Henry Ward Beecher

Henry Ward Beecher (1813 – 1887) was a 19th century prominent, Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, abolitionist and speaker. Born to US Congregational and Presbyterian minister Lyman Beecher, Henry was the seventh of 13 siblings, some of whom were famous in their own right, including Harriet Beecher Stowe who wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin.
In 1847 Henry was appointed the first pastor of Plymouth Congregational Church in Brooklyn, New York. For the next thirty years he crusaded from the pulpit for temperance and against slavery and became one of the most influential public figures in America. One of the great preachers of the age, amongst the many thought-provoking quotes in his Life Thoughts was, “There are many people who think that Sunday is a sponge to wipe out all the sins of the week.”
In the highly publicized scandal known as the Beecher-Tilton Affair he was tried on charges that he had committed adultery with a friend's wife, Elizabeth Tilton. After a sensational trial, in 1875 he was acquitted, however the whole affair scandalized America as Beecher was an immensely popular and respected Christian public figure.