The Washington herald., 1915-02-22

i 1.16) Prior 10 Ms
| sermon he made
some kindly but
---llll-l On "Billy" Sunday.
I(PAST0R RUSSElDl 1.-THE most noted
9 9ay.s The OF ps % to
would not depart from his custom and
the Bible rule. Speak evil of no man. y
His remarks merely appertained to
By Sunday ea S ese the public
and ear by the novelty of his methods.
Some go to hear him lambast the
preachers. and to watch them smile as
though it were a good joke when he tells
them that their preaching has made the
churches cold storage places with little
storage. or likens them to the Scribes.
Pharisees. hypocrites. of old, or tells
them that they are leading their congre-
things told in the newspapers seem so
astounding that people must hear for
Others go to hear Billy. because it is
managers realize that thousands will
come to town as to circus. They bring
pressure to bear upon the poor preach
ers: for Billy" Sunday wisely insists
that he will not come and save the citi-
zens from He'll if there is any competi-
ton in the business-insists that the
churches all close down. Under the
pressure the preachers cannot help
1t. hoping that people will not take
BILLY" seriously as respects their n.y.
procrisy. etc. and assured that he will
divide the spoils amongst the churches
not the financial spoils. but the souls
for cold storage or to be led down to
He'll
Others attend to see "Billy's" aero
batic feats. jumping onto table or
to be Of the large choir; others to say
that they have heard "Billy" Sunday.
Nothing succeeds like success and
every time Billy succeeds he has more
Amongst "Billy's' virtues we should
not forget the fearless way in which he
attacks social customs and sins. the
fearless way in which he tells preachers
the masses think. and the above-board
manner in which he bargains the result
of his efforts for cold cash-the meeting
of expenses and the giving to himself
troupe. If the Gospel must be sold. It is
better done in the open than in the name
of the heather. the collectors getting the
most.
To the extent that BILLY" Sunday
seeks to defend the Bible against Higher
Critics, to the extent that he really
shows up the GOODNESS. Journalism. n.y.
pocrisy. of the Laodicean Church Reve-
of life. and discourages drunkenness and
i"wdness. We surely wish him Cod
speed. and trust that some good is ac-
complished by him, in awakening the
nsople to think for themselves along re-
ligious lines.
Some OF "Biny" Sundays Faults.
The Pastor said that if the reports that
Billy prayed to God most irreverently,
and addressed the Redeemer as 'tOid
Pal" were true. then ''Billys' influence
on the public would lead on in the di-
rectiOn in which the world is rapidly
moving-toward irreverence. He hoped
that Billy would become more rever-
ent. and believes that this result would
follow a better knowledge of God. He
could scarcely reconcile with honesty
'Billy's" attempt to tie up the souls he
saved, In the churches which he declared
We're cold storage plants leading down to
Hell. He wished that Billy would
reconcile these opposites.
He was pleased to note that 'Billy's"
last sermon in each place was usually
on the Second Coming of Christ; and
that Billy apparently recognizes this
present land last stage of the Church,
typified in Laodicea. This caused him all
the more to wonder why Billy would
help people into the Laodicean Church,
which the Bible styles Babylon. and de-
clares that God spues out of His mouth
Revelation S:1D Next Sunday the Pas
tor will discuss the Second Coming of
Christ viewing that great event from
somewhat different angle from "Billy's."
The Pastor declared that his blood
boils with righteous Indignation to find
Billy'S preaching a practical indorse-
ment of the God-dishonoring theory that
the great mass of humanity will suffer
eternal torment because. born in sin,
in iniquity psalm 51:5). they
failed to live sanity lives. True. Billy"
does not explain He'll. Like most preach
ers he probably hides~his true thought
on this subject. while allowing people to
think that he believes in a He'll Of eter-
nal fortunes. The Pastor could not be-
telligent man really believes this inven-
tion Of the Dark Ages. which antagonizes
the Bible as well as common sense.
Mr.. Sunday and other preachers who
Of devils q Timothy 4:D owe It to the
people who trust them, and make up
their collections. to tell them the truth.
More than this. they owe II to God that
be denounced. They owe it to themselves
as men to stand for the Truth and to
assist in opening the eyes of the poor
deluded world.
The Pastor hopes that Mr.. Sunday will
yet realize that no one can long MAIN
tain a moral standard higher than that
which he attributes to God. The injus-
tice and persecution Of centuries is justly
Ing God as a demon who unjustlv and
created our race with the in
tention that nine hundred and ninety
nine out Of every thousand should endure |
an eternity Of torture. OF this as a
Gospel the Pastor has been ashamed for |
forty-four years. A better understanding |
Of the Bible has led him since to preach
The Not-Ashaned Gospel of Christ. \
Beginning his discourse the Pastor |
said, Everybody knows that Gospel sig |
niles Good Tidings. as in the angels |
at Jesus birth-"Behold. bring |
you Good Tidings Of great Joy. which |
sponsible for the fact that this Message |
Df Joy to all people has been perverted |
10 mean bad tidings Of great misery t. /
all people-except an elect handful? Un:
no person deliberately plotted l
his turning Of Gods Word upside down. |
II is 'ne work nj the q VII. NO gradu- |
ally foisted it upon the Church as well /
IS the heather. e turn people away from
God and the Bible.
st, Peter and st. Paul both predicted l
he falling away Of the Church and the
success Of the doctrines of demons. "The 1
zod of this world (Satap) hath blinded /
ne minds of unbelievers. Were II not /
'or Satan's delusions. the whole world 4
night speedily be brought to love the