The New York herald., 1874-12-28
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

MIR. BEEcHEn's ANNUAL ADDRESS ABOUT THE
PEW AUCTION AND NEW YEARS CAILs-A
SERMON ON THE LOVE OF GOD TO MAN.
On Tuesday evening, the 5th OF January, ts the
annual auction OF the pews Of Plymouth church.
Mr. Beecher in making this announcement yes
terday morning INDUCED 10 his yearly witticisms
and morallzings on this coming event. In the
course OF his remarks he said Every year for
twenty eight years, as this has occurred, there
are many persons who have recorded their
very strong preJudces against selling pc In the
house OF God. The English papers have never
done laughing at Us, as they have done every
year, and as they will, doubtless do it again.
am perfectly willing that tbey should do this.
only desire that they should not misrepresent u.s.
No church that know OF in any civilized nation
that has not expenses-expenses incident to
the church. II there are these expenses
they must be met in some way and
by some means. This amount Is raised
in most churches by dxing upon their pews ON an
nual tax and giving them percentage Of
valuation. In the West and the South the
expenses OF the church are mostly raised by sub
scription In England they are largely raised by
taxing the whole community and providing im-
mense funds from property around and about the
churches. These funds arc not collected from the
Individual, but very largely from the community
and foundation INSTITUTIONS 4 KNOW tnhL tlefe
are those churches and men who are so decided
upon this refuse 10 receive money for this. Ii
you call that selling the Gospel why you may as
well say 1t is selling civilization or maternal love.
1t IS just The same as raising food Tor the world.
~he presumption, then, being that there Is no OBJ:
r. n to the raising OF the money, the method OF
jsct,.- the business OF those who raise it. 1t is
n0r1 n01ns ~ y, the internal economy NO persons
are outside u it 0. is not soiclled.
Ws have s1o ounS ans h9narsds churches have
found, that THIS is the best way OF 'ispcsing 0: TIC
seats OF the church. 1t Is democrats ana enables
those who desire it to take more etg..lc seats Is
their means increase. There IS in thcSe psws no
pre-emption right or anything implied Of OK
Will not have any rights IN his pew alter next
Sunday; until then it his property. but after that
without any iii viii Alter referring to the rights
OF strangers to the pews when not occupied ten
minutes before the service. commences. Mr..
raised about two-thirds OF the entire money That
is. the respectable pay for the democracy. The
any but rich folks is mistake. There are
SaSr: ss II the wsrs nsrs Il can ' os
said with greater truthiulnesS that the poor have
fss S ss, s b. ss mr.
on New Years Day to receive callers. from eleven
to seven, at his house on Columbia Heights.
THE SERMON.
Mr.. Beccner preached sermon suitable to the
season on the love Of Cod to man. He selected
chapter Of the Gospel Of st. John :N"Now before re-
the feast OF the Passover when Jesus knew that
his hour was come. that he should depart out OF
this world unto the Father having loved his own
which were III the world, he loved them unto the
end.n II this person, Jesus, Mr. Beecher said,
were only man, or man only, still on all hands,
as much by those that disbeleve, as by those who
have tne most deep iaith, he must be regarded
as the greatest moral genius the world ever
saw. There are many who VIII not worship
iia, Him as divine, who regard lin as the most
sublime specimen OF trde manhood, but who have
large reverence Ia this genlus. From this pas
sage you can carry away things inasnuch as there
certain degree OF lorcc ana Winch take in
higher wisdom and which express much OF the
Iaihorhood o. that Cod that - ioyed the world as
10 send His son TO die FOR men. There can be no
intermittent III our Saviour That part OF
LIS divinity was IN relief was obscured.
sciousness o: this divinity. This OF which
John speaks. was one OF these hours IL came
most In the last days OF Ills lile There lies latent
IN M TINS dec araton world OF meaning OF power
skctched what he supposed we're tue feelings of
Jesus on His expectations OF returning home to
~ ' the fae feenr ana o nas a 4. ns thought
are about 10 return from a VISIT to foreign
lands to their natise home. Mr.. Beecher then
asked, What must the apostles have seemed to
an extraordinary man, except 1t be John. Con.
slder tnat these were men not only without
genlus but without experience or the worldly
greater than their surrounding circumstances.
Despite OF all this He still loved them. Is
y IN the power OF any being 70 love
In the Divine nature that brings out love. II is
pot dependent upon our moral character. There
ls In the Divine nature power TO ieye without
cbllaren Tor that which Is not ia them. The babe
that lies in its mothers arms has no expression:
~, 4. Ioa Iaxy.