Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-08-09
No. 38.
MR.. BEECHER'S THEOLOGY.
lie Is Il moral Christian EvoIutiOaist,
and Wants a Belief Rooted in
Science
IChicagO Inter-Ocean

IChicago Inter-Oc
The Rev. DR.. Kennard yesterday received
the following letter from Henry Ward
Beecher regarding his sermon on Sunday:
CHICAGO, July 23.-Grand Pacific Hotel.
The Rev. DR.. Spencer Kennard-Dear Sir:
l have read your reported sermon, delivered
yesterday, with great interest have to
thank you for your kindness of feeling man
lfested and the absence of that rigor of ortho-
doxy which seems to be but a covert form of
saying damn you" But / am not saving
this as an expression of surprise One would
have expected that excellent spirit in yOu.
But the point OF my qualification is that the
time has come for an honest discussion of
the views of the old and the new theology
If conducted in a Christian spirit, good can
not but come out of it. 1t is hardly to lie
expected that either side will have a whole
victory. But another generation will find
itself upon higher level Allow me to saw
of my own position, that am orthodox and
evangelical as to the facts and Substance of
the Christian religion but equally we'll I
know that | am not orthodox as to the phil
oosophy which has hitherto been applied to
these facts. ..... / s.s -.t! 40 ~ -.
A CORDIAL CHRISTIAN EvoLUfIOSIsT.
l am cordial Christian evolutionhist. Il
don't agree by any means with all of Spencer,
his agnosticism-nor all OF Huxley. Tyndall
and their school. Theyare agnostic. l am not,
emphatically But l am an evolutionist,
and that strikes at all the root of alEmedie val
and orthodox modern theology,,th the 2falk ,ef.
man in, Adam and thestinheritance by hiss'
posterity Of his, gailt; and hK.conseatlen. q.
any .snch yiey of atQReeeent las. has: been
constructed to pseAtthis fabul0nssdjsaster.
Men have not fallen az a race. Men have
come up. No great gfat a disaster met the race at
elsd Ss ans v51ey 5 %2f, As 95a must
was created az t6a l66Tsest poiifiY; and, as Tbe7
lieve, is as to his physical being evolved
from the animal race below him, but as to
his moral and spiritual nature is son OF
! God, a new element having come it, in the
great movement of evolution, at the point of
mans appearances! Manis universally sim
full, not by nature, but by a voluntary viola
tion of known laws. . In other words, the
| animal passions of man have proved to be
too strong for his moral and spiritual nature
Pauls double man, the old man and the
new man, is a grand exposition of the doc
trine of sin, especially in seventh Romans
/ But enough of this: l am not in my
preaching attacking orthodoxy l belong to
L
cannot get my own views out except by a
comparison of them to the disadvantage of
the standard views. If to any / seem to
bring wit and humor to an irreverent use, 1
can only say do it because cannot help it.
So things come to me. So 1 must express
them-but not as a sneer, or scOf,-though
often with impetuous feeling and with open
mirth.
A BELIEF ROOTED IN SCIENCE
My life is drawing to an end. A few more
working years only have l left. No one can
express the earnestness which | feel that in
the advance of science, which will inevi-
| tably sweep away much of the rubbish from
the beliefs of men, place may be found
for higher spirituality belief that shall
have its roots in science, and it's top in the
sunlight of faith and love. For that 1 am
working and shall work as long as work at
all. The discussion has begun. God is in
it, 1t must 60 on. 1t is one of those great
movements which come when God would
lift men to higher level. The root of the
whole matter with me is, in word, this:
Which is the central element of moral gov
ernment, love or hatred? 1 say hatred, for
in human hands that is what Justice has
largely amounted to. 1 hold that they are
not coequal. True justice, in it's primative
form, is simply plain and this suffering is
auxllery, pedagOgic-the SchOOlmaster, until
men are enough developed to work by love.
Love is not auxiliary. 1t is the one undi-
vided force of moral government to which
God is bringing the universe.
1 should wish to live in the affection and
confidence of my brethren in the Christian
ministry, but l cannot for the sake of earn
ing it yield one jOt or title of loyalty to that
kingdom of love which is coming, and of
which 1 am but as one crying in the wilder
ness prepare ye the way of the Lord"
/ am affectiOnately yours.
A CORDIAL GREETING AND FREE DISCUS
SION.
In the afternoon DR.. Kennard called upon
Mr.. Beecher at the Grand Pacific Hotel, and
received a most cordial greeting. Mr..
Beecher insisted upon his guest remaining to
dinner, and they spent the greater part of
the afternoon together exchanging views on
various topics of a religious nature. Both
gentlemen have been very much interested
in orientalism, and they had quite discus
sion on this In speaking on the new the
ology which is causing so much discussion
at present. Mr.. Beecher took the same view
expressed in his letter. and DR.. Kennard
held to his position as expressed in his ser
mon OF Sunday. All the talk, however, was
III tne KlnueSC spirit, ana DOtn preachers
appeared to enjoy their visit very much.
Romance of the War.
LAFAYETTE, Gnd.,) July 13th.-Con-
surprise has been created upon re-
ceipt of information that William Heath,
who left here at the breaking out of the war,
was still alive. AT the beginning of the
war William enlisted and went to the front,
and since then no definite tidings have been
received. Occasionally would come rumors
that he had been seen, but his aged father
waited in vain for his coming. About year
ago the old gentleman died, but he enter
tained belief that his son William was
alive and would some day return. Last eve
ming word came that William was en- route
or Lafayette, to claim his share in his
ather's fortune. His share will be in the
of $35, 1000 Provision was
made for him in his fathers will, in which it
vas stipulated that if he did net appear
within certain number of years his share
vas to 60 to his brothers and sisters. He
eft here A mere atrin1inv and in refnrnnO