The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-05-14
Rev. A. N. Raven Warns Against
CLOSING Over of Vice,
CONSCIENCE is NOT NEEDED.
sermon on "Moral md Spiritual
Perversity"-Rev. w. A. haJor
illustrates the Need of Faith by
the Failure of Christ's Disciple.
Rev. Alfred A. Martins Lecture.

Rev A. n. Raven. pastor of layer Con-
gregational church, gave the morning SER
vice yesterday to the consideration of
Moral and Spiritual Perversity, tas;ng
mis- remarks on Isaiah v:2o. "Woe INTO
them that call evil good and good evil.'
1t has been written" said Mr.. Raven,
in substance, that God has so constituted
the human mind that It cannot choose any
thing which 1t does not regard as goCd. If
this be true, then before one can make
choice OF evil he must become so morally
and spiritually perverted that the evil
which he chooses seems to him to be Of
more value than the good which ia its
opposite
zone may reach this degree OF perversity
gradually, may bring it upon himself as
acquired tastes are taken on. Man may
come to love and cherish a vice which he
once hated. The process has been Edmira-
bly, set forth by Pope in his compact ana
pointed diction:
Vice is a monster Of 40 frightful m.en,
As. to be hated, needs but to be seen:
But seen too oft. familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity. then embrace
THE same truth is put by Milton in his
Paradise Lost. in satan's address to the
sum
" so farewell hope, and with hope, fare
well fear;
Farewell remorse. all good TO me is lost:
Evil, be thou my good
Great moral perversity often results
from giving polite names to great offenses
against God and man. Sooner or later this
works sad havoc in morals An absolute
and glaring falsehood soon dies a natural
death: but truth adulterated with n partial
lie, or so obscured by cunning phraseclogy
as to cover its true nature may become far
more dangerous than the whole sin describ
ed in all its deformity.
Foul deeds are often so varnishe with
fair words as to deceive. We have many
illustrations of this Men who steal large
amounts are not called thieves but en-
begzlers' those who cheat in business are
not called robbers. but thriving business
men, splendid financiers Often the cne
who IL considerable of the rights of others
is called a sentimental person, while
brutal selfishness IL honored as 'cleverness
and spirit Purity and self-restrain- are
often spoken of as dizziness and slow
paced life
1.-The lbertine would be abhorred Ii given
his true title. but call him "a dashl1g good
fellow a man fun Of fun "A jolly COOL
companion and women will gather around
him and think him charming, and the men
will dub him 'one OF the boys
I'm our present circumstances, with the
false standards that are set up, the lack
of discrimination between right and wrong.
the vanishing of vices until they appei' to
he tolerable if not commendable We are IN
the greatest danger OF innocentY gliding
down the moral tobbogan slide into con-
dltlon of such mental and moral and spirit
ual depravity as shall lead us to call evil
good and good evil.
Upon those who call evil good and good
evil. God pronounces woe. The condition
itself is great punishment. In ii the rea-
son is overthrown and moral perception
lost A darkened mind a dwarfe1 roul.
such Is the present reward of those wa3
call evil good and good evil"