The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-02-01

TO that extent weaker characters, less
moral heings-..and the stronger the
emotion the greater the demoraiiza-
tion. It is a well known fact that
the hardest people to win TO Christ
or the church are those who have once
passed through "A severe emotional eri-
SIS without becoming Christians. And
in view OF this fact il ought surely
TO set ss 20 thinking--that Of all those
who profess conversion st the Sunday
meetings a give the most fNorahle
hgures) only about ffty per cent join
the church That is to SOY, there
are nifty out OF every hundred whom
the meeting leaves morally In worse
condition than 1t did hefore--harder
10 reach. harder 10 save la the fu-
ture'
This brings us to the question Of
numbers and results am not gu
ing to cavil about figures. | am not
going to stress tho old argument about
the converts not sticking, etc; for
unfortunately that is true Though not
by any means to the same e&tent) of
the members taken into our churches in
the course OF their regular ministra-
tions But are we not laying TOO
much stress on numbers Are We not
becoming fascinated with mere big
rcss2 Are We not emphasizing guam
ftty at the expense of quality3 The
'Hht'H ""S never Oteh 50 Hl'""s sPttA-
tuaiIF AS when II was weak ana per-
secuted ana II mas hsFer been so
weak az WHch IL WAS iHAttI'al Wy "eai-
thy aua strons. II was i'll the dark
ages mat everybody vas member
~ the church II Was in the England
II abe eighteenth century when the
church was practically co-exteusive
with the state, that religion fell to
''s lowest ehh' ANA am not atto-
E'tH't SURE HiAt Nha' We h'eu toda!
rs Hot PuF@ihg OF the church from
"lthlh' am not sure that the great
est enemy OF the gospel-the greatest
@' umhtths BLOCK 10 genuine revival OF
!oHkl"h' Such as the franciscan or
wesleyan. IS the presence IN our
chufehes OF 80 many merely nominal
professors VINO, while boaring the
christian name are not living Chris
uan h'eF h The world,
1heFe ~ another feature OF tho sun
oaF campaign 17cthpd, winch Is out OF
harmony WIN me spirtt OF Charity ana
immunity, / moan it's consciousness.
RMS takes TWO forms, hrst til" tTiu-
cism of the regular ministry. and in
the second place tho denuneiation OF
thoSe VINO h"ld opinions offering from
~. 'NahE''s' Oh iipiieal ana tneoloAI-
N" P"fi',''
@s /" the HIst' / sup'ltt Una 'ttbosm
"a tue ministry is not the btst way
Y tA@'t tne 'huf'h he ministers
w t"4 'n0''" may pc poor weak
"""S ~ He, "heh measured against
we eh'e'L" Gus TASKS 'aat confront
~ az i'a9' lucy "'c Tue servants
W on, A a zoo ana th,hN 'oey
W." ~ olnp''e '"No H"'y ter e"tile mess,
-Si' i"'' IN" ""F"'i"h Win any
"t"'' ,i"Ns :" ''e co''l'nuH''S' aS9orea-
=, ~, '''' - 'p'Net'' sNahRtHst
80 ,'5"' ""'," ~ S'l"3
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'''t''" ,''itot 4di" 10y Au'ii
9.., ''"uN' - F',i",iF "'h ""e
~. ~, :" ,."' " ''''' So't pu' II,
- 1~,',',. "S munster %
i's,' nave fle", 70 resent
Nv 'U'N w . ,o~'io - 'ien |,
- Nv" '''H'e' Nia,'" o' IAN.
90 ~ 'et "o t'"f. t'ou"te rue,
~ - - "'N' '''' mar NS "
-. N.,'. :" y, ef"nSe ''s"i IN
-. 80 " ~ We "a. e''h 'ouS peitelS
- VI 9u'u"y 'dAes
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s. 20 ~ ~ l'on 'N'9e "no 40 nor
.hea5. -" ,,,,. 'ptl'na "a science ahd
ti,,fs,,, -. GU ms iel 'ii-
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