The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-23
BROOKLYN CHURCHES.
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

Mr.. Beecher ON Christian Benevoience-
The Rich Debtors to the Needy-The
Strong Bound to Save the Weak
Universal Brotherhood-The American
Home Missionaries.
Mr.. Beecher yesterday morning preached a
charity sermon for the benefit OF the American
Home Missionary Society, for which the annual
collection Of Plymouth church was taken up at the
close OF the discourse. He chose as his text the
words OF st. Paul recorded In the EpIstle to the
Romans l., IA and Isl am debtor both to the
Greeks and to the barbarans; both to the wise and
to the unwise. SO, as mucn IN me is l am
ready to preach the Gospel to you that are
at Rome aso" According to the popular
Jewish idea the whole human race were
divided into the precions few who we're
Jews, aud the unfortunate outside world the
Gentiles, whom they reckoned TO embrace all
the scraps, the odds and ends OF humanity not
worthy OF notice by those of the favored stock So
among tile Greeks The cultivated civilized world
to them were Greeks; the outsiders unfortunate
and despcabIe observation-disclosures who might appro.
pirate the crumbs oil Greek culture but having no
rights to consideration as fellow men, The je WIS
recognized their duty to each other within their
own nation, but outsiders were not considered to
have any claims upon Jew The race-the nation
founded the obligation OF man to man In that con-
dtion Of development which Paul sought to i'm
prove. Nor has his teaching yet become the
adopted rule OF national life among Christian peo-
pie. We, too, still initiate the Jews and Greeks
more than christ ana raul. In ruder times and
nations the shipwrecked stranger was considered
TO have forfeited his life liberty to the people
among whom the winds and waves had thrown
HIM. As
STRANGE OK IN THE PARMYARD
Ia gOred by all and new fow Is pecked at by all,
so foreigner Is reckoned an outsider at whom ali
may gird. Kindness in the earlier stages oil civil
lied growth IL confined TO the family IL is limited
by selfAnterest and expended only on mans own,
where he will profit by IL. So 1t IL stu, except
when the teaching OF the Gospel OF Christ has ex-
tended the obligation, 10 embrace all humanity.
The Christian precept enforces a higher law
that OF
DISTINGUISHED BENEvOLENCE.
This law requires us to do good to all in the pro-
portion In which they need-to our neighbor to
those around US, to all with whom we come in con-
tact or whom our benefactions may be able to
reach. Are our neighbors those only who are near,
or OF our race or set Not so Is the teaching OF
the scripture read this morning In which the out
cast was succored by the Samaritan. Now all
nations have some chimney by which they
let Off the smoke OF their scorn. All
people have somebody to damn, some on whom
to let loose their hatred. Eacn sect has some
other sect whom IL considers heterodox. The
Samarltans were a mixed race, partly OF Hebrew
origin, and thus claimed to be legitimate. SO the
Jews 80 hated their Samaritan neghbors, rivals,
that you might have almost
THOUGHT THE JEWS WERE CHRISTIANS.
1t would make q Jew swear any time to see a
samaritan even IN his prayers. Now this poor
Jew, fallen by the wayside, robbed and wounded
was seen by some OF the pest OF his stock. The
priest turned away; he was not Of his occupation.