Page:Life in the Old World - Vol. I.djvu/50

66 All this was very satisfactory to me. I missed, however, the liturgy and the public confession of faith. It seems as if the Free Church had not yet decided upon what this should be; but has satisfied itself, as yet, principally by zeal for a deeper earnestness amongst Christian professors in doctrine and in life, a perfect truth and consciousness in faith and in profession. It has declared itself independent of the established church in Switzerland, the national church, and dependent alone on God's word and Spirit, as foundation and guiding star. It is governed by synods, composed of clergy and laymen. But the priest is not, here, priest in the old significance of the term, but only a brother, who, by vocation and gift, is chosen to teach amongst brethren. The elders of the church stand by his side, as assistants, either in teaching or in any other work, and they also are chosen by the congregation. They can even perform divine service if it be needed.

In the afternoon a meeting for “mutual edification,” was held in the same church, in which three or four persons spoke. One of these was a stranger passing through the place, who had joined himself to the Free Church from sympathy of feeling. His topic, as well as that of most of the other speakers, was, the Truth; the importance of being true before God and ourselves,—for we see ourselves as God also sees us—and before men. Earnestness in conviction, honesty and candor in profession, were insisted upon, which also was A. Vinet's great topic. Anecdotes of personal experience were related, to prove clearly what self-examination and what conviction really are.