The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-04-15
NUMBER 81.
Talmage on Freedom in RELIGION.

There was a warlike sound in the
voice Of the Rev. DIR. Talmage when be
walked close to the edge Of the Taber-
nacle platform and repeated his text:
''Ye know not Of what spirit We are Of"
Luke tx: So.
"Christ said this to Peter and James
because they were mad,n said the
pr eacher, looking fiereely over the heads
of his hearers. "Tbey wanted the
Samaritans burned up, because they
Peter and James, differed from the
Samaritans on religious matters but
Christ said that in this way they were
not serving him."
The Rev. DR.. Talmage took three
backward strides, aud said in a signifi-
cant tone:
an the Middle Ages, a favorite in
strument OF torture was the thumb
screw. 1t belonged to the fine art Of
persecution. Il was called a 'posegay.'
IL was carried in pocket, and some
times it changed a mans opinion.
When IL was adjusted to your thumb, at
the first turn of the screw you said, j
may be wrong after all > at the second
turn Of the screw, My adversary may
be right and at the third twist, Stop!
you are rightp Some think that the
thumb-scFew belongs to the age of
I Charlemagne; but il exists in the RO-
man Catholic, the Methodist, Baptist,
[ CongTegatioHalist, and Presbyterian
churches of to-day. In the Methodist
church you must conform 10 the Meth
| Odist belief and discipline, or else have
/ the tbumb-screw applied; the Episco-
I paliaus stand by the doctrine of baptis-
l NAL regeneration, and he who questions
/ il feels the thumb-screw; the Baptist
says, Believe in close communion as
do;' aud the Presbyterian church is
against wOmau's preaching and new
styles Of Christian work. l think that
new modes Of work may be used; but,
On With the thumb-scTews ! Is the cry.
I'm all conferences, associations and
presbyteTies are men who believe in the
/ thumb-screw.
"Iou say, Il don't see il, f." said the
Rev. DIR. Talmage, looking at a man
with q doubling face, in a front seat.
"Ahr ~ he shouted, there's the beauty
Of the thumb-screw-it is carried in the
pocket. There are in some pTesbyteries
those who would if they dared, do the
work Of Herods, who are full of ecclesi-
astical hatred, and who stir you up with
pitchforks. Laughter.
"l' N not speaking OF any one in the
presbytery Of Brooklyn" he added,
after a deliberate pause, which was
filed with a smile that started Oh his
lips and disappeared in his side whis-
kers. The congregation laughed. 81
disclaim that idea" said the preacher.
Pm on general principle" More
laughter in the pews DR.. Talmage's
voice did not "grate harsh thunder" Z"
but was oiled with humOr as he added !:
There are young and old ministers
held by ecclesiastical authority m ter
r0rcm-thats Latin. Laughter Miu-
listers use Latin IN the pulpit sometimes
to snow how much they know. Minis
ters thus may speak cr cdthCdrd.
More laughter There are eUclesiasti-
cal iuquisitoTs who say, Vote as | do or
be decapitated.' II minister's idio-
syucrasies are not 10 the mind Of these
iniquisitoTs, of goes his ecclesiastical
head" and DR.. Talmage made a savage
clip at his own neck with the edge Of
his fOretiuger. "In the Methodist
church a mans opponents get the
Bishop TO sit down on him. Laut h.
ter The Congregational church will
call a council aud will not invite him.
Laughter. In the Presbyterian church
he is Uashed between the Book of Dis
cipiiue aud the Westminster Catechism.
Thumb-screws! humb-screws!' shouted
the preacher, as he strobe from one end
Of the stage to the other. "Ihe Roman
Catholic church has not a monopoly OF
oppression. Who burned the QuakeTs
! Pr1testants. John Calvin sanctioned
the burning of the author of book in
his times, because CaTvilPs theology
differed from that Of the martyr" The
preacher took long breath and shouted:
81 have waited for years for minister
: Of an evangelical church TO preach a
sermon on emancipation. To-day, in
the name of God, | sound the knell of
! ecclesiastical tyranny, and | bid men Of
T. all denominations rejoice. Stand where
I you are don't cross over to the Baptist
Il you're Presbyterian, OF TO the Metho-
dist if your Baptist. You'll find iutol-
eraDce in every church. ! stayed in the
r Presbyterian church because, among
q other reasons, have been receiving let
ters from other ministers saying: 'We
are tired of espionage and Of ecciesiasti-
e cal intolerance aud tyranny; tired Of the
y overbearing Of one-tenth Of the minis
O. ters against the other niue tenths. Tue
nine-teuths are banding together. We
{ want StOnewall Jacksou's march an,
d a SheridaD's ride 10 break through thii
n ecclesiastical pOpedom.
IL am not SO much opposed to on,
pope as | am TO all of these little pOpes
Laughter. / like neither the Baptist
Methodist, Lutheran or Presbyterian
II pope; aud in this country it takes les
l. timber 20 make pope than in any othe
country IN the world. ROars Of laugh
'i ter. Plaiu-spOken Christians are want
le ed, with no disposition to lord II owe
: others. Those who do are only tryin
,e to keep their own power; but it is TO
late for them to try 70 roll the wheel Z
~ progress backward"
le Here the preacher rolled an imaG
rs mary wheel toward the back Of tn
n platform.
?" "The name of the Methodist cburc
81 was once in derision. In the Asto
le Library are 7O7 books aud PAM phleI
,e against Methodism. Now that chuIci
20 stands either first or second IN rellgiou
Importance in this country. huther
le ford b. Hayes is Methodist ms pre-
o decessor in Office is a Methodist, ana
~ 1.-THE minister hesitated for second
:, and some say that his successor will b
a Methodist"
n Laughter rippled over the pews and u
be one or two places a faint applause wit
Of the feet was heard.
be "