St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-12
The Theme of Rev. S. G.
Smith Before the Peoples
Church Yesterday.
He Says ALI Are Willing to Do
1t if They May Pick
Their Crowd.
How to Get Rid of Some Dew
4, lis That Obstruct the
Church.
An Interesting Sermon on
Miracles by Rev. Father
Fitzpatrick.

~ .tMen are always willing to have
devils cast out, provided always 1t cal
be done by theig own crowd" said Rev
S. G.. Smith in his sermon at the Grand
opera house yesterday morning. ''St
doctors are anxious that the sick shall
be healed, but 1t should be done by the
proper school OF medicine. SO Repub
Iieans and Democrats in congress, III
stead of busying themselves with oul
great social and economic problems,
which require the soundest statesman,
ship and profoundest patriotism, spend
much of their precious time in consider
ing what will strike the public to the
advantage of the Republican OF the
Democratic party
The Grand was again filled from top
to- bottom at IL o'clock yesterday morn
ing. when Rev. S. G.. Smith was an
nounced to speak Oh the subject, Cast
ING out Devils" The doctor was at his
best Yesterday morning and the sermon
was an eloquent arraignment OF the
narrowness and bigotry which separate
the different churches and organlZa-
tions for good at the present day. The
text was Luke tx. 40, so: land
John answered and said, Master. we
saw one casting out devils Ill Thy
name; and we forbade him, because ne
followeth not with us. And Jesus said
unto him, Forbid him not; for he that
is not against us is for us.
s'The devil" he said, sis the Oriental
concrete of evil. We might speculate
upon the nature of demoniacal posses
sion. in the time of Christ. That there
were strange mental and physical
phenomena peculiar to that age. which
the Master dominated and dISslpated,
we may scarcely doubt. What was
their nature. no sensible man Will pre-
tend to know. Bodies racked and
thoughts awry furnished an abiding
symbol of
THINGS OUT OF JOINT,
where evil takes possession or the IN
dividual, of business or Of society. 1t is
the work of the good in every age to
cast out devils. There is the economic
devil, sanitary devil, the devil OF lgnOr-
ance and the devil of immortality. which,
singly and by platoons, infest our mod
ern social order and intrench themselves
in our institutions. AS single sun
beam may be unfolded into light, heat
and electricity, so the efforts for good
health, sound mental training and
good morals are all departments
of that single light flood from the per-
son of God: which we name religion.
Every great man who has come into the
world has done his work with the best
materials which came to his hand. lie
has essentially been believer in Pr0yl-
dence. He has used opinions, traditions
and institutions. Like the African
queen, he has treated Tyrian and ITO
ian alike. He has simply sought at the
least expense of time and effort to find
expression for the life of God which was
in him. 1t was so with Luther. 1t was
so with LoyOla. 1t was so with Yves
lev. When they were gone. men, seeing
the mighty works they had wrought by
this method or that, began to fall down
and worship the mere external forms
of their movement. forgetting that the
letter killeth, while the spirit giveth
life. Earths highest Master came to
us, not saying Il bring you form, doc
trine. method" but this rather was the
message: 81 am come that We might
have life, and that ye might have it
more abundantly." To cast out devils
takes life. l call your attention to-day
to the incident of this text, because it
emphasizes a universal phase of human
nature. Churches are anxious to save
men, but they want to save them in
such way as will
SWELL PARTISAN STATISTICS
and bring glory to the Catholic, the
Presbyterian OF the Baptist faith. Love
for particular church is in itself a
noble thing. Have not her services
brought instruction, comfort, light? AT
her altar have not the sinful found par
don? And in her personal sympathles
has not the Masters beatitude been
realized? BLESSED are they that mourn,
for they shall be comforted." And
when one leaves the church OF his child
hood he may still remember 1t as his
spiritual home, and may ignore its
limitations and love its virtues, though
his retreating steps be followed by
muttered anathemas, instead of CHEEKY
blessings.
But there is something higher than
love of the church, and that is love of
the truth. 1t is wicked for man to re-
main in a communion whose. SYN
bols have lost to him their life and
power, and whose doetrinal statements
awaken in his soul no profound re-
Spouse. Though he should be lonely as
was Paul in the wilderness of Arabia,
still must he go forth and be true to his
higher convictions. Though the love of
the church is noble, the love of truth is
still higher. But it is the love of men
which is divinest of all. When Christ
proclaimed himself greater than
the temple, and man superior
to the Sabbath, he meant to
tell us that forms of worship, state
ments of truth. and all human aSsOcia-
tons were to be subordinated to the
good and growth of man. / think the
form of the gospel is meant to teach us
this lesson. Benefcence is not taught
as branch of moral philosophy, but in
the story of the good Samaritan. Per-
sistent father love yearns after and
welcomes the prodigal son. On the lips
of the great Teacher truth perpetually
finds expression in pictures of life. 1t
is not speculative, it is. applied truth
with which he deals. BY his method
and ministry, Jesus meant to teach that
truth was the servant of man. Now, to
the casting out of devils the churches,al
of them conseerate. themselves, profess
ing, in some kind, holy succession to
Christ and his aspostles. They have
come through history by the principles
of organization and revolt. The estab-
,lished church, and disSenterS from it,
nave TO some extent
.ie5g . MARKED EVERY AGE.
- Conservative and radical forces have
each had their mission and have done
their work 1t is by the possession of
these two forces that the diversities of
church organization have come into the
world. Based, however, upon three
facts, that the world does not promise
soon to be rid of: First, hniteneSS of
the human mind; second, diversity of
human tastes and sympathies; third, the
infinite, and SO the imperishable quail
ity of divine truth.
IN. How ought people to regard the yari-
teus' churches? How ought the churches
to think of one another9 The churches
diverge in government and in creed,
but perhaps most deeply in spirit and
method. How shall people come to
communion with God9 1t is perhaps at
this point that the least charity is
really manifest among Christians of this
age One body of Christians affirm that