The Express.
London, England, 1860-01-11 00:00:00

THE ENGLISH CHURCH IN FRANCE.

TO Till IDITOZ OT TNT lianas&
flis„—My knowledge of year habitual readiness
to defend the rights et British subjects, whether at
home aft *breed, indices me to send you without
delay an acermat of the very singular, and, I believe,
absolutely unprecedented treatment we have just
met with here at the hands of French authorities.
Aa English church open for the last two veers.
sad regularly attended by several hundreds of our
Iteentry people, has just been closed by order of the
Minister of Public Instruction, without any ears
assigned, in this the capital of a civilised onntry, and
in a manner calculated to excite the just indignation
of every thinking man.
I must state the facts briefly. In December,
1667,a formal application was made to the Minister
of Public Instruction for leave to open a church
where Divine service should be performed aooordi Aug
to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of Eng-
land. Two gentlemen, functionaries, were ern c to
me by the Minister to make inquiries, bearing their
written credentials; they reported; and fina'Lly, one
of them returned about the 20th of December, 1867,
to inform me on the part of the Minister that the
chapel might be opened forthwith, but that; a written
authorisation might not be given for soma time, if at
all. The chapel was opened accordingly, consider-
ably enlarged shortly atter, and has remained open
for upwards of two years undisturbed in any way.
I must now mention another cironmetnece, which
appears to be the hidden cause of this unprecedented
act. Finding that there was a population of from at
least 2,000 to 3,000 Anglo-French in Paris, speaking
Franca habitually, and still professing the faith
of the Church of England (more than half the
children and young persons in our Sunday school
are in this predicament), my churchwardens and
myself considered it highly desirable to hold a
French Church-of-England service at four on the
Sunday aftemoons, and such a service has existed
and has been very well attended by French and
English and Anglo-French for the last two months,
without a shadow of opposition from any quarter,
save a rumour that the Roman clergy, or certain of
them, were unfavourable to it. The service lasted
about an hour, and consisted of a simple translation
of our evening prayers, with two hymns translated
from our hymn book, and a short sermon, and this
was only one oat of five Sunday services.
On Saturday last, at a little after twelve o'clock,
two men, functionaries, entered my room, bringing
with them a formal prohibition on the part of the
Pellet to celebrate Divine service in any way what,
ever in our chapels. Lord Cowley was absent—a
kat which had possibly been foreseen; and Saturday,
it will be perceived, was the day on which the notice
was served. Anxious to avoid the great scandal
which would have resulted from closing the doom
on the Sunday morning without any previous an.
nouncersent, I went straight to the Embassy, sad
consulted oar Charge d'Affaires (in the abeam of
Lord Cowley), the Hon. William Grey. He me•
pressed much interest, and advised an immediate
application to the Prtfet for a grace or delay ex-
tending over Sunday, and I took a letter from his
to that functionary. This gentleman, however, said
he could do nothing, being the simple agent of a
higher power, M. Rouland, Ministre de Pin/traction
Publique et du Cults. To him I proceeded forth-
with, and not being able to see him, left a written
statement, laying before him the lamentable scandal
that would arise from the stoppage of Divine ger- '
vice on the Sunday morning in our English church.
I was then fortunate enough to find one of my
churchwardens at home, and returned with him to
the Embassy, where Mr. Grey kindly promised
to support our request for a delay. At half-past
he obtained the permission from M. Rouland to
open the church for a single day ; and this on the
express condition of the giving up cf the French
service, which he (M. Rouland) stated to be the
great offence.
Another cause of offence may possibly have been
given by the recent restoration of two wanderers
who had strayed to Roman pastures to our fold, as
well as the recent reception at the holy board of
three other converts from Popery. But be this as
it may. It were hard indeed, if, while the Roman
Church is allowed to make its inroads in all
directions, it should be forbidden to the Anglican to
receive those who may be drawn to her by what
they think the superior force of her attractions.
Ia any case our church is now formally closed,
and all English services are prohibited, as well as
the French one. I wrote at once to his Excel-
lency Lord Cowley, laying my coo before him; bat,
on mature consideration, have arrived at the maw
sion that we are not justified in implicating him in
the question of French services. We prefer going
straight to the foot of the throne—l mean to the
Emperor of the French—and appealing to that sense
of right and love of religious liberty which we hope
sod believe to be powerful in his breast.
I have accordingly this day addressed a petition
to the Emperor, together with a letter to the
Emperor's private Secretary, M. Mocquard, explain.
ing briefly the reasons for which we have thought it
expedient not to cast any farther responsibility in
the matter of the French service on the British
Embassy.
Although we may be only a few hundreds in
number, we think all men wilt feel that Englishmen
at large have an interest in this question, and that
the closing of an Roguish church within a few
hours of Sunday service, in the city of
Paris, without any previous warning or notice, is not
calculated to promote a cordial understanding be-
tween the neighbour countries. But we await
calmly his Majesty's decision, relying on his sound
sense and inability of being influenced, by priestly or
other intrigues ; and with an equally strong assurance
of your sympathy end that of every true-hearted
Englishman—l am, Bc.,
ARCHER GURNEY,
Incumbent of the English Church,
17, Rue de la Madeleine, i Paris.
30, Faubourg ht. Honore, Paris, Jan. 9.
LW. much regret the temporary sneers of the jealous or
isnotical persons who have interrupted Mr. Gurney's zealous
and useful labours. We know him to tea man of high honour,
who would make no improper ties of his position as
minister of an Eogllsh church in Paris. In our opinion he
has done wisely in referring his cause directly to the Em-
peror, who cannot approve of the uneeremonione manner in
which an English congregation has been treated, and from
whosew justice we are persuaded Mr. Gamey may expect full
Iredre)

DRINKING FOUNTAINS.