The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-11-29
LOCAL OPINIONS. OF
EVANGELIST SUNDAY
From Thursdays Daily.

From thursdays Daily.
Two Mankato ministers, when ask
ed their opinion regarding Billy Sun
day, the evangelist, as a possible
help to Mankato, have said that the
Salvation Army was now doing work
here the work that might be ac-
complished by him. Others have been
generous in their praise of him, and
in one instance a minister said that
he wished that it was possible to
have him come to Mankato.
There has been considerable OBJ
lection on the part of some of the
st. Paul clergymen to extending an
invitation TO Evangelist Sunday to
come 10 that city to conduct meet
ings. The Philadelphia clergymen al
so have objections to his methods of
procedure in evangelistic campaigns.
1t is rumored by some people that
Sunday would not accept an invita-
ton to go to st. Paul if he felt that
there was any strong opposition to
his coming, because in times pre-
Vious he has shown that he does not
intend TO go into a town where he
has not the cooperation of the ma
jOrity of the people.
Believes in Rev. Sunday.
Rev. r Ross Paden of the Pres
byterian church is emphatic in his
judgment of Sunday. He said: II be-
lieve him to be the greatest evan
gelist living. | have not heard him
speak, nor have | met him, but
draw my conclusions from the opin-
ions of people who have heard him.
The strongest men in the churches
of towns where he has conducted
meetings are loyal to Sunday be-
cause he puts them on their feet.
He has been successful in cleaning
cities of their saloons, and has left
them clean and dry. Nearly everyone
whom | have heard condemn him is
someone who has received his in
formation second hand. In Pittsburg
where there are a large number of
ministers of the Presbyterian church,
and conservative men, they are
strong in their endorsement of his
work .-.. ..
81 believe that he is real, live
man; he is spontaneous in his work
and | believe him to be absolutely
genuine. Any imitation of his meth.
DDS, however is unbearable. As far
as | can Judge. having received the
information | have about him sec
ond hand, | wish that he might be
brought to Mankato TO hold evan
gelistic meetings" '....< ID
Opinion by Rev. keesey.
Rev. w. r Keesey, pastor of the
Centenary Methodist church, is not
so well impressed by the per-
sonality of the man, but feels
that he does work such as no one
else has been able to accomplish.
Mr. Keesey said: PERSONALLY don't
like Sundays methods, but he has
done something which few men have
been able to accomplish don't feel
like criticising man who is able
TO do something that | myself can
not do, as is the case with Sunday.
] do not like the style of his talk in
the pulpit. but he certainly does the
work. There is so much talk of the
falling off of interest after his meet
ings are completed, but that is al.
ways true of any evangelistic meet.
ing. There are enough who stick to
their change of beliefs to make his
meetings worth while. His message
is all right, it is straight, orthodox
gospel"
Rev. E. l.. Heermance, pastor of
the congregational church, expressed
himself this way: 81 used to think
that the good done by Billy Sunday
Overbalanced the harm have come
to feel that the harm overbalances
the good. After any sensational re-
vival there is sure to be a reaction
The church will be deader than ever,
h,
and fiat. 1t is just like stimulants
in other lines. The only thing the
people can think of doing is to have
another revival, and, the more they
have, the more sensational each re-
vival must be to stimulate the peo-
pie. Pastors and people both come
TO depend on an evangelist to do
their work for them, it is a scheme
of get rich quick" in a religious
sense. Evangelistic meetings have
their place, emotion has it's place.
But what our country needs is a.
Christianity we can keep up seven
days week, fifty-two weeks in
every year"
Doesn't Favor RevivaIs.
Rev. p. X. Edwards, rector of st.
Johns Episcopal church, is not Ia
vorable to REVEALS He said today:
Judging by what | have heard
and read of Billy Sunday | consider
his work parody on Christianity
and a positive detriment to the
cause of Christ.
"Revivals hold ;he place in the
cure of souls that powerful stimu-
lants hold in the cure of the body.
They need to be used with care. III
the revivalist is not man of con-
secration, unselfish devotion and self
restraint, he will do more harm than
good. For every person Billy Sun.
day really turns to a better life, he
leaves two with a false and antag-
onistic impression of religion. His
methods seem to be marked by a.
cCarSeness, sensationalism and intol-
erance as far as possible from the
spirit of Jesus Christ
81 have this further objection 20
his methods, that they seem to in.
clude the taking out of the commun-
ity of large sums of money without
the rendering of any account ~of
their disposal"
ST. Paul Ministers Not United.
Ministers in st. Paul are not unit
ed in their admiration for Sunday
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