Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-12-01

conversion? "Dishonest," s'hypo-
CRITICAL . merchandising" ssrob-
bing" Christians, these charges
must be fearfully true to warrant
such tsexcitement'' of censure, and
they suggest several serious obser-
vations.
In the first place, 0 critic! does it
seem strange thing to you that
these ''excitement-loving" ''dishon-
est, 'srobbing,'' 'slying" Christians
should be attracted to this "Rink'
operation, for it was by just this
process, undoubtedly, that these
very ''professed" were made. They
were only returning to their first
love. He cannot be a very enlight
ened critic of the working of these
patent right converting machines,
who is shocked at the lack of the
common virtues of plain morality
in these manufactured patents. Re-
hgion is a conscious ecstacy of sem
sational emotions with them, and
not matter of ''honesty," s'truth
telling," justice or sincerity. These
are only morality and belong to nom
professors. Don't church members
love revivals? Could you have
them if they didn't take hold? Is
it strange they won't "stay at home"
and let the outsiders be converted.
Is not the work of the Lord for
them as well as other folks, minis
tiers, committees and evangelisrs S?
We speak a word for these sspro-
fesscd Christians" Why should
they be shut out. Don't they want
to be revived?
s..Excitement-loving Christians.
Yes, who does not love excitement?
Here is probably the key to the
whole thing. It was excitement
that Mr.. Moody meant to produce;
it was excitement that Mr.. Sankey
intended to create; it was excite
ment that the whole enterprise aim
ed atwhen it brought its sympathet-
ic battery to bear upon the raw sem
sibilities of the curious multitude.
Mans emotional nature can be mani
pulated by an ''evangelist,'' as well
as by any other expert; a master of
the the passions may wave his wand
and the unenlightened heart shall
become billowy sea Of sensations.
In this tidal flow there is nameless
luxury in which the religious in.
stinct delights to revel. In the sweet
delirium of feeling men see what
they call heaven. Is it stronge.
O, We editors who have lent your
selves to this breezy spell-that the
Saints, born in it and of it, should
crave re-experience? Don't COM
pei them to stay at home. What is
the use of religion if it cannot be
experienced? Should not the whole
church seek the Lord when Moody
comes? Is there any promise that
souls will be saved except when the
King is passing by?
Many of these professors con-
tinues the complaint, are from s'other
cities" OF course they are. Nor
bid curiosity d,ra7vs as nothing else
will. There was a great excitement
all last spring, and the fore part of
the summer in Brooklyn, that drew
mult1tudeS from the immediate pop
ulation, and from ssdistant cieies,''
good virtuous people too. They
left their business, and attended day
after Observation-Disclosures loving
people did. Men like the heat of
crowds, the raw touch Of the mar
vellous, the dramatic, the sragic,
agonies, funerals, the confession of
criminals, and especially that vulgar
sensation which comes from the ex-
posture of fallen innocence, and of
what is NEST yelled and tacred in
the sanctuary Of the soul or life.
There is that IN mans nature which
nobody has any business to touch or
know but God. Religion should
never forget this. A sacred regard
for what is highest and divinest in
our souls would save religion from