New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-20
PREACH PLAIN
OLD HELL, SAYS
BILLY CLERGY
Sunday Wins Applause
from 1000 Pastors and
Students in Calvary.
AMENS GREET HITS
AT HIGHER CRITICISM
VIII Not Cross Street 10 Get Gall
10 New York. lie Shouts TO
Sympathetic Audience.

Sympathetic Audience.
Billy Sunday will not walk across the
street to get call to New York.
an the twenty years l have been
preaching have never yet tried to get
ahead of the Lord" he said in the first
vyrds Of an address 10 one thousand
clergymen and theological students OF
several denominations in Calvary Bap-
fist Church yesterday
"If the Lord wants New York TO have
revival / guess e will come, ali
right" he cried. But want to dis
abuse your minds Il YOU think have
come over here to-day to Danish some Of
the preiudIcos against l,e. And want
TO put some Of the newspapers rlGht on
this matter" he added, glanclng down
at the press table.
Charmed into silence one minute and
aroused 10 the highest pitch OF enthusl-
eern the next, ministers and students
rose as one man al the end of an hour
IN beg Sunday 70 continue his talk. lie
was weary and hot from his exertlons,
but he consented. Five minutes after
he began to preach il IVES apparent that
he had made a deep impression on MS
audience.
Kept His Coat On.
With the exception Of keeping on his
coat, waistcoat and collar, the eNange-
list captered around the pulpit plat
form with characteristic vlgor HIS
audience was quick 10 adapt It's franz
of mind 10 the typical Billy Sunday
message. Billy did not adapt himself
10 plush-cushion md stained-glass sur
roundincs. Numbering all the guns
on his far-fung line Of attack against
what ne calls twentieth century CHRIS
tianitv. he extolled that old-fashloned
religion learned from his mothers lips:
Ministers ofFifth Avenue churches ana
Young students who are trying AZ Cnlon
and Drew theological seminarieS TO ma
where religion begins and science
leaves of approved his rapid IRE crit
icisms with fervent "amens.
Crashing epithets followed droli
stories, Sunday proving to be full OF
surprises and sudden changes IN the
tone of his appeal. At times the dis
course turned to theology.
81 always try to be true to God, he
cried. "I'm radically orthodox from
top to bottom, and Pm proud OF It,
Wants Plain Old He'll.
81 have never tried to 90 off on a
tangent. reiterating theological views
cuIied out BY some old professors over
a mug Of beer and in fumes OF TO-
bacco in Leipzig or Heidelberg. We
should write lust one new article IN
our creed and that is: l believe IN
Hell. HeIl-plain old Hell-H-e- double
l-thets what | mean" .,
For the benefit of theological stu
dents he initiated one of their calling,
who, after a short ministry IN small
town, called the members Of his flock
together and said:
"Nv brethren, | have been with you
only a few weeks, but l have noticed
that you are departing widely from
the procepts laid down IN the Chris
tian faith. Unless you decide to &C
cept some other standards of conduct
| very much fear that you will ultl-
mately arrive at certain place, the
name Of which is too terrible to men
ton" This monologue was recited in
an exaggerated tone of precise lady
like cXhOrtatlOn.
Banc cane Billy's fist down on the
pulpit With a five foot lunge, he de-
iivcred his familiar twirl, like a
pitcher winding up to shoot over a
strike. and yelled at the top of his
lungs: 81 would have told them they
were going plumb TO Hell.
Little Pulpit Drama.
"They say that a revival goes all
right i'm towns like Philadelphia, Pater-
son. Wechawken or Hoboken, but 1t
wouldn't work in New York. Huh!
they think God couldn't handle New
York, eh Well, you just give Him a
chance and see what He can do?
Just before he closed. Sunday said
he was going to say something that
his audience would not like. Il believe
. all church pews should be free" he
IN shouted. "Some Of you don't agree
w with me, of course, but I'm sorry for
- YOU. Here's the way you act when a
rich sinner comes into church with a
big roll of bills in his pocket
Rushing over TO the other side OF
the platform, Sunday picked up a large
plush cushiored chair, brought 1t close
TO the pulpit, bowed affably to the
imaginary wealthy churchman, anC
begged him to be seated. "Now, here
comes a Weary Willie, sort of bum
What do YOU do with him? This way
sir. right this way and Billy went
walking down from the pulpit to &
most undesirable seat back OF post
The windows trembled with the APP
pause that greeted this little drama
The Rev. DR.. Arthur 7. Brook, OF
Tarrytown. y Y. president OF the
Baptist Conference, under whose aus
pieces The meeting was held, acted as
chairman. On the platform were the
Rev. Or. Charles A. Eaton, pastor OF
the Madison Avenue Baptist Church
and personal friend Of Sunday, and
the Rev DR.. George L. Wcnner, pastor
Of the German Lutheran Church.
Sunday and Ma were invited TO
luncheon by the Rev. Thomas L. Cal
vert.