The sun., 1873-11-10
THE REAL AND THE IDEAL.
BEECHER ON THE REL tTIONS or
TULOEY AND PRAC CTICE.

Brown saint with Red 4 Arms-rhe Kitr of
Bpptism-A sermon by Nnraynn SheshHdri.
Thirteen babies were baptized in Ply
mouth Church yesterday 10y Mr.. Becchcr. Some
of them came In elegant carriages In the arms
of nurses. Others were carried by their fathers
or mothors. All were dressed in their best,
which was clouds of white stun, with VARYING
quantities OF lace and embroidery, and were
lullabied into good humor in ono Of the ele-
gantly furnished ante-rOOms. Assistant Pastor
Halliday received the parents and the little cam
didates, and arranged the prelimlnaries for the
rite. After tho first hymn tho parents were
ranged In front of the pulpit, the fathers In most
Instances holding the babies In their arms.
While they were standing SO, the choir chantcd
"Surer little children to come unto me-" Two
Of the babies cried y little, but wondermcnt was
on the chubby faces and In the wide-opened
eyes Of the majority. After the chanting Mr..
Bcccher came down from the pulpit, and Dea-
con Duncan stepped forward with silver bowl
containing water. Mr. Hoecher dlpped bis nn-
gers into tho water, touched the forehead Of the
first baby, and said "This child, whose name Ia
Alice Bertha, l baptl1c in the name oi the
iathcr, Of the Son, aud OF tho Holy Ghost.
Amen" AZ he passed along the line the IA
rents handed him cards with the names of tho
children written on them, and like formula OF
words and acton was repeated until the end
was reached. The babies looked puzzled. One
II them crOwed elcclullY when the preachers
hand touched its face, and the eyes OF others
loIlowed his movements with mute inquiry:
In this bricf ceremony, the ladies' striving by
stretching Of necks and lodging OF heads TO
only &c t.lng lack quietly Ia their seats when II
was over.
THE SERMON.
White We look nota TIE tblngs which are seen but
are seen sIc ismporA; W. lhe things Theh arc not
From this text Mr. Beocher preached SER
mon, the tneme Of which was that theory and
practice are equally essential to Christian me,
and that each should be made "a support aud
developer of the otuer. The wants Of the early
year. Of Christianity were not the same as those
which now exist. Education and Intelligence
have created intellectual needs winch dld not
belong OauoIe Ci ude state. To say that preach
Ing must now he done exactly as the disciples
dii II, IL to say thht We must 'reat men as
though they were children. Even the same
things are not now the same In their mode Vl
application This causes many, who honestly
intend r. ht living, to be Clouded 10y ques-
tious which they nor Others cannot
solve. 1t follows that the relations OF the
real aud tue imaginirS are ~ anscendent iin-
purtanCc. The perfect man uhitcs the thcp-
rcucal end the pracucal. His feet stand on
solid facts, and his head goes of philosophiIing;
lie Is follower Of both practical Plato and
visionary Aristotle. lie L. made up OF haIihO-
nous feiatiohs. Seithce u,uuVeS ho"' @ eoiieS', ~
ed and observed facts truths that nave no
visibility. Metaphysics Is the deduction OF GER
tain facts which put together prove lnyislDle
makes US think. Mind phenomena are Just as
real as physical phenomena. Having In this
strain enlarged upon the Importance OF theOriz-
ing, MIR. Beeeher illustrated tho happy aiaalga-
nation OF II with practice oy the following
ChardC Cterstic slinile:
pRF1NITGos OF TRUE ART.
"IIc Is not a painter" he SAID, " who simply
and accurately copies tree. a phutusrauh of
a tree is not a work of art. He who 80 observes
trees that, IN looking at one, there arises before
! hin all ideal tree is AN artist. Ho adds 10 the
! natural tree the suLtIer ianVics anu attributes
/ of nl imaginary tree. lie supplements the Ideal
with tho real. To make his work valuable hc
! contributes a glory tnat dld not ociuhg y tne
/ subject, and so his tdcalsins are turned INTO
/ facts" As illustrating the transitions and init
mate relations Of theory aud practice he sAid
Visible water rises IN invisible VappT' but tdils
] a-aiu in visible GroIs 10 sustain the HE OF the
/ Lind. such D. the continuous law ol al cNliAA-
! ton. Theorists who live to evolve ami follow out
, great truths are incstiuabIy NaluanIc. lct hc
S,h d.ai. .rntircly with theories becomes neither
u-eful TO himself nor safe guide To Others. lie
! Stops short OF adaptinE theuiios To actual Ne
See. als'. the true sphere oi Tie IcN.H- l. I''
/ very is the emotional nature touched witl
| Imagination out of and above facts The re-
/ yerist l. one who does not write novels, hut
VINO Is really novelist. Thousands Ol Them
suppose they a.c devout whsn they are oniy
Imaginative. Keyery may bo useful eNcr'ise
of the mind. but men should not confuse wha'
they are ia their reNefies with what thet arc II
real lie No hcruistn is 80 easy a. that througi
wnicu one goes IN reNery. Ii IL easy TO at wi'i
closed eyes under a shadN Tree anu bet'ihe
/ cunuutrlug Gentral-tu endure hardsuiis, tt
bc wounded, To suil,r all the Ills of a campaign
/ Meanwhile ali around U- i- going "a huindruul
aud we become scit-cunscious, eNactlnG, at,'
selfish Only when roNcIy serves To quicken O.
