The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-03-28

taxed the capacity of the largest audi torium in the city.
 'The church is the originator and best exponent of social service and philan- thropy in the world today. Good works are the fruits, not the cause, of saliva tion, which is the free gift of Gods love-"
 DR. SIMPSONS STAND Rev. Robert N. Simpson, pastor of the First Christian church: T have profound respect for Dr. Dickinson's scholarship and brotherly appreciation of his point of view Our own brotherhood originated in the quite similar attitude of few men toward the church of their generation, as they became dissatisfied with the over evaluation of the traditional and the va gue theories of men l think it would be quite tragical if the church did not profit by this war as well as the state iE many essential readjustments There haA been too much parish selfishness and too much provincialism in church circles, no doubt. and too high an evaluation of the merely traditional, We may have at times thought more of saving our church than saving our community and our gen. eration And yet I do not believe the church has lost touch with the people. That it has been much in touch with human afflicton and human problems tho walls of numberless institutions 1t has reared bear witness. Its ministry during the war proved vital contact with it's generation and an alertness to the de- mands of the hour that challenged praise. The church has distinctive helpful mes sa pe to the community in it's architecture, though there are architectural monstrosi- ties reared in the name of religion. but not divinely inspired. It should have open house all the time life saving station dcas not close it's doors at 10 D. m I believe the church is more and more approximating the social ideals of Jesus in preaching and practice.
 ELSOM IS GRIEvED
 Rev. P. G. Elsom. pastor of the Elytor Baptist church, in a letter to the editor of The e-Herald, made the following statements;
 q was greatly surprised and grieved to read the article you published from my friend and former schoolmate. Rev | A. J. Dickinson, D. D.. criticizns churches and their doctrines, preache> ' and their methods. I cannot think pr 1 Dickinson believes what you quote hin as saying. If he does, he has drifted 2 long ways from his raising
 | "He and I are Virginians, educated a Christian college. Dr. Dickinson come' l of an orthodox. pious preaching family
 His uncle, an editor of the Religious Her ald, was noted for his contending TOT th faith once for all delivered, and now t' read his nephew, preacher writing her
 in Birmingham, saving that his preachin' Gods work and visiting His saints Va
 time worse than wasted. This sounds ba'
 to me, and I repeat, Dr. Dickinson doesn't believe it.
 HIS MILD PROTEST l "Mr Editor, may be behind the time and an old fogy. but I do not put tn
 picture show above the church as plac 1 to worship and preach in. as does pr Dickinson. I dot call the eternal doc trines of Gods inimitable word, vagu and dead issues of the past. They ar l the livest questions in the world and n
 age needs them preached so much a
 this present age. I have no idea of sub
 stituting human Young Mems Christian
 association organization for the divinel
 planned church of Christ. which seem
 to be Dr. Dickinson's idea. I dot not be
 lieve the preachers arc a set of fossil
 and slackers, but that majority of then
 are true men. loyal to the word and worl i. of God.'