The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1901-03-21
4 SILENT RELIGION.
N. Talmage Sets Forth Its Evils
in His Sermon.
~.- of Christians to Speak Oul
u.artily on the Side OF Right
concentrating Out the
Dumb Spirit.
n-,,vrieht, 1901. by Louis Klopsch. N. "
Washington,

,c.,vr,eht, 1901, by Louis Klopsch. N. "
Washington,
n this discourse DR.. Talmage calls
s.r a more demonstative religion and
hearty speaking out on the right side
of everything; text, Mark e:25: Thou
dumb and. deaf spirit, l charge thee
come out of him."
Here was case of great domestic
.rou;sh. The son of the household was
nossessed of an evil spirit, which,
among other things, paralyzed his
tongue and madehim speeches.. When
she influence was on the patient, he
could not say a word-articulation was
impossible. The spirit that captured
this member of the household was
dumb spirit-so called by Christi
su;rit abroad to-day and as lively and
noteut as in the New Testament times.
Yet in all the realms of sermondom l
cannot find discourse concerning this
dumb devil which Christ charged up
on in my text, saying: Come out OF
him"
There has been much destructive su-
perstition abroad in the world concern
inp possession by evil spirits. Under
The form of belief in witchcraft, this de-
jusion swept the continents. Persons
we're supposed to be possessed with
some evil spirit, which made them able
bdestroy others. In the sixteenth cen
sury in Geneva 1,5OO persons were
burned to death as witches. In one
neigh borhood of France 1000 persons
were burned. In two centuries 100000
persons were slain as witches. So
mighty was the delusion that it includ-
ed among its victims some of the great
est intellects of all time, such as Chief
Justice Matthew Hale and Sir Edward
Coke. and such renowned ministers of
religion as Cotton Mather, 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
sible people, counted it's 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-
heves the Bible must believe that there
ere diabolical agencies abroad in the
world. While there are ministering
spirits to bless there are internal spirits
to hinder, to poison and to destroy.
Christ was speaking to spiritual ex-
istence when, standing before the af-
dicted 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 a word
ere the most gracious and lovely and
talented souls t3at were ever incarnat-
Cd. The chaplains of the asylums for
the dumb can tell you enchanting
stories of those who never called the
name OF father or mother or child, and
many OF the most devout and prayerful
souls will never in this world speak the
name of God or Christ.
There has been apotheosization of 81.
lence. Some one has said silence is
golden, and sometimes the greatest tri.
umph is to keep your mouth shut. But
sometimes silence is crime and the
direct result of the baleful influence OF
she dumb devil of our text. There is
hardly man or woman who has moi
Deem present on some occasion when
Vie Christian religion became target
tof raiilery. Perhaps it was over in
Sne store some day when there was not
much going On, and the clerks were in a
group, or 1t was in the factory at the
noon spell, or it was out on the farm
under the trees while you were resting
or u was in the clubroom, or it was
N social circle, or it was in the street
On the way home from business, or il
as on some occasion which you re
member without my describing it
oome one got the laugh on the Bible
sno caricatured the profession of re
1s'on as hypocrisy, or made pun out
y something that Christ said. The
Augh started, and you joined in, an6
ao1 one word of protest did you utter
nnat kept you silent? Modesty? No
sncapacity to answer? No. Lack Of
opportunity? No. It was a blow OF
o0'n your lips by the wing of the duml
WI. II some one should malign your
sa'ner or mother or wife or husband
y eniid, you would flush up quick ani
ner with an indignant word o.
sSaoieo up fist make response. Ant
s' mere is our Christian religion which
sas done so much for you and SO mucl
~ The world that it will take all eter
.y % celebrate it, and yet when it wa
- s'seked you did not so much as say
uiner. | object. I Iam sorry to hea
wv say that. There is another sid
= sa'.." You Christian people ough
8 such times as these to 60 armed, no
n earthly weapons, but with tn
.oro o. the spirit. You ought to hav
ssul or i've questions with which yo,
ou,u csnfound any man who attack
sa,s,,lsaanity. s.,,, A man 80 years old wa
lung me how he put to fight . scoffel
assd friend said to the sksphc