from too close application TO hard i"c1s %
I beneficial
MEpIrATING ANp MoRALINNG.
"Many think" said Mr.. leecher, in dcaln
WIlu another branch II his subject, " that ueu
tAtiuu IL "a mark OF Christian excellence. :
u.s. B4tlt is a running Of the mill, and IL h ut
wise to run "A Wll without sti-t IN u. ! IscI
mediate when Was youuE AT least Thought
did, but with an exquisite scuslhiitI t. all ihl
wac :, M un around nae. ! would awake iroi
slt.i '--,d mcd .tltiun 10 hnI that was follow
ia b.. AVA f.HN al 10 D.
'Dff Ill e. in O ~ ,ditatiou, when was all Ia
while watching "A uird that was dying side o.
the window. was IRVING TO keep myself To %
subject IA hand, when had none ia my he d.
Another sort Of theurl1lug he dcnomnatei q
"moralizius," aud In discussing It he said
"Meu sometimes become 50 disg lsted with th
2 ! Improbable forms OF life that they rebound 1
the other extreme. They abjure metaphysio
and stick to barron iacts. Thor conception T.
morality consists Of compliance with the Law
! and customs of CIVILIZATION. Right. Their cod
consists Of being good business mcu and goo
: nclghLors. do not ind fault with that; bu
Of ,draI,ty that there is no picture elore thel
: / OF a h,-ucr life to lead them on tu a rultNaiiO
! Of spiritual experience aud excellence.
usEs AND ABUSES or FICTION.
Tic question Of The proatahleness
roaD'ns bTans1I "git , Mr; Ieoenv. 'HHffsS ~
% alphabet out ot which the real Is spcllcd.
! parents will took hWk they VIII see that thf
i have largely used fiction in teaching the
D., children. 1ry 10 explain TO child the dine
q cncc between legislative and executive goveu
p life. ana use some fable dealing with famih
objects, and il will get the idea, however impe
We frCtlv, which YOU wish To impart W nat yt
r have told him Is untrue. II YOU had gwen hi
4 f., q, his ideas OF the subject would be incu
a rect. when we make a block from witch
e print picture, we reverse the figures We NAL
n The block false To make the picture true. /
10 YOU ask me II fiction Is improper reply Ia
nctinn Is inevitable. If II is not right, then O
saviour WIS a sinner After all else In lteratu
r. shall have been forgotten, those nctions of q
New Testament the parallels Of Christ-will
remembered. Yet IL Is not true that, II hcti'
,, he GOOD, the more Of II the better. II twcl
" uruts uf parrguric are beneficial, that uoesl
NJ pruVe thai II Is wise To take gallon. just
T. lar ns nction enables men 10 rise above ha
"A r,alitie-, ii is good; but hc who reads II to I
- prevention of coming back out Of II 10 actt
So life reads il t. his harm Ny opinion Is, use
VI. ton as you would spices. Men do not eat qua
a OF cloves, or live on cOnfecuons. Novels shOu
in bee used to season life and not for steady die
r. This same rule he applied 70 emotional rcligt
ly The effect OF going tu religious meetings Is hu
DO, ful To- those who, under the excitement "a
le stimulus If attendance, cannot 80 back 10 {
ie routine of daily lie and practically apply
ie h.Iuua tcaChinLs.
~ TIE usELEssNtSs OF ART
a., Tho e things in art and nature which Hrpf
20 t. tho sense ~ the beautiful, but winch Cuui
~, hr apulicd to the tcnculng of practical good,
~, Iieochcr regarded H~ burr fIl. " fancy IL wut
80 hruirirul to show he incidentally declare
,.r that tine arc ui pointing or of sculpture h
,c been of amy benefit to the world, Certainly "a