IN giving the following papers, containing information of what is passing out of England, we confine ourselves to that which appears to witness any general movement, or grace in the Church of Christ. We do not agree necessarily with all the views, as may be supposed, for they often differ one from another, nor do we give them as affording the particular views of the parties. These are to us comparatively immaterial. When they are mixed up with the information contained they are necessarily brought forward, and thence alone, come to be inserted. The evidence of the movements of God’s Spirit is that which we seek. The writer of the appeal from which these extracts are made, was pastor of the reformed National Church at Lyons, He is one, who to spirituality of purpose, unites, in the estimate of the religious French, very eminent abilities. At the time of a late vacancy of the theological chair, at Montauban, upon the effort of the Christian part of the reformed Church, to have a Christian put into the chair instead of an unbeliever and Neologian, the eyes of the Christians of France were, we believe, universally turned to this Mr. Monod, as the one who would sustain the part. This makes the position in which he now stands, more interesting, and his evidence, as probably well acquainted with the prevailing feeling, of greater force. It may perhaps, be an actual hindrance to the rapidity of his personal progress, though of this, we do not presume to judge. He has two brothers, one, Pasteur adjoint in the Oratoire, at Paris, also a Christian; the other, late pastor at St. Quentin, whom, we believe his flock has excluded; but of whom, though ill when we last heard of him, we would speak with all the affection and respect which the gentlest and sweetest spirituality of mind gave birth to, when we had the privilege of seeing him. We trust Christians may become interested in what is passing abroad, since, as affording evidence of the movements of God’s Spirit, and giving it a larger character, it immediately and equally affects us here. The movement is far more extensive than people generally suppose. At Geneva, where the great body of the ministers were socinian, and had been progressively settling into it, till, in 1817, they forbad the preaching of fundamental truths; a distinct seminary for Christian ministers has been established, and there are Christian bodies formed, under circumstances very similar to that at Lyons, with more or less decision on the part of those who were previously ministers; to the piety and spirituality of some of whom, the writer of this can speak. In other parts of Switzerland, a similar work has taken place. In the Canton de Vaud, it was extensively the case; some there, united themselves to the reformed National Church, when the power of Christianity prevailed in it, others not. We have added at the close, an account from Neufchatel and its neighborhood, of a similar work which has, since the date of this, increased in extent—four little bodies being formed. The extracts are as follows:—
My dismissal had two causes, or, in language more exact, a cause and an occasion. The cause, was my attachment to the evangelical doctrine contained in the word of God, and received by all protestant Churches. The occasion, was my adherence to this order, that it is not proper to admit to communion any body indiscriminately, without any reference to possession or life.
By different means, a considerable number of persons were drawn to the faith. When I was deprived, they were divided into two congregations; one, pursuing a line of conduct similar to my own, had not departed from the Church; the larger, only attended the worship when the truth was preached. Many had ceased to receive the communion, even before I ceased to administer it, their scruples preceding mine; and their departure, which I had not observed, was unknown to me, until after I had myself acted thus in my pastoral character. In opposing, therefore, the disorder of the communion, I did no more than express the general feeling, and this feeling was not in them, the result of the spirit of separation, since they had refused to separate. It flowed quite from the Spirit of Christ, a spirit of gentleness and patience, but also of order and faithfulness.
The other congregation nearly equal in number to the first, consisted of Christians, who in the winter of 1830, had separated from the Establishment, and under the direction of a lay member, a former deacon of the Consistory, formed a dissenting Church. They had neither a pastor nor a regular administration of the sacraments. Though these two congregations differed in the views of the Establishment, yet they were united in the bonds of Christ and regarded one another in the spirit of love and not of Condemnation.
Having resolved to remain at Lyons, the next question was, What has God given me to do there? The most immediately pressing, thought I, is to establish the preaching of the truth. I will open a chapel, in which all who desire it, may hear the doctrine of salvation. But shall the work of preaching limit my exertions, or shall I join to it that of pastor, and shall I administer the sacraments? In the first position I avoided many difficulties, and personally, I should have preferred it; but when considered the hunger and thirst Christians had for communion, the desire of many to present their children to baptism, and the importance of uniting the two congregations, which might never again occur—the example of the Apostles pressed upon me. They established Churches wherever the truth had been preached effectually, and for several years this had been done in Lyons. Urged by these considerations, I determined to connect the administration of the sacraments with the preaching of the gospel; in other words to found a Church and to commit myself to God —for deliverance from surrounding difficulties.
