The Washington times., 1917-04-11
BILLY SUNDAY RAPS
CHURCH'S METHODS
Two Sermons Shock Members
Out of Their Conserva-
tive Notions.

noon, echoed to his fiery denuncia-
tion of the soul winning methods Of
modern churches. According to Billy,
II is as easy to scald a hog in ice
water as IT is to turn a man from
sin the way most churches do the
Lords business.
The modern way is not his way, he
told 10000 people afternoon and
night, for he is an old-fashioned
preacher who believes the Bible is
the word of God from cover to COW
er, and that no amount of ethical cul-
ture and Heidelberg theology will
keep the wicked from singeing in
hellfire.
He devoted most OF his two ser
mons yesterday to shocking conserva-
tive church people out of their con-
servative notions and to slapping at
those who say his revivals are simply
abnormal spasms of religious emo
tion, followed invariably by hurtful
reactions. II there is anything that
makes Billy rear and prance and paw
the air IL is the sneer that he makes
q lot of noise for a lot of money, and
gets nowhere in the end. Over Mon
day he had heard a lot of that sort
OF talk. and when he went into ac-
tion yesterday, stripped to his fight
ing togs, he struck right and left at
the doubters.
NObOdys, walked Out.
The two sermons were largely for
the purpose of clearing from his road
what he calls the rubbish of modern
church teachings and modern church
methods. He preached afternoon and
night on the general topic of what
revivals are, why they are, and what
good they may be expected to do. and
every few minutes he threw in a
singing characterization that made
some of the gentle old ladies and
staid old gentlemen in the tabernacle
blink their eyes a bit. They recov-
cred nobly, however. and were among
the very first to applaud.
His congregations have been COM
posed very largely of churchgoers
who are not used to hearing pulpit
dissertations of the kind that are the
flesh and bone of Billy Sundays gos-
pei talks, but nobody has picked up
coat and hat and walked out Billy
holds his New York crowds as he held
his crowds in the West. He is at
tracing also about the number he
expected to get The tabernacle was
only half filled yesterday afternoon.
but it was crowded last night, every
seat taken, with fringe of standees
around the walls.
AutOerat In AmiabIe Way,
Billy IS merely running along the
gospel trail at these first meetings,
blazing the big trees 50 the thousands
who come after may follow without
stumbling. A vast deal OF prelimi-
nary work and instruction Is neces-
sary. He must accustom his hearers
to his unique methods. He must train
them TO sing as he would have them
sing. He must make them understand
that they can do a lot of things In
their church that he won't permit In
his tabernacle. They must muffle
coughing, for example. Women must
remove their hats. Nobody must come
late-that is, after he gets into the
swing of his sermon. Billy Is an au
ltocrat in his amiable way. and when
he lays down rules he means that they
shall be lived up to.
Later on-in q day or two-When
the people have been taught to sing
hymns with real zest. when they come
to understand the big scope of his
plan, the revivalist will begin to smite
at every imp in the DEVILS crews
sermon for every one of the seven
sins and a sermon for each Of theiI
innumerable variations.
So far he is delighted with his re
ception in New York-delighted with
the size of the congregations. with
their obvious approval of him, with
the newspaper reports oS his meet
ings, with the general atmosphere oi
the start of his three months cam
paign.
Nervousness Has Relaxed.
The uncertainty and nervousness,
that gripped him when he first ap
preached the city lit was hard fol
Billy Sunday to get away from the
talk he had heard for years, that he
might make a big success elsewhere
but was pretty sure to fail in New
York; has relaxed, an dnow when he
springs upon the platform, sticks out
his pugnacious jaw. grins his boyist
grin, swings both arms and lets out
a shout of greeting, Hello. people"
he does II with an air of confidence
He thinks New York will turn out tC
be the biggest arrow in his culver
Before Billy got to preaching last
night there was singing that should
have pleased any ear, however capti'
GUS Rodeheaver. the trombOnist and
choir leader. essayed fancy tricks will
the. congregation as he taught then
Billys pet hymns. tossing a verse e
one faraway section and another
verse to a group across the big build.
ing and then turning to the choir o.
1000 and demanding surge .oi
melody. Once he singled out a young
ster of six for a verse of Brighter
the Corner Where You Are.v
Little Boy Sings BraVeIy.
Stand up and sing it. SON. saiC
Rody. Let's hear your voice. Dom
be afraid OF all these people"
Son got up bashfully, came in afte1
the pianos, a note or two tardy, bu
very bravely for all that. and quavereC
his way through the verse, a sparrow
chirping in a barn. There was
storm of applause and the congrega
tion and choir submerged the childisl
voice with laundering harmony. Rod!
threw a prayer book to the boy as
reward for extreme valor under fire
Billy Sunday danced upon the plat
form, smiling right and left. Their
IS nothing finer about him than hi
smile, which brightens all his ser
mons and perhaps helps to take tn
sting from some OF his talk. Tha
smile is part of his religion. part o
hisstechnique as an evangelist.
Don't think that I'm any long
- ..pa PHI,