Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-04-30
THE SALVATION ARMY.
Its Origin and Aim-Interview with ihe
Corps in this City.

1 Corps IN TINS City'
| A reporter of the RECORD UNION yester-
day called upon four young ladies, officers
in the Salvation Army and from them took
| the following statement:
The Salvation Army is a body OF con-
verted men and women joined together
after the fashion of an army, who intend
| to make all men Weld, or at least listen to
the claims which God has to their love and
| service. 1t originated in the east OF Lon
| don, in 1865, with William Booth, who had
/ for years been a Methodist minister. he
had Travelled extensively IN the United
! Kingdom, had great success In winning
souls, until the year 1861, when he resigned
and gave himself up to evangelistic work.
| In 1865 he went to the east of London,
where the appalling fact that the enormous
| bulk of the population were totally igno-
rant of real religion, and altogether unin-
| auenced by the existing religious organiza-
tons, so impressed him that he determined
| to devote his life to making these millions
hear and know God, and thus save them
| from the abyss of misery in which they
were plunged, and rescue them from the
damnation that was before them. The
! Salvation Army was the result. 1t oper-
| ates as follows:
| Firstly holding meetings out OF doors,
! and marching singing through the streets,
in harmony with law and order.
Secondly visiting public houses, gin
! palaces, prisons, private houses, and speak
| ing to and praying with all who can be
| urged to listen.
Thirdly holding meetings in theaters,
music halls, saloons, and the other COM
mon resorts of those who prefer pleasure
| to God, and by turning factories and other
strange buildings into meeting rooms, so
securing hearers who would not enter ordi-
nary places of worship.
When the organization had been in ex-
| lstence several years, it was found to be
fashioned, substantially, after the model of
an army, and as its object was the sal
Walton of men, it was called, what it really
seemed to be, an army of salvation, other
wise, The Salvation Army" The army
has been successful has made greater
progress during the time it has been in ex-
lstence than any religious movement of the
last century; perhaps greater than any
since the Lutheran Reformation. Thou
sands who were once the most goddess and
profane IN the community, are now apos-
ties OF salvation, living and preaching the
gospel in every land. The officers are
maintained by collections taken at the
meetings.
Reporter-Are not many of the measures
and methods employed by the army OBJ
jected to as strange, rude and unscriptural?
Answer-Ges, these objections are very
commonly made by persons who form
their opinions of us by hearsay, but we to-
tally deny that anything is done by author
| lty that can be shown to be contrary TO the
spirit or letter Of the Bible. We admit,
| however, that many of our methods are
very different to the religious usages and
social tastes of respectable and refined peo-
pie, which make those measures appear
vulgar-that is, in bad taste to them; but
| this does not make them wrong in the
| sight of God. On the contrary, we think
| this adaptation of measures to the state of
| the masses is abundantly justified by the
extraordinary things which God set His
| prophets to do, in order to arrest the atten-
| ton OF the people, and also by the innova-
lions connected with the work of Jesus
| Christ and His Apostles And if it can be
| proved from the results that these methods
| lay hold of the ignorant and goddess, COM
| polling them to think about eternity and
attend to their souls salvation, Wa think
they are thereby proved to be both lawful
and expedient, and such as should COM
mand the appreciation of all good men.
R.-Why are military titles used. such as
Generals, Captains, Lieutenants, etc?
A.-Because those in authority must
have some significant title, and because
these harmonic with the organization,
most readily convey to the minds of the
| common people the rank the officers hold,
| and are less Objectionable to the masses of
the people than those used by the regular
| Christian denominations to describe their
! officers.
R-What kind of uniform is worn. and
| is there any advantage in it?
Alt consists of plain, simple dark
| blue dress, trimmed with neat red braid.
and marked by the letter on the collar.
1t is found to be very useful, attracts at
| tention, gives opportunity for conversation.
gathers people at the open-air demonettra-
| tons, excites respect in the rowdy popula-
ton, indicates not only connection with
the army, but a persons position in it, and
IS safeguard against conformity to the
fashions of the day. The ministers of most
churches have a uniform, and are not
ashamed OF it, we can see no solid obiec-
| ton to the Salvation Army having one also.
R.-What are the doctrines of the army?
Aust those which are deemed essen
| tial to salvation by the orthodox people of
| God-utter ruin through the fall; salvation
alone, from first to last, through the atone
| ment of Christ by the Holy Spirit; the
great day of judgment, with its reward of
| heaven forever for the righteous and hell
| forever for the wicked.
RS it not possible that some may be
| led to think they are converted at these
! meetings, when really they are only lit
| tie excited?
A.-Doubtless there are many who think
| they are saved who are only on stony
ground or wayside hearers who are ONLY
pricked in their skin instead of their
hearts. This, however, must not prevent
our continuing to SOW the seed and use
those means which seem most likely to
save the greatest number.
R.-But do the new converts stand? Is
the work permanent?
A.-Many who profess to be saved
doubtless, are only convicted, and MANY
who appear to be really saved fall AWAY
unable % stand against the power of
old habits, the ridicule and persecution to
which they are subjected to in their homes
and workshops, or from other sources.
But that multitudes do stand is evident
| from the number of officers and soldiers
| now in the army, the large numbers in the
various churches scattered throughout the
world and the multitudes who are already
safely landed in heaven. Here is what the
Lord Bishop of Chichester recently said
about the Salvation Army. All will
acknowledge this opinion is at least worthy
of consideration The vast number of
the Salvation Army, its complete organiza.
ton, its gradual growth and continued de-
yelopment, the implicit obedience which
its commanders exact, these are things
known to all. Its work is not done in
corner. Never was there religious move
ment which carried on its operations more
openly, or with a holder disregard of con-
ventional usage or precedent No one can
doubt that the soldiers of the army-men
or women-are thoroughly in earnest It
has the energy and the impetuosity. some
what also of the rashness, of youth. Even
those who look most coldly on this new
spiritual phenomenon must confess that If
has produced great effects-its friends would
say has won great victories. Through its
preaching and teaching many souls have
been delivered from the bondage of sin.
many consciences have been lightened of
their intolerable load. No Christian
church can afford to disregard or depre-
cate such an agency in the midst of us.
The Salvation Army holds in high respect
the Word of God, and ii breaches morality
on Christian principles. Consider what are
the prevailing plaques of our country-in-
fidelity and vice. The latter is evidently
enough, but we are probably little &C
quainted with the pestilential infidel liter
erature which circulates where least
suspected. | CHANGED latterly in Swift
zerland to find copy of notorious paper
printed in London, but in the German
language nv men who are now SUFFERING