The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-08-13
DR.. Edward BeecI,er 60 MRS. Hooker.

BROOKLYN. August 10. 1917.
ny Dear Sister: In your interview VIII
! me you stated your belief that Henry !
guilty ms to Mrs. Tilton, and that you Ter'
endeavoring to induce him to confess The
| fact as the means of his salvation.
70 this reply that if be is guilty comics
sion will not save him. He will fall in oil
the Christian world, as Lucifer son of the
morning. To hope otherwise is the interest
delusion. His own people would not for.
give him, and ought not to do it. The
| Church universal would not forgive him,
and ought not to do it. On what grounds
you hope otherwise to think it could be over
ruled for good. or be u part OF great on
| ward movement. | cannot conceive.
All the churches take Christ rs their law
giver, and be condemns divorce, except for
one cause, and denOunccs even looking at q
woman to lust after her AZ adultery. Mrs.
Woodhull'S movement will sink in pcrdition
| all who lndorse it, and the views stated Dy
| you to me as your own would meet with uni
yer>aI reprobatun. There may be now and
| then an exception, but they will be few. In
fact, then, you are laboring with all your
might to ruin Henry, and yet you make pro-
fes.ions of peculiar love to him and OF hope
for him if he will only follow you. a
greater dciusion is not possible. 1t is true
That if Henry is guilty he ought not to lie by
DENYING it, and to practice hypocrisy. But
if he were guilty, and il for the sake OF
avoiding these sins he should confess, it
would not at all avert his fail. His only
hope Of salvation and Influence is in the as
surance OF the Christian community that he
is innocent and pure.
have carefully looked into the matter.
and I fully believe that he is innocent and
pure, as he has explicitly declared to me re-
peatediy. And have watched his spirit in
prayer, in preaching, and in social life, and
| believe that be is in communion with God,
and that God srstains him and do not be-
Iieye that God would thus sustain n liar, Il
I!ypocrite, and libertine, and lie is all these
il he is guilty.
Still further: | have carefully considered
whit could be done if any attempt were 10
he made 10 prove him guilty, and | firmly
believe be would be fully and thoroughly
rtnC:2atcd. | know what testimony there
:, and now it would stand, and am sure be
Houi be fully indicated. This is the
opinion OF IN eminent lawyer, who has
Thoroughly examined the case, and Of other
co.lpatent judges. | have no time TO 20
$50 detail. but you may be sure | do not
src.k C-lrclcssy nor without thorough in
o':i.r.
therefore think that you not only iniurc
Henry by the course you pursue, hutaIl those
who are influenced by you to believe him
guilty. And yet you are his sister, and pro-
Tess peculiarly to love him. Now you may
be sure of this: the universal conviction not
on!y of Christians but of all men Of honor
and refinement, will be that if it were ncces-
sary to bring Henry to trial or to bring him
TO confession, it is not sisters part 10 ro!-
unteer to he the aCcu>er and prosecutor, and
YOU are preparlugto come into collision with
convictions and emotions Of which God Is
the life. and before which you cannot stand
or defend yourself for Il moment.
If any one should ask why not meet the
case and develop it at once, the reply is that
it would result in very great moral injury
and diversion from spiritual good to go INTO
the inquiries involved. and that for Henry
to live near to God and manifest the graccs
of the Christian character, aud TO labor for
all good things, and 10 produce an absorb.
ton in God and heavenly things, Is his best
defence, and will cause all -landcrOIls attacks
10 die away.
When wc parted you asked me to pray
over the subject. and have done so, and |
have prayed for you. ] do not assume that
you mean 10 do evil. In your own conccp-
ton YOU are aiming ut good. But if YOU act
in fact against the great laws OF God, i'm
planted in the moral nature of men, 10 sim
cesity ror seeming good intention "il save
YOU. II a man throws himself into the tire
it will burn him, and no sincerity OF belief
will avert the const quenccS. The course
you have pursued towards Henry cannot re-
suit III good ~ yuu, TO BIN. or To any one.
| aud II may hc iearlully Injurious to yourself.
1t i, therefore,, because | love you that |
have spoken earnestly aud plainly, and l
hope YOU vii accept it Is Il proof OF my
love- for ! ! . not cease 10 pray tor You that
the dear saviour mag deliver You from all
error ana lead YOU into all truth.
In. IL ever, your alIcctionate brother,
L'uU,pn I,rrcItpr