PRUSSIAN STATE CHURCH

Evening Star, Issue 15342, 17 November 1913, Page 6

PRUSSIAN STATE CHURCH

COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE. Press Association-By Telegraph—Copyright. BERLIN, November 16. (Received Novemlier 17, at 10.15 a.m.) In connection with. the. prohibition of 12 Socialist meetings in support of the movement, to persuade people to leave th* J russian State Church, the newspapers are freely criticising the Empress, who attended the _ official conference* that were hold to decide on means for checking the anti-church movement. The proposed remedies include the raising of the fees for the registration of those who are leaving the church. [A few months since ])r John Clifford wrote to 'The Times' as follows:—I have, as president of the Baptist European Conpress, been specially engaged in examining European Christianity during the, last six or f-even years. Amrl what do 1 find? In Berlin, for example, a huge exodus from tho Government Church is proceeding with such rapidity that Inst year it amounted to 100.000, and this year it will be more than twice that, number, although tho pint ess of detachment is public and tedious. The fact, attested by abundant evidence. is that the free Christianity of Christ .Tesus is struggling to escape from the. fettering influence of Parliaments and princes in Germany and Scandinavia, into the. ampler air of that, willinghood and self-sacrifice in which it, won its first victories.]