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Samuel Vincent's words, "opened the Bible to French Protestants." With this, however, came in a lifeless rationalism. Then it was quickened by a celebrated revival which stirred the churches, and which is still spoken of as Le Réveil. This marks. the beginning of the Anglo-Saxon influence, which brought inspiration to activity, a more practical earnestness, and an unconditional surrender to Biblical authority. But with it came Biblicism and pietism. The influences of Germany and of the Anglo-Saxon world have continued to this hour, and have determined two tendencies, and created two parties, the Rationalists and the Evangelicals. The first party lays much stress upon education, culture, and philanthropy in its teachings. Notwithstanding the devotion of some of their noblest spirits, the Rationalists suffer from the lack of positive spiritual compasses, from excessive introspection, from a disposition ever to strive for the better and the higher while neglecting urgent duties close at hand. They have, to use the late Prof. Caro's words, "the disease of the ideal" which discourages the use and development of humbler gifts. The Evangelical party represents the largest possible Evangelical spectrum, having at one end the most pronounced theological conservatism and at the other the most advanced form of progressive orthodoxy. The real dividing line is belief in the supernatural. The Evangelicals have accomplished the greater part of the works which we have sketched. They have a keen sense of the mission of the church and of the demands of its dignity. They have shown a greater independance than the Liberals, so called, in their attitude toward the state. They have protested when their rights were overlooked, and, as a mark of their intention and determination, they have formed an independent synodical organization within that of the state. Accordingly, with the Liberals, they constitute the official Reformed Church, while as Evangelicals they have a synodical organization which is fast becoming the organic Evangelical Church of France. It represents the moral guidance, the organized inspiration, and the responsible authority of the leading activities of Protestants. The Lutheran Church is also a state church. Its importance is not to be determined by its numbers. It occupies an important though a small place in the French Protestant world. In 1849, under the inspiration of Frédéric Monod, free churches were organized. One cannot but regret

that, with their noble ideals and with the remarkable men within them, they should not have met with more success. The Wesleyan churches have exercised a beneficent influence upon a large number of cold and indifferent French churches, while the activities of their laymen have been valuable object-lessons. The Baptists have been at work for more than half a century. They are known for their missionary zeal and their fearlessness. Their churches, about fifteen in number, have been formed almost exclusively of converts from the Roman Catholic Church. While these last three religious bodies are very small, their influence upon each other has been good, and together they have profoundly affected the historic church. We cannot but regret the divisions among French Protestants, and yet these divisions lose much of their banefulness in presence of a strong sense of solidarity which unites them in their work and in the defence of their common interests. One common feeling of reverence for the Huguenots binds them to their heroic ancestry. One common purpose to help men to rise

"... on stepping stones

Of their dead selves to higher things"

belongs to all. One common power to form characters that have given a good name to Protestants is the prerogative of all. One common sympathy toward the toiling masses directs them in their attitude toward social questions. One common consciousness that churches must be missionary churches or die is prevalent among almost all. French pastors do not shine as remarkable theologians or philosophers, although they have good representatives of these two sciences, but as men of large religious culture. No class of men in the world is better qualified than they to wield a great power upon those disposed to break away from materialism. No man has uttered messages so well suited to present spiritual needs as Pasteur Wagner. His books, tremulous with sympathy and with accents of tender earnestness, have met with a reception truly gratifying. The thought of Protestant pastors has taken a twofold direction; one is the social aspect of Christianity and the other a constant effort to get nearer to the historic Christ. They seem to recognize the truth voiced by Leo XIII. "The perfection of all society consists in pursuing and in reaching the end in view of which it

was founded; to turn from that end is death, to return to it is life again." To use the words of a distinguished pastor, "Modern Christianity returns to its origins and wishes to bring the church. back to the principle from which it was born."

