Now I come to the particular characteristics of our sabbath school, and which I have noted from seeing what have been the characteristics of English schools as brought out by the speeches made yesterday and to-day. One is the great facility which we generally possess for enforcing order. We opened our eyes when we heard the question asked, "How do you insure order if you have no force used?" and especially when we heard that in former times the rod was employed in the English Sunday school. Our schools are so well known to be of a strictly religious character, and the presence of the minister is so general, that it is one of the characteristics of our schools that they are orderly and quiet; and during the whole of my experience in connection with them, which extends over more than eighteen years, I only remember of one case in which a refractory boy had to be turned out, and even that case was not in France, but in Switzerland.

Another characteristic of our schools is this, that in consequence of the very general extension of education amongst us, we have no need to teach anything secular; even reading is not taught in our Sunday schools. A few, it is true, but I do not think there are ten, which were established and organized at first on the English plan, continue teaching to read, but in all our schools in Paris-most of which I have visited-there is no class for this purpose, so that we have nothing to do but to impart religious instruction. Another characteristic is, that in the greater number of our schools there is no book used but the Bible. I do not state this with any view to express an opinion as to whether it is right or wrong, or with any intention of entering at all upon the question of the use of catechisms, but simply that you may know the fact; and whether you approve or condemn it, we have few schools in France where there are any catechisms used. But in some parts of our country, we, not having so early as you did the cheap tenpenny Bibles, were obliged to have extracts from the Bible printed to put into the hands of our children; but everywhere we use the words of Scripture without any addition, so that we may say after all, that nothing but the Bible is in use in our Sunday schools. You have heard of the part which the ministers take in the conduct of these schools. Indeed, in France the Sunday school is in some cases first a service held by the minister, who knows he must take care of the lambs as well as the sheep; and it is only in after times that, finding he cannot do the whole work, he has asked the members of the church to form the children into groups or classes, because with us there is no subordination from first to last, but all are equal. We have had some difficulty in getting teachers, and the reason is, I believe, the very high estimate which church members form of the office of teacher, knowing that formerly the ministers alone were the teachers of the whole school. I confess I have been astonished, when visiting English schools, to see sometimes persons acting as teachers who ought to be sitting on the form as scholars,-young people who knew nothing of the science of teaching, and very little of the

matter which they ought to teach. But in France, when persons are asked by the minister to join in the work, they sometimes say, "This is a co-pastorate: we are not fit to undertake it;" and when the minister prevails upon them, it is generally those who are the oldest in the church, the mothers of families, who know what children are by experience, and also schoolmasters and schoolmistresses. Hence we have fewer teachers and larger classes; but upon the whole the average is superior to that of other countries. I am requested to say something in reference to our general Sunday school children's meeting in Paris, which is held once a year. We have every year a large gathering of all the Sunday scholars in the city of Paris. We thought at first it would be very difficult to get such a meeting, and that if we had it, we could easily place all the children in one of our churches. The number, however, was very large, and it has increased so much that of late years we have had to hire, at considerable expense, the largest place we could have. Some 2,500 children were present this year, and there were about 2,200 parents who wanted to see the sight, as well as 500 or 600 other Protestants; so that, instead of having that meeting an open one, as our meetings usually are, we were obliged to issue tickets and limit the number, and a great many were disappointed because they could not get in. I believe these meetings have had a good effect upon the children, upon the ministers, upon the Protestant population, and I may say upon the whole of the inhabitants. One day, when the children were going from the different schools in Paris, a lady happened to pass by, and seeing them gathering to one point, she asked, "What are all these children coming for? What is the matter?" A little girl standing by said to her, "Madame, we are Protestants." "Dear me!" said the lady, with a look of utter astonishment, "I never thought there were so many Protestants in the whole of France." Well, you see it has done good in this respect, and our meetings are going on increasing rapidly. We have thirtyfive Sunday schools in Paris alone. They meet together once a year, and the children are happy in singing the hymns which you sing here, though in French words; and I assure you that that is one of the great encouragements we have. I will not occupy your time further than to say how happy I am to be present on this interesting occasion, and to wish you God-speed in your work of faith and labour of love.

