The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-13
MANY TOUCHED BY DR. VANCE'S WORDS Spent Busy Day in Birming-
 ham Yesterday HIS MORNING SERMON Pays Notable Tribute to Man, Ills Accomplishments and What
 His Future Is
 to Be

the south, and now the pastor Of the larg- est Presbyterian congregation in Nash villa. delivered a powerful sermon, rela- tive to the Men and Religion Forward Movement. at the First Presbyterian church of this city yesterday morning al il o'clock. The leaders of this move-
 ment in Birmingham have arranged for the appearance of many religious speak CTS of repute in the local pulpits and the atres during their campaign for soul winning and enlisting men and boys Ill tho evangelism of the churches. Dr. Vance left strong impression upon the many who heard him at the after noon meeting for men only at the Ma
 iestic theatre, and the union evening ser vice for men at the Southside Baptist church. His day in Birmingham was
 marked with IS conversions alone at the Majestic meeting, and his straightfor- ward, simple and direct method of touch- ing the hearts of his hearers has given
 the movement for which he pleaded an impetus that will be permanent and far
 reaching.
 Dr. Foster Introduced Him pr. Foster pastor of the church. pre- scented pr. Vance at the First Presby- terian, who choose his text from the gos- pei according to St. Luke, and said in part:
 | q take my theme from the verse, Like unto men who walt for their Lord, and I want to speak to you about men and | the kingdom. principally men. The mod lao tp erio mt and | the day of brute force has passed for ideas now occupy the throne. For all l the many tendencies that may character | ize the world as being in the dark ages as the electricity wizard, Mr. Edison, says | it is, there are many evidences that prove | that 1t is not deteriorating, for the man of today is the finest production of all times.
 Man has already conquered the realm of land and sea and is making conquests of the air. He is digging an isthmus to unite the waters of two great oceans, he can make 8 map of Mars and tell what events are transpiring on the moon; he is learning to battle with disease and flashing his messages across the wires through the country. The story of mod ern medicine Is the romance of the times. and it is only a matter of time before the great white plague will be a thing of the past for man has made it yield up it's
 awful secret.
 "The coming civilization will be Chris | tian, will be the era of the common prac-
 tice of Christ teachings among mankind, 1 and man realizes that there is no nobler 1 mission in his life than to toll for the | kingdom. The origin of the coming king
 dom is an idea of the Deity. It will be found ill personality and human character
 and make a man happy, right and friend- ly. What more can man be if he Is
 right. happy and friendly?
 Scope of Coming Kingdom
 '@The scope of the coming kingdom is limitless. There is no race line. no creed
 line, no color line. no sex line for the
 whole is entirely cosmopolitan. Christian ity does not sing of two strong men meet
 ing on an equal footing but of the equal ity of all men. It sings of equal oppor- tunities at the door of Gods grace for all men.
 "The coming kingdom will be built On God made character to last forever. It
 means that growth and development will go on forever, getting better and bet ter through the ages. We know some-. thing of a tree that reaches its highest
 point of development but this will be the kingdom of whose increase there will be | no end. To establish this kingdom and toll for its dominion over all other king dOmS is the buSinesS of men
 If the modern man. who can chain electricity, disarm the nation through peace treaties, fight disease and reach the north pole, would give himself to the spreading of the gospel as the dis ciples of old did, there would be no sea wide enough or mountain high enough to tlock his progress.
 '"rhe church has many imperfections as an institution, I grant you, but it Is the place where the truth seems dearer. the ! light is clearer and Heaven is
 nearer than any other place in the universe. It is not a means
 but an end, not the goal but the piece | of divine machinery to found the king dom. The hope of the world lies in 1 church and the manhood of America can champion the church which is being de- | structively and hostilely criticised by the
 muck raking magazines and newspapers l of the country. You can't accomplish anything by campaign of criticism but | through confidence.
 My friends be like unto the men who | wait for the coming of their lord. fol- low your leader, Christians, and put real heroism into your Christian work"