The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-18
BROOKLYN CHURCHES.
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

BROOKLYN CHURCHES.
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
PHILOSOPHICAL rHEoLoaY-wHAT REALLY ooN-
sTTTUTEs CHRISTIANITY.
Every seat was occupied at Plymouth church
yesterday morning, ana every doorway was
crowded with people glad to obtain even footing
in the sacred edilce, ana who kept their places
through the whole OF the long service. Mr..
Beecher was In excellent spirits and preached
one Of his characteristic sermons. The platform
was adorned with beautiful stand OF flowers,
composed principally OF Gala lilies. scarlet leaves
and flowers, and a tall vase OF flowers stood ON
the little stand. In his prayer Mr.. Beecher said.
"May we be worthy followers of Jesus Christ; may
we pity rather than revenge. Grant that
we may DO willing to be toward other
men what Christ was willing to be to
US. May Thy blessing rest on THIS
church; grant that all It's history and experience
may rebound to Thy honor and glory; may we
think more OF the world and other churches; may
we have charity for all may We have love for
mankind. Grant that Thy kingdom may come
everywhere, and the whole earth be filled with
Thy glory"
After the prayer q collection was taken up for
toe purpose orprovidlng clothes for the poor.
Mr.. Beecher selected his text from the Second
peace be multiplied unto you through the knowl.
edge II Coo and OF Jesus our Lord" &c.
Here, then, SAID the preacher, Is the theological
school these the topics OF lectures to be deter
mined. Now 1t is a matter OF more than curiosity
to know what 1t Is that the apostle in this way
sums up as the
CIRCLE OF KNOWLEDGE.
We know that men are taught in schools OF theo-
logy OF the existence and attributes Of God and
no Inf In
revelation OF him in the Old and New Testaments.
| OF the character OF God disclosed IN them as
man, the need OF regeneration OF the sanctlfled
! life OF the Saviour and Els triumphant DEATH We
fanity-tnat is to say, It is religion turned into
an Intellectual form-it Is turning IN every ele-
snxsa s s s as esa ss
show bnt tha whole system OF Christianity as
| laid down by doctors OF divinity is Greek Chris
tianty Nov, was this the method that the
Saviour taughtS Did He untold to the philosophy
Cal sense the nature OF man. the duty and theory
OF lliea Was that the metnod OF the Now Tesla
mentS
outward aud the inward-now in all things SO
far as the globe is concerned. We are dependent
primarily upon observation, ana all our great
ton or facts, and SO man ought TO understand Pitt
losopny dealing with 1t IN lis own sphere, with
its own subjects; AMI when the apostle Ia
his writings to the Corinthians, where be seems to
undervalue philosophy, 1t is a philosophy falsely
so-caed, for II you will reflect moment You will
see that there Is much that not one OF our senses
can appreciate. For example. u man presents
to me a picture see the frame anu canvas and
the grouping, but there exists In me an enthusl-
asm and exquisite sense OIL pleasure tnat Is per-
sonal TO me ana does not exist in the picture.
Now when You come 10 take this out ask, Is the
sense OF beauty and color TACT or not a fact; MI
sense OF pleasure, Is it fact Itcames from tnat
tureS Is not mental state q lact2 When we can
see spd . sssn pan things enomSn pu 9
we rise into the regions OF the sonl
nSt n SO Ndw ws the ud
the teachers OF theology have been taking the IN.
nate consciences OF men to render them Into in
forms as the truth. Now do rot dsown it, but I
do say this mode OF representing truth has led
they have been errors OF teaching. Now Il you
Will take the passage have read. you Will see
principal end and aim lay in this, that they at.
attempted TO develop IN the souls oil men certain
ss % n mt
be . fruitful source OF external conditions.
Tne' 1am the to TIs ssa,
come to interpret the system OF the universe, the
nature OF God. But when the apostles came they
came not with q vast system. but with purposes
and influences by which they meant to lift up
human souls; go they bad practical design upon
the consciepces OF man with reference 20 them
selves. II were 10 open an architectural school
{! should teach the nature OF bricks; should
teach the nature o! stone aud marble and of
metals and OF wood should teach all these. but
they might know all these and not be architects.
It bears the same relation to architecture that
d bears to literature. But to know how to
buid house convenient within and comcly with
cut, although 1t requires kno Wedge Of Minerals
also requires higher knowledge. Now the
apostles were all the tlmc thinking oil the
"Know ye that ye are temples Ss, OF the living Godr
eye are rooted and grounded and edined" What
is edited but the Latin phrase for building9 Build
tain extent
OBJECTIVE TRUTHS
but to far less extent than Is generally supposed.
See what the Apostle Peter felt to be the ttal
elements "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you
Lord, according as his divine power hath given
unto us all things that pertain unto life and god-
called US to glory and virtue. whereby are given
unto US exceeding great and precious promises
irvine oese Se might be ,SH COL OF
rupuon that Is IN the world through lust"
AS Darwin would say all men are born animals.
aud the course OF religion Is to develop a higher
nature. so he would say, growing up, evolving,
having escaped corruption, wnlcn 3 IN the world
through lust, as means OF escaping animal lie,
giving all diligence, add your faith virtue, and
to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temper.
ance, and to temperance patience ana TO patience
and 10 brotherly Kindness charity, for u these
things be In you and abound they make you that
ye shall neither be barren nor unlrultful IN the
knowledge OF our Lord Jesus Christ. Now there
1t is, taught by the apostles. that the main Of
preaching the Gospel Is to build men up. where
they can be partasers OF divine nature. la 0ther
Words Christ Is TO be born into tntln through GER
1t is SAID In the Apostolic days we're the Chris
tan characters and pattern churches. Far from
IL. Paul and Peter were exceptions; but take the
average OF Christians In the Apostolic age ana
OF our sunday school scholars can beat their
christianity. There Is more real soul power to-day
than at any previous history OF the world. The
beginning and middle ana end OF the Kingdom OF
God 10 condition OF gratitude and love and truth
and honor and fidelity. the kingdom OF God 10 In
you; II is you. That Is the Church OF Christ, which
represents Chrst's likeness in living forms There
IS but one true Church, and tat Is the contrlbu-
tons OF all churches 70 the truth that
| GOD IS IN YOU.
the body or the life OF Christ 10 not Christ, but
HIS soul lie. lie that merely looks up at the spirit
tual says, how could He ne born OF woman and be
Jesus how could He be divine spirit and Jet