From this period dates also the foreign-mission work of the Protestant Church. a history of al most unparalleled zeal and self-sacrifice. The Society of Evangelical 'Missions was founded in 1822: the first missionaries went to South Africa in 1829. The mission-fields are now seven in number. in Africa. the Society Islands, and Madagascar. In 1901 the expenditures of the society were over 2,00(1.0(10 francs.
Protestant journalism also dates from the re vival. Le Seineun founded in 1831, enjoyed the collaboration of Vinet. Le- Lien was founded in 1810 by the elder Athanase Coquerel (q.v.). to counteract the growing tendency to disintegra tion—a vain effort. as it proved. The narrow if profound evangelicalism of the revival pro duced a reaction. fostered by the liberal teach ings of the theological school at Strassburg, which ended in the scission of 1S42 between the orthodox and lih•ral wings of the Reformed Church, still hell together by their relation to the State. The question of the relations between the Church and this State became a capital one Vinet wrote a book advocating separation, and would have headed such a movement but for the powerful opposition of Guizot. The learned of that day strongly advocated it; in 1847 Lamar tine declared that separation would not lie too dearly purchased by a revolution. The next year (184S) the Count de Gasparin (see GAsrARIN, AGENOI: ETIE.N.NE) and FriWrie Monod headed the Free Church movement. In IS49 the Union of Free Evangelical Churches of France was formed. based quite as much upon individual religious experience. in opposition to the for malism of the Reformed Church. as upon the separation of Church and State. This movement, never numerically important, barely reaching the number of fifty churches in all France. has yet been notable for the ability of its leaders Pressens•, Bersier. liollard. the donods—and for its support to the orthodox, as against the liberal. wing of the Reformed Church.
The year 1852 saw a new impulse in the Church. The Sunday-School Union and the French Protestant 'Historical Society date from this year. and celebrated their jubilees in the summer of 1902. From this year dates also the movement toward the restoration of the synodal organization of the Reformation days. which appears now (1903) to have almost reached frui tion. In 1859 the celebration of the tercen tenary of the first synod of the Reformed Churches showed the deep attachment of the peo ple to the traditions of the past.
During all this time the liberal ferment was working in the Church. a spirit_ not so niti•h of unorthodoxy as of freedom. The attempt of the elder Coquerel to draw the two wings together proved sadly abortive when, in 1864. atter a conflict of several years. the ?ounger Athanase Coquerel was tried for heresy, under the leader ship of Guizot, for having hailed Renan's Lifc of Jesus as a sign of revived interest in religious studies. while combating his views as to the
person of Christ. Coquerel defended himself nobly. but was condemned. by 12 voices to :3. in the Con sistory of Paris, and in spite of the protest of S000 church members of that city he de posed from the ministry. the State not interfer ing, as he was suffragant, not titular. pastor. Ile continued to preach. however. tieing supported by the Protestant Liberal Union (founded in 1860). Guizot's victory in this ease nearly cost him his seat in the eonsistory. At the next elec tion he was returned only by a majority of 8 in a vote of 2600.
In the Franco-Prussian War many Protes tant pastors rendered distinguished service. At its close the Reformed Church took up the ques tion of reorganization. the Lutheran that of the inroads caused by the loss of Alsace. which robbed it of 3S consistorie: and 191 parishes, while the Reformed Churches had lost 5 con sistories and 26 parishes.
The twenty-ninth General Synod of the Re formed Churches had been held in 1659. Six synods held in 'the Desert' during the eentury of persecution had not been of national extent. The thirtieth synod was convoked by President "briers in 1872, at the instance of Guizot. The synod memorialized President niers in favor of dis establishment. but in vain. A strong lint vain effort was made to bring together the two wings of the Church. Since that time, no official synod of the whole Church being possible, the orthodox wing has met triennially in 'officious' synod. the liberal wing in fraternal nssembly, both bodies electing representatives to the Permanent Com mittee, which alone is recognized by Govern ment.
Of late years. in view of the anti-Protestant movement of the ultramontane party in the Catholic Church. and of the rapid spread of atheistic socialism, both wing: of the Chureh have recognized the importance of union. and have earnestly sought a common doctrinal basis. Failing in this effort. in 1S99 delegates from both bodies met in Lyons and formed a prac tical union for work in the Lea!nus for the MOral and Social Improvement of the Country. This leafrue was immediately joined by the Free and Lutheran churches, and by the Methodist and Baptist missionary churches. At the orieions synod at Anduze. in May. 1902, the serious effort to find a basis of doctrinal agreement again failed. but was prophetie of union in the near future. At this synod the unanimous adoption of a resolution asking for disestablishment placed the Reformed Church in line with the advocates of Church disestablishment in France.
The establishment of the Third Republie had been the signal for a forward evangelistic move ment. to which the founding of the Ifi.cRion Pope lnire in 1871 by the Rev. Robert MeAll, of England, contributed much. (See Mc