National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1867-01-11
No Sect in Heaven.

Talking of sects till late one eve,
OF the various doctrines the saints believe,
That night stood in o troubled dream,
BY the side of darkly flowing stream.
And a "Churchman" down to the river came !:
When heard strange voice call his name,
Good father, stop; when you cross this tide,
You must leave your robes on the other side
But the aged father did not mind;
And his long gown fioated out behind,
As down to the stream his way he took,
His pale hands clasping a giltedged book
I'm bound for heaven and when I'm there,
! shall want my book of Common Prayer
And, though | put on a starry crown,
l should feel qnite lost without my gown"
Then he fixed his eye on the shining track,
But his gown was heavy, and held him back
And the poor old father tried in vain,
\ single step in the food TO gain.
| saw him again on the other side,
But his silk gown fioated on the tide;
And no one asked, in that blissful spot,
Whether he belonged to "tbe Church" or not.
Then down to the river Quaker strayed;
His dress of Il sober hue was made:
NY tpdl anu nat must Dt an VI sIdN
| can not go any other way
Then he buttoned his coat straight up to his
chin,
And staidly, .oemnly, waded in,
And his broad-brimmed hat he pulled down
tight
Over his forehead cold and white,
But a strong wind carried away his hat
A moment he sighed over that
And then, as he gazed to the further shore,
The coat slipped OFF, and was seen no more.
As he entered heaven, his suit of gray
Went quietly sailing, away away;
And none of the angels questioned him
About the width of his beavers brim.
Next came DR.. Watts, with bundle Of
Psalms
Tied nicely up in his aged arms,
And hymns as many, a very wise thing,
That the people in heaven. all round" might
sing.
But thought that he heaved an anxious sigh,
As he saw that the river ran broad and high,
And looked rather surprised as, one by one,
The Psalms and Hymns in the wave went
down.
! And after him, with his MSS
/ Came Wesley. the pattern of godlinoss;
| But be cried. Dear me! what shall dof
/ The water la. soaked then thro' and through
! And there on the river far and wide,
Away they went down the swollen tide;
| Aud the saint, astonishcd. passed thro' alone
! Without his manuscripts up to the throne
| Then, gravely walking, two saints by name
Down to the stream together came;
But as they stopped at the rivers brink,
| saw one saint from the other shrink,
"Sprinkled or plunged mavl ask you, friend
How you attained to life- great end r.
| Thus, with few drops Oh my brow"
But have been dipped. as you'll see me now.
| And really think it will hardly do,
As Im close communion, TO cross with you !;
| N,u re bound, know, to the realms of bliss,
Bnt ", must go that way, and I'll go this"
Then .tfai ehtway plunging with all his might
Away 70 the lest--his friend to the right,
Auart they went from this world Of Sill,
But at last together they entered III.
And now. when the river was rolling on,
/ A prcsbvteriau church went down:
OF women there seemed an innumerable
throng,
But the men ] could count as they passe
along.
And, concerning the road. they could @eve
agree,
The old or the new way, which IT could be,
Nor ever moment paused to think
That both would lead to the rivers brink.
And sound of msrmuring, long and loud,
Came ever up from the moving crowd:
You're in the old way and I'm in the new
That is the false and this the true :"
Or. I'm in the old way. and you're in the new
That is the false and this is the true"
But the brethren only seemed to speak;
Modest the sisters walked, and meek,
! And if ever one of them chanced to say
What troubles she met with on the way,
How she lonced to press TO the other side,
Norfearcd % cross over the swelling ua''
A voice arose from the brethren then,
Let no one speak but tho holy men
For have We not heard the words of Panl'
. 'Ch let the women keep silence all Z"
| watched them long in my curious dream,
= Till they stood by the borders of the stream
Then lust as thought, the two ways met
, But all the brethren were talking yet,
And would talk on, till the heaving tide
Carried them over side by side,
= Side by side for the way was one;
The toisome journey of life was done
And all who in Christ the Saviour died
Came out alike on the other side
No forms or crosses or books had they;
No gowns of silk or suits of gray
~ No crceds to guide them, or MSS;
II For all had put ON Christ's righteousness"