have the whole land covered with Gospel messengers, and everyone feel that he has a Christian friend to whom he can apply in time of need. It is a plan which can be adopted by any church, without the breach of any denominational principle. Instead of a grand Church union being adopted first and then evangelistic work following, it will be by the Church work that Church union is produced. I rejoice that Christians are taking up the discussion of these all-momentous topics at this great national exhibition. If what is contemplated is effected, I will rejoice more in the good done than in all these riches, and in all these ornaments. Foreign Intelligence. FRANCE. (From our own Correspondent.) PARIS, August 14, 1894. How often these lines of Pope come to one's remembrance during the times through which we are passing, in which dust is thrown in the eyes of common sense : Philosophy, that leaned on Heaven before, Thy hand, great Anarch! lets the curtain fall, The expression used, in a letter to his mother, by the murderer of the late President atheiem! 66 The extreme difficulty, as time runs on, is in the shadings-off between right and wrong, light and darkness, truth and error, in people's minds, in morals, philosophy, religion, and politics. It would seem as if laws and regulations can scarcely be put in force, and never without someone starting up in rebellion or some kind of resistance. The Churches are in the same vortex. It has been brought in with subtlety; even Romanism is in intense division between those who follow the Pope's wily policy and those who sturdily keep to the uncompromising past. What the Ritualists have done in England to enthral the Church and drag her down to Popery-" holding back in secret reserve the advanced Romish doctrines and ritual which all along the clergyman believes in, but does not introduce until the congregation have been educated up to his standard"-Rationalism has done in France to uproot the doctrines of the Reformation. The too great success of each is visible, and leaves them helpless before the foe. It is sad that our Anarchists who see no cure for the ailing state but by facts of propaganda-alias stabbing and dynamiting-so seldom come in contact with broad-hearted, loving, genial Christians. Here and there one does, and the result is grand. They attempt to prove their doctrines by facts of destruction; they need to see beautiful facts of loving disinterestedness and self-devotion. What care they for theories, criticism, or perfunctory priestcraft! The speech of the Minister of Public Instruction at the prize distribution of the public schools contained a faithful warning. An evil is pointed out. "There is said to be spreading among the youth of the schools a sort of disenchantment, of vague and painful pessimism. Of society he sees but the scum which floats on the surface, he perceives not the inexhaustible springs of courage, and generosity that rise from below. His creed is nought put a parcel of negative formula. He is the prey of every temptation and the victim of every snare. number of men of this nature would be for a nation a greater danger than an ignorant and impassioned mass. The cause of the disease is the diffusion of a cloudy philosophy, misty and discontented, sceptical and scornful, which scathes the soul, destroying all its ambition, and cuds by breaking the spring of the will. One must turn back and pull ourselves together." A Amid the turmoil it is pleasing to find the Protestants, especially in the South, holding their bright open-air meetings, often on the spot where past generations held their assemblies and wailed their solemn psalmody amid the rocks and fastnesses which not always shielded them from the bloodhounds of Rome. To-day the meetings are free, none making afraid-the most perfect liberty being enjoyed; they are sources of refreshment where denominational shades are dropped and brotherly communion is largely enjoyed. We believe that much more good is being done than is generally known. The habit of reticence as to the effects of evangelising, keeping them from the public as a measure of prudence, while shielding converts and evangelists from much opposition and persecution, certainly deprives them of the healthy result of it, and France of the beneficent effects of knowing that the grand old story of the Cross produces the same fruits of conversion and holiness of life, and meets the same foes as when it was first told in Judæa, on a bolder line of action. Good Gospel sharpshooters are needed-willing to take the obloquy, the cross, and the shame, to bring back to French Protestantism the nerve, the backbone, of olden time. The past is past, with all its sparkling glories, its faults and its failures, and the halos thrown around its heroes. The end of