National Republican., 1883-03-31
THE MALL MISSIONS IN FRANCE,

A Sketch Of Their Origin The Work
They Are Doing Services in Their In-
tcrest.
The Rev. Ruben sailleus and Rev. Robert
/ McAll, who have como to this country in the
/ interest of the AIcAll mission in France, are
now in Washington, and their visit has al
ready begun 10 awaken u good deal of inter-
est in their work. From Rev. NJ. l.. Berger,
secretary Of the doputation, a REPUBLICAN
reporter last evening learned the following
interesting facts in regard to the mis-
sion, its organization, and its work:
at began by Mr.. iMcAll's visiting Paris
for vacation" said Mr.. Berger, "and IL be-
ing just at the close of the Funco-Prussian
war, he was one day in the Bclleville quarter,
where scene of carnage among the commu-
nists had but recently taken place. Here he
was accosted by wOrkugman, whO reCOg-
ni2ing his clerical attire, said to him, Can't
you come and give us poor people II religion
of liberty and reason ? This extraordinary
request was met by the same sincere spirit in
which in was, given. Mr.. McAll. after q few
weeks broke up his homo in England and
went with his wife to live in this very COM
munistic district whore human life had
seemed of so little value Hero he opened q
hall and began TO talk to the people. He had
u hundred people to listen to him. To-day
more than eighty of these halls in and about
Paris, are regularly rented by the year, and
men, women, and childron crowd into them
to hear the Bible read and explained. Their
hunger for Bible knowledge puts to shame
many an enlightened American"
MAY ask what permanent results you can
meution rs encouraging TO Protestant Amer
leans who might wish to aid this work2'
"The rapid growth of tn se stations; tho
entire sympathy OF the civil authorities the
police testify that after II few months
the locality where one of these mission
stations Is established becomes quiet and or
derby. Even Bolleville itself, the worst quar-
ten of Paris after tho war, in short time ex-
perenCed this same change. Another result,
not without great significance, is that this
work of MIR. McAll is strictly undenOmina-
tional. Every Protestant pastor and teacher
in France unites with him. And whenever
societies, churches, or indivdualsin England
clined to assist this marvellous movement, all
scctarianism is forgotten and the pure spirit
of the founder of Christianity prevails"
SIS 1t your opinion that the republic has
long life before itY'
THAT depends largely, in my Judgment,
upon whether Mr.. McAll's work. and others
similar and kindred to il are supported 1t
goes without saying that republic lives so
long as its people appreciate and exercise tho
privilege of self government. 1t is also
understood that when the common people
have learned this lesson when the individual,
who is but an atom of tho whole mass apprc-
hends this truth every republic is safe, why
not France?'
But this religious movement is only par
tial, limited, temporary. Is not France in the
main atheistic? Will there not come re-
action which will eventually carry her back
to Romanism?"
"NO, sir; some of her best blood is Protest
ant; some of her strongest intellects begin to
value Protestant Christianity for the masses
All France is now alive and astir. Atheism
it Is true, exists there as IL does here, but no
more. And France is ripper to-day for pure
Professionalism than the most ardent Ameri-
can Protestant could have deemed possible
ten years ago"
The representatives of tho mission will
hold services in seven different churches in
this city on Sunday in the interest Of their
work.