The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-07-05

MR.. RsrcHER' FRIDAY EVENING talk = TnRGTss

TssF
THE RED SRA STONE THROWING, SAINTS.
NEW YORK, Jniy '2.4APiyrlonth church
was depsely crowded tonight. No ,such
gathering bias been seen sinca The trial began.
The pastoral table was covered With sfofa'
tribufps from friends "A roar OF Fappianse
greeted Mr.. Beecber' ppearance. : ) !
= On the platform were seated the deacpns
of the church and Mr.. Repcher's sou. After
d hymn had been sung Brother Sheartnan
led 10 prayer, and expressed the sentiments
OF Plymouth members wben he thanked
God that when the bitter cup was presented
to their beloved pastor they were able to
partake Of It with him. NH, -. I. =. r..,.
After the congregation bad sung hymn,
Mr.. Beecher began his discourse OF stating
thst he did not propose to say anything
about that which touched all their hearts
concerning himself, but that he would speak
about the church, and before leaving for the
summer, would say some words to them
which were In bis heart. There had been
said a good many things about this church
bv persons who were ignorant Of its work.
ings. His own Judgment, unwarped BY
passion, the fruit OF years of acquaintance
With ii, was that by the blessing Of God there
had been brought into cooperative labor in
this church body of people such as has
rarely been paralleled, not defined in wis
dom, but remarkable for individualism. As
church it had dwelt as q unity which had
been the result Of religious feeling In re-
ierring to the late trial through which this
church bad passed, Mr., Beecber said
be thanked his audience for 81 Their
patience and consideration. With.
out any concertiye action this, church
had stood for two years With immense sym.
pqthy for their chosen head and pastor, and
what they had done was spontaneous and
not ordered. This unity Of the church in
sorrow aud affection for two. years was not
from any arrangement between the parties,
but from the ipdweliiug spirit Of God. They
bad passed through the Red Sea like the
children OF Israel, and were now, on the
other side, and the wheels Of Pharoah's cha
riots they could now see sticking in the mud
1Laughter.1 The speaker deprecated alien
aions between households, and invoked
them not to break up the harmony Of
churches. Of all the saints he knew Of, the
worse were the stone.thrOwing saints like
Shmei. There were enough OF these
in editorial chairs and the pulpit. God
had not baptized him for nothing. but
was preparing him for a work, though
he did not yet know what it was. They
were being consecrated for mission, and
God haG comtorted them-by the way, and if
they We're not put to work this summer he
felt this church was consecrlted for some
great work. 1t they were to be employed to
unsteel hard hearts and make holiness not
myth, not q poem, but reality, let them
therefore rejoice as God was leading them
step by step to Zion. With these latter
words Mr.. Beecher concluded; and Mr..
Shearman arose and said that he bad been
tor twelve months the victim Of the "policy
of silence" Since that evening OF the 2oth
Of June, when he had the interview with
Benjamin F. Tracy-a man who was as high
above those who attacked him as heaven vas
above earth-siDce that time they had gone
on until they had the victory. Referring to
the prosecutions Of the church, be SAID ne
blessed the Lord for chem, and then, DWELL
ing for moment on The letters OF Mr..
Beecher produced ut the late trial,
ne said let the outside world say what
it would, he looked on those letters as
the proudest feature OF Beecher's case. He
would have considered him {Beecher) cur
and i hound if he had not expressed peni-
,euce when he learned be had alienated a
wife from her husband, and he would baye
Il spised Mr.. Beecber bad he acted otherwise.
He was sorry if be himself had spoken evil Of
any man. but he could not help it, and now
that their pastor was 20 soon to leave be
hoped that they would join with him in
pedging Mr.. B"echer their fidelity, and God
helping them, they would never leave him.
No voice uttered from the press or pulp
could make them leave him, and ten thousand
juries could not make them doubt his word.
They would 20 through With him to the end,
Whatever that might be. As MIR. ShearmAn
concluded the tears stood in bis eyes and the
eyes of those about him, while bis voice grew
husky.
Mr.. Beecher then gave out hymn and
pronounced benediction, after which the
audience dispersed.