BEECHER DEFENDS HIMSELF.

Evening Star, Issue 4085, 30 March 1876, Page 4

BEECHER DEFENDS HIMSELF.

On the night of February 23 Beecher made a great speech to his congregation, and referring to the coming advisory council he said :—“You that receive brethren into your households ought to set up within your hearts a sentiment of honor for those who come together upon this council, who come to hear impartially and give such advice as the Lord may inspire in them upon facts that shall be presented. You must not attempt in your household to bias them by your kindness in the slightest degree, or to beguile them from the fullest and fairest discharge of their duty, even if their judgment should be adverse to your conviction ; and, mind, every dictate of Christian honor demands that these men should be received in your families without being in the slightest degree biassed by social inliuences.” In equally strong terms he urged them not to attempt to influence council meetings by applause or dissent. When Bowen’s case! came up, he referred to him with evident sadness, in view of their long time relations ; but Anally, when referring to Bowen’s instructions, he said “If for more than fifteen years Bowen has been in possession of such facts as he now alleges in his letter, aud never mentioned them to me of any officer of this Church, nor in anywise brought them to the knowledge of the Church itself, he deserves to be expelled for violation of his covenant.—(Great applause.) If lam what he alleges 1 have been, and be knew and permitted it without a word of warning to me, or to the Church itself, he has concealed a crime against his Church and against morality. His allegation is a lie, aud before God I so pronounce it. Do not suppose that he shall hide himself, nor will I permit anything to be hid about me by having it referred to these gentlemen, with the understanding that they shall keep the proceeding laid before them secret, aud only let out what they choose. Since the matter has been published with his name attached to it, he has got to face these things, and produce his evidence. For myself, I have only this to say—l pronounce all the insinuations and allegations that he has made to be false, and with Almighty God before me, and looking to the Judgment Day, I arraign him as a slanderer and a liar.” Mr Beecher sat down overpowered, and the congregation became wild as the waves of cheers aud shouts of applause reverberated through the room, receding only to break out anew again and again, despite every effort to repress them by cries of “Order.”