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The New Zealand Evangelist

European.—Canton De Vaud

European.—Canton De Vaud.

There is no spot in Europe to which the eyes of Christendom have been more anxiously directed for the last three years, than to the Canton de Vaud in Switzerland. In 1845, about 100 out of the 200 ministers in the National Church in that Canton, seceded from the establishment, in consequence of the arbitrary and oppressive restrictions imposed upon them by the Civil Government. The Seceding Ministers and people have since formed themselves into a separate Church under the denomination of The Evangelical Free Church. But amid the boasted freedom of republican institutions, it is clearly shown that the sacred name of liberty, as well as the holy name of religion, can be prostituted by bad men to serve the most of purposes; “Confirmation strong” has been given to the words of holy writ that the world loves its own, but those who are not of the world the world hateth. The enmity of the infidel government to the gospel is seen not only in their persevering opposition page 41 to the new seceders, but also in their hostility to all who are actively engaged in promoting the spread of true religion, as the following extracts from Evangelical Christendom will show:—

“The Vandois public has been, informed, says L’ Avenir, that a foreigner, an Englishman,—Mr, Cook, a Wesleyan Minister,—after a residence of several years in our country, has received from the Government, by an order of the Prefect of Lausanne, dated December 22nd, 1846, a command to leave the Canton within fifteen days. This order is given, in consequence of communications transmitted to the Council of State by the authorities under its direction. Mr. Cook had waited for a renewal of his permission to reside, and it is on December 32nd, that the Council of State orders a venerable man, his wife, and his children, to leave the country;—in the depth of a very severe winter!

“We have asked ourselves—What, then, are these communications, which have preceded and brought about a decision so severe, so inhuman? Has Mr. Cook, for instance, been chargeable to the country? Has his family required the succour of charity? On the contrary, he has himself succoured childhood and misfortune. Has Mr. Cook given room for complaint by irregular conduct? Not at all! he is as example in the midst of us, and has the highest testimonials from the public. Perhaps he may be an unquiet spirit, an intriguer, a political character, a partisan? No! he is occupied only with piety and religion. Can this possibly be his crime? He does not belong to the Official Church; he does not follow the rites of the Government; he has his own charge of which he is pastor; he belongs to the Wesleyan Church. If it be so, then it is the Wesleyan Church,—which has found a free home in every quarter of the world, even among savages and barbarous tribes,—that is now persecuted in the Canton de Vaud, in the person of Mr. Cook.”

In a subsequent communication on this subject, the Rev. C. Baup says, “You have perhaps heard that the Rev C, Cook, who was ordered to quit our Canton in the middle of winter—unquestionably for the sole reason that he is a Wesleyan, and applied himself in a true spirit of Christian, love in leading souls to Christ, and edifying them in the faith, was allowed a delay of two months; I am still inclined to hope that the original order will not be put into execution; but how distressing it would be for us, to see a dearly beloved brother, who is held in just estimation, leave our country under such circumstances.” From the Wesleyan Notices of January, we learn that Mr. Cook and his colleague, the Rev, Mr. Ogier were both. banished from the Canton: but were shortly after succeeded by the Rev. Messrs. Gallienne and Jaulmes, who continued to labour for some months amid various difficulties and dangers, but were finally interdicted from labouring in public by the edict of the Government in November. Since that time they are now visiting and labouring from house to house, but uncertain if even that privilege would be long continued.

In February, 1847, the Council of the Canton,—the Legislative Council, invested the Council of State—the Executive Council, With all powers necessary to put an end to all religious meetings page 42 not acknowledged by the Constitution, should they think proper to do so, and on November 24th, the Council of State passed an edict of which the following are the principal clauses:

§ “1. All religious meetings out of the National Church, and not authorised by the law, are from this day, and till it is otherwise decreed, forbidden in the Canton de Vand.

§ “2, In case of disobedience or resistance to the prohibition contained in §, religious meetings alluded to in it shall be dissolved, and persons having resisted the authorities, shall be brought before the tribunals, to be punished according to the penal code.

