The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1912-02-20
FROM JOHN CALVIN
TO JOHN R. MOTT
Interesting Address by Count
de ST. George, Of Geneva.

on Thursday evening, February 9Th,
the occasion being the usual month
ly union meeting of the two Pres
byterian churches, augmented at this
service by the Methodist congregation
Rev. F. B. Dwight presided and the
several clergymen participated in the
opening service, after which the
speaker Of the evening, the Count de
st. George, of Geneva. Switzerland,
was introduced. Mr.. Dwight prefacad
the Introduction by alluding to the
revocation of the Edict of Nantes
in 1856 when many noble Protestant
families of France went out from
their own land to other countries and
mingled their godliness and intelli-
genee with the people among whom
they We're thrown. greatly to the
advantage Of the latter. Among these
went the ancestors of Count de st.
George. going first to Hanover, later,
for reasons of state to England, and
finally settling in Geneva where the
count now resides, and where the
family has always borne part IN
religious matters.
The subject Of Count st. Georges
address was, From John Calvin TO
John R. Mott" a period covering four
centuries, and he gave a rapid com
prehenaiye sketch of Calyirs life in
Guiding his early education IN France
his native land, his distinguished abil-
tiles, his early entering into holy or
ders, his secession from the Church
OF Rome as a result Of his scriptural
researches in the twenty-fifth year Of
his age, and his retirement to switzer-
land after the fierce persecution OF
Professionals in France began. There
in 1895, when only twenty-six years
Of age, he published his famous 'sin-
stitutes OF the Christian Religion,
and founded the high school which
later on. developed into the Univers-
ity of Geneva. The people unani-
mously recognized him as the leader
OF the rising Protestant church Of
Geneva, where he preached power
fully and successfully for many years.
His first sermon was addressed to an
audience Of five. thousand. From that
time on (l535) the motto Of Geneva
was, after Darkness, Light
i Three centuries later. in Geneva as
elsewhere. infidelity was rank. and in
1881 few earnest, cody men who
We're devoted to the promotion of the
Kingdom of God formed the Eyangel
ical Society of Geneva, the father Of
Count de st. George being among the
number
Within year Of its organization
these men, ever watehful for in
fluences that tended to promote Of
to hinder true spirituality, recognized
a grave menace in the Socinianism
taught in the State School of Theology,
and they resolved to found a Theo-
logical seminary grounded on the
immutable basis of the Word of God. .
IN January, 1882, it was opened on
a dark little street near the house
where Calvin had lived. Soon they
We're compelled to seek more COM.
modius quarters, and there, notwith-
standing the fact that nearly all the
friends have died who formerly en-
couraged it with their interest and
enthusiasm and supported it with
their gifts it has been maintained for
eighty years While evangelical, 1t
has no church behind it and depends
wholly on voluntary contributions.
Without suitable buildings or class
rooms without endowment. without
sufficient money to pay the professors
adequate salaries or meet other nee
essary expenses, yet it has lived by
the grace of God and has instructed
700 students the larger number OF
whom are occupying pulpits in differ
ent parts of Europe or on mission
fields. Twenty different countries
have sent students to this seminary.
One hundred and forty were from
Switzerland and sixty-one from Geneva.
: It will be OF special interest to many
in our town to learn that some of
the workers in the well-known McAn
mission in France were closely con-
nected with the Theological School
!. of Geneva, and the professorship Of
, historical theology was held from the
beginning of the school until 1872 By
Rev. Dr. j. II. Merle d'Aubigne, the
historian of the reformation.
The Characteristic features of the
seminary are, answering fidelity to
, the principles of evangelical faitl
= and entire ecclesiastical neutrality.
; 1t prepares pastors for all evangelical
Christian churches. Standards are
high and tuition is free, most of the
students being not only too poor to
pay anything, but of necessity receive
small stipends. Yet the budget of
yearly expenses shows a total out
! lay of less than $4,000, nearly the
same as fifty years ago when the
cost of living was from % per cent.
to 80 per cent cheaper than now.
Count de ST. George, president of
committee on finances, is in this
country endeayoring to gain new