New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-04-20
MR. BEECHER AND THG PRILOSO-
Ply OF THE GOSPEL.


mr. MIGHT HAVE FoLLowED-THE GosFEL
PLAN OF REDEMPTION
TO the EditOr OF the Trfo""e
SIR: Well, the Council has met ueIipoi
at.d and dispersed but the result mas 'eo ,,.Da
nal advantage that l see, TO the puohe l"'o'nHVO
rno only issue of properly public consequence "'"os
20 n thus far the report given IN 9es'eiu"'
.rrxr Of the Rev DIR. Bacon's discourse TO MS class
=, New Haven in which he expressed MS unreserNe"
confidence in Mr.. Beechers ntegrty put AT 'he SAINT
time professed his regret that Mr. b. had not seen nj 10
institute legal proceedings against his assaants-not
,naced in the interest OF his own reputation which
.dod no vndicaon but In that of public decOrum. l
presume very persons will deem Dr. Baeon's re-
Vret well founded and Will share 1t with
him. For my part, l could have wished
rather that Mr. Beecher had used the occasion
10 yndicate anew to mems intelligence the
temper Of that gospel OF which he is so eminent min
ister and which had been sharply challenged In his
proper person.
No occasion could conceivably have been more pro-
pous No one needs be told that Mr.. Beecher Is by
all odds the most noteworthy clergyman III the Oh'eu
States 1t safe to say that he has done more by his
signal gifts OF heart and mind 10 recuseate the pulpit
IN mems esteem by recalling it In some sort 10 Ne
Divine and human issues any dozen clergymen OF
any sect 10 the land, whether Presbyterian Episcopal
Baptist Methodist, or Congregational He mas empha
sized the hOnely claim which religion eXerts upon mems
etonits secular saney so to speak, or the rational
fascination which derives from its power to promote
our present dignity active beings no less than our
prospective welfare passive bengs-and go has done
much to ii from the decreptude IT has fallen into
s an outward cs ritual and restore 1t to its lost
prmacy as a working force in human affairs. The faet
is, Mr.. Beecher enjoys altogether commanding posi-
ton as popular exponent Of evangelical truth; ana
recent events as 1t seems had he chosen 10 a'i
himself Of the opportunity, would have gwen DIS "of"s
even a more deserved eclat than ordinary Ihueeu' CHI
loving as he altogether exceptional lusIer as
of HIGHT and love- nothing should
be more imperative upon him than 10 communicate to
public craving instruction every fresh illustration MS
own intellectual experience engenders OF the Infinite
inward grace and truth into winch Christ perpetualy
transfgures our nature.
For examples can readily conceive Mr.. Beecher on
the occasion which has just passed counsehnS Win
himself 10 terms following:
81 have II is true, private motive TO 90 before
grand jury Of my counrymen in order TO denounce the
charges preferred against me- since my own conscience
is an asucent shield against the assaults OF malice
But undoubtedly sustain in the eyes OF very large
portion Of the American Church representative charac-
ter, which imposes upon strictly representative
duties. vast of my cOuntrymen stand intel
leetuay identified with the interests OF Christian truth
and Christian purity and wherever these are cOmpro-
missed bound to undertake their defense as zealousy
M II myself the party implicated, or even more
So Thus though am personally innocent Of the
transgession imputed to Inc, cannot doubt
that there other less happy persons in the household
of faith whose conscience is equally clear in the
premises and who consequently bear about In their
bosom a perpetual menace Of disaster and death which
God and all coed men would gladly avert. Now
should heartily despise myself II 1 counted upon any
chance literal righteousness possess TO free me from
the most intimate spiritual completely with these I'M
happy persons or exOnerate me from the obligation
frankly 10 identify my own hopes and fortunes God
ward with theirs No, thanks be to God, do not SO
read The Gospel of His love. My own title 10 His consd-
eration not In least domestic one based
any difference however microscopic which am able to
discern between myself and other men, but altogether
imported foreign one based upon an actual regen
GRAFTON or reconstruction Of human nature itself,
wrought in the person Of Jesus Christ. And should
consequently have no shadow of hesitation in taking
upon myself the Of these troubled conciences,
and making myself part and parcel Of their spiritual
lot
VERY well, suppose that such guilty consciences
were now actually arraigned before the Church, and
that they frankly threw themselves upon its how
should proceed TO back their prayerl should say
Well these persons have snned. That is to say, they
are in position before their own consceDces
which the woman taken in adultery was In before
Christ nevertheless assured her that only base
minds and hearts could entertain the thought of inct
ing personal condemnation upon her. And now am
persuaded that nothing more is necessary to their
becoming spiritually reinstated in their own respect,
or hearing their cOnsciences say In their de-
jected bosoms what Christ said to her, viz,
certain baleful superstition which they have hitherto
cherished in regard 10 Divine truth, and which almost
necessarily entails upon them disastrous spiritual con-
sequences. persons simply do not believe and
never believed the gospel OF Christ That's to say
they been content 10 conceive of Christs redemp-
ton only as designed relieve the individual conscience
from guilt the conscience of this that, aud the other
specific man. and not the least designed 70 renstate
human nature itself all Divine luster, recover II
from the blight reflected upon 1t by It's individual SUB
narfS
the bitter cup OF their nfatuatOn 10 its dregs III order
10 discover how impossible any individual regeneration
r. which is not based upon federatve principles exclu
sively love Of God 10 universal Christs
dempop IS strictly natural or universal ana Is utterly
irrelevant therefore, spiritually or save TO
those frankly suspend their vital hope towards
God upon Hts public mercy spiritually postpone their
private blessing TO the biessedness OF he race In short
rChrlsts redemption II not redemption OF any specnc
Tom, Dick Harry from his conscious lnfaDy ana I'M
becity, but OF AL mankind, or human nature itself
from the olsease disorder ana death lucdent 10 lts
strictly finite constitution its mineral vegetable and
animal organization and its consequent elevation TO IN
finite dimensions or really immortal form and order.
And none OF us, accordingly, have title OF prac-
lt implies save IN SO far as we n~ardy renonnce every
gospel Of a possible private redemption for men, and
spurn with sgust the purely centOus security such
gospel eDgenders II not competent even to Almighty
power to save any with spiritual salvation, unless
human nature be comprised III the transaction, and
become itself thenceforth the exclusive focus of his
regenerate activity; and II any one insist upon
ascrlolng snea % @ of - retutiS his aSsarditv
than refer him 10 the writings OF Emanuel SWedenDOIg
arranged upon painful and penurIous principle;
that is, depending for their pernanence not upon any
frank Spontaneous Difference In their subjects to Infinite
TRUTH but their voluntary or coereed
aversion TO internal evil and falslty.
This Of justice Is due, II seems TO me- 10 the
persOns here adverted legtimately incrimnated
6y their own conscience They have sinned-tat Is TO
cav they have wounded their own spiritual life aud
peace-nOt wantOnly or wickedly, put SIMPLY because
they all along egregousy mistaken the true tenure
regarded il as founded upon selfish and
not exclusively upon our sociai i1su ,;