Omaha daily bee., 1915-09-18
BILLY SUNDAY
IN DEFENSE OF
HIS CAMPAIGN
Evangelist Denounees as an Infa-
nous Scoundrel Any Man Who
Lifts Voice Against Meet
ings Now Being Held.
Is GOING TO FIGHT FOR GOD
Asserts Too Many Churches Are Not
Much Better Than Hen
COops.
NO QUARREL WITH THEATER

BILLY" Sunday hesitated in his
sermon yesterday afternoon, trying
to think of the name of some popular
song. The only one he could call to
mind was Down Went McGinty to
the Bottom of the Sea-" which was
popular about thirty years ago; be-
fore BILLY" hit the trail. He called
on Rodeheaver to give him the
names of two or three, but "Rody'
fell down, too. He wanted the names
merely for illustrational purposes.
"You are going wrong when you
stop singing Jesus, Keep Me Near
the Cross and start singing Down
Went McGinty to the Bottom of the
Sea-" he asserted. you are going
wrong when you stop singing
Nearer My God to Thee and begin
singing - and there BILLY" stuck
and 'Rody,' when called on for help,
didn't have q rope to throw him.
Hired to Entertain Gang.
Mr.. Sunday preached from the reopen
ing of the temple by "Hezekiah after
Ahaz. his wicked father, had kept 1t closed
for sixteen years" and he urged the
churches OF today to reopen their temples
10 God and have less Of worldliness in
them.
Some God-forsaken scoundrels preach
about the war and discuss literary men
ard give out all sorts of clap-trap, secular
nonsense under the guise of sermons AMI
II takes the man that comes after them
years to kick out all the rubbish with
which they have cluttered their pulpits.
Preach the gospel, God and Jesus
Christ and the atoning blood; preach 1t
without fear or favor and II they don't
like 1t, let them go to hell. Some
preachers actually favor dancing just be-
cause they're afraid OF offending some
bunch In the church.
There are too many churches where
the preacher and choir are hired merely to
entertain the gang on Sunday"
The speaker threw out this challenge
to those who oppose the revival:
Amy man who dares lift his voice
against this campaign is an Infamous
scoundrel. If they think I'll let them
sneer and spew out their venom against
God, they're badly fooled. I'm going to
scrap for God"
Churches Like Chicken COOps.
you ought to put up the finest build
lngs for the worship of God" he declared.
TOO many churches aren't much better
than chicken coops and the members llv-
ing in fine homes"
Speaking of the theater Mr.. Sunday as
serted:
My quarrel with the theater is not
with Il as an institution, but on account
Of many of the things they allow on the
stage. Since accepted Christ, more than
twenty-seven years ago, ! have never
darkened the door of a theater except to
preach the gospel from the stage And I
never will. The last play saw was Dem
man Thompson in The Old Homestead >
When was in Chicago Tom Keene tried
his best to get me to go with him as his
understudy. You'd make a great actor,
BILL he said. but I told him, nothing
doing. Tom. I'm going to work for God.
And today I'm ready to die any time, but
as long as God wants me to stay on the
job I'll be here"
II was warm In the tabernacle and
"Rody," between his vocal solo and his
trombone solo. told the men they could
take off their coats II II would add To
their comfort, And we even allow tha
women to remove their hats so their
heads will be nice and COOL" he added.
Ma" Sunday made a short opening
prayer. BILLY" made no prayer At the
conclusion of his sermon.