The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-01-16
BEECHER'S THEOLOGY.
re Irc"cucs Evolution, Abolishcs Hcl
and Laughs at Original Sin,

NEW York, January 1. MIR. Henry
Ward Bccrhcr lccturc, las, evening nj
Cooper Union before an au,lrrcn q,
$500, on "Evolution and Revolution. y
| III which he elaborated on his speech
ut the Herbert Spencer dinner. and
detailed at length his bcIicI' in Chris
t'ah evolution. He began with state
meat Of the doctrine Of evolution as q
description OF the development Of the
divine method pursued in creation.
nc world, as we sec it. was the pro-
duet and growth Of natural laws. This
Is hcld ia u general way by scientists
"i the present day up the point of the
origin OF man. Here there is differ
ehre as to whether the human soul was
the product of tho progress described.
or or special influences not brought to
bear on inferior beings. With regard
10 the relation OF evolution to the cXis-
tencc OF divine Creator, he thought
evolution left the question where it
stands. There arc three kind, OF ryo-
tuilonlsts, athristic, agnoStic and the
sstlc. The latter is Christian. The
existence of God can not be established
by physical proof. But there is in all
higher natures TINT which feel the
existence of God. lie would not say
Tint man descended from the animal
creation by uninterrupted natural law
but if it be true, it throws light on
many questions. and explains many
difficulties not previously explained bv
any other hypothesis. How does this
view affect the word of God? It will
rescue that word from the abuse that
Inns been made of it by believers in Il
pienary or verbal inspiration OF the
Bible. The Bible ia history of the
dcvcl"pmcnt Of man along national
and special line. 1t is itself an exam
pie OF evolution. The word Of God
IN Its structure is contirnatorv of cvO-
iutlon' If evolution is the divine
method OF creation it is to be seen i'm
the household in the development of a
| child. People have thrown the Bible
ut astronomy and geology, and yet
both stand.
| Again Mr.. Bccchcr said: "You don't
believe in hell. The ncn who preach
it don't. They think they do, but thcv
don't. DO you believe any man could
believe in eternal punishment and live
in peace? Could look out on nv irl
LOWING and believe them doomed to
punishment forever? Theology does
not tell whether consequences follow
In the other life" llc believed they
did, but that is different thing from
the internal doctrine Of eternal punish
mcnt. Mr.. Bccchcr ridiculod the Bible
account of Adam and Eve in the Gar
den OF Eden, and denounced the theory
OF original sin and total dcpravitv
and that swarms Of human beings are
damned because Adam ate of the applc,
II this be the God he was called upon
to worship he could not love or rcvcr.
nncc such II being. The whole theory
OF morals is to- bc adyantagcd by evo.
lutiom. The essential truths of God
all run down in their roots i,to nntu-
raj laws. ESery great prcccpt stands,
not ON the authority OF priests, but
stands rooted in,tho authority of nature
itself. Alr.. Dccchcr said that evolution
would compel men to change their
theology, aud that wonld be good
radiance. He closed by thanking God
for Christian evolution.