Blue-grass blade. [volume] (Lexington, Ky.) 188?-19??, 1908-06-07
BLUE GRASS BLADE
Church ReyiyalS from a Scientific View

succumbed. This revival in Kentucky was
copied in Ireland in 1859. Hundreds had tc
be carried into halls for shelter and lay for
hours as dead. In Ireland the mental dis
orders of trance and vision prevailed more
than the physical disorders. The same results
are to be noted in the Great Awakening in
New England. Finney says that he could not
have overcome them more rapidly If he had
used sword. Jonathan Edwards congre-
cations are described a senseless, helpless
mass before him. The conditions under Wes-
ley in England were bad or worse. In all
these cases the primitive traits taken
advantage Of the traits of physical and mental
instability This primitive weakness was
called pure religion.
The background of it all is fear. Early peo-
pie are stepped in It, They we're afraid of
other people afraid of animals. storms and
a host of things. They We're in terror of imps
and ghosts and bad angels and devils and
most of all. afraid of their God. Under the
veneer of our civilization, you do not have to
dig deep to find this primitive religious fear
Otherwise brave men are base towards often
in religious things. Quacks in state, in heal
ing in finance and in religion have taken adj
vantage of these primitive traits; instability,
suggestbility superstition and uncontrolled
emotion and imagination
Religion is Not Morality.
In the early stage Of a religion there is
necessary connection between being good and
being religious. Religion and morality are not
thought of together. Do not reproach early
religious peoples for being bad while still claim
ing to be intensely religious They kept some
observances said some prayers and believed a
few proper things. The counties in Kentucky.
swept by the revival Of 1900, are, am told,
among the worst counties today. The 80
years after the Great Awakening in New
England were the worst years Of New England
life
1t has long been known that certain people
have control others in some strange way.
In early time this thought to be supernat-
ural. The possessing this power could
control others without touching them. This
same power is found lower than man,
among some animals. To control others In
this way argues nothing to the truth of
ones thought his strength mentally or
morally To get this influence others,
certain conditions have to be met. Some
thing must be suggested repeatedly Two
minds must work on the same idea 1t makes
no special difference whether the idea is true
or false. This power has been recognized
through the centuries and used for many diff
ferent ends good and bad.
These conditions are met in what is called
n successful revival The personality Of the
person to the Influenced is reduced to the
lowest terms The intellect is put to bed and
the will made dependent The doctrine Of the
fall and mans helpless condition suited ad-
mirably for this reducing process This Idea
Is hammered in. It is the law Of suggestion.
Even people well balanced come to really be-
lieve that they are nothing and lost and help
less man with this power can In time
make people believe almost anything. Then
when reduced to the iminaginary condition of
nothingness of dependence and mental des-
peration, people jump at any way Of escape