The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-11
SCOvILLE is HERE.
breaches His First Sermon to
a Topeka Audience.
Communion Service at Eleven
O'Clock Sunday.

DR.. Charles Reign ScoviIle, the
great evangelist, preached his first
sermon to a Topeka audience Friday
evening. The lower floor of the au-
ditorium was well filled. the people
being mostly members of the Christian
churches of the city. These people
have looked forward to the coming of
Scoville, and the cheers he received
upon his arrival in the building last
night, showed the great enthusiasm
into their midst.
Rev. Charles Finch, pastor of the
First Christian church, introduced
DR.. Scoville to the audience and again
he received the hearty cheers of the
crowd. The first words uttered by
the evangelist were: 1.-The spirit of
the Lord is upon me- and he pro-
ceeded to preach a sermon to church
people, not to sinners. The main OBJ
ject of his sermon was to create en-
thusiasm among his hearers and to
make them feel their personal re-
sponsibility. He said the saddest
thought to his mind was, THAT Christ
alone can save the world, but that
Christ could not save the world alone"
He told how helpless an evangelist
was when the people refused to help
and that it was not the willingness of
God that was needed to carry on
great meeting-ft was the willingness
of man.
He told the story of a New York
congregation where the minister ap-
peared at the meeting of the board of
the church with his written resigna-
ton, which he had in his possession
all Sunday morning, with the inten
ton of presenting it to the congre-
cation at that service. However, af-
ter entering the pulpit, he realized
how much he was needed and how
much hard work was needed-kept it
until the meeting of the board. At
this time he made known his reSig
nation and asked that every member
of the board resign also. This star
tied the board very much and they
mediately began asking why such
requirements should be made. Instead
of answering, he began to ask ques-
lions, starting with the chairman of
the board. said: How many invita-
come to the church services" and the
answer came, why none that I can
think Of Then he asked again,
Chow long have you been chairman
of this board?' Twelve years." was
the answer. He then put the same
questions to the remaining members
and found that during all that time,
not one had asked a single person to
become a Christian or even to attend
the church services.
Then the minister told them that
under one condition he would stay
with them. They didn't wait for the
condition. One man suggested that
they pray over the matter and before
he could start his prayer, another was
well on the way with an earnest pray
err And SO the meeting went. In
| the evening the pastor told the con-
gregation just what had taken place in
| the board meeting, and the sermon
that he brought to them was not a
| fifteen minute speech, written and
read and placed between the prelude
and afterlude and all the other 'ludes.
but a heart to heart talk with his
congregation. This stirred the people
as did the meeting of the board stir
its members and each one went to
work and made that church like no
other church in New York
DIR. Scoville said he did not want
| the audience to misunderstood him
concerning the preludes; that he was
a lover of music and knew that it was
| a part of Gods work, but that where
/ the whole hour of worship was taken
up with that sort of music and the 5
minute sermon between, it was like a
Ilarge sandwich, and when fed to the
people, they would starve for the meat
of the world.
DR.. Scoville made known to the