The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-05
BILLY SUNDAY.
IL His Influence Valuable or InlUri-
Gus to the Country?


Gus TO the Country?
To rHE EuIroe OF THE Sun Sr'That
there IL such a condition as general
hvstcra cannot successfully he denied.
crowds may be hvpnotized. as well az
individuals what thoughtful person
considering revivalism can escape tn"
conviction that these forces work In the
conversions" wrought by revlvalists?
! include oil revivallsts, from the
blatant. roaring evangelist 20 the earn
est hut self-controlled mission preacher.
: am clergyman Of tho Episcopal
Church, wherein is well nigh uni
vcrsal prejudice against typical revival
ism, aud constitutionally | am opposed
to such methods. but try 70 put aside
these influences when I come to a con-
sideration Of Billy Sunday.
Certain OF those whom he has hypnO-
tized compare him to 81 Paul or to the
ancient Hebrew prophets. But what an
impossible gulf separates those trcmen-
dous personalities from the slangy .ndl.
vidual who has brought the baseball
diamond into the pulpit l Soy this not
because | see those great ones upon In
accessible pedestals of special inspira-
tion, but estimating them altogether as
men. have no doubt that the men
who have published their belief In this
compa rson. when they have been de-
livered from his spell. will blush or feel
inclined TO wish they were so made
physically that they could kick them-
selves hard
Little good can come OF speculation as
20 Sundays sincerity, but I am COM
PEELED TO esk whether he can be regarded
as one who loves his fellow men" j
have not found In what have read OF
his utteranoes any indication that he Is.
St John the Baptist called his hearers
unpleasant names but ne was a sub
lime fanatic, whose individuality was
wholly absorbed In his mission. What
stuperdous eelf-effacernent sounds In
his words. II am tho voice OF one CRYING
IN the wilderness" Besides, St. John
was not a Christian preacher; no la
bored before the revelation Of love had
been made IN tho person Of Jesus the
Christ.
What IL the value Of Sundays aottf-
ties? That is the question. Not what
IL the immediate result but what will
be the gain In the long run for general
righteousness2 There Is something to-
day by which We can to a certain extent
gauge the value OF Moody's evangelistic
iabors. Twenty or thirty years hence
will there be any reason for blessing
tho name OF Billy Sunday, any reason
even for remembering that he lived?
Is Pittsburg any better to-day for
Sundays strenuous campaign Will II
be better. moro Christian in its ousi-
ness and rs social hfe a year. Ave. ten
years from now because no gave forty
thousand dollars worth of his peculiar
methods to saving Il:
/ We are told that his campaigns result
| IN increased attendance At the churches
But will This last? Certainly the minis
! ters of those churches are responsible,
but are they the only ones7 II Sun
days influence has really converted
/ those who have resumed church atten-
dance, mus thero not have been wrought
| in them such change that they Will
not backs,ide. even despite the inetfi-
cheney OF some OF the clergymen7 This
Il ono vital consideration.
For ono I am rather peesmistto as &c
tho perrnanence OF his conversions, IT
50 far as he has any theology Il involves
an angry God. n depraved humanity and
punishment. arbitrary and wicked. This
theology has driven men and womer
I " thousands from our churches. The
preaching OF II by a man. eloquent
fiery or merely sensational, can mo
mentarily frighten people into sem
blance OF Righteousness. But IL Il rea
sonable TO rh!nk thai such doctrines, re
pud'ated BY the Intelligence and self
respect and the sense OF Justice OF Tner
and women. will generally work 70 8
permanent Tea4lfN or rlHh'"OuSi. eSs : Lee
not hose be easily accounted cyncs whC
are convinced that such a result can
no. pos. hly follow such methods.
Bur even ~ such type ~ evangelism
does result IN permanent Increase II
/ church attendance. Is Il desirable? Thai
notion OF salvation is out OF true w!tr
the thought, with the need OF to-day
The Church ought not 10 rejoice In th'
Increase OF the number OF those Chris
tlans who "arc saved" self-sat,sHed II
the!r own safety and unconcerned FOL
the salvation OF others.
We ministers, ! fear. set too !huci
store by numbers Men and women d,
not need rules OF conduct. but Dr,nci
r'cs OF ne: they are not benefited 10y
shat preaching which shall max" then
able scl'-eNinin"rs know .ug Away
wherein they have broken his rue o
conduct or that s0-Call"d commandment
OF God they need inspiration 20 I've
labor, struggle. achieve they need con
l4ctiou that rel g!pn is coter1' nous WITT
open ny their Ives. pour them ont
thr,r brothers and sisters Tina WI
what IT," LIE. f1' preaching, the dealt
IF ,hc thrIs, ,frcn''t.
Al, 'Ne world, the Church. need evan
go"sts' Bu' they must he men an,
women who are 90 ire OF God and wh'
arc willing 20 sp"ni tho'- lives IN ser
vice HAT others also may he fred an,
become willing sacrifices,
IouS g. STEPHENSON.
L.YHpoNvirIE, VI, April ?