A RELIGIOUS PAPER ON REVIVALS.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1987, 18 May 1875, Page 3

A RELIGIOUS PAPER ON REVIVALS.

The John Bull, a religious newspaper,; strongly condemns the Moody- cum -| Sankey performances as mischievous;, in! character and result:—" Thus we ha\ej converted thieves and burglars, converted! prize-fighters, converted colliers, convertedj clowns, and converted gipsies, in the; ' pulpit,' or thrust forward .on ..platforms,! to: detail their experienceW'-;A- * certain number of such persons iuay be credited; with honesty of feeling and" honesty of purpos|, but,it v is equally "notorious that many; who. have, been, or; at& 'still,^ mixed up with's'ensational religionism as" promi-| nent 'performers' are.arrant impostors,; who arermerely' making dupes; of-^theirj supporter^ and earning a very good and comfortaiile livelihood ;out:of the" ere-: dulity of 'section of- the public. The whole'system of sensationiLpreach-; ing and; 'preachers, and :of revivalist meetings as generally. conducted;;, 'id fraught with abuse, and multifarious evils ; and. th»ugh, here and .there -aj hearer, bv.ercome by, excitement, is turned from the errors -of his way,* little per ma J nent good is effected, and -the .'conyer-; sions'. are more "frequently than not'of a temporary character ;. while-direct insanity or outrageous fanaticism is often the result of revivalists movements, as even the rela-j tively moderate proceedings of Messrs; Moody and Sankey testify. The history of so-called 'revivals' in all ages and countries, with whatever form of Christianity they have been connected; when they have chiefly depended on sensational services and preaching, is not of such a character as would, lead reasonable persons to anticipate much good result from such revivals in the present day, and in this country. Mere mental excitement and spiritual hysteria is not that {true; religion' preached and taught by the •Gje&tMa*ter-and<Hisjipostles, or by"the Fathers of the early Church." x