The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-07
EMoT1oNAL1sm IN RELIGION.
The Theme Under Discussion at the
Baptist Congress.

Baptist Congress.
/ Augusta, Ga. Dec. "EmotiOnalism in
/ Religion" was the theme for discussion at
| the morning session of the National Bap-
| fist congress. Able papers were read by
| Rev. John Lipscomb Johnson, LII D., of
/ Columbus. Miss, and Rev Theodore A.
| X. Gessler, ID. D.. of Grace church, New
| York. The discussion was joined in by
| Rev. George +. Horn, Of Massachusetts;
Rev. X. q. Bevil, of Ontario, and others.
The prepOnderance of argument was in
favor of appeal to the heart rather than
solely TO the intellect DR. Johnson said
Il had far rather have all the machinery
and mlnstrelsy of modern revivalists,
with ali the people clappiug their
| hands and shouting unto God,
! than the decorous silence that must
reign when a cold, untremulOus skeleton
| hand puts death s-head seal upon the
stone and Unbelief stationed guard at the
door Of the sepulchre of our Lord"
Rev. Walter Rauschenbush. of New
York, said IF we choose between intel
leCt and emotion, in religious works, /
would rather have genuine emotion with
little intellect, than great intellect with
out emotion"
DR. Horn, of Massachusetts, favored an
appeal to the emotions through an intelli-
gent and earnest presentation of the word,
rather than the magnetic influence of the
speaker. Fame is lasting and brings
forth fruit, the former is heeting and un-
profitable.
ORGANIZATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE.
AT the afternoon session the theme of
discussion was, "Shall Our Young People
Be Organized for Christian Work"
Henry c. Vedder, Esq, editor of the
Examiner, of New York, said the
question seemed to him to have
hvwW \
people should be organized for Christian
work. The young people needed the dis
cipline and the church needed their en-
thusiasm. Any church that has a Sun
day school is stopped from Directing on
principle, to young peoples societies.
DR.. Hawthorne. Of Atlanta, who was the
next speaker on the programme, was de-
and President Gambren of Mercer Uni
versity at Macon, continued the discus
sion.
BAPTIsTs ON GENERALITIEs
DR. Gambrell is a humorous speaker,
and keeps his audience in smiles, but pre-
sents his thoughts in a way that makes a
lasting impression. "A Baptist on gen
eralities is poor thing We want Bap-
fist in particular. A Baptist on general
tiles is running in very shallow water and
will soon be on the ground. Organization
LlCdllS SuDpOAb. IL ulCtlhS blt ODpJILuul-
ties for wise direction. Our northern
brothers beat us in organization. We are
not an army of Baptists in the south; we
are a drove, a gang. No man can handle
body of men singly; they must be or
gained. This young peoples movement
puts the young people to work in the
church, for the church. and
under the direction of the
church. We must study this question
of organization. Many girls dance because
they have nothing to do in the church
many boy goes wrong because he is not
kept busy in the church. This young
peoples movement will educate workers
for the church. OF course we ought to
foster this movement"
THE BAPTIST DOCTRINE.
Rev. G. S. Gardner, of Nashville, said
he believed heartily in the young peoples
society. The only way to hold Baptist
young people is to educate themin Baptist
doctrine, Our doctrines are not
popular doctrines, and the rea-
son is that they are not understood
1t is our duty to make them so. | re-
1oice in the organization of our young
people. They are made conscious of the
fact that they are factors in Christian
work. God speed the movement"
Rev. David l. Ramsey, of Charleston,
said he was deeply interested in the
movement. at is objected that our girls
may be called on to do something they
ought not to do. We are not consistent
on this. Why should a woman stand up
and teach the bible class at Sunday school
in the morning and not be at liberty to
speak in the young peoples meeting in
the afternoon. 2"
CONCEPTIONS OF SALVATION.
The Baptist congress continued its SEES
sions during the evening with discus
sions of the topic Ethical versus Forensic
Conceptions of Salvation"
The topic is interesting only to theolo-
gians and brought out some highly meta
physical papers.
DR.. Gessler, of New York, made the hit
of the evening when he declared that the
thought which had impressed him most
during the discussion was that it was not
necessary to understand any of the papers
which had been read in order to be saved
The question of atonement would always
be a mystery to the human mind but any
man who was ready to accept Christ
could have salvation and have il now.