The evangelistic and social operations are un der the oversight of more than three thousand commanding officers, in the United States alone, who give their whole time to the work and re ceive a small salary sufficient for simple living expense, though no salary is guaranteed. Private soldiers receive no remuneration for any service they may give.
The Army publishes in America two War Crys weekly in English, one in Swedish, one in German, and one in Chinese. It also publishes The Young Soldier, for children, and Harbor Lights, a monthly magazine. The combined cir culation of these papers, which is principally among the vicious, non-churchgoing and more illiterate classes, is about six million copies per annum. A large number of books, pamphlets and tracts are also issued by its publishing houses.
"The World for God" is the Army's motto, and such is the faith of its workers in the power of the gospel, and such has been their success with their kaleidoscopic methods, bottomed on change less Scriptural and philosophic principles, that they look forward with confidence to the day when all men shall accept Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord and be filled with love one to another. They are in no sense antagonistic to any denom ination of Christian workers, but, on the con trary, are glad to co-operate with all lovers of God and man who believe in present salvation from sin through faith in the blood of Christ and who are seeking the rescue of the lost and the advancement of the Redeemer's Kingdom.
(1) Principal Doctrines. The following are the principal doctrines of the Army. We be lieve: t. That the Scriptures were given by inspira tion of God, and that they contain the Divine rule of faith and practice.
2. There is only one God, who is the Creator. Preserver and Governor of all things. and that He is the only proper object of religious worship.
3. That there are three persons in the Godhead —the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
4. That in the person of Jesus Christ the Di vine and human natures are united, so that lie is truly and properly God, and truly and properly man.
5. That our first parents were created in a state of innocency, but that by their disobedience they lost their purity and happiness; and that, in consequence of their fall, all men have become sinners, totally depraved, and as such are justly exposed to the wrath of God.
6. That Jesus Christ has, by His sufferings and death, made an atonement for the whole world, so that whosoever will may be saved.
7. That repentance toward God, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and conversion by the Holy Spirit are necessary to salvation.
8. That we are saved by grace, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and that he that believeth bath the witness in himself.
O. That the Scriptures teach that not only does continuance in the favor of God depend upon con tinued faith in and obedience to Christ, but that it is possible for those who have been truly con verted to fall away and be eternally lost.
to. That it is the privilege of all believers to be "wholly sanctified," and that "their whole spirit and soul and body" may "be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." That is to say, we believe that after conversion there remain in the heart of the believer inclinations to evil, or roots of bitterness, which, unless over powered by Divine Grace, produce actual sin; but that these evil tendencies can be entirely taken away by the Spirit of God, and the whole heart, thus cleansed from anything contrary to the will of God, or entirely sanctified, will produce the fruit of the Spirit only. And we believe that per sons thus entirely sanctified may, by the power of God, be kept unblaniable and unreprovable be fore Him.
1. In the immortality of the soul ; in the resur rection of the body; in the general judgment at the end of the world; in the eternal happiness of the righteous, and in the everlasting punishment of the wicked.—General Booth in Orders and Reffulations for Field Officers, pp. 151, 152.
(2) Articles of War. In joining the Army a soldier is asked to sign what are known as the Articles of War, which set forth the principal doc trines that every soldier is supposed to believe, the main principles on which he is expected to act. and a brief description of the service he will have to render.