New-York tribune., 1884-01-28
DEFENDING HEBER NEWTON.
MR.. BEECHER ON THE DUTYoF THE PULPIT.
ITS ATTITUDE TOWARD NEW -RUTHs-sUFREME

1
| AUTHORITY THING OF THE PAST.
/ Plymouth Church was thrOnged yesterday
morning. and Mr. Beecher preached upon the liberties
and restrictions of minister Of the Gospel closing with
referring 70 the of the Rev. p Heber Newton OF All
| Souls Church. this city.
The text OF the sermon was Matthew w. 10! "Follow
meand viii make you fishers of men," This MI Beechcr
said the charter of discpleshp. All proper business
carried with moral influence but the work of Christ
separate from this He set apart order Of men to
win men by personal influence It not by the truth
alone ahsracty but by the truth made known oy the
personal influence OF under human conditions
| man was Christlike and taught heresy
that was better than the truth under opposite
conditions. man must preach the Christ In himself,
and his influence must be Christ upon men.
The scope OF q minister's action limited only by
loveto God and man. The TO bring men into the
full desposm Of love in the soul Love God piety,
andove TO man morality. The latter lower form of
the former They different stages Of growth from the
root The power and majesty OF God must be pre-
sented by the minister to the reason qukenedb by the i'm
agtnation. man who did not make men think Of God
by his actions not minister In any true sense, not
though thousand councils and thousand bishops con-
| secrated him THIS was terrific measure
for minister, and should make every one
humble. A minister must also preach the duties Of
man to man. He must be fisher OF men.
He be student of IN all their restions-cyic
social and domestic He must apply the Gospel so as to
aid them In all He must aid In all just reforms In so
| ciety. church which aided reform In general and
Jumped each particular sdry athousandyear-
old dead The ministry called to promote gem
era intelligence 1t ought also to certain extentuphod
morality In political affairs. There politics in all
morality. But pulpit must not be intemperate and
and partisan In politics Preaching must be unfolding
and must change with the growth OF society. 1t was as
different from that of the Apostolic times as the al
manacs Of to-day were from those Of that time.
Every minister called to win and uplift men
in Christ must be his judge OF the
way he would do il. He must be his own
Pope Every man had to give account Of himself on
the day OF Judgment No council pre5bytery, ruling
in a church could take his place there. God meant
liberty to be the breath Of 1t would keep Itself right
ard correct itself But in power always afraid
OF IL. The way TO keep the church alive was to give
liberty to all the members. Difficulties would cure
themselves All ecclesiastical repression was
IN favor Of dead men, How much 1t was If dead
men ruled IN creeds, confessions and Thrtynine Articles
Mornan In the throat OF the Church to-day, the
dead mems hands Of the creeds Of two three hundred
years ago.
As 10 the restrictions the minister, he should not be
an investigator In general man could be minister
and scientific man, but not II be had parish No man
could authority in any one science the Held
had become 50 broad but he must restrict himself to
one branch only; and how much less could
minister care for his people, and yet be an
authority in all departments OF life.
He must depend upon his own Judgment In scientific
matters but with great limitations testing everything by
Hfe II he found anything hurtul to his people he had
better leave alone They might not be ready to receive
what he profoundly believed. They must be grad
ually led up. Mr.. BeecheF said that II he had
preached what he now did thirty years ago,
It might have hurt his people II they had believed it,
Until recently he had not preached what lay In the hor
zon OF his mind forty years ago He was very cautious
TTe
break of man from the old truths before he was ready
for the new. That wicked and wanton.
"NOw az to the cause OF these remarks said Mr
Beeeher: am In perfect sympathy with the school OF
Of advanced thought In the past twenty years there
has been great change OF opinion in regard to the
structure OF the Old Testament, much change has taken
place in regard the old, literal plenary verbal inspi
ration. 1t IS truth about which every
minister should be cautious in expressing
his views It wiser first to teach clearly what the
Old Testament good for that all will be grateful for 1t,
for the use power IN It. When fears are aayed and
reason posted then IL viii do destroy the hereditary
notions and no viii feel that anything is lost,
but that much is gained. There IS longer
supreme authority in the pulpit A thousand
books teach what the Church ought and thousand able
scientific men teach what the Church ought. and there
are thousands Of young who do not TO church,
but who read Huxley Tyndau, Spencer, MI
vart and French and German writer's, many Of
them, and European theoogians, who will
help them II you do not. AS lone. az our
endayschOols books with the teachings Of 500 years
ago and do not explain the actual truth many Viii grow
the Church. and those who see that they We're
deceived will be ready TO be intdels VIII
you Instruct them viii lnhdclsi Tho light is hidden
In rnauy schools There should be wise
and iCdlciou3 instruction I'm the nature OF
the Bible, its history and value In q reyerent and
Lelp.I way There Is great need Of It to-day.
"If Mr. Heber Newton had shown much less skill than he
has in this direction he ought not 70 be der1ded When
see old aud hOn0red ministers say that man who can
preach be dOcsis insane aud cry out stone him. stone
hml-whch l. only The modern W9yO of huShng up heIesy
bv trial. marvel II the light Of Gods spirit OF grace has
zone out these wise, admirable and grand mon not
50 the signs OF tho times What he too far that
"a not great q not % far enough The dumb
pulpit Is the heretical pulpit. God Is In the world
and His own receive Him not man Is a great truth
rcvealcr and they cry stone him! There should be
liberty OF thought liberty Of expression and liberty OF
preaching. Every minister Is responsible to God Tor the
souls whom be preachcsi and when he reflects that In
the Oucn heavens before the majesty Of Divine Love-
he must give account, well may he trcmblc. And
II God were not allcnient, allfOrgvinc, should be
afraid to meet him. do not preach for honor for repu
fatGn for prido for sefsCcking, but 10 make men
better. II has pleased God to let me have liberty,
and | use Whatever best adapted 10 call men 10
Jesus Christ May he make all men seeking truth eau
tious aud gcOus and may the day when
The shall shine for thousand years and the earth be
full OF tie glory Of Cod