Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-12-11
THE TUG OF WAR.
Shall the Wife Go tosthe Husbands Church
or the Husband to the Wife's?
A FAMILY DIFFICULTY SETTLED.


eighth and ninth verses:
'Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between
me and thee, and my herdmen and thy herd
men. Is not tho whole land before theei"
DR.. Talmage said: Uncle and
nephew. Abram and Lot, both pious,
both millionaires, with such large flocks
of bleating sheep and lowing cattle,
that their he'rsmen got into a fight,
perhaps about the best pasture, or
about the best water privilege, or be-
cause the COW Of one got hooked by the
horns Of the other. Not their poverty
of opportunity, but their wealth, was
she cause OF controversy between these
two men. To Abram,
TuE GLORIOUS OLD BEDoUIN sHEIK,
such controversy seemed absurd. 1t
was like two ships quarrcling for sea
room in the middle of the Atlantic
ocean. There was n vast reach of
country. corn fields, vineyards. har-
vests, and plenty of room in illimitable
acreage. Now" says Abram, ''let us
agree to differ. Here are the mountain
districts. swept by the tonic sea breeze,
and with wide reaching prospect. or
there is the plain of the Jordan, with
tropical luxuriance. You may have
either" Lot, who was not rs rich rs
Abram, and might have been expected
to take the second choice, made the
first selection, and with a modesty that
must have made Abram smile, said to
him: You may have the rocks and
the fine prospect; will take The valley
of the Jordan, with all its luxuriance of
corn fields, and the river to water the
4locks, and the genial climate and the
wealth immeasurable." SO the c0ntro-
versy was forever settled, and great
soulel Abram carried out the sugges-
ton of the text: ''Let there be no strife,
I pray thee, between me and thee, and
between my herdmen and thy herd
men. Is not the whole land before
theep"
Well, in this, the last quarter of the
nineteenth century, and in this beauti-
full land, which was called America,
after Americas Vespucius, but ought to
have been called Columbia, after its
di%scoverer, Columbus, we have a wealth
of religious privilege and opportunity
that is positiyely bewildering. Churches
of all styles Of creeds, and of all styles
of government, and all styles of wor-
ship, ard all styles of architecture.
What opulence of ecclesiastical oppor-
tunity, Now, while in desolate regions
there may be only one church, and it
must be that or nothing, in
the opulent districts of this
country there is such a profu-
sion lat there ought to be no difficulty
in making a selection.
NO FIGHT ABOUT vEsTMENTs,
or between liturgical or non-liturgical
adherents, or rs to baptismal modes, or
a handful of water as compared with
a river-full. II Abram prefers To
dwell in the heights, where he can only
get n sprinkling from the clouds, lie,
him consent that Lot have all the Jor-
dan in which to lmmerse himself.
''Let there be no strife, [ pray thee,
between thee and me, and between thy
herdmen and my herdmen. Is not the
whole land before theep'
Especially is it unfortunate when
families allow, nj the breakfast, OF
dining, or tea table, angry discussion
as to which is the best church or de.
nomination, one ut one end of the Ia
Bile saying he could never endure the
rigid doctrines of Presbyterianism, one
at the other end responding that she
never could stand the forms of Episco-
pacy, and one at one side of the table
saying he did not understand how any
body could bear the noise in the Metho-
dist church, and another declaring all
the Baptlsts bigots. There are hundreds
of families hopelessly split on e%cclesi-
asticism, and in the middle of every
discussion on such subjects there is a
kindling of indignation, and it needs
SOhbC Oiu idtuCI tbldIn W COIlc duu
put his foot on the loaded fuse before
the explosion takes place, and say:
'tLet there be no strife, l pray thee,
between me and thee, and between nv
nerdmen and thy herdmen. Is not the
whole land before theep"
i undertake a subject never before
undertaken III any pulpit, for it is an
exceedingly delicate subject, and if
not rightly hnrdled might give serious
offense, but | approach it without the
slightest trepidation. for ] am sure l
have the Divine direction in the mat
ters | propose to present.
1T is A TREMENDOUS QUESTION,
asAed all over C~hristendom, often ask
ed with tears, and sobs. and hear :
breaks, and involving the peace Of fam
lilies, the eternal happiness of many
souls. In matters of church attend
ance should the wife 90 with the hus-
band. or the husband 90 with the
wifeP
First, remember that all the evangel-
ical churches have enough truth in them
to save the soul, and prepare us for
happiness on earth and in heaven, |
will 90 with you to any well selected
theological library, and l will show
-.