Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-07-06
Mr.. BEECHER'S SERMON.
EVOLUTION AND CHRISTIANITY.
The r~o NOT Necessarily Inconsistent
Mo Great Development OF
Thought to De ignored.

Hzs' foAz. Jaly 5.-in - ssrmsn this
naesIa4na Rss. Hsary Nard Besehsr present
sd ssa~ons IN addition ~ those which he has
gwen bsfore thaI the acceptance Of syolu-
ton siii not destroy any essential slsnlsnt
OF sslizi0us oeiisf, though IL will lead 10
ma1y changes IA forms aud methosts Beech
90 pointsd " the fact that there are tsso par
ties sIaong ssOluti0nists themselves. one led
b. slences, whom Beeeher regards A. the
abiest thinker for centuries, the other by
Has<ke The thinkers OF the English
scflos,l seemed 70 be tending toward spirit
aal center; th0se Of Germany and the cont
nsnt toward matsrielistic center. The
former repudiats materialism and refuse 10
20 tarthsr al present than agnosticism.
speIlcer seemed ~ have reached a view
which beecher thought might result IA
hls ret being kno9n the ablest
defensder- OF the essential siemsnts of Chris
tianIty that has arisen for many days. On
the ether hand the materiaiists Of the con
uBsnt seemed eager 10 destroy every vestige
OF religion Any attempt 70 hold on % any
belief Ia things Of A spiritual nature irritated
thslE- Half npe students here, reading their
work., we're very apt ~ catch the same spirit
and essay 70 preach sy0lutloo, while holding
All 1l tAu lDiys DCCCIcFs
therefore. wished 70 indicate what IN eyolu-
ton required 70 be decapltated, and what
Enl ght be retained Was Il 20 De supposed.
he ASKED, that after ifty years Of christian
ministry. with ali it associations dear 10
him, he would advocate any doctrine that
UoQld destroy the substance or u any de-
gree sven the material forms of religion?
Hs would rather die. his aim Was 70 give
~ religion wider scope and greater power.
he was IA sympathy not alone with the
church. bat with the whole human family.
his longing for years had been for such
teaching a. would lead men 10 higher,
E0bler condition. Evolution, he continued,
surrounds the church with an influence that
must Dc considered. No great development
% thought could DO ignored To repress IN
vesLigatiOn was impossible. IL should be
carried on openly and encouraged. It should
not cease terror IN the church. Churches
we're bat the assertions of men and women
seeking 70 develop their moral and spiritual
nature In direct Intercourse with God EvO-
mtiOn would not abolish them hot would
enlarge their freedom Mr.. Beecher
expected 10 see the day
when mans essential spirituality
would DO his title To admission into the
church, instead OF the ordinances now in
sisted on. when children would not need to
wonder at looking at good man II be could
possibly 20 % Heaven, not being church
member. Churches we're instructors II con-
municants found in them higher knowl-
edge. No other human instrument could de-
pose them "a such. Therefore Beecher did
not think evolution would abolish them.
though they would doubtless simplify and |
clarity them. They conform u To the re-
qnirements OF evolution IN that they con |
cerned themselves with the devepments of |
men from lower 90 higher stages of growth. |
The changes 10 be made would be mainly |
IN sxernal forms. The despotism or conceit |
which made each church claim TO be |
the sole authorized repository of |
Gad's truth, and the agent for |
its propagation. only harbor solution as |
II the rain did not fall Upon the just and the |
unjust alike. This would be abolished, AMI !
with Il the religious qnarrels that have lined |
the march of Christianity with skulls, bones |
and blood. Beecher found an increasing
tendency TO unity among the churches. and
attributed this less ~ councils and assem- |
blie- than 90 the increasing cooperation of
nsen of different denominations in work of
public charity. OF benehcence such tenn |
perance. when Catholics and Protestants. or
persons of different Protestant faiths seemed !
undsr such circumstances, tO be surprised to |
ind 40 much genuine, earnest, christian
feeling in each other" This tended
% break down the barriers of
creed The tendency IN churches 10 furnish
amusements to the children and adults of
their congregational instead of indlscrim-
inately cOndemniug all amuaements. was
one sixn OF natural evolution already taking
place within the church. and summer meet
Ings for instruction. such the one at
Chaufauqga. where iaymen. as well a.
officials. took part, were movements IN the
same direction. II there we're greater free
dom and individuality 20 the effect of
new ideas. Beecher believed the true preach
or had function which could not
be delegated 10 any other class of
teachers II was not in knowledge,
but in Gods love, It vas soul-acting
upon soul and developing the unsensuous
imagination Of men who feared 70 let men
think fos themselves with lesssned restraint
OF church ordinances. Beecher pointed out
that Haeekel had always declared that IL was
not always safe - trust men with them
selves. but experience shows that men are
safer the more you give them liberty. He
concluded by counseling the young men of
his audience 20 refrain not from reading
scientific works. but from being hssty 10
accept views that seemed contrary 20 the
trus spirit Of religion. which was the spirit
that produced a sanity mother and noble
father whom they revered.
Beecher viii preach next Sunday at Peek
skill a. Chaplain Of the Thirteenth regiment,
who 80 into camp there on Saturday. He
viii not preach sgain until the latter part Of
Septenber.