The Detroit times., 1915-01-09
BILLY SUNDAY IN
'DOCTRINAL DUEL
WITH DIR. ELIOT
Harvard'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

luo most uThIuhIfC TSllklOua NOhI "
vsrsy that this continent has seen for
more than generation Is that be-
tween the Rev. DR.. Charles w. Eliot
president emeritus OF Harvard Uni
yersity, and the Rev. Billy Sunday,
the ex.baseball' star, who 10 now the
worlds most famous reyiyalist. lne
discussion centers about the theme
! which has engaged theologians for
nineteen centuries, the nature and
mission OF Jesus Christ.
.Dr. Eliot unsparingly arraigns the
orthodox conception or Jesus, while
"Biliy" Sunday defends the diety, the
ytcarious atonement, and the resnr-
rsction and ~ divine sovereignty OF
the Nazarene.
This controversy Ia vastly more sig
nifcant than most Phiiadelpulans,
who are nearest To ii, have as yet
perceived. Unless all portents fall,
IL means q nationwide revival of doc
trinal debate, The battle which the
Unitarian leaders have set in array
In William Penn's city OF religious
tolerance may easily become world
wide religious war.
Lest any reader should think this a
mere chance clash OF opinion, the
story needs TO be retold or how the
situation developed. and or how for
NAL and official II all h, at least on
the side OF the Unitarians.
Billy Sunday, be II known, Is as
y theologically orthodox" as Jonathan
Edwards. He not only breaches hell
fire, but he does not hesitate 10 say
that hell Is the destination OF certain
\ persons. Never, In an the centuries
OF bitter debate over the nature OF
Jesus. has anybody used such pictur-
esque. excoriating. sizzling. slangy
speech In defense OF the diety OF Jes.
us as Billy Sunday employs,
Hitherto, Unitarians have received
this In silence, and, IL Is said, their
churches have even benefited by the
accession OF persons who have react
ed from the Billy Sunday teaching.
When. however. the preparations FOR
the evangelist's Philadelphia cam.
paign, which opened last Sunday be-
gan TO attract widespread attention.
Unitarian leaders got together and
d. .ided upon nm organized, systematic
counter-campaign,
Their method was fourfold They
invited President Eliot to speak in
Philadelphia under their auspices n
few evenings prior To Sundays ad-
vent. They opened Unitarian BOOK
store near the big Sunday Tabernacle.
They planned a series OF nightly meet
tngs In one OF the three Philadelphia
X churches, TO be addressed by leading
Unitarian ministers, 10 begin the mid
die OF this month, and TO run con
currently with the Sunday campaign
And they have begun publicity cam
paign In the daily newspapers
Through the advertising and news col
umns. A strong local committee was
formed TO have charge OF this formal
conflict with orthodoxy's most spec
tacuiar and uncompromising cham
pion.
The battle thus joined has not been
fully reported in the daily press. A
glimpse OF some OF the sensational
consequences already achieved may
be had from the statement OF a Uni
versity OF Pennsylvania official that
President Eliot's address is costing
the American Society for the Ad-
vancement or Science more than
Thousand members. This is because
Dr. Eliot's speech was delivered dur
tng the Philadelphia convention OF the
scientists. TO which he was delegate
On the other hand. one member OF
the Billy Sunday Campaign Commit
tee said, while II is a hilarious spec.
tacle to see DR. Eliot riding on the
coattails OF Billy Sunday, yet this
move Is fine strategy ON the part OF
Unttarians, Their denomination is
losing ground steadily--7O,OO0 per
sons, as many as there are in the
entire membership OF the Uni
tartan body, heard. or tried 20 hear.
Billy Sunday on his first day ln phiIa.
delphia-and this EFFORT viii helm re
yitalize their members. II win arouse
the clan feeling OF all who deny the
divinity OF Jesus, The three Unitar.
Ian churches In Philadelphia shouls
be greatly benefited By his conflict .
There Is another side to thts. The
Trinitarians also are being aroused
Orthodoxy. challenged to combat is
compelled TO ask itself what n really
does believe. and whether these ns
iiefs are worth fghting for. Already
there nave oeen a crop OF sermons an.
swermg DIR Eliot The religious press
10 yet To be heard from Billy SUNDAY
himsen may be counted upon 20 fur.
hlsh considerable ammunition FOR his
side or the struggle. fire has baar
started In Philadelphia that is likely
+ 20 sweep the land The present world
crisis has deeply stirred the hearts
OF humanity. and people are reader
than at any time for atty wears "a ~
10 consider religion
The Christian church Ipyenta5 !.
vicarious atonement for the sins :,
the world BY the Son OF God incar.
mated for a brief residence ON. tn{.
atom OF an earth, in this insispjeca,,
solar system. among the conntless
myriads OF celestial bodies said Dr
Eliot. following the usual linas, =, ~.
welkknown views, and topchiny nnnn
the matter OF the character ana r,Is,
sion Of Jesns. which is the core =,
The present controversy
The Lamb of God was Sacr,s,aJ
Tor the sins OF the world. and so .otos
small proportion OF the human racs
WAS rescued from eternal torment ~
)ustify by their eternal happiness -
(9r a. they might. the original erea
Iion Of q Feeble race. trieked into sin
The cresds OF the great churches air
FER a. 70 the proportion OF the rae,
really rescued by the vicarious atone
ment through Jesus Christ. bnt the,
an agree IN making this yicariou,
4fonement necessary, 20 the salvation
81 any proportion OF the human race
sAny human father would be- out
. RACED by the suggestion that he ha,
aver dealt. or could 80 deal. with nj
<h,ldren: and ysy--svery member o