Wider Expansion
“JvwT’-^ need not boast nor exaggerate; yet we may not despise the day of small things. Paris is not changed in a year; yet impressions may be made which begin immediately to tell upon the community. The second annual report (1878) is full of interest.
The labourers are few; yet even one labourer tells: and without these labourers Paris would be poorer and worse. There are a boat 500 city missionaries in London. They may produce but little apparent impression; but their work tells in hundreds of unknown ways, and London would be darker if they were withdrawn.
Thus let us deal with the Paris work; and rejoice that within two years it has done something which will last eternally.
The French officials and the police force have not only shown all courtesy, but acknowledged the
8o The White Fields of F^^ance,
influence of the work. A Commissary of police remarked, “We cannot but welcome you to our quarter: you are coming to do our work, to labour with us for the order and morality of the community.” This was a testimony worth having.
While the police recognise the influence of the work on the morals of the city, other outsiders are no less observant. Mr. M’All was in treaty for a new room. The concierge had attended some of the meetings, and the landlady had heard of them. “I quite understand your object,” she said; — “they say you are the people that are not of any religion,” meaning not preaching the religion of a sect. The concierge struck in with a commendation less negative, and, while expressing his desire that we should have our station there, said, — “C’est le vrai Christianisme.” Yes; it is Christianity, — not a Church or sect or party that is preached; and it is the reception of this that is telling on the population. The good news, in all their freeness, as that which alone can save the mechanic of London or the ouvrier of Paris; it is this that has opened eyes, and won hearts from sin. God’s great love in Christ is what these poor communists never heard before. Their religion, — if they had any, — was the religion of terror and of money, not that of love and Divine generosity; the religion of the confessional, or the crucifix, or the
Wide7^ Expansion. 8 1
priest. True Christianity! They had not seen it anywhere. False Christianity! They had seen it everywhere. Up till this time they had not known that true religion rests on grace, and that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ really cares for the men of the pavement and the barricade.
The soldiers come to hear; and one of them, attending one of the stations in 1872, thus writes to Mr. M’All. His idea of the work is briefly given thus: — “La rude mais glorieuse tdche que vous avez entreprise au sein clu quartier le plus deprave de Paris.’’ He tells of the void which he felt in his heart, and the desire to converse on the true way of filling that void. Thus he ends: — “Je termine ma petite lettre en faisant des voeux pour que les efforts que vous faites soient couronnes d’un plein sueces. Que Dieu vous donne en d coonpte de la recoriiijense qu’il promet d ceux qui lui gagnent des dines, les benedictions les plus abondantes.” The Crenelle station, close by the vast Ecole Militaire, has been specially successful in attracting soldiers.
The ateliers surrounding the La Chapelle station have been visited, and the workmen invited to the meeting. They crowded into the large and wellsituated room, and the opening service was “singularly interesting.” The district is very populous, but very destitute spiritually; and the deep seriousness of the audience was most striking. The overflowing room, week after week, showed the interest and appreciation. Every class of the community seems accessible, as the reports show, and the work is everywhere spoken about, but not spoken against, save by the priesthood, whose words do little harm.^’*
The question of giving pecuniary aid to the needy has frequently come up, almost from the first, and the decision wisely arrived at was, that this should be done with great caution, and only in extreme cases, after scrupulous inquiry. Indeed, had there been anything like lavish giving, it would have injured the Mission immensely, by associating with it what the enemies would have called religious
* In reading the accounts which these reports give us of the listening ears and open doors in Paris, one is led to contrast the state of things here noted with that which Mr. Robert Haldane describes, now more than sixty years ago. He speaks of Paris not only as “involved in Egyptian darkness,” but as almost hopeless. “I soon perceived that I had no means of furthering my journey in that great metropolis.” Not only so, but he furnishes us with another contrast, — the opposition of the French pastors to the intrusion of strangers. A remonstrance against the Continental Society for sending preachers into the parishes of other ministers was got up in Paris and signed by Lutheran and Reformed Pastors, as well as peers of France, members of the Chambers, and even agents of the British and Foreign Bible Society. To this singular remonstrance Mr. Haldane wrote an able reply, maintaining the right of evangelists to enter in at every open door.
bribery. All this has been carefully avoided, and yet the destitute have not been overlooked.
The students’ quarter, or Quartier Latin, has not been overlooked. It is a district noted for irreligion and atheism; but the effort was successful, and the station in the Rue Monge was so crowded that a larger room had to be obtained. Here the educated classes were brought to listen to the Gospel, and here M. Rosseeuw St. Hilaire, for many years a Sorbonne Professor, gave effectual help.
