The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-10-23

7 y
the destruction of woman aud the viola
| ton Of u pastors Obligation. Il isa sad
| tale of human weakness and human self
ishncss, n terrible example Of how Justice
| may fan on the fcohler offender and fail to
| ttik the gcntcr sinner Yet we cannot
| think hai dly Of ARTHUR DtMMusphLE, the
| Puritan aston ard secret scduCer lie
| was like "a monk doomed TO daily aud
hourly self-tiagcllation, but the whips with
| which he punished himself wire those
| kcen"r ihHu material thongs, the iron reds
| which u lnrcrntcd conscience FORCES for the
| rnstiraiion of thc soul. His sin. ever pres
| cnt before him, subdued his pride, in
| famed his zeal for splf-sacrilcc, mortified
| his ambitions, and led Inn, chained to the
Law. TO the pulpit whcrcfrom he prea, he'd
from out OF personal experience the ne
ccSsity Of obedience 10 Divine commands
| He was u weak man, n criminal indeed {;
but he was not u hardened hypocritc nor
had he reached that last and worse state
where he ignored his sin and dencd the
vengeance OF God and man.
How is IT with Henry WARD BEEcurRl
Does his life since his scandaous trial ex-
press the anguish OF sensitive and SIN
burdencd soul, bowed down by the dis
grace he has brought on religion and on
the sacred calling which he follows? Has
any one seen him manifest the humility Of
man who had disapI onted the estimate
Of him formed by those who gave him
| ideal excellence Is there I'm his lnrruagc
and bearing the evidence of one who feels
that he must win anew n claim to public
regard by life of entire devotion to the
| good ot his fellow men. undertaken with
n spirit chastcncd by experience. and az
cXpation for mortal offence?
Wed.sCov,r none Of these manifestations
OF the 1uits Of trial and repentance in
| IlENRY WARD REECnrR. He Is chareed
from what he was of old hut the change is
in being moro defiant, more pushing, more
intolerant of his enemies. lighter in his
conversations and more greedy Of popular
applause. Even ON the presumption of his
Innocence of adultcry--n presumption inn
possible with any man who studies the cvi-
dcncc in his case, partial MS that evidence
is he dcgladcd his office 10y cowardico at
the same time that he bore himself before
men ms the bold defender of the gos-
pei lac outraged. lie lowered the dig
nifty of the Christian ministry. con
nived ut falsehood, prepared devices
10 save himself, kept ms situation n
secret from his Christian brethren, sought
aid. advice. and comfort from man who
was outside the pale Of any church, paid
money III secret to silence hi, enemy. Te-
sorted in secret to the woman with whom
he was accused of having offended. wrote
her claudcstinc letters, got from her re-
taction Of her confession, returned IL ur-
der compulsou, conducted All unmanly
aud dSgiaceful CORE spondcnce with IN
tent 10 cover up the accusation against
him, threatened what it is impossible 10
reasonably explain otherwise than Us sui
eide. IA an escape from the ENHANCEMENT
into which he had got himself. and yet all
the while he preached and prayed and per-
formed his other pastorly aud public Offices
rs If no cloud of disgrace threatened at any
moment To burst over his head. and IA,
was NOT desperately lahoring to tie up the
storm. l. this man for his brethren III
the ministry to crown with their plaudits
Add to these offences, which alon,
should have sent him into the wilder
ness TO seek atouement ana publication IN
fasting and prayer, and removal from the
high place among men. which he held only
by fraud ami deceit aud duplcity, the
compact array of direct and infereniial
testimony which is on record against him
How can a sensible mau escape the proof
that the terror which secretly afi icted HIN
was lot merely fear of the exposure of hi.
cowardice and real character hut also tn,
desperate forcbuding of the fall which
awaited him when his crime against hi,
plTishiouers WAS exposedy lie stood be
tore the world no longer famous as
preacher and a man Of godliness but de
serving OF infamy as a pastor who, insteaI
of guarding his sheep, had rather been
wolf IN sacerdotal disguise proving abou
10 dcvour the innocent of his flock. This Il
the only reasonable explanation Of h
years of anguish. Yet he asks us to he
lieve that innocent Interference between
man and his wife. leading TO their es.range
mcnt, soon healed, was the only occasion
Of all this deceit, device, parley, correspon
dence, diplomacy, and tears of blood. Ha
MIR. BEECUER'S conduct since the tria
shown him to be a man who is so highly
strung in his sensitive nature, SO tender o
the feelings Of Others, so regardful of hi
influence on those about him. quick il
10 leave n husband he believed to b.
adulterous, cruel, and neglectful, woul,
alone have wrought in him all his recorde,
anguish during the years he was working
might and main, not to repair but TO hid
his venial fault? Did he SO appear ut tn
trial while his counsel poured forth his nm
parallelcd vtuperation OF the injure,
, husbandl Has his bold front at Fishkill
, at Plymouth Church, ut the White Noun
tnins, and at Norwich, attested in Did i
, appear in his declaration regarding thos
who believed him guilty, that they wer
, bad mem Was it expressed in his CLAIM
that he was manly fellow and meant t.
a go on preaching, whosoever said him nay
r. Has he in any way since the trial showe'
? that spirit of unselhshness and delicat
consideration of his obligations to other
which would be the necessary foundation
of such self-torture as that he swore h
endured for a light offence to a friend, an,
which led him to entangle himself in tn
, meshes Of ostensible adultery, the evidenc
|, for which ia si1ffi GENTLY built nm ont ~ hi