The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-15
The sermons-Beechsr ON oalvinism.

We begin to fear for Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher. His orthodoxy is in danger, ana our
faith in it waivers little. Yesterday he ana
lyzed 1.-THE Cambridge Confession that is,
the creed adopted by the Congregationalists OF
New England ten years ago-and warmly de-
nounced its Calyinistic ideas and tendencies.
We never thought Mr. Beecher had much Cal
vinism in his nature, but his discourse yester-
day on the Fatherhood of God has dispelled
any lingering hopes or fears we might have
entertained on this point The idea is false
and derogatory to the nature of God, Mr..
Beecher declared, which represents Him as
supremely content with Himself and Indifferent
to the creatures who offer Him their alteration.
| The tendency of theologes is to teach us that
| God acts supremely for His own glory. The
extracts of the Confession read by Mr.. Beecher
declare that 'some men and some angels are
predestinated to everlasting ruin, and some are
foreordained to everlasting death; that they are
fixed to an Interchangeable destiny and that
their number is certain and defined, and can
not be increased or diminished. We don't
wonder that Mr.. Beecher, with his large heart
and liberal nature, should call this "a tight
fit" and should, as he did unhesitatingly,
pronounce in favor of infdelity and atheism
rather than of such a faith rs converts
Father into fend and Saviour into butcher,
as Mr., Beecher very forciby put it. And, in
the magnanimity of his nature, he asked, SIS
this the God who sent His Son into the world
by whopl mon are to be saved and who is
represented in the parable of the Prodigal Son
as not waiting for this son to come to Him,
but who goes forth t9 3 Mset /, him and falls on
his neck and kisses him ~ We hope our Cal
whistle friends will not allow Mr.. Beecher to
misrepresent them, if he has done SO; but if
he has not the sooner this confession of faith
is remodelled or discarded altogether the
better for God hath not appointed us unto
wrath, but has made salvation possible for
every human being
Our Pharisaical nature needs as many and
as pungent reproofs to-day as the Saviour
found it needed when He was on earth, and
Mr.. Hepworth took occasion yesterday to talk.
plainly and pointedly about it. Comparing
the sham Of religion with the reality he said g
mot reputation, but character, is the thing
that God looks at He goes to heaven,
whether he be priest or beggar, who has
obeyed the law III his heart as well as
with his hands and he goes into tor
ment, whether rich or poor, high or low,
who has played the part of the hypocrte =
There are many who hope to cheat the apostle
who stands at the gate Of the New Jerusalem
by Haunting their sacred robes before his won
dering eyes; but as Mr.. Hepworth re-
marked, the investigation is great deal
sharper III heaven than it is in our Custom
House IN this city, and when we get up there
our own inventory of our good qualities will
not be taken. 1t is this trial that will make
many who are first last, and the last first; and
some who think they have tickets for reserved
seats in heaven will find themselves lucky if
they get there at all. Mr. Hedge endeavcred
to exalt the worship of God by belttling the
worship Of Christ, who was merely the repre-
sentative Of God; and such worship of Christ.
he declared, is idolatry A personal God is
needed for religious purposes, but this person
atty idea may be carried too far and become
snare. 1t would seem from the number
OF sermons preached on the subject by differ
ent ministers in the Church of the Messiah
that the congregation have little more faith
in the divinity of Christ than is good or whole
some for them as Unitarians. And hence, we
presume, the ministers try to persuade them
that Christ was man sent from God, and
nothing more. As Mr.. Hepworth once said.
we believe in that same church. the people be-
Init ba r., ~ IL.
not to believe.
Mr.. rockingham gave the late Professor
Morse the highest niche rs an inventor and
Mazzini the highest as an idealist. The charac-
teristics and the careers of both were con
trasted by the preacher, and the closing scenes
in the life Of each portrayed. They two lived
for humanitys good, but the roads they ira
yelled We're diverse. DR.. H. ID. Moore demon
strated the divinity as well as the humanity of
Christ from the manifestations of His great
sympathy for the suffering and His sorrow for
the bereaved. Dr. Miey elaborated the ortho-
dox theory and belief regarding the divine call
to the ministry, which he insisted is proved by
the fact that God sent His only begotten Son
to act as n mediator between God and man.
The Doctor considered preaching one OF the
grandest occupations. that man could be
engaged in. He believes in a predestinaton
to preach the Gospel, and that only those so
predestined can preach. Perhaps it would be
well to settle the question, What is preaching?
at the same time, and then we may be able to
judge who are predestined to preach and who
are not There are great many men preach
ing who some people think ought to be engaged
in some other business for which they are
better fitted.
The characteristics of good shepherd were
set forth yesterday by Father McNamee in the
Cathedral and illustrated in the life of Christ,
who treated his bitterest enemies affectonately,
and went into the wilderness after the strayinA