During the second year no less than 1019 meetings were held, of which Mr. M’All conducted more than 500 himself. This of itself speaks to the very great amount of labour which this Mission involves. There is not only the weekly arranging for the now twenty-three stations, and sending the due intimations to the different parties, but there is the actual conducting of the meetings night a.fter night. Mr. M’All now has his anxieties and labours somewhat lightened by his colleagues, M. Rouilly and Mr. Dodds; but still there is work enough to fill the hands of many more. To arrange for 1019 meetings must have involved immense trouble and toil; but now to arrange for 2788 is quite an over-burden, even for three superintendents, and to conduct even the half of these night after night would require not three men, but ten. To most ministers at home the idea of arranging for 2000 meetings in a year, and conducting even the fourth of these, would be quite alarming. If proposed to any minister, it would not be undertaken by one in a thousand; and if undertaken, it would be pronounced ‘’ killing work.” No such amount of labour is laid upon our city missionaries; and it ought to startle the Churches to think of the ‘’ heat and burden “which the Parisian labourers have to endure. When, moreover, the immense distances and the late hours are remembered, the amount of the fatigue will be somewhat realised. The two, four, or six miles of weary omnibus and tramway travel might not seem so oppressive were it not for the hours at which these meetings must be held in order to suit the motley audience. In a city like Edinburgh or Glasgow, we get home from our meetings seldom much later than nine. But in Paris it is ten, or eleven, or even twelve o’clock (if the conveyances happen to be full) ere the tired missionary reaches his dwelling. Rowland Hill used humorously to give as his receipt for making a long-lived minister, — ‘’ Preach three times every Sabbath, and every evening in the week.” But this is something more: and it ought to trouble us in our ease at home to remember these labours. It should also awaken a deeper interest in the Paris Mission than we have ever taken.
John Berridge, of Everton, in the last century, is said to have preached twelve times a-week. But then this was not continuous work, but only when he went on his missionary tours. Grimshaw, of Haworth, regarded it as an idle week in which he preached less than a dozen times; and sometimes he has been known to mount up to thirty. Whitefield in one of his letters writes: ‘^ I preached nine times a-week: the people were all attention, as hearing for eternity; “and in another letter he uses this fioure reoardinoj his work: “I am huntinof for poor lost sinners in these ungospelised wilds.” Probably the French pastors, like many among ourselves, have not been accustomed to such an enormous amount of work, and may be afraid of overtaxing their strength. But I am persuaded that the more they throw themselves into this great evangelising work, the more will they be surprised at the amount of labour which they are able to undergo. There are noble men among them worthy of their sires, whom we shall not name, lest in our ignorance we should omit some of the worthiest. But there they are. They are to be the evangelists of the land. It is to them we look for setting France on fire: and the fire which they kindle will not be that of politics or passion, not of sedition or socialism, but of Christian fervour and love.
True, Mr. M’All and his colleagues have not to conduct the whole of each of these meetings. They have the valuable help of the French pastors, who have thrown themselves so heartily into the work, without jealousy or prejudice; but still the chief part of the conducting of these meetings rests upon Mr. M’All and his colleagues. Each night of the week (save Saturday) their hands are full. They have no time for dinners, or parties, or sight-seeings, or even quiet family recreation. Each day brings the work of arranging, or visitiug, or receiving callers, and each night brings the labour of the meetings, — sometimes two, or even more. There is no folding of the hands nor eating the bread of idleness. How long this may last, one would not like to guess. But if there should be a break-down of the over- wrought labourers, we should not be taken by surprise. Are there not ten or twenty of our zealous young men who will offer themselves for such a field? A field so large, so needy, so full of interest, and so close at hand!
The nature of these meetinss is thus stated in the second report: — “In every service on the Sunday, and on every week-day evening, at every station, the Bible is read first of all; and read avowedly as God’s Word. Every meeting, without exception, from the beginning of the Mission, has been conducted with the direct aim of bringing the Bible as God’s Word, and the atoning Saviour as the sinner’s only refuge, before our hearers. For what other purpose did we quit our congregation, our friends, our English home?”
The political ferments of the years succeeding the retirement of the Prussian army; the unsettled and angry tone of society at that time; the uncertainties of political parties and rival statesmen; the dread of renewed turbulence and massacre; — these naturally produced anxiety, which was not at once allayed; and the forebodings of even true friends, forecasting evil and predicting the speedy arrest of evangelising liberty, could not but raise misgivings in the minds of the labourers.
