New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-23

10 I1cSc meetings., dHu NlOusH AhaN oSS'''S M
hntesimal compared to the millions OF New
York. it is to be remembered that there were
only 40 at the meeting which launched Chris
tianity.
FORMER TIMES WHEN FACT WAS
STRANGELY LIKE FANCY.
Men like DR.. Jonathan Day Of the Labor
Temple, and Don o. Shelton. OF the Bible
Institute say that they can feel the sap rising
through the whole body of organized Chris
tianity.
DR.. Shelton is looking for such revival as
swept over New York in 1878, following
the financial depression OF that year, when the
old Burton Theatre, in Chambers Street, was
opened for midday prayer meetings to accom-
modate the crowd OF fnanciers who felt un-
able to get through the day without some sort
of religious service. Fancy the Stock Ex-
change holding up for ten minutes prayer
and testimony in the middle of busy day
and you will have some notion OF the change
which will have TO come over the city. Rev.
Charles Wech, of the Park Avenue Presby-
terian Church, who is planning the union cam
paign for just such revival. was certain that
it was to come not through any prophet
or message, but through new appropriations OF
the personality and teaching OF Jesus.
Some importance must be attached 10 what
Mr.. WEIGH says because OF the weeks of care
full study he has already given TO the posi-
bilities OF such revival. He expects that the
revival will be before all else mystical in char
acter, not unlike that baptism OF divine FIRE
which sat upon the hundred and twenty on the
day of PeEtecost at Jerusalem. First the Spirit
and then the work of the Spirit expressed in
new modes OF social living.
EXPECTATIONS THAT CONVERGE IN
BELIEFS COMMON TO ALL.
It is impossible not to be struck with the
points of resemblance in all these present day
expectations, those that centre about the figure
OF Jesus and those that discount Him. They
all agree that there is knowledge enough and
power enough already in the world to save the
people if only the people can be induced to
apply it. They agree also in thinking that we
are all living much below possibilities.
Most significant OF all is the universal denial
of salvation through poverty. Mr.. Welch, who
thought that the presentation OF Jesus
should be made in the lives Of the clergy, did
not suggest that they should give up their
comfortable parsonages Even Billy Sunday,
who is supported by Offerings" required
$4,000 guarantee before he would undertake
the campaign in Paterson. What is more. in
spite of the feeble protests of the anarchists,
it is absurd 70 suggest that the amount OF his
personal percentages is any obstacle IN his
preaching The holy poverty OF the Middle
Ages has become the scarecrow Of this. Mo-
body has any use for religion which does
not include relief from want and pain among
its advantages Distinctions to-day between
Christians and non christians are rot so
marked as between those who regard religion
as the first step in economic betterment and
those who look for betterment first and leave
religion to come along as best it may.
THINGS OF THIS EARTH A LEGITI-
MATE PART OF CHRISTIANITY.
There are many Christians still under the
obsession OF the fifteenth century who try to
pretend that this is not the case, but they
could spare themselves the trouble OF pre-
tence for nothing is so truly in keeping with
the teaching of the Man OF Nazareth as
that we should seek the kingdom OF Heaven
first and all these things shall be added unto
YOU" He warned His followers that they
would have a hard time OF it preaching His
gospel, but that food and raiment belonged to
them as naturally as to the lilies OF the field
and the birds Of the air. II has taken twenty
centuries to beat it into that reasonable
demand for the things OF this earth is just as
legitimate part OF Christianity as ethical
regeneration
And how said TO the Park Avenue pas
tor. about the healing OF the body| For
that was much more part OF the teaching OF
Jesus than many things which we emphasize
more and had sudden vision OF modern
preacher coming down the aisle OF his church
between rows Of sick laid out on either side,
as the Man from Nazareth came from the
Temple. But the Rev. Charles was miles
ahead OF me.
Miracles OF healing going on all about
us he insisted, but he thought that under
the influence OF the new spirit we should come
TO think OF them more simply and undertake
them for one another as naturally as any other
Christian courtesy.
Suddenly recalled what | had heard DR..
Jonathan Day say about the people in one OF
the small Middle West towns converted by
Billy Sunday. Those people he said, talk
about Jesus as il He lived in the next street
TO them"