Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The New Zealand Evangelist

France.—Progress of the Gospel.—

France.—Progress of the Gospel.—

At a meeting of the Edinburgh Continental Society, in January last, the Rev. Mr. Burgess, of Chelsea, said—

“There are 35,000,000 of a population in France, and of these not more than 5,000,000 live in towns of any size; the other 30,000,000 live in the communes or rural districts. Of this community 2,000,000 cell themselves Protestants (though many that went under that designation are rationalists, infidels, &c.), and the remainder are for the most part either sunk into the depths of Popish superstition or loose infidelity. But, on the other hand, it was a gratifying fact, and one which showed the great progress which had been made in France, that although in 1818 there was only fourteen pastors of evangelical principles, who held also the great truths essential to true religion, there were now 200 pastors in that country, regularly appointed with congregations, who have given in their adhesion to the orthodox faith. The way, he said, in which the Gospel is spread in France is this,—first, a colporteur, dressed in the garb of a peasant, with a leathern bag slung over his shoulder, in which he carries a supply of Bibles, Testaments, tracts, &c., penetrates into the most remote districts of the country, and sells them to the peasants. Sometimes he disposes of a good many in one village, which he instantly communicates to an evangelist, who immediately pays a visit to the village, and expound in a plain, unpretending manner, portions of the Scripture to the people, until at length he is followed by a pastor, who forms the converts into a regular congregation. But a great barrier had been thrown in the way of the colporteurs and evangelists by the law of France. It was generally thought that that law conferred religious liberty upon all, but the fact is not so.”

We shall be delighted if the new government of France act on more enlightened principles.