WITTY DEGENERACY by J. M. Reilly

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 23, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 50.

WITTY DEGENERACY.

By J. M. Reilly

This disease, as it affects moral and religious effort, seems to be of quite modern origin. Within a few years there has been quite a revolution in methods of carrying on revival and reformatory work. Instead of the stagnation, formality, and dry theology of a few years ago, the opposite extreme has become the order of the day. No doubt the change has come about mainly through an effort to imitate the style of Sam Jones and the Salvation Army. In consequence of this tendency, a spirit of frolic often prevails as a kind of parody on the "joy of the Lord," and real conviction is almost unknown. It has come to be regarded as "the proper thing" to say cute and witty things, even in the pulpit, to produce a laugh; and in many instances, at least in the West, it is not regarded as a breach of decorum to stamp the feet and clap the hands and raise a general hurrah in applause of the clownishness of the preacher, and sometimes the "fool laughs at his own folly." Imagine the Lord Jesus, or the apostle

Paul, or John Wesley, "drawing the people" and "reaching the masses" by the use of apish buffoonery and barroom raillery. Good Lord, deliver us!—J. M. Reilly.