New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-19
NATURE OF GOD AND MAN.
WHAT THE CHURCH AND THEOLOGY MISS.

WHAT THE CHURCH AND THEOLOGY MISS
Row PHILOSOPHY IS FALsIFIED-THE REV. HENRY
WARD BEEcHER IN PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
p,rmouth Church was filled to its utmost
sapacity Yesterday and many persons were unable to
sa,n admittance. Mr.. Beecher announced service by
the children the lectureroom the afternoon OF
Good Friday the first Of the kind, and one which, he
said, unusual in Congregatonahsm. He also an
nounced that owing to deep sweet and tender interest
in the .Sunday-schools and missions OF the
church. he proposed to hold special services
shis week in the lecture-room. The impression was
hot desired that revival had been begun or was
20 be gotten up, No extra machinery would be set IN
motion nor would any one but the pastor preach Ser
vices would be held four nights, beginning with TO-
night
In his sermon upon Gods nature and human nature
and their relations Mr. Beecher said among other Things
that the best church for any man who had come 10
his Christian self was the church where lie iouho
himself cared for, all churches being only mere a
fetal means education. When Christ ana the apOstes
taught they presented to the Jews better way OF rgnt-
eousness urging them to give up the old for the new
Tie aim was the same, but the means more eihcleht'
IL was the same IN the Reformation, the same
when the Methodist Church worked in the bowels OF
the Church England and the in the change to-
day the former theology The theology or the past
was obnoxious in the scientific light of to-day but the
change helpful and not harmful Christian science
gave better and purer from the anmasm of the
past Christian iervor and Christian faith. The Gov
eminent Of God one of compassion and hepfulnes
and Christ represented God i'll His highest and nobest
elements.
at is rumored" went on Mr.. Beecher. "that Idont
believe in Caviniem and you have often heard me de-
nounce the view OF God embedded in the theological
creeds The trouble with 1t is thai it has missed tie true
idea of God. II sets up divine exponent Of the law
which has been broken, of truth, but we
have fallen from it, and represents God
as guarding and avenging governor. But
the New Testament idea Of God ia that He is the de-
hverer Of the people physician TO the sick. dealing In
compassion audnot IN helping ana not threatening
denunciatOry. ADMIT that there is in the sacred
Scriptures in poetry and the prophecies, represen
tatiOu justice and ayeDgng power of God which is
terrible for this life and for the life come that vague,
mysterious and terrible future for the fin
ally unrepentant and unreformed. do not
believe that God is mild and moonshiny lover, who
kas along caring little for right and wrong that 1t
Goes not matter much what men do God is God OF |
reclitudo ana truth. Right and wrong the two pill
lars of God along the Gulf Stream of time There is no
understanding of history without them without seeing
the hearing of the two sides. In cattle there is no
such unfolding of ideas. They are horns and hoOfs |
that is all, right wrong but the human family
have roth. From the right came all refreshment and
beauty and love OF man for man; all civilization If
hull gore the act cannot be regarded worthy of
punishment as wrong bull is only ferocious beast;
ne has moral accountability for goring an OK But
end~eI is - nsed' and ne ia fenced in 30 a man
with tibilty, no reason, no CON
science must be treated like bull and not as man
the Ten Commandments to them. Fear ana hunger are
the only means by which TO control them. YOu must
reach them through the hide or stomach The human
race in its primitive form was ANIMAL and the appeutes
and are all selfish for a
who is only that must be uealt with in the
ys man and he was only snscepbIe to fear and pun
ishmen Now theology takes this for its central element
Tie character Of God was unfoided gradually
TO men 1t is generally conceded that
Their ideas at first were poor and vulgar The first
glimpse OF moral nature appeared III imagination iii
Bat the world as God designed to have IT, he took
man IN tne germ and steadily unolded him. grind
ing men nature each other to do it, Some men
cay nature did it all i grant this II
An evolution is intensified and msgaihed by putting God
Il It, gives far more sublime conception oil de
Gods direction than to make Him mere mechanic who
qualities which have developed in the slow moving
geological ages, which are uncountaple Inc
The 1900 100000 how many are yet heather, savage
pagan nearer the brute than to the moral intellectual
degradation, and that, too, under Gos oyeinment
world AMI vet pagans are ten to one. The divine plan
step by step ana adapted to us as 1t 10 m
folded. Ideas are presented a. men are susceptible
10 them Punishment is mercful as means
TO an end Laws cannot 90 broken with hpu;y, ana
punishment Will follow violations; out TINS Is not the
of the government of God. Cursed be that notion
thinking He is well off Cursed be the idea that he, IN
rgotstlc fndugence, says to men, sin more burn
to Me, feed Ne, praise Me, Tor i am G9d7 {
Cursed be any such representation of Him. | 1
is the burdenheaTeT OF the universe be cares for all
that lives no bird falls to the ground without His know
ing it, When the fulness of time for the develop
OF the divine nature lie suffered by sympathy for
men He would allow them die for their sins. but
His Son die, not 10 patch broken law not TO
help bulge in the arrangements. but because love
suffers aud God Is love. Christs blood was shed and lie
lied unfold interior nature OF God Gods throne
cOmlassOn aud lac all infrnity, weakness and i
,n with infinite pity infinite help. He His
irst only son, the precious thing TO he set
III liie tempted and tried scorned and beaten,
yired in the of cruelty, ana at last hanged IN
contempt coming into life among Dcggars and going out
among thieves. All this because God loved the world
suffered perfect IT, This great doctrine OF the ma
God is missed by the Church and by theology
is the forester IN the evolution OF the divine nature,
yhich will advance piety and lift the Church high
Beecher closed with personal appeal Tor all TO L
ct their Ii yes Alright with God. The law CT love -
supreme ruler universe and the law OF selfish
the supreme treason. Mr.. Beecher then said:
do know how many men perish like the BLOSSOMS
do know but / believe that III the future there
will be opportunities But when say there will be fu
ure probation you think you will get to heaven finally
es. through purgatOry. Why not go direct Why 90
round through suffering, though unknown pens |
hose who do fools beyond all Others. They treat
heir souls as they would their bodies beasts.
selves your truest your nObest ideas. Put
the animal and give 10 the angel. Live for "
od eternity for duty, for purity, and al Is on your
de for God is with you Love hope and faith alone b
bde unchecked and uncrcumscr1Ded, radiant with | Ia
~" =,
ETOLUTJON AND GENESIS | N