But by the end of 1873 all these fears passed away, and Mr. M’All could congratulate the Mission on the permanence of the footing obtained. The permission during that year, given by the municipal authorities to open new stations was most gratifying; and the unsolicited assurance on the part of these authorities of willingness to license other stations, removed all anxieties and uncertainties; the more so because it was then ascertained that the previous stations had been carefully examined and reported on to Government. The absence of all politics and controversy satisfied the rulers of France that these meetings were not dangerous associations; and the reports of the police that a quieter neighbourhood was the unfailing result of the establishment of each successive station, inclined them greatly to favour the extension which thus promised, if not to supersede, at least to lessen greatly the necessity for their interference. They saw that the Protestant minister was doing what neither the police nor the priest could accomplish.
As to the young, it is interesting to know how the work advances. “We have learned by the report for 1878 that about 3000 of them were under instruction. But this does not lessen the interest with which we read of the juvenile work in its earlier stages. In 1872, the Sabbath school at the Faubourg St. Antoine numbered 100 scholars; and no less than seven such schools are reported along with this, numbering about 350 children, with upwards of 20 teachers. The children’s holiday afternoon meetings (four of which were then held every Thursday), and the classes for teaching English to the workmen, were numerously attended. There were also special services for young women at no less than three stations.
The report for the year (1872) contains the following statement, which, both as a brief review of the past and an appeal for the future, will interest our readers: —” During the year, we have been enabled to double the number of stations, besides enlarging several of the older ones. The number of sittings (chairs) is raised from 515 to 1056. At this moment, urgent appeals are before us for the immediate planting of two other stations in outlying districts inhabited by the labouring poor, and remote from existing evangelical agencies. In each of these quarters there are a few residents who earnestly desire the Gospel for themselves and their neighbours. Who would not desire to respond to such a call? The lack of additional helpers is our main difficulty in the case. But, for one of these districts, the services of our excellent co-worker, Mr. J. G. Alexander, of the Society of Friends, will be available on his expected return to Paris. In order to our entering on further openings, as well as effectively to sustain present operations, the entire services of at least one well-qualified fellow-labourer are indispensable. We are full of hope that this pressing want is about to be supplied.
“A few words will be sufficient with respect to the older stations. At Belleville, Menihiiontant, and Montmartre, the meetings have been carried on with unbroken regularity and with an increased attendance. The number of constant hearers at each place is much larger than formerly; and in the case of a considerable number of these, we believe that the good seed has fallen into good groimd. Especially at Montmartre and at M^nilmontant, we have been permitted to rejoice over one and another brought under the power of a Saviour’s love. Some of these have joined neighbouring congregations. Among them are several persons of superior position and culture, who state that, when they first entered our rooms, the name which is now most precious to them was desj)ised or even hated. In addition to these more marked cases, we believe that the Divine Spirit has been gently working on many hearts. Not a few of our hearers are such as had been secretly longing to discover some healing balm, some refu^e for the soul. Their exj)erieiice, tlioiigli not taking the sudden and striking form, is not less real and decisive. Even the countenance conies to wear an impress which silently testifies of the transforming power of the Gospel. Friends from England, visiting our stations at successive intervals, have recognised the same faces, but have remarked this visible change, telling of the ameliorating influence. While thus encouraged, we crave the fervent prayer of all our Christian brethren that the number of true converts may be multiplied a hundredfold.
“The station in the Faubourg St. Antoine was in its infancy at the date of last report. A few days ago, we gave, according to our custom, a tea meeting to the regular attendants, in commemoration of the first anniversary of the opening. 120 persons were present. We were enabled to review the year’s history of the place with encouragement and gratitude to God. Dr. Fisch, who kindly helps us there, and others gave appropriate addresses. It was a happy evening. At each of these social gatherings the evidences of grateful feeling have been truly cheering. At M^nilmontant, last spring, an ouvrier said, ‘We are your family. You have united us all here as one great family.’”
