New-York tribune., 1890-04-14
SERMONS WORTH KEEPING.
XXI.
CHRISTIANITY CONFRONTING FRIVOLOUS
SCEPTICISM
f. DEEMS. THE PASTOR # THE CHURCH
or THE STRANGERS.

+. DEEMS. THE PASTOR IF THE CHURCH
or THE STRANGERS
Few churches in the southern part Of the city can
claim Snch good regular attendance the Church Of
the strangers. In Mcrccrs near Eighthst. This Is
largely due to the activity and earnc'ncss Of It's pastor
the Rev. Dr. G. F. Deems Dr. Deems is well known for
his originality well his activity, and IT is on this
account that his church is enabled 10 WELD such
great influence as does. DR.. Deems took for his |
text yesterday morning the words: q" an not mih |
most excellent Fcu: but speak forth words OF truth
end sobcrnc>s." Acts XVI. -. Mter the text he
gave sketch Of the circumstance, amid which Paul
was placed when he made this positive answer To the
frivolous charge Of Fe.tu- that the apostle was mad
TIE subsequent argument was as follows
The fact !, that somebody is crazy II lcstuS'
spending lIfr vi rvolty and >cdshncs' If Aerppa
wasting nls powers in vouptnonSne>, ana lcehu"u,,
ne Errnlce degrading her beauty 90 inseot , a'i
was an eminent fool. But If Paul. in abandoning tne
advantages o learning. rank and influence, III break
ns the dear and powerful band, of carly ASSOCIATION,
IN cmbarhng all he and all he had IN th' seem
an ana following Christ counting all 1ut iosS io,
Christ If he wa> sane. then Fc,tu-. Bcrnicc ana
AsrPpa Were n'srly mat The dilemma prssn'ssd sd
cried Paul thou art beside tlyselfT But Paul
gave him rctort courtcous in the reply, am no'
mad ana by te ,gnlcancl Of ms emphasis i ana M
According 70 the accepted ANALYSIS o. the
ncr9r 'fnIitu3n Of man; ,'ens re n;ecct
or in that Of the emotions. or in that Of the will.
Who're !, il in the Of the Christian! Dos he
H. reason - logically other men or, does ne ia
t. have the emotions which naturally and heaithf"ly
will crafty switch the train Of his rcaSonlngS and
icengr OF the track oi right mental proSeSiSm' ana
sonng, night feeling and right action Where Is the
madness!
BELIEF IN GOD.
lie believes there is God Sovereign Governor as
Almighty Maker Of the Universe. lie receives this
proposition from intuition, he reachc, it by logical
rloces,cs. There is snch thing a intuition I'M
mcdatcy. without intervention aid of a third idea
middle term. the mind perccives the agreement or
disagreement Of two ideas. In mathematics. propo'
! son 80 received Is called an axiom. In morals, We
speak Of self evident propositions. suppose the CHRIS
take the ground that he ntutivcly perceive' the
truth Of thi, proposition: could YOU any more easily
show that ihi- arose from diseased siae OF ms IN
cll"ct rhan could show that he H. dcransi wl"l
D." taAc the ground that he prccive' by intuition Una.
a whole j. greater than any Uf N parts Or suppo,"
hc haD reached conN teton Of the truth of the prop"
sitlon Of the existence Of personal tod By oglcal
proccs-"', believing that His eternal power ana ''
head ar" demonstrated by me things u" lath mac.
wDuid yOu not have great difficulty iii showing not
simply iallaey in the reasoning for ti" oc'l,i"naN
occurs with the >auc,t man. and i, not now the que,
ton. hut-thlt thl~ conclusion. or the mode ~ wlch
il wa, reached. demonstrated a diseased Intellect
II yon undertake this IN r"sari 10 the Christian. yon
are do the work thoroughly ~ 10 show tlat not
ouly he !, emzN but that a. wei an JeW'>l anu pain
philosopher, pos> who have stood In prlnc"lv pre-
that all tie lc.der, II mankind. those who in every
other department Of intellectual operation have been
The great majority Of all men In all agcs-savaSc>
.aec,. uiut--hayc been dcranscd.
WHAT REVELATION IS.
