The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-27
SundayisnI.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir: II
Billy sundays hearers were wholly or
even largely curiosity seekers and scot
ferS, as MIR Luhor y. Davis implies.
Billy and his propaganda might not be
held an uumiNcd calamity, But ! am con-
WINGED from observation at the Philadel.
pha Tabernacle running into several ses-
siOnS that this is by no means the case.
The pitidble, the mOnstrous thing about
Sundaylsm is the genuinely piOus follow
Ing Of sunday. Many 20 denouncc, do
ride. calumuiatc may indeed be found, but
aheld OF the sawdust trail. Even the
apOlogists are without.
But within an adulatory and complas,
ant compact, mllleab,e To the point OF %
moral grovel. swayed consciously by the
voice OF "A prophet, is a Ncritable company
of The elect, household Of the Lord.
These audiences comprise FOR . great part
devout and consecrated souls Offering con-
hdent prayer toward the salvation Of their
brother men, deeply and unqueStionably
sincere; and this at the call of a man
wb'I breaches a violent and spurious
Christ. this under the Hgis OF "A Christian
ity which Is the utter and incorrigible an
tithesis of Chrstianity II Is a sad and
perVcrse anomaly. What becomes, one
wonders, In Mr.. Sundays cxegesis. OF
such texts as ''Thinketh no evil" He that
calleth his brother a fool" and Judge
not, that We be not Judged? The mes
sage Is no less stultifying than the spec
taclc OF its reception.
Further, as mentor Of morals and
the moral lie tnot necessarily Chris
tian'D, Sunday n worse than futile An
example he tells the story of a gambler
aboW, to eNp.ate murder on the gallows,
whose little son escaping to him at the
list moment is uphOrne in his arms before
the crowd and consigned TO the latters
protection with the appeal, Don't let him
follow iu my footsteps 2" A collection 81
some hundreds is taken on the spot, the
boy is given Ia she care Of religious friends.
achieves his maturity and she legacy, and
careers through the money in short order
to galoWs OF his own.
Thus qnoves the inexorahle law Of
hcredity. sins Of tho father and 80 forth,
and 50 forth what you are that your son
will be inevitably no Moderation Is sug-
gested the hooks are closed before the boy
IL born Iicalthful pabulum, this. for the
down and outs Of the present generation,
for whom Sunday is ostensibly campaign
ing, who by Implication are doomed In
their own generation and by definition
canHUt euter;an hope for the next,
In point Of fact. the only way to hear
Billy sunday Is to take a submerged
metaphysical laugh with YOU IIes toe
expensive emotonally. And the laugh is
not inaccessible. Seize the day when ne
breaches against swearing. Sunday him
self Is, unconsclously the most pOgnantlS
profanc man To-day, In orders or our. witt
what explicit JUNCTION he damns the sin
ncr' lie commands beyond question q
more profound and cataclysmc go I,
hell" than ever edited a street corner
One comedies. in postscript, an occa.
siOnal grace ~ phrase which Is something
more than trickery, such as: SINNERS
swept into salvation on tlda
wave of the tears OF the Church" Here
are scope and style but on the whole, :,
you do not wish to engage dismay and
certain vicarious humiliation, cultivate that
metaphysical laugh on your way to tn,
| Tabernacle. s. X. WILSON
SwARrHMoRE, Pa, January %.