The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX: Effective Expositors in Switzerland, France, and Germany

I. Gaussen-Uplifts Prophetic Torch in Geneva

The world character of the Advent Awakening is strikingly revealed in FRANCOIS SAMUEL ROBERT Louis GAUSSEN (1790-1863), French-Swiss Evangelical professor. Born of Protestant refugee parents at Geneva-city of Calvin, Beza, Fare], and of Knox during his exile from Scotland, also the city in which the French Huguenots found an asylum following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes-Gaussen graduated from the University of Geneva in 1814, was licensed to preach in 1815, and was ordained the next year. From 1810 to 1828 he served as pastor at the rural town of Satigny, near Geneva. Here he succeeded Cellerier, who had retained his Christian fidelity and simple faith amid the general falling away from the ancestral beliefs on the part of the Swiss clergy. PFF3 687.1

The spirit of rationalism pervaded all Europe, and Socinianism had made heavy inroads at. Geneva. ¹ The liberalism of Rousseau was lauded, and D’Alembert and Voltaire gained a hearing. Edward Gibbon had chosen near-by Lausanne as his residence. The renewal of the evangelical faith in Switzerland about this time was largely due, as previously noted, to the arrival of Robert Haldane, in 1817, who soon became odious to the majority of the Geneva clergy-the Venerable Compagnie des pasteurs having passing four resolutions on May 3, 1817,prohibiting preaching upon certain important christian doctrines. PFF3 687.2

Picture 1: GAUSSEN LEADS PROPHETIC: EXPOSITION IN SWITZERLAND
Clustered Around Gaussen’s Portrait Are His Lessons on Daniel in French (Upper Lett) and the Printed English Translation Up to Chapter 7, verse 25, Willi a Page From the Remaining Portion of Daniel in Lithographed Manuscript Only (Upper Right). Illustrations of the Fourth Beast of Daniel 7 and the Dragon and Beasts of Revelation 13 and 17 Impress the Lessons
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Gaussen was profoundly influenced by Haldane and letter by Henry Drummond who helped the ejected ministers to form in independance church Malan, Mejanal and Pyt being among them. In 1819 Gaussen and callerier up held the evangelical faith, protested the action of the Company, and published the Second Helvetic Confession, and so came under discipline. The Company ordered Gaussen to use the emasculated and rationalistic catechism which had been substituted for Calvin’s original. Because he refused, he was regarded as heterodox and later suspended. His aim, however, was not to divide but to re-inspire the church. Because of the clash, Gaussen, with Merle d’Aubigne’ ² and Galland, formed the Evangelical Society to distribute Bibles and tracts, and to roster missionary work for the heathen. PFF3 688.1

The Consistory deposed Gaussen and suspended the others in 1831, because of their activities as founders of the Geneva Evangelical Society’s School of Theology. ³ Gaussen accepted a call to the chair of theology in 1834. Following this, he traveled in England and in Italy, where he came in contact with many evangelical leaders and students of prophecy, who used to meet for “mutual improvement and edification.” ⁴ Gaussen was a zealous advocate of the doctrine of the second advent. And his belief in the prophecies of Daniel was an anchor that held him through many a storm. Gaussen’s visit to Rome impressed him more than ever that Antichrist was indeed reigning there. PFF3 689.1

During his teaching at the newly opened Theological Semi nary at Geneva he gave particular attention to the exposition of prophecy, and this resulted in his lessons on the prophet Daniel. He pointed out the absurdity of explaining prophetic days as natural days. Gaussen continued to teach for twenty-five years, becoming one of the foremost representatives of orthodox Protestantism on the Continent, his influence being felt through the professor’s chair, the pulpit, and the press. Gaussen is of special interest because he was cited by Ellen G. White in The Great Controversy as one of the conspicuous heralds of the advent in the Old World second advent awakening. ⁵ PFF3 689.2

Of his writings, some of which had wide circulation, Gaussen is best known for his Theopneustie, ou Pleine inspiration dessaintes Ecritures (1840, translated as Theopneustia, or Plenary Inspiration of the Bible, 1841). His Daniel le prophete, expose (Daniel the Prophet Explained) (1839-1849), ⁶ Geneva and Rome (1844), and Geneva and Jerusalem (1844) are of special interest in our quest. His Canon des Ecritures Saintes (Canon of Holy Scripture) was not issued till 1860. This latter title, however, did not touch upon prophecy. PFF3 690.1