Received to-day, from ----, your letter of September 5, asking
about our "Missionary Work by Letter." ... I will very gladly
afford you my assistance in that respect. However, I am rather more
conservative than yourself,--rather of the E. S. Gannett
type,--still have visited Omaha, where I have had brothers settled,
and know some little of the style of religion which is requisite in
the Northwest.... Will give you a list of the tracts I have used
most profitably. Most people state, when they ask for literature,
"Want something that teaches the _doctrines_ of the Unitarian
Church." Thereupon I have forwarded, from time to time, "Unitarian
Doctrines and Principles" (Brigham); "Word of God" and "The Rising
Star of the Liberal Faith" (W. P. Tilden); "New Hampshire
Statement of Belief;" "Unitarian Belief in Bible Language;" "Why Am
I a Unitarian?" "Inspiration of New Testament," "Revivals"
(Clarke); "Our Common Christianity" (A. P. Stanley); "Mission of
Unitarianism" (Heber Newton); "Spiritual Christianity." (Starr
King); and "What Do Unitarians Believe?" (C. W. Wendte).... The
serial sermons of Chadwick, Clarke, Hale, and Savage always gladly
received.... But do not be afraid of a little doctrine, Mr.
Gannett, for there are some people in Orthodox churches who are
hungering and thirsting for just our doctrines. They cannot do
without doctrine just yet, but want something better than they have
known, and think it a great blessing to find it. I try my
congregation to see what each requires, and lead them on and up. My
church is composed of a very mixed set.... I am deeply interested
in this work, and know we have done much good.... We keep books to
loan, and also recommend books from time to time, and ask our
correspondents to subscribe to the periodicals.... Dr. Dewey's
sermons on "Human Nature" and "Human Life," and his "Two Great
Commandments" benefit some people very much.
* * * * *
March 11, 1883.
I never omit the "Pulpit" column [of the Register], and read
"Wrestling and Blessing" with much interest.... I set each
difficulty down as just suited for some one, or two, or three of my
correspondents. Of course, I _don't apply sermons to myself any
more_. It is a beautiful sermon; and this brings me to the point
we are all so interested in,--the wider circulation of the fresh
thoughts of all the pulpits. I surely think, with you, that it will
help the work to "give it name." Am glad you are stirring them all
up. I do not, as you say, feel the need of it so much, but
occasionally do.... A new case in Tennessee, who never knew
_anything_ of the Liberal Church, till we sent him papers. Is much
pleased, and wants to read till he knows still more about us. He
writes, "Not one per cent of the people here know there is such a
church. Tell me, do the majority of Unitarian ministers believe in
the resurrection of Jesus; that he healed the leper, cast out
devils, and raised Lazarus? I ask for information, and hope you
will reply at some future time." He is evidently in a benighted
region. Says he has "heard nothing outside the Cumberland
Presbyterian, Baptist, and Methodist Churches, and am none of
these;" and I presume is very little of anything yet, and is
longing for a nobler life than he has known, or sees about him. The
longer I go on, the more need I see of getting this work fully and
well organized. It will be brought about ere long. Even reading
over papers is beneficial. The publication of our hymns, the most
inspiring, will do a great deal of good. In several cases I have
copied them, and to good purpose.
Jan. 20, 1885, in answer to the question, what twenty names she would
prefer in the "Church Door Pulpit" series the coming year, she wrote:--
"Revs. Grindall Reynolds, Rush R. Shippen, J. F. Clarke, E. E.
Hale, Joseph May, Dr. William Furness, H. W. Bellows, T. Starr
King, J. Ll. Jones, J. T. Sunderland, George Bachelor, William C.
Gannett, F. L. Hosmer, David Utter, George A. Thayer, C. W. Wendte,
S. J. Barrows, Albert Walkley, J. C. Learned, James Martineau. Am
afraid I haven't left any room for those who do not bear the
'Unitarian' name, but feel that Unitarianism is so little known,
that I would first make our own best writers known, and then branch
out and take in others. All of the above names I should like to see
in 'Church Door Pulpit' for 1885-1886.... I think generally people
wish to become acquainted with the Unitarian pulpit. 'What do
Unitarians preach?' is the cry. 'I want to hear a Unitarian;'
'those who have been educated in that denomination.'"