The finances of the Mission at this time are
thus briefly and satisfactorily referred to: —
“The financial position of the Mission is in every way satisfactory. With gratitude to Him who disposes His people to sustain effort for the extension of His kingdom, we have to record that the entire sum acknowledged on the balance-sheet has been contributed without one solitary application on our part throughout the year. As we before remarked, a considerable balance in hand is indispensable in order to shield the Mission from liability to sudden collapse. Without it, even a partial cessation of contributions for a short time would render it impossible to meet the heavy rental of the rooms. Happily, Christian liberality has kept pace with the more than doubled requirements, and the balance is preserved and increased. Though the Mission is conducted by honorary workers, so that the, whole amount suhscrihed (joes, ■unabated, to its direct sustentation, the items of rental, furnishing mission-rooms, incidentals. &c., are, of necessity, constantly increasing. More than this, the enlarged operations have rendered necessary an expenditure for the board of some of the helpers, together with payments, in some instances, for door-keeping and for time which our friends would gladly devote freely, were it in their power to do so. To these liabilities must be added prospectively the stipend of an evangelist as co-worker, so urgently needed. Hence the pecuniary requirements for the coming year must necessarily be, even without any extension of the field of effort, considerably in advance of the past. We believe that we shall not be disappointed in trusting for all that the enterprise thus needs to the free-will offerings of loving hearts.”
I now give the ‘’one or two suggestive incidents” which the report contains. For, after all, these are the things which indicate the real fruit. They are indeed but specimens; still, they are representatives of a coDsiderable circle, — a circle much wider than we have any idea of. Truth is vital, and the Word of God is a living word; quickening many whom we know, and many more whom we do not know; but who have not the less powerfully and permanently been reached by the “quick and powerful word:” —
“A respectable ouvrier of middle age commenced attendance
at station early in 1872. After a time, we noticed his
evidently deepening interest; indeed his whole aspect bespoke an ameliorating influence. He became an easier reader of the “books in our lending library. At last, lie was induced to tell us the state of his mind. Before attending the reunions, he had been full of sceptical doubts. Kenan’s ‘Vie de Jesus, especially, had gained great hold upon him. Now, he stated, he had come to see that these were only sophistical evasions of the truth, and that the reality of religion was to be found in the Gospel. The French translation of Dr. Hanna’s ‘Last Days of our Lord’s Passion ’ (kindly supplied, with other excellent books, by Mr. E. A. Macfie, M.P.) interested him. One day, no book apparently suitable for him could be found. He took home, however, one intended for the young, containing the touching account of a little child’s piety and happy death. On returning it, he feelingly expressed his admiration, saying, * II faut que nous devenions tons conime de petits enfants.’ We constantly see this worthy friend, and have no doubt that he has placed his whole trust in Christ.
“Another ouvrier who, in his boyhood, had known something
of the Gospel in the remote department of, came to our
room on the opening evening, and has attended, with
his family, ever since. He expresses great thankfulness that we were led to his neighbourhood. ‘You have brought back to my memory,’ he has repeatedly said, ’ those early teachings respecting Jesus as the only Mediator between God and man, of which I had nearly lost sight; and I intend, by God’s help, to walk in that way to the end of my days.’
“The cases of an aged mother and her son, a man in the prime of life, have caused us great joy. They have attended
our room for a year and a-half. Both testify that the
faithful words spoken there by various Christian friends have brought new life and blessedness to their heart. The following are a few of the son’s expressions, related to us by a Christian lady: — ‘Voila ce qu’il me faut, c’est de savoir que j’ai un Sauveur parfait, Maintenant, quoiqu’il arrive, je ne crains rien, puisque Dieu me garde. Je sais qu’il m’aime; cela me sufiit. J’avais besoin depuis longtemps de connaitre la vrit; maintenant je I’ai trouvee.’ To another friend he said, ‘Unhappily, I am no speaker; or I should long to tell all
the people at [our station] what blessedness I have
found.’
“At the same station, a descendant of the Vaudois of Piedmont, who had long lived in unconcern, was awakened to the realities of religion, and is now a respected member of one of the Evangelical Churches in Paris. Two ladies, also, who had adopted deistical views, and, as they stated, had come to dislike the mention of the name of Jesus, now esteem that name above all others.
“A shoemaker stated that, before the opening of our
room, he was utterly careless respecting religion. Since coming to live in Paris, he had disregarded the teachings received in his early days. ‘Now,’ said he, ‘I and my wife are like children at school who look forward to the holidays. On Thursday, we say,” Only two days more, then Sunday
will be here; then evening follows quickly; and now we
have in addition” ’ (referring to a new station not far
distant).
