The Savannah morning news., 1902-04-14
SAVANNAH PEOPLE HACKED.
SAID REV. BAsCoM ANTHONY IN A
SERMON ON CHARACTER.

Was Discussing People who Are
willing to Give Information, hut
Don't Want Their Names Used.
said They Are Afraid IL Might
Spoil Sale of n Yard of Calico or a
Pound of fCheese--What the Meth
odist Church Believes ms to Inn
mersiOn-Get Wet All over IL You
Want to, but Don't Fuss at the
Fellow who Doesn't.
"Firmness of Character was the
subject discussed by Rev. Bascom
Anthony in his night sermon in Trinity
Church yesterday. His text was Matt.
XIII: What went we out into the will
derness to see? A reed shaken with
the wind?'
This statement" said Mr.. Anthony,
is the Masters statement concerning
John. The Voice of prophecy had been
silent for four hundred years, then
John came and created a sensation in
The country was on the eve of a. great
reformation; John had called his ma
ton to repentance; but at that criti-
cal moment Johns career was cut
short, the reformation turned back,
back and seemingly there was naught
left to show for the example of his life
and teaching.
at is strange the amount of harm
or good preacher can do. There never
was a great movement for good but
what preacher was at the bottom of
it, ana there never was a great move
ment for evil so far as the church is
concerned, but what a preached orig
mated it.
There are some lessons to be learn
ed from the life of John. he preached
in the wilderness, which is poor
place for a general wholesale INNER
sion. Anyway this is a question on
which the scholarship of the world has
always been divided, and 50 it's too
late in the day for man to dogmatize
about it and all but anathematize
those who differ with him.
1.-The wilderness was not only a poor
place for it, but John was poor man
to have started such an innovation as
immersion. John was a Jewish priest,
and the Jewish rite was not that of
immersion. Now, if a man tells you
he saw so many converts baptized in
the GdDllSl, OI Ill Tic EItSUy lCIidll5 Vi
in some other church, it isn't necessary
that he go into the details; you know
Just how it was done; and so it is in
the case of John. I've got no more
idea that John wet anybody's clothes
than that l did it.
"Often you will hear it said that
some of the churches don't immerse
because they think it doesn't make any
difference. The reason they don't do
it is because they don't believe in 1t.
The Presbyterians don't believe in 1t,
while my church says, Settle it for
Yourself wet yourself all over il you
want to; then get dry clothes, sit down,
shut up and behave yourself; don't fuss
at the other fellow who didn't want his
whole body wet
Let me tell you. my friends. any
thing that is a mere question of prac-
tice and not question of morals ought
never to divide a God-fearng people.
| tell you how l fell about it; If you
are a penitent for your sins and intend
to lead a new life I'll give you the
Lords Supper, if you have never been
baptized. The day has passed for the
building of a barrier around a question
of mere opinion
The speaker then began his plea FOR
firInness of character, daring to do the
right thing, despite consequences. L
should like to see the return of the
DAVIS when a man would say, I'd
rather be right than be President he
said. 1T is better to have convictions
than to be mere jellyfish.
The spirit of compromise seems
everywhere. / get heart-sick when l
get inside facts about some of you. A
man for instance tells me so and so is
the case. | say Mr.. Whats-your name
I'm glad I've found a man true to his
convictions, and Immediately he says
But you mustn't mention my name; |
don't want to be known in the matter;
1 can't afford it.
Hundreds of you know things are
wrong and that you ought to get on
them and crowd it into the dirt where
they belong; but no, it might interfere
with the sale of a yard of calico, or
stop the profit on a pound of cheese.
Never since l was born have l seen a
crowd of people so hacked You're
afraid even to talk. Why / wouldn't
give any man on earth the right of
way over my mouth.
Don't you know that we could right
things If we were only positive; that
devilment would have to hide it's head
IL no more than just those here to-
night stood by their deep convictions.
Why will you suffer the rascals of the
community to brow-beat honest men?
Believe something and when you do
stand by it: be true to yourselves;
have convictions, stability and firm
ness"