Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-05-23

10 the Chronicle /:

1tD ~ ct.s ttSts oafii - OttCe, a. v
to prove that he is no ordinary man
arid that his enterprise is something
beyond the well known revival meth
dds in its scope; hence the whole SUBJ
jet demands the attention OF serious
thinkers; whether we are To accept or
reject it, it is certainly our duty to
know our grounds for doing one or
the other.
What I have to say on the subject is
based upon two addresses only, those
of last Sunday afternoon and evening;
that of the afternoon was mainly
treatment of the topics familiar to us
IN. the average Methodist discourse,
rendered nlcy aud stimulating by some
of the sensational and exaggerated ex-
pressions which have been SO copious-
ly reported in the papers. These, how
ever, are only superficial features and
do not affect the impression of pro-
found conviction on the part of the
preacher, which is the one idea carried
away and accounts for the correspond
ing depth of conviction impaired to
his hearers.
The nights discourse was very diff
ferent thing 1t was announced that
the sermon was for men alone; this by
itself raised my expectation of some
thing stronger and more direct than
the average sermon of the day, for the
religion of the present time has been
gradually subsiding into religion for
women and children; this was for
men, and u thoroughly masculine adj
dress it was. It dealt with the vices
of modern society; not formal pecca-
dillos forbidden TO members of the
church, while unnoticed in outsiders,
but vices recognized as such by all
men-dishonesty, lieentiousness, lying,
swearing, Abandonment OF home du-
ties and family ties for selfish indul-
gence in clubs and other places of re-
sort for men. These things were
spoken OF as prevalent within as we'll
as outside of the churches, and as
things against which the churches
were feebly and Intellectually contend
ing, and as vices not only condemned
in the church member, but disgraceful
and inconsistent with the character of
man or a gentleman; he represented
that the whole life of society was
threatened; that the disregard of pc
cuniary obligations fostered by State
lotteries and specializing in futures
were breaking down the whole fabric
of business life which is built upon
mans faith in his fellow man; that the
license in sexual matters almost OPEN
ly allowed by one sex. could not long
go on without affecting the purity of
the other, and introducing corruption
into the very bosom of the home and
family; that the Sabbath, instead of
holy day was becoming for vast num-
bers the unholiest day in the week-a
day given up to idleness and vice; that
the liar is no longer condemned, but
he who is deceived by him is laughed
at ss5se
And here came in with terrible
force the warming of the text
FLEE FOR THY LIEF
the warming OF the angels to Lot to es-
cape from the condemned city of
Sodom. He represented all society as
threatened with dissolution to its foun-
dation unless reformation should be
prompt and thorough.
/ know of no such unsparing and
outspoken denunciation of vice unless
we 90 back to the early preaching of
Wicllffe and Latinler, or the sermon
in Chaucer given under the title of
the "Personnes Tale" or the voice of
Whitfield raised against sin and vice
equally among the rough Cornish
miners and the polished aristocracy of
London, or finally to the denunciation.
of woe to Scribes and Pharisees, hypo-
critics, by one higher and holier than
all these
Such preaching has always been the
of revolution in religious
thought and action-of revolution in
the whole social system.
If | were desired to define the gen.
eral character of Mr.. Jones' preaching
in one sentence, / should call it pro-
test against RituaIisBa; not the ritual |
ism of small section of the Episcopal
church, but the ritualism to which as |
10 disease all churches are liable; it |
means the survival of forms after the |
spirit which once gave them life has
lied out of them, and Mr.. Jones evil
lently considers that4 the anxious
,epch and the whole apparatus of
nourners and CONSIDERS are just as liza
Die to this disease rs tn. l;nlrin mass
)r the English prtjer no,S. The
iaily life-is it pure Is it active in
veil doing? THIS aInne he receives
IS an evidence oi true religion, and by
his criterion alone he recognizes the
rue believer.
tits the unsparing application OF this I
est to all religious professions and
within or without the
hurch, which is the grand character
site of this mans preaching, and all I
are more severely dealt
nth in church members than in others
eca,ise there they are less excusable
nd more mischievous.
When say that think this preach |
ng will turn out to be revolutionary
do not mean that it will break down
xisting church organizations, but that !,
will much modify mems thoughts !
nd judgements regarding them; it e
ill set aside the quiet assumption t
hitch divides the world into saints
nd sinners and labels men with one
r the other appellation accordin. as e
hey are within or without these or 5
The preaching Of Whit 1
cid and Wesley created Il similar !,
arD1 in rofo ronaa tn tho (ihnrpl, nf