger ,catholicity through 
this section of the ,church4 ,a member  
of the ,theological ,seminary is already
 named as its president1 and collections
 are ordered to be made on a general    
scale in all the parishes1 and specially
 by calls made at each individual house4
 ,in addition1 five new journals of the 
same stamp have been established4       
,meanwhile the ,protestant evangelical  
societies have not been asleep4 ,the    
,gustavus-,adolphus ,society 7a ,society
 founded for the support of poor        
,protestant congregations in ,catholic  
countries1 and one of the best proofs of
 the reviving spirit in the ,german     
,church17 have expressed their opinion  
that by the constitution of the         

,society1 they are precluded from       
assisting the new movement by specific  
grants of money1 but at the same time   
stating their desire to urge on the     
spirit that was abroad by all means in  
their power4 ,collections accordingly   
have been made in the various large     
towns1 to defray the necessary expenses 
incurred by the support of clergy1 the  
performance of public worship and the   
like4 ,places of meeting have been      
granted in most cases by the authorities
 of the town4 ,so far as we are aware1  
only one member of the new community has
 openly gone over to the ,protestant    
,lutheran ,church4  ,in ,breslau the    
long-vacant and much-disputed episcopal 
chair still remains unoccupied1--von    
,diepenbrock having expressly refused   
the offer1 on the alleged ground of the 
unsettled state of the ,church4 ,during 
the late sittings of the ,diet at       
,breslau1 the excitement was altogether 
of a religious and not of a political   
kind4 ,ronge and the anti-,popish       

movement were the great subjects of     
conversation4 ,the ,separation1 says an 
account1 is widening daily1 and quarters
 are now full of agitation which before 
were peaceful as the grave4 ,our ears   
are once more deafened by the ,no       
,popery cry4 ,the congregation here now 
numbers above #fjj families4 ,ronge is  
busily occupied with the affairs of the 
,church--delivering the most stirring   
addresses--and everywhere receiving     
fresh proofs of sympathy and support4   
,czerski1 the pastor of ,schneidemuehl1 
has followed ,luther's example in the   
matter of marriage1 the ,protestant     
clergyman officiating4 ,he has since    
been formally degraded and              
excommunicated1 previous to which1 we   
believe that in many places seven masses
 were offered up daily for his return to
 the communion of the ,church4 ,in      
addition1 all who adhere to his opinions
 have been excommunicated en masse4 ,a  
small pamphlet has lately come out in   
,berlin1 which states1 that he had been 

always distinguished by great           
laboriousness in his parish1 and that he
 had previously excited great attention 
by a stirring ,address which he had     
delivered in the open air1 on the matter
 of some ,indulgence1 pointing out the  
true method of repentance and pardon1   
and advising the people to have nothing 
farther to do with ,indulgences1 as the 
greatest of them could not make a man a 
,christian4 ,he is represented as a     
person of great simplicity of character1
 and of deep feeling4 ,he is firm in    
expressing his determination to adhere  
to the ,bible and not to the ,church4   
,he and ,ronge have been both1 by letter
 from high quarters1 admonished to be on
 their guard1 as attempts on their life 
from some fanatics were dreaded4        
,several threatening letters had been   
also sent to some of the more active lay
 members in the new ,church4 ,at        
,breslau1 on ,sabbath1 #ith ,march1 the 
first public service was celebrated4    
,dr4 ,steiner delivered an ,address on  

the momentous step which had been taken1
 and then requested the community to use
 the right of free election of their    
pastor1 now restored to them4 ,john     
,ronge was unanimously chosen4 ,czerski 
was present from ,schneidemuehl1 to take
 part in the services of the day4       
,intimation was made that ,kerbler1     
hitherto vicar in ,lindenau1 was        
present1 and had joined the ,new        
,church4 ,then followed the induction of
 the new pastor into his charge4 ,twelve
 girls dressed in white1 with garlands  
of flowers1 formed a procession199 which
 was followed by ,john ,ronge1 ,czerski1
 ,kerbler1 and the chief members of the 
congregation4 ,dr4 ,steiner then        
delivered a powerful ,address to the new
 pastor on the duties of his office4    
,ronge replied to his people1 and       
promised not to forsake them in joy or  
sorrow1 after which the ordinary        
services of public worship began4 ,after
 a hymn1 he ascended the pulpit1 and    
delivered a discourse on the true       

