The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-04-17
Exchange Notes.
Gieanings of Editorial Opinion.
MIR. Moody and his Work.

Christianity than Mr.. Moody's widely
copied letter published in the Independ-
ent some time ago. Why is it that so
many churches report no accessions by
confession of faith, according to the statis-
tics of church year books? After making
all OF the legitimate attachments pointed
out by writers who replied to Mr.. Moody's
letter, the great weakness of many Chris
tains is low state of spiritual vitality,
and the inactivity which is the natural
consequence of such a state When the
proportion of such Christians in church
is considerable, that church will not re-
port many additions by conquest from the
world. The Advance.
Mr. Moody has not college culture, he
does not preach polished, intellectual SER
mons, he does not belong to the school of
scientific biblical critics; nevertheless he
has strong intellectual powers, he knows
his English Bible far better than many
highly educated ministers, he has ire
mendous grip ON the great truths of the
Gospel; and there are few preachers in
this or any other country who can pre-
sent and enforce these truths with equal
force. Intellectual sermons do not neces-
sarily raise the pulpit; nor do Moody's
plain, ungrammatical discourses lower it.
Peter did not lower the apostolic pulpit.
thought he was less intellectual than
Paul. Independent.
Mr. Moody freely criticises ministers
and churches, and, naturally enough, they
cTltlciSl Ha pbap
that he is as much open to criticism as
they are But no one can know Mr.. Moody,
or hear him speak, or join with him in
PRAYER, without the conviction that he
loves the church with all his heart. that
he longs intensely for the salvation of men,
that he lives near to God and wants to get
nearer to him. His impatience with Chris
tians for not living holier lives and work.
ing more earnestly to win others to Christ
is just the feeling that he exercises to-
ward himself. He has long had, and con-
tinues to have, wonderful evidence that
he is used to bring men to repentance for
sin and into new life in Christ. We say,
God bless him for that and bless his work.
-Congregationalist.
Mr.. Moody is an interesting subject of
study He is constantly doing the unex-
pected. He does not believe in letting
things get prosy. If the air is heavy, he
has some singing while the ventilation is
attended to. He has the saving sense of
humor. He knows that smile and laugh
are good in their place to relieve situa-
tion and create new and desired one. He
10 mi 70 ~,
may be suspected occasionally of invent
ing one if necessary. His sudden turns
keep the audience awake and alert and in
good humor. Yet no man knows better
how to grade and limit these incidentals
which enliven. Everything that is inter-
jected has its purpose and point-W Watch
man.
Portraits in the Press.
(Examiner)
When we say that the most effective
means of Kidding our country of the curse
of vice sodden press is to be found in in
dividual efforts, and in the example of
the Newark Library, and the Union Lea
que Club, we have in mind a bill, now
pending in the New York Legislature,
whereby the publication of the portrait of
any person, without the written consent
of the person in question, is made an
offence punishable by fine and imprison-
ment. As for the motive which prompted
the Introduction of this bill, we do not for
an instant doubt that it was honest and
disinterested at the same time, we feel
very sure that, were the bill to become a
law, the public would lose as much as it
would gain, if not more. For, while the
bill is mainly directed against the abuse
of printing portraits of persons before the
public eye, as at present practiced by some
of our "new journals there is no assur-
ance that the bill would lead to discon-
tinuance of the habit, since the editors of
these newspapers are concerned in only a
small measure with printing the pictures
of worthily distinguished persons, who
presumably would not give the sanction
required by this bill, but with the vic
ious obscure, who would certainly leap at
the opportunity thus given them of gain
ing wider notoriety for themselves.
Hindrances to Christianity.
New York Tribune.)
present day hinder the spread of organ
lied Christianity. One is the tendency of
good Christian men like MIR. Moody to say
that no man can be a Christian who does
not accept theology. The religion that
Jesus introduced into the world is incom-
parably larger and greater that any theo-
logical summary of it that has ever been
made. Now, as ever, since the days that
the Master ''spake as never man spake,n
his teachings have been finding lodgment
in the hearts of men who knew little of the
theology of the churches, and cared less.
Formally they may be defective as church
men; but in spirit they are Christians,
though their names may never appear in
the tabulated results of any revival. The
other drawback is happily described by
the Waterman, when it says that the re-
ligion of some Christians is on the plan of
the water-tight compartment. They con-
fine it to one part of their life, and never
by any possibility allow it to mingle with
their business or pleasures. Such a relig-
ion is of no value, and, in fact, is pitiful
travesty of the teachings of Jesus.