The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-17
CHURCH OF THE STRANGERS.

Paul and "Reminiscences BY tho Rev. Or.
PIP sta# Deems.
As usual the Church Of the Strangers was crowded
TO it's utmost capacity yesterday morning Or.
Deems preached upon Paul's famous reply to res
tus:-sI am not mad, most noble Festusn found In
Acts XVI. 25 He drst gave HISTORY OF che cir
cumstances which led Paul into this predicament,
showing that rhe early Church was not any purer
than the modern. The audience and the preacher
were then painted. Festus, frivolous and worldly;
Agrippa royal voluptuary; Berntce, an incestuous
beauty, and Paul, . clear headed, great hearted
apostle 1he speech OF Paul was 80 moving that
Festus cried out, 'You are beside YOURSELF" But
beng gentleman. and seeing that it would be base
to insult prisoner, no politely added .sMuch learn.
Ing has made you mad" Somebody Is crazy III
Festus Is sane s tu
Fes.us saw this. So did Paul, but turned tae
charge with ret0rt courteous by emphasis and ges-
Dut It is not l." The question of the sanity OF true
Christians was then taken up and discussed. Ac-
cording TO the accepted Analysis Of mans inner
constitution II there be arrangement It must be In
departments Of the intellect, or that OF the
TONS in that OF the will Where is 1t In the case
Of the Christanf Does he fail 20 observe as accu-
rately. to compare thoroughly, to reason az logi
Cally as other mem Or does he TAIL to have the
emotions which healthfully follow anv correct
course Of reasOningy Or docs his will CaprtctOuSly
and arbitrarily break the connection between right
reasoning. right feeling and right actonf Where s
made and governs the universe. lie took that from
intuition or reached 1t BY logical processes. Now,
what you must prove Is not that he has made mis-
take or fallacy In reasoning. for all the greatest
minds DO that but that his belief in this proposition
o. the mode by which ne establishes 1t proves dls-
FEELS TOWARD GOD AS A MAN SHOULD i4s
towards MS Maker and governor. ls that men,
TAI diseaseS Tue question IS not whether there
God diseased for feeling AZ q Christian does feel
He strives to conform himself to this relation. The
question Is not does this relation exist bur Is man
relationship which he himself believes does exist
Secondly, ne believes that the Heavenly Father has
revealed himself IN the Bible The question is NOT
necessarily deranged who believes that 1t Il proba-
bic God would make some revelation OF himself
and probable that the Bible Is that revelation II So
then all the greatest masters OF science and leaders
Of civilization for the last thousand years have been
as mad as Paul. Then, the Christian feels as man
and strives 70 act accordingly Surely this Is not
insanity Thirdly, the Christian holds his sins up TO
the teachings Of the Bible, II that be true an
was painted OF two men, each
FMA TIED TO A CORPSE; "a "a tt
one careSSng and embracing the hOrrid thing and
refusing to be separately the other struggling TO be
freed pleading with man and fate angels aud God.
to free or XIII him.. Which 10 the madmaAf The
former Is Festus, the latter Paul. The Christian
seeks TO have his inner nature renewed. Does he
not proceed scientifically You purge matter with
matter You would not try to relieve an obstructed
hillary duct by rectng beautiful poem to the pa
tent Matter to matter, spirit spirit; that's Gods
obvious law. The Christian rrtes to submir mis-
proof o ntellecluai insaniryS viii not any candid
atheist say that, with his view or the case, the
Christian b acns with me greatest good sense IN
concluded by an appeal Christians. 1t Is madness
10 profess the high beliefs OF Paul and lead the life
OF Festus In any event 1t is better to be cOnsis
tent happy, earth.conquering, human. winning mad
man than weak, miserable, cOwardiy philosopher
TO whom life Is all puzzle aud death ali terror.