The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-10-01
EVANGELISTAND CHURCHES

Mr.. Hugh 0. Pentecost, once a
Christian minister, but now an avowed
atheist who declares that he does no
understand what people mean by
God, is on the record as saying that
"The church is the enemy of Jesus,
the foe of the truth, the defender
and abettor of every respectable thief
and receiver of stolen goods. the in
csrnation of hypocrisy, and as cruel
as the grave" That is, perhaps, not
q surprising declaration, considering
its source. But it is surprising when
Christian workers. publicly make
statements like this in spirit and diff
fering from it little in bitterness.
An intelligent and sober-minded OBJ
server, who attended one of MIR.
Moody's meetings recently speaks
sorrowfu,ly of the evident disposi tioH
there is to ''give it to the churches"
'sThe feeling seemed to be-" be says,
'sthat the churches are actually
stumbling blocks in the way of
Christian work, and their pastors
doing little or nothing to reach and
save man." H. cites the case of one
man who remarked that "if he could
have his way, he would burn up one
of the leading churches in New-York
city (naming iD, collect the insur-
ance and build three or four mission
chapels."
This gentleman asks obviously
whether this is symptom of growing
divergence between the churches and
all sorts of reform efforts between
evangslists and pastors? The qses-
ton can be answered in only one way,
What is the chief stock in trade of
evangslists of the Sam Jones type ?
Scathing denunciation of churches
and church members and ministers.
Now it is true that there are cold and
lukewarm churches, and worldly
church-members. 1t has always been
90 and always will be SO. Among the
twelve apostle there was Judas in
the first Christian church were found
Ananias and Saphira and ere the
Apostolic age ended there was a
church that was neither
cold nor hots but luke
warm" But il is also true that every
step forward in the evangelization of
uhe world has been taken by the
churches. There have been marked
cases of individual heroism, there
have been leaders of eloquence and
mental greatness, but what would
these nave been but for the churches
that stood back of them. What made
Carey and Judson more than leaders
of q forlorn hope, save the prayers
and gifts of the churches? What
would the Spurgeons and Wesleys and
Luthers have been but voices cry ing
in the wilderness apart from the
churches that gave visible embodi-
msut to the truths they preached 4?
The evangelist or reformer who
antagonizes the churches is like q
Samson who should deliberately cut
OF his own locks-he is self-limited
in the extent and permanence of his |
usefulness. 1t is comparatively easy
to hold large meetings, to produce
great enthusiasm that shall seem ingly
move q city to its foundations, to get
people by scores and hundreds into
the inquiry room and to secure ap.
parently sincere professions of re-
ligion. And yet In a. few months
the spiritual condition of that com
nunity will be like a region swept
BY q prairie fire-the abomiuation of
desolation. Where are the converts
of a few months ago? Scattered to
the four winds of heaven, and never
more heard of. There has been no
shepherding of the sheep, no culture
Of the converts spiritual life; and the