The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-27


 Sweatt and Past President George G. Miles. The theatre was again thronged and there was large attendance at each of the church services.
 Dr. Mullins Optimistic
 There was a logical sequence in the addresses delivered before the conven- tion in this city Tuesday morning and evening by the three leading speakers on the programme, Dr. Franklin Me Elfresh of Chicago, pr. L. W. Nun hall of Pennsylvania, and Dr. E. Y. Mullins, president of the Southern Bap- tist Thecl logical seminary.
 In his address yesterday morning pr. McElfresh sounded a note of pessimism. We have reached a critical point in the history of Christianity, he said, and with the great influx of allies to the shores of the United States ev- cry year there turks great danger of the destruction of the elemental iaith of the American people; and while the American people are spending mill lions of dollars for higher education, the higher institutions of learning are not doing very great work in the preservation of fundamental Christi anity
 Like pr. McElfresh, Dr. Munhall, who teaches the largest Sunday school class in the world at Germantown, Pa. sounded note of warning. He saw danger lurking in the conventional school of higher criticism ard in the multiplication of public libraries. He stated that 75 per cent of the litera- ture carried in the public libraries of the country consist in works of fiction and that 10 per cent of this Is not fit to read.
 Following upon these two addresses Dr. Mullins was essentially optimist tic Tuesday evening in his address on the new awakening in Sunday school work and the gist of his remarks was that the organized Sunday school will full fi.l the mission of meeting all the con ditions complained of by pr. Munhall and Dr. McElfresh although he did not say so in so many words. Referring .o the complaint ofter made in regard 70 the expense attached to organized Sun day school work, he invited his hear CTS to consider the making of the daisy.
 To perfect this little flower, he said. lt requires the working of all physical nature, the waters of the sea, the ether of the air, the rays of the sun combined under the law of gravitaton, etc. Just so he said, it requires all the spiritual force of mankind to bring out the power of the youthful soul and develop it to it's utmost possibilities.
 Following Dr. Mullins short talks on organized work and the Bibles place in the Sunday school were made by D. H. Marbury and others.
 Music Is Great
 There has never been a more enter taining show in the New Noble theatre than that which is now under way there morning. afternoon and evening. The mu- sic under the leadership of Prof E. O. Excel, the noted singer, assisted by A. w. Roper who is postmaster at the piano, and a choir of about three hundred voices, arranged In tiers on the stage, is little short of perfect; and no hardened sinner can listen to the old songs as rendered by the vast audiences without feeling thrill of the "old time religion" Particularly was this true yes terday evening when pr. Excel led the chorus, q Love Him Because He First Loved Me-" to the air of popular Scotch song.
 Following the note of warning sounded by pr. McElfresh yesterday morning in regard to the unrestricted influx of un- religious immigrants to the United States, where, he says. Christianity is now un- dergoing Q crucial test, Dr. E. Y. Null lins sounded the tocsin of optimism yes- terday evening in his address on ''The New Awakening a subject with which he dwelt in particular reference to the modern Sunday school. He was humor- ous eloquent and forceful, stating that no price is too great as an expenditure for bringing out the latent power in the soul of the American youth. a function which he says will be performed in the organized modern Sunday school.
 Early this morning the delegates as- sembled at Parker Memorial Baptist church for sunrise prayer meeting, a