Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-14
HE CHARGES TOO MUCH.
San Francisco Ministers Criti-
else Fay Mills.
Methodists Think He Does Not Play
Fair.
DIR. Cautine Thinks Mills CIa ms Too
Much = Churches Assessed Per
Number-A Profitable
Scheme.

Evangelist B. Fay Mills, the extra
Sunday man who caused such furore
here some weeks ago, is not having
plain sailing in San Francisco, as the
following from the Examiner of Tues
day attests:
The Baptist preachers were the first
to ask for full information about the
methods of Evangelist B. Fay Mills and
to question among themselves as to the
desirability of inviting professed revi-
valist, with all the incident excitements
and disturbances to the regular orders
of the church. After some pointed re-
marks from a minority of the Baptist
clergymen, who did not care to indorse
Mr.. Mills, that denomination as a
whole joined with the other Protestant
churches in preparing for the advent of
Mills.
DISCUSSING THE REvIvALIsr.
But the querulousness did not cease
when the Baptists fell into line. The
Methodists took it up, and are now con-
ferring seriously before deciding upon
the attitude of the church toward Mr..
Mills. At the Methodist preachers
meeting yesterday the revivalist was the
leading subject of discussion. Several
of the pastors whose churches are small
and not rich objected to being assessed
$100 or any sum proportionately greater
than was asked from osher churches.
Rev. DIR. R. s. Cantine of the Van Ness
avenue Church. was especially em-
phatic. s
II have preached in Los Angeles" he
said, "and in San Francisco, and can
not conceive two cities more different in
respect to their feeling toward gospel
ministrations. The people of Los An
geles go to church because it is the
proper thing. and maybe because it
costs so much to go to the sea beach.
But here in San Francisco the town
empties itself into Golden Gate park,
the Presidio or some of the suburban
places that can be reached for few
cents, and that seems to be considered
the correct thing to do on Sundays.
Nobody is left to preach to, and it is-
little wonder that the churches grow
so slowly. do not think that more
than a small fraction of the converts
claimed by Mills are really converted
under his ministry. He counts all the
persons who send their names to hiMsas
desiring to live Christian lives as brands
plucked from the burning, whereas, in
fact, most of them are already in the
church and converted.
He assessed my church 80 cents per
member, and shall see what other con-
gregations are paying before | 60 into
the revival"
A CAUTIOUS CLERGYMAN.
Rev. DIR. ID. McClish of Grace Metho-
dist Episcopal clurch was even mere
outspoken in his opinion about B. Fay
Mills and the results of his lahore.
"Mills is ansextreme Calvinist," said
DR.. McGlish, "and there is no doubt
that he does. what he can to direct the
results OF his revivals to strengthen the
Calvinistic churches,, which are the Old.
styld Baptist, the Presbyterian and to a
great extent the Congregational. my
church was asked to pay 4100 toward the
expense of hissmeeting, and we collected
the money, but i advised nay trustees TO
hold on to it for while until we could
learn Just what.the drift OF the Mills re-
vival would be- 4a
II believe in revivals and shall help,
but | also believe that the MethoGist
church should share equally with sne
others in the benefits to be derived or
else do its own revival work, as it has
always done since it was founded"