New-York tribune., 1874-06-01
TIE MINOR MORALITIES.

The ". T. clark at Unity Chapel (Uniarian Hariem
The Rev. w. Il. Clarke chose queer topic for
his morning discourse at Unity Chapel Harlem. IL was
"The Minor Moralities," and was reply IN some
the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. Among other
things he said
In the recent trial of Prof. Swing of Chicago the sub
stratum OF complaint underlying specific accusations
that his teaching bottomed in part, II not
entirely, mere morality. He laid too much stress
good works. too little the Confession OF Faith. And
the defense instead Of squarely meeting the prosecu
tOn this issue. dexterousy denied or evaded it, The
recently published volume OF the Plymouth Pulpit
contains two dsc0urses morality, in which the
original Calyanism crops continually out and the
theologian gets the better OF the scholar and the
Christian In these dscourses MI Beecher represents
morality as negative, conventional ungraclonS rult,
the family, convenient IN neighborhOod, useful IN
society quite necessary IN pushess reiaohs, & anu au
inrable rachel to Keep me nechanlsn OF the human
world from running backwards into barbarism yet II is
not enough to save men, and WIN nothing put that
tricks OF thcOlOgians To uDderrate morality by den
thne which i' one should almost he ashamed to possess
in order 10 make what they call religion appear the
though they TO strip of mans attire, and shave
his head, and cover HIM with y rags and crush three
him. say There is your Mr.. Morality Will YOU be sat
sed to be sucn he IS Can yon suppose that such
creature will be admitted into heavenP And then.
farming the sckening spectacle they point you to
religion in the form OF beautiful woman, clothed In
ask II You viii choose to be ike her and whore
belongs such rhetorical devices sare too transparent
to deceive intelligent people and II Is cheering ndica
ton of progress that the VINO resort to them begin
to be regasded wn dn as nnoysS thna
these men describe IL. IL is not the breechng that
escape, giving him strap to back against as the only
compensation for the load he has to draw, but steady
on-golng in direct line of destiny. H. is not
posed merely OF When Mr.. Beecher represents
II as vine which bears nothing but leaves he stoops 70
caricature for the sake OF anthesis Morality is the
Of
of body, mind and soul. IL is the meeting OF every
fuament OF every trust rounding the whole circle Of
natural requirement with prompt ana hearty endeayor
IL il doing and being all that ought IN every stua
ton and relation OF fe citizen OF the world and
soul in the universe of which this world Is but as
sand grain to a continent. Go back and ask Marcus
Aureius and Epictetus and Socrates, and even
Ceanthes who has been represented as an ass between
though they were, that morality IL righteousness-
being rga . ANA aopS GSnH nen and spirit 6efoTe God a Il
is obedience to conscience; and conscience according
to Frederick Maurice is that In man which points to
right that he did not mold ana cannot aiteI. SUD
stantiay the same view presented ny eVeGy a4,nor
MaekntOsh Bishop Butler represents = as obedience s G
to the WI S 81 fof of or abss No
ing from harm; but as the exertion OF our iaeutes
And eSen from God According to Kant
the speculative reason lands us In fathomess negaton
but the moral iDtuitOns hold Us ever BACK 10 the SOLD
anchorage Of faith. We do not believe In God because
Of any cunning argument from design put because OF
word ought which is the foundation OF faith ~ well as
IL is easy to make o sensation among the credulous
and iterate by screaming Believe this doctrine have
this experience, and you shall 90 to heaven reject
them, and you shall be damned forever But only
those on lower levels OF intelligence can be moved
by such defamation and only those who are Ignorant
OF OF the spirit and incompetent to deal with
the deep and solemn problems OF life and duty will
descend to such cheap and vulgar trayesty The popu
lar analOgies may be striking rhetoric but they do
not apply to the subject In hand. Man is not leapiDg
chaslD, that he must clear at bound sink beyond
the possibility Of He is training his faculties,
storing his memory exercising his affections discIpn
ing his will for endless activity aud JOY what he gains
OF knowledge. experience aud power on earth will be
SO much capital with which to begin operations else
where He il not beafn which must be of specific di-
mensiOns burned bat building OF which only the
foundations laid earth. These purely arbitrary
and rhetorical representations are misleading because
they do facts OF the The anaogies
illustrate the methods and spirit OF the divine ad-
mnstration personal and vital ones Jesus repre-
the order the universe paterna In it's PURPOSE
and The highest human relation IL the Key that
mysteries Of the spirit and Its world. You
intend send 10 college that he prepare
for OF the higher professions But after passing
through the lower schools he fails pass examination
and the doors OF the university closed TO his
vance. What will you do with him for having wasted
your substance and defeated your plans On the old
theory OF religion you ought 10 commit him prison
for fe compel him 20 eat the bread OF bitterness
and drink cup OF without forgiveness and
without hope. But instead OF treating him thus, you
fuenees select and helpful OF, ut the least, you
tell him PLAN he lacks the special tastes ana ap
tudes for scholars NE; that IN 80 Tar as his failure
the result OF his renissness and folly the mortca
tion be must experience Will he sufficlcnt punish
ment; that life OF active business IA honorable as
ana doubtless IL far better suited
institute and academy Will Increase bis ability and
chances Of IN business And II be
that the Infinite Parent loss consderate and kind
than you would be- Your son has taste capacity
Clhshlcp, le cAuuQt comprehend the lIcctles