Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-03-04
The Religious Revivals.

out hiauHestiy Win nucn power ar
large results. These special periods
religious emotions are peculiar TO tn
country. Among the Protestant churcht
of Europe they occur only in rare il
stances and are usually local and limite
in their operation. The revival of tn
American type is indeed not little dis
trusted by lChristians abroad Wit
them people are born and educated int,
the church, and it is assumed that th
children of Christians are also Christian
unless they abandon the faith of thei
fathers. 1t is DR.. Busbnell's theory tina
Christian nurture, early commenced anC
consistently prosecuted, will produce Q
genuine and permanent Christian char.
scter, and that children thus educated
will never be able to recolIect when they
were not Christians, or be capable of the
sudden change cal e d conversion.
Whether this be sound theory or not,
as matter Of fact the majority of man.
sind do not take TO religion naturally or
grow Op into it from infancy; nor
is there anything like steady godly liv-
ing from day to day and year TO year
among the mass of protesting Christians
If there were there might be no need of
these sweeping periodical exciements.
But the modern revival is very differ
ent thing from that which prevailed even
a quarter Of a century ago-not in the
substantial products, but in The machine
ry and circumstances. Then there was |
distinct class of preachers called revi-
Waists, who were relied upon to produce
exchements wherever they went, and
were largely paid for the work. Bur
chard, Knapp, and Kellogg were some
OF the most noted Of this class They
did succeed in getting up tremendous ex-
elements ard drew crowds after them. I
but it has since been the general belief I
OF the regular clergy that they did more c
harm than good, and that the use Of the t
simple and old fashioned methods of the Il
gospel produce better results, with much d
less exposure to extravaganza and fanat, c.
icsm. The professional reyigali,t has Il
now become obsolete in most of the il
churches, and preaching by The pastors is
and cooperating efforts by the laymcn d.
are relied upon to accomplish the work. b
The consequence is that revivals are
more quiet and lLeir Influence more di
deep and lasting On
No thinking man, whether be call, 30
himself Christian or not, can speak Of ~.
H religious revival with contempt Asa 49,
means OF promoting general and person. -
al interest in religion its Importance and ~,
value cannot be questioned. Even the -,
Deist cannot ignore the facts Of human :.
nature and life, and must confess that
most men have wrong acts to repent of
and wrong habits to amend, and this is y.
The fundamental thing in religious reyi- g.
walls and conversion. The call for re- ,la
pentance and amendment OF life always 81,
and everywhere meets with a response non
rom the conscience. This is the essen H.
nal thing in Christianity, and this is the -
secret of its power wherever it is preach ,ha
ID. Men may differ upon thousand : -
questions as TO the methods by which the stor
HVlne connects itself with the human in will
his world, may quarrel about the exact spc,
sture and position Of Jesus of Naza- non.
eth, may start endless difficulties in the nla,
Metaphysics of religion, but as to the tho,
nipple duties of love and worship tow the
rdS God and justice and good will tow est
rds men there is no diversity of opin. nras
m; there can be none as to tue neces- inc
ty OF penitence and reformation in those heoo
~ arc ne 'ec''ps 'pese OBVIOUS duties. tegr
or can it be denied that attempts to acte
mid up moral character without re. by +
sious basis do not succeed. The two isms
ings go together naturally and neces- ures
rally, and DIR. Claiming did not utter as to
yPer b Of when lie said of re- conv
5lon and morality, as much as YOU Who'll
I'VE of this you have of that. and no vsd
ore.' Morality without religion sun and
rting it and pervading it is but the the .
n'ted sepulcher.' A genuine REVIVAL of some
''0'e ui'ine oeheIactIon, way
It only to the church where it prevails II
d to the persons interested in it and re- wbet
Hmed by it, but to the whole commu- mncb
~ ~, per 81
There is one fact that Christians mean
ould especially consider at a time like to Gle
Is 1t is the continually increasing Nave
paration between the church going i at
PN'a''on ana 'he rest oil the communi- New
A quarter of century ago nearly thew ,
The people heard preaching regularly; = nor
respectable people at least were elsewl