FEBRUARY 18TH, 1899
FEBRUARY 18TH, 1899
... I have glanced through the book you sent me — “In His Steps”. I can understand a book of this kind being popular in the world, for it is of the world in every sense. What it presents as ideal Christianity is simply Unitarianism — the improvement and glorification of the world and of man in the flesh by following the example of Jesus. There is no presentation of Jesus as a Saviour, and not a trace of Christianity proper in the book, so far as I have seen. Indeed the popularity of such a book shows how little idea people have of Christianity according to God, and it bears solemn witness to the willingness of men to give up all spiritual blessings and turn Christianity into a great scheme of world improvement. That the enemy is working busily to this end there can be no doubt.
If I knew any young believers who had been taken with such a book I would ask them to consider the things that are exalted therein. Dramatic solo-singing, political agitation, socialism, and temperance are presented as the great levers by which man is to be raised and the world improved. There [p. 27] is not a single paragraph in which the gospel of the grace of God is set forth, and nothing to indicate that the author of the book is even conscious of the omission. His only gospel for a world of perishing sinners is to ask them to do what they think Jesus would have done! Such a gospel would be a bitter mockery to every exercised conscience, though it is well leasing to the pride and self-sufficiency of the natural man.
I should think the influence of such a book very pernicious — indeed I regard these religious novels as being much worse than the thoroughly worldly ones, because they connect all the unhealthy mental excitement which a novel is designed to awaken with divine things. The most holy things are thus made common. It is like Belshazzar commanding the holy vessels to be brought into his ungodly feast. The peculiar sensational force which excites the passions of the mind, and makes these books so popular, is mentally injurious and exceedingly damaging spiritually. I hope these few remarks may be sufficient for your purpose.
February 18th, 1899.