The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1901-02-16
A SILENT RELIGION.
DR.. Talmage Sets Forth Its Evils
In His Sermon.
Duty Of chrIstiaaa to speak out
Heartily on the SIDE Of Right
ssusRsss-CastiRg out tie
pumb spirit.
CopyrNght, isn. by Louis Kiopsch. n, 10
Washington, Feb. 10.

CopyrNght, isn. by Louis Kiopsch. n. ID
Washington, Feb. 10.
In this discourse DIR. Talmage calls
for a more demonstative religion and q
hearty speaking out on the right side
OF everything text, Mark 9;sS; Thou
dumb and deaf spirit / charge thee
eoTfS out ot.him,". 49,.
Here was a Ease Of great domestic
anguish The son of the household was
possessed Of an evil spirit, which,
among other things, parslyzed his
tongue and madehim speeches. When
the influence was on the patient, he
could not say a word-articulation was
impossible. The spirit that captured
this member Of the household was 3
dumb spirit-so called by Christ
spirit abroad to-day and as lively and
potent as in the New Testament times.
Yet in all the realms of sermondem l
cannot find n discourse concerning this
dumb devil which Christ charged up
Cd in my text, saying: Come out OF
him"
There has been much destructive Sn-
perstition abroad in the world concern
ing possession by evil spirits. Under
the form Of belief in w%itchcrAft, this de-
fusion swept the continents. Persons
were supposed to be possessed with
some evil spirit, which made them able
to destroy Others. In the sixteenth CEN
.tury in Geneva 1900 persons were
burned to death as witches. In one
neighborhood of France 1000 persons
were burned. In two centuries 2oO'oOO
persons were slain as witches. SO
mighty was the delusion that il includ-
ed among Its victims some Of the great
est intelleets of all time, such as Chief
Justice Matthew Hale and Sir Edward
Coke. and such renowned ministers OF
religion as Cotton Msther. one OF whose
books, Benjamin Franklin said, shaped
his life-and Richard Baxter, and Arch
bishop Cranner' and Martin Luther;
and, among writers and philosophers,
Lord Bacon. That belief, which has
become the laughing. stock OF all SEN
sibls people, counted its disciples
among the wisest and best people OF
Sweden, Germany, England, France,
Spain and New England. But while We
reject witchcraft, any man who be-
lievss the Bible must believe that there
are diabolichl agencies abroad In the
world. While there are miniktering
spirits to bless there are internal spirits
10 hinder, to poison and to destroy,
Christ wal speaking to a spiritual ex'
istence when, standing before the af'
hicted one Of the text he said: Thou
dumb and deaf spirit, come out Of him
Against this dumb devil Of the text ]
put you on your guard. Do not think
that this agent Of EVIL has put his blight
on those who. by omission OF the vocal
organs, have had the golden gates Of
speech bolted and barred. Among
those who have never spoken . word
are the most gracious and lovely and
talented souls that we're ever inearnat'
ed. The ehapldns Of the Asylums FOL
the dumb can tell you enchanting
stories Of those who never called tbs
name Of father or mother or child. and
many Of the most dsyout and praysrfu'
souls viii never in this world speak tn,
name Of God or Christ.
There has been apotheosiZation Of o.
lenee. Some one has said silence Il
golden, and sometimes the greatest tri
umph Is TO Keep your mUutn unut. Du'
sometimes silence is q crime aud thi
direct result Of the baleful inAnAnes O
the dumb devil OF our text. There Il
! hardly q man or woman who has MOI
been present on some occasion wher
the Christian religion became q large
for raillery. Perhaps it was over ii
the store some day when there was no
much going on, and the clerks were in
roup, or 1t was in the factory at thu
noon spell, or IL was out on IL. sarn
under the trees while you were resting
or it was in the clgbroom, or II wa
in a social circle, or 1t was in the stree
Oh the way home from business, or |
was on some occasion which you rs
member without my describing Il
Some one got the laugh on the Bib
and ~earicatured the profession Of n
Igion as hypocrisy, or made a pun gu
OF something that Christ said. III
laugh started, and you Joined IN, an
not one word Of protest did you uttsl
What kept you silent? Nodesty? NJ
Incspaeity 10 snswsr7 No. Lack @
opportunity No. II was 9 blow o
both your lips by the wing Of the dun
dsril. II some one should malign you
father or mother or wife or husban
or child. you would flush up quick an
either with an indignant word q
doubled up fist make response. An
, yet here 10 our Christian religion whic
has done so much for you and so muc
for the world that It will take all etc
nifty to celebrate II. and yet when II WI
; attacked you did not 50 much as sal
81 differ. / object. lam sorry TO hsI
you say that. There is another ht
10 this" You Christian people ougl
IN such times ~ these TO 20 armed, NJ
with earthly weapons, but with a
Sword Of the spirit. You ought 70 ha'
four or i've questions with which u
could eonfound any. man who attasl
Christianity. A man 30 ysars old wi
telling me how he put to fight Eeoft
!, Ny aged friend said 70 the sksptii
"Did you ever read the history
Joseph in the Bible?" Yes" said Il
man, at Is Gthns story, and az inttrss
y ing q story as I ever read" I'VE
now" said my old friend, 'rupposs IL
= account OF Joseph stopped half way
y "Oh." said the man, then 81 would /
be entertaining" "well, now" said ,
friend. 1--WE have In this world only b
Of everything, and DO you not thii
4 that when we hear the last half thin
; may be constituent and that then
may find that God was rightf"
/" Oh, friends, better load up with III
Interrogation pointsl You cannot I
Iord to be silent when God and the |
bic aud the things Of eternity are q
:. sailed. Your silence gives consent
N the bombardment Of your Father
!, house. You allow a slur to be cast
:. your mothers dying pillow. In bshI
y oftbe Christ, who for you went throui
= the agonies Of assassination on Il
!, rocky bluf back OF Jerusalem, "
:; dared not face a sickly Joke. Bett
load up with 9 few questions, 20 III
ID next time you will be ready. Say tot
Ieofer: my dear sir, will you tell q
what makes the difference between Il
20 condition Of woman IN China and In t
4 United States? What 20 you think
= the sermon on the mount? How
y. you like the golden rule laid down
q the Scriptures? Are you in favor Of I
), Ten Commandments? In your lar
and extensive reading have you col
. rok q ioyelier character than Jes