The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-05-09
BEECHER'S FRIDAY NIGHT TALK.


BEECHERS FRIDAY NIGHT TALK.
Religion Judged scientifically and SYM
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. for the Normal
school at Harpcr's Ferry.
Last night began the eight O'Clock prayer meet
ing at Plymouth Church. The lectureroom anu
parlors were crowded as usual. After the custom
airy services Mr.. Beecher aid:-Men often find
fault with religious people for judging the
results OF scientific research with incom-
petent knowledge They say that it re-
quires particular style OF Investigations
and education to acquire knowledge OF science,
and that clergymen living on different plane are
incompetent to judge. There Is q great deal or
truth in this, and there Is just as much truth on
the other side. Scientific men have such train
ing as units them to Judge OF truth as to the
question OF prayer, Of divine providence, OF the
sympathetic relations OF God In TIE human soul.
What do men studying in the laboratory know Of
humanitys am brought into relations with
struggling men and women, ana how does it look
TO me, for instance. the question Of the
existence Of GodP I don't look at it
at all from the scientific view. / look at
IL from the need Of the human soul, and your
Heavenly Father knows what you need and God
so administers the word that our prayers are
potent. can understand how on some lines or
thought man may drift away into skeptictsm
and atheism; but IT man lets out his whole soul
he cannot help but feel the power OF God. Ny
mind is borne to this matter because have seen
so much trouble lately We have gone through
great pecunary troubles and there have been an
increasing number of deaths and great
many other difficulties we have passed
through which require stability and fortitude
and patience and, above ell, faith
in an overruling Providence; and 80 my mind has
run on this-namey. that faith and trust in the
providence Of God are indispensable to us. How
many secret griefs there that cannot enter the
minds OF our most intimate friends. Think OF the
distress families Think OF the distress that there
is outside OF houses. can understand how q man,
fresh and young, can meet such emergencies, but
know all these things, and we argue not against
an overruling Providence, but Of the necessity
for an
know that this consciousness lifts men and
%sn Ta MIN h
he Is depressed, keeping all the freshness OF llie
strengtnening him n God. The love q Goo Is the
poisons, blu. all sorrows and shame with God are
for the present grtevous, but afterwards there Is
had tough time and tell me If the best things you
have got have not come out or trouble. When
shapely.
Here Mr.. Beecher gave a space for remarks and
Sae nave Of e aose x Eraer o hs1
looking at things In an intellectual way and taking
my comfort logically 81 am sorry ior you" SAID
mind whenever am In doubt In a skepttcal frame
Of mind, as was a few weeks ago, know OF no
better way than to get hold OF thoroughly athe-
istic book. I found in such one very ingen-
ious argument, showing that God must be greater
friendship FOR MS was folly. God must necessarily
be raised SO far above man that Il would be absurd
was as FAR seoye rs being is above Of
ants. was struck with the force OF the argu-
ment but afterwards carried Il further and com,
greatness among men, I comiorted myself logi-
cally this way lis it not iact that the greater
Knows es IS %Sss about ann ases the
that that this Divine Being Is a Being who knows
all things He must be the Being who created me,
more Seneve IN the greatness and wisdom Of
God the more believe in God who loves and
N II @ sd
| at present, win be blessing and support to re-
N Another brother asked Mr.. Beecher il he did not
think 1t discouragtng that only 100000 out Of
$4,000. 600 on the globe were protested Christians.
Mr.. Beecher said IL always said that theolo-
gans cOoped up in closet found It easy to
WALK OFF INTO DOCTRINES
and tell what God would and would not do. We
are not required to answer for all those who have
gone before US and all those VINO Will come after
Ordinarily the Church Conception. don't meet The
facts OF nature. There has got to he larger
view. 1t ID required OF man according
to what ne hath. and not according 70 what he
nath not; and ne that hath not the law shall nor
be judged by the law. We are judged according
to our light and opportunity, and God is infinitely
more inclined to mercy than the interpreters Of
God are. We will now sing hymn and then have
little afterpart,
here a lady who has ab0red in the western part OF
Virginia in the establishment OF educational IN
stitutiOnS told her she might have all Opp0r.
tunlty to make brief statement OF the work AMI
then we will take collection tor the cause.
The lady, Miss Dudley, appeared on the platform
and said AT the close OF the war went into the
Shenandoah Valley, and schools were established
all throughout that region When ! Went TO my
first school there was only log cabin ana 1t was
the coolest weather ever knew IN Virginia. We
had to put boards up to the windows TO protect
ourselves from shots, and | had to carry a re-
v0lver. NY sch0olrOOm counted lao, and now two
churches have grown from that. The next place
commenced with seventeen scholars and
worked three years. during which time not
one OF the pastors of the city came
near me TO give me word OF cheer,
larger churches have grown; and SO all along these
schools grew and out OF these schools grew the
institution at Harpcrs Ferry. which now rep
resent. We have five buildings there, but
that Is only . part OF what Is needed we
must enlarge the work. Where we have
greatest Importance and desire yOn TO pray for
u.s. and be assured that whatever Offering you
give tor this work is the ransom price OF souls ana
when Goo makes mp your crown OF Jeweis ne VIII
not forget to say, lnasmuch as you dld ~ 10 the
least OF these We have done 1t unto me.
THE SUMMER HEGIRA
The German steamship washington, belonging
IN +ba Baltic How'd hound for Stertln via COpen-