The Freedom Ring

Theodore Tilton Stressed Over the Tilton vs. Beecher Case The Battle of Life Sermon by Rev. Henry Ward Beecher Sunday Evening, Jan. 9th, 1881 Plymouth Church   Brooklyn Heights, NY Lesson : Eph. vi: 10-20 “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” — Eph . vi : II - 18.  This is the representation of a literal state of facts, although it is thrown into a dramatic form. There has been a line of division running through the human family from the very beginning to this day. Right and wrong have been in conflict from the very first developments of human existence. The conflict has not died out, and is not likely to die out for ages. Where the two sides come together there is a wide belt of uncertain and varying elements, yet the two extreme...

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when we shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifiers himself, even as he is pure." -- I John III : 2, 3. Preached by Rev. Henry Ward Beecher Sunday Morning, October 5th, 1863 Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, NY If we trace our relationship, through moral experience and equality, to the Lord Jesus Christ, our Elder Brother, and if through him the children of God can say, in sincerity and in truth, “Our Father," then everyone in that line should have a sense of personal worth that will be of incalculable value to them. The want of suitable pride is one of our biggest curses. The race suffers for the want of that sense of character, that sense of dignity, which alone can hold men back from things little and low, and keep them always in the line of things worthy. This is inspired by a sense of our ...

Rev. Henry Ward Beecher in his 50's When Henry Ward Beecher passed away (1813-1887), t here was a universal expression of esteem, love, and affection, that sprang forth from every part of the country, every class in society, and every religious denomination. This is an indication of how wide and deep a hold he had upon the American people during the 19th Century. No other man has exerted such a wide and profound influence on the progress of thought — moral, political and religious—in this country during the 1800's, as has Mr. Beecher. It may be claimed that other reformers have done more to change the political constitution from a pseudo-democracy governed by a slavocracy to a genuine democracy governed by its free industrial classes. Or, that other teachers have done more to promote that political enthusiasm out of which new parties are born (Republican Party) and by which they must be inspired-or die. Or, that other theological thinkers have exerted a more permanent influenc...

Puck Magazine Passage from "Evolution & Religion"  By Rev. Henry Ward Beecher,  -Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, NY, Sunday Morning, May 17, 1885- “When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning. It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowering. Oye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?"   — Matthew xvi : 2 , 3 . This could mean nothing unless it meant that, as the weather changes, God's miraculous developments are presenting a diversified appearance throughout time. He was in the world and the world did not recognize him. He was among the then most religiously cultivated people, and he was developing a higher conception of morality and spiritual religion than theirs, and they could not understand it.  They looked upon all the miracles that he brought, the transcendent works of goodwill and of grace, as if they were in a circus, watching the athletic fea...

The Fugitive Slave Act passed by Congress in September 1850, which increased federal and free-state responsibility for the recovery of fugitive slaves . The Story of How Henry Ward Beecher became an Anti-Slavery Activist Adapted passages from “Henry Ward Beecher: An American Portrait” published in 1887. Henry Ward Beecher was asked by a group of abolitionists to help in presenting two slave girls who were sisters, the Edmonson sisters, to a large audience at the Brooklyn Tabernacle , to present their case with the objective of purchasing their freedom. It was said that these girls had previously experienced some traumatizing incident and those abolitionist who found out about it, wanted to purchase their freedom before they were sold off “down the river.” At the time, Henry Ward Beecher did not talk publicly much about politics or anti-slavery themes. However, that all started to change once he stepped foot on that stage at the Tabernacle. Below we find the story of that night: It...