The Van Buren press., 1878-01-08
Henry Ward Beecher's Orthodoxy.

Henry Ward Beecher's Orthodoxy.
Mr.. Beecher's text, Sunday morning,
was the ninth verse Of the nrst chapter Of
Epbesians. and the theme Of his dis
course was the background Of mystery
which surrounds, or rather obscures, an
attempts to teach or understand the at.
tributes of God Men must learn these
things by their own experience, and IN
illustrating the difference between God
and man, he said that man. essential fac
ul,ics arc precisely similar to those Of
God, and only differ in degrees, just ~
the child Of 4 years, sitting on his faith
ers knee, has the same powers OF reas-
oniug as his father. only that power in
the father is matured, 'thile in the child
1t Is weak snd obscure. A man would
not hold candle out OF the window, and
say it was sunrise, and yet the same
warmth exists in the candle that exists in
the sun, though in IN immensely differ.
ent degree. Speaking Of the Trinity.
Mr., Reecher said that he believed there
we're three persona united in one God
head, hnt if any one should ask him Why
he believed it, he should tell them frank
ly that he did not know anything about
it, only that 1t was easier 10 believe that
which he thought conceded with the doc.
trine of the New Testament than to con-
tradict it, But he could not attempt to
explain it. OrtL odoxy says men must
believe in the Trinity. or they cannot
come into the church. That is called or
thodoxy, hut he called il heathenism. 1t
is not an easy thing, said Mr.. beecher,
for an honest, conscientious man to
know what to preach. and what not to
preach. A man who values morality, and
who has the good Of his fellow men as
heart, cannot be careless as to the things
he ought to teach. His own head had
often rccIcd, and his mind had been great
" troubled, when he reflected upon his
responsibility in this matter. II was no
easy matter to remove the rotten timbers
and replace them with sound ones, ami
not stop the voyage Of the ship. TWAS
said tina, Adam was created perfect. Il
was also said that Adam sinned, and that,
in consequence OF that sin, the whole hu.
man race fell The human race had exis-
ted on the earth for thousands and thou
sands OF years, and had gone on props
eating ami multiplying. until al the
waves OF the ocean which had rolled In
upon the shore during those centuries
did not contain drops enough, nor the
sands Of the sea particles enough, nor oil
the figures Of the arithmetic numbers
enough, to compute the preface. to say
nothing Of the body, Of the great history
of the human race. The numbers OF the
human race were actually beyond compu-
taiion. and. for thousands and thousands
~ lN,eags.. they had |haaa .hnrn. .isyo- IN
me that they are gone 10 heaven, my an.
swcr will be that such sweeping Of mud
into heaven would deille its purity, and l
cam OF accept that II you tell mo they
have gone to hell. then swear by tho
Lord Jesus Christ, whom have sworn
to worship forever, that you will make az
iniidel. Of me. The doctrine that God
has been, for thousands Of years. poop
ling this earth with human beings, during
a period three.fourths Of which was NOT
illuminated by m altar OF church, and
in places where yast proportion OF
those people are yet without that light, -
to transform the Almighty into mons
ter more hideous than Satan himself. and
| swear by all that is sacred that ! VII
never worship Satan, though be should
appear dressed in royal robes and seated
on the throne OF Jehovah. Men may
saw, 70 will not 60 TO heaven A
heaven presided over by such o demon -
that, who hos been peopling this world
with millions Of human beings, and snen
sweeping them of into hell. not like dead
flies, but without taking even the trouble
to kill them, and gloating and laughing
over their eternal misery. 10 not such
heaven as want to 60 to. The doctrine
is too horrible. l cannot believe It, and
| won't. They say that the salnts IN hesv.
eli are SO happy that they do not mind
the torments Of the damned IN neil put
what sort Of saints must they be VINO
could be happy, while looking down upon
tina horrors of the bottomless pitt They
don't mind--they re safe--they're happy
What would the mother think Of the IT,
year old daughter. who, when her infant
was living dead in the house. should come
dancing and singing ialo the parlor. and
cxclaim, oh, I'm SO happy. mother!
don't care for the dead baby in the col.
Gnr Would she not be shockeds And
so with this doctrine; and, BY the blood
OF Christ, / denounce it; by the wounds
in his hands and his side abhor II; bJ
his proans and agony ! abhor and de
nonnce il rs the most hideous nightmare