The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-11-24
Beecher and Talmage.

| 1neSe are no new names TO the readers
Of the Presbyterian. But they are noto-
rious names, and good many people have
not yet wearied hearing them talked
about, especially when they are seen with
new eyes or from new points of view. l
crave the privilege, therefore, of saying
my say about them, and of saying it
plainly-of giving the very impressions
they made upon me. 1t will not harm
either of them, for their positions are as
sured, and many have spoken of them
much more plainly, or rather severely
than shall
had not heard Mr.. Beecher for. thir-
teen years, and in the meantime he had
eliminated to his grandest eloquence and
his greatest popularity, ard also had had
his sad observation and his bitter tribu-
lation. was, therefore, anxious to hear
him again; and being off duty for one
Sunday [ accepted the invitation of a
friend, member of Plymouth church
choir, to go with him in the morning to
hear Mr.. Beecher, he agreeing to 90 with
me in the evening to hear DR.. Talmage.
Plymouth church, seating $500, was
as usual, packed. Mr.. Beecher is grayer
than when [ saw him last, but in other
respects seemed but little changed His
voice is still full and clear, and his ges-
tlculation is as emphatic as ever. The
language and thong hit of his PRAYERS were
beautiful, but for some reason the prayers
themselves did not touch my heart His
text was, Fervent in spirit" and the
air of the sermon, separated from the
variations upon it, was a plea, and a
good and strong plea for enthusiasm in
religion. To the "air' there could be no
objection, but to some Of the variations -
|, for one, had strong objections. I OBJ
jected to the stale abuse of theology. as
one of the hindrances to the progress of
religion. [ objected to the sneers at. and
mimicry of doctrinal preaching as the
cause OF much of the prevalent infdelity.
objected to the SANDER that all the
hatred, bitterness, and persecution of the
church by the world during the past
eighteen centuries did not equal the ha-
tired, bitterness, and persecution of the
church by the church. And [ objected
to being told that the common definitions
OF faith from the pulpit were false-that
when he was asked to believe what he
did not understand he simply answered,
II won't and that he commended every
other man who gave the same answer
that faith was not belief in the unknown
and incomprehensible on divine author
ity, but was the expansion, the enlarge
ment, the enlightenmento of the reason BY a
spiritualized imagination" He told us
he knew this to be true in his own expe-
rience-that when he first stood before
the great paintings of the old masters in
the Louvre and the Luxembourg his
imagination famed forth, ard that under
It's heat and light his reason expanded,
giving him visions of things otherwise
impossible to him. No one questions the
possibility of such an experience, but in
the name of all the heroes and heroines
of the eleventh chapter of Hebrews what
has such an experience to do with Bible
faith? [ was glad to have heard him
once more, but [ do not care ever to hear
him again.
DIR. Talmage [ had never heard or
seen. | was prejudiced against him. I
knew he was eccentric I believed he
was sensational and theatrical. I feared
he was mountebank and fraud. An
usher known to my friend gave us two of
the best seats in the church, in the sixth
row of pews back and directly in front.
The church was brilliantly lighted.
Every word and whisper, therefore. of
the preacher we could distinctly hear,
and every look and expression we could
distinctly see. The church seats four
thousand five hundred, and was crowded
even up unto the platform, and with
many standing round the wall. was
all eye, all ear-alert in body, mind
and soul. If DIR. Talmage was noun
tebank and fraud I wished to know
it. If he was an earnest, honest. and
sincere, but very eccentric man, l wished
to know it. His Bible reading was
good, his hymns were good, his pray
ers were good. Now for the sermon.
He got up, shambled forward. and stood
some time fumbling aimlessly with his
hands, and looking up and around as
II about to say something to the sexton
touching the ventilation of the church.
He had no Bible before him or in his
hands. But suddenly and unexpected
ly (to me,) while thus fumblinp with
his hands and looking around, he thun-
dered out his text, Hebrews, twelfth.
second: Looking unto Jesus" and
plunged, (fguratively and almost literal
| ly,) heels over head into the sermon. 7
was startled, but interested. His grim
aces were both painful and ludicrous