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REMINISCENCES OF STUDENT LIFE IN GERMANY. 

 THE CHRISTIAN STUDENTS' SOCIETY, AT HALLE. 



The Christian students' society! Why call it Christian? Are there 

 any heathen among the students ?j Hardly; and yet there is some good 

 reason for designating this association by such a title. 



It consists, in the first place, of pious students. Its objects are, 

 to promote the growth of piety among its members; to increase the 

 love for thorough and independent study; to attempt to turn the current 

 of opinion among the students against the practice of duelling ; in 

 general, to infuse into the student-life the wholesome spirit of the 

 Gospel. It is, in short, a mutual encouragement and improvement society, 

 among the confessedly pious. 



Now imagine to yourself the establishment of such an association 

 in the midst of a community of students who, whilst they profess to be 

 studying theology, spend their evenings in carousals and debaucheries, 

 in duelling and licentiousness; who scoff at everything like vital god- 

 liness; and even make a boast (I have it from authority) of preaching 

 to the simple villagers in the vicinity of Halle, in their abominably vul- 

 gar Burschen-sprache (" Wer von diesem Brod schmausen wird &c. " !) 

 Well might these pious young men designate themselves Christians in 

 contrast with such baptized infidels as these. 



But do not suppose that this designation is the one by which they 

 are generally known. Mucker-verein, Pietisten-kneipe, Kopf hanger, 

 are some of the taunting epithets that are thrown at them with the fin- 

 ger of scorn. But this is nothing new. In any community where the 

 great preponderance of influence is opposed to vital religion, the hum- 

 ble Christian must be content to bear the name of hypocrite, or some- 

 thing worse. 



In 1842, this society numbered about thirty. Their constitution 

 and by-laws, if they had any, never were produced at any of the meet- 

 ings at which it was my privilege to be present, nor did I ever hear min- 

 utes read, or see a President or Secretary. What ! I hear some of our 

 parliamentary Philomatha^ans or Phrenakosmians exclaim ; no presi- 

 dent or secretary, no constitution ; why, how in the world, do they get 

 along? How do they keep order? Stop! who told you they kept or- 

 der ? You must not go to Germany to seek for constitutions and order. 

 You can find order, sometimes, at the point of the bayonet, under the eye 

 of the gens cV armes ; but do not seek for it, when the people are left to 

 themselves. Don't expect it, above all things, in deliberative assemblies, 

 especially if they be of a theological character. Why, I very well re- 

 collect upon one occasion, at the Moravian village of Gnadau, near Mag- 



