The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-10-30
SIMPLE CHRISTIANITY

SIMPLE CHRISTIANITY.
Mr.. Moody. the evangelist, admits
that the church must depend upon the
young people of the country to carry
on the work of Christianity; and he
recommends way in which they can
be led to engage in it. He says the
best way to attract the young fellows
to church is to furnish them young
girls who will engage to at as evan
gelical companions, A fellow, you
know, will follow his girl to the ends
of the earth, but what we want Mr..
Moody to tell US is how the girls are
going to be evangelical. Are the
preachers going to do that? Does he
make the wretched admission that
Christianity can be impressed on the
girls, and that then as 'mashers" the /
charming creatures are to rope in the /
boys? This is a humiliating propo- |
sition, and it may be hoped. though |
Mr.. Moody has seen so much of the
world, that he'does not comprehend the
most direct plan OF salvation. Human
experience teaches us, that when ii
fellow gets a girl in his head his
thoughts run in another direction
than towards salvation, and the "a
ture of the creature must be changed
before the girl VIII preach Christian
ity in preference to listening to ex-
pressions of love of a different nature
than of christian love. Mr.. Moody
would convey the idea that the older
men are hopeless cases, that the cares
of life banishJ ideas of Christianity
from their minds, but the plan pro-
posed by this rather notorious evan
gelist we would guess would work
better on even the bald heads than on
the boys. Let sweet young girl get
after an old fellow. and the young
creature can generally get away
with him in manner which
by or young fellow is unable to
comprehend Widows might be en-
listed by the same principle to do in
valuable service, because it is told of
them that when one of these artful
creatures takes it into her head to
lead an old fellow or young one in any
direction she can cap the climax of
success with wonderful results. To
carry out the Moody plan the girls
must be reorganized; they must be
taught to display christian charms,
not bodily charms, which are the ten
dency of the day. The girl must be
taught to dress in christian-like sim
plicity, uot to come into church, Sun
day, walking millinery and mantua-
makers shop, to sail down the aisle
like thing of beauty and joy for
, ever in anything but a christian-Iike
: sense. She must not carry her
eyes askance. darting their pierce
ing rays into the platonic recesses of q
, fellows bosom instead of awakening
feelings Of religious worship. The
> ways OF the world must be radically
changed before the Moody plan OF
5 salvation can be put into successful.
: operation; even the instincts of hu.
: manity must be eradicated. He speak:
: in an Ulo plan sense, more like a fan
attic, run wild in pursuit of purpose
than like a sensible man. There Ii
no practicability about what he pro
poses, which condemns his judgmen
l as unsound. But few preachers O.
the Gospel of Christ will be led by thi
: doctrine of Mr.. Moody. There are I'm
: questionable ways by which the no
e bier impulses of man may be arused
|, and it is by such methods people are
to be led to religious convictions. I
is weak to say only the more suscepti
BILE may be wop. 1t is reall.
questionable, in fact, Of evangelism i
: doing everything but harm to Christ
e anity. The men who go into evangel
a ism are either fanatical to begin will
or they constrain it as part of thei
d method. Give US the old time way
y There was more Of simplicity in tn
T olden time than now. Churches wer
not always places for show. Preacl
u simplicity and the virtues; frowl
i down extravaganza and vanity an,
display in religious circles, and tn
u churches will grow stronger. The
y are a blessing to humanity whel
: around and about them cluster tn
beauties of pure Christianity. Therei
e too much show in the walls of tn
: churches as well as in the style o
s members. Make everything NOR
I simple, and morality and its compan
ion, Christianity, will be strength
: ened.