RABBLE ROUSER ?

Scandalous words to impugn another person are like a two-edged sword.  They cut to the very marrow of the intended victim.  Such has been the practice of would-be scholars in attacking the legacy of J. Frank Norris.

In scannning the internet, I ran across on a Baptist Theology website, a statement by the President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Paige Patterson, who refered to Norris as a rabble rouser.  This kind of loose rethoric does nothing but cloud the issues which at best are made difficult to keep in proper focus.   Is Brooks Morris a rabble, who was the prestigious conductor of the Fort Worth Sympthony Orchestra?  Was Bob Wood Edmondson a rabble, who authored the English textbook for the State of Texas?  These two people were prominent figures in the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth and followers of J. Frank Norris.

The dictionary defines rabble as a mob of contemptuous low class of people.  I could write volumns on the lives of people who were influenced by the ministry of J. Frank Norris.  I leave it to the  response of multitudes who by no stretch of the imagination could be classified as rabble.  In the absence of honest research, the real J. Frank Norris will never surface.

Memories of First Baptist Church

If you attended The First Baptist Church for any lengh of time, two distinct memories are bound to surface.  The first hymn sung at the 11 o'clock sunday morning service was always that immortal "All Hail The Power Of Jesus Name",

                             Let Angels Prostate fall,
                             Let every kindred, every tribe
                             at His feet may fall.

As an interlude, Dr. Norris would then ask Brooks Morris play a verse on his Strativarius Violin, followed by the congregation singing again the first verse.

A perennial revival spirit was ever present at these Sunday morning worship services.

The parting hymn was always "Take The Name of Jesus With You".

As a World War II Veteran, I have visited hundreds of churches during the great war.  Never have I witnessed anywhere, a church that could compare with what I saw at the First Baptist Church.

Example Of True Friendship

The following quote from Mrs. Craik's book "Life for a Life" , illustrates the lifelong friendship between J. Frank Norris and Dr. Louis Entzminger. 

"Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weight thoughts nor measure words, but pour them all right out just as they are, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away!"

Dr. Entzminger was often needled by friends as to why he chose to play second fiddle to Dr. Norris.  His reply: "It takes a pretty good fiddle to play second fiddle" to J. Frank Norris.