New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-06-08
PULPIT UTTERANCES.

PULPIT UTTERANCES.
THOUGHTS FROM MANY PREACHERS
srpMoNs BY THE REV. HENRY WARD BKEchEh AM
THE REV. DRs. CHEEvER, sCuDDER, BupiN"io'
HUGH MILLER THOMPSON. AND oihh"'
VICES In A NEW CHURCH.
The first Sunday OF Summer ulu no' WV" IL
noticeable falling off in attendance at a"y VI
churches in New-York or Brooklyn Inc gay W"
warm. but the sultry air bad little ei'oc' on ~
pulpit teachers. for the themes OF inc n'oinne
all events were of unusual interest," "o o0-
GIVEN in THr TRIBuNE this morning comprise some
g a.. g., religious utterances of the day, and
og,rd an extensive field for profitable thought.
The Rev Henry Ward Bcechers general subject
WAS. "yiews of the Christian Scheme IN giving
which he referred to the doctrine of evolution ana
the conditions of the future life. The Rev. George
b. Cheever d. d., gave his sixth sermon or lecture
on the Evidences of Christianity" at Association
Hail. his special topic being the " harmony Oh inc
Gosnelsp DE- Chcever will close the series next
Sunday. The Rev. Henry NJ Scudder. ID. d.
preached at the Central Tabernacle, giving clear
and interesting analysis of Bigotry and Enthusiasm
The Rev. Hugh Miller Thompson. ID. d., preached
ON Mans Stewardship on Earth" The first regu-
lar services of the Reformed Episcopal Church OF
the Incarnation, IN Brooklyn. took place in the
Oh Tho Endurance of Cbrists Fame"
VIEWS OF THE CHRISTIAN SCHEME.
7A> Henry Beeher Plymouth Church (COHgre0andD
The Rev. Henry Ward Beecher's sermon
yesterday morning at Plymouth Church, was based on
the tAxts found in john ill., as. in connection with
Romans viil ls21. He made very interesting expana-
ons OF the bearings of the evolution theory on spiritual
life aud gave few plain hints to those who look upon
the origin OF man according literal Interpretation OF
Genesis beeyn the creation to have occupied six
literal days He declared, TO the amusement OF bis audi
ence. that such people were twin brothers to the
Egyptian mummies and the latter were after all the
furthe5t advanced.
At the outset he referred to the imperecton and uni
versal snfulness OF mans conduct. which had been
all ages by all schools of Christian theology
and Just as much In other religions In the Christian
The parable Of the Garden of Eden and of the fall Of
had. strangely enough formed the basis OF the
enduring and universal theory. well the one
that oppressive sstent with every
one of those things which spring up under rigorous
education the ethical principles OF the Gospel.
The general view which had come down TO
us that we are condemned not account OF what We
have DONE but account of that which done for
fact vioatiye Of every educated instinct Of
right and justice that could avoid repudating 1t
as the foundation Of any theology. The difficulty
not obviated by saying that God is greater than
and that what right in would not necessarily be
right IN God because such line OF reasoning con-
founded the radical elements of right aud wrong. and
destroyed the moral and the rules OF Judgment
That which night in God must be right In man rela
lively TO his position, and in due proportion and meas
II a man does wicked act. subjecting him to an
eternal penalty with what kind of conscience
can he his outlines say that deserving
of punishment, and then turn around and worship the
act sprnging from the attribute in God 1t
stultifed human nature.
M sal we no n lint
OF Christ roots take hold not Of the soil OF Eden
but OF the soil Of the New Jerusalem Our theory OF life
is TO be evolved not from the poems the parallels,
which only shadows and intimations according to
the line of instruction Of ambiguity. but take
the clearer light that shines the facts OF Gods prov
dence and determine the system things under which
we live by the teachings of the New Testament
Ministers afraid of any system which lighens the
sense OF responsibility, and 1t is just fear. The old
theory therefore looked upon with great allowance
This however not the higher way but the lowest and
the poorest 1t is not the fear Of poverty which
the best work. but il is the ambition Of good work.
the desire Of some higher station and Of the higher
race If only be stirred by the grosses lowest
forms OF cmotion-fear we are not advancing To say
that any change Of this view of responsibility fear
will work toward deterioration is false fact and in
philosophy Gu the other hand, the theory that of
this lower state Is by education and evolution
under the Divine guidance. brought into the larger
lOerty not OF animal life but OF the life Of the Sons of
God full OF Inspiration Of hope Of all that is sweet in
purity winning in affection That theory has in all the
stimulus that from fear in the other system More
than that 1t falls in with mans reason 1t is founded
fact The line Of thought OF modern science falls
with strange coincidence into the line OF thought OF
Paul. and fact, with the line OF thought all through
the New Tesamcnt. AS TO the evolution doctrine there
not botanis in the world who does not believe
theory In regard TO the vegetable kingdom. but what
should you think of a who would say that these
olA
the Sun. In the! of human beings, their spiritual
development is just in this way brought by the Son
OF Righteousness.
The necessity of the birth is made moro evident
In the New Testament Men who live by passion and
pride begin to live by rectitude and purity. an
actual change. and the birth has assumed q gran
deur that it did not have before.
Mr. Beecher here alluded TO the battles which had
taken place between the theooSans the geoogsts
and the invanable result-the victory of fact over
theory shall not discuss, he added whether revea-
ton on paper Is superior TO a revelation of fact
shall that revelation Of fact invariably carries the
day, as IL always will must, ought God has spoken
by the by earth and by the experience
Of the OF mankind embodied in laws in customs In
religion In HISTORIES by its industries its whole concep-
OF life. Paul looked upon and saw that the
problem OF life problem Of striving against
the animal and seeking the manhood element He says
these two things irreconciable. He says have
nothing 10 do with the Fall Of 1t the divine
decree that men should escape out Of the lower
into the higher forms of life by education.
This brings Inc back to the significant inquiry: Why
are we not given better information respect thes
ultimate conditonsi Why does not the Word OF God
teach us more The only explanation have that
the lower stage can never understand the higher,
have fourlegged little heather OF dog-a very dis
eliminating dog 10 gentlemen In disguise. IL ever
dog was distressed 70 think he could not talk that dog
ts aud sit on the bank in Summer and say TO bin
Tommy am sorry for you; " and he whnes as much
rs 10 say, so am say, Tommy l would like 70
tell you good many things which you worth know