BOOKS OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2522, 24 July 1915, Page 9

BOOKS OF THE DAY.

THE "BILLY SUNDAY BOOK," ' % "Billy Sunday. Book," by' William «T. Ellis (tlio Vir Publishing Company, per Gordon and Gotch), records the lifework of a popular American evangelist, all of the present time/.for whom it is is claimed on the titlo page that "his own words have woii thousands for Christ."- Mr. Sunday's methods are peculiarly' his' own, and would hardly, I anr afraid, commend themselves to many: New Zealanders. He only descends upon a city after the ground has boen carefully prepared by the "Sunday party," a group of experts who map out the city into divisions, or wards, form "prayer groups," and generally mobilise all those favourably disposed towards the mission. The or- ' thodox ministers agree to close .their churches, a largo voluntary clioir is formed,- and the services then begin in own special amphitheatre, which , holds some 15,000 people. The cost',of the "campaign" or mission is defrayed by gifts, the "offerings" on the closing day going: to the evangelist. 'At Pittsburg the evangelist's own offertory, so I read, amounted to the quite respectable total of £8000; and at .Philadelphia, at the close of a: similar mission m March last, Mr. Sunday received £10,000. Apparently Mr. Sunday i 3 very well paid for what are claimed by his-friends to-be "the splendid service he renders to the State in rescuing degraded men. and women."

The evangelist claims that, he-speaks to'the people in the people's own language—the language the people can understand. To some people, especially to such New' Zealander's as may not -ho able to appreciate the full" beauties of the great American "slanguage"—of the 1 Billy: Sunday variety—many, of the passages quoted.'in"this book from the ' evangelist's / speeches or sermons may eeem passing strange, and to tell the truth, not a little vulgar. Mr. Sunday has his own peculiar methods of rendering Biblical stories.

Here, for instance, is a sample passage, from his version of the Old Testament story , of David's conflict with Goliath:—

So David pikes off to where the .war was, and. the first morning he was there out comes this big Go.liath, a big strapping fellow, about .eleven feet tall, who commenced to shoot off his' mouth as to what he ..was going to do. ".Who's.that-big stiff puttingup that game of talk?" asked David of his brother. . "Oh, he's the whole works ; he's the. head cheese of the Philistines. He does i that - little stunt every, day."' ,-.•-. . "Say," -said- David, "you guys make me sick. : .Why don't some of you,-go out and soak that ' guy? lYoii Jet, him get away with that stuffff."He decided to go out and tell Goliath' where to head in.

.. (And .so ;the. story proceeds, until we ■&re told liow David ''soaked. Goliath'in •the cflco'-; between tho lamps. : and he .went down'for'tho count.. ."David drew _his. sword and chopped off his ,blook»ifaad ;{h©',' r&t of tho gang beat it." : .We Have had American "evangelists" in this Vo'Untry who have said : and done some:strange things, but tho Sunday variety should, if it; reaches New Zealand, provider a distinct novelty in missions. Mr. Sunday indulges, 1 notioe, in the slang of the boxing ring (and the baseball ground, even m his : prayers. • "Oh, Jesus," it: was a.fine bunch," is one quotation, which strikes me, at least, .as .being as.curious as it is offensive, and ; accustomed to i , decent spirit of reverence being maintained by a .preacher, will agree, I 'think.' iwith '"Liber" ' that' to address tho .Almighty as ' "See 'here,God," savours .somewhat of blasphemy. ■Mr. Smiday; declares,: ,1" 'notice, 7 that '"God likes' a .'little humour,"- and . then .he adds: /'as., evidenced;by -.the fact that;he made the-monkey,-the parrot,' |and some,of you people." The evan-, ■gelist's biographer gives long columns ■'of figures to demonstrate, ,b'y.'the numbers of converts, the efficacy..of-Mr. Sunin ' various "American, cities..! .It wouldsbe'interesting, !how- ; ever,' to know exactly, what proportion of such conversions' "were .! permanent. •The book contains, a. largo, number, of. ,illustrations, 'for the indst part' , portraits of Mr. Sunday in various attitudes. The evangelist himself appears "to. be a big, well-fed looking person, with a powerful' jaw and a strong mouth. He is certainly ail interesting personality,. (Price, 65.).