§ “3. Demissionary pastors and ministers, or other persons having officiated at such meetings, shall be sent back into their parish, if they are not already living in it.

§ “4. If, among the persons mentioned § 3, as officiating in prohibited meetings, there were found foreigners, they shall be immediately expelled.”

That this edict is not to be an idle threat, will be seen from the following extract of a letter in the Scottish Guardian of January last:—

“For the last fortnight persecution has been awakened more fiercely than ever. It is now perfectly well known (I have never doubted it) that the agitators-in-chief, the helpers of the troubles, and the leading cause of the disorder and oppression, are the new members who compose the Council of State. Of humble extraction, raised to power by the populace, they spread themselves among the people, in order to undermine the gospel which they abhor, and to oppress the children of God. It is no longer the Free Church alone which they attack, nor against the most sapred liberty that they hurl their blows, but against the gospel itself,— against Christians of every denomination. They were in peace before the 24th of November last; religious assemblies could be held without being the butt of general violence; the fermentation was partial and local. If low people, the instrument of the Council of State, threatened and insulted in some places, there were many localities where all was quiet. But the Government abhor tranquillity,—it must have agitation, and it published its decree on the 24th last month. By a single blow all the country is struck. Where the people murmured against the Christians, the edict now harlis, and is on the point of open war. Where all was tranquil, this decree has excited the passions. To cover their iniquity, the agents of the Council of State spread the most absurd reports; for instance, they say that it is the Christians, the demitting pastors especially, who are the cause of the war against the little cantons, —that they are instigated by the Jesuits, &c., &c. Hence an increase of hatred against them! The people are struck with a spirit of dizziness and unmeaning fury. They eagerly seize hold of the most downright calumnies, and disclaim aught like truth. In the midst of such an extensive ferment, provoked and augmented by the Council of State, the Free Church has been unable to hold its meeting of Synod. It has been impossible for them to assemble; the Council of State, or its low-born agents, would page 43 doubtless have assailed them. Since the last decree, which forbids all kinds of religious meetings except those of the National Church, the Free Church particularly being in view, it has become the object of a hatred perfectly atrocious. Public worship on Sunday has been suspended; in most places Christians have been unable to leave their houses; their doors have had a surveillance to watch before them, of the armed guard, paid by Government. Some of the demitted ministers have had their lives threatened. One of them escaped from being killed by a blow from the handle of a loaded pistol. The murderer, upon whom the pistol exploded, was severely wounded in the hand and eyes. The sequel is interesting. The threatened pastor had him carried to his (the pastor's) own bed. The miserable man acknowledged his crime, and entreated God's servant to pardon him, and to pray for him.

As. Christians ought to have social worship, they have been meeting in small groups; in different houses, and at different hours —some before daylight; however they have not been able altogether to elude strict search and insult.

The end in view of the Council of State is to instigate the people more and more against the ministers of the Free Church. It wishes, at all hazards, to drive them from the country, in the hope of being able more easily to spread abroad its Infidelity and Rationalism. To accomplish this, it is not afraid to exceed even, its full powers, by sending back into their original parish the ministers who, by their assemblies, would be the occasion of disorder. To understand this you must know that, in Switzerland, the original parish is not always the place of residence. Thus to be sent back into his parish, is to see one's whole life broken up. It is to many people an exile.

As to the internal life of the Free Church, I have good cause to believe, it progresses. Persecution re-animates its faith; increasingly detaches it from the national Establishment, and causes a stronger and stronger rooting into the ground where the Lord has planted it.

The Vaudois Christians have learnt, with much thankfulness, that the Evangelical Alliance in London has invited its various sections to unite in prayer on behalf of their brethren in Switzerland. They bless God for this; it is a precious proof of brotherly love. The Lord grant great blessing both upon those who pray, and on the objects of these requests!”

