The New York herald., 1876-11-27
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
PROVE ALL THINGs-sERMoN by THE REV

PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
PROVE ALL THINGs-sERMoN by THE REV.
HENRY WARD BEEcHER.
The collection taken at Plymouth church yesterday
was for the American Board Of Foreign Missions. Mr..
Beecher stated that there would be service in his
church on Thursday next. and invited all the young
people OF the congregation to Join singing class to be
organized tonight IN the lecture room by Mr. Henry
Camp, director OF the choir.
sProvc all things hold to that which is good,'
selected by Mr. Bcecher tho OF his sermon.
The word sprove," he said, Is generally among
English speaking people in relation 10 argument
purely intellectual process by which evidence
ranged produce conviction that the passage
question has been mainly used to induce TO listen
readily 10 truths or TO unpaatabc ones Hun.
dreis Of thousands OF sectarics so up and down
through the land, every one with some new light
upon ordinance, some new notion about prophecy,
somc picture with meanings out OF the
Apocalypse Daniel or Ezekiel or othcrwherc Men
refuse TO discuss them, and then quoted tho text
''Proye all thingsn The Mcsmers and the Spiritual
and the uphodcrs OF all theories upon
tho passage in question. They would have the human
mind OF riddle, and have sitting continually
to 'sprovc ali things" Mr.. Beecher contendcd that
tho words of the apostle had nothing whatever to do
with intellectual processes They spoken people
well ated Tor such processes, and by who
carded himself those who proposnded such theories
his time. The text was an cxnoriation to put to
practical test cv.ry OF tho great intellectual truths
or practices which 90 10 build up a man toward tho
stature vi lie Loru jesus Chris. Mr. Bccchcr held.
however, that mcu should se willing to receive new
iign all subjects that IL thor power get:
have opportunity Of gaining
knowledge avcrse to larger better views or
even 10 entirely changed views lar the spirit o the
text was auyerseto them bu, should be boruc tand
that with respect 10 the principles winch ale applied
DIVINE nature ana 10 tAc universal
mcnt OF Goa the exhoraion was not To everybody TO
prove all these things, and 10 hold last that which
good For qualified enler upon the
exploration OF many of these themes without IA special
intellectual. and. 10 many instances, "A professional
training, and to exhort them into sucn the
orics rather TO call them INTO couas miss than
INTO lghI TINS requires critical judcment
based upon much previous knowledge and with
aocrfat" methods; and when men without cu-
ture, Khout experience enter upon these fields Of
exploration. they, iar iron reaching tue r1th very
20 Just tar enough TO unsetlc their old beliefs
without settling auy new ones there IL, sara Mr.
Bcechsr IN modern times and among oxu co.
PIE Just exactly tbs danger We are an intelligent
people, ana We always have suspicion OF IT, We are
brought UP IN schooihouses, read the ncwspa-
pcrs ana quite idea that The tung
thus side Of the crown OF God that Yankee may
put his hand upon. And SO /. happens .ha, uncdu-
Gated men and very young men rush into discussions
upon subjects that puzzle Tho OF the tai
cnted ana eruditc PHILOSOPHERS VINO have eacu
snglc ol The subjects tbo study oil lifetime;
and tAey argue, "areuIy,n as The farmers saw 80
that the wnoie land 10 hiel, or IS kcly to bc lled,
with tnecsish tnesc superficial Investigators who
are as III to enter insc them lobster 10 run
race with Dexter. And We frequently lind men who
nave read a paragraph or two IN a newspa,cr OF, a Ger.
subject ana they announce authorItatiyely that
incy have come TO the eoacius'on that and Is
true when men who have gwen the subject deep
thought are modest and lear 10 venture ULion. IL
tLey demonstrated Win they reply. sWeil, what
would you have. Arc we not cnjoined TO prove all
our fathers did ~ On. n your fathers
knew less lhan sou what could they have been
lSmilcsl The presumption iavors Darwinism Many
viii perhaps surprised that should seem TO Give
ck-nnndcd blow al an honest spft oi inquiry. do
not. would that every man OF you were tar
profound tnan you are ana that the talent you have
had been trained the investigation OF truth 1t Is
~ the interest OF truth hihat attempt tssuadc
from hasly igte aud niieriy incompetent intellectual
pursuits The notion that every should read ana
form Judgment lor hinseii Is contradiction OF
the experience OF Tie Whole
Those who think uamaniy take anybody cise's
notion-aho say they Wall not open hcir mouths ard
DC TED wish spoon oy any minister were ridiculei by
the preacher. There c said. element,
c, ouvlog.cal or cicoi ological, which lhcy
no, Obliged 10 take at second haad, Men VINO had DO
voted shcr Iiycs To HIDING out truth any depart
mrnt OIL ana who ussvu their studies upon, the
Judgment ~ generations gone before thcm presumably
would Know better than these scoiists who start
UP ~ a moment ana are over IN moment hr.
Beechcr rid Gcuca tie idea oil man speaking nine
tca angua.cs unless he spoke that which II
would have made difference what language It
sad Ia. there were many who advanced propositions
10 meet those which were submitted 10 them with III
STANDS 10 reason ,na such things must be or must not
be- The sphere u winch such proposition could bc
made was very limited indeed. One might say to an
experienced microscopist who exhibited "a drop OF
water, 1T sianus TO reason that there DO
sush life as you speak OF IN that water. tor
u = not so." There might stand a weak unframed
reason many things whica would stand To others
reason. There was g.sO. MI Secrhtr said. very
ianilar u-c OF tue term common sense" Doe
tr.nes were rejected or justinea the ground
OF common sense. No had very accurate
idea 81 ~hat coinmon but the phrase itself
Indicated u. IL was aluDL OF knowledge Us was
common to universal mankind There was very htllc
knowledge universal 10 mankind. Tho moment one
began INTO tie SUBDIVISIONS 0i society he
would end that each has seise which coininon TO
that profession but not 70 any othcr mother could