New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-31
AROTT RETTTALTSTS.

ABOUT RETITALTSTS.
A number Of earnest and eloquent evan2'iisfs
are holding special meetings just now I'D tne
Borough Of Manhattan. They believe that the
Second coming Of Christ j. imminent. ana mat
fl is their solemn duty to warn sinners to pre-
pare for that event Inque>lionably. If Chris-
tians generally believed in such a literal re-
annearanco of the Redeemcr. the words Of these
mon would bear abundant fruit. But. in point
Of fact that doctrine rs well the milcn-
mum. occupies a small place in the Christian
consciousness of to-day. As we know. II was
far otherwise I'm the earlier history Of Chris
tianitv. Christ declared that He would return
in power and great glory to judge the world be-
fore tho generation which He addressed had
passed away At least His hearers supposed
that Uo so declared. and as we know from the
records of the New Testament the first Chris
fians were in hourly expectation of the second
coming. That expectations indeed. very power
fully affected the life and thought of the Church
during the first two or three ~culures of its
existence. But in process OF time disappolnt-
mcnt took the edge off expectation and al
though there was often recrudeScence OF the
hone in the Middle Ages the belief finally be-
came little more than n speculative tenet prHeu
chiefly by the mystics who strove to interpret
the Apocalypse aud the Book OF Daniel Such
be,ng the case. it is doubtful If the average
American Christian will he much affected by
# while. Of course. 10 the uonChristian. whom
presumably these cyangclsts want 10 reach'
the idea is simply a visionary dream
In the Borough Of Brooklyn MI Moody anu
thc Rev Campbell Morgan. assisted by o'h'r
representative preachers. plan great reVVai
during the coming winter. Certainly nonody'
whether Christian or atheist. can ran 10 nope
that those earnest men will succeed in making
the men and women Of brooklyn better. We
commented recently on the Rev. Mr.. Carson'S
declaration that nearly six hundred tnouSanu
citizens Of Brooklyn are outside the pale OF
Christianity. 1t must be assumed that th'y stay
outside berause they do not believe in one or
more of the fundamental doctrines oil 'HilS-
tionitv Naturally. therefore. It would seem
that the only course for these reVNaNS'S 10
take In reaching them would he to ma out hr>'
what are the stumbling blocks in the way OF
these people. and then to remove them ny ar
cumcnt and appeal But Of late years that
course. does not seem 10 have been pursued ny
many reyivalists. They have preferred rather
~ arouse and stimulate the faith of those VINO
already beleve-a most laudable work. undoupt-
edlv. but useless so far rs the unchurched masses
are concerned If these Brooklyn rcviyalists
fill the churches with processing Christians they
will have done absolutely nothing toward less
ening the number g mont christians in the
borough. Yet that IS what the Church ought
10 do. and what, presumably it desires TO DO.
To show more clearly what we mean we VIII
take a concrete instance Every pastor knows
that ninv people drop away from the 'hurch
Ioea,tsr thcv cease 10 believe IN the doctrine of
endless punishment through the agency or
literal fire in hell This doctrine has been held
nv Christians from the earliest times. and We
believe that no orthodox Protestant denomna-
ton has ever rcpudated H. II must he taken
for granted that these reyvaSiS believe in this
doctrine. It is doctrine of tremendous sig
niGcancc and far-rcaching consequences. And in
view Of that fact. why should they not preach it:
Let them prove its truth by such arguments as
will appeal to average rational human beings
and we venture to assert that there will be
such revival in Brooklyn as has not occurred
I'm this country since the Great Awakening
which was also. above everything else nell
fire. revival II will. perhaps be objected that
the doctrine Of endless punishment Is to-day
ignored although not repudiated. But II II Is
still the teaching Of the Church these rcyiyaliSts
ought 10 bring it ont in all IT'S undlluted force
While ON the other hand. if the Church has
practically ceased to believe in it, let it frankly
say So. ana then n multitude of good men and
women whom II has driven ont Of the Church
will he not only able bur willing to return
But We repeat 1t IS not enough TO assert the
fact of endless punishment Assertions count
for little these days II must be proved And
surely when we consider the awful c0nsc-
oucnces of such doctrine il is not too much
10 ask that IT be- proved beyond all cavil or
doubt.