The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-23


of God that helps q man out of this lower into
higher stage, and the doctrine of a holiness into
which a man may come by the aid OF the spirit
concurrent with their own will-these are what
l call the executive doctrines OF Christianity
and If these are faithfully preached in simplicity
and in earnestness by any man. he can scarcely
fail of the fruit OF such preaching. Certainly
it is the foundation of my preaching from the
beginning of my ministry to this day. The sub.
lime theologans CT the newspaper have said
time and time again: "Why doesn't Mr.. Beecher
60 out with Bob Ingerscll." / beg his pardon
Mr.. Ingersoll. / trust that he is gentleman
and deserves far better than ridicule. think
Mr.. lngersoll is as good man as many that are
preaching in the pulpit, and he does not need to
be very good then. But men have said why
ne doesn't believe in the Bible He doesn't be-
leve in religion. He believes in science
believe that man is animal before he is
social / believe that he is animal and social In
order tina. he may rise into higher civic condi-
tions. / believe that he is an animal, and
social being and civl. being simply as ne climbs
up into the higher realm OF tho artistic. me ees
thetic, the beautiful, the imaginative DeneVe
that he is animal that has lost his anlmallty,
and that he is not far from the kingdom OF GOD;
that by the unfolding of his nature, by its deval'
opment, by its evolution under the stimulation OF
the Divine Spirit, man rises into those cond-
tons in which he meets God, and is beaten
upon, if | may so say, by the waves of Gods
existence. that roll everywhere throughout Gre
alton as the light rolls.
RETROSPECTIVE AND PERSONAL
That is my theology 1t is a working theology.
look back now upon nearly forty years minis
try here, and what the fruit has been. 1t
has not been as large and as good as it would
have been if you had had better fruiterer.
But am not unwilling to compare with others
the men and women that have grown up under
my preaching, their development in nobleness,
their cheer, their hopefulness, their courage,
their kindness, their lovableness and their self
denial, which ceases to be selfdenial because
they learn to love working for others. think
/ am not apt to be proud, but I may thank God
that have the test before me in hundreds and
in thousands, and that the word preached by me
has been blessed not simply to their evolution
into higher, statelIer, more beautiful, attractive,
winning souls.
Any man that breaches these doctrines and
sticks to them, and carries them up he is ortho-
dox. That is what Christ came for. That is what
the Holy Spirits given out for mans belief
about what the future condition of things will
be, may be or may not be important, as the case
is But as to the sirfulness of men, the need of
regeneration, the reality of the change of heart,
the divine influence to help every man up, and
on, and the final completion of character on that
high spiritual basis, whoever believes in these
things in this simple creed, is equipped to do the
Lords work. and you have no right to exclude
him. l know that men say that man has no
right to be in church when he does not believe
In all the rules and regulations; That true
Christian man cannot stand it.
1t is said that men who are going to be preach
ers and teachers, and expect to have the indorse-
ments of the ecclesiastical authorities, must be
given the ground upon which they are going to
teach. l hold that a man should give this
answer to the question:
81 believe ali the world is involved in sin. I
believe Jesus Christ came to redeem men from
their sins. [ believe that he taught that there
was power given forth in answer to faith, and
prayer, and praise. by which the Holy Ghost
should lift q man up into the higher realm of his
nature, and give him ascendency and perma-
nency there | do believe that it is possible for
man, regenerated and lifted up to come to
that knowledge and that communion of faith by
which God is his companion night and day, and
everywhere. | do believe that when man has
otherwise the conception. the constitution, the
strength, the organization by which, being in
spired of God, he has insight and foresight, and
has, more than that, the power Of working
believe in theology that stands directly con-
nected with the discipline, the development and
the perfection of the human race"
Finally, let me not leave this subject argu-
tentatively controversially. May not say to
every person here, your own consciousness
teaches you that you are living in low, and
sinful, and undeveloped state? | do not ask
you to 60 back to the creed or the confession,
l ask you in your own consciousness, do
you not know you are living low. selfish,
carnal livess Does not the strength of your life
run in the lower channels of itp [ ask every
man here: "Do you not believe.that you need to be
elevated to higher stage, and. if there is such
a thing a divine inspiring influence, do you
not desire that that influence may lift you up
out of your carnal state into spiritual state,
and ought you not to be glad of it, and not
groan that you may be born again, as if it were
putting great burden and task of duty upon
you? Ought you not, as men, who are shut up
in dungeon, and have CROPPED around and final
ly found door that opens out into the light,
through which you may escape, ought you not
to say; Blessed be God that l may be born
again. You ought to be born again" Ought not
every man to be ashamed to live IN the dull and
lower elements of possible being when perfection
is ready and is waiting for him! DO not count
yourselves unworthy of that life which God inn
parts to those that rise up into communion with
him. beseech you. then to understand that
this doctrine Of mans snfulness and need of
change and possible development is not found
merely in the texts Of the Bible. 1t does not
stand simply in any schemes which men have
filled up. but stands fully 0ottomed on natural
science
Evolution is laying the ground, 1 believe, for
more powerful revivals of religion in the days
which are yet to Gomez for more facile changes in
men from below upward than ever have been
known in the days that have gone by. May
God speed the day.
Mr.. Beechers Greed.
BALTIMORE, June 21.--Rev George Morrison,
OF Baltimore has received the following letter
ID