The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-04-14
A Blast Against Moody and San.

key.
Fum ne London Cosmopolitan, "a
A couple Of illitsrate YANKEES, with
lung OF non and cheeks Of bias, are do
ing a roaring business at the Horseshoe
Hall, in London, in the religious trade.
The whole affair smacks OF Barnum, and
We should not be surprised to hear that
the Prince Of Humbugs was at the bottom
OF the Moody and Sankey show. Our
readers will infer from this Opening"
that We have no faith in sensational
preaching, in hysterical religion; at the
same time, We are reVerent believers in
the sentiment OF religion, and regard lis
intelligent development and cultivation
As the most important part OF education,
and most essential to human happiness.
We have respect for practical religion
that OF Miss Stride, Tor instances, who saves
both bodies and souls OF the "lOst sheep
that are dying Of starvation in the streets
OF London. But this saving OF souls
after death is something We do not under
stand, and those who profess to under
stand il are probably quite as ignorant
on the subject Of the future state" As we
are, only they have not the honesty to
cOiess il, In the first place, no man liv-
ing, or who ever did live, has the least
ray Of exact knowledge Of any state OF
existence after the pulse ceases to thTob,
the heart 10 beat,-in other words, alter
this animal organism ceases to breathe,
and becomes . cold senseless clod. Be-
yond the grave, all Is unknown, common
instinct oil man hopes and tries to believe
in the eternal existence OF the soul, Tor
"better or WORSE in the Land OF the
Hereafter, This is the crude faith Of the
savage, who
Thinks, admiltsl " that elual ky,
Hisilithiul dog shall bear him company;
while civilized, cultivated; enlightened
man processes to believe in the doctrine
Of the immortality Of the soul and the
life everlasting" With this belief more
or less sincerely cherished, the question
Of preparation for the future, for the life
after this, is certainly q serious one; but
no more so than the question OF present
duties. Our idea is, the man that con.
scientiously does his duty here is always
prepared to meet any possible hereafter,
either on this or on the other side OF the
dealh.limit; while he who Is so mOrbidly
absorbed in future evGntualities as to
neglect his daily work and hourly duty,
is neither fit for this life nor that which is
to come. These multitudes OfOld women
Of both sexes, who flock to Agricultural
and Exeter Halls, to hear Moody and San.
key shout bugaboO nonsense about the
worm that never dies and the "lake
that burneth with fire and birthstone" and
mistakes the violent jOlting Of their slug.
gish sensibilities for religious emotions,
had much better be at home attending to
their domestic duties, or in their work
shops earning the bread Of lie for their
families. These sensations in public
crowds, like epidemics, are catching and
one old woman snivels because she sees
another "under concern Of mind, wiping
her eyes and blowing her nose, Sometimes,
'like guilty creatures sitting at play
the COnscienCes Of hardened sinners, cheat.
ing tradesmen, swindling mopey-lenders,
uniaithiul wives and husbands, prick So
hard they cry aloud at the "tOrments'
held up "a their future portion But,
like man seeing his face in glass,
they 90 away and soon forget the
"manner OF men they are" Whatstrikes
US as the great enormity OF these
proceedings, and Of all others Of n simil-
ar nature, i the blasphemous assumption
Of men to speak in the name Of God, and
to talk about the will Of God, MS II they
we're in possession Of the secrets Of the
Almighty! Worse yet, they sometimes
speak in the character Of ministers and
advisers Of the Deity! To serious,
thoughtful, devout, philosophical mind,
such arrogance Of ignorance il not only
schocking, but disgusting. And yet these
uneducated Chicago camp.meeting brAwl-
ers came here to tell US what God il going
to do with US, individually and collective
", in the "next worldf' What these
rantcrs quote 50 freely Of as Heaven and
Hell, are conditions OF the mind, not
places Of future residence. When we are
happy, we are in Heaven; when the re-
verse, in the other state.