THE LATE REV. ARTHUR TRIGGS. - The Gospel Magazine

The Gospel Magazine. 373
to Bretons residing in Paris and other places out of Brittany. In Havre
and the Channel Islands, this missionary work has led to the settlement
of a resident evangelist.
We conclude this occasional paper with the following letter recently
received from Pasteur Lecoat:-
My DEAR DR. BULLINGER,
With regard to our report,-the report of the colportage and of the
" occasional" paper, we are obliged to employ the utmost prudence,
more than has ever been found necessary in the past.
Already, in consequence of our having published a short report of our
flax mill, the Jesuits in the district have leagued themselves against
us, and have rendered much more difficult our buying and selling
operations.
The short conversations which our colporteurs have on the right
hand and on the left, as they call at the houses to offer their books, reported
in the Treme1ois, make them appear as spies, so that in many
districts the people now dare not open their hearts to them. The
secret agents of the Jesuits watch and spy on us everywhere in order
to know if we are a society i for, if they were able to prove that such
was the case, all our property would be sold.
The Jesuits even organize, where they can, secret armed bands in all
directions to commence a civil war if it were possible. Extreme
prudence, reserve in accordance with it, and conduct without equivocation,
are all necessary.
It is now war to the death between the French Government and
Rome, between civil rights and clericalism. It is the hour when
education will be taken out of the hands of the congregations, or the
Ministry will fall.
We are in God's hands, and do not remain idle.
It will be now nearly fifteen years since, thanks to the Trinitarian
Society, the Bretons have had the Scriptures, and the change that has
passed over the greater part of the country is immense. A large
number of the superstitions have disappeared; the phantoms, sorcerers,
and ghost-s exist no longer, except in the brains of some old folk.
Faith in the sacred plants of the Druids, in miraculous springs, etc.,
one does not now hear spoken of; there still remains the idolatry of
Rome held together more by form than belief.
It is the order of the priests to pray for the dead and to give offetings
to patron saints, but the pilgrimages diminish, and if it were not from
the force of example they would fall to the ground.
Instead of this one now sees :-
I. In many houses the- Bible has replaced the" Lives of the Saints"
-a tissue of falsehoods which was read and venerated by the Bretons.
11. In many localities centres for meetings have been opened.
Ill. Many sceptics and drunkards have been converted and become
preachers of the Gospel.
IV. Young people who have heard the preaching of the Word have