The Detroit times., 1915-01-09
BILLY SUNDAY IN
! DOCTRINAL DUEL
WITH DIR. ELIOT
Haryard's Ex-President Opens
Big Unitarian Effort to Com
bat Evangelist
GIGANTIC RELIGIOUS
CONTROVERSY IMMINENT
Trinitarians and Unitarians Raj
lying to Defend Their Lead
ers and Doctrines

4 versy that this continent mas seen Tor
/ more than a generation is that he
4 tween the Rev. DR.. Charles w. Eliot,
president emeritus OF Harvard Uni
versity, and the Rev. Billy sunday,
\ the ex-baseball star, who is now the
worlds most famous reviyalist. ne
discussion centers about the theme
4 which has engaged theologians for
+ nineteen centuries, the nature and
+ mission OF Jesus Christ.
DIR. Eliot uns p".Ingly arraigns me
& orthodox conception OF Jesus, while
Billy Sunday defends the diety. the
& vicarious atonement, and the resur.
rection and t. divine sovereignty or
the Nazarens.
n This controversy is vastly more sig
nificant than most Philadelpu4ans,
who are nearest 10 II, have as yet
A perceived Unless all portents fail,
4 Il means a nationwide revival OF doc
trinal debate. The battle which the
Unitarian leaders have set in array
"a William Penn's city of religious
<olerance may easily become world
vide religious war.
Lest any reader should think this
mere chance clash of opinion, the
tory needs TO be retold OF how the
oituation developed; and OF how for
NAL and official 1t all Is, at least on
4 The side OF the Unitarians
Billy Sunday. be it known. Is as
<heologically orthodox" as Jonathan
Edwards. He not only breaches hell
xre, but he does not hesitate 10 say
hat hell Is the destination OF certain
Dersons. Nevei, In all the centuries
of bitter debate over the nature of
yesus, has anybody used such pictur-
A GgQue, excoriating, sizzling, slangy
4 tpeech In defense OF the diety OF Jes-
Ms as Billy Sunday employs.
Hitherto, Unitarians have received
N xhis In silence, and, IL is said. their
n churches have even benefited BY the
NJ nccessfon OF persons who have react
4 "a from the Billy Sunday teaching.
|< When, however, the preparations Tor
n he evangelist's Philadelphia cam
& baign, which opened last Sunday, be-
kan to attract widespread attention,
"a Unitarian leaders got together and
"a xecided upon an organized, systematic
n Dountercampaign.
< Their method was fourfold They
N invited President Eliot TO speak in
IN Philadeiphia under their auspices
n 6Bw evenings prior to Sundays ad-
III vent They opened Unitarian book
n atore near the big Sunday Tabernacle.
4 They planned series of nightly meet
1ngs In one OF the three Philadelphia
|, churches, TO be addressed by leading
II Unitarian ministers, TO begin the mid
I5 die OF this month, and 10 run con-
n currently with the Sunday campaign.
II And they have begun publicity cam
<I paign in the daily newspapers,
a through the advertising and news col
~ umns. A strong local committee was
I' formed 10 have charge OF this formal
"A conflict with orthodoxy's most spec
II tacular and uncompromising cham
n pion.
# The battle thus joined has not been
n! fully reported in the daily press.
M glimpse of some OF the sensational
consequences already achieved may
|I{ be had from the statement of a Uni
IA versity Of Pennsylvania official that
IA President Eliots address is costing
|I| the American Society for the Ad,
W vancement of Science more than
M thousand members. This rs because
M DR. Eliot's speech was delivered dur
ling the Philadelphia convention OF the
\ ocientists, TO which he was a delegate
'1 On the other hand, one member OF
+. the Dllly campaign NOlllull-
|I tee said, "While II is a hilarious spec.
facle to see DR. Eliot riding on the
\ N coat.tails OF Billy Sunday yet this
move is fine strategy on the part of
Il Unitarians. Their denomination Is
losing ground steadily-7O.vO0 per
sons, as many as there are In the
entire membership OF the Uni
tarian body, heard, or tried to hear.
billy Sunday on his first day in Phila-
delphia--and this effort will help re.
vitalize their members II will arouse
the clan feeling OF all who deny the
/divinity OF Jesus The three Unitar.
Tan churches in Philadelphia should
fbe greatly benefited by his conflict
There Is another side to this The
fTrinitarisns also are being aroused.
|0rthodoxy. challenged TO combat. is
|o0mpelled to ask itself what IL really
docs believe, and whether these be.
Eofs are worth fghting for Already
IAere have been crop OF sermons an
mWerfng DIR. Eliot. The religious press
y yet to be heard from. Billy Sunday
&lmseff may be counted upon TO fur.
#1oh considerable ammunition for his
1o OF the struggle. A fire has been
1nrted in Philadelphia that Is likely
q ewsep the land The present world
r1sfs has deeply stirred the hearts
~ humanity, and people are reader
III af any time for fifty years past
consider religion.
The Christian church invented q
'oar1ous atonement for the sins OF
= world by the Son OF God. incar.
<~1od for brief residence on this
- a an earth. in this Insignificant
1oev rvsfcm. among the countless
1F1ads OF celestial bodies" said DR.
1ot Following the usual lines Of his
ro7-known views, and touching upon
- matter OF the character and mis-
- Of Jesus, which is the core OF
~ crescent controversy.
~Ths Lamb OF God was sacrificed
1r fbs sins OF the world. and 80 some
>n7l proportion OF the human race
~ rescued from eternal torment 20
~ by thsir eternal happiness, so