The New York herald., 1869-12-27
PLYMOUTH CHURCH


An Advertising acknowledgements Men De-
nounced. and Their Conversion Doubtful
sermon On Christian Meekness.
Before the singing Of the hymn that precedes the
eermon the pastor or Plymouth church converted
The rostrnm into a great advertising bureau by an
nouncing, in true auctoneer style, number OF per-
fomances FOR next week, including oratorios, con-
eerls "tableaux - ladies' sewing circles lectures
including lecture on Girls" by Miss Logan-Ply-
mouth church prayer meeting and personal that
he (Mr. Beecherl would not be at home on New
Years Day but thai ne was going 10 be caller him
self on that day, and see how his friends looked. He
should then be able TO ascertain whether sit was
more blessed to give than receIve.n He had found
''giving on former New Years days very pleasant,
he hoped he should find receiving much more 50.
After delivering himself TO the extent of about a
column OF the HERALD of these very notices,
he made The greatest and important mt OF them
All by the advertising OF that which Is euphonously
termed In the placards annual Renting OF Pews
and Aisle Seats,n but which ls in reality
an auction OF the pews OF the church.
Not contenng himself with this parade
OF buying and selling he fell foul OF newspaper men
and newspaper offices Mr. Beecher SAID that after
have great treat by the usual annual abuse IN the
newspapers In that abuse there was an outburst OF
pety that never made Itself apparent unless some
thing was gong on 10 provoke aDuse. There were
great protestatons OF purity where purity had cer
Iainly never been suspected before. So long as the
od-fashioned doctrines were proclaimed, all these
men rested salsded and let The church alone and IL
seemed 10 them very iaultess. But let something
be done that eXctes them and they were very
valiant. Well lie could afford to be victim and 1t
was worth while being one II he excited 10 virtue
newspaper men whom NOBODY mad ever suspected
before that they possessed any. Plymouth church
was kind OF family, not TO be rUthessiy invaded,
certainly; but when II sought TO give light and
knowledge 10 those around r. in It's own way, there
was burst OF disinIerestedness poured forth by
these men, newspaper men, who certainly could not
have been the church Tor the last twenty years.
Wei, al that sort OF thing did good, and he hoped
mat this kind OF excitement and abuse might result
IN conversions, even IN newspaper onices.
NJ. Beecher then proceeded 70 preach. He se-
Iected FOR his text the llth chapter oi ST. Matthew's
gospel ana the nth verse-"Rlessed are the meek
for they shall inherit the earrh.n When our Lord
spoke these words the whole world was against its
truth. The oriental monarchles mad been engaged
IN an almost communal war. Whatever was held
was that which had belonged 70 others. The Persian
armies held sway over the lands OF the East: and
then came the overthrow OF the Persans. Roman
ambition, In the form OF Roman government al
tne time OF Christ, was the supreme power OF the
earth. Palestine was the prey OF factions, and at
that time it seemed that II there was anything sure
OF universal control 1t was cunning aud violence
and II there was one thing more tnan another tnat
was sure 10 be trodden down II was meekness.
What, then, was the full truth OF this singular
n0uncementf Meesnesa was not a faculty; 1t was
not single attribute Of the soul; II was the state
and condition OF the whole mlnd as tue state ana
conditon OF man VINO cultivated the lower and
sensual nature was man VINO lived by the force OF
a "A
passions under ana who allowed himself to 1--we sub
Ject TO the influences and 0ehestS OF his higher
ture, there were outbursts very frequently on that
nature OF a conflict between the higher and the
lower. Now the greater part OF men lived III this in
termittent condtion. There was higher state for
man than this intermittent condition: II was that con-
dltion where the moral sentiment completely ruled,
where the whole nature was perfectly saturated,
filed up with love Tor the truth. Where that was
the case there was given 70 man q courage based on
meekness, an activity that was very tranquil and
self-conndence mat was without concelt. Meekness
was the strongest element IN man. IL gave to man
Agreater courage than tne man possessed whose
baser instincts guided his llfe That what he
understood was the scope and declaration or Cnrist
that when men had so controlled their lower natures
ms TO be ruled and governed by the higher then
Meekness would control the world No natlon had,
however, been controlled by 1t yet; no department
IN any nation mad. There were some families that
had and there were some exceptional churches that
had The question then arose, II likely that
these words would ever become truef There were
those who thought tnat religion had gone backward
In the world. lie was not one OF those. Its claims
were never more widely spread tnan now, and this
was owing To otner Influences tnan those which
were only ecclesiastical.
Mr.. Beecher then traced at considerable length
and with considerable ability the growth OF the
human race through It's physical social. intellectual
and moral relations as developed IN the develop
ment OF the lie OF man and IN that OF nations.
There were certain Incidents IN the lie or each tnat
brought out the moral sentiment and made 1t part
Of the individual and national lie. lie gave seve-
raj illustrations OF this Men talked about tle beauty
OF holiness but they did not see 1t SO TO impress
then They saw 1t only In the ore, not IN the bars,
where the image and sterling impress OF GoQ was
upon IL. Nothing uut goodness and moral worth
survived the influence OF time. Men who developed
,he highest that was within them attained a KIND OF
meridian spendor, and there was, "a sort or rough
judgment day always going on IN which the name
OF the wicked should rot out and the name OF the
just should flourish.
Now men coud not become Christian Without
Christ any more than the apple could become sweet
without the sun. AT the time Christ spoke these
words there was no European development. Es-
pagna SPAN was heathen; Italy hea:hen;
Rome was the empire OF power: Gaul was WOOD
10
horizon, and this Continent was not KNOWN Now
where was 1t tnat properly was most secure; which
country was the best governeuY Why the nations
that were the most Intelligent and Christian.
Ar. beecher bore testimony to the virtue shown
oy Amerea during her recent great struggle, to the
tlme lie PAID passing tribute TO the memory OF
the late Mr.. Stanton which provoked o hearty
'.Amenn from one OF his congregation and said
that when as secretary OF War lie was ahead even
OF the people In their determination 10 be free and
his memory would by and by be side and side by the
greatest men OF his tllne There incidents IN at
developed the Christianity OF a nation and II was
this unselnshness that would bring righteousness
Individual Sovereignty n Myth-Follies, Fash.
ions and Foibles.
In the evening the Rev. Mr.. Beecher took the tex,
for his discourse from the First Epstle OF ST. Paul Il
The Corinthians, vi, 2o-.For ye are bought with {
price; therefore gorrfy Cod in your body and in you
spirit, which is God'sn The reyernd gentleman al
sovereignty and argued that the tendency OF the last
fifty years was unDroken IN its now away from dynas
lie power and towards the power OF the whole soci.
ETY. or 1t was styled, a democratic tendency was
apparent. Thrones and ecclesiastical governments
were losing power. For a long time alliances had
sought to recuperate political governments to bind
and keep down the democratic tendency. Their
success was very poor, and restrained 1t finally
broke ont IN revolution and violence. The days OF
dcspotism were numbered. Iudlvldual sovereignty
was stupid and arbitrary. There was now being
assembled the greatest ecclesiastical council o
modern times to enforce ecclesiastical government
But he thought 1t was too late, the people regned
to-day. All those great changes involved much
waste. No great event took place without squan
dering or forces But this tendency towards the
rights OF the masses was running into excessive
doctrines In regard TO the rights OF individuals In
this country great change taking place in the
family relations Children ripen earlier. Children
should be taught TO govern themselves, and q cni