Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1884-12-29
BEECHER APOLOGIES.
a STATEMENT TO HIS CHURCH.
Reasons for His Late Political Action
Some Things That Ought to Have
Been Said Differently.

New YOaK, Dec. 2e.--At the close of his
sermon this morning Beecher made per
sonal statement TO his congregation. He
said that for the first time in thirty eight
years of his ministry in Plymouth Church,
there was enough of disagreement IN the
church 10 need notice. The disquiet was
not on account of his ministry, for no one
had charged him with introducing politics
into his sermons. He had discussed
slavery from the pulpit because II was
a permanent question and involved the
necessity of education, but the present .ques-
ton was small one and would of itself
soon pass away, and therefore he had not
thought it fair 10 vex those among them
who differed from his views, by alluding TO
the matter in the pulpit. But he felt that
when the great Republican party
had failed to crown its career by
bringing in unity of sentiment the
North and the South that like Moses
he who had helped to bring the people within
sight of the promised land, was to die with
out entering III. He would gladly have given
his life il the Republican party could have
given such a welcome to the South as to
have made one of its great candidates a
Southern man. Feeling as he did, after
long consideration he went into the
canvass. They knew very well he
never went into anything by halves.
[Applause. He threw his life, his reputa-
tion, his influence to the winds. They were
nothing to him if only the country might live
again in absolute harmony. He would not
say he had not said things during the cam
paign that he ought to have said differently.
But after he had been with them forty years
they should have had confidence enough in
him, and manliness enough, not to take an
impetous speech and draw it out into every
base application. 1t was shame for them to
have done it. [Applausel. AS for himself,
it was a shame for him to have said anything
that should lead them to such a mistake. On
no other point was he SO sensitive as that 1t
should be supposed that he in any way un-
dervalued the sanctity of chastity and the
purity of household life. On that subject
time would do him justice, and he
had had right to expect diff
ferent treatment from them. AS to his
political Judgment, he looked back upon il
with approval As to what had been said
about persons intending to leave the church,
if any preferred other ministers they should
have his blessing whenever they chose to 60
So far as pew renting was concerned, all he
cared was that the charitable work of the
church might not have its revenues curtailed
| They could not rebuke him by reducing his
| income. Applause He came to the pas
| torate on 81 800 year and could live happily
ON that now. But if he supposed
that even a large minority felt nc
longer benefited by his preaching he would
resign. If they wanted him to stay they
must receive him with open hands. He re-
GREETED if any ones feelings had been hurt;
for any mistakes he had made he apollo
| gized. But they should remember that in
speaking to crowd one addressed a jury
rather than judge, and used less formal
language. They should not lay the Attic
rule of measurement too surely upon
the speaker who was sent to counteract Ber
Butler. Laughter. He was their servant fol
| Christ's sake, and loves sake, he trusted in
their love of him. Many would soon be with
him in the other life, where they would smile
in remembering how they let the grandeur
of life go by while thinking of the little in
felicities and slips. For the sake of men
| perishing in ignorance, let them hold on the
way all the purer and stronger for the slight
misunderstanding that had come among
! them.
Beecher was warmly congratulated by q
host of friends at the close of the service.