The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-02-18
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
EVIL INFLUENCE OF R1TuAL1sM-

EVIL INFLUENCE OF RITUALIsM-sERMoN By
HENRY WARD BEKcHER.
The M nouncemen that the colored- lady reacher
Amanda Smith, would conduct certain service this
week caused Mr. Beecher to revert briefly to the
change public opinion within the past twenty years
with respect to the coored and woman s
place in society. There was time. he said, whom 10
would required all his influence to his
congregation from ejecting o coored person who
should take a seat among them. ana now they might
ride in mnibusesl For the text Of his sermon Mr..
Beecher read the Fourth Commandment The Bible, he
sard, was. body Of instruction, rule OF life and
duty. not only supreme. but wc could not we'll con-
celve aow IL could DO made more perfect When the
Greek mind, however, assumed TO frame q system OF
moral government ana to show what was the divine
method Of moral government trouble began No sys-
tenn OF moral government ever laid down In theology
could account the fac,s that are taking place IN
creation. Such system, however, was mot
Impossible, and We are now, tho preacher
said, working toward 1t Little by little light
wc should have we'll ascertalncd and universally
cepted mental philosophy and a philosophy oil human
lie, established according TO facts. then We might
begin 10 frame a dnal system OF theology. Meanwhile
the ~ stem have, although imperfect, thousand
times better than none IL served the same purpose
IN relation to tho coming system which artificial
and impe botanical system OF Llnn9us held TO
system introduced the old fell OF, so 1t would
DO with the present theology when the final one should
be framed
MAS's DEVELOPMENT
II We should accept the generally received opn.
bon OF The race, that man began NJ the lowest point
anu has been gradually unfolding NO would have
starting poui. From tho point oil view, then, II
would seem started with only animal in
stincts and bodily faculties necessary TO sustain c
TO ropaeate the race ana those necessary Tor self
defence for that Kind oil se-ove thai should load
him TO a larger development OF power Then man
gradually developed the social qualities and affections,
Shen tho reasoning power, and finally he could
Comprehend the invsibe--the spiritual II
important question In the history OF the
race to know how 1t bad reached that point Mr.
Beecher contcnded mat the text he mad read iur-
nisncd the starting germtnant po,nt Of progress
"rbou shalt never make unto tnee any craven image
any likeness OF anything that II, &C According
10 human reason II would seem that men IN that
early asc could nave been best led To know God py
giving ihcm symbol oil such beauty and grandeur OF
iorm would LEAD thor thoughts upward to The
eonceplion OF God witnout form. But no; far back
In the beginning OF iimc was issued the command
"rhou shalt not represen, Goa by any form
of matter Mr.. Beech said II was the genius OF
yesams ut tina men sh ould not glvo liked und
stant 10 Cod, Tor lear they should bc led 10
ssv "Th,s Ia tho whole" Ii was rather taught that
tbcy snvuid cyernorc coin by their Imagination tho
image of the God they w0rsnippeJ, anu II they were
~ toze Him ~ all must be by the use of ran-
sicnt natural Phenomena, Win touch-and-nash hg-
ore that should pass away II their symbols were
nxcd permanently 10 matter the effect would be to
higher than their god No idoIairous race ever did
To AVOID this evil was the peculiar result sought
IN the Jewish economy. Al The time tho command-
ment gwen the earth was hIicd with temples
aud Idols, aud Jewish people stood almost alone
as a nation, without visible representation OF God.
From the principle vi representing God IN matter
born all tho corrupting Influences ~ the wVrlds
history, ana from The starting point OF not so repre-
scnting God sprung all tue eivllizng influences.
Al the time the Saviour came upon eartn II had
found that IL hard TO orship en- Cod
And hence On rst brought down the oil the
GodneaJ into human form and came into the world
under circumstances through which men could
come into comprehensive relations WITH Him.
Sometimes men asked, since u they were TO
have God represented TO them BY living qualities
Why Cnsist dAd contInus always 70 live earth