The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-18
TEACHINGS OF EMERSON.
DE. Burchett Replies to the Criticism Of
Mr.. Crosby, OF Maine.

SEATTLE, Oct. Is, 1891.
Mr.. o. X. Crosby, Houlton, Me. Dear
Sir: Your letter bearing date October 1,
1891, in the Posr-INTKLIIGEyCER, the leading
daily paper OF our city, has come to hand, and
its contents carefully noted. Since you have
written all the way from New England, it is to
be supposed that you will be very much dis
appointed If you should not receive a reply. Let
me remind you that as to whether / am ''some-
what of a scholar" or any other kind is not for
you TO say, and your attempt in this direction
does you no good. And as to your statement
that am "of so material a cast as not to be able
to see that Emerson was a spiritual seer of
very high order, second only to Jesus Christ"
when u man puts Emerson only second to Jesus
Christ in this enlightened age, there would
seem to be little need of any further comment
But let me kindly remind you that those who
believe in the Holy Scriptures and oevoutly
seek through their unerring teachings the mind
and will OF God as manifest in Jesus Christ, and
seek by the aid OF the Holy Spirit to do that
mind and will OF God are not OF material cast
They are not taking the letter and putting it be-
fore the spirit; and cannot be so represented
tTuthfully. The ''dead letter. people are those
who reject the Scriptures, and go after material.
istic fancies, and talk transcendental nonsense
about vague sciences of which they know but
little; shaving the form of godliness, but deny
ing the power thereof"
You say: "If Emerson was not Christian,
he must be an inferior order of man who would
claim Emerson as an enemy"
Here you are wrong again. 1t Is so much the
better for Christianity when 1t can discriminate
so closely as even to do without an Emerson I'M
less he comes in and is saved just any other
sinner Is saved, by faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ 1t was not so much worse for the
Master, but 30 much the better when he said to
a far greater than Emerson, even Nicodemus,
the philosopher, scholar and lawmaker, "Ye
must be born again, or not even see the king
dom of God" No, Mr.. Crosby, our manhood, as
to its inferiority superiority, Is not judged by
what we think of Mr.. Emerson, but by what we
think of Jesus Christ, and by what we do with
the principles he gave to US. You say further,
"The real content of his speech was that Jesus
was SO low as to count Emerson and Parker his
enemies, just as the high priests of the Jews
counted Jesus their enemy"
Now Mr.. Crosby. plain question here: Are
you not aware that the ''real content of my
speech" was nothing Of the kind? What right
have you to go to such lengths of blasphemy as
TO intimate, in the most distant way, that
could be capable OF using the word slow" in
connection with my Saviour? Do you not see
that 1t is you and your people who are forever
trying to bring down our blessed Saviour to the
level of mere men?
In what Jesuitical school did You learn to
twist the words of your honest fellow-men In
that way? Are you not New Engiander? 1t
is our custom from childhood to attribute both