Eucharist, the eyes and hearts of the people are directed as in Catholic times. It has more than once happened to the writer on first entering a church in a country of mixed religion, such as Westphalia, to go round it before he could make up his mind whether it were Lutheran or Catholic. The early service books retain, to a most remarkable degree, the features of the older system. For instance: a book now lying before us, published in Upsala in 1620, that is, when Sweden was the leading Protestant power of Europe, bears this title, 'Liber cantus, in quo glorificationes, hoc est Kyrie et Venite, nec non sequentiæ ac antiphonce in summis et simplicibus festis, atque diebus dominicalibus usitata, continentur.' The index is not less remarkable. It begins thus: Kyrie dominicale: Kyrie in summis festis: in simplicibus festis: Kyrie Paschale: Kyrie "Pentecostes: Lætabundus in summis festis, &c. &c. In some cases, the Te Deum, the Kyrie, and the Agnus Dei, are given in Swedish; in others, as is the case universally with the Venite, in Latin. The melodies throughout are of the severest and best Gregorian character; the words of the antiphons are, for the most part, unaltered, even where bearing reference to facts not recorded in Holy Scripture; for example: 'Dum 'præliaretur Michael Archangelus cum Dracone, audita est vox dicentium, Salus Deo nostro: Alleluia.-Dixit Dominus,' &c. in the first tone. In one or two instances, the original words have been somewhat amusingly changed. For example, we read, 'Archangele Christe per gratiam quam meruisti, depre'camur te Unigenitum Dominum nostrum, ut eripias nos de laqueis mortis; Alleluia.—Mijn sial_prijsar,' &c. which is a good example of the manner in which Latin and the vernacular were mixed up together. The case was the same all over Germany; so that there was here no outcry against a tongue not understanded of the people. There is, for example, a Psalterium, published by Lossus at Wittenberg, in 1575, with a preface by Melanchthon, which contains antiphons, hymns, carols, and sequences, all in Latin; and though some few were slightly altered by Urbanus Regius, the greater number are left untouched. A Protestant reader of the present day might be surprised to find as the antiphon to the Magnificat for the first Vespers of the Purification, Gaude Maria Virgo; cunctas hæreses sola interemisti;' or, as the sequence for the Visitation, Ace preclara Maris stella, in lucem gentium Maria_divinitus orta.' The large antiphonal books in some of the Lutheran cathedrals are so very little changed from their predecessors, that only by referring to the title-page is it easy to fix their dates. If greater havoc were made among the Lutheran festivals, still these also maintained, in a high degree, their original character. Advent is still observed, not only by hanging the churches in black, by more frequent sermons, and in many places, as at Halle, by a particular chime of the bells; but also by the prohibition of marriages during that season. Thus, in the synodical statutes of Pomerania; by the consent of the 'most illustrious princes and orders, it was agreed that mar'riages should not be celebrated from the first Sunday in 'Advent to the first Sunday after Epiphany; nor from Ash'Wednesday to the Sunday Quasimodo. Pastors are charged to admonish their congregations with respect to these rules.' On Christmas Day, the old customs were kept up in the principality of Reuss as late as 1766: boys were dressed as angels, and represented in a dramatic way the appearance to the shepherds. So near Berlin, till 1784; and so at Halberstadt, if not till the present day, at all events till within the last twenty years, S. Stephen's, S. John's, and the Holy Innocents' Day, were celebrated; and so also, the Circumcision. Luther inveighs, after his coarse fashion, against those who direct their attention to New Year's Day, rather than to the Lord's Feast.1 The Epiphany, or as the Germans call it, Three Kings' Day, or High New Year, was held in the greatest honour till the middle of the eighteenth century. In Prussia, it was, by a royal edict of March 12th, 1754, transferred to the following Sunday. The example has since been followed in Brunswick, Hanover, and Saxe Weimar. In Denmark, the same thing was done, in 1770; Dr. Daniel is therefore mistaken in asserting that, in that kingdom, the Epiphany is still celebrated. Hence, in all the above-named rituals, results the absurdity that the following Sundays take their name