The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-09-15

church in general rather than of any denom-
ination. 1t was very evident that since 1913
the Evangelical churches have risen to a
much higher and more earnest style of Chris
tian life Then it seemed as if only half
dozen men, such as Sturgeon and Newman
Hall, with their congregations, were IN earn
est about the salvation of men. l was re.
joiced to find Spurgeon, whose ministry L
most attended, still laboring on as begun,
though in feeble health; and pressing still
upon the attention of men the grand old doc
trines of grace in manner to compel the
notice of saint and sinner alike. He is an
illustration of what has just been said con-
corning intelligent earnestness for our own
Church, as making one truly catholic in spirit.
He is an intense Baptist, and yet 80 earnest
about the truths that save souls that no one
thinks of him as Baptist, nor does be ever
seem to get out of the plane of catholic unity
with all who hold Christ the Head. His
spiritual man ia fashioned on the largest mod
ell Nor does he seem ever to be afflicted
with that disease which impairs the labors
of 80 many Of his brethren on this side of
the Atlantic-the disease of "water on the
brain, which leads them to sort of ritual
istc preaching which would naturally lead
poor sinner to believe that it is the water
rather than the blood that cleanseth from
all sin.
But at present the same spirit as that OF
Sturgeon and Newman Hall seems to per-
wade the preaching of all Britain, and the
Christian people seem everywhere earnest in
the promotion of experimental piety among
Christians and laboring for the salvation of
sinners. This has resulted from the out
pouring of the Spirit upon the remarkable
labors of Moody and Sankey, whom God
seemed to use as the means of awakening
all Britain. You here can more easily un-
derstand the nature of that work, because 1t
has been precisely of the same sort with the
work of White and Bliss among US, only as
to its extent to be multiplied by thousand.
There is no need to discuss the question of
the permanency of the effects of these labors !;
for, even though the revival should cease,
the new style of CHRISTIAN thought and action
which has been introduced into all the church
es as result of their labors must of itself be
worth all the time and labor of the evange-
lists AS the natural fruits of this new style
of Christian thought and action there are
thousands of Christian workers at work look
ing after the publicans and sinners.
MAI. COLES WORK
Mai. Cole, who so won upon the affections
of us all here during bis brief stay, has Ia
bored in London and Liverpool with great
success. No longer combining himself to the
speciality for which he labored here, he has
conducted immense meetings, assisted by his
wife and daug Inter in singing the gospel songs,
with great power. He is at present in Liy-
erpool, leading the Young Mems Christian
Associat on of that great city, working still,
privately among the outcast and wretched as
here, but gathering crowds of 10000 on the
Sabbath, and thousands in the week to hear
the gospel way of salvation.
AS one result of these mighty movements,
a remarkable degree of Christian enterprise
and lberallty in providing for the spiritual
wants of the heathenized poor of the great
cities has been developed. A gentleman
told me in the conference that he had break
tasted that morning at gentleman's house
where 1925, 600 had been raised on the spot
for the expenses of the mission Of the evan
gelists; and Major Cole informed me that
the great Victoria Theater, in which he had
held so many great gatherings, had been Sc.
cured by some Christian gentlemen for the
sole permanent use of city mission. In
fact, all classes of people in Britain, the rich
and poor, the learned and unlearned, the
titled and the unknown either freely acknowl.
edge the hand of God in the great revival,
or admit, at least, their inability to account
for it from any natural causes.
THE CHURCH ON THE CONTINENT.
Time fails me for any such statement as l
intended, touching the prospects of evangeli-
cal religion among the Continental people.
There was, however, clear evidence that the
Christian people on the Continent, restricted
and encountered as they are by State inter-
ference with religion, are bearing noble tes
timony for Christ. And one of the mani
fest advantages of the contemplated alliance
of Presbyterians will be the benefit to these
feeble and oppressed bodies of Evangelical
Presbyterians from union with the stronger
churches of other countries. AS an illustra-
ton of the difficulties under which Evangeli-
cal churches labor, even under Protestant,
to say nothing of the Roman Catholic Church
and State governments, may instance the
case of Protestant, Presbyterian Holland,
where | was surprised to find that all the
power of the government is practically
brought to bear so as to crush out Evangeli.
cal religion.
Three-6fths of the population of Holland
is Protestant and Presbyterian. The organ
ization in the several cities and towns is after
the collegiate fashion; that all are under
one body of pastors and elders; who alter
nate in the several pulpits of the city, and
form what we would call presbytery. The
clergy since 1916 are not required to sub
scribe directly the Calvinistc articles of
faith, but only vague formula of subscrip-
ton, which really binds them to teach no
particular doctrines. Hence every variety
of theology may be preached in the same
pulpits by the different associated pastors.
The supreme government of the church is
not in the hands of General Assembly, like
ours, but by "synodical commission" chosen
indeed by the consistories, but the consisto-
ries, or church session themselves, are close
chosen not by the people, but
appointed by the consistory itself. You may
readily see, therefore, that once heresy and
apostasy gets into the church, no power can
get it out. The synodical commission, if it
would, has no power to suppress hereSieS.-
There is no opportunity for the earnest Chris
tian to form another congregation and call
pastor who will preach the true Gospel, for
the government chooses the divinity profess
sors. and no man can be situated as pastor