New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-12
THE SERMON.

Mr. beecher wore thin alpaca coat, but seemed to
feel the heat very much, and during the sermon
paused several times to wipe the perspration from
his face. He announced among the usual notices
from the pulpit that after next Sunday he should
take his ususl Summer recreation, and would re-
sumo his mlnistrations on the first Sunday IN Oc-
tober.
Mr.. Beecher took as his text the seventh and con-
cludlng verses of the second chapter of St. Paul's
Epi stle TO Titus. as follows:
In all things showing thysef pattern OF good
In doctrine showing uncorraptnrss. gravity. sincerity
Sound speech, that cannot be condemned that he
that Is Of the contrary part may be ashamed, having
Exnor, servants to De obedent unto their own mas
ers aud to please them well IN all thDgs not answer
Ing again;
bey may adorn the doctrine Of God our Saviour In all
thugs.
For the grace OF God that bringeh salvation hath APP
Teaching us that. denying uueodliness and worldly
asts, we should live sobery rgheousy, and gody, IN
Looking tor that blessed hope and the glorious ap-
Who gave Himself for u.s. that He ruieht redeem us
from all iDiqnity. and purify unto Himself peculiar
people, Jealous OF good works. .
These things speak, and exhort. and rebuke with all
authority. Let no man despise thee.
For thirty four years." he said, " have endeav-
ored to fulfil this injunction how imperfectfy mono
knows so well as /. 1t has been done honestly
sincerely earnestly. but with manifold imperfec-
tions and my performances always are rebuked by
my ideal of what is becoming There has recently
leen proclamation that have made new de-
parture'; that / have abandoned the ground on
which my fathers stood have forsaken evangelical
truth aud taken up liberal and infdel positions.
This has been spread abroad by the press very
widely. To those who sit under my ministrations
need say nothing agaInsr the more bitter and
stupid stories of men who are fit for anything better
than to sit in Judgment on doctrlnal truth. But 20
even those best acquainted with my preaching, and
yet more to those who only read my printed SER
mons, and to the great Christian brotherhood TO
which am proud to belong, it may be Wise and Q
duty to state with deiiniteness and such amplitude
as time will allow On what grounds I stand and
what the salient points of my belief.
shall briefly touch the following topics The iu-
spiration of the Bible; the sfffulncSs or maI,
version; the Trinity; the doctrine OF the Father,
the saviour. and the Holy Spirit the atonement;
retribution the Church ordinances. OF course
s.must be done briefly. wide is the subject, but
| shall cndeavor to do it explicitly.
Ibelieye God in every age and in all nations, has
moved upon the earts Of men by His Holy Spirit,
inspiring them to whatever is pure, true and noble.
| beIeyc tha; the Scriptures of the O!d Testament
and the New contain the fruit OF that Inspiration
as il was developed in the Hebrew nati2n and
fully and heartily accept The Bible according 10 the
apostolc and only declaration which the Bible ITSELF
gives If the nature OF divine inspiration namely.
Ii Timothy, Ill, 1917: "All Scripture is giyea by
inspiration OF God, and profitable for doctrine,
for rcprOof, for correction. for Instructor III
righteousness That the man of God may be per-
feet thoroughly furnished unto all good works." l
believe that as true understanding Of Gods
work IN the outward and material world can
be gained only by careful study Of the facts
ton of Scripture is to be gained not by
theories or traditions but by a vigorous study OF
the facts-its structure, origin, the nature of Its
contents; aud this is all tine necessary IN that
the Book rs we hold it now, was not an Immediate
and complete gift of God to man, but was growth
of ages. 1t written by different hands, IN
different languages with centuries of interval be-
tvean n lrt and part aad that the chief substance
of its truth was conveyed by Divine mind 10 the
human mind III the way in which God ordinarily
imparts the truth-through human experience.
believe that the Bible is largely record OF history.
and in this respect TO be studied rs we study any
history that il contains large measure of poetry.
and that that is to be accepted not as science bat
| as we accept and use poetry that II Is largely
| literature. and is to be construed as
| we construe literature; that 10 is record
Of institutions. laws worship, which have answered
|
ferent parts of Scripture have different degrees Of
ya,ue. The Ten Commandments arc of more value
than the account OF the trimmings Of the sanctu-
ary: the teachings of Jesus Christ are OF larger
scope and more value than the teachings OF Moses
the narratives Of the Gospel of vastly greater
value than the histories Of Ruth or Esther, beauti-
full as they are. In other words the different parts
! of Scripture have different values, and men are
| competent and permitted to judge OF the different
values of Scripture, aud to use them IN that sense
| Ibeicye that the spiritual and moral teachings OF
| Jesus Christ were subject TO the same law Of ua-
folding as was its outward form and that the ideas
| of purity truth, justice dity OF manhood OF the
| divine nature of destiny, reward, retrlbuton and
immortality we're progressive and are seen to be SO
| in the Bible" rising lights shining brighter and
brighter unto the perfect day "-and that the Later
and developed moral truths are TO be nterprcted
by the earlier, but the earlier by the full form OF
the later. hold. with the church. that Scripture
| is not a guide TO scientific knowledge that it re-
cords the best conception from period TO period OF
| scientific truths which were then held, aud that no
violence is done To the spirit of truth TO accept the
fuller disclosures of physical truth which God is
making in our day over those recorded IN the
earlier days. We do not believe that III
spiration has ceased. We believe that uods
holy spirit still moves upon the
hearts OF men, and that truth Is still spronting
growing and bearing precious fruit IN the minds
and lives of His people; and while the light youch
safed TO the individual only for the comfort anc
guidance of the individual. and without autnont,
upon the conscience of Others yet when such trutt
has gone through the experience OF multiudes, ant
has approved itself not special and personal bn'
wide and universal it becomes of value and bind
ing au hority though it has no command in Scrip
nrc: and that the truths of Scripture are to be dis
I covered, understood and taught according 20 tn
moral seass of Goals people in every age enlisht
encd by the Holy Spirit. And adopt the ianeuaa