Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-05
Mob Psychology

Ratlonalists discount the value of all reli.
gious revivals such as those brought about
under the lead of the Edwardses the White
fields, the Finneys, the Moodys and the Sun
days, for the reason that they discount the
moral value of the emotion which produces a
panic in a theatre at the cry of fire. They
have written an interesting literature on the
subject of mob psychology, which throws a
bright light the peculiar nature of the
human mind. They find that men like the late
Dwight L. Moody and the living Gypsy"
Smith, whose oratory is simple and whose
methods are unsensational, have TO gather
vast company, which hangs on their words
and is willing to respond to their suggestions
before they can accomplish their work The
apologists for these and the other evangelists
however, insist that 1t is God working through
them who touches the hearts of men, melts
them and runs them into a new mold. It is
impossible for any one to decide which is cor
rect. and 1t is impossible to affirm or to deny
that what the psychologists call suggestion is
not the way in which God works. 4.
All the evangelists have been an uncommon
sort OF men, Moody was unmaginative and
stolid, but was filled with a burning faith.
BILLY" Sunday has the imagination of a soph-
omore and the vocabulary of prize-hghter,
and he accepts the Bible with the literalness
of those who believe that its punctuation and
division into verses and chapters is inspired
B. Fay Mills, who has just died. was a man
of different type Even in the height of his
fame as an evangelist, between 1885 and 1895,
1t was whispered about that he was unortho-
dox, and there were those who said that he
ought to be on the stage as an actor instead OF
preaching the gospel. He looked like an actor.
He had the rich, full melodious voice of an
orator. He charmed by his eloquence and per-
suaded by his pleading, but those who were
not moved by him found it impossible to
escape the conclusion that he was acting a
part. And he was, in a way actor, for
Bacon or Shakespeare. or whoever it was who
wrote the plays, remarked that the worlds a
stage and that we are all acting our part on
It. Some of us are a little more theatric than
others. There may be greater differences. but
1t must be admitted that some of us are open
to the charge of play-aeting.
wildness of a Minister'S Son
The career of Mills was theatric from the |
beginning He was born in Railway, N. j., |
the son Of a preacher and he justified the |
old saying that ministers sons and deaeons'
are pretty wild. He was dissolute |
and wastrel He set out for Australia 10 /
escape the restraints of a more civilized
He got as far as California ana |
while he was waiting for his ship In san
Francisco he lost his money ia a gambling
place. He decided to end It all by killing
himself. but before he drank the poison or
Jumped into the bay or fired the shot he read
! Bible verse which halted him as suddenly
IS the voice in the thunder halted Paul on his
way TO Damascus. He came back 10 the East
md ntted himself for the work OF q preacher.
5e became pastor OF Congregational church
n Rutland, VI. ana then of : Presbyterian
'hureh IN Albany. n. I. ana before lanz -