Christians had been familiar with it in all ages, and both the New Testament and the history of the early saints supply instances in support of it.

But Booth was probably more affected by more recent evidence.

Imperfect as had been his training for the ministry, he doubtless learnt pretty thoroughly the history of Wesley and Whitefield, and of the astonishing early years of the Methodist movement.

In his own youth, too, Revivalism was an active force, and he himself had been strongly moved by an American missionary.

His originality lay in carrying down the doctrine not only to the highways and hedges, but to the slums, the homes of the very poor, the haunts of criminals and riff-raff; in getting hold of these people; in using the worst of them--'converted,' as he honestly believed--as a triumphant advertisement; and then in organising his followers into a vast Army, with himself as absolute Chief.