The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-27
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

Sermon ON Ecclesiastical Strength-Mr.
Beecher Oners Plymouth Pulpit to she
Popc-The Beccher Ancestors.
The bleak weather yesterday morning had no
effect upon the attendance at Plymouth church, it
being as usual, filed to overlooking. Among
other notices for the week Mr.. Beecher announced
that Mrs. Susan NJ. Everett, NJ. D., would lecture
to women next Wednesday afternoon in the lee
ture room OF DR.. Cuyler's church, and followed the
announcement with the remarks:-'I am very
glad that women are allowed to speak, II not in
meeting. then nevertheless in the place where
meetings are usually held. ! have looked with
great sympathy upon my brother, Dr. Cuyer, ON
account OF the persecution which he has
suffered from attempting to do that which
was sens'ble and right They have been
firing the New Testament at his head, but that
never hurts anybody; they Will probably prevent
his permitting women to preach IN his pulpit or to
teach; but for all that they have lodged that
handsomely here. This Is not a religious meeting,
but 1t is preaching or teaching nevertheless, aud
1t Is going be held in DR.. Cuyer's church. thank
God; woman is going to tell women how to he
healthy, and although this Is q lower form or
preaching 1t is part OF the Gospel and bid God
speed to all intelligent, well informed women who
are endeav0rlng to give the light OF their expe-
rience and knowledge to their sisters-to women
And congratulate Bother Cuyier that this is o
matter In which the Presbytery cannot lay its
hand upon him. fac
THE SERMON.
Mr.. Beecher chose for bis text two passages,
one from the third chapter Of Galatians, from the
twenty-sixth to the twenty-ninth verse; inclusive
FOr We are all the children Of God by faith Christ
Jesus; for as many OF you as have been bap-
tized into Christ have put on Christ. There is
neither Jew nor Greek; there IS neither bond nor
tree, there is neither male nor female; for We are
all one In Christ Jesus. And II ye be Christ's then
are We Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the
promise" The other passage was from the second
chapter OF Ephesans, from the nineteenth verse to
the end OF the chapter-"Now, therefore, ye are no
more strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens
with the saints and OF the household Of God, and
are built upon the foundation Of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ himself being tho chief COR
ner stone; in whom all the building fifty framed
together groweth unto an holy temple In the
Lord. In whom We also are builded together for
q habitation OF God through the spirit" In both
of these passages stand out the same general
overwhelmingly, the higher measure Of relation
snip which Is implied In the divine word. You will
observe that one difficulty OF interpreting
the New Testament consists In this, that
1t has subtle, constantly appear
ing and disappearing, an evanescent relation
to higher stage OF development. All OF the man.
hood that either consciously or unconscously
steals into tie mind Of a speaker or writer therein
is one which transcends immeasuraDly the man.
hood that has actually existed here upon earth,
and therefore the teachings OF the New Testament
are subject to exactly that difficulty which exists
in college, in schools and In the household, where
persons OF prominence and culture are endeavor-
ing 10 convey an idea of higher stage of knowl-
adj f1av oil m of lnuvn
The study OF that one single phenomenon would
throw great deal OF light upon the general prin-
cples Of Interpretation to be used in regard to the
New Testament, and also upon many OF the un.
settled passages or knotty questions which exist.
livery parent knows how hard 1t IS co teach child
things that belong TO the stage OF growth beyond
cniluhood; we are put to 1t oil the time by the
chilsps questions and the attempt to render into
child's Ideas the Things that we nave come to by
wears Of growth. But the Apostle says that in
the higher development that Is to come by and by
there are no distinct 0ns, but all to be lone
IN Chrlss Jesus" We are now in this nascent
instance by blood and kindred and by
household consanguinity, that Is supposed to
Is supposed that this is to be the genuine and the
real relationsnip-tnere may be metaDhorical rela-
slonshigs besides, put the real one Is that Of the
JUSTIFIED by ITS necessity, but Is 1t the highests
Out u does there not grow something higher
YETI What is 1t tnat by and by takes the son away
from botn father and mother and unites him to
one that mas no blood or klnship with HIM, to give
70 her more absorong, real and perfect !ove tnan
ne mas ever cit Tor 1ather or mOtnerf 1t Is eec-
tive affinity the spirit regions. So will 1t be In
the higher life
In the conditions or human life the relation
SHIPS are and must be very low. II In the
family, wnere we have the one advantage that
comes rom common interests, common rearing,
they are so low. how much more ID the inter-
course OF men In life low. Tncre Is, In the
nrst place, spirit OF Indifference Win
even as the ants meet one another for II you ever
watch the ants which In summer time run up
ard down the trees seeking sweet Juices, you see
that the streams never come together without
kIssing-it Is touch and 60 always. But IN lie we
meet men, thrOngs, thr0ngs thf0ngs, ana tney ave
TO us no tnan the leaves OF the trees tuht we
pass by. The sense OF the greatness OF manhood
seldom enters the mind. The great mass OF men
simply Indifferent to US. But then In the
corps la which we 1--we our rivaries, our matches
OF strength and skill various pursuits, there