Spiritual Character of the Work.—With this development of organisation the Army has maintained its original character as a body of spiritual witness and aggressive evangelism. In theory and creed it is at one in almost every respect with orthodox evangelical belief, but its methods—its realistic presentation of religion, and its use of various constraining means to bring people to salvation—distinguish it from other religious bodies. It con tinues to lay the greatest emphasis upon the need for conversion, preceded by penitence, and followed by growth in holiness. The people gathered into its ranks are cared for by its officers and trained in a real separation from the world and devotion to Christ. They are set to work immediately with a definite objective, their zeal is employed in the winning of others, and public testimony is required from them, however unlearned or backward in religious experience they may be.
A large place in the Army's endeavours is given to music and song. In every country the band—usually a brass band—is a fea ture of Army work. The strains of such a band, reaching farther than the human voice, draw numbers within earshot of the Army's message who would otherwise not be attracted. The Army has also made use of improvisations of various kinds, not only because in this way public attention is more likely to be caught, but because these methods prevent the officers from falling into the conven tional and the ordinary.
The Army exacts a high standard of behaviour from its adher ents. In the series of Orders and Regulations for officers and for the rank and file definite guidance is given even in the smaller mat ters of everyday conduct. Officers accept a relative poverty, being content to receive sufficient for their simple needs. There are contributory funds from which they receive allowances on retire ment, and from which provision is made for widows and orphans. Marriages are solemnised "under the flag," and children of mem bers are dedicated to become soldiers or officers in the "war." Officers wear a regulation uniform, which it is not permissible for the individual to vary. The uniform is regarded as a means of con fessing to the world the fact of separation and consecration, as opening the way to many opportunities of usefulness which would not otherwise appear, and as making possible instant recognition and fellowship amongst Salvationists themselves. One of the great principles of the Army, firmly adhered to, is that women have absolute parity of privilege, position and dignity.
Salvation Army funds are raised from the voluntary offerings of the corps, from open-air and other collections, from the profits on publications and general trading, and from friends interested in evangelical and charitable work. The financial statements of the
various funds are annually published, certified by public account ants. Reports and statistics of the spiritual and social operations of the army are given in the annual Salvation Army Year Book and in the War Cry and other publications issued at Headquarters (Queen Victoria Street, London, E. C. 4). Under the head of social operations are included Shelters and Food Depots, Labour Bureaus, Labour Homes and Factories, Rescue and Maternity Homes, Children's Homes, and Farm Colonies.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.—William Booth, Orders and Regulations for Soldiers, Orders and Regulations for Field Officers; Orders and Regulations for Staff Officers, Salvation Soldiery, Interview with W. E. Gladstone, In Darkest England and the Way Out (1890) ; Bramwell Booth, Servants of All (1899) and Echoes and Memories (1926) ; Booth Tucker, The Life of Catherine Booth (1892) ; Railton, Heathen Eng land; Twenty-one Years in the Salvation Army; A. White, Truth about the Salvation Army (1892, 1900 and 1906) ; The Great Idea (5909; 2nd ed., 1910) ; T. F. G. Coates, The Life Story of General Booth (2nd ed., 5906) ; Harold Begbie, Broken Earthenware (1909), and Life of William Booth (192o) ; Mrs. B. Booth, Powers of Salva tion Army Officers (1923) ; H. L. Taylor, General Booth's Journal (1925). The criticisms by J. Manson in The Salvation Army and the Public (1906; 3rd ed. 1908) caused some public discussion of the Army's religious, social, and financial operations and methods, but the details of these discussions have now mainly a historic interest.
In the United States the Salvation Army began its operations officially in March 1880, America being the first country to which evangelists were sent from England. A family of converts had gone to Philadelphia in 1879 and started evangelical services. At their request Gen. William Booth sent Commissioner Railton and seven women assistants as pioneer officers. The early years of the Salvation Army in America were strenuous ones; but the work prospered. The original staff soon found it impossible to cope with the success attending their efforts, and more help was sent from England. But America soon began to produce its own officers, a development which has grown through the years until there were in 1928 four training colleges devoted exclusively to maintaining the requisite supply of officers. These send out annually into the field some 500 young men and women as officer reinforce ments, in addition to providing help for the missionary countries of the world.