, 1875-04-18
RELIGIOUS SENSATtONALISM.
PUNaINT CRITICISM.
London YatuTduu Retietr, MGfch rs,

/ London Saturday Aet1er, 4H6fth 18
We have already expressed cur opinion of tht
American reviTalists who are just now exhibit
| ing in London, and ~ far as they are themselves
| concerned wo should not think it worth on
| while to return to the subject. Nothing can b.
uors natural, after the way in which they hay,
| been advertised, than that people should bt
| curious to see and hear them, and it would bs
| absu.d to suggest that the indulgence OF thu
vulgar but innocent curiosity is attended Witl
any vary serious consequences to the majorit,
OF those who yield to it. At tho most, Mesars
Moody and Sahkey are only nine days
wonder, and when they are gone tht
wonder will perhaps be what there mas tt
wonder at. There is nothing new either in the
nature of the experiment or in its results DR.
Johnaon, speaking OF the famous Whitefed,
whGin he had known as fellow-student. and
for :hom he had q personal respect, remarked
that he never drew rs much attention as q
secured was obtained, not by his doing anything
better than other men, but only by bis doing
what was strange. '.Wese Ashley" be said, Ito
preach sermon standing upon his head on a
horses back, he would collect multitude to hear
him; but no wise man would say that be made
better sermon for that" And SO with White
field, He would be- followed by crowds II he
wore nigntcap in the pulpit or preached from
tree.''
It is obvious that; it Messrs. Moody and
Sankey's way Of converting religious instruction
is the right way, the ordinary Bel vices OF religion
in this country are melancholy delusion, and
/ ought at once to be superseded by something
| more iyaly and stimulating in the new style.
This is q prospect. however, which is calculated
to shock and a.arm many oid-fashioned people,
aud 1t is therefore worth while to examine the
grounds upon which = change is called for. Tho
Times tells Us that something may be learned
from Mr. Moody Of the "strange upheavings
Of American thought" and that it is
te1csrspby-". established between the two
sides of the Atlantic. It may bo doubted, how-
ever, whether the present is altogether an op-
porsune moment for recommending any impor-
tation Of American theology, and whether those
unBayory disclosures OF the state Of mind aud
private habits OF pious people in New York with
which the American newspaper have for some
moaths been flooded are not u1ofe suggestive Of
warning than encouragement. It is possible
that some Of those who are not iudigposed to SEQ
our political institutions Americanized may find
it prudent to heaitate before subjeoting the re-
lgoua habits ano traditions of the country to
similar transformation.
No proof whatever has been given of any
moral improvement having resulted from SER
wees which have evidently been attended more
a. 3 form of popular amusement than anything
elsa; nn2 We are therefore obliged to fall back
upon criticism Of the methods employed, which
are thus described By tho Times Mr. Moody's
preaching, we ara told. is tracy, full of Ameri-
can humor, end often = little vulgar 1t ls
admitted that at is not pleasant eensation
to hear venerable narratives and events, around
which halo OF ha1iowed imagination has gath
cred, presented as if they we're good American
stories, picked up the other day in Chicago"
and also it is suggested that ''truths Of wide
and mysterious import are narrowed and hard
cned." This is : very mild way of describing the
gross familiarity and iue7erence With which sa-
cred things are treated in the style of the great
comic " OF . circus or musio-hau; but. taking it
IS it stands, We have it acknowledged that Air.
Moody's preaching is essentially vulgar and in
decorous, that it is ''not pleasant" for . sensi-
tire mind to liston to, nnd that it has
= tendency to marrow and harden"
religious opinion. Yet it is Immediately
afterwards asserted that A1T. Moody is pre-
pairing better material" for the churches to
work upon than they now possess. 1tcannot be
denied that ordinary preachers are occasionally
aot to fly rather over tile heads Of the more igno-
rant OF Their congregations, and that religion re-
CURES to be put in plain, intelllgiblo manner
oe1oxo sitnple people hut nothing can be SIM
pier Or piainer, or at the same time more lsfty
and IN the highest sense refined, than those
6cript!'t1 narratives which Mr. Moody dcgrades
and pArod:es. And even il it be admitted that
the unfortunately large section Of our popula-
ton Which, as the Times Says ialiving whstis little
bettor than mere animal existence requires to be-
stlIrea up By the uso OF language and illuat1a,
tons lowered to the leyel OF its undeyeoped in
tet!igepte and COARSE perceptions, this affords
no excuse Tor the excesees of yulgArisy and r.