tude of mind.

Between Agnosticism and Gnosticism, Theism stands midway, and holds to what is true in each. With Agnosticism, it goes so far as to confess that we cannot know how Being made itself or us. With Gnosticism, it goes so far as to insist that we can know Being's character when made, and how it asks us to behave.

me.

If any one fear that, in insisting so strongly that behavior is the aim and end of every sound philosophy, I have curtailed the dignity and scope of the speculative function in us, I can only reply that in this ascertainment of the character of being lies an almost infinite speculative task. Let the exquisitely subtle and voluminous considerations by which all modern thought converges toward idealistic or, as I should rather call them, pan-psychic, conclusions, speak for Let the pages of a Hodgson, of a Lotze, of a Renouvier, reply whether within the limits drawn by purely empirical Theism the speculative faculty finds not, and shall not always find, enough to do. But, do it little or much, its place in a philosophy is always the same, and is set by the structural form of the mind. Philosophies, whether expressed in sonnets or systems, all must wear this form. The thinker starts from some experience of the practical world, and asks its meaning. He launches himself upon the speculative sea, and makes a voyage long or short. He ascends into the empyrean, and communes with the eternal essences. But, whatever his achievements and discoveries be while gone, the utmost result they can issue in is some new practical maxim or resolve, or the denial of some old one, with which inevitably he is sooner or later washed ashore on the terra firma of concrete life again.

Whatever thought takes this voyage is a philosophy. We have seen how Theism takes it. And, in the philosophy of a thinker, who, though long neglected, is doing much to renovate the spiritual life of his native France to-day (I mean Charles Renouvier, whose writings ought to be better known among us than they are), we have an instructive example of the way in which the very empirical element in Theism, its confession of an ultimate opacity in things, of a

dimension of being that escapes our theoretic control, may suggest a most definite practical conclusion,- this one, namely, that "our wills are free." I will say nothing of Renouvier's line of reasoning. It is contained in six volumes that I earnestly recommend to your attention.* But, to enforce my doctrine that the number of volumes is not what makes the philosophy, let me conclude by recalling to you the little poem of Tennyson, published last year, in which the speculative voyage is made, and the same conclusion reached in a few lines:

"Out of the deep, my child, out of the deep,
From that great deep before our world begins,
Whereon the Spirit of God moves as he will,—
Out of the deep, my child, out of the deep,
From that true world within the world we see,
Whereof our world is but the bounding shore,-
Out of the deep, Spirit, out of the deep,

With this ninth moon that sends the hidden sun
Down yon dark sea, thou comest, darling boy.
For in the world which is not ours, they said,
'Let us make man,' and that which should be man,
From that one light no man can look upon,
Drew to this shore lit by the suns and moons
And all the shadows. O dear Spirit, half-lost
In thine own shadow and this fleshly sign
That thou art thou,— who wailest being born
And banish'd into mystery, ...

... our mortal veil

And shattered phantom of that Infinite One,
Who made thee unconceivably thyself

Out of his whole world-self and all in all;

Live thou, and of the grain and husk, the grape

And ivyberry, choose; and still depart

From death to death through life and life, and find
Nearer and ever nearer Him who wrought

Not matter, nor the finite-infinite,

But this main miracle, that thou art thou,

With power on thine own act and on the world."

WILLIAM JAMES.

* Essais de Critique Générale. 2me édition. Paris, 1875.

THE REFORM CHURCH OF FRANCE:

ITS PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE.

III.

While, as we have seen, it was attempted, by evasion, to effect a settlement of the difficulties in the Church of Paris, the other churches of France made their consistorial and presbyterial elections on the 13th of March, in conformity to the ministerial decree of the 18th of February. The result which had been foreseen did not modify, in any sensible manner, the situation of the parties.