“May 17. — Delighted to hear from a Christian ouvrier that he and one or two of his friends were commencing little meetings on the model of ours in their houses. Gave him a few pictures to ornament the walls. Speaking of these pictures from England, mostly illustrative of Scripture History, which give an air of cheerfulness to all our rooms, our kind friend Miss Blundell said, ‘Every one of these pictures seems to say to the people, “I love you.” ’
June 13. — A poor woman at burst into tears on
hearing the simple prayer at the close of the meeting. Probably she had never heard a prayer offered in her own language before. She has been a most attentive hearer ever since.
“Dec. 18. — A boy in the children’s meeting at when the
question was put, ‘What is it that makes us love our parents V replied, ‘C’est parce qu’ils remplacent Dieu pour nous.’” The following incidents are examples of the new interest awakened on reading the Bible for the first time.
“An ouv7’ier borrowed a Bible, his countenance beaming with pleasure as he carried it home. At the fortnight’s end (the time for which it was lent), he brought it back to us, saying, ‘I have not had time to read all, only the chief parts; but it is a most interesting book. All I can do is to thank you heartily for the loan of it.’ We said, ‘Take it again for another fortnight.’ He hesitated, saying that he feared he might deprive some one else of the opportunity of reading it. We reassured him, and he again took it. At the second fortnight’s end, he once more offered to return the book, with many thanks. We received it from him; then, knowing him to be very poor (though we rarely give Bibles, thinking it better to lend them), we sent it to him as a gift. His eyes filled with tears on receiving it. Since then, nearly every time we see him, he says, ‘Oh! comme il est bon, votre cadeau! Je le lis toujours.’
“A woman from Lorraine borrowed a New Testament in
German at our room. She, too, after the fortnight,
returned it, saying, ‘It is the most interesting book I ever read in my life. I had no idea there was so good a book in existence. I never read it before. I have put my little ones to bed early and sat up late and risen before the others to read it; and now my husband has become interested in it too.’ Though very poor, she was delighted to obtain from us a German Bible in large type at the reduced price at which the National Bible Society of Scotland enables us to supply the Scriptures in special cases.
“We often meet with instances, also, of the value set by the people upon the Scripture Portions, so kindly supplied by the conductors of the Bible Stand, Crystal Palace. A journeyman painter, who had frequented our meetings at Belleville, was leaving Paris to seek work in the provinces. One of our helpers called at his little room to say good-bye. In a corner of the small bag which he had prepared for his journey, he showed her, carefully arranged, the four Gospels, Acts and Romans. * There,’ said he, ’ is the store of comfort I shall carry along with me.’ He has since written several beautiful letters, assuring us that, amidst all his difficulties, he had found an unfailing help in looking to the God and Saviour of whom those little books taught him.
“Riding in the omnibus, one day, we gave (as we do often) a Portion, John’s Gospel, to the conductor. Being somewhat at leisure, he immediately began to read it earnestly. After a little time, he said, ‘This is an excellent book that you have given me.’ At the end of the ride, he renewed his thanks, saying, ‘This is, indeed, a good book; I wish that every one had such a book to read.’
“Kind words are often spoken by the ouvri&rs when shaking hands with us at the doors after the meetings. At the Rue Monge station, for example, a fine young man grasped our hand saying, ‘Deja un frere.’ Another said, ‘Bon soir, monsieur — ah non! — je ne veux pas dire, monsieur, je dis, mon ami.’ Another said, only a few nights ago, at Montmartre, ‘You must often be very tired at nights; but I should think that your sleep is very sweet afterwards, when you reflect that you have spent the day in trying to do good to us French people.’”
One prizes, and likes to preserve these fragments thus picked up, and presented to us in reports. To many of my readers, I am sure these notes will be quite new; for the reports of the Mission’s early years are quite out of print; and besides it is only recently that a large portion of the public has really beounTto be interested in the work.
The modest undemonstrative way in which the Gospel bas entered Paris and taken possession of the strongholds of evil has sometimes made us wonder. In Reformation days all was different. It aroused the priesthood; it alarmed the court; it stirred the whole city; it led to imprisonment, banishment, death. Berquin, Lefevre, Farel, Calvin cannot be tolerated. They must flee or die. “It is hardly possible,” writes Roussel to Farel, “without peril of life, to confess Christ purely.” Berquin is arrested, set free, and again arrested, because he preached, in the cottages of his estate, salvation by Christ alone. With the Testament in his hand, he wanders over the country round Abbeville, the banks of the Somme, the towns, manors, and fields of Artois and Picardy, scattering the seed of the “Word. “Faith alone justifies” is his watchword. That is his condemnation. He must go to the stake. Margaret of Navarre may interfere, and the evangelist may be set free, — but it is only for a season.
