Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-05-01
ReligIon and bad Air.
Cincinnati Gazslte.l

RohbAOu anu nuN AAEs
Cincinnati Gazstte.1
Recently there was a conference
of preachers from various parts of
the country with Mr.. Moody at the
Hippodrome, in which they put
questions to him on the way to CON
duct meetings so as to interest the
congregation, and in general how
to conduct the spiritual affairs of
congregations, and particularly how
to promote revivals. Among other
wise practical instructions which
Mr.. Moody gave in his answers was
this Ventilation and temperature
must be attended to, because people
can't be religious in bad air. This
is a fact in spiritual physiology of
the first importance, and, in view
of the neglect of ventilation in our
meeting-houses, it is a very start
ling statement.
This fact makes a janitor who
has knowledge of ventilation, and
the fidelity to apply it, a pre-requi-
site condition to the success of the
preacher and the spiritual health
Of. the congregation. Without Vi
tai air there can be no vital piety.
Yet the average janitor has no more
idea of the need of fresh air to the
breathing apparatus, much less to
religion, than he has of the differ
ence between the homoousian and
the homoiousian doctrines. If, by
an extraordinary mental effort, or
by complaints from the members,
he gets an idea, it rises no higher
than to gauging Of the heat by
a thermometer, in blissful uncon-
seriousness that five hundred people
shut up in a room need any other
air to breathe than their own ex-
halations. And the rest are little
wiser. And building committees
and architects build meeting-houses
with no provision for ventilation,
save to open the windows, which
exposes some to dangerous draft.
The common plant in the
churches is the apathy of the mem
hers and their lack of spiritual
warmth and earnestness. The
preacher breaches on it, and the
members acknowledge it, and rea-
son to themselves how strange it is
that they are so unfeeling in view
of the immensity Of everlasting
things. But the practical Brother
Moody, out of his great experience,
has given an explanation of this
cbronic apathy. Being cut off from
the vital element vital piety dies.
Corrupted air and pure religion are
incompatible. Themeetings which
should be seasons of spiritual re-
freshing are turned to means OF de-
preston. Perhaps when they enter
they are spiritually alive, and an
ticipate a time of elevation; but in
| a short time after the congregation
has assembled, and the doors are
shut, the pent-up air is consumed
Of its vital properties, and filled
with mephitic gases by breathing
over and over, and a somnolence
comes over their spirit, which to
them is unaccountable. They
charge it to the dullness Of the SER
mon, OF perhaps reproach them
selves for their lack of religious
feeling. Yet, as Brother Moody ex-
plains, it is all from natural causes
which can be prevented by me-
chanical means.
1t is awful to reflect of the eter-
nal consequences of this common
lack of ventilation in the churches;
how vastly it has prevented their
work of redeeming mankind, and
whata multitude Of souls have gone
to perdition in consequence of bad
air, who might have been saved by
ventilation. This chronic apathy,
| which has come to be the normal
state Of regular churches, has
brought in the practice Of making
efforts periodically, called revival
efforts, in which new preachers are
introduced, q more pressing style
used, the lay members set at work,
and other means used to overcome
the state Of indifference. But in
general these have to contend
against even more Of the depress-
inc mower of foul air, which partly