The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 51, July 1947 - April, 1948 Page: 140
406 p. : ill., ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
Sometime during the spring of i855, Gail Borden wrote from
New York that he had been listening to the preaching of Henry
Ward Beecher, and one of the longest letters in this series was
written by Judge Cole to express not only his great disappoint-
ment but his great disapproval as well. He wrote:
I have often heard of most unprincipled men who were at the
same time most able and successful revival preachers. These men
have a two-fold effect upon me. In the first place, I don't believe
a word which such men tell me unless corroborated by other and
better testimony. In the second place, these men lead me to distrust
all great revivals. Give me the preacher who does not try all the
week to uproot all the foundations and ancient landmarks of society,
then endeavor on the Sabbath to place it, an inverted Pyramid, on
the apex of some "one idea" of his own.
Evidently thinking the matter closed, he added, "So much
for Henry Ward Beecher." Apparently at this time Brother
Huckins walked into the office and requested to read Borden's
letter.
When he had finished, I asked him, "What do you think of it?"
to which he replied with some sadness of tone and manner: "Brother
Borden always interests me. I am always edified by anything he
writes or speaks." "But that was not the gist of my question," I said.
"What do you think of his going to hear Henry Ward Beecher so
often?" "Well, 'I don't know. The Baptist 'cause needs the support
of all her children and Brother Borden is a man that can be so
efficient to any cause that I regret he has not found some Baptist
Church with which he can affiliate. The truth is, my brother, when
a man has principles, he must stick to them and cultivate and support
them in their hour of need if he expects them to support him in
his hour of trial."
This remark struck me so forcibly that I asked permission to
incorporate it in this letter. If I had caught you in one of those
comfortable seats, I would have thundered in your ears, "What doest
thou here, Elijah?" Is this your field? Isn't your work marked out
for you somewhere else? Are you a Baptist doing all in your power
by your presence, your influence, to build up a rival interest?"
A tirade against the "rich gospel-hardened sinners" and the
"Wall Street millionaires" followed, ending with the warning.
"There is too much of the world around you for your good."
But suddenly Judge Cole changed from the role of critic to
that of close friend.14o
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 51, July 1947 - April, 1948, periodical, 1948; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101119/m1/182/: accessed May 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.