Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-11-23

At one Of his lectures, delivered at Yale
Theological Seminary, Just before sailing for
Europe. DR.. Dale, the eminent English
clergyman, of Birmingham, England, gave
the following testimony to the value and the
permanence of Mr.. Moody's work in Great
Britain:
at is with the liveliest satisfaction and
the deepest gratitude that bear witness to
the reality and permauency of the impression
made on our community during the fortnight
of Mr.. Moody's stay. One thousand four
hundred persons were converted and united
with the churches of Birmingham, and 600
Others had received religious impressions
who did not then profess full light and joy
in believing. Before Mr.. Moody's depar
ture converts meeting was held, to which
no one was admitted except by ticket. Cards
were distributed among the 400 present,
and each new convert was requested to write
upon his card his own name and address and
the name Of the church with which he de-
sired to connect himself. OF these cards
received 100. preached a converts ser
mon on Acts l., 10, last clause, The number
of names together were about hundred anu
twenty was unable to visit and examine
them personally. accordingly distributed
the cards among several members OF the
church and sent them ont to examine and
report. Many of the letters which re-
ceived in response read like romances. Tales
of want and woe and struggle with tempta-
ton, and lives of sin The converts were OF
various social positions, but the large ma
jority were proiane, drunken, irrellgiOus,
and even immoral Fearing lest hesitation
and delay might arouse on their part suS-
picion of my confidence in their sincerity,
received them into the church without the
usual probation. Between 10 and 1870
were thus received expected numerous
defeetions among these, owing to the class
of society to which they belong and the
imperfect examination upon which they
were admitted. Two years and half have
elapsed. The fruits remain. | hear of pro-
fame women, who were the terror of their
neighborhoods, living sweet and lovely lives,
drunkards reformed, etc. | went over the en-
tire list with assistance Just before leaving for
America. and it resulted from that inyestiga
ton that not laore than eight or, at the
most, nine Of the entire number have fallen
away. Moreover, the impulse which Mr..
Moodys visit gave to our whole church lie
still continues. 1t is one OF the greatest
disappointmcnts of my visit to this country
that | have been unable to meet Il man
whom | learned, in the brief tine he was
with W., to love and to esteem.
To this most unequivocal and most yalu
able testimony, the Christian iuIoH, in
which we find it. adds the following per
tinent suggestions
DR.. Dale has unconsciouslv testified not
only to the value OF Mr. MOOdy's work but
to the value Of his own. Out of one hun
dred and twenty converts but eight or nine
at the most have fallen away. Why? Be
cause they have been received into
genuine Christian fellowship, attached to
the church of Christ, made at home in
Christian society. Mr. Moody goes out
into the wilderness in vain if there
is no one to shepherd the sheep whom
he reclaims from their wandering. 1t is
said that Mr. MoOdy's work il not perma
neat. What have the churches where be
has iubCred done to make it permanent
What systematic erdeayor has been made to
gamer tue Young COntbTl0 lhlu tiuIuhtS
In the Church Of the Holy Trinity real
endeayor of this sort has been made br.
Tying, Jr.. obtained the names of attendants
at the inquiry room with whom he was
brought in contact, and followed them W.
The result was large accession to his mem
bcrship and Il large increase OF work for his
Philip and Andrew and his Martha and
Mary Societies, and he reports to US that OF
all those who were brought into relation
with his church certainly not over one per
cent have fallen away. We believe Mr..
IIepworth also did something What have
the other churches done How has 1t been
in Chicago? How in Boston; Ii nothing
has been done, if when Mr.. Moody's work
ended the Tabernacle was closed, the
churches dropped back into their old ways,
and the converts were left to struggle on by
themselves as best they could, it is evident
that if Mr. Moody's work is not permanent
it is the fault not of Mr.. Moody but Of the
recreant churches that have seen the net
filed till it threatened to break and have
done nothing to draw it to the shore.
1t is not too late for country churches
where Mr. Moody is laborng this Winter to
learn lesson from DIR. Dale.