* * * * *
February 20, 1885.
Your article in "Unity," February 16, on "A Blessing on the Day,"
pleased me very much.... We haven't quite the right book yet, and
with you I say, "about twelve verses from the Bible well knitted
around some central thought," as we principally want to become
acquainted with the Bible as the "Book of man." Think something
more like "Daily Praise and Prayer," with different Scripture
selections, perhaps, and omitting most of the prayers. I would only
have a prayer to lead to a prayer of one's own,--that is, to
inspire one to pray in their own words. Have often thought I should
like to compile a book of "Daily Worship" from the Scriptures, our
Hymn Books, "Daily Praise and Prayer," "Day unto Day," "Helps to
Devout Living," and the "Responsive Service," and now, from "Daily
Strength for Daily Needs," "Aspirations of the World," and
"Spiritual Life" in the "Register," but principally Scripture
selections.... "Daily Praise and Prayer" is doing much good in a
very troublesome family of one of my correspondents. I remembered
to have sent the lady "Wrestling and Blessing," and wrote a short
time since to call her attention to the "Inherited Burden," asking
if she still had the tract. This morning received a reply, in which
she wrote, "Yes! I still have 'Wrestling and Blessing,' for it did
me so much good when I first read it that I felt as if I could not
part with it." Many, many homes need "A Blessing on the Day" to
create the true feeling.
To Miss Holmes, of the Davenport, Iowa, Post Office Mission, Miss Ellis
wrote:--
August 20, 1884.
... Yes, I do use the A. U. A. tracts freely, and more than any
others, those marked on our list herein enclosed, and also "Word of
God," "The Doctrine of Prayer," and "Wrestling and Blessing,"--the
latter to those who need encouragement particularly. I find
generally that people want to get at the first principles,--the A
B C of Unitarianism. We do not use Higginson's "Sympathy of
Religion" at all. Our aim is to make practical Unitarians, and let
doctrines and theory gradually fall into the secondary place.
Therefore I object to Mr. ----'s list of books, because they are
more historical and theoretical. They do well where one wants to
study religion; but where one wants a Christianity to live by, I
think something that comes down to practical life, or that is more
simple, better adapted to the generality of people. As knowledge of
Unitarianism spreads, they will naturally seek deeper works. But at
present, something as clear and concise as possible, with the
"Christian Register," "Unity," and the "Dayspring," which further
illustrate our principles, we find very popular. The difficulty is
to get a large enough supply and variety enough. The A. U. A.
tracts only answer as an explanation, and we must have the sermons,
and papers, and books enough in addition. As I have been at the
work for three years, it is hard work to find sufficient supplies
for between thirty and forty every week, and these extending the
papers and tracts elsewhere.
I cannot think, with Mr. Judy, that it is the best method to divide
the work. It seems to me that causes confusion. It seems a much
better way that the person who sends the tracts and papers should
distribute the books too, as being better able to advise the books
to read; for he or she learns the "bent of mind" of the seeker. So
many different persons at work causes confusion and mistakes. I
mail papers, tracts, etc., attend to all the correspondence, to
loaning and mailing the books, to all printed matter received, to
all the advertising orders of every kind, to money received and
expended,--consulting the President frequently, and the details are
brought up before our monthly meetings. I do not believe the work
can be so well done as by one person; but of course no one could
devote so much time to it unless they have some compensation for
it. I took up the work at first voluntarily, but soon found there
was a great deal in it, and therefore wished to give it earnest
attention, and the ladies felt me particularly fitted for it, and
preferred to give me a small salary. It never is "irksome" to me,
but a work of real love to me. I have always been a
missionary,--distributing all the papers and tracts which contained
anything of a practical nature or of a pure Christianity.
* * * * *
_To Miss Holmes._