A Sad Picture by Editor

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 27, 1856

A Sad Picture.

By Editor

If Rev. Charles Beecher tells the truth of his associates, we should rather be almost anything else, than an evangelical preacher. We have long thought that what he says is true, and when we see such a statement from one who had the benefit of observation and experience both, we must believe it. What a melancholy picture! Mr. Beecher uttered this language, Feb. 22d, 1846, at the dedication of a Presbyterian church in Fort Wayne, Indiana:

“During the whole course of seven years’ study, the Protestant candidate for the ministry sees before him an authorized statement, spiked down and stereotyped, of what he must find in the Bible, or be martyred. And need any one acquainted with human nature, be told that he studies under a tremendous pressure of motive? Is that freedom of opinion?—The liberty wherewith Christ maketh free? Rome would have given that. Every one of her clergy might have studied the Bible to find there the Pontifical Creed on pain of death. Was that liberty?”

“Hence I say that liberty of opinion in our Theological Seminaries, is a mere form. To say nothing of the thumb-screw of criticism, by which every original mind is tortured into negative propriety, the whole boasted liberty of the student consists in a choice of chains—a choice of hand-cuffs—whether he will wear the Presbyterian hand-cuff, or the Methodist, Baptist, Episcopal, or other evangelical hand-cuff. Hence it has secretly come to pass that the ministry themselves dare not study their Bibles. Large portions thereof are seldom touched. It lies useless lumber; or if they do study and search, they dare not show their people what they find there! There is something criminal in saying anything new. It is shocking to utter words that have not the mould of age upon them.

“For through the ministry the same spirit has been conducted to the people. The denominations are so nearly balanced, the strife for power is so keen between them that every fancied departure from that creed, is seized to make political capital, as really as in any political campaign. Houses must be built; salaries must be raised. This requires wealth. Wealth requires members and patronage. This creates a servile dread of novelty, for everything that another party can get hold of, strikes at the gold. Therefore the people watch their minister, and the minister is afraid of his people. For if he studies independently, if he gets outside of the book, [creed,] if he slips the hand-cuff, the people tremble—it will not please—the opposition will seize it—we shall be unpopular—we shall not succeed!

“Oh! woful day! Oh! unhappy Church of Christ! Fast rushing round and round the circle of absorbing ruin! Thou sayest I am rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked!

“Thus are the ministry of evangelical, Protestant denominations, not only formed all the way up under a tremendous pressure of merely human fear, but they live, move and breathe in a state of things radically corrupt, and appealing every hour to every baser element in their nature, to hush up the truth, and bow the knee to the power of apostasy!

“Dimly does every one now and then see that things are going wrong. With sighs does every true heart confess that rottenness is somewhere, but ah, it is hopeless of reform. We all pass on, and the tide rolls down to Night.”—Ex.