Rev. Professor NAGEL, of Neuchâtel, addressed the meeting as follows:Sir, It is with great satisfaction that I have accepted your brotherly invitation, and the commission that your brethren of the cantons of Geneva and Neuchâtel have confided to me. It is not because I, nor those whom I represent, have anything to teach you. It is not that we have anything new or particular to communicate to you. But the subject which occupies us this week is of the highest interest for us, and we feel deeply how much we have to learn for the work which we have before us. Receive us, then, in all our poverty, dear and beloved friends, and receive us with the same

kind sympathy that you show to your own Sunday scholars. We come to you as simple scholars, and we do so with the sincere desire of profiting by all the excellent lessons that you have already given us, and that we shall still receive. But in order to be able to assist us, you must know what is at present done in our country for Sunday schools, and that is what I will endeavour to communicate to you.

Sunday schools have existed in French Switzerland for more than thirty years. Every one has heard of the Sunday school that Mr. Gaussen has for so many years conducted in so attractive and so instructive a manner, and the excellent works, such as "Daniel le Prophète," "Le Premier Chapitre de la Genèse Expliqué," &c., and the "Catéchismes Autographiés," which he prepared especially for them. This school was for a long time the only one of its kind at Geneva. The children who were drawn to the things of God eagerly flocked to it; and it was, in fact, an adult as well as a children's school, so many men and women came to hear with pleasure these simple and familiar lessons.

Thanks to God, good is contagious as well as evil, though unfortunately not to the same degree. Several other schools like this of Mr. Gaussen were opened in Geneva. The Sunday schools of Geneva belong especially, but not exclusively, to the evangelical church called De l'Oratoire. Those in the country belong equally to both churches, the National and the Free Church. The statistics for these last we do not possess; we can only give you the particulars respecting those of the town. The three classes of L'Oratoire number 280 children; that of Pré l'Evêque, which is conducted by Mrs. Merle d'Aubigné, 80; that of Pâquis about 160; that of Plainpalais, about 40; and that of Coutance, which is conducted by Dr. Lombard, about 80. That will be, for the evangelical church of Geneva, a total of about 650 children, in five different Sunday schools. All these schools are, more or less, organized after the model of Mr. Gaussen's, which may be called the normal Sunday school for all French Switzerland.

But the town of Geneva, so spiritually favoured and blessed, has not only participated in the Sunday school movement by the formation of Sunday schools, properly so called. The catechizations, or services for children, instituted in all the Reformed Churches by the Reformers themselves, have in French Switzerland, perhaps more than elsewhere, always been considered as an essential part of the service and the life of a church. Now, these catechetical services, carefully preserved in the National Church of Geneva, have themselves participated in the movement of the Sunday schools, and have been impregnated with all the living and vivifying elements of the Sunday schools. This, however, does not apply to the catechizations of the country, nor to what is called, in Geneva, "le grand catéchisme," intended for scholars between fourteen and sixteen. These last are yet delivered from the pulpit, and have entirely preserved their original form. The minister explains, consecutively, evangelical truths

and the duties which they enjoin. The scholars are not called upon to play an active part, and there are no teachers. This latter is the peculiar service instituted by our Reformers, which has remained to this day in all the national churches of French Switzerland.

There has been established in Geneva, for the younger scholars, between six and fourteen years, in the place of this, five catechetical services, in which 1,566 children are gathered together, viz., in the Temple de l'Auditoire, 150; in the Temple de la Madelaine, 220; in the Temple Neuf, 240; in the Temple de St. Gervais, 826; and in the Temple de Mont Brillant, 130. These 1,566 scholars are subdivided in classes, each of which is placed under the charge of a teacher. Each teacher is occupied with his class during half an hour, after which the minister delivers a general address, explaining the passage which is to be learned during the week, and repeated the following Sunday. For the Old Testament is used a Biblical History; and for the New Testament the New Testament itself.

