Spiritual Decline by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jun 6, 1900

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 26, No. 23.

Spiritual Decline.

By Editor

The Christian Advocate, the organ of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in reviewing what it calls the best statistics of the kind ever spread before the Methodist Episcopal Church, tells us that in the whole period of four years the entire church has increased but four per cent., or one per cent. a year. The white conferences of the South have increased five and five-tenths per cent., and the foreign conferences twenty-eight per cent. The Middle States have increased but two and six-tenths per cent., or only a little more than a half per cent. per annum for the four years. The colored conferences show less increase than the Middle States. . . . The figures conclusively prove that conversions are declining.

And even some of the conversions reported are questioned by the Advocate. We are told, what every one familiar with many modern revivals knows, that some in response to a question as to whether they wish to become Christians, simply ask people to raise their hands. Those responding are counted as conversions. Some pass through the Sabbath [Sunday] school, taking the names of children that are willing to join upon probation, and, without serious examination or certain knowledge that the children are aware of what they are doing, further than that they acquiesce in the suggestions of their teachers and pastors, report them as converted.

It is not a difficult matter to get a “show of hands” after a warm exhortation in almost any place. We have seen such manifestations repeatedly in jail work. After setting forth the sure result of sin and the love of Christ in saving sinners, a whole company of hardened men, moved for the moment, would raise their hands, on being asked if they desired to be Christians. But neither conviction nor desire is conversion. We have reached that time foretold by our Lord: “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Matt. 24:12, 13. The superficial, false revivals of the present day are well described by the prophet: “They have begotten strange children; now shall a month devour them with their portions.” Hosea 5:7. “Your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.” Hosea 6:4. “Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people [the world]; Ephraim is a cake not turned.” Hosea 7:8. The Christian Advocate truly says that “the human element is so strong that only the protracted test of future life can show whether the convert gave his heart to God, to the pastor, or to the society.” But it would not be if men preached not themselves, but “Christ Jesus the Lord.”