To found a Church, and of what character? One placed by its origin in a new position, and which from the world, and even many Christians must encounter all these prejudices associated with the single word separation, whether well or ill applied. And in what circumstances? When protestant opposition triumphed in my suspension, and when perhaps, I was on the point of exciting a Roman Catholic opposition. And in what times? When questions about the constitution of Churches were more than ever agitated, explained, or shall I say obscured by discussion. And with what assistance? Alone, with little experience in the pastoral office; still more so the formation of a Church, surrounded by friends, who in this point, not better informed then myself, confided in me for direction. At one moment, I thought of preparing the base of a constitution of a Church, which I should look for in the Acts of the Apostles, studied for this special purpose. But I soon found in this step that I could not find any peace.
With what prudence and attention soever these first foundations should have been laid, yet if I deceived myself, that deception would perhaps, have been in some point of consequence. If in a matter so little cleared up in the scripture, since it is so controverted among Christians I should, which might easily happen, either be wholly at a loss, or make false steps in the commence merit, on which all hung, I might endanger at once, the future existence of the Church which I desired to establish. I could never proceed with confidence in this way. But it occurred to me, there is a way in which I shall find peace, and the Establishment security. I will wait; I will follow the Lord step after step, day after day, doing according to need what shall be marked out by Him by circumstances and necessity, allowing myself to be conducted by Slim, where He will, as He will, when He will.
Those Christians at Lyons, as before-mentioned, having se ceded in December, 1830, and formed a dissenting Church without a pastor, would have desired after my suspension, that I should have put myself at the head of their Church. The Christians that followed me from the Establishment, might if they chose, enter it as members, and the Church to be founded would have assumed the name and character of the dissenting Church. To speak more properly, there was nothing to be founded, all was ready; a Church formed, fixed in constitution, a line marked out and precedent into which I and the Christians who followed me had only to enter. Adopting thus particular views, all Christians could not agree with me. I could not therefore, accept this position. I took my stand on a point, elevated above controverted questions. My desire was, to see in Lyons, Christians neither distinguished by the epithet, national or dissenting, but bearing as one man the single name of Christ. After preaching, the most important thing was the communion, But to whom should I give it? Should I administer it indiscriminately to all who might present themselves, at the moment of the ceremony?
No: since my experience in the Church has convinced me of the evil of this line of conduct. Further, as I was suspended partly for having denounced indiscriminate communion, I should now to avoid it, make use of my liberty. This was also the general desire, even of those Christian friends who had not left the National Church till I did.
I have not given a poetical description of the evangelical Church at Lyons. The beginning is small, but encourages the greatest hopes; supported not by the calculation of man, but the promises of God. This work has the marks which give the assurance of blessings from on high. Above all it is a work of faith, its origin was in faith, and during its progress we have walked and lived by faith. This is also a work of love. The children of God in Lyons, as at Jerusalem, unite in the same place. Here they all unite after having with various degrees of promptitude, gradually thrown off the fetters of prejudice; Protestants or Roman Catholics, Paedobaptists or Baptists, national or dissenting Christians. What support for love, for holiness, for preaching, for the extension of God’s kingdom! My brethren of Lyons and I have much reason to be humbled, in not deriving greater improvement from an advantage so valuable.
This is an evangelical work, yes truly evangelical. Its object is to raise the standard of Christ, unmingled with the trifles of human invention. It desires to know nothing but Christ, and Him crucified, and avoids as much as possible, secondary and controversial questions. Should any person inquire, ‘Is it national or dissenting?’ that is a point about which we do not trouble ourselves, Our position is too strong a one to involve this controversy. For the question here is not between the constitution of one Church, and that of another, but between truth and error. Also we have seen unite in this Church, Christians decidedly of the Establishment, and as decidedly dissenting, and this it appears to me, is an excellent aspect of our position, and by which the blessing of God is assured to it. Neither is our position anti-catholic, nor have we affected to do a protestant work. Our desire is to avoid all human barriers, and to make our establishment as open as possible to all who seek the Savior.
