The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-05-22
REECHEfI On GODS.
He Believes in Every Man Being
His own GOa.Makor.

BEECHER On GODS.
He Believes fn Every Man Bein,
His own Gea.Maker.
Cincinnati Enquirer.
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher remain
ed in the city yesterday and preache,
at Music Hall to an audience, or. con
gregati0n rather, of fully 5000 persons
The hall was filed, both gallries ant
stage, with the very best class of peo
pie. attracted thither by his tame rs
theologian and an orator, and from
the frequent bursts of applause tina
greeted him 1t was evident that hi
sentiments, met with approval Of al
who heard him.
The tenor of the sermon, or the lee
ture rather, was that the God of th,
believer was apt to be such as he made
it-a God of revenge aud cruelty Of
ono Of benefcence and kindness and
mercy. The latter was the enc he
stood up for, and believed that the
growth of Christianity and love JUST.
fed the world in enthroning ~ the
overruling being.
At tho opening Of the discourse he
read frsm the Bible, first the story ol
Mary's visit to the tomb after Jesus
resurrection, and her meeting with
the Sayior; and naxt the Old Testi.
ment's account of Micah's idolatry,
wherein he made to himself . silver
god, established . religion and or
dained . priest, and the subsequent
taking away of all three Of them. In
each case, the speaker said, they fel.
that they had lost their god, and the
loss caused them great anguish OF
mind.
This preliminary statement brought
him to the point that in different ages
the idea OF God widely varied. At
one time It was believed that God had
no other function but to destroy the
creatures he had sent into this world.
Cruelty was his only attribute. Then
there was the barbaric period, when
God was grand and inflexible, but so
exalted above the feelings and attri.
butes of those whom He had created
that He could have no sympathy with
them. The temples to His praise, the
pageants to His honor, the glory to
His name, were believed to be sources
of qualification to Him, but unbend-
ing rectitude, indexisble justice, were
tho only attributes that characterized
His dealings with men. But ~ the
world grew older and better-for he
clsimed that to-day there was more
sympathy, more kind feeling in the
world, more humanity, in short, than
ever before-the need for . God in
spired with feeling of mercy aud
pity for humanity because apparent,
aud such God was pictured in the
minds and hearts of the true believers.
Ask . churchman of . former gen.
Grafton what God was and he would
answer that He was q Divine being
made Of truth, of justice, of power, of
beneficence, and other attributes.
This was simply describing certain
traits, but it didn't picture a god to
any one. To tell man this was like
feeding him on sawdust and shsviDgs
Ask . churchman Of to-day and his
answer should be something mere
much more, in fsct-because it should
paint the Supreme Being with all
these negative attributes, but add to
them the greater one Of sympathy for
humanity. The old doctrine was that
whatever was was right because God
willed it.; the world to-day believed
that what was was Gods will because
it was right. He could do no wrong,
and, more than that, He could feel the
sympathy Of humanity In His breast.
The reverend speaker didn't won
der that men grew skeptical as they
pondered and thought over the old
absractions of deity. He was ready
to look with leniency on skepticism
and disbelief 90 long ~ no more tam
g,ble picture Of Gods goodness was
given them. It was difficult to imag-
inc Supreme Being made up simply
of justice, and power. and beneficence,
and these cold qualities. It was some
thing like Micah moulding his god
out of silver; very ugly one, per-
haps, but one that he had faith in,
while others might not. The progress
Of time had shown . growth about
these things, and to-day God was to
those who believed In Him senti-
ent, sympathetic being, ready to for
give, free to pardon, and 10th to pun
ish the creatures Of His own creation.
This was an evidence OF the growth Of
and that every age was the
creator of its own God.
1t 10 impossible to give in 80 short
. synopsis a. this the many excellent
points of Mr.. Beecher's eloquent dis.
course. 1t Was the religious idea that
he has lately espoused in his own pull
pit, and which has subjected him to
in the religious press, but it
has the verdict of approval from all
who heard him. By many it may be
regarded ~ heterodox, but in these
days Of free thought in religion, who
10 the man authorized to raise the cry
of heterodoxy? - -
A SCorCH minister who, after hard
days labor, was enjoying tea din
ner,' kept incessantly praisina the ham
and saying that Mrs. Dunlop ct hame
was % fond o. ham as he was when
the mistress kindly offered to send
her the present of one. Its unco
kim o. We, unce kim; but I'll na put