4 Christian believes that the Father OF Lights
I and % ~pr.t~~- of h. -ynouyu, FOR God d"-
doe, give l-lt u -prit~ Divine illumination to the
soul, of men and that this j. don" partly by rcv"la
tiou which j, in words. printed. a book well
audi. he
nuoncc II III, >pirt upon mans spirit. Docs that
demonstrate mental alienation, Hold Yourselves 10
the real question. II is not l. the Bible the inspired
Word Of tod. aud II 50. how. and how far MI parts
of that question might be answered variousy and Yet
a man bc mentally sane and intellectually consistent
IN believing the Bible to b. the Word of God In "
-.r-c not applicable to any other known book. The
oblrctor must show not simply that thei' mas been
some iillaey n the procc,> bi which "a thri'tln
,,nohc, ii. conclusion that God most probably would
reveal Ills viii t. that IL" Would most PROBABLY
Do ID. De- believe lt j, done n IN" Bible but ne must
show 'hai nom" hNt " Graz MA" """'u u a. Pa Pr ''
premise, Of the Christians or from such premises Iea'h
The burden of proof * on Tr>tus. not on Panl We
Will noi prove our sanity, ic'iu>; my we 'niiieh.r <.
you io Prove Insanity. show that II J., madness y"
believe that the Father will speak 10 III cihircn
that lie viii hear H. CRYING in the nShi ana S,lNc
uo light and speak no word and make no Soma -
hush 10 .ooflc 20 help u, that it i, madness TO be
i.cyc that Il father has a fathers heart and bowels
II compassion toward hi> offspring. and earnest WISH
10 lead the waidcrcr back 10 the lost home
IOu mn,t show that II +, NADINE, t. believe may
,"-.d to adif... me- a line of confidence and love or
imr ms letter which hold in nv mnd- written il
.fyr % The all He authentic chrogiaphN el,rw here
and fun Of such sentiment, ~ bci His wei known
character. and telling u" apput my, ~ none DHt ic.
f. lpu.. could tell. and. responding to az my
heart want. OF my Father that thi, letter is deln"n
prove me- dri.lu-,d In my intellect for joining al
christians u Dvinc authority Of the blblc. Nl1. I
Tc,iu. before beginning this work. NOu must rcolr''
that. when Nou undertake - max" Gpou ai''F;'I III
# mental dclanccmcnt AGAINST me n"l',, 2 o , ,h,
hr make thorough work. and 10 de m III, ,tra,e
that also Bacon and Locke also Newton ami b"'l";
also -fnhr-pra and Nllinn also NaSllhSipi' an'.
Ton1parfr and all other greatest masters IN pN S'al
and mctaph, seal science all other er'',t nti'r,
men and nafiors all the later centuries nave he ~
di.ca -cd of mind we'll A. i"nl And Lrstn,' I'M,
consider. that n trlN rn- thai long ana H.iNN f"id
van must carry the weight u th- fact mat during t'
last 500 year, mo- man ha- i'd !" ie"tll, 'r M i,, ,,
or dcr,ne,4i moral nature whatever may nave been
the pcid'r o , inclc' inal 'nr1Mm'>, no a' ,d NJ"
most noble rtu-. Accau~c he believes that the Bible
must Gc, You to keep in mind the point am ~irv
uc 10 make this discourse II j. not 10 prove 'ia. @
G'd at The lnGl' M i, III. Wo,n' ,h,a a' le m
", Int am hot provinc am striving 10 prove a
,ii," d,irctly all hope accomplish |. to make
% , r Stiffness Of thosc Of yourselves ifyou do it
make the crf" Of e mSdYcI nc Isan,t Hsgat ' ai
serious probabilities are on the "thcr 'luc'
HOW THE CHRISTIAN VIEWS HIS SIN.
t,ip. This in mind let Us consider the Christian :
v r himself and examine the course Of life founded
on that belief.
~ lie holds his sins mp 10 the teachings of the
rnle can any saur do tAat and not see " the eN
,,d,c .irfulu,,. Of sin Upon that perception fol
ln,,s thc emotions OF intense hatred Of sin. lie re
u.,t. lie change, hi, mind. lie thought sin
poniablc somehow. and he loved II. lie now sees AT
the eros, of Jesus Christ as Nou cannot elsewhere SHOW
him by any pr,ce>> known 10 the laws of thonGt how
lidc,us thing sin is lie sees that II violates the har
many of the universe aud that thus each mans every
lin is an injustice 10 every other intelligent being III the
uni,,r. and thu, ndc>crihaby offensive 10 the Holy
r,,hr - ,ll .prrs lie regard, il the vloator