The country people, generally, live in small villages, miserable houses, with thatched roofs and clay floors, and are generally filthy and uncouth in their habits. In the large towns a degree of order and neatness is exhibited, and urbanity of manners, such as is common to English towns. Nearly every village, however insignificant, has its Church, and priest to receive their tithings, and attend to their spiritual wants. With regard to improvements, the Danes are sadly deficient in means or enterprise, probably both. They have but one piece of railroad, sixteen miles in length, from Copenhagen to a neighbouring town. The capital itself is still lighted with the old oil lamps, and the fire companies haul their hose and water on sheds with tubs and barrels. A telegraph is unknown in the country. The navy yard and fixtures, fortifications, public buildings, walks and gardens, of Copenhagen, would be a credit to any town or nation. The priests are often to be seen in the streets with their black gowns and white ruffles.
Their texts, sermons, worship, &c., defined by law, are uniform throughout the country, and repeated yearly. Their rites are similar to those of the Church of England. There is a universal observance of the numerous holydays and festivals common in catholic countries, but the sabbath is lightly esteemed. Sunday evening is usually selected for balls, and other amusements, and that is the time the theatres are thronged. The priests are by no means so pious out of church as to prevent their mingling freely in those amusements.
Churchgoing is in late years getting much out of fashion, except on extraordinary occasions. It is no uncommon things in their popular churches, to see only eight or ten persons, but the priest is paid and required by law to perform services if there are two present.
I was very strongly impressed on an occasion of the congregation of a priest in "Frue Kirke," a splendid edifice, the pride of Copenhagen, patronised by the royal family.
At the east end, overlooking the altar, stands a marble statue, representing Jesus in the act of preaching, while on either side of the body of the church, at equal distances, stand the Twelve Apostles, each holding an appropriate insignia; for instance, Peter holding three keys, Matthew his pen and scroll, &c. These are all in marble, and were cut in Rome. Above these in the walls are the carved representations of young angels, with wings, while another larger one stands before the altar, holding a marble basin of water, for the sprinkling of infants. While the chief Bishop, surrounded by his clergy, in sacerdotal robes, was engaged in the services of the occasion, I asked myself these questions; If these were living figures, what would be their language to these men and this assembly? were they to give utterance to the doctrines they taught while living, how long would they be permitted to grace this building? I reflected that by the influence of these clergy, and at the instigation of this Bishop, was P. C. Monster repeatedly imprisoned for preaching to this people that they must follow Jesus down into the water and be baptized. This was the Bishop that thought it the duty of government to protect the people from this "dangerous sect"—the Latter-day Saints. These are the men, who, while they allow the people to have access to the Bible, put a padlock upon it and pocket the key. I exclaimed in my heart at the scene before me, surely the great mother of abominations, with her numerous progeny of the protestant family, after their fathers martyred Jesus and his apostles, transgressed his laws, changed his ordinances, broke his everlasting covenant, and drove the last vestige of his kingdom from the earth, have now placed their statues in her temples to grace her triumph.
I will here remark that there are a few honorable exceptions among the Danish clergy, whose voices have been heard in favour of religious freedom, and reformation among the people. Although there are a few persons that have a zeal for the Scriptures, and their diffusion among the people, yet the most of the Danish clergy discourage the use of them, by the masses, and under a cloak of charity, they long ago shrewdly procured the passage of a law giving a charitable institution, which they control, called "Veisenhuuset," the exclusive right of publishing, importing, or selling the scriptures, in any shape or form, in the Danish language. The result is, that we sometimes may hunt whole neighbourhoods over and not find a copy of the Scriptures, except, perhaps, in church, or with the priest. The novelty of a new religion in the country, the excitability of the people, the control of the priests, over churches and school-houses; the fear of violence and damage, that deters men from leasing us houses; the restrictions of law upon street preaching and promiscuous assemblages; the spleen and jealousy of a well organized national police, are all no small obstacles in the way of getting truth before the people.
SWEDEN
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY POLITICALLY AND RELIGIOUSLY—VISIONS, MARVELLOUS OCCURRENCES AND EVENTS—PRESENT PROSPECTS, &c.
Although the ancient races of Scandinavia have become somewhat intermixed, and a strong analogy exists between the Danish and Swedish languages, and one country is more or less subject to the influence of the other, yet the state of society in Sweden and spirit of the people are, in many respects, quite different from that of Denmark. At present there is much less freedom, both political and religious, a wider difference between the toiling millions and the nobility and gentry, and more extreme cases of degradation. Until recently their laws have been inimical to emigration, and the influence of the Lutheran religion and policy of the government, have tended to perpetuate the evils rather than remove them. Yet with the masses, a much stronger religious feeling appears to exist than in Denmark, and a much more general diffusion and perusal of the Scriptures; and in the absence of that encouragement which they have a right to expect from the Lutheran clergy that swarm the country, the labouring classes who feel religiously inclined, have formed their little associations for investigating the Scriptures and edifying each other therein.
A few years since a man, by the name of Johnson, made considerable stir in the country, and taught quite extensively the prophecies that relate to the last days, the second advent, gathering, Zion in America, &c.; and although he did not baptize or organize a church in opposition to Lutheranism, yet he became very obnoxious to the clergy, and after being subjected to many of their stratagems and to imprisonment, he finally emigrated with a portion of his friends to Illinois, where he was killed not long since. But the spirit of the latter-day movements and events, which he infused among his countrymen, did not entirely leave or die with him. It is said that in one town there are as many as a thousand, and many in other places, who entertain his notions and look for important events.