National Republican., 1886-11-29
LET THERE BIZ NO STRIFE.
WE HAVE A WEALTH. OF RELIGIOUS
PRIVILEGE AND OPPORTUNITY.
DIR. Talmage Undertakes an Exceed
ingIy Delicate Subject Never Before
Undertaken in Any Pulpit-A Ques-
tion Involving the Peace OF Families.

BROOKLYN, N. Y, Nov. 2s-The Rev. T. De
Witt Talmage, d, D., preached in the Brooklyn
Tabernacle this morning, on the subject: I'm
Matters Of Church Attendance Should the Wife
Go with the Husband or the Husband Go with
the WifcT The tabernacle still retains the
decoration of Thanksgiving day, being specl-
mems of American products from the north,
south, east, and west. A vast congregation
sang the opening hymn, beginning
"Come, let us Join our friends above
Who have obtained the prize,
And on the eagle wings of love
10 joys celestial RISE"
Tor the greater part, the hymns used in DR..
Telmage's church arc old and familiar, and
when the whole audience rises to slug, led by
Prof. All, the cornetist, and Prof. Henry Eyre
Browne. the organist, the elect is oyerpower-
ing. -. .,,-,,,
chapter OF Genesis, aud parts of the eighth and
ninth yerses-'Let there be no strife, pray
thee, between me and thee, and between my
herdmen and thy herdmcn. Is not the whole
land before theeT' Dir. Talmage said
Uncle and nephew, Abram and Lot, both
pious both mlllionnires aud with such large
ilocks of bleating sheep and lowing cattle, that
their herdmen got into fight, perhaps about
the best pasture or about the best water priyl-
lege or because the COW OF one cot hooked by
the horns Of the other. Not their poverty OF
opportunity, but their wealth, was the cause
,.o,am, the glorious old Bedouln sheik, such
Controversy seemed absurd. IL was like two
The Atlantic ocean. There was a vast reach
OF country, cornhelds, vineyards, harvests,
and plenty Of room, in illimltable acreage.
hST Ss% SS Here sTa the mOnnaEa @ aEFee ds g
tricts, swept by the tonic sea breeze, and
with wide reaching prospects or there is the
S1h ay GI r9 baye eitheT Lot f Who was not
rich as Abram, and might have been expected
TO take the second choice, made the hrst selec'
ren, and with modesy that ATM, must have made id
rocks aud the fine prospect; will take the
valley OF the Jordan, with all IT'S luXnrlance OF
cornfelds, and the river TO water tho llocks,
measurable" SO the controversy was forever
settled. and great-soued Abram carried out
the suggestion OF the text "Let there be no
strife pray thee, between me and thee, and
between my herdmen and thy herdmen. Is
not the whole land before theeT'
Well, In this the last quarter Of the nine
teenth century, and In this beautiful land,
which was called America after Amerlcns
Yespueius, but ought 10 have boen called
Columbia after Its discoverer, Columbus, we
tnnity that is positively bewllderinR. Churches
of all styles Of creeds. and of all styles of gov
eminent. and all styles Of worship, and all
ecclesiastical opportunity Now, while iu
desolate regions there may be only, one
church, and II must be that or nolhing
III lne OpulGnl ulsulcIb VI tHls Cpiu-
try there Is such a profuson
that there ought TO be no difficulty in maxi
ing selection. No fight about vostments, or
between lturgcal or nonliturgical adheTents.
or as 10 baptismal modes, or u handful OF
water as compared with river full. II Abram
prefers 70 dwell in the heights, where he can
only get sprlnkling from the clouds, let him
consent that Lot have all the Jordan in which
to immerse himself "Let there be no strife,
pray thee, between thee and me, aud between
Thy herdmen and my herdmen. not the
whole land before theeP'
Especially is II unfortunate when families
allow, at the breakfast or dining or tea table,
angry discussion as TO which is the best church
or denomination. one at one end of the table
saying he could never endure the rigid doc
tIines OF Presbyterlanism, one at the other end
responding that she never could stand tho
forms of Episcopacy, and one at one side of the
table saying he did not understand how any
body could bear the noise in the Methodist
Church, and another declaring all the Baptlsts
bigots. There are hundreds of families
hopelessly split on ecclesiasticism, and in the
middle OF every discussion on such subjects
there is a kindhng of indignation, aud 1t needs
some old father Abram to come and put his
foot on the loaded fuse before the explosion
takes place, and say, "Iet there be no strife,
pray thee, between me and thee, and
Between my herdmen and thy herd
men. Is not the whole land before theeT
undertake subject never before under