New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-18
THEMES IN THE CHURCHES.
MANS INNATE NEED.

almost ne many more despite the inhOspitable weather
Mr. Beecher was In his customary good spirits aud
made no the topic OF absorbing interest
both to himself his audience further than posi-
HE hint In his prayer the which he
God constant spirit OF forgiveness for
eution instead Of vengeance and asked blessing upon
courts justice and judges that they might be rightly
guided their decisions The text taken from the
second Episte OF ST. Peter, chapter Ill IN
elusive.
here, then he began. Is theological school. These
topics the lecture about to be delivered to
in this school, 1t is matter Of more
than curiosity 70 know what IL is that the apostle In
this way up. We know very well what is the cur
ricu'um theological schools Of tOdaythe revela
sn Of the character OF God disclosed the New and
Old TestameDts, the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost eonspicuously the divinity OF Christ the de-
pravlty OF man, the possibility and the need OF
generation the passion and death OF Christ
as an atonement by which men are for
gwen and saved; life Of sanctidcstiOn,
Triumphant death, and glorious Immortality TO the
righteous and dark death and future punishment TO
the wicked. Now 10 this round of discussion which
theological Summaries. the questions
turned into intellectual FORM presented their In
telleeual developments ana connections. The whole
system OF Christianity. laid down In bodies OF
divinity, intellectual Christianity. What the
method IN which the Savior taught Did he undertake
10 unfold the intellectual and philosophical sense
the whole nature of man, Of moral govern
IoeDt, the theory OF duty and OF life Was
This the method OF the New Testament Now, there
are two great schools OF knOwledge-what may be
called the outward and the inward We are all aware
quantities and matter, are de .,endent primarily
upon observation. When faces have been collected,
them and 10 Is said, deduce certain great
principles, which principles themselves che
the condition facts OF the class In which facts
fOuRd No man ought to undervalue philosophy. deal
g 10 ITS own sphere W.T. It's own SUBJECTS and dealing
correctly and when the Apostle, IN ms Writings
u the COrinthans-nOt only preacher but
brought up in the highest degree the schools OF the
eVphlsS-seems 10 value phhOSophy, IL Is phlos
opny falsely called. Now, II man reflects for one
moment he shall that there is much larger
sphere Of truth which mans eve reach and no
mans bear. aud DOue OF the senses appre
itself in any physical form or IN any way SO that
you by the intellect discern IT,
FJr example, u man presents to me picture ace
the frame. the canvas, aud the whole grouping and
there exists ia corresponding T. that picture state
husasm exquisite sense of the beauty THAI Is
- The "a, ~ s in M me- eertn facts
I0ere in il. bat then there states Of
mind that Just much facts tue picture itself s
which are cased under the general head OF aesthetic
Now. you to take these out ask yOu is the
that have Of color, Is that rapture OF JOY
Of mine IN 1t, fact or is 1t not
tac,i Ny sense Of the pleasure that Il
derive frois TIE harmony OF groupings ana iorns ana
color o9e hers that response in Dea factf 1t comes
froa-iat t. SAY II arises 10 Inc presence OF that
picture hut - mat mental STATE IN me IN tne picture
l. mental state TACT Is not my feeling facts
that is somethiag. Now yo1 have got down to hard
pan" But when yoa rise a0Ove matter into the soul
soion Is the miner man less a reality tnan the exile
Ilor world which tue outside dlscerns Are these
tAcn not 0uy cs OF lower consciousness but facts OF
ati.lec orSdnzIJu the soul cJ1scl ousIess, tie lma
Now we find that the teacuiuc Of theology. to a very
large extent Las been au attempt 10 taae the inward
cou. ciOusness OF mcn-ln those truths which unex-