character of the ,church1 which he said 
was founded on the two maxims of        
,christ1--,be ye perfect as your ,father
 in ,heaven is perfect2 and ,love ,god1 
and your neighbour as yourself1 and not 
on exclusive confessions1 forms1 and    
ceremonies4 ,the great matter was to    
make ,christianity inward and spiritual1
 and then to act accordingly4 ,the man  
who did this was a true ,christian1 and 
herein lay the possibility of having a  
universal ,christian ,church1 which     
should be one in knowledge1 in love1 and
 in deed4 ,after leaving the pulpit1 he 
read the ,new ,confession of ,faith from
 the altar1 to which those present      
responded with a hearty ,amen4 ,a       
selected piece from the ,passion was    
then read1 with the words of the        
institution of the ,supper1 which was   
followed by the choral1 ,holy1 holy1    
holy4 ,the whole was closed with the    
,lord's prayer1 the ,hymn ,great ,god we
 praise thee1 and the ,benediction4 ,the
 service seems to be pretty nearly the  

same as in the ,protestant ,german      
,church1 at least as it is now          
celebrated in the ,cathedral of ,berlin4
       99 ,this must be regarded as a   
,german rather than ,popish      custom4
  ,but the matter of controversy is not 
confined to the humble parish-priests of
 ,silesia4 ,while the two ,bishops of   
,treves and ,cologne1 ,arnoldi and von  
,geissel1 have been issuing their annual
 pastoral letters in ,lent1 filled with 
the most extravagant declarations of    
ultramontane opinions1 the ,bishop of   
,mayence1 von ,kaiser1 has issued a     
document breathing a very different     
spirit4 ,in the former1 each of the     
faithful is admonished in opposition to 
the movements which are at present      
taking place in the ,catholic ,church1  
to hold firmly by ,rome and the ,pope1  
as the central-point of the ,church--is 
warned against apostacy and false       
doctrine1 whilst the faith in relics1   
and what belongs thereto1 is expressly  
inculcated4 ,bishop ,kaiser1 again1 in a

 mild and tolerant spirit1 dwells       
largely upon the fundamental principle  
of brotherly love and reconciliation1   
and although he attaches great weight to
 positive belief1 yet1 above all things1
 he gives prominence to the principle of
 the ,apostle ,paul3--,if ,i had all    
faith1 and had not charity1 ,i am       
nothing4 ,without this1 he adds1 all our
 works have no value before ,god4 ,this 
pastoral letter has1 in its whole       
contents1 reference to the ,church      
relations of the present times1 and must
 be regarded as a determined protest    
against the wild proceedings of the     
,jesuits4 ,he proves that it is neither 
,catholic nor ,christian to make a tool 
of fanaticism1 intolerance1 and         
proselytism1--that the principle of     
toleration is also a ,catholic one1 and 
that both ,churches can subsist together
 in peace1 if the authors of disturbance
 were only powerfully restrained4 ,he   
moreover acknowledges the claims of     
,protestantism1--a fact which1 in       

reference to the recent course of       
events1 is of vast importance3--,it is  
possible1 says he1 for men of different 
creeds1 if they have good moral         
principles1 to live together in the same
 country1 and to meet in civil life     
peacefully1 friendly1 and lovingly1 and 
yet for each to remain unchangeably true
 to his individual belief4 ,this        
experience has taught2 already #cjj     
years have past since in ,germany a     
section of our brethren in the faith    
separated themselves from us4 ,the      
division has taken place4 ,divine       
,providence has permitted it1 and       
permits it still4 ,what ,god permits1   
man should permit too2 or should man not
 will it so--still he must4 ,if the     
mixture of men of different creeds has  
once become realized as a fact1 then has
 their living together become a matter  
of necessity4 ,it were1 accordingly1    
foolish and unreasonable1 if they did   
not wish1 as much as in them lay1       
honestly and truly1 by reciprocal       

toleration and indulgence1 to make these
 differences lighter and less felt4 ,it 
were foolish1 hypocritical1 and         
supercilious1 at the same time1 if they 
passed judgment upon each other's faith 
and believing life harshly and          
uncharitably1 rather than to be reserved
 in their judgment1 and to consider that
 each man for himself1 and among his own
 fellow-believers1 has faults enough to 
rectify4 99 99 99 99 ,god is love1 and  
we prove our love of ,god by our love of
 man4 ,in faith we are not at one1 but  
in love we can and ought to be so--in   
love1 we can and ought to strive with   
one another1 and by love can we best    
show the truth and purity of our belief1
 and place ourselves in the best        
position for recommending it to others1 
until it shall please ,god that we all  
together should attain to the unity of  
the faith4'  ,we believe it difficult to
 exaggerate the importance of this      
document4 ,here is a man holding a high 
office in the ,catholic ,church--living 

