Hannibal journal and western union. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1851-1852, 1851-09-25
Europe.

W P@iHHOi'
Europe.
PROGRESS OF PRoTRSTANTIsN FRANCE.
o The following statements on this subject,
made at the recent annual meeting Of the For |
eign Aid Society, by two distinguished men, are
lfui Of interest 10 all who love Che truth, and
long for its triumph in the continent Of Europe,
DIR. Grandpierre, (SeSretary of the SOcfete
Eentrale Protestante o. France) addressed the
meeting in the French language, and said -
Mr.. President, Ladies and gentlemen, we assure
Iyou that on the continent the Roman Catholic
faith is on the decrease and is losing more and
more its power amtDng the population-and in
many departments there are entire populations
who demand to be introduced into the evangeli-
cal faith. Ny friends have given many proofs
Iof this in their departments, and can also bear
the same testimony. In La Charente, between
Augouleme and Jarrnac, 250 persons signed
petition last week to theo Consistory of Jarnac,
THAT they would send minister to instruct them
in the religion of the Gospel. This case is not
a solitary one-theEe afe many sucfpoases-the'
lConsistorS told me | must prepare myself for
many such demands.9 In the department of
Aisne, near st Quentin, in four localities, there
, was not single protestant two years ago, yet
there are now four congregations. The origin
of this change was through poor weaver, WHO
brought up IN The hospital fc- Esrf.,is
'PSouves. He had once possessed Bible, and
he wrote to Protestant clergyman in Paris, and
asked for u Bible. O ocopy of the Bible was
sent TO him, apd he was awakened g be made
D known the contents to his fellow -weavers, and
afterwards through his means the Bible was ex-
dtended throughout four large villages, where now
ara four great congregations.
At st. Opportune, near Elbeuf department
of Eure,9 during the space, OF two gears they
| were without worship, without minister, no
d baptisms no prayers, ando they were come to
: that want of religion, that they agitated the
d question anongdhcmselves whether they should
d not worship the sun. The Biship of Evreux
had devastated their altars. One Of their inhab-
itants was by chance going to Elbeuf; he heard
lof this pure worship, and came back TO St. OPP
o lport1ne and said: Il have found very good
P religion - they then asked for pastor TO come
y and teach them-no Tess than sixty-fve families
IT having signed letter in order TO have church
1t established at st Opportune, A minister has
y Iarrived there's but when that minister first arr
we'd, in leaving the cabriolct he was searched by
o two gepsdarmes, who were going about from
4 house to house to take away all the Bibles they
q could find. However, ultimately, the pastor
q has conquered: the gensdarmes who had orders
d to atte I'd his preaching TO ascertain if he really
X Were Socialist, went up TO him him after hear
ing his discourse, and taking him by the hand
W said-s'There must be some misunderstanding
m we do not know why we have beensent here
T. but we are glad there has been this misunder-
Ie standing, for, without it, we should not hay'
y had the happiness Of hearing YOU preach. y
n More than tha. the geDsd arnes have had or
r. ders to restore all'the bibles they had taken
'e and the Conseil Municipal have decided that th'
m church which was devastated shall be given uI
/. Al. ", ntyic
>" take care Of that aock pioas Jealous ycun;
man.
Y In the department Of the Seine ct Loire ther
u are>five evangelical congregations, whilst thre
~ years ago there was not one Protestant. | hav
. preached there many times, particularly in Me
=, zieres and Gomecourt. In Mezieres the Con
90 sell Municipal and the Mayor have all embra
H.: ced Professionalism. The Prefect accused ther
: of beiHg Socialists, but some weeks after the
:, were reelected by the commune. The Mayo
% of Mezieres takes great interest liz our schools
2" he examines the scholars and instructs theI
himself in the art OF composition. ! must te
YOU one fact which occurred in the departmer
y, of La Manehe, TO show how a simple mind ma
@ often receive the truth of the gospel. A poe
or wsnan was on her dying bed; her friends SCI
for priest; the priest came, and during TEN
pcrary insensibiiity he administered the eXtrem
IunCtfOns MAen elS NMohN sllN Sam NAs' y
"A YOU do? am sealed. for the eternal life-l
- notaneed your oil. You cannot pardon my sini
God alone can pardon them.' Your agent ther
od is converted priest--it was he who had give
~ a COPY of the New Testament TO this poor we
a,. man, | could add many more details to sho'
the favorable results of your labors ibot IN towT
h. the work is more difficult than in smaller plac'
M because in the former thereceXists a strong pre-
ms udice against changing their religion. In vll
~, ees it is not SOL they find their own religion h
,~ not done gpod 10 their souls they therefore $
Ne III aside and take another for themselves and f
nv their children, and the first thing they ask Z
lis christian teacher for their childrenj th'
,rs say, "We viii have no more priests for on
ms selves or for our children, they have left us
ms Ignorance"
red We pray you to aid us in 'his good work
ect You have already done muehi we ask OF YOU
ie- do more, for we purpose TO make war 1n
an the death with superstitiOni and with the he
lof God, we will Kill Roman Catholicism on