The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

EVANGELISTIC AGENCIES IN GERMANY AND FRANCE. 539the impassioned masses from the political arena into thesilent halls of penitence. The device is seen through andcontemned.The lower orders, instead of being conciliated,are becoming every day more hostile, and are likely to continueso, so long as the government and the priesthood pursuetheir re-actionary and coercive course.In all the Catholiccountries north of the Alps, we see the same indicationsof the decline of Catholicism which, according to Gibbon,signalized the decline of Paganism : the cathedrals are ingreat measure deserted, and the few who do frequent themare mostly women and elderly gentlemen. Enter NotreDame in the forenoon of a Sabbath, and inan edifice thatwould accommodate from ten thousand to twenty thousand,you find a congregation of some three or four hundreds, andthese mostly ladies and gentlemen who were born under theold regime. The modern Parisians go to the clubs or theBoulevards.In Lyons, the ecclesiastical capital of France,matters are in much the same state. In its numerous andmagnificentcathedrals the priests sing mass in presence ofa few hundreds, while the thousands of the city outsideintent on their labours or their amusements.areAs a missionfieldthere are few more inviting than France. We findDr Merle D'Aubigne bearing his testimony to this fact ata recent meeting of the Foreign Aid Society in London." The Lord has breathed on this country," writes our evangelistin the east of France ;" the way is open everywhere,and I do not know which way to turn." " It is impossiblenot to have meetings," says another ;" for no sooner doesone enter a house than all the neighbours come in also."You know that we have churches in Burgundy, full ofspiritual life, who missionize, and are composed entirelyof converted Romanists. Has Dr Wiseman any churchesin England entirely made up of converted Protestants?It has happened that entire parishes almost have declaredthat they would leave the Pope, and have invited a ministerof Christ to come and dwell among them; and the municipalitieshave offered to defray all expenses of the service.