in the very midst of the scenes lately  
enacted1 with two bishops on either side
 of his diocese1 who seem equally ready 
personally to take part in1 or with all 
the power of their office1 to defend the
 most extravagant superstitions1 or the 
most insidious policy of ,jesuitism1    
with a people who showed how thoroughly 
they were given up to idolatry1 and with
 a clergy equally capable of misleading 
or being misled1--still calmly lifting  
up his voice for a purer faith1 and for 
the manifestation of the true spirit of 
,christian liberty and love4 ,it seems  
most probable that this defence of      
toleration may1 ere long1 make its      
author personally feel what intolerance 
is4 ,he is already denounced by the     
ultra-,catholic party in the ,rhine     
provinces1 and report says1 in the      
,vatican itself4 ,if so1 we may expect  
to hear more of ,bishop ,kaiser of      
,mayence4 ,meanwhile1 it is gratifying  
to state that ,addresses have been sent 
to him by his clergy and                

fellow-citizens1 fully participating in 
his spirit1 and expressive of their joy 
that he has all along so strongly       
discountenanced the doings in the       
neighbouring diocese of ,treves2 while a
 ,special ,address has been presented to
 him from ,offenbach1 praying that he1  
as their spiritual guide1 would lead the
 way in making them discard the leading 
errors of ,popery4 ,to show that this   
spirit of dissatisfaction is not        
confined to an individual case1 we may  
state1 that at least one other ,bishop  
has1 in his annual ,address1 passed over
 what has taken place without a single  
allusion or remark2 nay1 that even in   
,treves itself1 which seems destined to 
become the ,mecca of continental        
,popery1 there were priests whom nothing
 but the fear of consequences compelled 
to take part in the degrading scenes    
referred to4  ,and now1 in drawing this 
hasty sketch to a close1 we have left   
ourselves room for but one or two       
general remarks4  #a4 ,from what has    

been said1 it must be as a matter of    
fact1 plain1 that ,germany is now the   
scene of a most remarkable awakening4   
,catholic ,germany is again1 after a    
lapse of more than three centuries1 the 
scene of an open secession from the     
,church of ,rome2 and at the head of the
 movement stands one1 who writes with   
,luther-like power--who has gone through
 many of ,luther's experiences1 and who 
has already shown that he has imbibed a 
vast deal of ,luther's spirit1 in deed  
as well as word4 ,the occasion too1 of  
the movements1 was not                  
unlike--,indulgences in the one case1   
and relics1 accompanied with            
,indulgences1 in the other1 have        
awakened men's minds to see the evils of
 the whole system1 and to shake off     
their connection with it4 ,congregations
 have been formed--a new ,church is     
being established1 and men on all sides 
say and show that they identify         
themselves with the movement4 ,the ,pope
 is busied now with giving new          

directions for the ,german ,church2 and 
is earnestly setting himself to narrow1 
as far as policy1 or concession1 or     
remonstrance can do1 the evils of the   
schism which has already taken place4   
,the new ,church1 it is true1 still     
adheres to the name ,catholic1 and      
,ronge has said1 that to pure           
,catholicism he remains true2 but we    
quarrel not with names1 if the faith and
 doings of the men be ,protestant in    
fact4 ,and moreover1 it is at once      
evident1 that as regards the immediate  
progress of the movement1 it is perhaps 
well that ,ronge should still1 if he so 
pleases1 call himself ,catholic1 as by  
so doing1 he is not to be viewed with   
the same jealousy or distrust by his    
,catholic brethren1 which would be the  
case1 if he at once openly avowed that  
he had become ,protestant4 ,in this     
event he would be treated as a heretic  
by hundreds1 whose eyes1 like ,luther's1
 may not at once be opened to see that  
the ,church of ,rome is not the true and

 only ,church of ,christ4  #b4 ,as to   
the real character of the present       
movement1 in a religious point of view1 
it becomes us1 as yet1 to speak with    
caution4 ,the period has not arrived for
 our forming a proper estimate of it1 as
 we have not yet all the materials for  
so doing2 and still more as great       
allowance must be made for two          
circumstances--#ast1 ,the half-formed   
condition of the new community in its   
present transition state2 and #b;d1     
,that progress in their views of divine 
truth1 which may take place with them as
 it did with ,luther4 ,meanwhile1 taking
 both circumstances into view1 it cannot
 be questioned that much of the present 
movement may be traced to causes other  
than those connected with the deeply    
,evangelical principles1 which          
characterized the ,reformation4 ,it is  
true1 the ,reformation began also with a
 mere outward abuse2 but this was rather
 the first occasion for the             
manifestation of the ,christian         

principle1 that was the soul of the     
movement in the sixteenth century1 and  
determined its whole spiritual          
character4 ,the great ,evangelical      
doctrine of ,justification by ,faith    
was1 in principle1 opposed to all such  
practices1 of which ,indulgences was    
only one specimen2 but this doctrine    
went a great deal further1 namely1 in   
supplying the positive and constructive 
principle of the ,reformation           
throughout4 ,the trade in ,indulgences  
might have been opposed upon grounds of 
mere worldly politics--from an infidel  
hatred of all systems of religion--from 
a mere moral dislike at hypocrisy or    
superstition2 but it required a true    
spiritual principle1 connected with     
man's relation to ,god as a sinner1 to  
give it its full value as regards the   
cause of ,evangelical truth4 ,the       
,reformation proceeded from a living    
principle within1 which was at war with 
outward practices and systems1--instead 
of merely opposing these from principles

