The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-21
ATTACKING THE CHURCH.
The Trance Evangelist Talks Harshly Of
Ministers and Church Members.
A Drunken Youth Goes to the Mourners'
Bench and Attempts to Embrace Mrs.
Woodwork, Who Exposes Him.

teen years she has beeu so afflicted with deafness
as to hear only the loudest sounds, suddenly re-
covered her hearing that she could under
stand whispers and everything said in the meet
ing. The girl who, three days ago, claimed to
have received strength to walk. something she
had not done since her infancy. was at the meet
ing again yesterday, and. with slight assistance,
walked about the room several times. The girl,
together with Mrs. Woodwork, pray ed for more
''power" in the hope of complete restoration. A
eolored man got 1.-The power" at this meeting in
snch volume that 1t took nearly dozen men to
aold him, and he was not safe then until they
sut him on the floor and sat down upon him.
The ticket-ofice at the entrance of the rink
was in operation again last night. but the small
of dime did not appear to stand in the way
of sinners in search of salvation, and not less
than FIVE hundred people paid their money and
passed in to hear the trance evangelist. Mrs.
Woodwork and her little band of workers occu-
pied their accustomed seats on the PLATFORM and
rs the people assembled offered silent supplica-
tons that the meeting might be enyeloped with
power from on high.
The opening exercises did not differ from those
on former evenings The same old song,
God send us down that power,
That power from above"
Vas sung with, if possible, more fervor than on
nrevious evenings, ard as the converts warmed
Ip with the tune, the ''amens" and ''halelu-
jahs' came oftener and oftener until they formed
q chorus
Mrs. Wordsworth was hoarse and spoke with
difficulty. The cold comfort which the minis
given her, and the condemnation she has re-
eeived from some of the ministers, had evidently
aroused her. and she talked on what constituted
true Christian, whether in church or
cut She said "God breathes the breath
of life into men and they live Eze
Kiel tells of a vision of a valley of
dry bones he had. have also had vision of
valley of dry bones. and they right here in
this city. The vision of Ezekiel was nothing
more than trance. Tho spirit, he said. came
and lifted up the dry bones and they walked.
Ezekiel had some wonderful frances The spir
Il came to him and sat him down in valley of
dry bones, and said, Can these dry bones live?
he delivered the message God had given the dry
bones, and there began to be a commotion
among them. The dry bones represent the sim
ners to day. and many of them are in the
shurches. There is great rafting of dry bones
n this city since / came here, and many Of them
are dry bones In high places that have never
sattled before. There are tens of thousands of
persons in the church who are dead If you are
alive, this will not hit you, and if you are dead,
want it to hit you. no matter who you are.
Church member, you must come to the Lord as
EEekiel did or You are not saved; we have no
tight to mark our way. We must be led by the
Spirit When 60 out into the valley of dry
bones, / always 60 where other persons have
ceen failures. and have always been victorious.
How many people in the church have this spirit
sal life? But very few tell you. You church
members may be perfect in the sight of man,
bat you only perfect devil unless you have
been converted. To-day / would
rather 90 and pitch battle against regiment of
infdels than against regiment of church mem
1ers, ! would have more success. | have in
Adels come to me every day and encourage me
in lny work, but the church members do not.
thinks they are Christians. There are
tens of thousands who are in church
and are going to the devil on
Il told you so,' 4 guess so,' and so forth. The
Lord has to knock great many sinners down,
Or they will never come down. That is the rea
ION we pray for the knock down power. Since
[ began the work of saving souls, l have not
found ter in one hundred church members who
we're Christians You can't trust the water for
salvation, either. If you 10 you will come up
bigger sinner than when you went down. Some
Of the churches will take you in on probation,
and if you do pretty we'll for nine months they
will take you clear in. ard never ask you
whether or not you have been converted
Thousands of people have gone into the
church and come out infdels, and
there are hundreds of infdels in
the church l know | do not mislead
sinners I would rather die on this
than do such a thing. The ministers of Indian
apolis are gathering and condamning me. Let
Jhem come right here and will convert them
That's the trouble with them. They haven't
been here They say / will break up the
shurches Great God, if the churches that
weak they ought to have the bottom knocked
out of them These old dry bones of the
churches are doing what they can for God be-
cause they are afraid of Him. Let us not
ship God by machinery, but by our souls"
hus han rfaH he cir
9ers present to come to Christ. Religion"
laid he, speaks louder than man. 1t speaks
ike lightning in your face There isn't much
style about our preachin', but style is bought of
she devil and 1t only goes to the grave"
John King, the reformed drunkard,' spoke
1t length. He related his experience in his
trance. and said he saw his daughter in heaven
and talked with her.
Mrs. Woodwork, referring to Kings CONVEX
sion. said she knew his soul was saved and
hoped he would be given announcement by
those who know him. There would be an effort
made to pull him back into the world. and, if he
was rot given support. he would fall Chang
ing her subject she said: 1T is time now to
make rush for the altar, and while they sing
let everybody in the house come" Twenty-Five
r thirty persons were soon kneeling at the
nourners bench, and as the songs and prayers
vent on five or six were stricken with catalepsy
Among the supplicants was blind girl, who
has been attending several meetings, and is
praying earnestly that her sight may be re-
stored. Several professed conversion, and there
was singing and rejoicing over the lost that
were savaa.
A young man, we'll dressed. made his wav
through the crowd to the bench and said he
wanted to get some of that power" At Mrs
Noodworths request he kueeled at the altar
md she by the side OF him. She soon discovered
shat he was drunk-very drunk-and his sole
purpose seemed to be to get his arms about Mrs
Woodwork. When she the condition of
her supplicant she mounted the platform
and said; Here is young man un-
der the influence of iiquor-a bright and
apparently an intelligent young man. have no
aoubt he has a mother praying for him tonight.
de can be converted, though under this influence,
aud If we put him out in this condition he may
make his bed in hell. want you all to pray for
him. The converts ali gathered around the
young man, and PRAYED for him. and it'required
The most Of Mrs Woodworth's efforts, who was
Lose 10 him. to kseI mis- arms from
around her. He appeared to enjoy
he surroundings higt'v, and it was