In those days the Gospel raised commotions everywhere, — chiefly because the priesthood was in power, and the Pope could order kings to exterminate heresy. At present it raises no tumult; yet it is the same Gospel and the same Bible with which our modern evangelists are going forth. The spirit of the age is against priestcraft; and that spirit, though often identified with unbelief, is, at present at least, fairer and more tolerant. Thus “the earth helps the woman,” and swallows up the flood, which otherwise would have swept away the truth and its witnesses. The entrance of the Gospel, in this peaceful way, is matter of congratulation. No Christian man in preaching the Gospel wishes to raise a tumult; and he is thankful when the Word goes upon its way, and accomplishes its end without noise or opposition. The history of the past eight years is an interesting study in this respect. God has smoothed the way for His quiet, trustful messengers.
It was well that this movement came from England, whose sympathy with the suffering Parisians had nobly shown itself, when, as soon as the siege was raised, she poured into the city her ample stores. The Parisian priesthood had taken care to lay up against the evil day; and were feasting on their hoarded luxuries, when the citizens were starving. This was one thing which favoured the Gospel, But its coming from England favoured it still more. Dr. Merle d’Aubisrne has remarked: *’ Strasburg is the main bridge by which German ideas enter France, and French ideas make their way into Germany.“‘” But had the Gospel crossed from the right to the left
* “Reformation in the Time of Calvin,” vol. i. p. 455.
H bank of the Rhine in 1872; in other words, had it come to Paris from Germany, it would certainly have been rejected. It came, however, in God’s gracious providence, from England, and was welcomed. For England, once an enemy, was now the friend of France, and had helped her in the day of her calamity. Thus God, when He purposes to send to a people the Gospel of His grace, removes barriers, and disarms resistance. Everything had failed to meet the atheism and sacerdotalism and licentiousness of France; the tidings of His own free love in Christ had not yet been tried. He sent them, and like the breath of spring, they found their way into the great metropolis of pleasure and unbelief.
Perhaps M. Renan would say that this only shows French “facility for embracing noble chimeras.” Be it so. A “noble chimera” may be worth trying, in a city where so many ignoble ones have come and gone, without producing anything save social disorder and national adversity. That which a sceptic may deem a chimera or an illusion may prove to be a revelation from God; — not a new revelation, but the old revelation of His own free love in the gift of His Son to man.
The vital forces which are now at work in Paris are those of which the “brilliant Frenchman”
knows nothing, and which his fellow- Academicians would not take into their calculations in forecasting the prospects of their country. Yet there they are: — not destructive, but constructive; not explosive, but cementive; silently telling upon thousands; — directly on many, indirectly on many more; — more likely to ‘’ create great men, and to cast medallions that will go down to posterity “than those which philosophy has tried for a century and more.” Good humour in facing death “is the utmost of a scientific death-bed; but the life-message, now spreading through Paris, professes to give more than this. The savoiv vivre which the Gospel produces is not frivolity or self-indulgence; not the (3lo diO)To<; of the worldling; not the “Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die “of the sensualist; but the tranquil earnestness of him who spoke but what he lived, —” None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself; for whether we live we live unto the Lord, and whether we die we die unto the Lord.” M. Renan may announce to the Academy that “reason triumphs over death; “but, when he was making this boast, the ouvriers of Paris were, in their simplicity, listening to a Gospel which provides a surer victory. He may point to the Academy as the regenerator of France, and assure his fellow-Academicians that” for a long time to come they lOO The White Fields of France.
alone will be able to utter the phrases that deserve to live for ever;” but a process is meanwhile going on which will introduce new phrases which may live as long as these. He may be convinced that the “collaboration “of the Academy is necessary for all that is glorious; — ‘’ for of that which is done without the aid of the Athenians glory takes no heed;” — but there is such a thing as “the foolishness of preaching,” and it is mightier than the wisdom of Athens or of Paris. The M’All Mission and the “collaboration” of the Academy are very different things; but there is a power in the former which the latter knows not, — the power of moving souls, and ‘’ softening human rock-work into men.” ‘”
* The references in these closing paragraphs are to M. Eenan’s recent address (April, 1879) to the French Academy, in which he pronounced a eulogy on M. Claude Bernard, whom he was chosen to succeed.
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The Third Year and its hicidents. loi