The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-05
ONCE THEY WERE BAD
Rev. DR.. Wasson's Article on the
Reformed Evangelist"
APPETITE FOR REPUTATION
The More Genuine His Reforma-
ton. the Less VIII He Feel In
clined to Exploit His Past Evil
Courses and Display Them.

Great Falls. Nov. 4-The Great Falls
Churchman, a monthly publication,
edited by Rev. DIR. WATSON, rector OF
the Episcopal church of this city, has
the following to say in regard to RE
formed Evangelists." a number OF
whom make this city their permanent
headquarters. while others go and
come. as their financial condition die
tates:
Possibly no ostensibly religious
phenomena of the present day are
more painfully instructive that the
reformed evangelists.' a peripatetic
order of professed revivalists, whose
popularity Lies in their having led
wicked. degraded lives. and in their
conspicuous advertisement of the fact
and use of 1t in their ministrations.
Now. the utterly bad taste of this is
perfectly obvious. 1t is said of the
Turk that he is not particular as to
what he eats. that he will eat sawdust,
provided he gets enough. So 1t is re-
garding the appetite for reputation in
a certain order of minds not over nice
In their perceptions and preferences.
Their inordinate craving for distinc-
ton of some sort leads them to seek
= notoriety in place of the fair fame
Therefore, in much the same spirit
that animates the half-grown boy who
chews and smokes. not because he
likes tobacco. but because he wishes
to be considered tough the 'reformer
evangelist loudly calls attention to his
bad eminence' and glories in his
shame, rolling his story as a sweet
morsel under his tongue.
Now, it is true. and we ought
thankfully to recognize 1t, that re-
formed man may become an instru-
ment, under divine leading, for the re-
claiming of other souls from the
depths of vice and SIN. But the more
genuine his reformation. the less will
he feels inclined to exploit his past evil
courses and make a display of them.
The reformed man is by his anteced-
ents a deformed man. and If he is
properly reformed he will feel this and
the spirit of boastfulness will be far
from him. And the fact that the re-
formed evangelist processes deep
abasement does not relieve him. He
doth protest too much The counter
felt is easily detected. There is no
pride like that which apes humility.
There is no hypocrisy so brazen as
that which makes ostentatious display
of sorrow for glazing misdeeds and
disgraceful sins.
And worse than the bad taste of
such performances is the attendant
perversion of morals and religion. OF
course, the plea is made that good will
result. How anybody in his sober
senses can believe this is incompre-
hensible. If 1t were true. why then,
of course, the more we can have of
that sort of thing the better. But the
underlying principle is the utterly false
one of doing evil that good may come.
mo, the introduction of opera bouffe
into revival meetings can be produce
tive only of harm. Like couse, like eff
feet. The recital of these unwhole-
some autobiographies cannot possibly
persuade men to righteousness and re-
pentance, or win them to newness Of
spiritual life. They do but feed the
vulgar egotism and vanity of the self
styled evangelist. who makes them his
stock in trade. and minister to the
baser appetites of the crowd, which is
drawn to hear him largely because he
offers attractions similar to those of a
low variety show. or the Police Ga
zette, or a prize fight. or salacious
case in court.
But the heavyweight of blame for
this disgusting and immoral travesty
of gospel preaching must fall, not on
the irresponsible creatures who make
this their calling and who are rather
to be pitied. but on those pulpits and
churches which countenance and en-
courage the reformed evangelist and
permit his performances to be given
under their auspices and presumably
with their endorsement. OF all the
institutions that are in the world, the
church is set TO maintain a high moral
standard; and good manners is a not
unimportant part of good morals. De-
cenecy and dignity are the natural
concomitants of all the virtues and
graces The former cannot be ignored
except at the imminent peril. of the lat
ter In his enumeration of the neces-
sary elements that go to the making
of the complete Christian character,
Paul was careful to include 'Whatso-
ever things are reverend When the
teachers of religion. those who sit in
Moses seat, are betrayed into the
omission of what may seem to them
the least important part of the great
apostles inls truction. they fall into
serious error, In the sphere Of moral
truth there is no least important part.
On the other hand. the neglect of any
part Instantly renders II of the very
first Importance. Hence II Is not a
light thing for a church to disregard
the injunction to think on. 'whatso-
ever things are reverend.
But this is precisely what is done
when the 'reformer evangelist is per-
mitted to ventilate his unsavory ca
reer in the presence of a congrega-
ton of worshipers Any church that
so far forgets its holy mission should
take shame to itself. for thereby is
the Master wounded in the house of
his friends"