The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-02-01
newspaper clipping relating scenes al
one of the Sunday n1nnfinrsl

newspaper clipping relating scenes al
one OF the sunday meetings.)
Then. again. the slang--i can use
no other word--vulgarity OF some OF
1.-THE language used, tends TO lower.
as ] gee ~, ihe whole spiritual tone
Of tho occasion, There are some OF
Mir. Sunday sayiuss that | would not
iare ia utter from the pulpit, and II
did would b. politely asked never to
preach II again. Yet We are told that
the cause of religion IS to be ad-
Vanced by these gutter phrases and
suggestive remarks I find il hard TO
believe that. / ma II hard to be
H"ye that d man r3n hc Laughing at
vulgar JOKES one minute and the next
thinking pf 'fhe thugs that are love
~ and of good report" / cannot con-
ceivo how the spirit Of humility
" hicn is the spirit Of the gospcl-can
be furt hcrCd hN cheap catch penny
filings at the sincerity and honesty of
90 her people. OF all men, the preach
rr ot the gospel 81 nat perfect gem
tieman. Jesus ut Nazareth, should be
"a gentleman himself
Finally. brethren ! would not he
understood as opposing any genuine
manifestation Of Gods spirit in the
life ct our times. God forbid, I
cannot square the methods Of super
sensational evangelism with the spirit
md methods of he New Testament
7 stand oI chat ! appeal from Philip
arInN tu Philip sober. / love huTpa3t
sodls TOO Ncli 10 have them bullied
aud joCkeyea INTO tho church. + love
the church 100 we'll to cheaper its
appeal even for immediate results.
reverence U} Gcd ana Saviour Too
much 80 near them addressed with
tar easy familiarity OF the street
Has the church got to the point
Wh-re II mas lost faith in itself and
ftu-J clutch At any straw to save its
Rrc-itgcF Has IL got SO impatient
Hith God that II must seek to force
His hand2 This is the cheap and easy
way. Gods way is different is the
way of the ordinances. the way Of the
sacraments, the way of the Gaiiy
cross, the way Of the patient conllna-
ing IN wel]-coing with THIS promise
added that in due season sc shall
reap If We faint not"
! am TO speak to you tonight on a
subject about which ! am sure some
Of YOU have thought a good deal per-
haps have already formed definite con-
Hctions, ! do So with some hesitancy
because | am aware thar many good
people viii differ FROM my conclusions
and others viii consider that right or
wrong, il il not wise To publish them.
Nevertheless, ! feel hound to do 90,
first OF all, because / shall he VoiCing
The sentiments OF "a large number of
consecrated Christian people and in
the second place because my present
convictions on the subject whether
right or wrong-are so profound that
sort Of necessity is laid upon me to
utter Thorn
The essential problem Of sensational
methods in religion is not h new one.
II is as old as Christianity itself, and
in the words ! hnNe chosen as our text
- Paul laws down rule for tho
guidance Of tho Church in regard to
It The emotional nature OF the
Christians at Corinth had been over
stimulated and because of that thev
/ were developing a fondness for che
dramatic and spectacular in religion
at the cost ~ reason and sound dis
cipline, At the risk OF hurting of the
conscieuees Of the quieter and less
obtrusiye members Of the church. In
long argument the apostle points aut
the folly Of this ana pleads with them
TO keep their spiritual ba lance and re-
store reason--or az he calls f. under
standing to It's proper place ms
helmsman Of the soul. He does not
deny that the Spirit. manifests itself
sometimes In strange and startling
ways. but he lays down this criterion
of all its genuine man ifestations that
they are to he peaceahle and orderly
Let everything" he said be done
dereuuy and IN order"
II is Ia the bar Of these apostolic
tnjuuctions that / woqld wish to bring
the question before us tonight. /
would not however. he understood as
casting any reflections on the sincerity
n Mr.. Sunday and others who adopt
bis methods Of evangelism. still less
aa denying that some good Ia accom-
IIgshed by them. When there il IN
,ce- Jam III the river. it sometimes re-
at,rcs dyna mite 10 open up the chan
mel That is If You are In ii hurry
give II time ana the snu will close the
channel. But dynamite. unless very
carefully used by skilled and cautious
engineers. may do damage whore ii is
not intended. Certainly ii is not the
regular method of opening up chan
netS. And the question Is whether by
giving Official endorsement to the kind
Of evangelism, tho Church may not in
the long run, be weakening it's appeal
hE diSc0uuting its ordinary agencie.
ana generating an atmosphere OF
emotional docmatIsm, which may tend
To sidetrack-if only for wh,e--its
more constructive, educational and So
etal program would demonstrate.
THAT is no unreal danger. little re-
Election will show. There is a very
strong tendency in human nature 10
look for the Divine in startling, un-
usual events rather than In the ordIn-
airy happenings Of nature and of life.
Miracles are still supposed by many 10
tc peculiar crlteria Of Gods action IN
the world Violent. emotional dis
turhances and dramatic decisions to be
proof Of supernatural
agency In the conversion of in
diViduals And so no doubt sometimes
they are; but not one whit more than
the gradual growing into Christlike-
ness Of the soul which responding In
the nurture OF rodly homo and
wisely ordered Sunday School, never
X nows tho time when ii was not n
child OF God.
The former. not the Latter IS the
true type IF conversion. Evolution and
not revolution, education and not
Is Gods standard method
of creation. whether In nature or In
grace FIRST the blade. then the ear
and then the full corn IN the ear" So
the Kingdom grows. whether in the in
diViduai or In the race, and ANYTHING
that fixes attention on the EARTHQUAKE
and the storm to the neglect of the
SIN srAaIl voice Of Christian nurture
or which would tend i'm any way TO
substitute striking, emotional ex-
f.