pressed words ouy expressed BY symbUls-lud
render InelectIa forms, and then u present
those forms a. the truth Now, don dis
DO dcnOuIc' IT, nor do say that II has been
but DO lba TINS mode OF representing the
trutb 10 a very large ystemAtic and almost
cdsIye, has led men away from the reality " the truths
those difficulties that DO not innere In religion,
bat only 10 tne method by when relisio2 Is
II you VIII tax tns aud such passages In the Blpe as
tnOsc have read yoa. think YOU will see that when
the Apostles Went ont thelr primary ehu' the urtt
breadth scope aud H Of their teachings, lay ia TINS
tIouIl ana moral states, TO give them permaneuce,
created disposition character and bona up the IN
Inside dey o let ~ tue kingdom OF G d in them,
iIeJ he IN trlittI source and motive OF an their
externa. conduct and action. They came 10 men with
vogy different feeling IRON what the tneOogln OF to-
Gay does We are taught today interpret system
o. the universe She nature OF Goa OF
an the great essential facts which involve
them the most hOsruse aud abstract OF All concely
aolc clements OF conception; but when tle Apostles
men they came not with vase system TO put
men IN possession of TIE mteHec'ua relation Oh H. Dut
they came vita power ana purpose ana Influences by
which they meant 10 sur up the highest elements That
were m the hLnah soul ana 10 Dflug Inen l'o hapl
Of action which they caed character and ont OF That
ehdcVt 10 grow external ii.e - tHen they hal
practical design upon the living CONSCIOUSNESS OF meu
wUG reference 10 tuemse yes
tectural sctooi should teach the bricks
anc all SORTS Of stone ana marble and should teach
the nature OF timber ana the nature OF metals
DLt While all those clements are necessary they are
subordinate. Tuey Gear the same relation 10 archtec-
ture mat 3 e 90 TO letters they all elementary
quite necessary; bit 10 know how TO build house
that should be coIyeLIent within aud eOmely without
Ai2neT cOnccpuo Ot architecture, is also required
Nov the Apostles all the time thinking OF
soul house and TINS Is seen IN the words OF
our text. Aud mere Mr.. Beecher commented upon
the significance the passages he mad read. Now,
then, taught 10y the Apostle. and II is the mpca
al the tnrOugu tnat the main end OF preach
tbc Gospel is t. DuI!1 man up into that state IN
which ais character snail bring him into communion
OF God Jesus Christ; but the knowledge or God
sOIgh Jesus Chrst TO come through Jnis kind OF
hroterly love gOdhness charity In words it is
TO De brought Out-the knowledge OF the LORD Jesus
ChIst-:urOugh some experimental states IN ourselves
Tis then Urng~ " 10 TINS truth gain that the NV
Fee claims that If to shape human nature
10 higher model tnat Ihs is 10 be done ny truth,
AID these truths are De understood by being
rehced J. ID eXpeumentt uuth that Is 10 OuLd ~ us
character that TO interpret 10 US the truths
Of the Bible that L. Us understand the nature
Of Christ, aud through Hin the nature OF Cod Specu
or the fa,siIy OF the Gospel OF Jesus Christ
We are come into OF thOse periods when
periods have existed nations, and At different
times, bpt 1t il matter very remarkable TOO that
tempt the Church became OdiOus her 0h"ers became
men Of suspIcOn 10 every way, aud denounced ana dis
hked when Der authority regarded a. nt0lerabe;
nay when what taught for religion was overtnrowh
frOn the confidence vi the nation, now dd 10 nap
pen te"' Dee aDd tbs fiib O, men in
tue substantial truths of religion through al
phiOsophic mind of France OF Germany OF Ehgdnd mas
been prrOds half centuries tOg tler adverse 10
tue teachings OF Christian meu that there IS
Adeeper seDse OF Christianity TO-DAY that tneIe IL d
nOre profound belief 10 tue idea OF regOn to-day IMAM
churches msy ne fashionable, but in far deeper aud
moore respectable Of that term than ordinarily
fashionable as the deepest moral feelings ADD
moral truths. To-day, the great systems OF