Evening journal., 1916-04-08
AN Open Letter
TO DR.. CADMAN
Rev. S. Parkes Cadman.
Central Congregational Church,
Brooklyn, n. Y.

Brooklyn. n. Y.
Dear Sir:-I am former Whining
lonian. having moved about eight
years ago to Philadelphia, and having
taken up residence in Washington. d
G.. since last October. During all OF
this time have neen a subscriber 10
The Wilmington EVENING JOURNAL
In reading over my JOURNAL Of
March %. 1916, found an article con-
cerning a lecture given you at the
Union NJ r. Church Of Wilmington,
The night before, on "The Three Great
Religious Leaders Of oxford -Wycliffe,
Wesley and Newman" You stated
amphatically and certainly knowing
ly that mot thing will you get from
modern Evangelism"
am sure that people who live in
his section Of the United States are
acquainted with you and your promi-
nence as lecturer. and it is due to
your prominence that people put great
stress on the thoughts which you eX-
press. II is for this reason that ] am
writing to you-seeking advice as to
my future course in so far as my de-
sire TO be a worker for Gods cause is
concerned. and that is the biggest
hing that concerns me today.
/ think you should know who ! am,
and what / was before I make my
queries. so that you may understand
the better why am seeking a greater
knowledge, a finer understanding of
Gods work. toward the end that ! may
become a fisher after men. ] am a
man not yet in my prime, so far as
years go. / started young to deceive
my parents. who, while they trusted
me. we're having the wool pulled over
their eyes. until had become fully
set in sin. The older ! grew the hard
er grew. continually seeking new
experiences had not been in a
church for years. had no Bible in my
home. and had forgotten all about God.
/ always said, "If / should die tomor-
row. this old world doesn't owe me a
thing" I have a high school educa-
ton II you can picture the young
man--dressed as we'll as the average
posing in front Of a swell barroom. OF
sitting all evening at a table in the
grill-hitting the high spots as hun
dreds OF thousands Of men of my age
are doing today: doing nothing to
cause my gambling but not a
black-leg- drinking, but not a drunk
ard-an occasional drink Of absinthe
but not addicted to the habit-home
when / felt like it. but without a
thought for the cause OF my mothers
increasing grayness-you have a fair
nF
streets where thousand OF well-bred
young men are living today in this
broad land Of ours-acquiring a ver-
nacular peculiar to the streets.
Baseball is our national pastime
lust as America" is our national
hymn. Certainly we have a right C
enjoy baseball and the language o
the game, if the game Is clean--ever,
game has a language peculiar to it.
The language of the baseball field
aud the language Of the streets were
nine.
Then came to Philadelphia tn,
evangelist, Billy Sunday.
When 7 used to go TO church, ] re-
member that l used TO say. well, tha
was good sermon" but il never
made a dent in me. I wasn't for Coo
and the minister could not arouse ms
to IL. for he could not interpret The
Scriptures in my language--the ian
guage OF the streets-with a force tC
drive it home. and I claim the average
education
The language OF the baseball iielC
and OF the streets is not an illiteracy
but rather more up TO the minute thar
. ia .lsr MI
days everything must be kept up t
the minute. if the masses are to b'
caught-oven the Gospel Of Jesu
Christ.
The sinners were not only in thu
chuych-but thousands are in thu
streets-those who never go L
church: let me ask you isn't it wei
10 take the Gospel TO those Of th'
streets. even If it has to be given t
them in their own language? Isn't
better that they get il that way thar
not at all?
The church may be lined with golC
erected TO God. and made attrac
tive to the Christians; so is the grill
room made overly attractive TO in
veigle the men and women of tn
streets.
Let me ask-Isnt it logical to say
the best man to talk to the men Of tn
streets is the man who knows tn
habits and the language OF the streets
went to hear Mr.. Sunday, out o
pure curiosity, where I had no curios
ity to ever enter a church; ] found
man talking in my language-so di
forty thousand others who "hit tn
trail" in Philadelphia while Mr.. Sun
day was there He told us what 10 d
TO be saved-what TO do after ac
knowledging Jesus as our Saviour
that was what counted most-l kneN
what he meant. ! have followed hi
instructions implicitly. The four car
dinal points to which lay my increas
ing strength and realization that Go
is with me are these:
First. Praying in the knowledg
that He hears me and knows that an
In earnest.
Second. I bought a Bible and hav
read it every day since.
Third I showed my colors-wen
back to the crowd, told them all wha
had done.
Fourth. ] joined the church AM
have never let anything interfere witt
the duties I owe 10 God.
The above four points are Mr.. Sun
DAYS instructions. and today fin
myself carrying a pocket Testament
where a year ago / carried a flask.
| think that men who have been il
sin and come to the Cross after year