The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1911-07-08
SYNOPSIS or AN ADDRESS
Delivered at Baptist Church Sunday
Morning.


Rev. x. Aubrey Williams at the
Baptist church Sunday morning, al
ter "A few words stating the size OF
Baptist denomination In the world, !
the purpose of the gathering OF 81
500 accredited delegates from all
quarters OF the earth, the character
of the leaders and the position they
occupy in contributing TO the max
ing of the worlds history, said In
part:
NV subject this morning is I'm
pressions of the Baptist Worlds Al
lance" | am giving to you how the
great Alliance impressed me, but IN
The short time in which | may speak
cannot OF course tell the full story
of the Alliance. There We're, how
ever. certain great mountain peaks
of experience which seemed to thrill
every heart.
First OF all was
The Roll can of the Nations.
This was a scene when the rep
resantatiyos Of sixty diffreeRt ma
tons came to the platform 70 tell
in few moments the story OF their
work Il was wonderful scene
and for three hours the people sat
i'm crowded house with the Their
Nome.er soaring about 80 eager TO-
.ltch tn, words OF these men. They
we're there from Japan and Russia
rom India and Australia. from Spain
aud Italy from France and Germany,
rom south America and Africa from
England aud Canada Sometimes We
indcrs, God and sometimes we ala
not. but We listened eager TO hear.
As these men and women from
~ ~ quarter OF the globe were tell
ing of their trials and their suffer
ia wondered TO myself what is II
,hat has brought YOU to this country
and ! could find but one answer
he power OF the living Christ. lie
was the power that bound that
vast crow Of people from every land
and tongue into one homogeneous
whole.
Then, again, it was a momentous
hour when We looked upon the
Russian eXilts. each one pres nted
in Charming language and eloquent
power by the gift ID Dr J. III. Shake
speare. who. by the way. is a collat-
raj descendant OF the famous poet,
he Baptist cretary of the Alliance
" was coronation day in Britain,
when surrounded by the titled and
the great. England's king and que II
were to b. crowned. but IL was also
coronation day in philadelphia, when
la lib rty -loyine. but suffering peo-
pie we're to press a fresh crown on
the brow OF the King Of Kings.
have often read of those days which
tried mems faith and with mute
admiration and throbbing heart
have followed the wonderful story
of those heroes OF faith. | shall
never forget the names of Walter
and Craig and Ireland and Weather
ford and others OF our heroic sires
who suffered for their faith. | turn
the pages back to the time when
the blood of Christians REDEEMED
the sands of the Coliseum, when
heir bodies were sewod up in skins
OF wild beasts, covered with pitch
and tar and set on fire to light the
darkness OF 4 Roman night, TO glut
the fury Of a Roman populace, to-
feed the passions of a Roman En-
perOr | think of the time when
thCy stood in the sea and waited
for the rising tide to wash the last
DYING moan from their lips. when
they were fastened TO the stake TO
feed the flames to satisfy the zeal
of infuriated zealOts. have stud
Il OF those who in apostolic days
must pay the awful penalty Of their
faith with every conceivable sufft r
ing and men everywhere were beai-
ing about in their bodies the marks
OF the Lord Jesus, but | never oN-
pected 10 look upon the fac OF
men i'm this goth century, in this
land OF freedom and social liberty
who bear in their bodies the marks
like unto Christians Of apostolic and
medieval ages. but such was my ca
perience.
/ shall never forget the sight.
There were men there who had suf-
fered the scourge. who had been
torn from the bosoms OF their fami-
lies. who had left weeping widows
and wailing orphans behind 10 go
out into Siberian exile. to labor in
dark and crowded mines TO Ian
guish in Russian dungeons.to be left
half dead in the road 10 the mercy
Of loving Christ. Such was the
story One man stayed for nine
years in a Russian prison, but like
Paul OF old he was freed
Oh. he devotion. the self-sacri-
lice. The heroism of these men and
women. II sounds like the sixteenth
and not the twentieth century
What a rebuke to this age and
time. when some of us find great
difficulty in coming to the church
once a week Luxury and ease hath
eaten up our zeal We need to suf-
fer more; our faith costs us too lit
tie.
In a great burst of enthusiasm
the members of the Alliance raised
nearly 100000 to help build a.
Baptist University in ST. Peters
burg.
Finally the Alliance in all its SEES
sions. from the hour of the roll call
of the nations to the last clarion
note, had one great aim, the win
ming of the world for Christ. The
Baptist note must be universal
note; their mission must be a uni
versal mission. To this end they
stand together as one great Bap
fist brotherhood, who with one faith,
one Lord. one baptism are go
ing forth to help bring the world
captive to the pierced feet of the
worlds Redeemer.
AAU 9nnFH