224 PROF. F. F. ROGET^ ON FREDERIC GODET^ SWISS DIVINE, 



in force. We need scarcely add that Godet's objections to 

 Broad Churchism in the government of the Church did not 

 extend to Broad Church ministers of religion. Ministers of 

 both churches, when once the question of Church government 

 was constitutionally settled, accepted his leadership in works 

 of friendly co-operation, such as furthering the observation 

 of the Lord's Day. 



In 1875 appeared the third edition of his Etudes Bibliques, 

 which went through five French editions, with translations into 

 German, English, Dutch, Spanish. This work of Godet's is the 

 one that was most widely read by the general public. It gained 

 access to all Protestant countries. Its chapters " On Angels " 

 in the first volume (Old Testament), and on " The work 

 of Jesus Christ" in the second volume (N'ew Testament), are 

 masterpieces. 



Another work, La Bible aimoUe, caused him endless trouble. 

 What he, with his fellow-workers, wanted to produce was 

 a popular exegesis of Scripture for plain folk. It began to 

 appear in 1879 in instalments and was completed in 1900, 

 a few months before his death. 



In 1877 he attended the first general Presbyterian Council 

 ill Edinburgh and spoke on the second day. Of course he was 

 quite at home both in Scotland and in London, experiencing 

 in himself what Continental Protestants agree in feeling 

 of Britain, namely, that the barrier between them and the 

 British is purely geographical, though they cannot feel in 

 sympathy with the Eomanising Englishman, who would seem, 

 as a hybrid, to be somewhat out of place anywhere. 



Godet told the Congress that the divinity of Christ, in the 

 days when the sixteenth century confessions of faith were 

 worded, was so obvious to the whole Christian world that 

 it needed no peculiar emphasis in the teaching of any Church. 

 But now it was different. While the sixteenth century believers 

 unanimously asked of Christ, " What hast Thou done for us ? " 

 the Protestants in the nineteenth century said to Him, " We 

 want first to know Who and What Thou art." Godet expressed 

 his regret that the Koman Catholic Church had been allowed 

 by the Protestants to keep a more faithful watch than the 

 lieformed Churches over the corner-stones of the Gospel of 

 Salvation: Incarnation and Expiation. 



We have seen how Godet had a great respect for the 

 " mystery " element in religion. He would not allow intellects 

 to press in too closely upon the mystery of the person of Christ. 

 He expressed clearly this point of view in a little volume 



