The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-02-17
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

LOVE THE GENIUS OF REI.IGIoN-sERMoN By
THE REV. HENRY WARD BEEcHER.
The New Testament. said Mr.. Bcecher after
nouncing his text Romans xiii, 10, lis tired
of repeating this fact primitive central and uni
versal. that character must organize itself around
love and that love ID preeminently the genius of
ligion Love. as represented in the New Testament.
not the action Of specific faculty. 1t was SYM
pathetic good will toward every sentcnt and sensi-
tive creature. 1t was the soul in attitude willing
to bless. 1t acted under two opposite conditions.
The first was affinity or appreciation of good the
second sympathy and pity for evil and suffering.
But in either case the fountain was the same.
Man was the only creature about whom tho CUES.
ton of character could raised. 1t sometimes
said that mnn sprang from the lower animals. ond
likeness had been proven between the former and
the latter. Mr.. Bcechcr did not whence had
sprung; he was more concerned to know whittier We
going.
FORCES SURROUNDING MEN.
When man was born into lifc there were three
grand forces which began to work upon him. quito
independent of his will. They first, Inherent
and hereditary forces; second. the forces of cduca
tom third the organizations of society under which
he must develop aud conduct his active powers
Mr.. Beechcr considered ut length these several
forces He believed that ancestry determined largely
what man was and what he would be- Many men
were like quarter sections in the West; there
hundreds OF acres in each. but only
acre No. 10 had been cleared up and made
cutivable; the rest was wilderness and overgrown.
Mans original nature was usually not sufficiently
considered He into lite not bringing new
and blank sheet of paper which experience and
education to write but he bore the sins the
virtues of his ancestors in q certain degree. Some
when they arc born are baptized aircady; Others
On the other hand. upon some natures tho effect of
education, as applied carly and continuously. is al
most rccrcative No man can determine IL entirely
for himself. II IL chance Providcn e, whatever you
will; but it in fact results in endless variations of
the handspring OF character. Society is trcnen-
dous machine, and no man OF ordinary stature can
lift himself up against its forns yet there is retro
action and laws; customs. forms of business. arc
reproductions Of inward iorces Then there were
psychological needs In some natures such rs those
which lead to the pursuit of beauty ambition. self
Az religion was taught in the New Testament.
| what demandedf That man be born again and
larry administered? Technical conversion Of the old
revival type. tho conviction of sin and adhesion to
the Church. Then there was q; worse method. Gen,
er morality and Joining the Church were the end OF
religious teaching. The Kingdom of heaven was
net and it indeed thrown into the sea and
brought TO shore all sorts Of fishes. Men VINO arc
pretty moral might join the institution of religion,
aud ii they did not break the church boundaries
very violently they were counted AZ possessing an
had never dreamed of what true religion was.
| SOUNDING BRASS AND rINKffSe cyMDsL.
| The summing up was that man might COM
| ply with the average church notions on re.
lgion and know nothing at all about II. FOR
no matter how absolute. If he spake with the
tongues OF angels; though he spake with the tongues
observation-disclosures. Massilon. whitcheld-the
rapt and cogent of orators, OF things concern
ing eternity time and life they o Were mo,
| love. what woro they? would not remarked Mr..
Bcccher. dare to say myeclf what they are but the
| iaughter.) They were become sounding brass
or a tnkng cymbai. Could there be anything
more thin aud cinpiya That man Christian
| nre cher he of