 drawn from a different circle of       
motives and actions apart from religion4
 ,popery was overthrown by the ,french  
,revolution1 as well as the             
,reformation2 but no one would think of 
comparing as analagous the moral causes 
at work in both cases4 ,and now as to   
,ronge's movement1 we desiderate the    
statement of the great evangelical      
principles on which he falls back1 and  
which would prove his struggle to be    
freed from priestly thraldom to be the  
desire of reaching the true liberty of  
the sons of ,god in ,christ4 ,it cannot 
be concealed that much of the spirit of 
,ronge's letters is explicable from the 
mere desire of independence of priestly 
tyranny1 or from principles of a general
 enlightenment--or of warm patriotism1  
not necessarily of a religious          
character4 ,certain it is1 that in all  
his productions there is much to        
desiderate2 nay1 we may go farther1 and 
declare that there is much in them which
 seems to savour of the modern ,german  

,liberalism1 with all its parade of     
words about the dignity of human nature1
 and the demands of the spirit of the   
age1 and the shadowy future of an ideal 
perfectibility4 ,it is not to be denied1
 moreover1 that many of the ,addresses  
sent to ,ronge breathe a good deal the  
same spirit1 and are sadly wanting in   
the strong statements of men who have   
been really made to feel that this is a 
matter affecting the salvation of the   
soul1 and man's highest interests as an 
immortal being4 ,this we are far from   
stating from feelings of suspicion or   
hypercritical jealousy4 ,quite the      
reverse4 ,we are merely pointing out a  
source of danger in passing too hurried 
a decision on a movement which may not  
yet have had time or opportunities      
enough to bring out or establish its    
real spiritual character4  ,but on this 
point we have said enough1 and desire   
that what we have said be not construed 
into an avowed opinion as to the        
character of this movement as a whole2  

but rather as indicating the possible   
direction which may be given to it1 if  
the principles hinted at be really at   
the bottom of it4 ,we earnestly hope    
that such is not the fact4  #c4 ,what we
 have now said leads us1 in conclusion1 
to state the obligation which lies on   
the ,protestants of this country to     
give1 if possible1 a proper direction to
 this movement1 and to encourage it1 in 
so far as it has this direction1 by all 
means in their power4 ,a voice from     
,protestant ,britain might do much to   
strengthen the hands1 and encourage the 
hearts1 of those who are now occupied in
 opposing error1 and1 we hope1          
testifying for the truth1 from a true   
knowledge of it as it is in ,jeans4     
,most desirable it is that this movement
 be guarded against the influences of   
,rationalism1 of whatever kind1 and thus
 of becoming a scandal to               
,protestantism1 and a new cause for the 
enemy to triumph4 ,the awakened and     
evangelical ,protestantism of ,germany  

will be ready to co-operate with us and 
with them1 in proportion to their       
increased purity of creed1 and their    
daily increasing activity and efficiency
 as a branch of the ,church of ,christ4 
,a noble opportunity seems now1 in the  
providence of ,god1 presented1 for      
drawing together different parts of the 
,christian ,church1 as well as of aiding
 in a great effort to overthrow the     
system which has so long kept the       
nations in the very darkness of the     
shadow of death4 ,we have means of      
knowing that many of the best and wisest
 men in ,germany believe that we are now
 standing on the threshold of great     
events2 and meanwhile1 when on both     
sides of the ,alps1 ,popery is          
reorganizing itself for a new and fierce
 attack on ,christendom and ,heathenism 
alike1 it is most gratifying to know    
that in the very country of the         
,reformation--aye1 and in the bosom of  
the ,catholic ,church itself1 there     
should still be found slumbering the    

spirit of ,luther and his times4 ,let us
 hope that the presence of ,him who led 
the spirit of ,luther to larger         
conceptions of ,divine ,truth1 and gave 
him courage equal to his mighty work1   
may now be vouchsafed to many who1 like 
him1 may still be groping in a kind of  
twilight knowledge and faith1 and be    
led1 as all around and within them      
brightens1 to have no longer any        
fellowship with the works of darkness6  
,may ,god grant the ,churches of        
,christendom light to act as becomes the
 emergency2 and may all that has taken  
place1 or that may yet take place1 in   
connection therewith1 tend to advance   
the kingdom of our ,lord and ,saviour   
,jesus ,christ4 ,we conclude with the   
well known words of ,luther3--,if this  
is ,god's work it will advance2 if it be
 man's it will come to nought4