The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-21

Rev. F. B. Cowgirl, pastor Of the
First M. E. church, preached yester-
day to his congregation on "EVangeli-
cal Christianity Under Changed Condi-
tons" Mr.. Cowgirl said in part:
1 called your attention last Sunday morn
Ing to the scope and power of the great
evangelical movement inaugurated a cen
fury and half ago, and to the recent
decadence Of revivalism as a form of Chris
tan effort. This latter fact is by many
garded a calamity. l do not think it
a calamity; but it is a crisis in the true
sense Of the word, namely a turning point
which indicates that evangelical Christian
ity Is to find new expression for itself
more suitable to the condition under which
its work must be done.
Several facts explain the decadence of
the revival. First may be mentioned the
success of revivalism in the past In the
year 1900, to go no further back only one
in fourteen of the people in this country
belonged to an evangelical church. The
other thirteen fourteenths of the popua-
ton gave to the churches vast and fruit
full field in which to labor. So success
full were their labors that in 1850 one in
seven of the people belonged to evangelical
churches. In 1880 one in five of the popu-
latton were reported as communicates of
evangelical churches. 1t could hardly be
expected that these churches should main
tain the former. rate of increase when the
unevangelized portion of Protestant
clety is relatively so much diminished.
Furthermore, the increased attention Civ
en- to Sunday schools and young peoples
societies has diminished the relative i'm
portance OF revivals as methods of recruit
ing the churches. The quiet but constant
process of education takes the place of
the revival campaign. In this way millions
of children and young people are quietly
graduated through the Sunday schools and
young peoples societies into church mem
bership
Observe, also. that many agencies have
conspired to raise the level of popular in
telligence. The more intelligent and self
determinative people are, the more difficult
it is to persuade them out of the courses
of life and action which they have chosen.
Another obstacle to revivalism Is found
in the growing intensity of business and
social life, and the multiplying interests
that claim the attention of the people.
Formerly there were few great cities, and
the life of these less distracting and in
tense. In summer and winter the people
had more leisure and fewer wholesome di-
versions. These conditions were favorable
to the great camp meetings in summer and
the revival in winter. 1t may be added
that these great meetings met social and
educational demands which no longer eX-
list.
The decline of revivalism is partly due
to the fact that the church has been los
ing touch with that part of the people
most susceptible to evangelistic appeal:
Those who are shut out by financial and
intellectual limitations from the amenities
of life afforded by wealth and culture have
in all time been most responsive to
evangelistio appeal. The churches have
been losing touch with these people, among
whom their greatest successes were former
ly realized.
Some important changes have been TAX
Ing place in the religious conceptions and
consciousness of the people. At the be-
ginning of the period which we have been
studying Protestant Christendom was over
Swallowed by Calvinstic conceptions of
God and medieval conceptions of hell. 1t
was believed that sinners were plunged into
a lake of fire which tcrmented, without
consuming them. forever. Those who de-
nied the literal Interpretation held that the
Biblical figure stood for something still
more terrible. Highly imaginative and ap-
pallingy realistic descriptions of the sin
ner's endless torment were not unfrequent
elements of revival preaching. Nothing
could turn this awful Deity aside from this
awful satisfaction of infinite justice.
When to people under the spell of the
fatalistc and awful theology of Calvin the
Wesleyan evangelists came proclaimng the
universally of divine love and grace, The
people fed in masses from that awful hell
to the refuge offered them. The evangellsts
played systematically and convinclngly upon
two chords-the unutterable compassion
and agonizing sympathy OF God, which
found expression in the cross OF His Son.
and His awful justice which required for
It's expression the torturing and quench-
less HieS Ul Hell.
But now the people do not believe in the
Calvinistic God or the medieval hell. The
old terror of both is largely gone The
belief In future punishment remains. That
Il will be reasonable, just and severe, there
are none to deny. That it will be as ter
rible as used to be thought there are few
to affirm The Holy Scriptures and the
great hymns of the church have saturated
the thought CT Christendom with ideas of
the divine goodness. Professionalism goes
on singing Wesleys hymn:
Love divine. ell love exoelling,
Jesus, thou ert all compassion.
Pure, unbounded love thou art"
And Faber's great hymn:
'Therss widenes In Gods mercy,
Like the Wilderness of the sea;
There's q kindness in His Justice,
Which is mora than liberty.
For the love OF God Is broader
Than the measure of mans mind
And the heart Of the Eternal
Is most wonderfully kind"
The longer Christisss keep singing these
hymns, the less possible II will be to
stampede sinners to the mourners bench
by proclaimng the terrors of perdition The
preachers nre few who can proclaim these
terrors with the old-tine power and con-
victon. The congregations are few who
would permit preacher 10 do It, if he
could. The sensb!iities of the average
CONGREGATION are Christian IN nern,it