Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-24
WAR IN THE BIBLE DAYS
GmEAD'S TERRIBLE SLAUGH-
TER OF THE EPHRAIMITES.

| Il
Ltfe's Destruction Ringing on the Pro.
nunc1ation of a Word in Common Use
The River Jordan Red with Blood
Dr. TaImage Thrills Another Large
Congregation.
BROOKLYN, Nov. 23.-The opening
hymn in the Brooklyn Tabernacle this
morning was:
How pleasant thus to dwell below
In fellowship of love"
Before the sermon DR.. Talmage ex
pounded the story of David and iona
than. The subject of his discourse was
religious intolerance, and the text was
Judges xii:6: ''Then said they unto him
say now shibbOleth, and he said sibboleth
for he could not frame to pronounce il
right. They the took him and slew him
at the passage of Jordan" Following is
the sermon in full:
do you notice the difference in these pro-
nunclatlons: ShlbbOleth and Sibboleth? Very
slight and unimpOrtant difference You saw bui
the dlnerence of pronunciation was the differ
ence between the life and death of many Deo-
pie; Two OF the Lords tribes, Gilead and
Ephralm, got into fight. The Ephraimites
were Worsted, and in their retreat came to
the fords of the Jordan to cross Orders were
given 70 destroy all the Ephraimites who at
tempted TO cross, but how should it be known
who were Ephraimites? They were detected
by their pronunciation. Shibboleth was the
word for river 1t seemed that the EDhraim
ltes had peculiar brogue, and that in pro-
nounclng the word ShibbOleth they ALWAYS
LETT out the sound of the 81 As the troops
on retreat came to the Jordan they were
asked 10 pronounce the word ShibbOleth, and
II tney salu 'SlbbOleth' they were known i'm =
medlately as Ephraimites and were DESTROYED.
Inus SAID they unto him, say now Shibbo-
leth,' and he said 'Sibboleth, for he could not
frame to pronounce it right. Then they took
MIN IN anu slew hlm at the passages of Jordan" d"
what a small difference between these
tribes OF Gllead and Ephraim. And what in =
tolerance with that small difference! But the
dlnerence between the tribes of the Lord in
our time, that Is between one denomination
and another, is often of no more Importance
Ihe church of God is all divided up into a
multitude OF denominations and sects Time
would fall me to speak of the Calvinists and
the Sabbatarians, and the Armenians, and the
SWedenbOrgians, and the BaXterians and the
Dunkers, and the Shakers, and the Parker
ties, and the MethOdists and Baptlsts and
Lutnerahs, ; I ana Fresbyterlans. and Spiritual
lists and scores of other denominations of re-
hglonists. Some of these denominations were
established by very good men, some by yery
egotlstical men, some by very bad men. Be
tween some or them there is only difference
IN words; between others difference as wide
as between truth and error, between light
and darkness, between heaven and hell Some
Oh these Oellefs could i'll no wise adopt. and
yet SO long as L demand liberty of conscience
Tor myself, must allow liberty of conscience
70 every other man; for l must remember
differ from him.
shall this morning advocate the largest
lDerty In all religious belief and discussion
IN arC, In social life, in politics, in religion.
iet there be no moving of the previous ques-
Glon' no Intolerance, no thumbscreW, no gag
law, no persecution. You all know that the
air and the water are kept pure bv constant
circulation, and believe there is Il tendency
III rGlIglous discussion to publication and
moral healtn. Between the fourth century
ana the sixteenth century, the church of God
proposed TO keep out error by prohibiting all
rellglous discussion, and by strong censor
snip OF the press, and rack and gibbet and hot
leau poured down the throat to make people
orthodox; but the world found out that Won
cannot change mems beliefs by twisting off
thfa. theIr heads, .9, or make them see
IhlnSS Inherently by putting an
awl through their eyes. There is
something In every mans conscience to up
neaVe the mountain that you would throw
upon 1t, and unsinged of the fire out of the
name to make red wings on which the martyr
shall mount to glory.
In that very time of which speak, between
the fourth and sixteenth century, men went
from the churches of God into the most appall-
ing lnlquity, and right by the affairs of Christ
hoWed tide of drunkenness and licentious-
ness that the world has never seen euualed
ana the very sewers OF perditiOn broke loose
edne.s. Then the printing press came forth
and broke the shackles of the human mind
Inere came a good many bad books. but right
aIter them there came great many health
ful books; SO that where there was one man
to denounce the Christian religion there were
twenty men to advocate it. So, my friends
nave no nervousness in regard TO this great
war gong on between truth and error Let err
ror run II you only let truth run along with it,
Urged on by skeptc's shout and transcen-
dentallst's spur, let 1t run. Gods angels of
N hnf 4
eagles beak clutcheth out a hawks heart
Gods vengeance shall tear it to pieces. Lei
error run If you only let truth run along with
it.
