Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-04-28
From r. M. Webster.
BERLIN, WIS, April, ]

Dear Editors:- Some one has sent
me from Grand Rapids, the following
extract from some paper:
PREACHING ABOUT THE GOSPEL.
At conference in Saratoga, n. Y,
Rev. Brooke Hertord preached the
opening sermon, in which was the
following remarkable confession
Instead of preaching the Gospel
we preach about the Gospel. So we
miss the deepest longing and need of
human souls. Sometimes, [ am afraid,
we hardly recognize that there is such
longing and need. [ remember we'll
the incident which first brought me
sharply to look up this matter I was
travelling by rail, good many years
ago, and vas looking over a number of
tracts and sermons that had recently
been published, when thoughtful
looking man, who had noticed what I
was doing, said to me in perfect good
faith Sir, have you tract to spare
that would hel p a young friend of
hihC, WIZ 10 fCig Sdu d1u dhAlOuo
under the sense of sin 2 Well, |
thought that | had tracts for almost
everything. [ had tract to prove
that God was one and not three, and
Others against original sin and eternal
punishment [ had most convincing
argument against Offering prayer to
Christ, and common-sense view of
the Bible, and some most eloquent
statements Of the essential harmony
between religion and science, and in
fact, [ had about every theological
aspect of our faith plentifully declared !;
and yet. as L turned these over, [ was
uncomfortably concious that none Of
then, soould hare much help for q DIS
tressed and anxious Soul, and [ had
! finally to admit, with some hesitation,
that | had not one suitable aoith me !
The lesson that got that day put a
new thought and aim into my minis
try. 1t gave me new sense of the
real need of strained and burdened
hearts"
eff son shall ask bread of any of
you that is father, will he give him a
stone 7" Yet there are cultured men
who look out upon restless, hungry,
starving world, and throw out their
empty negations, their scholarly
doubts and cavillipgs, and questionings;
their vain philosophers and elegant
systems, which cannot heal a wounded
spirit nor bind up a broken heart, nor
satisfy hungry soul, nor refresh a
thirsty spirit. Oh, for men who, in
stead of talking about the Gospel and
telling what they do not know, would
"know nothing but Jesus Christ and
him cruciied,'' the Savior Of the
world, the Light and Life of men,"
This is very excellent, especially as
coming from Brooke HEREFORD who is
one of the foremost of the radical
, Unitarians of Chicago and with whom
very few Of our ministers the SO
called orthodox churches-would con.
sent to exchange pulpits even for a
single sermon.
Please give me room however, tc
call attention to one thing.
I do not know who cut the slip and
put it into an envelope to send to me,
so L cannot be quite sure what was
meant by the sender. But assume it
was sent in pure good will as a sugges
ton to me that would better give less
attention to scholarly doubts and ques
tionings'' and more to the gospel >
that all elegant systems" of thought
are as useless as elegant, and that all
"philosophies" are ''vain" and that
"to know nothing but Jesus Christ
and him crucifed" is the only way to
''heal a wounded spirit or ''bind a
broken heart" or to "satisfy and
refresh hungry and thirsty SOULS
Now in the sense in which Mr..
Heriord used these expressions they
are true. [ have said the same things
in the same way hundred times
myself
But there IS aoay Of using such
language that is exceedingly harmful.
1t may be used, and l fear, it COM
monty is used, in such way as to
discourage individual thinking, to dis
parage learning and to make the less
intelligent more emotional people de-
spise that science and philosophy which
is as truly revelation of God, and as
potent in our olvilizat on as any thing
in sacred literature.
1t may be we'll for one who does, in
fact, kno,O nothing else but Jesus
Christ and him crucifed-- it may be
we'll for such to make virtue of his
ignorance by treating all other knowl-
edge as useless or injurious. But if
so, let him be consistent Let him
join with the Roman Catholics in their
cutlery against our common schools
and let him work for government funds
to teach his catechism Let him give
no money to endow colleges and form
libraries: Let him read no books
except the bible and such common
| taries as saw over and oyer oroin 70