The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-12-07
The Salvation ARMY.

seriously dealt with by those who idolise
decorum. But others take different
view of it. For the sake of distant read
ers, it may be explained that it is an or
ganisation for pressing on men the claims
Of the Gospel and the consideration O
their eternal welfare, having military
constitution, under the idea that this il
the true way to " fight the good fight O.
faith. Men and women, young and old
are equally employed, and any method
that will arrest attention, however noisy
or outre, is counted valuable means Of
attaining the end. Hallelujah lasses'
play conspicuous part in the work Of
the army, endeavoring by singing hymns
and other methods, to excite attention
and bring the masses within reach of the
message of mercy. The War; ORR, the
organ of the army, has very large cir
oulation, and the whole movement is
characterised by a warmth, freedom, a
vivacity that are greatly welcomed by
the masses, for whom ordinary Gospel
mlnlstratlons are usually far too proper
and too cold.
Most members of the old Churches dis
like the method used, yet many have a
feeling that the power which it seems to
have OF touching the masses is an element
OF extraordinary value. For it is gene
rally admitted that even the most sue
cessful of our evangelistic agencies have
failed to reach the lowest stratum of the
community. Here seems to be a method
that succeeds where other methods have
failed. It is, therefore, no wonder that
some good men are disposed to take this
view of the operations of the army ave
find many faults in it, and we would not
personally give it our countenance; we
would not be held responsible for many
things that it does but neither would we
oppose it time will probably tone down
Its extravagancies, but so far as it does
good, we wish it we'll"
The truth seems to be, that as Christian
organisations become older, they feel the
necessity of education and culture, and in
laying aside their primitive ruggedness,
they sometimes lose their earnestness and
power. The beginning of the Wesleyan
movement, was, In many ways, not unlike
the work of the Salvation Army. Wesley
was gentleman and scholar, but his
agents were often rude enough. By-and-by
Wesleyanism began to wear soft clothing
and then Primitive Methodists seemed to
take up the original role. We suppose
that all Methodists are now coming more
or less under the influence of culture and
refinement, SO that the old place is again
vacant, and the Salvation Army steps in
to fill it. In due time the Salvation
Army, if it becomes permanent, will get
too line, and some new organisation will
start up on its lines. We do not think
that this process is true of all countries !;
1t is not true, for instance, of Scotland.
Even Wesleyanism never obtained much
OF a footing there and except, perhaps,
IN one or two large towns, we doubt
whether the Salvation Army, if it should
come to Scotland, would get much sue
cess. England seems more favorable
field for such methods of work. Scotland
is more intellectual and less emotional :;
but, moreover, in Scotland, the Christian
Church has been much more closely in
contact with the mass Of the people, and,
therefore, the sound of the Gospel is not
so new to them.
There are many great risks connected
with this movement, and not the least is
the risk of a great system of spiritual
despotism. The idea of military command
for the Church is not only not a N. Testa-
ment idea, but the very opposite of that
idea; and here is possible source of en-
ormous danger. The rough and ready
handling of sacred things, and the obtru-
sion OF the most solemn and awful truths
on mems attention in such manner as
almost to provoke irreverence, is another
very serious evil. Still, we are sure, there
is real zeal in the movement and zeal
is never to be despised. The Church of
Rome, which has good deal Of the wis
dom OF the serpent, never despises zeal, or
quenches it abruptly, but tries to turn it
into channels where it may do as much
good and as little harm as possible. The
Salvation Army, however, being under
no control but that of its own officers, is
not likely to be influenced from with
out.
There is one Obvious lesson from all
this-the existing Churches, with their
powerful organisations, ought to realise
more wildly their obligations to evan
gelise those around them, and especially
the lowest class Churches are very apt
to become selfish like individuals and
aim at making everything comfortable for
themselves. They have need to consider
the claims Of others, and to remember
that they exist as an agency for spreading
the leaven throughout the whole mass.