Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-03-21
POETRY.
No Sect i'm Heaven.

NO Scct In Heaven.
Talking of sects till late one eve,
of the various doctrines the saints believe.
That night I stood, in troubled dream,
BY the side of darkly ly-fiowing stream.
And q .'Churchman" down to the river cams
When heard 9 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 h0ated out behind,
As down the stream his way he took,
His pale-hsnds clasping gilt edged book.
I'm bound for heaven; and, when Inn ther
shall want my book Of Common PRAYER.
And though put on a starry crown,
should feel quite lost without nv gown"
Then he fixed his eye on the shining track.
But his gown was heavy, and held him back
And the poor old faith r tried in vain
A single step in the flood to gain.
l saw him again on the other side.
But his silk gown fioated on the tide:
And no one asked, in thai blissful spot.
whether he belonged to ''the Church" or not
Then down to the river Quaker strayed:
His dress OF sober hue was made;
NY coat and hat must be all Of gray,
cannot go any other way"
Then he buttened his coat straight up to hi:
chin,
And staidly, solemnly waded in.
And his broad-brimmed hat he pulled down
tight
Over his forehead SO cold and white.
but strong wind carried away his hat:
moment he silently sighed over that;
And then as be gazed to the further shore,
Inc coat slipped of, and was seen no more.
As he entered heaven, his suit of crav
went quietly sailing away, away;
And none of the angels questioned him
About the width Of his beavers him.
Next came DR.. Watts, with a bundle of
Tied nicely up in his aged arms,
And hymns as many a very wise thing.
Inat the people in heaven, ''all round" might
sing.
But thought he heaved an anxious sipb.
And he saw that the river ran broad and high
And looked rather surprised as, one by one
Ihe Psalms and Hymns in the wave went
And after him, with his MSS,
lame wesley, the pattern of godliness;
b, but ne cried, "Dear me what shall do?
ihe water has soaked. them through and
through"
And there on the river far and wide.
Away they went down the swollen tide:
AND the saint, astonished, passed through
alone,
Without his manuscripts, up to the throne.
Then, gravely walking, two saints by name.
DOWN 10 the stream together came:
But, as they stopped at the rivers brink.
saw one saint from the other shrink.
"Sprinkled or plunged, may 1 ask you,
How you attained TO lifes great end?"
"Ihats, with few drops on nv brow
'but l nave been dipped, as you see me
now"
"And really think il will hardly do.
AS m close communion,' to cross with you:
You're bound, know, to the realms of bliss
But you must 60 that way, and III go this.
Then straightway plungiDg with all his
might,
Away to the left-his friend to the right.
Apart they went from this world of sin.
But at last together they entered in.
And now, when the river was rolling on,
A Presbyterian church went down:
VI women there seemed an innumberable
throng,
But the men could count as they went along.
And concerning the road, they could never
agree,
The old or the neao way, which it could be.
Nor ever moment paused to think
That both would lead to the rivers brink.
And sound of murmurinp. long and loud
Came ever up from the moving crowd:
You're in the old way, and ISm in the new
mat Is the false and this the true;"-
VI, 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 seem to speak;
Modest the sisters walked, and meek.
And if ever one of them CHANGED to saw
w hat troubles she met with on the way.
bow she longed to pass the other side.
nor feared to cross over the swelling tide.
A voice arose from the brethren then;
Let no one speak but the holy men,
Fer have ye not heard the words of Paul.
oh, let the women keep silence all p"
l watched them long in my curious dream.
III they stood by the borders of the stream:
Then, just as thought, the two ways met:
But all the brethren were talking yet,
ana would talk on, till the heavIng tide
Carried them over side by side
Side by side for the way was one:
The toilsome journey of life was done;
And ali who in Christ the Savior died
came out alike on the other side
Nor forms or crosses or books had they;
No gowns of silk, or suits of gray;
No creeds to guide them, or MSS;
For all had put on Christ's righteousness.