the nineteenth century discloses the foe under vastly different aspects; the serpent has uncoiled another length of subtlety both in Rome and in her unmanageable steed. It is visionary to dream of taking down old panoplies, and buckling on Saul's armour. The Workmen's Mission, which will ever be called by the name of its muchloved founder, R. W. McAll, now carrying on its work under the direction of the Rev. Mr. Greig, received the valued visit of Dr. Blaikie lately, which cheered and encouraged the workers greatly. The Inner Mission is extending its activities, with much blessing, to the baths of Vals where invalids congregate. Six days of Conferences were attended by 300 people in the Protestant place of worship. A new Protestant paper has appeared called La Polémique (Polemics), intended to enlighten dispersed Protestants and preserve them from sinking into their Romanist surroundings. In a recent issue of our contemporary The Eclaireur, there is an article entitled, "Pour marcher d'accord," and its theme is, "Can two walk together unless they be agreed?" The writer goes on to say: "What is true of men is, in general, true also of the Churches. The Evangelical Alliance is not a possibility except among evangelical Christians, as its very name indicates. Evangelical Alliance can only obtain among men holding Evangelical principles; that is, having the same ideas in common regarding those things which constitute the foundation of the Gospel." Worship God and Christ with a man who only sees in Jesus a simple man! How could I work with a man for the conversion of souls, who does not admit the reality of the work of the Spirit? But among men who are at one on these points, prayer and work in common is quite possible. There is full room to hold out a fraternal hand in efforts in common work and prayer, and since this is possible it is surely a duty. The writer then says that he (or they) are no advocates of the little religious divisions and sects, and the various articles which have appeared in their various religious papers of late show that these divisions are increasingly regretted. It is "necessary for all the godly to hold up Christ as the Saviour, as the Saviour of Society, as well as of individuals." He adds, "One must take very special care not to attack with passion and unjustly those brethren who do not see eye to eye with ourselves." He says, also: "In any case, ecclesiastical principles are not the aim and chief end, but simply the means to an end. The great aim is the life of God in man, the advancement of the Kingdom of God on earth, the progress of the work of Jesus Christ." When a good work is being done it is most undesirable to interfere with it and try and introduce new methods. When a good work is being done I do not ask whether it is being done by the Reformed Church, or the Baptists, or the Independents, but I rejoice that Christ's interests and the good of souls is being carried forward. It would be a grave error to sow discord and divisions. Those who think thus can pray and work together." The writer then says: "This is what the Societé de Mission Interieur' desires. It is but a small association as yet, too small, indeed; but the idea it represents is a grand one. It attempts to realise a body,—an organism conceived in the spirit of the Evangelical Alliance, with a view to trying to work out the evangelisation of France. We pray God to bless it, and we would urge our friends to sustain it by their active sympathy, and not to delay in ranging themselves on the side of its adherents." GERMANY. (From our own Correspondent.) BERLIN, August 16, 1894. THE Federal Council has now taken a decision about the vote of the German Parliament with reference to the Jesuits. The German Government decline to recall the Jesuits to Germany, but they have resolved to allow settlements of the Redemptorists. It has always been a great controversy whether this Order is affiliated to the Jesuits or not. Hitherto it has been considered to be, and the Redemptorists were put under the same restriction. Now the other view is to be taken. It is a kind of concession to Rome which is somewhat felt in Protestant circles. Two of the Prussian universities, at Halle and Königsberg, attained their two hundredth jubilee last month. Great festivities were arranged to celebrate these remarkable occasions. In his letter of congratulation to the University of Halle the Emperor said a word about the free inquiry into the Word of God. This is taken up now by the whole Liberal Press, as if the Emperor had favoured the part of modern criticism. Of course, nothing of the kind is true. The University of Halle, as the successor of the former university at Wittenberg, is in some way the birth-place of the Reformation, and liberty of conscience, as well