The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-01-21


Yours truly, MANHATTAN.
Letter from decentralization in
France.
1.-The following letter is sent us by Young
gentleman studying in Germany, but who hap,
pened to be in Paris a short time since, when he
heard the address which he describes]
DECEMBER 90, 1879.
Messrs. E'ditors,-A the last mission
airy meeting for the year 1879 in the
American chapel in Paris, an address was
delivered by gentleman, a missionary or
evangelist of the French Societe Evange-
llque, on the progress made by his Socie-
ty In spreading the Reformed Religion in
France. His statements were to me very
interesting, and I will attempt to give
some account of them in the hope that
they may prove equally so to some of
your readers. [ have too hope beyond
this mere arousing of interest, that some
may be led to aid the Society in their
work Of evangelzation.
The gentleman did not attempt to give
a general outline of the work throughout
all France, with confusing array Of sta
tistics, but by a few simple pictures of
what he saw and went throug gh with in
his daily life as a missionary sought to
bring clearly before us the manner in
which the work was carried on, and the
success with which it met. Just that very
week, he said, he had assisted in the or
dlnation of a pastor in one of the new
stations of his society. The newly-or-
dalned pastor had been LAWYER, with a
family dependent upon his labors, but so
strongly had he felt the call to the min
istry that he had given up his work be-
fore the courts and devoted three or four
years to the study necessary for a pastors S
life. At the close of his preparation he
had offered to take upon himself the
charge Of this struggling missionary sta
tlon This station was In a bigoted Cath
olic town where two hundred years be-
fore one Of the largest French Protestant
congregations had existed and where
some Of the greatest Protestant ladies had
been born. The prosecutions of Louis
XIV fell upon the city, and by means of
the barbarous dragonades every vestige
OF Prote"-antism was swept away, and for
full two hundred years the simple gospel
truth had not been heard within its walls.
A short while ago few Protestants Sc
cured an old disused Catholic church,
They were joined by some of the Catho-
hes and with outside aid, they put the
church in repair, and in it the new pas
tor was ordained to his work. The
church was crowded with people. MANY
doubtless attracted by the strange sight
OF Protestant service, but all remaining
and Joining in the songs of praise. .
Again to show In what unlooked-for
ways Providence furthered the good
work, he told the story of place about
forty miles from Paris 1t was only a
little village inhabited by poor French
la6orers. Near by there lived one of the
old French families which still retained
some OF the old power and influence over
the hamlet near them. A few years be-
fore the gentleman of this house, born
and bred strong Catholic, had been con
verted to the Protestant faith. During
the past summer one of the villagers came
to him and said that he had heard he had
become Protestant-what did il mean
what was the difference between q
Catholic and Protestant, and why should
the priests contend against them so bit
terlyI The gentleman told him about
the Bible and his faith, and read some
chapters to him. Others came and asked
also to be read to, and at last they made
the request that the gentleman would
come over once a week to the village and
read to them all This he cheerfully agreed
to do, and every week those simple la
borers collected around him to hear the
grand truths from the Book which for so
long time the priests had kept jealous
ly sealed to them. At the close Of the
summer the gentleman had to return to
his business in Paris, and the weekly
readings were given up, though he prom
lsed to see them as often as he could. In
December the villagers sent and asked
him, couldn't he come on a certain Sun
day and bring with him the missionary
OF whom they had heard, that he might
speak to them. Ithappened that Just be-
fore the Sunday appointed there fell this
deep, unprecedented snow which has
caused so much suffering throughout
France. The two gentlemen met at the
railroad depot in Paris, and for some time
doubted the advisability Of going It was
bitterly cold the place Of meeting some