The Irish standard., 1903-07-18
BROADER SUSIE SWIFT.
Narrative of Her Career ir
the Salvation Army.

Among the interesting biographies
of The City of Peace Benzgers),
is the following graphic soul-story
written by Susie Teresa Swift, former
ly brigadier-organiZer Of the Salvation
Army, and now a num-
1t was in May, 1884, that knelt at
the penitent form of the Salvation
Army in Glasgow, and gave G,ysclf
wholly UP to the service of whatever
God there might be, on condition that
He should give me the power to do
right. | will here give shortly my
spiritual history up to that point. A
child of great natural devotion and
quick logical powers, the desultory
scraps of religion picked up ut home
had Disguised me at first with what |
called Christianity. Clever skeptical
teachers told me that all religions
were equally true, and all equally
false. At eighteen l had, however,
decided that l "believed more than
disbelieved' in Christianity, and had
found an accommodating Episcopal
clergyman who was willing to baptize
and present ME for confirmation, with
out insisting OH my belief in anything
more than 1.-THE Fatherhood of God and
the brotherhood OF mas. ,iv ia,
said, "That is all suppose you, to be
asserting to when you answer, L do
to my question, DO you believe all the
articles Of the Christian faith as con-
tanned in the Apostles Creed?"
And thought he ought to know his
own duties, accepted what he offered,
and sirovc with his help to explain
away all those sentences in the prayer
book which spoke of sin, and an atone
ment, and the Blood. But it was
fatigung.
Il really can't stick here" l said
to my friends. II must go on into
the Catholic Church or go back into
nottingham" Just here the Salvation
Army presented itself. was too
thoroughly grounded in Newman's
works-read for their marvellous rhet-
oric and logic-for Anglican fallacies
or Unitarian sentimentalities to at
tract me. But the army boldly threw
aside all that the sects travestied, and
took it's ground on Quakerism, which
DR.. Moehler says is the only thorough.
ly logical form of Professionalism, an
swering, piece for piece, to the we'll
knit body of dogma presented by the
Church. Moreover, it offered the full.
!, est scope for sacrifice. Its people
dared; they suffered. had no thought
, then of joining the Salvation Army
felt l had clue which might, II
time, make me useful to souls in ont
: Episcopal sisterhood, for had Away
: said that If ever I came to believe IL
Christianity, Christ should be every
!. thing. An analysis Of the menta
r processes which led me soon after
!. wards into the Salvation Army as Al
!. officer, would be too personal to b
II of use to others. One strong motiv
=. was desire to encourage my sister
g who was suddenly converted throu-
!. it's means from life of the most II
T tense worldliness, and who is prom
i, inent officer in it's ranks to-day. Til
y. personal magnetism" some peopl
claim for the Booths never existe
= for me. The beautiful lives of oil
=. scure officers whose names are neve
.. known to "The Family" who hav
Ia no recognition to hope for, and r
"a prizes to play for in Army polite
+. won me. Such lives, woven Of pra!
=. er, hold the Army together. My seve
= months as a cadet have always lool