THE CHURCH AND REVIVALS.
By Editor
MR. MOODY'S method of labor has come under the criticism of the press, notably the Independent. That journal of May 27 contains an article by E. H. Johnson, D.D., professor of theology in Crozer Theological Seminary, Chester, Pa., in which the writer contends that formerly Mr. Moody preached for the conversion of sinners with great success, but that of late he in his own words aims "to reach the church-members and through them to reach the unconverted outside." He pleads to the church to receive the "Holy Ghost power." And whether Mr. Moody has accepted the "Second Blessing" theory or not, Mr. Johnson thinks that his teachings and exhortations are along that line, and that by this he loses; for "his insistence that Christians must gain by special prayer a 'Holy Ghost power' which they do not yet possess, is an insistence which the average Christian can not distinguish from teachings which the great mass of Christians reject; and so his appeal remains fruitless." The Independent thinks that Mr. Moody demands "more of the Christian church now before it can be successful in converting sinners than he used to expect in his earlier and more successful campaigns, and he somewhat more vigorously assails the worldliness of the church and the sins which exist in it, as if they stood in the way of the power of the Spirit of God in conversion." This last the Independent does not think to be true, and says that "too much has been made of the story of Achan." It further says:— "In our own belief it is extremely unwise to get into the way of dwelling upon the shortcomings of professed Christians, and declaring that it is their sins that withstand the Spirit of God." But this expression is that of the spirit of apostasy. So Israel talked in the days of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. The problem is not in the mere awakening of sinners; it is not in the obtaining of so many new converts, the experience of whom must all be more or less superficial. It is not so difficult to do this. But of what use to obtain a thousand young converts, with no experience or knowledge of the way of God, and then ask a cold, proud, world-loving, pleasure-seeking church to care for them, and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? The simple fact is that it is only a little time when the converts are just where the church is, changed in name, but not in character. What is the use of putting young and eager children to the breast of a diseased and dying mother? Doubtless Mr. Moody sees this. If he does, it furnishes a sufficient excuse as to why he should preach to the church, and endeavor to persuade her to cut loose from the world. It is the law of God's messages of reform to begin where his judgment does, "at the ancient men which were before the house." Eze. 9:6; Joel 2:1.