There are dark shadows in the religious condition of France; yet when we compare the three powers in the country which make for or against religious conviction, we shall feel that modern materialism is an improvement over that of the last century; that contemporary Catholicism with all its miseries is a lofty form of Christianity as contrasted with that at the time of the sinister Cardinal Dubois; that Protestantism, almost extinct a century ago, has, notwithstanding stupendous obstacles, risen to a life of power, dignity, and hope. "In religion," says Laboulaye, "the revolution of ideas defeats all human calculations; truth is the life of man to such an extent that we cannot touch it without profit, and it saves even those who contend against it. One thing is certain; it is that every time that the gospel has been opened to seek truth sincerely, there has been a renaissance of faith. This is enough to have confidence in the future." If it is true, as the author of In Memoriam has said, that there is more faith in honest doubt than is found in half the creeds, France is entering upon an age of faith-not the faith that antagonizes reason, but the faith which is the very crowning of reason.

THE RELIGIOUS CONDITION OF GERMANY.

BY COUNT ANDREAS VON BERNSTORFF OF BERLIN.

BEFORE the Parliament of Religions, assembled in this city three weeks ago, I gave a short sketch of the religious life in Germany. To-day the subject given to me enables me to limit it to the cause of Protestantism, and, though only about two thirds of Germany are Protestant, still the great religious problems of the day are fought out on the basis of Protestantism. What makes it somewhat difficult to give this report is that we are undoubtedly in a state of transition. Problems are before us which wait for a solution. We are deeply engaged in a struggle on the vital points of religion, and who knows what the issue may be? But these very problems, this very struggle, make the religious state of Germany highly interesting. I feel it personally a joy and a privilege to be able to take part in this battle between light and darkness.

The greatest problem of the day is the working classes and their growing estrangement from all religion. The workingmen are, in the vast majority, in the hands of their socialist leaders, and though these latter say that they consider religion a private affair of every individual with which they do not interfere, yet in reality they are filled with the most decided hatred against Christianity. The consequence is that large numbers of workingmen are fast becoming atheists. A Christian worker who is much at home among these classes once said: "I have never seen an educated man who was a convinced atheist. Even if he pretended to be, I felt that there were doubts in his mind whether his assertion was true. But among the working classes I find men who are absolutely convinced that there is no God." Several attempts to hold religious open-air meetings in the northern. and eastern suburbs of Beriin had to be given up because the socialists intentionally disturbed the meetings in a way that it was impossible to continue them. A socialist leader said openly

in Parliament that "the old God was done away with." Workingmen who take part in divine service and religious organizations have to undergo a fierce persecution from their comrades. Where will this lead to? Will it be possible to stem this tide of atheism and anarchy which threatens to destroy our churches as well as our modern civilization? The issue is in God's hand, but Christian men must do their duty. The first who undertook to throw himself into the contest was Pastor Stöcker, who visited this city last month at the invitation of Mr. Moody. In 1878 he started his Christian Socialist party, which seeks a reform and improvement of the condition of the laboring classes on the basis of Christianity. This party has now during fifteen years gathered a number of workingmen around its flag. Yet the very fact that it is a political party is its greatest weakness, because it makes it dependent upon the general political state of things. In the Rhine province the "Evangelical Workingmen's Associations" have drawn many members of this endangered class out of the. ranks of social democracy. In Berlin an evangelistic agency, presided over by Count Pückler, has made it its object to gather workingmen into a Christian organization. This has been done in five places of the city, and a number of earnest decided Christians are thus made workers for Christ among their own class. Besides these special organizations religious work is being done among the laboring classes by the different city missions, by tract distribution, and also by the churches. We have many cheering examples that the work is not in vain, but the struggle is severe.

If I mentioned the working classes first, it is not because they alone are estranged from religion, but because among them unbelief takes its most acute form.

Among the more educated classes there is also a good deal of scepticism and rationalism, but I should think not more than in former generations, and undoubtedly much more is done now to counteract these influences than formerly. We have now a clergy far superior to previous times. Our pastors are in the great majority orthodox men who lead a moral and irreproachable life. As the religious indifference in a great number of our congregations is a consequence of the activity of the clergy in the rationalist era, the work of our present ministers will undoubtedly be felt in a future generation. But we have in this respect another difficulty to contend with. German theology seems to

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