Pnissia, so close a neighbour, so much resembling them in natural features, and in historical recollections, would seem to be the country with which these provinces were most likely to sympathize and unite ; but what an immense chasm has arisen between them since the days of the knightly orders ! Prussia has advanced in the march of improvement, has made all classes equal, has confined the power of the nobles, destroyed the privileges of the middle ages, emancipated the Jews, done away with the guilds, rooted out slavery, and almost entirely Germanized her Slavonian and Lettish subjects. The Baltic provinces are almost in the same state as in the middle ages ; have still privileged classes, exempt from taxes and from military service, and nearly all the other institutions of the old feudal system. Their men of letters still stand in the same position to the nobility as in Luther's time. No, young Russia, with all her sins on her head — with her bad administration, her venality, her antiGermanism, her hatred of provincial privileges, but also with her moderate taxes, vast empire, and immense power, is dearer to the Baltic provinces than Prussia, with her order, her equahty, her national education, and her heavy taxes. If, however, you ask the German of Courland or Livonia, who neither wishes his country to be incorporated with a German state, nor is thoroughly contented with the dominion of Russia, what it is he wishes, he will perhaps cautiously and gradually confide to you the secret and dear wish of his heart, that in some indefinite perspective he always sees before him — namely, the return of national independence. He longs again to have free trade, no taxes, no tolls, no restrictions, no recruits, and at the head of the government to have again a grand-master, or a few petty dukes ! And who knows whether our children's children may not at some future time see the Baltic provinces reunite themselves to the great German League, as three separate and independent little states ?
LUTHERANISM AND THE RUSSIAN-GREEK CHURCH.
The Lutheranism of these countries is of a very peaceable, quiet, and tolerant character ; still the Germans of these provinces are far too enlightened not to be truly attached to their religion, and averse to cho'iging it for another.
The character of the Greek church is far milder and more tolerant than that of the Catholic church. It stands under the dominion not of one supreme priest but of a temporal power. The Russians too have, as the Romans had, a certain respect and reverence for the religions and creeds of others, however different from their own. They have not sought to convert the nations of different religions who have come under their authority t and their vast empire contains numbers of Lutherans, CathoUcs, Mahomedans and heathens, all tolerated with perfect equaUty.
The relation between the Russians and the Lutherans is a very friendly one. The hatred which exists between the Catholics and Protestants has never existed between them, and the horror of Popery and the Pope, instilled into all Lutherans from their cradles, does not extend to the Greek church. The German princesses too, who have married into the imperial family of Russia, have been almost always Lutherans.
The Lutheran pastors in Livonia are partly appointed by the nobles, and partly chosen by the congregations of the cities. The pastors of a district stand under a Propst, and he again under the consistory of the province. The three upper consistories of Livonia, Esthonia, and Courland, are governed by a general Consistory, and by the general superintendents of the three provinces at St. Petersburg, who are quite independent of the Synod, which regulates the spiritual affairs of Russia.
But however tolerant the Greek church generally may be, yet it must not be forgotten, that in single instances it is frequently very much the contrary. Though it makes few attempts at gaining proselytes, yet, on the other hand, it watches over the opinions of its own flock with rigorous jealousy, and never allows any over whom it has once obtained a hold, to shake it off. In fact, though the Greek church always assumes rather a defensive than an offensive position, yet its defence is often of such a nature as to assume the character of an attack.