The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-03-18
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

INSPIRATION OF THE SCRIPTURES AND OF THE
INDIVIDUAL souL-sxRMoN By HENRY wARD
BEECHER.
The Inspiration Of the Scriptures and the personal
inAuenco Of God upon individual souls was tho themo
Of tho pistors DISCOURSE and passages from tho Old
aud New Testaments describing God a sun, shield
and light iurnished tho text Mr. Beecher set ous
by showing why tho sun chosen by tho nations
~ deily or us an illustration OF the true God In
the beginning men attributed every event tho
direct impact OF tho Divine Will. With tho growth Of
knowledge oil physical life men found second causes
interposed betwees the primary will and the events.
These observations had continued until at the
present day iacts obtained constituted what Is
ealed science, and men look Tor the physical causes
only OF things and doubt whether thero in the world
any dirccs personal influence OF God.
THE SPIRITUAL STIMULUS.
To prove that there such influence Mr..
Bcecher cited various passages IRON the Now resta-
msnt. He held that II man TO be regarded
nected with ths globe and with human society
and having the proper forces and provisions for
nature In those connections, he also In his re
laticn to an invisible realm have ths appropriate
provision to develop 1t and carry II up This could
not DO found In the physica world or in society,
they tended rather draw tho spirit down. III this
realm II was that man Was inspired Of God and Mr.
Beecher heid thai there Was direct constant
action OF the divine nature upon the human SOUL and
TINS Ia the ratio vt the divine nature
IN God, but IN tho ratio OF tho recepuvny
Of souls. This tho foundation Of Mr..
Beccher's doctrine OF inspiration. He believed TOR
shc most part the theories Of evolution tar
material progress concerned, but he could Ind
IN them nothing winch would reach to slim ulato
naus spiritual nature. The reality OF the Divius
6acncs not at nil dependent upon MANS con-
scousness OF It's operation; Tor God acted upon the
natural faculties OF man and madc them productive.
The Divine influence represented itself through
outcome oi human acton and thought. As TO tho
BIbIe, u contained the results OF the DIVINE mind
upon tho reason and moral sense oil the race during
long period. aud that mado II inspired book The
Only sense IN which any book could bs inspired Tho
book became authoritative because truth was always
authoritative.
INSPIRATION AT THE PRESENT DAY.
Are men stin inspired? was a question that arose
In this connection. they were not IN the ordinary
sense Of tho term "insprcd, but thora never u
time whom tue spirit oil God was SO active upon tho
open ~ IT, The inspiralon which men got to-day
tie same as the prophets OF old mad IN Kind only
whereas the Inspiration vi OLD was authoritative over
those TO whom the prophets SPOKE tho INSPIRATION OF
this DAY authoritative only over those who ex-
pcrieuced lit was Tor their individual guidance
Tue w0rlu had 10 That stage now that the next
unfolding OF the Divine plan was 10 make every man
prince, King before God, standiug In his own indvd-
uality There 10 be Pcntcc Days time
The Roman CathOncs had better doctrine than tno>
Pr0tcstants tho subject OF inspiration, inasmuch
they received tho BiUIe; but they also received tho
truth that GODS inspiration ID stu unfodny-that II
u an over active principle.
The great want vi the Day, Mr. Beocher remarked In
coucIusion Is that KIND VI nalion winch shail
bring God ~ tho primary cause OF INSPIRATION We
are he said, IN danger vi becoming inatcralzed wo
Ia danger vi regarding all religious experiences
Que 10 material lLnuenco coming within tho
purvisw OF the lower law; we need tho iaitn that
brings cd directly into personal with
the Individual soul and through II with the Cnurch
and the race.