, 1875-03-28

1t would probably D6 too AucA W e<sy tAAt1s
there is more religious excitement throughout
the world Just now than there ever was be-
fore; but it is safe to affirm that, barring the
great reformations ard revolutions that have
conyulsed mankind, the public interest IN re-
licion never was g. inter than it is to-day.
And, in looking back over the history OF
Christianity, there il nothing that, sooner or
more frequently, BIT ssts the attention than
the fact that the CHI istian religion is more
indebted to what ere called revival
movements than to any other agen-
cy, Rude, and human, and farc1ca,
and even tragical, Is they often are, there
they stand O phenomenon Of enduring inter-
est to all students Of human history and
human nature From the Day Of Pentecost
to these opening days Of Easter, all branches
of the Christian Church have reso7.ed to
.sspecial efforts" OF missions" or "protract-
ed meetings" for making an assault upon the
religious sensibilities, not to say an appeal to
what CARLYLE calls ''the religion Of vulgar
hope and fear"
PETER the Hermit was gigantic revivalist.
He Ito use the religious veraacular OF our
times) 'got up revival" Of such dimensions
and results as the most noted of his modern
successors must contemplate with despairing
envy. He worked upon the religious sensi-
bilities with perhaps as much effect as any
man who ever lived except AtAHosfET. More
were awakened and propelled by his e1horta-
tons than have been affected by the admoni-
tons of any modern exhorters. The history
Of the revivals "gotten up" by the monks
Of the Middle Ages md tbs Catholic
missionaries Of the preceding and sue
ceeding times, would, indeed does, make soy-
orl volumes Of suggestive reading. Nothing
can be mora thrilling than the narrative Of
the hardships undergone and the stratagems
rosorted to by these pious anchorites who
took their lives in their hands" and went
forth to convert the rugged Northmen, OF
the languid Southerner. There is no more
ELOQUENT or impressive chapter in Ill the
| annals of revivals than TINT which describes
the conquest Of the Anglo o-Sn1ons by tha unr
armed warriors of Catholic Rome.
"Without compulsion, the multitude DO.
came Christian. 4 brotherhood Of holy pas.
tors, with up1ifted hand, walked forth and
| blessed joyful people" The zeM Of the
| reyivalist hns left On inerndicable mark upon
| the progress Of both the Catholic aud Protest.
| ant forms Of Christianity. For several years
with scarcely the interval Of single week
| We have heard, as part Of the regular newt
| from round the world, that soma heroic aci
has been done, OF glorious martyrdom sui
fered, by Catholic priest or Protestant pasto1
in Greenland's icy mountains, OF on India:
coral strands. Among the latest Of thes,
stirring items is that Of the missionary pros
trate in the hut Of Mongoian convert, re
joicing during his doliriurn over the prospec
Of ssying mass on the banks Of the Amoor
aud that Of another priest who made a jour
ney on foot, 500 miles through Kewfound
land forests, carrying the Gospel to ith
colony Of French fishermen
The Emissions of both the Catholic IN,
the Anglican Churches are, in the main, ve1;
similar to the revivals, or protracted meet
ings," Of the Protestant denominations. The
never fail to attract crowds end convert mu]
titudes. The Indifferent ore alarmed, tn
stolid quickened, tho bacIsiders reclaimed
and the prodigal induced to return. And th
scenes which frequently attend upon thes
services orc often scarcely less exciting tha
the "jerks and svoons Of the more igne
rant converts Of other sscts- The crowd
London church OF Paris cathedral will Gwa
,niohtilv under thu alrnit varuinx or N