Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-10-06

100000 POUNDS" is the answer
London cotemporary gives to the
question: "What has the Moody
revival left us?" A ssuseless ex-
pense" of $4,000. England is no
better, is the sage conclusion; the
sober second thought of. the people
is, that they have been the dupes Of
an American "Humbug.' And
there is a significant adnonition that
American spectators and sinners
cultivate caution.
Unquestionably the Religious
operators . commonly known as
"Moody and Sankey," have had
strong passing influence in England.
But it has been only a passing IN
huence, like a wave strong for the
time, but spent on the shore of its
limitation, leaving no trace behind,
save a rchuent sediment, cast up by
the breezy commotion.
Upon the English populace sub
ject to the dull monotony of the
social order incident to their govern
ment and institutions, the free and
easy way Of our countrymen had,
most naturally direct, and effective
power. In this country, the thing
would have no novelty. 1t would
be like the old cry of Wing and
Tory in a political campaign.
The general grade Of pulpit adj
ministration in the United States is
| very different from what it is in
England or on the Continent.
Moody and Sankey and their order
can never do here what they did
there. And the difference is to our
credit.
It is therefore surprising that in
telligent American clergymen
should be found falling into tho
wake of this superficial empiricism.
1t is not the revival of Religion in
any true sense, but the attempted re-
vival of an outlived superstition.
To call it a revival of Righteous
ness is like calling the incantations
of the magicians revival of science
or the pantomimes of the Medicine
men, revival of the healing art.
Every sensible man knows there is
no more righteousness in these gus
ty volumes Of human steam, than
there is in the hysterical hallucina-
tons Of the dancing Dervishes, or
the ':falling power" of a plantation
meeting, or the fanatical dreams Of
hermi,s, or the drum beatings of
savages to drive away eclipses.
Righteousness is right living, right
acting, unimpeachable integrity, a
hatred of lies, the sweetnessssof chart
ty, the saintliness of purity, the div
Unity of sincerity, the salt of homes
ty, the straightness of truth. Right
eousness is rectitude of character
through and through, what a man
is worth in his virtues and principles,
nay, in his practices. The revival
wanted in our land is aarevival of
right living, and not theirekindling
of persisted flames of crude emotion
by the torch of superstition. This
harlotry of the souls spiritual nature
in our day is worse than the illicit
devotions forbidden in the darker
DAYS of Baal and Astarte. Such
expedients may be resorted to, to fill
up waning churches, but it looks
like leading a forlorn hope, and is
in itself the advertisement of hid
den deficiency more inournful than
empty prayer meetings, or empty
exchequers. Open-eyed intelligence
from outside looks in and stays out,
and in little while when the fires
are cooled inside the burnt out Gin
ders of scepticism, and the hard Stag
of indifference clog the furnace of
life. Thousands Of old churches
brought into existence by the spas
motto commissions of crude emotion,
stand as tubs ofcold ashes from per-
ished fires, waiting to be rekindled,
| strengthleSs. purpOSeleSS. hopeless.