Omaha daily bee., 1884-05-27
GOSPEL ECHOES.
Sermons Preached by Two Eminent
DiVineS Yesterday.
Rev, A, F. Sheriff. Answers an
Editorial of the Republican,
GOSPEL ECHOES.
while Rev. j. 8. DetwiIcr Exhorts His
People to Sacrifice.

The churches OF TINS city SUNDAY
were well filled, and a number Of good
sermons were preached among which
we're the following
First Congregational.
At the First Congregational church
Sunday evening, Rev. A. f. Sheriff., the
pastor, took occasion to answer an edi.
torial which appeared in the Republican
some time since.
The sermon is printed as delivered.
THE SERMON.
Fcclesiasties, 3. l and ITO everything
there is a season and a time-a time to speak.
There are those who affect TO ignore news
papers. They dismiss them from attention AZ
unworthy their lofty notice. But newspapers
arc one Of the institutions of the ago. The
leading newspapers of this country are mar
wells of energy, command first.rate talent, and
have greatinhuence. Along this longitude runs
tho hinge of the two parts of this continent.
At som point upon it and probable here, for
this is destined to be q great city, will by and
by be printed the largest newspaper, most
representative, widely circulate and i%niiuen-
tial in America. The boy is father of the man.
The present Importance OF our newspapers
is partly found in what they are to be. AL
ready they compare we'll with any, In cities of
this size. It's to-day worth the while of any
one to give them attention, their information,
suggestions, criticisms; also in turn, to do
anything we can to help correct them, when
we believe them in error, as well as lend them
our aid and Endorsement In every right en-
deavor. The people may correct and help the
papers, rs we'll as the papers inform and
guide the people, If both will so allow. The
papers OF this city arc q constant and gener.
GUS help to the churches, which should always
be acknowledged with due gratitude. This
discourse is in the spirit Of the above words.
Especially Is there friendliness tonight in
this pulpit, toward the paper, whose article is
to no referred to, and appreciation of its YER
satile ability, wide usefulness and uniform
good nature. And there is no intend.
cd personality. Last Sunday morning, in
a leading editorial of The Republican, making
comments on q funeral somewhere and the
~clergyman's remarks, occurred this sentence,
as pith and substance of the whole, and for
which | suppose the rest was written, duty in
the premises is plain. Sunday after Sunday
we listen to ministerial denunciations Of un-
belief, and unqualified assertions that the
man who doubts is damned-and when the
man IL dead. and his denouncers stand above
his coffin face to face with the great terror
and mystery of dissolution. they recant, and
with n beautiful charity consign his faults
to obscurity and his soul to heaven" Clergy
men and editors are not expected always to
ngree, and ministers may be, IA often, the
ones in error, but that sentence Is so far from
correct and ON 80 grave q theme l thought 1t
time to speak"
| do not 500 how one of average religious
intelligence and can1or could write that SEN
tence, especially as the csntral chief one of a
leading article. 1t is not true at either end OF
in the middle, but untrue in every part and all
through. III handed me at random, l should
say the only way to harmonic 1t, with belief
that the writer meant to tell the truth is to
suppose the "we" used in a very editorial
sense; that the writer never goes TO hear the
orthodox minister whose preaching he is try
ing to describe, only perhaps occasionly hear
ing one of those preachers, who often repres-
ent us, IA chiefly occupied in denouncing un.
believers, and saying 'the man VIII doubts
Is damned" and therefore he honestly be.
lieves a chief part of the preaching, from
the 10000 evangelical pulp Is of Ameriea
alone Is fairly summed in that statement ana
l could only account for the last part of the
sentence, that at the funeral of the man we
yesterday consigned to damnation, we ere.
cant" deny orr creed aud our own words, and
send his soul straight to heaven" Oh the
ground, the writer almost never goes to . fun
eral, and when he does stands outside IN the
yard with many Others while the service goes
on. / say, that, or its like, is tho best theory
1 could offer though 1t Is hardly the informa
charge. The unbelief decribed plainly does
not refer to conduct but to disbelief, c. O
in the existence of God
the truth or inspiration of tn,
Bible, the condition of salvation, &c
and the unbeliever is presumed sincere, anc
not a triher or hypocrite. The charge is tina
Sunday after Sunday such unbelief is denounc
ai and tho man ainparalu holding II Ianlara,
damned. Then, what is n grayer charg
against the minister at the funeral, he prove
himself beyond question either o weakling o
hypocrite by publicly recanting, denying tn
solemn assertions of yesterday, involving dc
NAL of what are usually regarded some of tn
most radical truths of religion. The charg
also lies against the great mass of church 'goin
people through christendom /. that they pa
money, lend attendance and otherwise SUI
port such practice, and in some extent allo,
such men to guide them, even IN matters til
!, most sacred. How shall l reply to the FIRE
\ and middle part? Sunday after Sunday "
listen to ministerial announcements of unbelis
and unqualified assertions that the man VIII
doubts IL damned. | am an average orthodo
minister, that is L preach for substance, Il u
do. and | have been preaching and teachin
after the usual way Sundays and week day
for fifteen years, but l never once uttered Tn
: denunciations Described, or used the ~assertio
or its equivalent, ''the man who doubts
damned" Some are here tonight who hay
heard me often, q few all the fifteen years.
confidently appeal to them II / aver did. {
preached u sermon whose substance could |
surrendered in the above state lent. L new,
had such ideas IN my mind or heart. / ha,
listened to many of tho representative @ erg,
men of our country, of all denomination
from Boston to San Francisco, from Canad
to New Orleans. and L never heard those d
Inltnuinttnna mr. auanEt.nYa 10 .AN EnAut a
b evangelical Clergyman anywhere, of such -"
or practice, i never read 1t, In 'nhl. 49,.
( mon, or paper or book, though ! IA -'N Ism
d OF sermons by orthodox preachu. 80 -lC
9 lou years. i sat under theological. professor
q three years, and read other systems, but new,
heard or found the above. nor anything like |
| was taught by my first religious teahers, tn.
sincere doubt Is something to respect, ire,
patiently. and help, II possible. So have a
. ways felt and said, and tried to do. ha,
4 heard sermons, read expositions and so OF
u upon such passages as that telling the doul
. OF Thomas, and Christ's treatment of It, M
' the instruction has always been to respect m
not rebuke doubt; give helpful evidence,
- possible, show the path by which self or othe
% have passed through similar unbelief into b
q liet. and then wait on tho Spirit of God
re guide into truth. In NV last religious pap
Of occur two accounts, Of different %cleIgymen, d
u. ing 30, in particular cases, with good resul
They ave very frequent have a long IL
o. which have been intrusted TO gather. l late
received q letter from a professional man, b
miles away, once resident here, In which
says, You ayed us out of infdelity, " Al
the method, rs in all similar cases, whose mar
is legi, n, was not denunciation OF the thre
Of damnation. There may be- those, w
!, profess unbeliof, AS an imagined justifcstio
\ Tor transgressions of the morai law. The
8 impatience In SON quarters. with q m
II lila InnaEann haaanaA Of an nuoh H. 1
words aud practice, which makes sober peoI
In,hi hia ainoaritu hut 1 lnnw Of nnlu a