“Congregations must justify their existence. If they only bring people together to be "very much pleased," why, the Lecture Bureaus will contract for all that " Did you worship? Were you edified? Did the Lord speak to you? Did you speak to Him? Do you mean more seriously to be pure, honest, upright, generous, manly, holy, from what you did and heard to-day? " These are the questions which the best part of mankind feel to be proper, and to which we must have affirmative replies.”

—  John Hall

Source: Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), P. 146.

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John Hall 20
Presbyterian pastor from Northern Ireland in New York, died… 1829–1898

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