The Edinburgh Witness of the same month writes also as follows:—

“Our readers are already aware of the edict, issued some weeks ago, proscribing all religious assemblies, and indeed all public worship, save within the pale of the National Church. If any one imagine that this outrage on the rights of conscience was the result of a momentary ebullition, and that those who perpetrated it would soon become ashamed of it, and revoke the edict, he must now be undeceived. The persecution not only continues to rage, but waxes hotter every day. The present number of the Avenir contains some most affecting statements respecting the insults and page 44 expressions to which the demissionnaire clergy are now exposed. They cannot assemble their flacks but at the peril of banishment by the authorities, or of death at the hands of the mob. No longer is the sanctity of their dwellings respected. The inviolability of the domicile, guaranteed by the constitution, has been effaced by a stroke of the pen. Any one whose passions instigate him, may erect himself into an inquisitor. The lowest of the mob, the meanest police guard, may enter at pleasure the abodes of the citizens; and the instances are numerous, since the promulgation of the decree, in which this outrage has been perpetrated. Many of the ministers have been obliged to leave their parishes; others remain, but it is at the peril of their lives. They are shut up in their houses, and are prevented from preaching. The Free Church minister of Bex has been compelled to leave Switzerland. For some time previous to his expulsion, the gendarmerie were perpetually on the watch to disperse the meetings of his congregation, which could take place only by stealth, in the open air, and in unfrequented places. Another of the ministers thus writes to the Count St. George,—'We closed our doors, and waited patiently the attack which had been announced,’ (he had been warned of an intended massacre and pillage):—

“'We remained engaged in prayer, and in reading the Word of God, until after midnight, when my children retired. The remainder of the night was quiet, save a stone thrown against the door. We had no arms whatever,—the inhabitants of the house (myself excepted) being women and children. Thus did the Lord protect us! His holy name be praised! We have since learnt that the courageous letter which Mr. Monod,—one of the most pious of the official clergymen,—found means of inserting in some of the newspapers in favour of religious liberty, had for that night drawn upon himself all the popular fury. He therefore went to the Prefect, who promised to try and provide for his safety as a clergyman of the Established Church, but for that night only,'

“The schoolmasters adhering to the Free Church of the Canton are faring just as the ministers have done. In many cases they have been dismissed. In the parish of Upper Ormont, three teachers, one of whom was a female, had the alternative presented to them of re-entering the National Church or suffering the loss of their situations. They continued steadfast in their profession, and were dismissed. One of the teachers was the father of seven children.

“This persecution portends only evil to the Vaud, but it may be productive of good to the neighbouring Cantons. The Cantons of the Sonderbund are now open to the Protestant preacher since the expulsion of the Jesnits, and present new fields of labour to those against whom the door has been closed in their own Canton. And should the whole of Switzerland come to be interdicted, they can turn to France, where the fields in some places are comparatively white unto the harvest. The Evangelical Society of Geneva waits only an increase of its funds to offer employment in this quarter to the exiled ministers of the Vaud. The documents presented by the page 45 French Prime Minister on Friday night, in the Chamber of Peers, prove incontestably that but for England the Swiss would at this moment have been waging a sanguinary warfare with the combined arms of France and Austria. It is a bad requital which Switzerland has rendered. It is a ruinous policy, too, which she now pursues, and at no distant day will she reap its fruits. Switzerland is now dealing a fatal blow to her industry and arts, for already emigration on a large scale begins to be talked of by the more industrious of her citizens. Her attempt is hopeless, moreover, to crush the gospel and establish pantheism. History may teach her some lessons on this head, and the monuments that surround her are eminently fitted to enforce the lesson. That faith still flourishes which the Dukes of Savoy and the rulers of Piedmont laboured so hard to crush. Persecuted Christianity is like sunset on the Alps. Now the light shades, and seems to be utterly extinct; but anon a fresh glory breaks out, and a ruddy glow runs along the snowy peaks, as if a new sun rise had taken place.”