Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-24

fully breaches these doctrines viii not
fail OF fruit. They are the foundation OF
all my practical preaching. Those sub
lime theologians-the newspapers-ask
why / do not go out with Bob Ingersoll-
| beg his pardon. / mean Mr.. Robert In
gersOll. | believe he is gen.
tleman and worthy Of everything but
ridcule. He is as good as many men in
the pulpit, but one does not need TO be
very good for that. They say that do
not believe in the Bible or in religion, but
that / believe in science. l believe that
man was an animal before he became
social; that he was animal and social so
as to rise to the civic plane; that he was
animal, social and civlc at 80 many stages
to climb to the artistic and intellectual.
[ believe that the animal lost his animal
ity by unfolding; that he can rise by
evolution and by the Divine spirit so as to
meet God and be beaten upon by the men
OF Gods influence.
WORKING THEOLOGY.
"My theology is working theology. 1
believe many things besides and know
many more which do not believe. My
theology is practical and | look back on
forty years among you. The fruit Is not as
large as If you had had a better fruiterer,
but | am not unwilling to compare the
men and women here for cheerfulness and
hope, for love and loveabeness with those
anywhere. Christ called men from
gross and animal life to spirituality,
which is the direct result OF the impact
of the Divine mind upon men. Men
ascend through the stages of being
animal, social, aesthetic and intellectual
until at last they see God and immOr-
tality in community with invisible.
state of receptivity TO the Divine influence
develops new life in the soul. In all the
realm of creation is there anything so
appealing, so inspiring, 90 desirable, 80
sublime, as regeneration? 1t is COM
munity and unity with God. IL is apt to
come with false mental philosophy, with
grotesque teachings, with authorizations
and simulatiOns in life. But we are not
to judge of truth in its untoldlngs in life
or in theology. The glorious truth is that
full-length portrait Of man in the New
Testament. as uutolded in the last stage
OF evolution in this world preparatory TO
translation TO the other.
BEECHER ON BAPTISM.
"The Roman idea of BAPTISM" Mr..
Beecher continued, twas that the child
was cleansed OF the original sin committed
by Adam. Ten thousand millions power
of a magnifying glass would not discover
solitary speck of anything Adam did, or
did not do in a babe. Baptism did the
Cullu HO udIils anu HObulHS WIS CASTER
than to wash all this imaginary sin away.
Adults are not regenerated in baptism,
but man may begin new life at the time.
"Science," he continued warmly, "has
no right to ridicule revivals of religion.
They are founded on a natural philOsO-
ply. Children are trained to a spirit
birth naturally and easily, and this is the
normal method and the best. But adults
are regenerated slowly and imperfectly.
Influence must be brought to bear on
them to enable them to rise as if by at
mospheric pressure to an exalted life.
Unity Of feeling is favorable to the devel-
opment of undivided feelings, and this is
recognized in business and in art, in
fashion and most of all in the moral feel
ings. A hundred men can. do what it
seems well-nigh impossible for one to
accomplish.
CHRISTIANITY AND SILENCE.
"The executive doctrines Of Chris
tianity," Mr.. Beecher added, 'Iare con-