Orthodox and liberals preserved nearly their same positions, except that in a few parishes the liberals gained some seats. It may be remarked that the Reformed Church of France is divided into two very nearly equal fractions; at least, if we can judge by the composition of the ecclesiastical bodies. But, to have a real expression of the condition of things, it is necessary to examine more closely the results of the ballot. We shall then distinctly see a movement toward liberalism assuming form. Finally, the last elections have been remarkable for this: that in a certain number of churches, where the orthodox seemed to rule without dispute until then, a greater or less number of votes were given against orthodox candidates, and some liberal candidates, who had been nominated in advance by a liberal committee, were elected. This reflexive tendency to protest against the party of authority might very much increase, and become serious in the approaching triennial elections. In some urban parishes, with intelligent electors, who know what they want, when the lines of Orthodoxy shall have been broken, a little energy and discipline will suffice to remove some of the present counsellors of

*See Unitarian Review for July, 1881. The author calls attention to the fact that, in the first line of that article, and elsewhere, the unofficial Synod of November and December, 1879, appears by misprint as official. Also, that the law of the 26th of March, 1852, on page 45, and several times elsewhere in these articles, is by mistake dated in 1862 and 1872.

the Church. Besides, in proportion as republican ideas become better understood, as they penetrate the popular masses, liberal religious opinions will naturally make their way. For those who hold opinions from reflection, and who take into account the connection of ideas, liberalism in politics carries with it liberalism in religion. The phenomenon of conscience, showing itself liberal in politics and arbitrary in religion, can be only an inconsistent anomaly or deliberate untruth, consequently without moral value. Our sense of right cannot be so inconsistent. The principle of liberty cannot sustain such distraction without danger of being discredited and disappearing.

It may, then, be affirmed that, if the political future of France belongs to the Republic, the religious future belongs to liberal Protestantism. Orthodoxy itself, while styling and believing itself absolutely pure, has yet made very visible progress during the last twenty-five years, even in the pulpit. It uses more reserve in its affirmations; it parades the fear of hell less frequently before its auditors; it takes much less delight in the subtle analysis of the trinity; it condemns few to eternal pain; it demands no longer mechanical and instantaneous conversion; in a word, the orthodox preacher has become more reasonable, more humane. But it is only in ideas that Orthodoxy has made. progress: its ecclesiastical system is not appreciably changed. There it remains, intolerant, haughty, and exclusive. A proof of this is furnished in the last triennial elections. The Ministerial Circular of the 30th of August stipulated that the elections should be made without taking into account the synodal conditions. Now, certain consistories, among others that of Toulouse, replied boldly to the Minister of Worship that they would not be governed by the circular, and that they would apply the synodal conditions. The minister, having received no protest, allowed this to go on. But the fact proves, at least, that in ecclesiastical matters Orthodoxy is intractable, and that it knows very well how to say, Hoc volo, sic jubeo. Nevertheless, when the insubordination goes too far, the minister will know

how to recall the refractory to the observance of the law; and, as has already been seen, those men who have taken the loftiest tone will yield, and will likewise make apology, if it is necessary.—unless indeed they withdraw in order to found a separate church, which is in no wise probable.

Since the consistorial and presbyterial elections have taken place, the President of the Republic has signed a very important decree, which puts an end to the provisional situation of the mixed Faculty, Lutheran and Reformed, established in Paris for these two churches. This decree of the 7th of May, brought into a legal condition, a condition of permanent right, that which had been only provisional and experimental.-namely, the division of the Professors of the Faculty into equal numbers between the two churches. To understand this it is necessary to know that in the ancient Faculty of Strasburg, which was mainly Lutheran. there was only one professor for the Reform Church, a professor of dogmatics. This was logicall because the st dents of the Reformed Church were few in number, and in a manner the exceptions. Since the war of 197--71 azi the loss of Alsace, the Lutheran Church in Franse is the fortunately greatly reduced. It has since then only the precincts of Montbeliard and Paris, and these furnish onl a small number of theclogical students. When the Faculty of Strasburg was reorganized at Paris, the Minister of W:2ship named an equal number of professors for each of the two churches. Experience has demonstrated that the mis ister acted in the interest of both the barikes. It is this condition of things which the decree of the 7th of May has rendered legal and definitive.

Nothing orald be more just than this equality before the law; azi teemed that all Protestants Lutherans as wel as Reformed, ought to approve the decree. The bas bot however, been the case Luthers orthodox and Reformed orthodox have on the sontrary, been very much dissatisfed. although the very different reasona The Lutherus this relates only to the orthodox for the liberals have applauded the decree of the 7th of May, withed to have their Faculty