The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-12-02
TWO VIEWS AS TO
FINAL JUDGMENT
Sermons Preached Here Sunday
in Striking Contrast.
LIVELY TILT OF PASTORS
Animated Discussion in Baptist Confer>
ence as to Matter OF Members
Joining Convenient Churches.
Other Services.
LIVELY TILT OF PASTORS

Among the striking occurrences in
church circles on Sunday We're two SER
mons. preached from two different pull
pts. dealing with the same subjec, and
taking ground diametricaly opposed
to each other. One discussed the
terrors Of the last judgment, when al
men would be called before the heavenly
tribunal and given the reward of their
merits; The other denied that the
would be any such occasion. The
speaker in the one case was a Catholic
priest; in the other Baptist eva-se-
list.
At ST Peters Cathedral at the high
mass the Rev. Father Magri preached
from the gospel text Heaven and earth
shall pass away, but my word shall not
pass away" He depicted in vivid Ian
suage the conception Of the judgment
Day warranted by lne Bible and by the
inspired father of the church. He said
that for each man there is an individual
judgment at death. but at the end there
is this general judgment when all per-
sons who have ever lived on earth VIII
appear before the throne Of Ged TO give
final account Of themselves. On that
dread day the souls OF men "ou!c De
re- nited with their natural bodies, which
wouId arise from the gave beautiiled IN
the case OF the good; more hideous than
ever in the case of the " cked. AT that
time also would he the last separation
of the good from the bad; the awar> ing
to the one of an eternal happiness; the
condemnation of The other TO an eternal
torment.
In the afternoon at the Academy OF
Music Mr. L. B. Earle, the Philadelphia
EVANGELIST. spoke under the auspices OF
the Y. NJ c. A. and interes Sd large
audience which had ga,hei ed TO hear
him. His address was considered
exceptionally strong and was listened
10 with rapt attention by the en-
tire audience. One OF the most striking
and remarkable OF his utterances was to
the effect that every man must come into
Judgment that ii is a mistaken idea that
t7era is 10 be a specific hour when the
whole world would be called up and the
wicked condemned and cast into the lake
a. fire and birthstone. but that judgment
is going on all the time. Man has no
right to Judge because he cannot dis
Germ the secret intents of another mans
heart. God alone can judge Alright and
He Judges q man not for what he is. but
Tor what he would be and Is striving TO
be Mr. Earle Will do eVanse!istic work
in the industrial plants Of the city this
week. speaking al the noon hour under
the auspices of the Young Mems Chris
tiau Association.
At the meeting of the Baptist Minis
ters' Conference yesterday morning, in
injection with the discussion OF the re-
lation between the larger and the smaller
churches. there developed rather
spicy passa ge-at-arnls between two min
listers, one of whom said the other was
after the members OF his church Per-
sonalities We're INDUCED in more or less,
and, according to q minister who was
there, the fur blew for 9 while"
The discussion Of this subject was spe-
rial order of the day and developed in
connection with the recently agitated
bers living near one church and attend
ing another.
DR.. c. S Gardner, pastor OF Grace
Street Baptist, was the first speaker. and
the consensus Of opinion seemed to be in
fayor Of the views expressed by him. Dr..
G0rdncr said a mans membership in 8
church could not he governed by geograph-
tcal limits He may he a very useful and
Indispensable factor in his own church and
though living nearer to some other he
would inflict serious injury upon the
FIRST by leaving. Many Of the central
aud larger churches in Richmond have
membership scattered over the entire
city, and if this membership were limited
10 the particular neighborhood in which
the church IS located it would be reduced
about four-fifths 1t would practically
mean the disarmament OF the church.
Following Dr. Gardner DR.. j. B. Haw-
thorne spoke briefly, following out the
same general idea
among the speakers who followed were
the Rev c. P. Stealey, of Broadus-Me-
mortal: the Rev, ] &. Hutson, OF Pine
Street. the Rev. c. c. Cox. Of Howards
Grove. and the Rev. J. 7. Tucker, of
East-End.
When Mr. Tucker began to speak he
narrowed the discussion down to his par
ticular church and the relation it had 70
one other particular church. The pas
tor OF Towards Grove, he said, has been
after the members Of East-End. trying
to get them into his own church. He
wished to protest against the occurrence.
Reply was Immediately made by Mr.. Cox
who said he was sorry If he had done
anything wrong He acted. he said, un-
der the conviction he had a right to Sc
cure members wherever he could.
Inc discussion between the two was
iretty brisk for a few moments and per-
sonaHues were frequently INDUCED in.
The incident closed with the adjournment
of the conference. The body is not a
legislative one. and hence could take no
action in connection with the discussion.
In the midst of the wind and rain and
the cold. a gentleman who has recently
o~ofessed conversions III the Baptist faith
was baptized Sunday afternoon in James
River,
The man has connected himself with
Emmanuel BAPTIST Church He preferred
baptism in the river and Sunday after the
morning service the pastor of the church,
he Rev. p. a. Solly. accompanied him
% the banks Of the James and performed
he ceremony. Several members OF the
church were present.
D,rfn- the spscial sermon he was