The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-04-06
The Protestant Revival in France.

IL used to be said that the remnant OF the
Huguenot Church in France was content to
be allowed to live without aspiring 10 grow
But the past twelvemunth has witnessed the
termination of revival, and some remark
able conversions have been made, which have
been heralded somewhat hastily as the first
fruits Of sweeping propaganda. 1t is
worth while, however to mark just what
has been accomplished, and what degree OF
vitality is evinced by the new movement.
For about century after the revocation
Of the Edict Of Nantes. the few Frenchmen
who chung to the faith of CALVIN were sort
OF outlaws dwelling in a community OF their
own. Thus cast upon their own resources.
the survivors Of the Huguenots developed
spirit of independence, industry, and energy
which, when equal rights and opportunities
were bestowed upon them in 1880, gave
them weight in the commonwealth out OF
all proportion to their numerical strength
When we consider the insigniiicance OF
the Protestant element in the population
OF France, 1t is surprising TO note
what influence 1t has welded during
the past half century. Under I.nuIs
PHILIPPE 1t gave the country a Prime
Minister in the person OF GUIzoT, while
under the second empire many OF the most
prominent financiers and bankers, together
with the Project HAUssMAN and other civil
functionaries, were Calvinists. At the pres
ent time we need not say that the head OF
the Ministry, NJ. WADDNGToN, and two OF
his colleagues. NM. SAY and FREYcINET,
are members Of the Protestant Church Not
less striking is the share taken by their CO.
religionists IN the industries Of France. Not
only the silk mills of Lyons, but the calico
factories Of Mulhouse, and the great foun-
deries at Creusot and elsewhere are in
the hands Of Professionals. In word
there IL 20 doubt that the French
Calvinsts, however few In number
have zealously ',arried out the injunction to
get rich which their leader, GUIzoT, gave
them, and that they WELD all the influence
which mere wealth can confer on minority.
All this Is true enough, and yet till very re-
Gently there were no signs Of expansion, al
most no efforts at propaganda, in the French
Protestant Church; their churches were
scantily filled, and there was no disposition
on the part OF their ministers 10 provoke tine
opposition OF Catholics, or win the SYM
pathy of Republicans.
Within the past year, however, the
French evangelical communion has been
excited by a conversion which its preach
ers are fond OF comparing with that
OF st. PAUL on his way TO Damascus.
| The subject OF this conversion was
EUGENE REvEILLAUD born and educated a
Roman Catholic, but who in his famous
book, La Question RGligieuse," published
In 1873, had avowed himself free thinker.
Not long after the appearance OF this work,
| REvEILLAUD assembled a Protestant pulpit
In the south OF France, and gave an account
! 10 the awestruck audience Of vision vouch-
safed TO him during the preceding night.
The convert was accepted with enthusiasm
by the whole evangelical community, and
he Is now studying theology with a view TO
the exercise Of the ministry 1t is stated
that at a single meeting lately addressed by
the neophyte at Bourg, one hundred and
fifty Roman Catholics were brought over to
| the Protestant Church.
Another convert TO whom remarkable sue
cess in missionary work is attributed is
PAUL BOUCHARD, the proprietor of large
vineyards in Burgundy. In this case there
was no declaration Of a heavenly vision, but
the adoption of the reformed faith seems to
have been based upon a quiet conviction Of
the Judgment. In June Of last year he took
| Ihll III u conference at bNl'Ndi Wutlt llt fll-
| deavored to show that the French revolution
had failed to insure substantial good owing
TO the absence OF religious faith in its pro-
moters, and that the only safe groundwork
Of national life, between skepticism on the
one hand, and ultramontansm on the
other, was TO be sought in the Protestant
religion. Since that time NJ. BoUCHARD
has been going about from town TO
town appealing TO the mass Of
the people, and holding meetings which
are crowded, it Is said, with workingmen.
! One element Of his success appears to be his
avoidance OF the scriptural phraseology af-
| fected by his Protestant contemporaries,
and his scrupulous employment of simple,
everyday speech. Besides his oral propa-
| ganda, he has written number of effective
tracts which are widely circulated, and he
Is about TO start journal advertised to APP
pear during the present month, and intend
ed TO be the organ OF his movement. Alto
gether, there Is no doubt that BoUCHARD
and REvEILLAUD have given more stimulus
! 10 the growth OF French Professionalism than