Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1859-02-18
Beecher on Total Depravity.

course has extorted a groan Of anguish
from the Creed-defenders, the orthodox
papers, and especially those that are not
SKI blue, but at least indigo blue, are out
on him with great wrath. He has de-
Tended himself admirably in the Ladepen-
dent. And such a defence He says
that he desires people not to attribute to
him what he does not say, and then adds,
Now, we beg to have it understood,
hereafter, that all reports aohich represent
as saying lChat zoe ought not to hare said,
are undoubtedly erroneous! Whereas, il |
the thing reported is good, acise, safe, and
eminentiy proper, let it be taken for grant
ed that we said it,
He says he believes men are sinful,
but not totally depTayed, either in conse-
quence of Adams act, or their own.
But our beliefofthis sad truth is pure
ly practical. We have no sympathy with
those theologiars who use time as a grand
alley and roll their speculaLions six thou
sand years, knocking down and setting
up a race, in the various chances Of this
gigantic, theologic game, what is the Or
igin and nature of sin? Poor Adam
To have lost Paradise was enough. But
to be a shadow endlessly pursued through
all time by furious and fighting theolo-
gies, this is a punishment never threat
ened.
We do not go back to Adam or the
fall to find materials for theories and
PHILOSOPHERS. There is the human heart
right before my eyes, every day throb-
bling, throbbing, tbrobbing! Sin as not
"a speculation, but reality. It's not an
idea, a speculative truth, but an aaotul
fact, that darkens life, and weighs down
the human heart with continual mis-
chiefs. lis nature aCiU asver be found
IN The Past. II MUST BE SOUGHT IN
= THE PRESENT.
He has 10 respect for this abominable
> doctrine.
l. Even if the term Total Depravity
were one deserving of respect, the usC
made of it by US, on the occasion refer
+ red to, could be tortured into an ofenst
only by the most unreasonable theologi
- cal jealousy.
- I'VE were Illustrating the fact that
powerful feeling in action tended to pro
duce the same feeling in other minds
We instanced the selfish man who's
feelings awakened like tendencies aroun
him, so that he reused up and sun
rounded himself with mems wors
-, traits. Such man is very apt to inveig
against his fellow men. They seem t
him exceedingly wicked. To the Selfs
% man all men seem desperately and onl
selfish. And here it was that we sal
HI that selfish man al,0ays believes IN II
u tai DeprdUjy. Though he believes n,
* thing else, he is always a firm believer
'0 human wickedness.
'' But although we did not employ Il
, phrase Total Deprarity in any oppr
" brious sense, at the time mentioned, '
NV do not hesitate to say now, that a0e ,
's' gard II as one Of the most untort,mc
- and misleading terms that evsr qfzict
u theology.
It answers no purpose of definition
''' of description. 1t does not convey I
sense in which the great majority
churches hold the doctrine of mans S
" fulness. Instead of explaining anythi
it needs explanation itself. Every m
~ lister who employs the term usually
gins his sermon by saying he does
mean the very thing the words do me
For Total signifies a degree hey,
which there can be no more. A t,
- does is one which cannot be increased
- total bankruptcy is one which could
-. be more complete; a total destructio
one which leaves nothing more to
~ destroyed. Men have right to SUPP
that Total Depravity signifies a depr
W." ty beyond which there can be no NOR
nothing worse. This is the popular
>. derstanding of the term. The pc
go with the language, and not with
" ologians. But this is not the theolos
~ meaning of the word. No man
,. uses the phrase believes men to be L
~ ly wicked, 1. e., so wicked that they
not be more wicked. If they ca,
- more wicked, then they were not to
go wicked before.
This word is an interloper. III
to be fond IN the Scriptures. W
A not believe that it is even to be four
nv in the Catechisms and Confession of |
,ture, of Protestant or Catholic Christend
Gov. We do not feel called upon to Civ
mischievous prhase any respect. "
not Jeliere IN IL, nor ia the thing q
occur u OJUiOus1y sigaifes. Il jS nm ans