New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-05
THE NEW PURITANIsM
Mr.. M00DY'S NORTHFIELD
spLENDID WORK FOR CHRISTIANITY AMI
CIVILIZATION.

sPLENDiD WYNN roh CHRISTIANITY AMI
CIVILIZATION.
OPENING OF THE THIRTEENTH ANNUAL. ooNrrn
ENcE OF CHRISTIAN ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
BY THE REV pRs ToRREy. pREpEx-
parry wEBB-PEPLoE. ANDREW MUIR.
RAY AND OTHERS AND SING.
ING BY Mr.. sANKEy.
tsr TELEGRAPH TO THE rR,nrxr,
Northheld. Mass. Aug. 4-Northfeid is CHARMING
With the charm OF "uniouity bu, no, ip,ov,,. ;
.ome one once said about another naco ,hr
IN fact two Northhelds-that which nroducsa NJ
Moody, for he was born here and that which NJ
Moody has produced-and one finds II hard IN sou,
which IS 'he more charming. II is perhaps better
to yield 10 'he spell or simple New England beauty
that Is common to both of them as indeed on.
must than to perturb the mind bv making .o,n
rarsons between the old Puritarism and tho ro,
II Is true, there are many minute points Of differ
ence between the TWO types Of Puritan civilization
hu; they exist here. side by side thew have h.
cne blended that to the casual observer they se
as one 1t Is no longer possible to see here or any,
where in New-England the stern features of the old
theoeracy. The rugged theology of Cotton Mathor
and Jonathan Edwards Is dead or rather II lives in
new types OF religious faith and impulse better
adapted TO the life OF to-day. Mr. Moody is Puritan
but he is nineteenth century Puritan. He holds
the old faith but the old faith with its anguart,es
rubbed of His practical mind would find no meas
ure in the metaphysical subtleties that gave such
deigh; 10 the fathers. He has lived in Chicago and
Chicsgo would probably say that to that fact is due
the "hustling energy and common-sense ideas that
have made the great evangelist so supreme,y sue
cessful in his work Be that as 1t may the success
Is beyond question.
OLD NORTHFIELD AND THE NEW
And nowhere is that success more in evidence
than here in Mortified. The old Mortified still
stands In the valley. survival Of the past 1t IS
historic largely because IT has no history The
roody folk who founded II 80 many years ago are
peacefully slumberng in the churchyard and the
story Of their lives is buried with them One Won
ders II they thrilled with the exquisite beauty
OF the region or II they put II away from them as
snare OF the devil TO wean their hearts from God
Certainly their records furnish no evidence that
they spent any time in rhapsodizng over views. as
the modern Puritans here to-day are doing. They
had other things to think Of; a sustenance to be
conquered out of an unwilling SOIL hostile Indians
maybe. 10 be fought and killed; but. most of all
Immortal souls 10 be saved.
What interest had beautiful views for people
who looked the world as vale OF tears? Still.
the beauty much IN evidence then now
and must have had an unconscious influence on the
lives OF those old Puritan pioneers. This is proved
by the character Of the typical New-England vii
lagos, or Wnlcn OLD Northned Is one. Nothing could
be In more complete harmony with its environme1t.
The single wide street. lined each side with
magnificent elms; the old square. white meeting
house; the neat and clean-lookng dwellings, telling
a story OF modest thrift: the utter absence OF
frs and fripperies-all these characteristics satisfy
the eve and please the mind because they so
perfectly In keeping with the simple beauty Of New
Engands hills and valleys
Mortified is not summer resort. 1t has been
discovered by one. yet. but Mr. Moody and
multitude OF Christian people who come here to
the various conferences. But. for that very reason
Il Is al the charming. Its life has not been
coarsened by the vices and follies OF the great
cities Its oldtime simpcities have not been over
lad with the veneer of fashion Its quiet is not
disturbed by the noisy ella nor OF vulgarsm The
beauty that fingers benedction on its undulat-
ing landscape is marred by suggestion Of vice or
sin A slight change in Bishop Heber's hymn
would. in fact. make 1t applicable to Mortified.
where every prospect pleases and not even man Is
vile"
or course Mr. Moody believes in the total de-
pravity of strongly as did the Puritan
fathers. He would. therefore. hold the doctrine TO
be true for Mortified well for Ceylon's 1s.e.
Nevertheless the outward life Of the people Is as
clean morally as it is physically. and that is saying
great deal. II conduct makes up three-fourths
OF life as Matthew Arnold said then nearly every
one here is at least three-fourhs perfect Church-
going Is not merely recognized duty. 1t is almost
ollnei TO entertain loose views of morality. he
would find 1t much pleasanter to keep them 70 him
self.
In such a typical New-England community Mr.
Moody has planted the Mortified Idea. which Is,
indeed no longer an idea but fact potent for
good Mr. Moodys Mortified. known geographically
as East Mortified. is a great scheme OF Christian
education whose foundation stone is the Bible This
is how he himself would describe It, and no better
definition OF ii can be found.
EDUCATOR AS WELL AS EVANGELIST.
Complimentary to Mortified however. are the
boys schools Mount Hermon. four miles dis
tant which antedate the girls schools in point or
time II is In Mount Hermon and Northhed that
the true history Of Mr.. Moody's life will be written
For strangely enough. though he gained his nrst
fame as an evangelist. and is still best known to
the world as such IL Is as an educator that he has
shown the greatest constructive genius The per-
manent good results Of his evangelism were open
TO question: at least. they could not be accurately
measured But the Mortified movement Is tan
gibe fact. Even those who dislike MI Moody
methods. II not Mr. Moody himself, will have to
take Nor.hAeh into account. II has already sent
out into the world a large number OF young men
and women. and its outlook was never more nope
ful than IL is to-day 1t is curious how IDEAS gro"
into Institutions when there is masteriui ma"
behind them.
Mr. Noodvs first venture in Mortified was mod
Is; enough In driving through the Mortified
notch one day he came across a farmer whose
Young girls were growing up in ignorance AL
once he bought sixteen acres Of land In Northhed'
opposite his house in which TO erect girls schoo.
He could not wait for the building. however anu
began his scheme by taking twenty-five s'ris i''o
his house. .n
From this Modest beginning the idea grew. until
today the various institutions are housed an up
ward o, a dozen handsome and costly oulio,hes
that would do credit to many more pre'eh''ous
Institution. The Mortified Seminary lot youns
women. has a collegiate course OF four years W.
thorough instruction in all branches Oh $50
wi III, uour, Harmon School prepares young
men FOR college gives those who desire 1t course
In Bible teaching to prepare them for evansehcal
xor1 and co,nneIs all its students 10 learn some