The New York herald., 1873-12-05
THE BEECHER SCANDAL.
Lecture by DIR. MeGiynn-The Christian N
Priesthood-The Plymouth Church

Frresthood-The plymouth Shursh
Trouble.
The Rev. Dr. McCiynn iectured last evening IN
ST. Peters church, Brooklyn, for the benefit Of tnc
poor OF the parish, on the Christian Priesthood
He endeavored TO show that Christ was a priest,
not merely OF the bloody sacrifice on calvary. bui
that the words OF prophecy and christs own teach.
ings tell ms OF another priesthood In Chrtst.
whose ministry II should be TO cSer
eucharistic sacrifice, 90 teach the truth.
to reconcile sinners with God. aud ~ deeds o.
heroic charity well by Its teachings. to nrinr
the whole world into the unity Of one iaEiy,
"the kingdom OF God earth" looking ~ ~
heaven and with one voice proclaiming taeif
perfect brotherhood In saying ..cur Father who
art In hea-en." lie went 10 show how Chrisi
exercises this HIS priesthood through thc priest
hood that lie has len with HIa chlrch; ana he
asserted that II is, ia faet. stl CaTist himself
offering HIS own sacnnce, abs0lsInr siu.
ners, teaching all truth and ''goinR aocaf
doing good as He did OF old. and blessing huiaaa.
izng and sanctiying the word more eaecsual'
even than he una during Has mortal hle. He said
that II Is Christ Himself wao does an this throoga
the priests, who hut his servants. minister
and instruments, and that IN every willing mind
and loving heart the Master IL stlli powerful O. -
perfect work, even with the most indlnerent in.
struments.
He then went on 10 express his profound regret
that men
REPUrED TEACHERS or REiI6IoS.
blinded by passion prejudice, or actuafed ~
more cool and deliberate, aud, therefore. even
meaner, purposes, should seize upon the natural
weaknesses, mperectlons, shortcomings ana. y
they choose, folies blnnders and crimes o. the
human element In the Church to hide from ihe
minds oil the divine light that CHRIST has com
mil IN hpr kap nd Ia Aair
against the heavenly graces OF pardon, peace ana
sanctty that He would convey 20 their
hearts from His own opened heart On the
cross, through the channels OF those boy
sacraments which lie Himself has Instituted AMI
lett with His church, as SO many points OF imme-
date contact with Himself for all souls VINO Will
receive them with contrition and humility oi heart.
He then went on TO say that 1t was extremely pain
ful 10 read In tue newspape now prominent
clergyman Of thai very city OF Biookiyn, the Rev.
MIR. beecner had allowed himself on recent occa.
preudces-il not animated Dy even more deiber-
ate and calculating purposes-wlthout even the
| poor excuse OF ignorance. IL Is
MATTER OF NOTORIOUS PUBLICITY
in the newspapers that two prominent churches in
! Brooklyn, OF his own denomination and in close
sympathy and fellowship with him and his church,
| have recently pfesen ed TO PNmoutn church,
| through committees headed by their respective
pastors. q document in which the following para
| grapn occurs:-
such course Of action appears to especially
against the good name Of minister OF Christ In whose
undnmed repute purity lie the whole church has
statements are alleged 10 have been made by the
cernng whom suspicion almost sure to be increased
by such an apparent avoidance OF duty and where The
saeridcedp lcrfr '''A' - ""'H' : 's'"'
At the meeting at which this document was con-
sidered by Plymouth church Mr.. Beecner made
speech, the drit OF which was that he opposed
10 ccclesiastcism and should continue TO be op-
posed TO the end, forgetting, perhaps, for the mo-
m
Church." and that 70 tnat church He had said, 10
] am with. you all DAYS till the end' II Mr..
Beecher had contented himself with questioning the
action OF the sister congregational churches. IL
would hardly be any affair Of ours; but on tne ol-
lowing sunday laS II following up his announced
programme OF opposition TO eccesiastlcisml he
must go out OF his way TO denounce not the
churches that arraign him-perhaps his strongest
word Is tnat they have made
MISTAKE,
and OF one OF whose ministers the worst he had to
say was tnat ne was not born in Indiana, but,
presto. he las lou OF the Holy Catholic Apostolic
Cnurcn, that millions o. saints and MARTYRS and OF
holy souls in every age have believed be with
excellent reason Of al that have said this even
ing is not a de usionl 10 be the very Cnurch that
! lie promised that 1.-The gates OF hell should not
prevail and to which he gave the commission
To teach ali truth even as He had taught TIL the
| end oi time, the Churcn which they with st. Paul.
! have beeved TO ne "tbe very body and the spouse
OF Christi Mr. Beecher. fresn rom the reading OF
| the document from which have quoted, in which
his friends tell us Of a stain upon his character
that, in their Judgment VIII be only deepened the
the horrible hardihood and eErontery TO stand up
and pronounce this Church OF God ''the marvel not
only but the internal miracle OF timen Mr. Beecher
cannot be ignorant or the w0ndrOus claims OF this
Church 10 the gratitude and veneration OF mar
kind, and he Is acting an unworthy part when,
with so much assn tance, he dares 70 assert what
he could certainly not be sure oil and wnat he is not
ignorant hut ne must have had many powerful
reasons to doubt. Might not Mr.. Beecher and
others like him nave found similar reasons in ,he
weakness and suilerlnes ol the individual human
ity OF Christ to have denied His divinity and to
OF the prince Of devils does He cast ont devilss,
would say TO Mr.. Beecher that his action seems TO
SAVIOR OF
A VULGAR POLICY UNWORTHY OF CHRISTIAN MN
IsIER.
The knowing ones OF the world VIII in all prob
ability say that II Is the old and vulgar dodge OF
the thief, when hotly pursued, raising himself the
cry, ''stop thiefln or OF the prisoner in the dock
lamenting and condemning the injustice and
tyranny OF organized society. And would. last OF
all. say to Mr.. Beecher. that Ii we read IN Holy
Writ OF terrible chastlsement inflicted upon one
who TOO thoughtlessly raised hs nand 10 prop the
tuttcrlng ark oI cod ne can hardly nope for
blessing when he so fecklessy and cruelty would
RAISE Ills hand TO smite 1t and throw it down.