Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-08
SAYS EFFECT OF
REVEALS IS BAD
CRITIC POINTS OUT PERILS
OF EVANGELISM
WARNS CONVERTS AGAINST
dead MOTHERS"
Declares Church Members Need the
Stimulus of Torrey Meetings to
Revive In Them True
Christian Spirit
nY EpMARp H. BRooKs

the series of meetings III ouA Si'J -
be conducted by Evangelist Torrey
than the ritter of this article.
The reasons are many. They all
should be favorable to this great move
ment, in their wishes and prayers their
words and efforts.
The object of these meetings is ex-
nressed bv the word Revival" whlch
every thinking person knows, means
sgiving organ; living anew; living
more fully; living a larger, better'
richer life than ever before.
There is a deep philosophy III re-
vivals which result from a genera
effort on the part of the people IN the
community. While some human pc
ings need little help from the outside
in rising to a higher level of religious
experience and who, on this account
possess qualities of a genius, YET the
great majority depends on the sur,
roundings for stimulus. Well quannea
workers. must take the initiative and
bring the people into associations ana
an atmosphere where it becomes easy
for them. along with many others 10
turn over a new leaf and commit
themselves to the right way of living;
A genuine revival of religion IS sald
to be certainly needed in Los Angeles
as in every city and community OF thls
nation and in every other Well may
the PRAYER be offered around the gloDe
ssWilt thou not revive us again llat
thy people may rejoice in thee?" But
in view of the general state or thlhss
and from what is known ABOUT re-
vivals of religion it may not be out OF
place to say a few things at this time
bv way of caution and to point out
some of the dangers of the Torrey
meetings.
Serious Danger Pointed
One serious danger appears in the
future prospects of those who snail
become Christians. The meetings un-
der most efficient leadership, with the
special attractions of powerful SER
MONS of music and singing ana OF
vast throngs of people will generate
a new religious atmosphere, with all
the glowing warmth and sympathy OF
this kind of effort.
In these favorable circumstances,
which approach the normal WORKING
of Christianity, many conversions VIII
take place and the young converts VIII
have a good beginning. But in few
weeks these meetings will end. All
this high pressure of religious influence
will cease and what will then
become of these new babes in Christ?
The after part is the all important
thing 1t is much easier to hatch out
chicks with an incubator than 1t is 10
raise them successfully after they are
hatched. A good brooder with proper
care is of equal value with good in
cubation. Young converts need a good
warm and helpful atmosphere when the
evangelists have passed to other fields,
and the real peril is that in many Of
the churches they will find tempera-
ture of religious life and other condl-
tions which will not be conducive TO
strong, vigorous and healthy growth or
afcffo nhar9pfpT In Un2nV cases
these children of the new life will be
placed in the laps of dead mothers and
a sorry outcome will befafl them on
this account Churches which have
been living az a poor dying rate by
the cold streams of Babylon, full OF
commercialism, mammonism, formal
ism and selfishness, will not be trans
formed in three or four weeks so as 10
be suitable places for the tender Off
spring that will be brought forth in
the torrid heat of religious enthusiasm.
Something Is Wrong
There is something radically wrong
in the social fabric itself as the cause
of this unhappy state of things It is
likely before a year shall pass after
the revival in many cases, the mem
bers Of churches Will have a row Win
their pastor or among themselves when
such wicked things will be done that
be nullified and destroyed and as re-
suit many of these young converts Will
be in a worse condition than they We're
before going into the church.
This utterance is no TRADE of an
enemy against the church, but is only
the warning word OF one VINO mas oeen
a friend and a faithful. devoted worker
for the church Tor many years. The
time has come for saying plain things
on this matter Radical changes are
needed It is going to require some-
thing more than IAN annual spasm
of religion in this state of things among
the churches if the real purpose of the
gospel is 10 be accomplished. "Judg-
ment must begin at the house of God"
Then another danger closely allied to
this one appears in the proposed plan
of having the church members, except
the special workers, remain away from
the meetings, so as to give room for
the sinners of Los Angeles. But this
would seem to be a great mistake, for
If there is one thing needed above an
other in this city, it is that sinners in
the church have the full advantage of
this revival effort.
While Los Angeles has as many good
Christians as any city of the same size
1t is safe to say that nine -tenths of the
members of churches need a spiritual
awakening more than any other class
of people.
Make One Think of SawmiII
Many churches make one think of the
old sawmill of long ago, run by water
power, down in the cold country of
New England in winter time. The
water wheel became frozen solid and
the ice had to be cut away with large
amount of labor before the machinery
could operate. So 1t is with the ma
jority of church members today so far
as the real spiritual life of Christ is
concerned.
The churches are full of people who
remind one of the boy who, when ques-
replied: Yes, but for some time he
has not been working at it"
Thousands of church ~-r-1bers among
us make one think of what Charles H.
Spurgeon of London once said of many
in that city, that they would need to
have a label on their backs to let peo-
pie know they were Christians, for
nothing else would serve as an indi-
cation.
Among the lower forms of life GER
tain creatures will crawl into the cast
or shell of some other animal for
safety, without adopting it's mode of
life, and this has a striking resem-
blance in religion People the world
over have wanted God and their own
way at the same time and their re-
1igion is an adaptation to -leet both
sets of impulses.
The mistletoe lives on the oak tree as
a parasite. and the religious parasites
nre multitudinous. On this account