The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-20
"SIGNS OF THE Times"
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher on Scsp-
ticism and Infdelity.
MOMENTOUS AGE.
Tendency Of Modern Thought Drifting
Away from the Church.


AWAY from the Church.
The Rev. Henry Ward Beecher preached notable
sermon yesterday morning on the ''signs OF the
Times" The effort brilliant one, and seemed
10 produce much effect upon tho immense oongrcga.
ton which had been drawn to Plymouth Church by
the beauty OF the day. Mr. Beecher took for his text
q part Of the third verse OF Matthew, XVI. 40 "
nypocrites ye can discern the face OF tho sky but
can 20 not discern tho signs OF the times?" Tho
community to which christ spake, tho preacher
began repro sent at that time the highest form Of
religious iatn--a faith which was clouded by no
shadow OF in1delty the forms and doctrines OF tho
jewish Church.. They held 10 tho Scriptures and to
the Temple with hold which nothing could rceaso
But thcro were Influences at work which were ia
suppant tho Temple to subvcrt the ritual 10 change
tho whole religious economy Of the Hebrew faith;
to give II a broader expression. purer flow and
a larger power in the individual and in the
race. There signs OF tho coming change
In the air. But those who chung 10 the Temple did
not discern it, II they did thcy sought to conceal Il
and TO tramplo IL under foot Therefore Christ re-
bpked them. They bound to discern the signs
OF tho times and There is growing I'm.
preston that Christianity is losing its hold men,
that the Church waning power and all this capsea
widespread alarm among devout, religious people.
Tho sermons and dissourses sceptcism show this,
and tho ago s often called an age OF nhdelity Many
persons arc trying to get back on the foundations
from which they have slid. think there Is a change
abroad In tho air, and men everywhere conscious
OF it-some rejoicing and others mourning over it.
Tho time a momentous ! propose now at
general Wow to show what cause there is for alarm
and night to show that there enough to inspire
NJ tuo al
TENDENCY THoUGHr.
The drift OF educated thought in solence, art and
philosophy 10 away church life, and II IL is true
that religion and tho Church life identical then II
must be admitted that tho general tendency is awny
from religion. But do not think they are identical.
The Church no longer holds the power which hereto
in its grasp In educated circles 10 England,
France, Italy, Germany and to loss extent IN our
country, therc has been change In the habits OF
thought religious SUBJECTS ana though there are
many abjcct superstition vet even this Is passing
away. There widc and prevalent feeling that all
the teachings OF the past with relation Worship nro
vain 1t is doubted whether the minister Is other than
q man fitting himself to be moral teacher with no
special call or inspiration rom on niGn Ihere IS So
oil tho church aud all It's services, but II IS
agreed that II they nrc beneficial they shall be re-
garded ms divine and If ct beneficial then human.
These doubts are felt not only by educated thinkers
ont OF tho Church, but bymen within who are edu-
Gated thinkers; not only by those who ENJOY the
doubt, but by those who protest against II as WELL
We are driiiing away from theoogy-that Is, formu.
lated religious truth. Compare the old systems Of
theology covering all tho grounds OF thought known
when they prepared, with those OF the present
day what a contrast Shall we evor have another
Dante, another Milton? The day seems to be passed.
Mems thoughts in every centre OF intelligence arc
busy about things OF which no account is given In
any established system OF theology.
Even among the Christian preachers OF the day
has been a wandering, drift, an uncertainty.
patty with the wants of men. New wants have como
up; old thoughts have lost their relative cogency.
Some insist tnat man s sinful creature, fallcn from
grace put finally to be restored whether IN whole or
in part by Gods mercy, and that all the rest Is
The position Of the great bulk and body Of intelligent
who belicvc In religion, and even IN tho Christian
religion. over them the old methods OF preaching
have their power, and cry comes up that the
methods Of statement losing their force before
the methods have taken their place. am moi
Their supporting nor condemning this l am merely
stating 1t as It has come under my observation.
VIEWS THE BIBLE.
In the Protestant world there is great change In
respect 10 tho Bible. First, with regard in-
spiration 1t is disputed whether those who wrote IL
merely served as is Oh which God in cced
His own thought whether the inspiration extends
the tran slatons. The whole. question OF nspira
ton unfxed and wandering in the minds of multi
tudes The scope and meaning Of the miracles with
regard the relations Of God to man have undergone
tho closest examination All these questions break up
tho continuity and settedness OF thought which
listed aiorc time. But there Is profounder change
gong on in our minds with regard TO
being 1t was years ago that DR.. Bacon said
ut 10 lot the question now whether there Is
thing Inspiration, but whether or no there
is u God 10 inspire" There IS large and growing
number OF atheists and they not all weaken ndcd
or vicious people. Many OF them are pious persons
who have lost their faith without becoming propa-
gandists Panthesm Is common, that view OF G01
whic considers Him not as an individual being, bus
merely porvading all the material universe
This belief is particularly attractive to persons OF
misty, poeticai temperament There is Christian
,s,sa hos on COD %ess VINO
comprehensive, Elusive, and who claim that
our ideas OF God are fabulous and not scientific
Tncpt hero IN LARGE ri W n lint ihpv.
not called upon to consider the subject Mt all They
prefer to go right on and attend TO their business
II there God they will ina II out and II there
isn't IL doesn't make much difference These differ
ent forms OF atheism are increasing the number Of
their disciples Thew not low, uncultured,
vicious people, but OF fine character aud philo-
sophical reputation and we might well acknowl-
change with that clearness Of vision which has al
ways characterized It. and Protcstants acknowl-.
cdge II. 81. s
1t is moro widely dihuscd among the laity than In
generally supposed. Thousands OF men sit In church
aud hear a sound orthodox sermon every Sunday Tor
twenty years and don't believe word OF II. They 20
to church from different motives some because thcy
been brought up to do so, others because they
ike the moral teaching; Others, again, because they
want their children While young to get In the way OF
II Tor the sake Of its moral Influences and Others,
again. Docaus II respectable profitable ana
ionabe. But tho Church Is filled with men whoso
opinions are constantly nuctuating, never firmly
stablisncd Multitudes, moro than OF old, tn nix
they can settle the question Tor themselves
The churches are slimy attended. aud II ono
kNOuld " Is 10 the Cup-
trap atttudtuizng Of tho minister. 1t Is taken Tor
granted that people DOM want 10 20 to oDurch. The
pulpit is longer the chcf instructor Thousands oil
magazines and periodicals distribute knowledge
throughout tho world The daily papers and religious
journals OF the day distribute thoughts which they
dealt not with hundred years ago. Not many years
ago DR.. Dickinson, whom he wanted to publish reli.
gons matter In daily paper In New York, had to pay
for IL nj advertisement Al the end OF tho tlrst
year the editor found mis- readers liked u and gave Dr.
Dickinson free use Of column. That was the bogin-
ming OF tho publication of distnctivey religious
ter IN secular paper. Now the NEW YORK HERALD
Sunday morning contains moro religious ncws than
any exclusively religious paper in tho country IL
may be OF other daily papers, but know IT'S VI
the HsRALD, because | read H..
The pulpit Is only Que OF score OF tribunals ana
not always the most influential ono at that Men.
apparently oil tho sncerest belief aud orthodoxy.
listen to ITS teachings and within themselves be-
hind their respectfully devout faces, s'Msybc,
maybc." hut that's as bad as to cay "No" III you
don't believe you disbclcvo TINS doubt this waver-
liz al of wi tahI n