Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-03-23
SERMON AGAINST NEBRASKA.

SERMON AGAINST NEBRASKA.
That very pious and political Boanerges, the
Rev. Mr. Beecher, on Sunday last preached a
sermon against Nebraska, at his church in
Brooklyn. We find a report of his speech, for
sermon it cannot properly be called, in the
New York Times. 1t is one Of those canting,
railing, coarse, and blasphemous discourses,
that none can SO well conceive and deliver as
those hypocritical pretenders who carry with
them into the pulpit worldly ambition, evil pas
sions, and an inordinate thirst for notoriety
He announced in the morning that he would
preach in the evening on the Nebraska ques
ton. He thus announced it:
1T know that many of you (perhaps not those
of this congregation, but others) have more
conscientious scruples than have as to what
is proper to be said on such subject on the
Sabbath and mention it because / want you
to understand that don't mean to treat this
subject with my left hand. don't intend to
talk religion when mean politics. This is a
political question, which has forced its way into
the sanctuary. And when find dragon in
the church, / fight him just as boldly as would
in the street. ! speak Of it so, that if any OIL
you have such scruples, you may stay away
or, if you come, of course you won'tblamc me-
His sermon, as he called it, was tissue Of
vulgar profanities. That our readers may have
some idea of its character, we give the follow.
ing extract from it:
ministers know good deal about natural
depravity-a good deal about the devil, as they
see it exhibitedin men. 1t is wheel within
wheel; they not only have a devil inside Of
them, but they have devil inside of that devil.
At the north we have found the touch which
turns everything 70 gold. The State makes
everything of her men, and they make every
thing Of their State. At the south they have
no creative means of power. Their sons never
work; they are officers of the navy; they are,
therefore, obliged to have a political power.
The south is like broken-down merchant
that won't fail. They complain that they are
abused; they demand n division of the power
which the north creates alone. This is the
story of nintervention. It is q lie from be-
ginning to end. How many times will you
be deceived? If a man tells you a lie in the
street once, you learn never to believe him
in this matter? Again and again God has
right or wrong; and it has never been settled
yet on the ground Of justice to the slave. The
men Of the north must love liberty from the
prejudices Of their education; and as they grow
older, this enthusiasm becomes principle.
The men of the north--not the politicians, ] ex-
clude them forever from all benefits of the
clergy-say the men Of the north did not so
much disagree with me about the com promise
Of 1850. L sincerely believe there never was
anything conjured up which made the devil rub
his hands and feel so happy as the compromise,
which caught ministers and politicians, and
nbolitionsts, and pro-slavery men, and al parties
and classes in this country. 1t was like the
sheet let down from heaven before Peter, on
which was all manner of unclean meat. The
iron was heated red-hot in hell, and thrust into
US; and now it has been heated again. There
were once two deacons in church, and the
subject Of building new church came up.
Each was SO determined on his own side Of the
question, that the worthy pastor, fearing quar-
rel, preached sermon on mutual forbearance.
They we're very much struck with this, and the
next day one called on the other, saying: 1t
is too bad to quarrel about this; it should not
be so you must compromise, for can't This
is what the south says to the north, so that we
may have the blessing of peace. On the sub.
ject of Union, wish it for the same reason
that wish to send missionaries to the Chinese,
to do them good. love the men of the south
ern States as being immortal like myself; but
if there must be disunion, I will give the glory
to God And now let me sum up what have
to say. Let all look at this subject calmly and
persistently, and settle it by what is just and
right. Ny friends, there lie before you two
courses to pursue, and God speed the right
But. as for me aud my house, we will serve the
Lord in the love Of man. AS Hannibal took
an oath of hatred to Rome-which, by the way,
isthe type of espotism--Imean eternal hostility
to slavery the world over, while have tongue
to speak, a hand to move, or pen to write"