T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S ------- :---------■Jkfl** Bible Crusaders and Defenders of the Faith The death of William Jennings Bryan has given impetus to a new movement which had its birth delivered last Easter in Clearwater, Florida, The story, as told by Dr. T. T. Martin, Editor of “The Conflict," is given below. daring a sermon E S-HEN the great Bryan fell, the I hearts of the Fundamentalists of | the world grew faint and stood still with dismay at the question February 1926
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Dr. Arthur I. Brown (two great scientists of Canada and of international standing), or Dr. T. T. Martin, and will offer Mr. Darrow $500 for a single debate with any one of these gentlemen in Florida on this great question; and I hereby offer $2000 foi* a series of six debates with any Mod ernists, Agnostics, Evolutionists or Athe ists in America; the six debates to be held in Florida with an allotment of equal time to each, and the merits of the debate to be determined by the vote of the audi ence.” Rarely has an audience been so stirred as was that great concourse of peo ple, representing all parts of America. God had been preparing the man who was to catch up and bear aloft the flag of Fun damentalist soon to falj from the hand of the incomparable Bryan: for last Easter
“ Who will bear the standard now?" The hearts of the Evolutionists and Modern ists and Liberals around the world became exultant and over-confident when the elec tric wires flashed the news to the corners of the earth, "Bryan Is dead.’’ But the earth rocked and trembled when two days after Mrs. Bryan touched off that last shot, that ten tons of dynamite that had been placed by her fallen husband, his last undelivered speech. Before the shattered ranks of the Evo lutionists and Modernists and Liberals could rally and re-form their battle lines, the standard that fell from the palsied
morning, Rev. R. F. Hodnett, pastor of the First Methodist Church of Clearwater, preached a powerful, heart-stirring sermon on Fundamentalism. In the audience sat the earn est Boston financier who was one of the campaign managers for William Jennings Bryan when a candidate for President. His soul was deeply moyed by the sermon. He there con ceived the idea of a Fundamentalist Crusade and sought, an interview with the preacher. That afternoon in Mr- Washburn’s home, after a long earnest consultation, there was a scene that the angels bent over in benediction; cur tained off from the other guests in this earnest business man’s home, the preacher and the Christian financier were on their knees before God, laying themselves and their all upon the altar, praying the God of Fundamentalism, the God of the Bible, the God of the Virgin-born Saviour, the God of our Constitution, to take and lead and use and bless y“ The Bible Crusaders and Defenders of the Faith,” to drive Evolution and Modernism from our tax-supported schools and from our pulpits. Thus this Crusade began in the hearts and minds of two men, a preacher and a layman. The Challenge In a manifesto since issued by President Washburn Le outlines with great clearness and definiteness the purposes for which the movement was organized, giving ten reasons why it is necessary, and ten remedies for the conditions named, as follows: First, Our objective is to urge every state to safeguard its tax-supported schools, and to prevent the teaching of a pagan philosophy which will discredit and destroy the Holy Bible, and ultimately endanger the perpetuity of the Republic. Therefore we urge every state to enact legislation in harmony with that of the National Congress, which requires by law that "No partisan politics; no disrespect to the Holy Bible; nor that ours is an inferior form of government, should be taught in any public school in the District of Columbia.’’ Second, Because that "eternal vigilance, which is the price of liberty,” has not been exercised by the American
hand of the great leader as he fell-and died leading the charge, was caught by a quiet, God-fearing business man of Boston, Mass., and Clearwater, Florida, and today the Flag of Fundamentalism is borne aloft and 'the hearts of every Theophilus (God-lover), and of every soldier of the Cross and every lover of Religious Liberty are stirred as never before, and nerved for the battle that, will never end till every Evolutionist Is driven from the tax-supported schools of America. On the night of November 20, 1925, a great tent, seating three thousand, was packed with citizens of Clearwater and prominent tourists from all over America, gathered to hear George F. Washburn, Boston capitalist, and President of "The Bible Crusaders and Defenders of the Faith,” outline the proposed line of battle. Having shown the fearful undermining of Evolution, Modernism and Liberalism, and how they have captured the pulpit, pre8s,and the public schools, he announced as the slogan for The Bible Crusaders, “ For the Bible, Christ and the Constitution.” Then he paused; no on l knew what was coming; in calm, clear tones he announced: "To secure the triumphant success of this great movement, thereby dedi cate my fortune, my family and myself to its success, and I will also underwrite this movement to the extent of $100,- 000 and if our success Justifies it, I will underwrite it for another $100,000, if necessary; so that we may not have a church without a Christ, a pagan country without a Bible, and a humanity without a God. If this movement only stops the invasion of the Modernists, I would rather be known as the founder of it than President of the United States.” Tears were trickling down the cheeks of strong men, bosoms heaving and falling, and noble, queenly women were weeping in the great audience. But the man who had caught the flag of Fundamentalism as it fell from the hand of the great leader was not done: “ I wish to issue a challenge to Clarence Darrow or any other Agnostic, Modernist, Evolutionist or Atheist of equal prominence, to debate this question with Dr. John Roach Straton, Dr. W- B. Riley, Dr. J. Frank Norris, Dr. I. R. Dean,
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