The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-07-25
LEE THERE IBE AN END.

We had supposed that churches were or
ganized so that there might be preached
thcrefrom the indispensable goodness of
God. the unsearchabe riches of Christ
We supposed it was their mission to preach
Christ and Him crucified; to point out the
way by which heaven might be attained /:
to hold forth, as Christ's ministers, the
hand OF reconciliation to sinful and guilty
world; and to prepare for that prophetic
day when the lion and lamb should lie
down together and n little child should
lead them. when there should be peace on
earth and good will among men, We were
brought up and educated in this faith, and
it is sad, AT this late day, to find ourself so
greatly mistaken therein. We still trust
and believe that the majority of churches
hold to the good old way, but many, too
many, have departed therefrom. In too
many churches, the protection of its own
members Is of more importance than the
preaching of the merits of the death oil
Christ. In too many churches, the en-
deavor to shield from reproach the good
name of fellow-memher takes the
place of the desire to vindicate
the truth. Again it is reversed and in too
many churches, jealousy, prejudice and
foul mouthed SANDER are permitted to de-
stroy the fair fame and unblemished repu-
tation of life time. Is it not so? We
need not go out of Vermont or New Eng
land to see the truth of every one of these
assertions. We need not go out of Yer
mont or New England to find the church
of God prostituting itself in thousand
other ways to accomplish some unholy pur-
pose. Oar church history is full of such
instances. No denomination is free from
The accused blight. Sometimes it is to
strike down clergyman at others to up
hold him in spite of incontestabe evidence;
again it shields an individual from Just pun
ishment for the most hidious of crimes, and
then it 5lights the life of some of the purest
and best of Gods creatures. We appeal
to individual experience. personal rccollec-
ton and church history to sustain our po-
sltion. Is not Plymouth church, to-day.
taking something of the same course In
stead Of preaching Gods holy word has it
not become scandal mopger of the worst
sort? This Titon-Beecher matter is a
scandal Of the most disgusting and disgrace
full kind, but one in which the people are
most intensely interested, and in which
they have a right to be so interested.
They want to know the truth and the
whole truth of the matter, and that right
speedily. But what is the church dong
1t il, perhaps, true that they are taking
just the course TO keep the infamous scan
dial alive and TO have it spread and take a
deep and abiding seat in the minds of the
community For weeks, they have been
investigating, or pretending to investigate.
and each day some dirty morsel of scandal
is doled out TO the people, disconnected
generally, with anything else, but just suf-
fcient to keep the interest awake and make
Mr. Beechers character general subject
of discussion; If the object of the church
is to damn Henry Ward Beecher beyond
recall, then they are pursuing the right
course. If they desire to reach the truth,
no matter who it will hit, why, in heavens
name, don't they throw open their doors,
examine and cross-examinc such witnesses
as know anything about the matter, pro-
cure all attainable documents, let the world
know what is taking place and be done
with 1t. The whole matter could be closed
up in as many days as they have been
weeks about it, and the people would not
have these sickenng details thrust before
them, pecemeal, every morning. There
is but one thing for Plymouth church to
do, and that is to return to the preaching
OF Gods word endeavor to vindicate the
truth and cease making scandal monger
of itself. 1t would not be out of place,
either. if other churches should pay more
attention to Gods word and the truth than
to individuals.