REFORMED CHURCH. 



709 



intention to restore the Reformed Church to 

 its ancient privileges, but never carried it into 

 effect. On the 19th of November, 1871, M. 

 Thiers, President of the Republic, signed a de- 

 cree restoring to the Church the function of 

 holding provincial and national synods, and 

 authorizing the election of delegates to a synod 

 which was to meet on the 6th of June, 1872. 



The meeting of the synod was anticipated 

 with great interest by the Protestants not 

 only of France, but of other states of Europe, 

 and of America. During the period which 

 had elapsed since the meeting of any body 

 which could speak with authority for the Re- 

 formed Church, a diversity in faith had been 

 developed among its pastors and members. A 

 "liberal" or Unitarian party had grown up, 

 and acquired much strength under the cham- 

 pionship of its leader, M. Athanase Coquerel. 

 The increasing influence of this party gave 

 great offence to the " Evangelical " members 

 of the Reformed Church, and to the orthodox 

 denominations generally. A disruption had 

 already occurred in the body, about twenty- 

 five years before, when a portion of the 

 Church, led by Mr. Frederick Monod, seceded 

 on account of the laxity in doctrine which 

 was allowed, and formed the union of the 

 Evangelical Churches of France. The Evan- 

 gelical party, believing themselves to be still 

 the stronger party in the Church, hoped, if 

 the synod were held, to be able to commit it 

 to a fixed basis of doctrine, which would ex- 

 clude all Unitarianism and rationalism, and 

 place the Church among those of pronounced 

 orthodox faith. This subject was fully dis- 

 cussed during the months which elapsed be- 

 tween the calling and the meeting of the 

 synod, and was the most important feature in 

 the programme of the orthodox party. 



The synod met in the Temple du Saint- 

 Esprit, Paris, on the 6th of June, 1872. The 

 division of parties was made manifest from 

 the beginning of the session, when the mem- 

 bers of the synod, following the fashion of 

 the National Assembly, seated themselves ac- 

 cording to their affiliations, on the Right and 

 Left, and in the Centre. The orthodox mem- 

 bers occupied the Right and Right Centre, and 

 the Liberal members the Left and Left Cen- 

 tre. Pastor Bastie, of Bergerac (orthodox), was 

 elected moderator by a majority of eleven 

 votes over Pastor Yiguier, of Nimes (liberal). 

 An address of thanks was voted to M. Thiers 

 for issuing the decree by which the meeting 

 of the synod was authorized. The first three 

 days were spent mainly in settling the minor 

 arrangements. The vote on the election of a 

 moderator had shown that the orthodox party 

 were in the ascendant in the synod, and that, 

 if any determination were made on doctrine, 

 it would be in favor of their views. In order 

 to prevent this, a motion was made in behalf 

 of the Left, declaring " that the synod, as it 

 does not really represent the Church, since 

 some consistories are larger than others, be 



regarded only as a consultative assembly, with 

 no powers to make any organic or constitu- 

 tional law." This motion was rejected, and 

 the competency of the synod to legislate for 

 the Church was declared by a vote of 61 

 to 45. 



M. le Professeur Blois proposed a profession 

 of faith in the following terms : 



At the moment of renewing the series of her syn- 

 ods, interrupted during so many years, the Eeformed 

 Church of France feels, before all else, the need to 

 return thanks to God, and to testify her love to 

 Jesus Christ, her Divine Head, who has sustained 

 and consoled her throughout so many trials. She 

 declares herself to remain faithful to those principles 

 of faith and liberty on which she was founded. 

 "With her fathers and martyrs of the Confession of 

 Kochelle, with all the churches of the Eeformation 

 under their different creeds, she proclaims : The 

 sovereign authority of the Holy Scriptures in matters 

 of faith and salvation 2 by faith in Jesus Christ, only 

 Son of God, who died for our offences and rose 

 again for our justification. She preserves, therefore, 

 and she maintains, as the basis of her teaching, her 

 public worship and her discipline, the great Chris- 

 tian facts represented in her sacraments, celebrated 

 in her religious solemnities, and expressed in her 

 liturgies, more especially in the confession of sins, 

 in the Apostles' Creed, and the liturgy of the Holy 

 Supper. 



An animated debate of ten days' duration 

 ensued upon this confession, atf the end of 

 which it was adopted by a vote of 61 to 45, as 

 the basis of the doctrine of the Church. Mo- 

 tions by the liberals that the confession should 

 be simply communicated to the churches under 

 the form of a synodical letter; that it should 

 be simply recommended to the churches, and 

 not obligatory upon them ; and that no disci- 

 plinary consequences should follow its promul- 

 gation, were voted down by the same majority 

 as that by which the confession was adopted. 



Xhe following rule regarding the qualifica- 

 tion of electors was adopted : 



"An elector in the Church must declare 

 himself heartily attached (de cosur) to the 

 Protestant Reformed Church of France, and 

 to the revealed truth, as it is contained in the 

 sacred books of the Old and New Tesaments." 

 This rule received 77 votes. No votes were 

 recorded against it, but 24 members abstained 

 from voting, and 7 were absent. Proposals 

 were made to the Left for the representation 

 of minorities in churches in the various bodies, 

 but they were not acceded to. 



The following rule was adopted in reference 

 to the admission of candidates for the minis- 

 try : " Every candidate for the ministry in the 

 Reformed Church of France must adhere to 

 the faith of the Church as defined by the Gen- 

 eral Synod at the beginning of the session." 

 This received 62 votes to 39 cast against it. 

 Seven members were absent. 



The general effect of the action of the synod 

 is to permit the Unitarian members and min- 

 isters to remain in the Church and to vote, 

 upon declaring attachment to the Church and 

 the revealed truth of the Old and New Testa- 

 ments, but to prevent the ordination, in the 



