Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1874-05-04
2Relisior3 Department..
BEECBER AS s.LTBERAL.o
WHY HE DOESN'T LEAVE THE coSeREeA.
TIoNALIsTs.

is the example of those men who are liy
ing as Christ lived. 1t is not in tb,
church, or in church organizations, bu
in the sense of individual excellence
II there Is any power worth preserving
1t Is the unorganized living force Of men
sanctihcd, inspired, lifted up by The
power Of Goa, and the real power, his
torlcally, has been the same. Church
organizations have exerted great power
In the world, but don't think you viii
find that they have exerted as much In.
fuence for good as for harm. Organized
Christianity has been the poorest part
OF religion. 1t would have sunk long
ago If there had been no other power.
1t has not been the church that has pre-
served religion, it has been religion that
has preserved the church. 1t has not
been the priesthood that has preserved
the laity, it has been the example of
the humble lives of the laity that has
preserved the priesthood. Churches
have been like caves. When in lime
stone realms you go into these vast caves
where everything is cold, as people want
1t to be in churches where the temper
AZURE never varies much from 40 degrees
and people don't want it to vary much
In churches; where everything Is formal,
as people want formality in churches 4;
and from the roof there come stalacities
growing downward and from the bottom
stalagma growing up; and then there
comes through one man with a torch and
you see all there Is in those caves become
beautiful. In themselves? No; but in
the light of that mans candle. And so
here are churches, with archbishops and
cardinals, and other eminent men and
saints down through the ages, full of all
manner of things, dropping from the
root. or springing up from the ground,
cold as ice, except that now and then
holy women casts light through them
and makes them all attractive.
Christianity has made but little prog
ress. What is the condition of Africa.
of Asia. of Europe, of North OF South
America? Look over the world and
see the condition of the nations after
nearly two thousand years of Christian
lty. Where are they, to-day? IT'S true
there has been great deal done: but
compared to what was to be done. how
very little, Why has it been so slow ?
First, because those that set forward
Christianity in this world adopted CO.
erelve conscience, announced the author
lty OF men in Gods name, attempted in
religion that which was attempted in
politics, namely, to govern men without
their consent 1t did not succeed with
either. Liberty is best. either for the
state or the church. Religion should
be spontaneous; it is the free Offering
OF free souls, and it does not do to saw:
believe this or be damned" For one
man secularly to say to another: You
DC DAMNED - bad enough. but take =
man, put big robe onhim with a black
cap, give him staff with a twirl on ton
OF 1t, and then say, Believe in transub
sanitation, or be damned" | don't
think "be damned" under such circum-
stances Is any better than before: in
tact an official .'be damned is a great
zeal worse than a personal one. You
can force people to be religious any
more than you can force grass to grow.
Let an armed force come up to nv farm
at Peekskill. There is some grass there
very backward about coming up-let a
IRE company come and see if they can
squirt up-or a military company come
and see If they can force it up, or a COM
pany OF magistrates, with searcb-war.
rants and sec if they can bring it I'D.
There Is no man can take crocwbar and
say to the tree, "Grow," it won't grow
Another reason, Mr.. Beecber said
why christianity had not progressed
faster was that men had employed ma
llgn elements to spread religion rather
than spiritual ones 1t was imuossiblA
to develop love by hatred. or peace bv
furious argument. The fruits of the
Hpiris could not be produced by quarrel
ing The gates of hell had opened into
this world through ecclesiastical indica
tories. and the greatest cruelties have
been practiced by Christian sects and
the world has been presented with a
hldeous, bloody-mouthed God. that makes
men only to devour them. The church
dominion in the world had been simnlv
monstrous; the church had been pnder
the dominion of devils. Another capsa
Tor the slow progress of Christianit,
was that the church had aimed at kpowi
cage rather than charity. Mr.. Beecher
mere alluded to the divisions in the var
iouS sects as they existed, today. and
all these differences were about exterpaIs.
not one of them touched in apv manner
the essential fruits of the Spirit.
Abiding to his own position amopg
the OOngregatiOnalists, Mr.. Beeober
said 1t was said to him: IF Won are %
impressed with these liberal ideas ubv
aont you go out from the Congregation
aiists Il stay here" said Mr. Beecb
Ct because there are men that saw that