This is also an important and extended work, I may appear to advance a paradox when I say, that I believe my ministry has never had so great a field as at present. To me however, it seems the exact truth. While a minister in the Establishment, a barrier was raised between the Roman Catholic population and my preaching. I preach now for all, and the work now is progressively extending among the Catholics. When on April 29, we communicated for the first time, we were two-thirds protestants, and one-third catholics; of the thirty persons who presented themselves at Christmas for communion, one-third were protestants and two-thirds catholics, an inverse proportion of the first. Thus it is that the work is at once encouraging and extended, because it must be admitted, that generally the opposition to the truth is less among catholics than the protestants, and the immense majority of the French is catholic. The truth is more evident, when we consider that the gospel begins to be preached in country places, and the country is almost exclusively catholic. But in another point of view, it acquires new importance, and on you, brethren of France, has a peculiar claim of interest. It is that its influence is not merely local and Lyonese, but concerns the whole of Christian France. Something similar to that at Lyons, seems to pervade all France.
I imagine to myself a Christian saying, In the reformed Church of France, two spirits face each other, and are more and more in conflict; the Spirit of God and that of the world hence deplorable disorder in the Church, and intolerable fault in our religious course. This cannot always continue. After some time, when God only knows, these two spirits will take their respective sides. How shall this be accomplished? Will it be by the deprivation of evangelical pastors? The means are only in God’s power, but in some manner or other we are tending to a general separation between truth and error. Then, Christians will be able to unite more closely together, raise themselves above secondary and assemble as One body as they are but one spirit. I foresee a new organization, of which the two great traits will be, the separation of the children of God from the world, and their union with one another. God is sufficient to sustain the preaching of His word, and to provide for His servants. I am much mistaken, or a Christian speaking thus, would represent the majority, nay, almost the whole body of French Christians. Even among those who are without, especially the Roman Catholic population, there appears to me to be a movement of mind towards the truth.
This feeling is not to protestantism, but to the word of God as such, and of which the accomplishment will be the more easy and happy, in proportion as nothing shall be presented to it but this word. if these remarks have any foundation, have we not reason to believe that this movement in France, perceptible in our days, which I call an evangelical movement, will produce Churches similar in different degrees to that at Lyons, arising from the force of circumstances, founded in faith, conceived in principles of the largest charity, at the same time conducted with order, and addressing itself to large masses of people,
After stating the writer’s views of a Church and the Church, he adds— “Dissenting Christians, (He speaks of themselves, there being no dissent as such in the country) after having compared the national Church, its doctrine, its government, as a whole, and in detail, with the word of God, and the Churches established by the Apostles, have found in effect, the Church of the nation, and not the Church of Christ—and that they should separate from it, (John 10:4-54And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. (John 10:4‑5).) to form Churches, constituted according to the word of God. In the Church of Christ, discipline is exercised according to the commandment of the Lord. In the Church of Christ, pastors are not considered such, but with the characters which the word of God demands,” He then states many distinctions between his and the national Church; we proceed therefore to the facts he states as to themselves.
“The dissenting Christians have no public edifice for worship, neither do they think of having such hereafter. The Lord’s flock unite in a private house, selecting, as far as they can, a sufficiently, large place to hold conveniently the members of the Church, and others who are attracted by the preaching of the gospel. These little flocks were formed successively. The first was at Coffrane, ten years since, afterward, that at Neuchatel, at Bole, Dombressom, and Val de Travers; the number of the members can hardly be determined with exactness. The Church at Coffrane, consists of forty-five members; that of Neuchatel is more numerous; Bole, less. The principles and regulations of these Churches are such as the word of God teaches, to which they seek to be conformed more and more, through the grace of their supreme head—their great pastor, the bishop of their souls, who wishes that there should be in every Church one or more pastors, who will preach the word, and feed the flock of Christ; deacons and deaconesses, to visit the poor, to administer to their necessary help, as also to procure their edification on all occasions.”
“The pastors, deacons, deaconesses, receive the laying on of hands, from one or several other ministers from other Churches, and are thus consecrated to the Lord’s work, in the presence of the Churches. They do not receive a new member, without having carefully examined him with regard to his faith and walk; after having recognized him as faithful, they receive him in the Church, and implore for him the Lord’s blessing.”
“The service opens with prayer—they sing a hymn—they read a portion of the holy scriptures, which they explain; the women do not speak in the Church, but the privilege of speaking is allowed to any brother, gifted with the power of instruction or edification, provided everything is done in the order which the word requires. The service or worship thus offered to the Eternal, closes with singing and prayer. He who prays, prays from his heart, according as the Lord gives him to do it in simplicity. The Churches have meetings, called Church meetings, to treat of their private affairs; and public assemblies for all those who seek the truth as it is in Jesus.”