French Protestants

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 35, 27 August 1903, Page 1

French Protestants

In his ' French and English ' (p. 155) Hamerton, a Protestant writer, says : ' The French Protestants form

a little i world apart, which (except, perhaps, in the most Protestant districts, and they are of jsmall extent) appears to be outside the current of the national life. Just as, in England, you may live in the upper classes for a lifetime without having once been inside a Dissenter's house, or seen a Dissenter eat, so, in France, aristocratic people go from the cradle to the grave without having seen the inside of an " evangelical " home.' This, however, the anti-Oathohc Hamerton does- not attribute to religious bigotry, or ' that evil-spirited intolerance which hates the Protestant as a schismatic' Protestantism— or, rather, two forms of Protestantism, the Lutheran and the Calvinist— are, and have long been, established religions in France, and draw from the Treasury annual subventions amounting to £59,800.

Numerically, commercially, and socially, French, Protestants form an insignificant portion of the population of the country. Some time ago, however, we published figures which show that, since the war against religion began in France, they have occupied a position in the administration of the country out of all proportion to their numerical strength iv the population. Within the past few Veeks this fact has, for the second time, been advanced as a proof of the superior quality of the French Protestants by a member of an organisation that ' has been shrieking itself into hysterics over the wholly groundless suspicion that Catholics hold a preponderance in the public service of Australia and New Zealand. But one 'no more looks to the yellow agony for consistency than for truth or fairness or good taste. A book by E. Camut, just published by the Libriarie Bloud et Cie., Paris— a copy of which is in our hands— furnishes curious evidence in point. ' For many years past,' says the author (p. 129) they (Protestants) have complete control in the Ministry of Public Instruction and in that of the colonies. For fifteen years the Ministers who have succeeded each other in the latter Ministry have always been Protestants.' And then he goes on to state that the Education Acts which banished the name of God from the schools and tend to dechristianise the youth of the country, were diawn up by Jules Ferry (whose wife is an adherent of one of the Reformed creeds), with the aid of Mm. Buisson, Steeg, and Pecaut, who arc Protestant pastors and high university officials. M Liard, Director of Higher Instruction, and M. Kabier, Director of Secondary Instruction, are both Protestants. M Bayet, Director of Primary Instruction, is (says the author) ' a Freemason, who surrounds himself with Protestants' The Inspector-General of Male Schools belongs to the favored creed. So do Madame Kergomarde, Inspect rc.ssGeneral of Female Schools, M. Gaston Perrot, Director of the Superior Male Normal School in Paris, the Directress of the Female Normal School at Fontenay-aux-Roses, and many others.

4 There are,' says M. Camut (p 133), ' at the piesent time(l9o2) in France, 28 Protestant prefects. In proportion to population, they are nine times more numerous than Catholics. There are 400 Protestant magistrates ; proportionally there should be 58 Theie are eight paymasters-general, whereas, proportionately, there ought to be only two. In the Chamber which was dissolved in 1902, there were 80 Protestants , proportionately, there ought only to nave been 15.' Catholic officials are subiected to galling espionage, are deprncM of their just advancement, and, for the smalles-t or no pretext, dismissed the service in disgrace. The stipends paid to the Catholic clergy are a partial indemnity for the spoliation of Church "property which took place in the lurid days of the Revolution of 1789 This indemnity, says M. Camut (p. 131) 'is not to be placed on the same footing as the salaries of civil functionaries nor of the Protestant pastors, from whom the Revolution took away nothing ; it is a debt due by the State ' 'Moreover,' he continues, 'out of 71,188 priests, only 43,381 receive an indemnity. The greater part of the

parish priests draw 900 francs (about £36) a year ; 7000 curates receive only 458 francs (about £18 6s) each per annum. The salary allowed by the State to the least Protestant pastor is 1800 francs (£72).' Moreover, two Protestant theological colleges draw from the public funds an annual grant of 26,000 francs (£1,040), while the 86 Catholic seminaries do not receive a cent. • The Government,' says M. Camut, • always pays the PiotesUnt pastors with religious regularity, and does not trouble its head about what they say or do. Yet their stipends are not, like those of the Catholic clergy, the payment of a just debt. Catholic priests, on the contrary, on the unsupported accusation of a member of a secret society, or any politican, find their indemnity unjustly suppressed, without being afforded an opportunity to offer a defence or an explanation.' ,We have no reason, to suppose that the Protestant body in France has any sympathy with the fierce and persistent persecution of the Catholic faith in France. But it is unfortunate that so many representatives of the Reformed creeds should be intimately associated with the administration of the infamous penal code which now disgraces the statute-book of a country whose official signboard bears the words : ' Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.' Verily, France is in a parlous state. ' O nation miserable, With an untitled tyrant bloody-scepter'd When shalt thou see thy wholesome days again ? '