In this great conflict between the right and
the wrong the right will triumph Just as Ger
talnly as that God is stronger than the devil
Let us have no fear then that the error of the
world is going to overcome the truth of the
church. God1s ruling In the world and ali
shall be well. am very glad that people do
not all think alike In matters of religion
What stupid world this would be if all peO-
pie were alike. l viii never see through your
eyes. You will never hear through my ears
No man can lord it over our consciences.
propose this morning to speak to YOU of
sectarlamism; It's origin, its evils and its
cures. There are those who would make us
think that this mons er with horns and hoofs
is religion. / shall chase it to its hiding place
and drag 1t out of the caverns of darkness and
rip on It's hlde. But l want to make dis
tinctiOn between bigotry and the lawful fond
ness for peculiar religious beliefs and forms
OF worship. l have no adm ration for moth
lngarian. In a world of such tremendous
vicissitude and temptation and with a soul
that must after while stand before throne
of lnsuferable brightness, in a day when the
rocking OF the mountains, and the flaming of
the heavens. and the upheaVal of the sea shall
be among the least of the eXcitements to give
account for every thought word, action. pref
erence and dislike-Jhat man is mad who has
no religious preference. But our early edu-
cation, our physical temperament, our mental
constitution, will very much decide our form
of worship. A style of psalmody that may
please me may displease you.
Some would like to have minister in gown
and bands and surplice, and others prefer to
have minister in PLAIN citizens apparel.
Some are most Impressed when a little child
is presented at the altar and sprinkled of the
waters of holy benediction in the name of
the Father, and of the Son and of the HOLY
Ghost, and others are more impressed when
the penitent comes up out of the river, his
garments dripping with the waters of a han
tism which signifies the washing away of sim
Either Is right IN my estimation. Let either
have his own way. One man likes no noise
in prayer-not word, not whisper. An
other man, just as good, prefers by gesticu-
lation and exc amatiOn to express his
devotional aspirations. One is just as good as
the other. EVERY man is fully persuaded in
his own mlnd." Now in our neighbOrhoOd on
Oxford street we have quiet. Every neigh
Dor prefers his own home to any other home
and yet he is in peace with all the neighbOr-
hood. nave no idea that | will promote the
somebody else's home, nor has my neighbor
any idea that he will benefit his home by in
juring my home. Each one preferring his
own home the better, yet kind and good
neighborhoOd. Now, so 1t ought to be IN the
kingdom of Christ. Preference for religious
homes. but large hearted and Christian
neighborhOod. peace on earth, good Will to
men," George Whitfield was going over a
Quaker rather roughly for some Of his re-
hgiOus sentiments, and the Quaker said:
George, | am as thou art: / am for bringing
all men to the hope of the gospel; therefore If
thou will not quarrel with me about nv
broad brim, l will not quarrel with thee
about thy black gown. George, give me thy
hand"
In tracing out the origin of sectarianism or
bigotry find that great deal Of it comes
from wrong education in the home circle
There are parents who do not think it wrong
to caricature and jeer the peculiar forms of
religion IN the world and denounce other sects
and other denominations. 1t is very often the
case that that kind of education acts lust on
poslte to what was expected, and the children
grow up and after while go and see for them
selves, and looking In those churches and find
ing that the people are good there and they
love God and keep His Commandments, by
natural reaction they go and Join those very
churches. l could mention the names of prom
lnent ministers OF the Gospel who spent their
whole life bombarding other denominations
and who lived to see their children preach the
Gospel IN those very denominations. But 1t Is
often the case that bigotry starts in house
hold. and that the subject of it never RECEIVERS.
There are tens of thousands of bigots ten years
old.
think sectarianism and bigotry also arise
from too great prominence Of any one de-
nomination in community. All the other
denominations are wrong, and his denomina-
tion is right, because his denomination is the
most wealthy, or the most popular. or the
most influential. and it is souri, church, and
''our" religious organization, and ''our' choir,
and ''our' minister, and the man tosses his
head and wants other denominations to know
their places. 1t is a great deal better IN any
community when the great denominations Of
Christians are about equal in power, march,
ing side by side for the worlds conquest
Mere outside prosDeritY. mere worldly nower