as the right of private judgment, are among the fundamental principles of the Protestant. Not even the most orthodox Protestant would have it otherwise, but that does not mean that we must take the side of modern criticism against the Bible. This abuse of the words of the Emperor is probably made in view of the meeting of the General Synod. This body will meet on October 27 and discuss the new liturgy. The "Liberal" Protestants, therefore, do their best to prejudice the Emperor against the liturgy. We trust that all this will have no influence on the decisions of his Majesty, but that he will assent to the vote of the General Synod. A minister died rather unnoticed the other day, who was once considered a man of great influence-Mr. Hossbach. He was one of the leaders of the Protestant Union; but this association has no more the position it once had-the old rationalism has been conquered. Now we have other foes to contend with-perfect infidelity outside and the Rietschl theology within the Church. One of the members of the Evangelical Alliance Committee (Bishop Erxleben), minister of the Moravian Church here, was called to his rest after a long illness. His clear Evangelical preaching has been a blessing to many. The "Evangelical League for the Defence of the National Protestant Interests" met at Bochum, on the 6th to 9th of this month. The meeting was very well attended. As in the western provinces, Protestant feeling is strongest. The President of the Consistory at Münster, and the General Superintendent of the Diocese (Dr. Nebe) attended the Conference and brought the good wishes of the Church Government. This was done for the first time, and therefore received with all the more gratitude. Count Wintzingerode, the president, expressed this, in reminding the Assembly of a word of the late Emperor Frederick, warning the leaders of the Organisation against waiting until the government of Church and State supported it, as such a movement must start among the people. The League now counts 100,000 members, 8,000 of which joined during the last year. The meeting passed a resolution regretting the readmission of the Redemptorists, also one regretting the change of religion which the Princess Alice of Hesse submits to in her marriage to the future Russian Emperor. The question of mixed marriages was also treated, and the opinion expressed that all the children should, under all circumstances, be brought up in the religion of the father. But this was not universally adopted. The Assembly very justly complained that the public prosecutors often bring men to punishment for "libelling" the institution of the Church of Rome, when, in reality, nothing more was done than to criticize in a legitimate way the errors of that Church. For instance, quite recently, Pastor Idel, who had to resign his pastoral office on account of his pamphlet "The Greatest Evil in the World" (which he meant for the unconverted pastors), has now been sentenced to a week's imprisonment because in another of his writings he spoke of the deadly sins of the Church of Rome. The danger of the League is and remains that they are not clear in their position to the fundamental truths of the Bible. In an address on the "World-subduing power of the Evangelical faith," Professor Scholz proposed to reduce the whole of the Apostles' Creed to the one sentence. "I believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God." This would certainly please all our modern unbelievers, because with the term "Son of God" much can be done by way of interpretation. It is, however, a mistake to believe that Rome can be conquered by anything else than real faith in the whole of the Bible. A new society has been formed at Cassel to unite ladies in Christian work in a manner somewhat more free than our deaconesses' institutions do. The work done by the deaconesses in the hospitals is certainly an admirable one, but many ladies hesitate to bind themselves so entirely to this discipline. Therefore the abovementioned plan is new in many heads. The Mildmay Institutions in London are considered as a kind of model; the first practical attempt is now being made at Cassel. If it succeeds, the example will be followed at many places. The Christian Students' Conference was again held at Frankfort-on-the-Maine last week. The attendance was good, the tone deeply spiritual. A most important step was taken by the Conference in appointing a secretary for the work among students. We are not mistaken if we say this is due to the impulses given in London at the World's Conference of the Y.M.C.A., especially by the account of our American friends about the work at the Colleges. Mr. Mockert, who is entrusted with the work, is a young candidate of theology, who has already a rich experience in voluntary