Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-02-03
FAMOUS RELIGIOUS EDITOR

ceasing activity as evangelist and
writer.
In the early part Of his ministry
smaller cities were frequently visited.
but not SO now, since his field of op-
GRAFTON has become world wide, and
the urgent invitations to deliver free
public lectures in the largest cities
have become so numerous that even all
OF these cannot be accepted.
| For the past several years Pastor
Russell HAS made semi-annual foreign
tours and through the press reports Of
his meetings held in large public halls
of the leading cities, he has received
much favorable comment and publicity.
Wonderful Drawing Power.
As a public speaker on Bible topics,
Pastor Russell stands unrivaled-
stands alone in a place created by his
own individual work, place not pre-
viously attained nor occupied by an
other.
The mammoth crowds that repeated
~ assemble to hear him at every op-
portunity is conclusive evidence as to
his drawing power. Last year, while
conducting a series of Sunday meet
ings in the London Royal Albert Hall,
Pastor Russell received written COM
munications through the mail from
more than six thousand persons, re-
questing printed copies Of his sermons.
So spontaneous a demand was both
unprecedented and unlocked for. An
other evidence Of his popularity on the
other side of the rolling blue is the
publication of his weekly sermons in
something over three hundred papers
in England, Ireland, Scotland, Australia.
The Editor Of Great Britain's fore
most family paper, The Peoples Jour
nal, has so aptly commented and acted
on the matter that we can do no bet
ter than to quote here the heart-to-
heart talk he gave his readers. He
said
A Wonderful Preacher.
at is not the non-church-going tenden-
cies of the Age that I want to talk to
you about, although my theme Is more
or less closely connected with that sub
ject. You have all, / think, heard of
Pastor Russell, the wonderful American
preacher, who has just been indicted to
the charge of the London Tabernacle.
known all over the United Kingdom and
thousands of miles beyond, as the pulpit
of the revered Sturgeon? Mr. Russell has
achieved a position in the world of re-
ligious thought unequalled by any living
Divine. And. curiousy enough, he deliv-
ers his message to far more people out
side the church than could ever be
brought together within the walls of the
largest temple In the Universe. His SER
mons and writings have won for them
selves an extraordinary popularity In
America and / am credibly informed that
Pastor Russel's printed books on religious
subjects are excelled in circulation only
by the Bible itself. Just think what this
means. 1t means that millions of people
all over the world have found something
In Pastor Russell's sermons. essays and
lectures which they have been unable to
discover in any other religious writings
apart from the Great Book itself.
A Weekly Talk.
"Now. to come to the crux of the mat
ter l feel sure that the vast majority of
my readers will learn with pleasure that
have arranged for a weekly contribution
from the pen of Pastor Russell. A SER
monette' Mr. Russell himself calls II, but
/ have an idea II Will be found to be
something more, something fuller. than
merely a condensed sermon. l have been
reading a selection OF the famous Pas
tors religious writings, and they appeal
10 me as being more OF the nature or
quiet, discursive talks on serious subjects
than sermons or pulpit deliverances of the
conventional description. Pastor Russell
Is a clear, easily understood thinker; he
eschews dogma and all subtleties OF form
and faith, and he says what he has TO say
on the great truths of religion and morals
In plain but always beautiful language.
He speaks and writes not only to the or
binary church-goer. as we accept the
phrase, but TO all intelligent men and wo-
men. and for one can quite well appre-
ciate the unparalleled popularity which
he has achieved in America-a popularity,
1 feel convinced, he will very soon equal
in this country. Pastor Russelrs talks
will begin in the Journal next week. and
am hopeful that they will be an extremely
popular feature Of the Journal"
The Press Of America.
Pastor Russell's popularity abroad
does not deprive him of the honor of
preaching to the largest congregation
In America. Surprising as it may
seem, his sermons are at present pub
lished in more than one thousand
newspapers in America, reaching APP
proximately ten million homes weekly.
Last June and July, while making q
trans-continental tour to attend the BIZ
BILE Students Convention at San Fran
cisco, Pastor Russell made several
stops en- route, and the reception ev-
erywhere accorded the American
Spurgeon" was most heart cheering
Many excellent accounts OF his meet
ings were published. 'The San Fran
cisco Call" in making reference to
what other papers were saying, inter
estingly summarized as follows
pastor Russelrs given name has been
lost 10 public record during the last ten
years, In which he has been famous as the
great 'Pastor'-piain Pastor Russell-who
has swayed hundreds of thousands in this
country and abroad.
do they come 10 hear him? Well, rath-
erl 50 far it has been impossible to en-
gage a hall large enough to hold the
crowds Dreamland Rink has been hired
for this occasion. In Kansas City. Den
yer, Salt Lake and Los Angeles the Pas
tor and his faithful crew have taken the