The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-07-10
..ycHERis NEW DEPARTURE.
. Caustic Review of His Detection From
Orthodoxy.

. C.ustic Review Of His Detection From
Orthodoxy.
New York Times.
II the report OF Mr.. Beecher's Fourth OF
July sermon, which appeared in the one
morning paper OF this city which still pro-
fesses confidence in him, is true, he has
definitely rejected orthodox Christianity,
and Is henceforth to be classed among
Rationalists. Mr.. Beecher is reported to
have said: at is gigantic lie, told with
much circumstantiality, that men were
created perfect and then fell; that in Adam
and Eve the human race fell all around
God did notmake bad job and then paint
It pretty and plaster itup. In sense God
made laws to be broken. The idea is TO be
disclaimed and trampled under foot that
man must do thus and thus or be destroyed.
Ldon't hold the theory OF the Atonement
7 reject the Mosaic economy, and take
larger view OF Christ's work. The truths
n The Bible are not to be swallowed
whole, hut to be sifted." No injustice is
done to Mr. Beecher by emitting, for the
sake OF brevity the context OF tbesentences
ouoted. II words have any meaning, MIR.
Beecber last Sunday morning proclaimed
his rejection OF the Christian religion, and
his acceptance OF Rationalism more
vapne hut not less anti. Christian than
that OF Theodore Parker.
Undoubtedly, many men have felt it to
be "a hard saying" that in Adam all men
sinned. The story of the fall as told IN
Genesis seems to them much more Ike
myth than like history, and they cannot
understand the justice oil practically hold
ing the whole human race responsible Tor
the fault OF its remote ancestors Aud yet
the Christian religion Is based upon the
story that Mr.. BeeCher calls "a gigantic
lie" That religion teaches that by the
fall of Adam the nature OF man became
corrupt, and that the race can be saved
only through the atonement made by
Christ. Mr.. Beecher cannot call the story
Of the fall gigantic lie and proc aim bis
disbeliet in the atonement and at the same
time hold on to the rest OF Christianity. He
might as well cut away the trunk and
roots OF tree and expect that the branches
would remain unsupported in the air and
bear blossoms and fruit. He can believe
that a clever Jewish impostor taught what
was In many respects an admirable sys'
tenn OF morality, but there is nothing lett
OF the religion taught by Christ when
both the Fall and Atonement are eliml-
mated from It. Either the dogmas oil the
Fall and Atonement are true aud Christi
anity is a divine revelation, or they are
false and Christianity is an imposture and
Christ was a clever, but assuredly not
truthful Jew.
There is nothing new In Mr.. BeeCher's
disbelief, The assertion that the Fall was
"bad job"and the Atonementth the paint"
and "plaster" wherewith the bad Job was
sought to be mended is quite in the Bob
Ingersoll vein. The theory that the
Struths OF the Bible are not to beswallowed,
but sifted, or that, in other words, we are
to believe such parts OF 1t as please US and
reject the rest, is the theory oil the late
Theodore Parker. And Mr.. Beecher ar
riyes at these results by the path that
thousands OF Rationalists have followed
that OF reversing the true method OF judg-
| ing Christianity. Instead OF testing the
claim OF Chrlst's divinity by the records
OF the Gospel, and deciding that II Christ
was divine His teachings Us to the sinful
ness OF man and the suiiiCieucy oil the
Atonement must be true, however, they
NAV Of themselves fail to command
the approval OF our judgment, he
discards the Fall and the Atonement, and,
thus assuming that Christ taught falsely, is
compelled TO reject the claim that Christ
was divine and infallible.
What Mr.. Beecher disbelieyes is more
obvious than what he believes. He long
ago rejected the doctrine OF future punish
ment as taught in the Scriptures, and now
he tramples under foot the doctrine that
men have any need to do anything as to
the condition OF their salvation. Natu.
rally, he holds that inasmuch as we are
not TO be punished for breaking the laws,
God "makes laws to be broken" He
probably believes that 1t is desirable that
men should obey, for example, the laws
which forbid adultery and bearing false
witness; but as they do break them they
need have no dread OF future punishment,
and can console themselves by rejecting
that the laws were made TO be broken.
This is a system OF unbelief which will
readily commend itself to persons whose
consciences may have hitherto been
uneasy: but as substitute for Christiani.
ty, it Is perhaps not quite so well adapted
to make men pure and truthful,
Whether the Congrega ionalist denomi.
nation, OF which Mr.. Beecher is still
minister, will think 1t necessary to ex'
press any disapproval Of his latest teach
ings remains to be seen. That body has
teadfastly refused to adopt any creed
which should be binding upon Its MEM
beers, and it is difficult to see how 1t can
deny the right OF Mr.. Beecher to preach
whatever doctrines commend themselves
TO his private judgment. His orthodoxy
has always been more or less suspected,
and bis open avowal Of his rejection OF the
supernatural element OF Christianity has
long been looked for by those who have
watched his course.
So far from being gain for the enemies
Of Christianity, Mr.. Beecher's appearance
In the camp OF Parker and Ingersoll Is
matter upon which sincere believers may
congratulate themselves. With his Pc
culiar reputation, his position as Chris
tan minister has been q reproaCh to re.
ligion which has worked no little injury,
and he ia not recruit OF whom Rational
ism can boast. Few men will become
Rationalists merely in order to follow Mr.,
Beecher, aud still fewer women Will beled
astray.
The Christian religion Is not a failure
because Mr.. Beecher has rejected it. On
the contrary, the loose theory, which sub.
stitutes for the Church sort OF social
club, where the minister can teach what
he pleases and the congregation can be.
lieVe what they think fit, so long as preach
er and congregation are satisfied with one
another, has received serious blow by
this latest reductio dd dbSFdum OF Liberal
Christiaity. This Is not Intended as de-
scription Of the Congregational denomina.
ton, which, as body, is thoroughly or.
thodox, but that there is growing ten.
dency among many Protestant sects TO In.
sist that every man shall believe only
what suits his fancy Is undeniable.
There must come In time q reaction