THE SALVATION ARMY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6572, 9 December 1882, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE SALVATION ARMY.

GENERAL BOOTH'S ACCOUNT OF IT. As a contingent of the Salvation Army is on Its way out to New Zealand to commence operations iu this colony, the present is an opportune time to prebent our readers with some particulars of this remarkable organisaIn England it is commanding consider able attention. In the daily and weekly newspapers the movements of the Army are faithfully chronicled ; and latterly their vie torics in"the law Courts have led to much publio discussion. In a somewhat characteristic way the Contemporary Review has lins taken up the subject. In a recent number it devotes to the Salvation Army no fewer than twenty-five pigrs, in which public sentiment is reflected by ditierent pers-jnsfrom 3 variety of standpoints. General Booth ij. permitted to speak for himself, "tiomesevcntecii years ago,'" he says, "I came to London almost a stranger to its vast ar isan populalation. 1 saw that they were without Cod, and I began in one of tb<- gr<-at lvist Knd thoroughfares to do wh;st I could :.s a prcaeh.T of the Gospel for '.heir s dv.-iti'.n. I had already hail sixteen \i-nrs' ..-xj.-rriitnce as .1 Mi-thi.di.st minister, and had lieeii pnvil.-ged to see so many thousands oi hearts subdued beneath the "p u «er of the «!<'.-fashioned tlospel that I was certain it only m-edod to be brought to bear upon tl.i-se outlying masses to prove its elli<;i.-ncy for tin- salvation of the very worst of them. In a very few weeks after 1 took my stand. Bible in hand, aiiioiiu the jeeriim crowds of the Mile End Kuad 1 had around me a valiant company of witnesses for Christ, recruited from among these nuis.-s.-s, and the little one has steadily grown Through .ill th«- fi-vi-nU-.-il years of coii'lkt up to tl'.e present army, with its :',-J0 roips, its 700 oliicer.--, entirely i-mpii.ytd in the work : its Ol'OU .-erviees every weiU. its audiences of thousands aud tens of thousands, generally th? largest regularly -jatlu-rcl in any town Itei.t.-is, anil in most cases ov.-rtaxing the capacity of any buildings that can be

secured

Fro:n General Booth's statement of the case it is evident that there is nothing either new or peculiar in the doctrines preached. "As to our doctrines." says the Oem-ral,

•'let me boldly .say wo have never imagined there was anything new to be learned, and have no expectation i>l ever learning anything new. • The word of the Lord liveth and forever." We have not a part:c!e of sympathy with tho.-e who would seek to tone down or in any way to adapt the liospel of Christ to suit the fancy of the nineteenth century. We believe the three creeds of the Church with all our heart. We believe every word of the Commination service, aud wo i;o about denouncing the wrath of Cod'against sinners just as people must who really believe that all the=e things are true. We have often been reproached, in fact, because we dwell so much upon what are. often called •dark" instead of joining in the popular chorus of excuse for iniquity, and sweetness ami love for everybody ; but we believe the greatest possible kindness to a man who is doing wrong and going to bell is to tell him so in the plainest ;;iid most urgent language that can lie used. We teach all saved men and women that they ou;>ht to lay down their verv lives for the salvation of others ; that being followers of Christ means sacilicjcg all our own interests and enjoyments aud possessions—our lives, in fact—to save a rebel world, and that whoever does not so bear the cross has r.o right to expect the crown." Tho training of the converts is very justly regarded as an important part of the work connected with the army. On this point the General is clear and explicit. The moment any man, woman, or child kneeling at the fro'ut row in one of the barracks professes to have received the remission of sins through faith in Christ, be or she is requested to stand up and tell the audience what ihe Lord has done for him or her. The professed convert's name and address is registered, and he is at once placed under the care of a sergeant, who.-e duty it is to see that lie comes up to all the services be is able to attend, or else to report him to the captain for visitation. The new convert is expected to put an " S " on each collar, or something of the kind, at once, aud thus show his colours wherever he goes. It is, of course, explained to him at the penitent form, if he does not know it beforehand, that he is required to give up the use of intoxicating drink altogether ; and he soon finds tobacco and tin try in dress to be little less objectionable. 'I he converts are expected to take their place forthwith in every open air meetiug and procession, and on or near the platform in every meeting indoors, and to use every possible opportunity of service, in singing, speaking, prayer, doorkeepinu,, selling of the War Cry, visiting—in short, "to become soldiers. To all who so conduct themselves a soldier's pass or certificate is issued, renewable quarterly. Those who for three months conduct themselves in a satisfactory ma'iner are passed from the general roll, on which all recruits are eutered, on to the roll of eiiieients. The country is divided into some thirteen divisions, each under the command of a major, whose duty is not only to direct and inspect the operations of all the corps already established, but to see to the extension of the war to new localities, to the calling out of new officers, and to the removal of either officers or soldiers who have ceased to be fit for their positions. Each corps is under the comrrand of a captain, assisted by one or two lieutenants who are entirely employed in and supported by the army, an.l whose duty is not only to do their best by conducting services outdoors and in, ami visitation Of those already enlisted, but ceaselessly to r>lan and operate for the salvation of the whole population committed to their charge. These captains and lieutenants are removed from one corps to another every six months or thereabouts, in order to avoid the danger of settlement into old ruts, or of a too strong attachment on the part of either the officer or .soldier to per.-on c,r place rather thaa to God and tho war. The system of government is absolutely miliary. It is a real army ; and there are thousands, it not tens of thousands of soldiers who are ready at a word to k-.ve all and go ont to rescue the souls of others. The p, .[■.: ty or the army is held for its exclusive use by the General for the time being, under terms of a deed enrolled in Chancery. As to the linances of the army, tlu.-ie is also tome interesting infovmatiou" Tiie duty of giving i=. impressed upon the converts. Each corps has its treasurer and secretary, to whom, as well as to the captain, everything connected with the loca! linances is well known. The otlicers receive no salary until all other local expenses, such as rent, gas, fee. are met. This books of the i-orps are examined from time to time !•>" the major and liy oliieers from bend quarters, who have. ' :! .,-.-.-ever, nothing further to do with the local tinances. Each division has its fund for divisional extension. The general funds of tho army, out of which the expenses of the stall', the salaiv.s and expenses of the majors, the l::.-.t c.jstof opening new stations, the support and trav.-iling expenses of cadets, and all th': other multiplied costs o! management, are ni'-t. is sustained by subsjriptions°aud donations from persons of all religious denominations, amounting la-t year in all to only some £21,000, and is accounted for under the constant supervision and annual audit of Missrs. Jieddov.- and Sons, chartered .'Lccouutants, of No. 2, Oreiham Buildings, Bar,inghal!-.strc-(;t, E. C. The General has never received a penny out of the funds of the army towards his support. He has always '. ■•• :■ provider! for otherwise. Considerable money is nur.-d from the publications of the army, the WaiLevy and the Little Soldier having a joint circulation of .SOit.OOO weekly.

