Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-07-30
THEOLOGY.
lie IL a Moral Christian IvoiNdonist, and
wants a Belief Iiastcd la scseScc.
ichIcago Intcrloeean.l

The Rev. Dr. Bennard yesterday re-
ccjved the following letter from Henry
Ward Beeclier regarding his Serin0
on sunday
Chicago, July 2S.-GrMno lactic
Hotel. The Rev nr. =. SPENCE Ken
uar9-Dtar sir: J have read YOuf re-
ported sermon. delivered yesterday.
With great interest. ! have 20 thalE
YOU Tor your kindness Of feeling ntaH-
Tested aud the absence 81 that rigor OF
orthodoxy whirh seems 70 he but q
covert form Of saying damn you.
But | ana not spying this IS an
expression 0f surprise. one would
ha expected that excellent spirit 10
YOU. BUttlle point % my gratifi ca
lion IS ii.st .hc time hrs come for IN
honest di. tpssiou 81 the views OF the
Oh ard sbe new Theology. II con
,iueted in Il Christian spi il, good ehu-
not Int COME out ~ Il. X Is hardly to
be expected that either side Will have
awh5lc vict4~. But another ge ncfa-
ton viii find 1tself upon u higher
level. Allow meto say OF my own po-
sjtion, that know that | am orthodox
and evangelical as to the facts and
sins. ance .of the Christian religion;
Dll It.lhitN ntsi 4 Rtiafm AilhA 4 .ttal W.
orthodox "a Ia the phylosoEhy which
has hitherto been applied to these facts.
A CORDIAL CHRISTIAN ENoLrTIONIsT.
| am a cordial Christian evolution
ist. | don't agree by any means with
all of Spencer, his agnosticism-not all
of Huxley. Tyndall and their school.
They are agnostic. | am not, enlphat-
icaliy. But | am AN evolutionist, and
.t.t "a = 100 - fl,N ..-t - al ..x.tt.,.l
and orthodox modern theology the
fall OF man In Adam and the Inherit
ancs by his posterity of his guilt, and
by consequence any such view of
atonement as has been constructed to
meet this fabulous disaster.
Men have not fallen as a race. Men
have come up. No great disaster met
the race ut the start. The creative de
cree Of God was fulfilled. Any theory
of atonement must be one which shall
meet the fact that man was created at
the lowest point, and. a | believe, Is
as to his physical being evolved from.
the animal race below him, but as to
his moral and spiritual nature Is a son
of God, y new element having came in,
in the great movement of evolution, at
the point of mans appearance. Man
is universally sinful, not by nature,
but by = voluntary violation of known
laws. In other words, the animal
passions OF man have proved to be too
strong for his moral and spiritual ma
ture. Paul's double man, the old man
and the new man, is a grand exposi-
ton OF the doctrine of sin, especially in
seventh Roma us
But enough ofthis: Lam not in my
preaching attacking orthodoxy. | be-
long 10 this wing of the Christian
army. But | cannot get my own
views out, except by a comparison Of
them to the disadvantages OF the
standard views. II to any l seem to
bring wit and humor to an irreverent
use, | al only say / do it because |
cannot help it. SO things come to me.
SO must express them-but not as II
sneer or scofi-though often with itn-
petuous feelings, and with open mirth.
A BELIEF ROOTED IN SCIENCE.
Ny life Is drawing to an end. A
few more working years only have |
left. No n can express the earnest
ness which | feel that, in the advance
science, which will inevitably sweep
away much rubbish from the beliefs OF
men, a place may be found for n
higher spirituality, for n belief that
shall have It's roots in science, and its
top IN the sunlight OF faith and love.
For that am working and shall work
as long rs | work ut all. The dis
cussion has begun. God is in
1T. 1t must 60 N. II is one
OF these great movements which come
when God would lift men 10 II higher
level. The root Of the whole matter
with me is, in a word, this: Which il
The central element of moral govern
ment, love or h0tredp | say hatred,
for inhuman handsthat is what Justice
has largely amounted to. | hold that
they are not coequal. True Justice. in
ITS primitive form is simply pain, and
this suffering is auxiliary, pedagogic
schoolmaster, until men are
enough developed to work by love.
Love Is not auxiliary. Ii is the one
undividad force of moral government
to which God is bringing the uni
verse.
should wish to live in the affection
ana confidence OF my brethren i'm the
christian ministry, but | cannot for
the sake of earning 1t yield one lot or
tittie of loyalty to that kingdom OF
iove which is coming, and OF which |
hnl out as onecryingi in the wilderness,
Prepare ye the way of the Lorl.r
am aifectianately yours.
HENRY Warn hr,a.Irp