The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-06-10
trss Psws.

Henry Ward -Beechsr not LONG haes
l;xered a discourse upon the subject oil Free
pews in Churchse, Ia which hesopposed
that innovation ont aud out, aud concln-
s;velv demonstrated to his own satisfaction
and that of acongregation which holds bis
DEGREES as infallible, that pews in churches
should be as, much private property as
houses, horses, plate, and furniture. His
reverence is in favor Of Freedom generally
and Of free soil and free negroes in particu-'
lar. but not of free pews. He is evidently
Of opinion that poor men have no right to
a cabin passage in the heasenward voyage,
but must rough il in the forecasile or on
deck. We have no more sympathy with
socialism than Mr.. Beecher--perhaps not
quite as much-but il seems to US that such
determinations as he seeks to perpetuats in
churches are repugnant to the spirit Of the
Gospel, as they certainly are departure
from the practice Of the primitive Chris
,ians, ia the purest days of the Church.
.To the poor the Gospel is preached, says
the voice of Inspiration, but to the poor the
Gospel is not preached, saith Beecher, or to
anybody else unless they pay for it. In
former times, and still, in many churches,
no distinctions Of rank were permitted in the
house of God, but the king, noble and pea
SAINT, knelt side by side, al! being common
subjects of the Great King of Kings. The
free offerings of the worshippers supported
the expenses of public worship in primitive
times, aud religion was propagated then
more rapidly than at any subsequent period
There will be always divisions OF society,
but divisions of Christians, based upon a
difference in worldly estate, are repugnant
to the genius of Christianity, and diametri-
cally opposed TO the apostolic iDjunctions.
Mr. Beecher would have one church for the
rich, and another for the poor; not that he
SAYS so in as rany words, but that is the
inevitable effect of the system for which he
contends. Upon that system the poor are
crowded out of churches, or forced into
back seats, where their poverty is made
conspicuous, so that if they have any earth
ly feeling of selfrespect, they are made to
feel as uncomfortable as possible, and vir-
tually taught that their poverty keeps them
at distance from the common Creator OF
all, instead of being in his sight, on COM
mon level with all his creatures The adj
mission of poor men in the early churches
to equal accommodations with the rich,
did not tend in any degree to beget insub-
ordination in other respects, or to make
men rebels, socialists, and agrarans. On
the contrary, when they had position in
churches which enabled them to hear the
lessons of obedience to authority and duty,
which the Scripture teaches, they were bet
ter subjects and better citizens than they
have ever been since obeying them which
had the rule over them, and rendering unto
Caesar the things which are CGsar's. The
Rev Henry Ward Beecher is great philan-
thropist, where color is not concerned; but
in regard to 'poor white folks he seems
to have all the prejudices of his negro bre
thren. The church, as he would have it,
is to be fashionable opera house, and no
one admitted into the vestibule of Heaven,
unless he has white kids, dress coat, and
full opera costume.