These services are, you perceive, in reality, Sunday schools. This radical reform took place in 1853, and from that time matters have gone on to the satisfaction of all. It is the most real and substantial progress that has been made for some time past in the National Church of Geneva.

At the same time that Mr. Gaussen assembled nearly 500 children to hear the word of God, and explained to them the Scriptures with so much simplicity and love, an humble and fervent Christian, who was employed in the police, commenced the same work at Neuchâtel. It was about 1830. Commencing with four children, this Sunday school, watered by his fervent prayers, increased rapidly during his life, and has not ceased increasing to this time. We had the joy of numbering this last winter 776 scholars, without reckoning an infant school of more than 100 children, making together 850 children attending our two Sunday schools, in a small town of about 7,000 or 8,000 inhabitants, of which nearly 1,000 are Roman Catholics or Jews. This number is all the more remarkable, because, side by side with these Sunday schools, there is an official service, which all children above twelve years must attend.

The largest of these schools is conducted by a superintendent, who is assisted by seventy-seven teachers, each of them having his own class. The lesson on Sunday is given by the superintendent himself, but each teacher receives the children of his class once a week in his own house for an hour, to pray with them, to practise singing, to change the books of the Sunday school library, and to go over the superintendent's lesson, or to give them another, reading with them such portions of the Scriptures as he may think fit. Each child has his own Bible and hymn book, bought at a moderate price, paid either at once or by instalments, according to circumstances.

The example given by the town has been followed by the whole canton

of Neuchâtel. In a population of about 75,000 souls, we have the joy of reckoning no less than ninety Sunday schools known to us, in which from 4,000 to 5,000 children assemble every Sunday, in addition to our official services, established in all our parishes, directed by evangelical pastors, and which all children above twelve years of age must attend.

The French part of the canton of Berne, attached by so many ties to the canton of Neuchâtel, has participated in this movement in a delightful manner. We reckon there one or more Sunday schools in every parish; but it is impossible for us to indicate with exactitude the number of these schools, or the number of the children attending them.

Here you have, Mr. Chairman, the exterior of our work. As to the interior, as to the life of our schools, the joy with which our children flock there, the blessing which our Lord has caused to rest upon these precious juvenile gatherings, how can we appreciate it at its full value? We can only judge of this by certain facts, which, it is true, do not give the exact measure, but which, however, demonstrate to a certain degree the spirit which animates our schools. You must understand that the following remarks are especially applied to the Sunday school of Neuchâtel, the only one which is perfectly known to me, since I have had the privilege of conducting it for eight years.

1. We can say that generally our children flock eagerly to our Sunday school. It is the instruction which they require, because it is perfectly adapted to their natural wants; because there is neither formality nor stiffness; because all is easy, natural, simple, familiar, cheerful, as it ought to be for the young. Thus our children have a lively and deep affection for their Sunday school. Often the children have requested, with tears, their parents to permit them to attend the school, against which these parents entertained prejudices. Often the children have endured with courage the persecution and mockery of a blind father or mother, rather than give up the school. For many, the greatest punishment that their parents can inflict, is to prohibit their attending the Sunday school. "With this threat," several of the parents have told me, "we obtain all that we desire." Finally, we are often compelled to send away from the school those above seventeen years, in order to make room for others younger, the want of room being a great hindrance to us.

2. Our friends in England and America may, perhaps, regret that the superintendent alone gives the instruction in our school, and that we do not carry out the class system to the same extent as here. But I believe that if they had followed the history of our schools from the beginning, and if they knew more of the spirit of our population, and the condition of our children, they would encourage us to persevere in the way in which we have entered. We have not, generally speaking, that admirable independence of character which enables the Anglo-Saxon, as soon as he is led to Jesus, to become not only a professor, but also a preacher, and, whether he