The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-11
BEECHER ON REVELATIONS.
Book to be Used in Spots as We Use Poetry
The Doctrine of the Trinity.

The Doctrine of the Trinity.
Last Sundays Sermon.
'sThe book of Revelations" said Mr. Beecher,
lis an impossible book to understand literally.
If you attempt to treat it logically it becomes
phantasm Its imagery appeals to the Oriental
imagination. and only here and there white
man understands it. But it is book greatly to
be used and desired in spots and as we use
poetry 1t expresses one thought that the world
needs, that in the great conflict from the begin
ming between light and dark, between good and
evil, right in the end shall be triumphant. 4
am the beginning and the ending That is the
sum of everything, beginning at the lowest stage
and reaching to the highest civilization. The
text illustrates the many -sidedness Of Christ
First, the historical Christ 1t is surprise to
me that He of whom it is said il His words and
deeds were recorded the world could not contain
the books, should not haveleftone word as it was
originally uttered. The fragile memory of those
who consorted with Him is the only source from
which we derive the Gospel. But all agree in
the substantial elements of the truth. Bauer
and the others of the German school of destruc-
tive critics. in throwing out John and other por-
tons of the Gospel, do not touch the real Christ
OF the Gospel You may eradicate every miracle
and you don't materially destroy the life of the
Gospel. For the Gospel is not simply chain Of
events; it is life with purpose, the experience
on earth OF pure nature who undertook to
show men how to elevate their nature. What if
a miracle was not miracle? 1t makes differ
ence in your theory of inspiration, but what does
it make iii the grandeur of the zeal truth2 In
the first days of the Church. Christians looked for
Christs immediate temperance. Afterwards,
mems minds began to work upon the nature Of
the God-head-C hrist's place in the Trinity the
divinity of Christ. How can we tell the qualities
of Divinity We don't know enough about God.
and the question of Christs divinity is not ha,i
SO important, though l believe lovingly in it;
that is, Heis such presentation of divine nature
that may pray to and worship it, and put my
souls confidence in it, and that is God enough
for me-that is what want of God. But
when you come to theologize then there must be
more-certain definitions, and in arguing that
question what world of grace has been lost.
"As to the Trinity find no difficulty in it
accept the doctrine, if you don't oblige me to de-
fine it, But when you appoint the judicial cir
cults and say: The Father has this function,
the Son that and the Holy Spirit that, I decline
to enter into any such views. The fact is, our
ideas all are derived from some experience of
others, or our own, and we cannot understand
Gods nature, because there is thousand times
more of it than we have any emblems of in our
experience But as to His disposition, we can I'M
derstand truth, love, gentleness justice-the d-
vine quaities-for in the household we have
Gods commentary Of what He is and His pur-
pose in this world
but theology says: What is the nature of the
AtonementP This is philosophy don't say it
is barbarous, but do not confound it with that
view of Christ which has product in (which
works in us and lifts us to his sphere. The Christ
of theology may help some men, but have an
impression that it has hindered thousandfod
more. Theology has changed with the ages.
When men were low and animal, the dominant
element was fear. AS Christianity sweetened
life theology became lofter, and governments
have followed the same analogy. Governments
are milder and more beneficial just as their sub
jects grow in civilization. Barbarism and
tyranny, standardization and constitutional mon
archy, morality and virtue and republicanism.
'Nor should we make the blunder Of suppos-
ing that religion and theology are the same
Man may change his catechism and keep his re-
ligion; he may lose his religion and stick to his
theology. But though the Christ of theology
change, the Christ of our personal experience