Christian work. SWITZERLAND. (From our own Correspondent.) TWELVE years ago, Mr. Schenk, a member of the Federal Council, tried to get the public schools out of the hands of the Cantons in order to put them all under the influence of the Freemasons. This caused a great agitation throughout the whole land and the proposal was lost by a very great majority. Now again the same gentleman is attempting to rob us of our religious liberty. A secret programme of Mr. Schenk has lately been published. It may be that he has not written it himself, but it contains his ideas. Here is a part of this programme: T "What we want is that the public schools shall be changed into an educational state establishment without any religious influence." That is what this gentleman wants. Already there is a very anti-Christian spirit in most of the public schools, but Christians are fighting bravely (and we hope they will do so still more earnestly) against it. The death, on June 16, at her country house, near Geneva, of the Countess Agenor de Gasparin, aged eighty-one years, has removed a lady who wrote many books in a Christian spirit, but unhappily she criticised in a sharp manner the regulations of the Salvation Army. The federal court of law has recently decided that the Government of the canton of Tessin had broken the federal constitution, because it had refused to protect the Rev. Mr. Zamperini, whose meetings at Castione had been disturbed by the mob. At Neuchâtel, there exists a Christian Endeavour Society, but it seems that several clergymen of the official establishment do not approve of members of their church working together with members of the Free Church. The Eglise Nationale publishes an article written by Mr. E. Dumont, pastor at Cornaux, in which he says that if our Lord came again on this earth He would, as He did formerly, take care of the poor, of the forlorn, and of the little folk. But surely He would not give any special church name to any work for saving souls. He would assemble His friends, who would work with Him under no other name than that of the Gospel. On June 12, at Olton, a large meeting of the Evangelical National Union was held, when the Rev. Mr. Mojon, of Lausanne, and the Rev. Mr. Stöcker, of Berlin, spoke on "The Social Question." Mr. Stöcker said that the Church should hold fast to the Gospel, but she wants much cleansing; the social differences ought to be put away, and the chains ought to be broken which link her to the governments of this time. What we have to do is simply to obey our Lord. Christians ought to have less dinner parties and garden parties, and less travelling only for their pleasure. It is quite dreadful how much money is spent in this useless way.-A. F. BULLE, August 13, 1894. Since religious liberty is guaranteed by the federal law, many Protestants have settled in Roman Catholic cantons. In Bulle and its vicinity there are many Protestants, and thirty years ago a Protestant school was established, and Protestant meetings have been held in the same building. But this room was too small, and now a chapel and parsonage have been built, with the help of the Protestants of Geneva, Berne, Bale, Zurich, &c. Recently this chapel was consecrated. The Rev. Mr. Leyoraz, from Dompierre, opened the proceedings, and declared that the chapel was given to the parish of Bulle. The President of the parish expressed his thanks for the gift in the name of the parish. Professor Vuilleumiar, from Lausanne, consecrated the chapel by prayer, the Rev. de Perros, from Morges. preached in French, and the Rev. Mr. Hahn, from Bulle, in German. The Rev. Mr. Ochrenbein, from Berne, expressed his thanks for the religious liberty and the peace we are now enjoying. This service was followed by a banquet at the Hôtel des Alpes. The Prefet de la Gruyère and the Syndic of Bulle declared that the Christian religion was the only ground on which society could be established, and congratulated the Protestant parish on the new chapel. The history of this parish is interesting. On the 21st of January 1831, the Rev. Mr. Legrand, from Frybourg, baptised the first Protestant child at Bulle. Afterwards, several pastors of the Canton de Vaud, when on the way to Chateau d'Oeu, held meetings. In 1856 the Evangelisation Society of the Free Church of the Canton de Vaud sent pastors to take care of the Protestant flock. In 1862 the "Société Vaudoise des Protestants" took care of the parish. The Rev. Fréd Hahn, from Geneva, was appointed pastor of the parish ten years ago, and has done a great deal of Gospel work. In the Canton of Tessin the Roman priests were angry because the Rev. Mr. Zamperini, from Biasca held meetings at Castione. The priests tried to put a stop to the Protestant meetings in the house of Mr. Cataneo. In the months of June |