It is becoming characteristic <■: < i'-neral Booth's army that the ollii-ers are drawn from the ranks. A position in the Salvation Army isno s : iip<:uru. Theie is no place fur idlers. Eacholiicerisexpected toeonduetfrom nineteen to twenty-live meetings weekly, extending over thirty to thirty-live hours ; to spend eighteen hours in visiting from house to house, and to spare no possible effort besides for the good of souls. '1 he utmost amount of salary to be drawn by a single man captain is twenty-one shillings weekly, by a woman captain fifteen shillings, and by a married captain twenty-seven .shillings, with one shilling per week per child, so that the army is never likely to he troubled with drones. The work of an ordinary Sunday commences with a prayer meeting from seven o'clock till eight. Then follow open air meetings or marches from ten to eleven, from two to three, and from half-past five to half-past six, followed by indoor services from eleven to fifteen minutes past twelve, three to half-past four, and half-past six to teu. Upon extraordinary occasions the programme is varied by a niarch at six a.m., to mass meeting in the •pen air from ten to half-past twelve, or a march after some of the indoor meetings.

The officer's position is, moreover, held simply, so to speak, by the sword, the unsuccessful man after sufficient trial being left without appointment. An officer is in short expected to be an example of selfsacrifice for the salvation of the world. "What will it grow to?" General Booth asks. "Who can guess?" he adde. "I cannot. Never, I hope, into a sect. We have taken and shall continue to take every precaution agamtt this." Another paper on the ?,wic subject is contributed by the Kev. !■:. T. Lavidson. He {jives the following particulars of the army : —In May, 1577, un-. M-iuy had "20 corps, :il ofiiceis, wholly employed, C'-Tj soldiers ready to speak when Wanted, and an income of some ju }J,Kj per annum. It has now ;i2O corps, 7ti(J oilk-.•;•.■; wholly employed, and at least 13,0';0 tii.med soldiers ready to speak when wanted. Jt ho.ds more than 6000 services every week, .-mil iu income, which is rapidlv increasing, is now at the rate of at least £70.000 per annum. Nothing better proves lilt --.ound judgment of the iirniyV leaders than the prominence given in the pagi-.i of the War Cry to the records of each veek's victory and advance. It might at lirst sight seem that a newspaper, the circulation of which is at present at the rate 01 more than three hundred thousand copies a week, would best advance the cause for which it exist? by devoting itself to stirring appeals or n-j-uts nf k.Jilmn ■■(■s by the (JLMioral and his colleagues. .But its editors have, I 1.-.-lievc, shown a truer wisdom, so I'ar as immediate results are concerned, in giving to such appeals only the second place, and putting in the forefront the weekly chronicle 01 achievement rtiid triumph. " Take as an example, .selected at random, the War Cry of July (>. It contains in all twenty-one columns of print ; of these it devotes fourteen columns to separate reports of the army's successes during the previous week at 10n stations in England, ciulit in .Scotland, and one in France. The remaining seven eoluui-.- contain two ' addresses,' "four hymns or aongs, a letter from j the 'General' ask nig for funds, and a long array of army advertisements, including a detailed account of a week's sale of the War Cry and the Little soldier."