The Washington herald., 1914-12-06

had no respect for the church; the Kaiser
became frightened at surrounding condi-
tions because he too had no respect for
the church. The nations responded as
rapidly as movements on a checkerboard.
and the appalling result is that there is
being conducted a slaughter OF men that
might be suited to the centuries before
Christ or to the heart OF Africa now. No
one can avoid seeing writ large in this
Il moral chaos the result OF UNCONVENTIONAL
traditions and sectarian JealousIes.
| Rev. Il. c. c. Vincent, rector OF the
Episcopal House OF Prayer. Philadelphia,
last Sunday read to his congregation let
I ters from four Of the most prominent
Episcopal clergyman in that city relative
to evangelistic campaign of Rev. Billy
Sunday, whose meetings in Philadelphia
are to begin with the new year.
1 The following is taken from the letter
OF Rev. Robert Johnston, rector OF the
Church Of the Saviour:
| You ask me to give you reasons why
/ cannot JOIN in the religious revival
| about to be conducted in this city by the
Rev. William Sunday. l have no reason
based on principle; l have just a pref
Udice against the many movements which
|
, years. And l think my prejudice Is
wrong. These movements have done
good. I wish l were temperamentaIIy
able to throw myself, heart and soul,
into them. I am a spectator, but an In
terested and sympathetic spectator, wish
ing every good and praying every bless
ing.
'T heard him at the university SOM
! time ago. ] went prejudiced and came
: H. 81
why he so moved men. But came away
perfectly satisfied that: First, God was
using him; second. that he was terribly
In earnest: third, that he was profoundly
sincere; fourth. that he was unspoilcd
/ by success and had the grace of Christian
4 humility: fifth, that he was essentially a
man and not unrelated TO the prophet
Il have heard some revivalists talking
/ about their past In such a way that they
| seemed TO be 'glOrying in their shame
There was none of this in Mr.. Sunday.
His religion is both convincing and
appealing. He would probably fay me as
1 an interpreter of the Bible. but should
be sorry to think that differed with him
| in the need of something abnormal and
unusual to awaken people at this time
and 10 break the deadly monotony Of
| respectability and decorum which now
masquerades as religion. The church is
IL
and one of the least potent.
That his converts fall away in many
cases proves nothing; the pathetic falling
away OF our confirmation candidates
should prevent us from passing this su-
perficial judgment on Mr.. Sundays work
That l have not altogether overcome
prejudice is doubtless true: that I think
there is danger. is true. But both preJ-
udice and fear shrink into their true pro-
WI 7 nf h.
will be done. the sinners halted. and new
life course through the veins OF many
man in this city.
I'VE want all the good to be done that
can be done; we will not quarrel about
methods. Our normal methods in the
church today are not so eminently sue
cessful to justify any boasting."
H. ]. Heinz. of Pittsburgh, who is chair
man of the Worlds Sunday School Asso-
citation, will head a party of Christian
business men who are to tour South
America on the Kroonland in the interest
of organized Sunday school work. The
party will sail from New York on Janu- |
airy p. 1915, and will stop at Havana and
Kingston, then passing through the Pan
ANA Canal, will sail down the west coast
of South America, stopping at the chief !
seaportS to hold conferences with mis-
sionaries and native workers on Sunday
school aims and methods. At VALPARAISO. |
Chile, they will leave the vessel and go |
by rail across the Andes to Buenos Airea |
Argentina avoiding the sail around Cane
Horn and gaining time for longer stay |
in Argentina and Uruguay before reioin- |
ing the ship for stops at Brazilian ports I
Among the members Of the party are w. |
y. Hartshorn, of Boston, ex-presIdent of |
the Worlds Sunday School Association:
George Z. Hall, Of Plainfield, n. j., mem
Der of the executive committee of the
International Sunday School Association;
Harry Morton, of San. Francisco. and
Frank l. Brown, Of Brooklyn. joint gen.
eral secretary Of the Worlds Sunday
School Association.
The administrative committee of the
Federal. Council. of the. Churches. OF
Christ in America will recommend to the
executive committee, consisting Of Of
fetal representatives Of all the constitu-
ent bodies Of the council, which meets at
Richmond, December 9-11, that messen-
gers, to include the secretary of the coun-
ell, be sent to visit the Christian churches
of the nations Of Europe to convey the
good will and sympathy OF the Christian
churches in America, and that they NAV
hold prayer and conference together, At
such time as may be found most adyfs-
able and opportune. r.-
1t will also be recommended that the
Federal Council issue a suitable utter
ance with the same end in view, in res
ponse to the communications which have ',