Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-02-12
HENRY WARD BEECHER ON TOTAL DE-
PRAVITY."

llllNNl hhRD UN lUIAI DE
PRAYITY."
The Baptist Examiner having taken Rev.
Henry Ward Beecher to task for speaking light
ly of the doctrine Of "Total Depravity," in re-
cent lecture before the "Fraternity" in Boston,
that gentleman replies in u recent number Of the
independent. As so much interest is felt in Mr.
Beccher's writings, we make no apology for the
following lengthy extract from the article in
question:
We now proceed to examine the allegation
that we employed that term Total Depraudy in
manner which produced upon the audience the
effect of fling at the doctrine of mans sinful
ness before God.
/. Even if the term Total Depravity were
one deserving of respect the use made of it by
u.s. on the occasion referred TO, could be tortur-
ed into an oiiensc only by the most unreasonable
theological jealousy And those tcho heart the
lecture do not seem to have felt any improprie-
ty. 1t was the report Of it, published the next
day in the newspapers, and read in the study or
editorial office, that excited so much anxiety.
We were illustrating the fact that powerful
feeling in action tended to produce the same
feeling i'll other minds. We instanced the sell
fish man whose selfish feelings awakened like
tendencies all around him, so that he reused UP
and surrounded himself with mems worst traits
Such man is very apt to inveigh against his
fellowmen. They seem to him exceedingly
wicked. TO the selfish man all men seem des-
perately and only selfish And here it was that
We said thata selfish man always believes in To-
tai Deprayity. Though he believes nothing else,
he is always a firm believer in human wicked
ness.
Now we really think that one must be ex-
tremely anxious to be offended to find occasion
of offense in this remark. And if the gentle
men who watch against the many-headed SER
pent of hcrcsy had heard the context with the
remark, they would have been saved from the
assertion that it was cheered as a fling at the
orthodox view of mans sinfulness. 1t was the
whole hit at a selfish mans experience that drew
applause-not any supposed subtle intimation
of a doctrinal laxity on our part.
>. Butalthough did not employ the phrase
Total DTrardy in any opprobrious sense, at
the time mentioned, we do not hesitate to say
now, that We regard it as one of the most un-
fortunate and misleading terms that ever afilict-
cd theology.
1t answers no purpose of definition or of des-
cription. 1t does not convey the sense in which
the great majority of churches hold the doctrine
of mans sintulness. Instead of explaining any
ter who employs the term usoaliy uegins Iirs
sermon by saving that he does not mean the
very thing which the words do mean. For, To-
tai signifies degree beyond which there can
be no more. \ total loss is one which cannot
be increased a total bankruptcy is one which
could not be more complete total destruction
is one which leaves nothing more to be destroy
ed. Men have a right to suppose that Total
Depravity signifies deprayity beyond which
there could be no more-nothing worse. This
is the popular understanding of the term. The
people 60 with the language, and not with the
theologians But this is not the theological
meaning of the word. No man who uses the
| phrase believes men to be totally wicked, l. G.,
so wicked that they cannot be more wicked
If they can be more wicked then they were not
totally wicked before. And, just as The Er-
apiner does, so do all sensible men. They dc
not use the term. They regardit as infelictious.
| And yet when any one handles it roughly they
are full of anxiety for the truth
This word is an interloper. 1t is not to be
found in the Scriptures. We do not believe
that it is even to be foud in the Catechisms and
| Confessions of faith of Protestant or Catholic
| Chrstendom.
We do not feel called upon to give the mis-
chieyous phrase any respect We do not be-
lieve in it, nor in the thing which it obviously
signifies 1t is an unscriptural, monstrous, and
| unredeemable lie.
g. But on the other hand we do believe
with continual sorrow of heart and daily over
flowing evidence in the deep sinfulness of uni
versal man. And we believe in the exceeding
sinfulness of sin. We do not believe that any
man is born who is sinless, or who becomes per.
fectly sinless until death. We believe that there
is not one faculty of the human soul that does
| not work evil, and repeatedly, that the whole
human character is sinful before Gods law
We believe mans sinfulness to be such that ev-
cry man that ever lived needed Gods forbear-
ancc and free forgiveness. We believe that nc
man lives who does not need to repent of sin
to turn from it and we believe that turning
from sin is work so Deep and touches so close
ly the very springs of being, that no man vii
ever change except by the help Of God. And
we believe that such help is the direct and per.
sonal outstretching of Gods Spirit upon the hu
man soul and when by such divine help mer
begin to live spiritual life, we believe the
change to have been so great that it is fifty call
ed beginning of life over again, new crea
| ton, new BIRTH
If there is one thing that we believe above al
others, upon proof from consciousness and proc
from observation and experience, 1t is the sin
fulness of man. Mar do we believe that any MAJ
ever doubted our belief who sat for two month.
under our preaching. Nothing strikes us as 81
peculiarly absurd as a charge or fear that w
not adequately believe in mems sinfulness. Tn,
steady bearing of our preaching on this subec
is such as to plow up soil and subsoil, and to con
Wet and to convince men of their need of Christ
redemption.
But our belief of this sad truth is purly prac
tical. We have no sympathy with these theo
logians who use Time as grand alley and rol
their speculatons six thousand years, knocking
down and setting up the race, in the variou
chances of this gigantic theoogc game,-wha
is the origin and nature Of sinp Poor Adam
To have lost Paradise was enough. But to b.
shadow endlessy pursued through all time b.
furious and fighting theologies-this is pun
ishment never threatened. Or, was the flaming
sword of the angel mere type and symbol O
theological zeal, standing between men AM
Paradise for evermore We take men as W
find them. We do not 60 back to Adam or tn
fall to find materials for the cries and philoso
phies. There is the human heart right befor
my eyes, every day throbbing, throbbing! 81
!, is not a speculation, but reality. 1t is not a
idea, speculative truth, but an awful fact, tina
darkens life, and weighs down the human hear
with continual mischiefs. Its nature will neye
be found in the Past. 1t must be sought in tn
| Present.