The times., 1899-10-30
To the Trustees and Congregation OF All souls
Il
Study Of All Souls Church,
Washington, d. c,

Washington, d. C.,
October "a, 1899.
To the Trustees and Congregation Of All Souls
Church:
Dear Friends: One month ago I received a
unanimous invitation to the pastorate OF the
First Unitarian Church Of San Francisco. After
careful consideration, assisted by the judgment Of
denominational officers, ! have decided tender
you my resignation as your minister, in order 10
accept the call to San Francisco The health
of my family and the best interests Of the de-
nomination the two considerations which
my decision reached. The affairs Of All Souls
Church in most excellent condition. and |
feel confident that another minister may easily
be found who will carry work forward to still
higher Issues | should greatly enjoy remaining
and working with you several years longer, but
| am assured that the needs Of the denomination
viii be best served by undertaking the i'm
portant work on the Pacific Coast.
! need hardly tell you how great has been my
happiness III these three years of work among
you, nor how deep my regret at the thought of
leaving you. 1t is, however, with the confident
hope that the friendships Of these years and
sense of common purpose viii continue, as OF
old in the time TO come that l respectfully ask
your acceptance Of my resignation to take effect
December 81. May the blessing OF Almighty God
be upon our work.
E BRADFORD LEAyTTT.
meeting of the congregation of All
Souls Church will be held on November
8 at s o'clock, to consider the minister's
resignation.
was The Religion of Doing the Best You
Can and was a lesson taken from the
story of the woman who broke over the
head of Jesus the box of precious ointment
When some felt indignation against her for
wasting what would yield 300 pence, which
could be given to the poor, Jesus said:
Why trouble ye her? She hath done what
she could"
Mr. Hinckley said in part while
stand in your presence today feel that it
is the question Of each one Of you rising
from the various experiences of doubt and
uncertainty, fresh from the hard struggles
of life, What have you to offer for my all
absorbing need?' IT seems to me that the
message Of the spirit, under such circum-
stances, is not a statement OF belief, but
faith in the almighty power of doing
the best you can. No matter what your
difficulties may be; what the problem you
are set to solve the divine word to you
the creative word to you-is to do the best
you can. You cannot be expected to do
the impossible. It is not your duty to right
all the wrongs, to discover all truth to
make all experiences for other peopIe-or
even for yourself-what your ideals would
indicate them TO be. 1t is your duty to
do what you can-no more. no less-and
in this doing OF what you can is your sal
yatiou.
Faithful service to the best thoughts
which enter your minds, to the best feel
ings which stir your heart, to the welfare
of those who are nearest and dearest to
you, to the cause which you have espoused
this is the very central impulse Of the
religion which shall strengthen and cheer
and save. There is nothing foreign about
such religion as this-nothing hard to
understand IT fO tyC41 yr-ba
are-whateyer you are. What real thing
religion becomes to US in this view Of it..
1t is not our taskmaster; it is our guide.
1t is not stranger telling US of some dis
tant land. 1t is our sympathetic friend
keeping close by our side inspiring and
eXalting US in the common duties of life
1t is not without but within US. 1t asks
no professions and no pledges. but only
wants to be able TO say when each exigeney
is past that he hath done the best he could
that she hath done the best she could"