202 PilOF. F. F. EOGET_, ON FEEDERIC GODET, SWISS DIVINE^ 



many young Swiss ui-.ed to do, and are still in the habit of doing, 

 principally in order to complete their theological studies in a 

 congenial atmosphere), Lutheran Germany must exercise a 

 greater attraction upon a Protestant than France, which could 

 not but appear, from Godet's point of view, as being too libertine, 

 too Eoman, too revolutionary or too profane : too libertine in 

 morals, too Eoman in religion, too revolutionary in politics, too 

 profane in philosophy. 



I am prepared to say that, had there been, at Oxford or 

 Cambridge, a University, College or Faculty of Theology, set 

 out on German lines, but in the hands of the Church of 

 England, whose recognised repository of doctrine it might 

 have been, such men as Godet, Naville, Vinet, and Eoget would 

 have repaired to this place willingly to complete their studies. 



In the political and ecclesiastic relations belonging to each 

 of these in Church or State, their conception of Christianity, 

 their public doctrine and conduct showed a striking agreement 

 with the doctrine and conduct of English Churchmen in like 

 circumstances in their own Church. 



The Swiss divines mentioned above, though complete 

 strangers to the " internals " of the Church of England, such 

 as the form of worship and the episcopacy, were led to the 

 same conception as most of the Anglican clergy on the relations 

 of the Church to the Gospels and Old Testament on one hand, 

 and to the State on the other hand. 



Godet hardly visited England at all and knew but little 

 English. He was a little more at home in Scotland. Yet 

 English divines sought him out in his home quite as much as 

 Scotch ministers. They read his translated works. His con- 

 tributions to the religious Press of Britain were cpiite English 

 in spirit and in tone. It is not open to doubt tliat the Swiss 

 mind, however Calvinistic or Zwinglian it may have been 

 before it grew up to its true identity, has shown itself through- 

 out the nineteenth century to be nearer to the Anglican than 

 to the Lutheran mind. This, I hope, will appear as I proceed, 

 with the help here and there of a suital)le illustration. 



At Berlin, young Godet's first call was paid at the State 

 Office for Neuchiitel affairs, just as a young AustraHan might 

 pay his first London visit upon the agents for his colony in 

 Victoria Street, Westminster. 



The Neuchatelois were among the most trusted servants of 

 his Prussian Majesty. This traditional confidence is still 

 reposed in some families by the Hohenzollern Emperors of 

 Germany. The German Ambassador to St. Petersburg, for 



