The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-29
Religions Stsmulants.


pull and steady advance, but that of series
of excited leaps with an intervening series Of
rests or pauses. The necessity for these in
termittent jerks it is not easy to discover,
since religion, if it hos any value at any time
has an equal value at all times, and men ought
not to need to be rhetorically taken by the
neck and shaken over the pit that they may
get sense Of the danger in which they stand.
Nevertheless, if q religious body is "under
the law" of this novel mode OF progression it
should be judged by that law.
We have watched the movement which is
exciting the interest of tens of thousands in
Europe and America with some degree of Gu
riosty, and regard it as sign of the times
not to be ignored by any thoughtful student.
We have remarked that it is much easier to
rouse the masses of London to overwhelm-
ing excitement than to stir up the people
of New York. Moody and Sankey are doing
in England very important work. We wish
MIR. Marley or any other evangelist could
accomplish the Same in this city. But we
fear the days of eloquence arc over in this
country, or, at any rate. the days when an
itself in the tervor Of speaker. The middle
classes throughout the Kingdom Of Great
Britain are vastly lower in the scale of educa-
ton and general thoughtfulness than the same
classes here. The proportion of religious ex-
element across the water is in keeping with
this fact. To educated people religion is
conviction, while to the ignorant it is IN
emotion. The latter are easily reused by
powerful and magnetic eloquence, and are
easily carried away by nervous delirium,
which they fondly dream to be possession
by the spirit, but which every physician knows
to be nothing more than epilepsy or catalepsy.
A vast deal Of the work done by Moody and
Sankey is done by forciblc appeal to the
emotions of the crowd, by exciting their fears
and their superstitious dread OF the future,
and is, therefore, of the spasmodic sort. While
the fire blazes the water will boil but when
the fire goes out the water will go back to the
old temperature. We have very little faith in
ment to be both unhealthy and demoralizing
in the end. 1t is, doubtless, well enough to
get into religious mood, though it be only
temporary, but lasting character is based
on religious convictions. We look with sus-
picion upon all movements which depend
upon stimulants. 1t is about as we'll to let
man alone as to scare him into heaven.
New York, however, can be safely trusted
in this matter. There is not the slightest
danger of any unnatural religious excitement
among Us through the ministrations of Mr..
Varley or Of any other evangelist The
average citizen of this great city is too clear
headed to allow himself to indulge in any
ecstasy that has no reference to money. He
spends his nervous energy in the purchase Of
q freestone front, and reserves his calmer and
sleeper hours for religion. This has been
abundantly proven during the past two weeks
by the fact that immense efforts have been
set on foot to rouse the community and that
Though the various meetings held have been
largely and enthusiastically attended, nothing
is more evident than that the congregations
have been composed of church-goers, and
that the masses have not yet been reached.
Mr.. Varley, himself, is an earnest, honest
Z
shows that he enjoys the doctrine he breaches.
He is full of good viii and kindness. He
has, however, nothing OF the fire of the orator,
and scarcely ever rises to grandeur of utter
ance. His revival movement has shown more
plainly than ever the lack of unity in the
Protestan. Church and its religious torpidity.
very large number of clergymel have been
conspicuous by reason of their absence from
the various gatherings. They have not CO.
operated with Mr.. Marley, aud evidently have
little or no sympathy with him. They have
their own methods OF church work and can
not be persuaded to adopt others. Unity Of
effort among Protestants is a miracle of rare
occurrence They seldom or never fire by
platoons. They keep up running fire all
along the line but never charge in q body.
Those glorious historic triumphs which are
the result OF united effort are unknown to the
Protestant Church Ecclesiastical leadership it
repudiates. Every clergyman and every sect
is its own general, in whose heart is just
enough of envy and rivalry to make union
of forces impossible.
Just now the clergy and the churches of the
city are in very sluggish condition. Even
Varley has been able to excite only ripple
on the surface, and the work he has begun
will probably end when the echo of his voice
shall be lose There is very little real earnest
ness among ministers. They preside over
costly churches, generally ornamented with a
heavy mortgage They delight in high-priced
music, in great respectability, in solid dig
nifty and in large salaries, and in return they
refrain from interfering with tho morning
nap of Their hearers by sermon tina. is
/ likely 10 overstimulate. The missionary
| spirit OF Professionalism is we'll nigh dead
! and o score of evangclists cannot revive it..
! These are some Of the signs of the times
! which make themselves known to rs as we
] overlook tic five hundrad steenles of the city