The Denison review., 1910-06-15
sUDScRlPTY0N RAVES
A PARABLE.

Once upon time there was good
ly church in goodly town. It was
just the regulation goodly church in
the regulation goodly town. There was
the average number of saints and Of
hypocrites in the pews and the aver
age number Of honest men and rogues
In the town. It was rather sleepy
church and rather sleepy town.
But one day an evangelist came an
evangelist Of the energetic. enthusias.
tic Billy Sunday type. He preached
strong, searching sermons. He went
after the hypocrites in the pews and
he went after the sinners who should
have been in the pews. oh, but there
was rattling of dry bones. The con-
science of the town was awakened.
Strong men wept and women were
near hysteria. By scores the sinners
flocked into the church, the hypocrites
put OF their cloaks, and the OLD time
saints girded up their loins for further
battle. 1t was q wonderful revival and
the praises Of the Great Evangelist
were on the lips Of all.
And then the evangelist went and
the New Pastor came to take charge
of the rejuvenated church and to carry
out the great plans which the Evangel-
\ list had put into the minds Of men.
Then came the tussle. Things be-
gan to quiet down. The white heat
Of the revival season began TO cool.
Some of the hypocrites sneaked back
into their ceremonial robes. Some Of
the sinners "backslid.' Some of the
I new converts were SO jealous that
they could not put up with the slow
going, but thorough, Christianity of
d the old pillars OF the church. They
were dissatisfied that all the evil of
the little town. was not wiped out at
once. They had no patience with the
frivolity of youth, or with the weak
4 nesses of mankind or with the conser.
vatiyeness Of the plodding old saints
who had been through it all before.
When it came to the carrying out OF
the definite plans, the general out
lines Of which had been given them
by the Great Evangelist, there were tre
mendous differences of opinion. These
grew into dissensions. There was
I talk of starting new church.
The Pastor in Charge tried his bes,
ii to conciliate the members. The ole
members thought $4,000 building
was all they could afford; tile Jealous
converts thought a $4,000 churcl
would be little enough to show theil
appreciation Of Christianity, and the
Pastor in Charge thought a $4,000
church would do.
& Thefe was much criticism of tn,
Pastor. The old timers thought h,
was trifle too radical in his views
and even limited at lack of ortho
do2y. Some of the somnolent mem
bers awoke with starts from stolel
cat-naps, and complained that they di,
not like his delivery. The Jealous ney
converts declared that he lacked tn
fire and the enthusiasm of the Grea
Evangelist.
There was trouble, too, because tn
Pastor consulted with the older men
bers of the church and put some O
them on the building committee, an
there was the same trouble with tn
~pillars" because the Pastor advise
too freely with the enthusiasts VIII
were satisfied with nothing less tha
the entire reconstruction and reger
GRAFTON Of the church and of the towr
The ideals of the converts and Ell
thusiasts were high, but sometime
their methods were impracticable, an
they were apt to be intolerant an
harsh in their criticisms. The ideal
of the old timers were not SO higl
perhaps, but they had stayed with th
old church for many years. knew tn
pitfalls and temptations, had bee
through other revivals, and had e,