from a festival which does not exist. An agitation has recently been commenced for the fixing a missionary feast (Missions Fest) on this day. In addition to Twelfth Night, many Lutheran bodies celebrate the Baptism of our Lord; some on the Sunday between the Circumcision and Epiphany; some on the first Sunday after Epiphany; and some, by an odd use, on the Sunday Esto mihi. It has also been proposed to add a Feast of Holy Scripture, but the proposal seems to have met with little acceptance. Nor was Luther less strict in the observance of Lent; and he dwells more than once on the duty of fasting, and especially of abstinence from meat. Now, even among the strictest Lutherans, fasting is all but unknown. At the present day, however, all public amusements and balls are forbidden by 1 Vol. ii. 293, and xiii. 275. Das Fest der Beschneidung Christi ist ein sehr tröstlich Fest, da mann billig Gott anloben und danken soll,' &c. the Prussian civil law, on Ash-Wednesday. This day is nevertheless, in most Lutheran countries, utterly neglected; in the Danish Altar-Book, for example, it never seems to have had a place. Good Friday was almost lost; it was revived in Prussia in 1773, and since that time has been tolerably well observed. In most places, however, Maundy Thursday, Green Thursday, as the Germans call it, is the greater day of the two. The custom of washing the feet was kept up as late as the beginning of the eighteenth century. The Danish AltarBook has Collect, Epistle and Gospel for the Thursday, but none for the Friday. Till the year 1700, the Passion of our Lord was usually sung in parts, as it is in the Roman Church; and in many Lutheran rituals, at the words, He gave up the ghost,' the people are directed to kneel for the space of a Pater Noster. This is now, we believe, utterly obsolete; but, in some parts of Germany, and especially in Saxony, it is the custom that after sermon, about three o'clock in the afternoon of Still Friday,' the bells should be tolled, while the hymn is sung, 'Nun giebt mein Jesus gute nacht.' This is a very popular ceremony; and is called by the Saxon peasants, Ringing the Lord Jesus to the grave.' Easter Eve is nowhere celebrated; and Easter Day itself has retained no peculiar ceremonies. Low Sunday is usually set apart for Confirmation. Ascension Day is held in honour everywhere in Prussia: it was for some time translated to the next Sunday; but the people complained so bitterly, that the old practice was restored. Whitsunday is, as a popular festival, a greater favourite than Easter. In Whitsun week, it is really difficult to enter some of the railway stations on account of the innumerable boughs with which they are decked out. Even Corpus Christi, though Luther abhorred it, was retained in Brandenburg, almost down to 1600. Of the Sundays after Trinity, the tenth is appropriated to the Destruction of Jeru salem; and the last, at least in the principality of Waldeck, is called the Feast of the Last Day. In most Lutheran communions, the number of Saints' days has been exceedingly diminished. Those which were retained at first, in most places, were, in addition to the festivals which our own Prayer-book celebrates; the Visitation; the Nativity; the Assumption of S. Mary; Lammas Day; the Decollation of S. John Baptist; the Transfiguration; S. Laurence; S. Nicolas; S. Catherine; S. Mary Magdalene; S. Elizabeth; and S. George. These have gradually disappeared, as have also the festivals of Apostles, some by popular disuse, some by royal edict. Thus, in Denmark, on the 26th of October, 1770, the following were abo 6 lished: Holy Innocents' Day, the Epiphany, the Purification, S. John's, the Visitation, Michaelmas, and All Saints' Day; though,' says the decree, the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel of the last-named day shall be read and explained on the Sunday next after the first of November; and the Annunciation 'shall be celebrated on the fifth Sunday in Lent.' In Iceland, a very remarkable festival was abolished in 1744. It was called The Day of Vows;' had been instituted before 1222, and was intended as a time of supplication for the fruits of the earth, for good fisheries, and against the eruption of Mount Hecla. It was observed on the first Thursday after S. Joseph's Day (March 17th). When the island was suffering from famine and disease in 1756, the most earnest entreaties were addressed to Frederick V., that he would be pleased to allow the re-introduction of this day; but