Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-07-13
THE TEST CHRIST PROPOSES.

By Kew, J. p. refers
And the scribes which came down
from Jerusalem said He hath Beel-
zebub. and by the prince Of the devils
casteth be out the devils. Mark ill.,,
o..
What picture of biGotry! What the
scribes do is done by the power of
God; if Jesus do the same thing II is
done by the power OF the devil. We
arc orthodox and all we do is Of God.
You are heterodox and all you do is OF
the devil.
Do not let us put this doctrine off on
the scribes, for does il not, after all.
constitute part of our religion and
the practice of our life? | get into
car and stumble over some ones foot,
That is because he is so thoughtess
and careless that he puts his foot
where it ought not TO be- Another
passenger enters and treads on my
foot. but that is just because he is so
clumsy. We are prone in our daily life
to judge other people as the scribes
Judged Jesus, and what we do in the
small sphere of our domestic and daily
life we are certain to do in what we
consider the larger sphere Of religion
and of politics.
One day ST. John came and said to
Jesus: Teacher. we saw man casting
out devils in thy name, and we forbade
him. because he did not follow us. y
But Jesus said: DO not forbid him,
9 e. who will HO a
mighty work in my name and be able
soon to speak Ill of me. For whoever
is not against us is on our side
There are hosts of devils to be cast
out yet; if any man Will cast out dew
| lis he is of God, and is not able to
speak against the spirit of Christ. He
| Is on our side. We may not say Of
him: HE hath Beelzebub, and by the
prince of the devils casteth he out the
| devils" He casts out devils by ex-
| actly the same power by which our
children cast them out, and by them
he must be judged. If we, by the
spirit of God, cast out devils, then he
also casts them out by the spirit of
God. He is on our side.
That is the test Christ proposes. All
around you, he says, there are men
possessed of the devil-the devil of
malice, the devil of deceit, the devil of
| lust, the devil of drunkenness. the devil
/ OF gluttony, the devil of vanity, the
| devil of laziness-there are men selling
their eternal souls to get little more
money than other men, to win votes,
to get a reputation, to have good
| time for few months, to avoid making
| their lazy bodies do honest, h2~c work.
| Here are men and women degrading
themselves and preparing for them
selves misery, and shame, and wretC h
edness, because there is not some wis,
loving, constant friend to take them by
the hand aDd lead them into the safe
path.
Here are children destined to lives
O unhappiness. and ignorance, and
We, body, mind and SOUL they must
| grow up stunted. crippled, abnormal,
because there is no one to take them
and give them that loving care which
| may make them good and happy men
and women.
Vice fiaunts its banners in our face,
makes or breaks our laws. opens it's in
! famous dens under the caves of our
homes, debauches our children. because
there are not enough men who prefer
| the service of God to the service of
mammon.
There are devils enough to be cast
out-their name is legion. The test OF
| the followers of Christ is: Are you
laboring to cast out these devils? The
| followers of Jesus Christ must cast
out devils, and whoever casts out
devils is spiritually his follower, for
no man can do the works of Christ
and be SHINING against his spirit. &c
TO church, if you will, read, sing, pray,
mediate, receive the life of Christ
| then go and cast out devils. For that
the church of Christ exists.
If you find any one else casting out
| devils work with him. recognize him
as a fellow worker, inspired by the
| spirit of God. The church exists to
give you and me the knowledge and
| strength and will to cast out devils
We could not do it without the church
but If some one else can, do not stand
| aloof from him or call him a hereto
or an infidel He is on our side and by
| whatever name he calls himself he il