, 1877-01-21
FRENCH PROTESTANTISM.
rJrr cRIs1a UNCHANGED

THE CRISIS UNCLAIMED.
The correspondent Of the London Times, tel
cgraphing from Paris under date Dec 81, 1916,
says:
The Paris press maintains an unbroken silence
on the latest, and, to all appearance dehnltive,
phase OF the protracted crisis in tho French Re-
formed Church. This retlcencc can only be atttlb-
uted to perfect Indifference to tue fortunes OF
French Professionalism, to the reluctance OIL the
part Of the few newspapers aynlrathizing with 1t
to express either approval or disapprnval OF H. pu-
faure's recent circular. This studied silence makes
it the more incumbent on inc. after having cited
the opinion OF those nnfayorabe to the circular,
to gate the views Of those who regard It as the
only satisfactory solution Of the problem which for
more tAan four years has threatened to rend the
Reformed Church in twain. am assured by per-
sons protesting earnest desire Of avcEting dis
ruptiou that N. Dafaure's circular, issued on the
csc OF his retirement from Office. was the result OF
nine months anxious consideration Of the Qucs-
ton, and was prompted BY an honorable desire 70
relieve his successor from the obligation or hastily
time to Investigate. Nobody, indeed. who knows
II. Dufaure can suppose that his motives were
otherwise than upright. The tricnnial elections
Councils and consistories we're due at tho end Of
the year. md the Extreme Orthodox party were
anxious that these elections should be proceeded
with, in order thnt the internal government OF the
Church might suffer no interruption. The Nod
crate Liberals, however. were dcsirous OF slight
poerponcnlrnt, In order that both sections might
aye time inc TO- rehecs on the scasmcs q PactnGal'on On
:"
far deferred to these representations us to hx the
elections about month later tllan the normal Pc
rod, explaining, as has already been stated, that
longer poslpone1nent would drive the elections
into Easter still later date, nnwarrantably pro-
longing the state OF uncertainty In which the
Church WIS placed
It in true that appeals to the Council Of State as
TO the validity OF previous elections at which the
5ynoial conditions Of 1877 hud been disrc:ardsd,
s 9 n eond ts b. e
sgnnl Of schisn, whereas the spirit Of concilia-
ton displaycd by the modesatcs on each side af-
.orded fair prospect OF compromise, II fresh
ceeding with thosc appeals. He consulted, it is
true, Il. Mcttetal, an orthodox Lender. on this
point, but he also took the opinion M a. o. d, Larnac
who, after consulting members Of that Sec
ton. approved the course ". Dntause pro.
posed to take. The degree, It is true prescribed
tions laid down by the Synod Of 1872: but to have
prescribed elections irrespective of those condf-
tions would have been 10 assume tue invalidliy OF
Of the decisions Of the Synod. This was the first
assembly of that kind officially summoned By the
State since the revocation OF the Euict Of Nantes
but not the first sfnod actually held since that
date, for during the times OF persecution which
preceded the great Revolution there were Synods
du Desert as these secret meetings were termed
and in 1878 there were two ''o!iiclous' synods,
which pressed the then Government to SANCTION the
regular convocat,on of Il Synod. NJ. Duiaufe,
also. had understood from the reso-
lutions Of the Conference Of Mines
d
their objections to the Synodal conditions OF 1872.
As to these conditions It must not be supposed that
they fosnla stringent test OF orthodoxy What
thcy simply required would be for the clcctors-
that Is to say, attendants Mt the Church; for Ma
po!eon ILL.,, though he refused to conyoke Synod.
introduced what is practically universal suffrage
ognition o. OF the Synod III government Of the
Church and their acceptance Of Divine truths Us
revealed in the Old and New Tcbtaments. The
came Consistories indeed, hare required the elect
nr.a fnra those Stinuluttnnk. hit others
have been satisfied with u verbal engagement, or
with inviting lhose who tlissented from 1t tc with.
draw, and with assuming that those who remaincd
were duly qualified.
The real OBSTACLE to reconciliation iias not, in
fact been this aytcst, hut the clerical test which
standards Of the Church Now thi= latest test the
Moderate Orthodox party are willing to ralax+
They are disposed to be content with this proSis-
ion that the standards Of the Church shall he read
over to the candidate for ordination, and that lie
shall promise not TO attack the doctrines therein
contained Il is trne that the scheme Of pacidca-
'Gn d1IMn hi,ehihc % ortodox conerenee or at aan
last OctoIc, declining to assent to 1t with the con-
struction put upon it by the Liberal Conference al
garded as absolutely abandoned. Subsequent
Orthodox Conferences, moreover. at Eonen
and Lille have expressed willingness 10
to any yyb f1e @. fai o
tic Church as cnuncated in the synodal Declafa~
tlon Of Faith OF 1877. another important sic-
mtnt in the controversy ls tnat l1lls ucSIaEAt:on
has no imnutable, character Adopted by one
synod, it can bc rejected Or modified by another.
In proof Mat, portion, at least OF the Liberals
regard the Decree for the elections rs groEn1tu on
the prospects Of concliation expressly designed for
1t in n. Dnfuures circular. my attention has been
called to last Saturdays numbers Of the PH:E de
rEgliSe Of Lyons mud the alliance Liberal: of
Geneva, Liberal orsans, which warmly approve
the measure. The former declares that It IN
ausuratcs new era, which promises p2cilcation
and consolidation. It lays tpeciai stress on the
remark made i'll tic circular that the application
Of electoral conditions Is intrnstea to the Con-
ssn ven and dn 5nat ser II s 1ae S0s vii IF gs
ly faciiiate the Convocaton Of the Synod; and
it urges that the conflict il now removed from the
platform of and cold Legality to that OF good
Of the Extreme Left, TINT it the elect
oral condition ever became cxccutoire they would
comply with it. The Alliance likewise eounscls
the Liberals tn accept the electoral conditions "
matter Of expedency. nln assured, in short. that
while the step taken by n. Dnfanre il regarded
with disfavor oy extreme men Of both sitca. It is
hailea by the Moderates as likely to promote set
tenent acceptable to the great bulk Ut the Church.
In view Of the silence Of the French press and OF
the interest which the matter appears to excite In
England, ! hare felt bound 10 put before you this
supplcmcnts1lg certain points open to
1t will. Of course, be necessary
TO await the closing Of tile Electoral Register on
the 31st Of January, and the holding Of the elcc-
tions In the following month, to rec whether this
more hopeful yicw Of tn. crisis will be justified.
A NEGRO WATCH MEETING.
EXTRACTS FROM a CURIOUS SERMON.
The New York San has a long account OF 4
negro watch meeting somewhere in the South,
though it carefully omits to say where, and it
contains a most extraordinary sermon, from
which the following extracts arc made:
All x-or }ffftt, b11nsnr1c lTipprh hy 1a