the petition was disregarded. The Feast of the Reformation is celebrated in most Lutheran communions, though not on the same day. In Pomerania, the commemoration takes place on S. Martin's Day, in reference to the name of Martin Luther; in other states they prefer the vigil; one or two substitute this festival for Trinity Sunday; some prefer the Sunday after S. Giles's Day. In the seventeenth century, the celebration had almost died out, till John George II., Elector of Saxony, issued a strict edict for its celebration on the 21st of October. In Saxony, therefore, and among the Protestants of Bavaria and Austria, that is the day; the Lutherans of the two last-named countries celebrate additionally the Feast of Toleration, that is, of the concessions made with respect to their worship, by the Emperor Joseph. In Prussia, the festival had been forgotten, till the fervour of the so-called Society of Gustavus Adolphus' resuscitated it. It is there held on the Sunday after the 31st of October. In Denmark, strangely enough, it is substituted for All Saints; itself, as we have seen, transferred to the following Sunday. After the ordinary Collect, Epistle, and Gospel, follows a 'Commemoration of the reformation and doctrine, which the blessed Doctor Martin Luther, in the year 1517, began and pursued.' And this is the commencement of the prayer: 'Almighty and merciful God and Father, we Thy poor children thank Thee with all our hearts that Thou hast mercifully upheld us to this day by thy manifold goodness, and especially that Thou hast given us Thy Son, our only Mediator, who hath gathered to Himself for ever, with the Holy Ghost, a holy Church and communion, in which Thy most holy name should be rightfully known, and worshipped in the true faith and holiness; to which end Thou hast so wonderfully at all times helped them that were desirous to know Thee, and did not obstinately reject that Thy mercy and loving-kindness; which Thou hast also shown in an especial manner, in that more than two hundred years ago Thou didst free Thy Christian Church from Popish slavery and darkness, and didst let the light of Thy true gospel be so mildly (!) again kindled, by Thy true servant Dr. Martin Luther, and others who duly followed him in Thy holy and blessed word, as well in these realms and lands as elsewhere, widely and broadly around us.' Doctor Daniel has the good taste to object to this celebration : 'Quam sententiam ferret ipse Lutherus de festo reformationis, nescimus; ego quidem vehementer animi pendeo. Illa festivitas semper quandam speciem novitatis præbet: denique non confert ad pacem Christianorum reconciliandam, sed sæpissime iracundias commovet recentes, magnosque animorum motus.' In Prussia, another festival was instituted in 1816, which proves the truth of Schiller's lines: But still the heart doth need a language,-still the commemoration of the departed (Todten Fest) on the last Sunday after Trinity. This has given rise to bitter reproaches from the more rigid Lutherans.You neglect,' say they, 'the ⚫ festival of Easter, and you obtrude upon us the Papist com'memoration of All Souls.' Nevertheless, the natural instinct of man-(that instinct which in so many parts of Germany, and in some remote districts of England, has led to the beautiful custom of leaving a vacant chair on the eve of All Saints, when the family closes in round the fire, for its departed members) has been stronger than Lutheranism, and the Todten Fest is rapidly prevailing throughout Germany. The Lutheran fast days depart more widely from the ancient Church order than any other part of their system. In one or two principalities, there is a monthly fast; in most, there are three penitential days, though the time of year selected for their observation differs widely. In Saxony, they are held on the Friday before the last Sunday after Trinity, and on the Friday after Reminiscere; in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, on the Friday after Sexagesima, on Good Friday, on the third Sunday after Trinity, and on the Friday before the first Sunday in Advent; in Mecklenburg-Strelitz, on the Friday after Reminiscere, and the Friday before the first Sunday in Advent; in · Bavaria, on Sexagesima Sunday. In Prussia, the commemoration is made on the Friday after Jubilate (the third Sunday after Easter). Most certainly,' observes Dr. Daniel, if a 'prize were given for the discovery of the most inappropriate season for a time of penitence, the Prussian Church would, |