Eef aimed Church. — The highest judicatory of the Ke- formed Church, as alreadj' stated, is the Conseil Gineral (Central Council) at Paris. The decree of 1852, which established this council, ordered that it should lie com- posed, " for the first time, of eminent Protestants ap- p(jintcd by the government, together with the two old- est pastors in Paris." How vacancies are to be filled Avas not stated. Its president for 18G8 was General Dautheville, of the Engineers ; secretary, JF. Sayous, sul)-directorof the non-Catholic cults in the Ministrj'of "Worship. Besides them there were 11 other members. The Council is the organ of communication between the Reformed Church and the government of the state. Its functions arc not clearly defined, and its working, on the whole, has not been satisfactory. The govern- ing bodies of the Church, under the Central Council, are the Consistories, Synods, and Presbyterial Coun- cils. The whole of France was in 18G8 divided, for the Peformed Church, into 104 Consistorial Districts, intended to embrace at least GOOD souls each, though this result can only be apj^roximately reached. The Consistory is composed of all the ministers of the Con- sistorial District, and of a body of laymen elected by the Presln'terial Councils of towns other than the chief town of the parish. The PrGsl)yterial Couijeil of tlu; cliief town belongs to the Consisti)ry cr-oflicio. The president is elected by the 1'onsistory, tfui)ject to the approbation of tlie government of the state. The func- tions of the Consistory are to see that church- worship
and discipline are regularly observed ; to receive, judge of, and transmit to the government the acts of tiie Pres- byterial Councils; and to superintend the schools of the district. It has no legislative power whatever, but superintends the general interests, both religious and financial, of the parishes under its jurisdiction. It nominates to the government pastors for vacant par- ishes. The Pre shij ferial Cvumil is a body of laymen in each parish, not less than four in number, r.or more than seven. They are elected hy the parish every three A'ears. The minister of the parish is president of the council. Its functions are to administer the propert}', order, and discipline of the parish, under the authority of the Consistorj-. The Si/nods are essen- tially ecclesiastical bodies, superintending the spiritual element, as the Consistories do the general administra- tion of the Church. Five consistorial churches consti- tute a Synodal District, and each send a clerical and lay deputy to the Synod, which thus consists of ten members. Of these Provincial Sj'nods there are twen- ty-one in France. No periodical sessions are i.llowed, nor can any session be called without the permission of the government, to whom the questions to be treat- ed at the session must be stated beforehand. A pre- fect, or sub-prefect, must be present at the sessions, which cannot last more than six days. The result of all these restrictions may readily be imagined. The Provincial Synods either do not meet at all, or, if they do, their sessions have no impoit for the life and gov- ernment of the Church. No National Sijnod is pro- vided for, r.nd none is held. Thus the Keforn-.ed Church of France lacks the most vital element of pres- bj-terian connectional government — a General Assem- bly. The feebleness of the Church government is la- mentabl}' manifest in many points. The present con- test about Rationalism lirings this weakness out in the strongest light. Tlie old French confession of faith is nominally the standard of doctrine, but a man may preach Unitaiianism, Universalism, or even Panthe- ism, and there is no power to call him to an account before any ecclesiastical tribunal competent to try him and to depose him. The Theological Seminar?/ cf the Reformed Church is at Montaub;;n, in the South of Franco (Tarn ct Garonne). No one can be a minister in tlie Reformed Church of France without a certificate that he has studied at one of the theological schools (of France or Geneva), and the diploma of bachelor in theologj'. All the regulations of the theological schools must be approved by the government. Ac- cording to Th. de Prat, Anniiaire Protestant, 1)-C8-1870 (Paris, 18G8), the statistics of the Reformed Church in 18G8 were as follows : Consistories, 104 ; jiarishcs, 508, with 597 '■'■annexes;'' temples or oratories, S03; schools, or " salles d'atile," 1385; official pastors, GOG; auxil- iary pastors, sulfiagans, and caimoniers (chaplains), 86. The population reported hx the Consistories (eight Consistories which made no report being estimated) amounts to C30,000.
lAdheran Church. — The highest judicatories of the Lutheran Church are the Higher Consiftcry and the Directory. Under these are Inspections, Consistories, and Presbj'terial Councils. The Ilie/her Cunsidoi-y eon- sists of 27 members, all holding office for life. It is composed of a president and one layman nominated by the government; of IG laymen chosen by the In- spections or Inspectoral Assemblies ; of one professor from the theological seminary, chosen by the faculty; and of eight pastors, who are at the same time in- spectors. It meets at least once a year, and at any other time when summoned by the government. Its duty is to watch over the constitution, discipline, and worship of the Church ; to form a final court of appeal ; to audit the account of lower judicatories. Its scat of government is Strasburg, but it is represented official- ly liy the Consistory of Paris. The Directory consists of five members, also holding office for life ; the presi- dent, appointed by the government (who is also pres-