The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-06-25
TALMAGE ON THE CREEDS.
HE GIVES HIS OPINION IN ANSWER TO
MANY QUESTIONS.

satan s,i"sef Is the Chief Instieator of
the Controversy Now Raging in Many
Churches and Earnest Work for Christ
Ia the Remedy.
BROOKLYN, June 14.--Dr. Talmaoe
dealt in lis sermon this morning with
the very timely tOpic-the Battle of
Cfeeds. After so long aud exhaustive
discussion in clerical circles and in the
SECULAR press there seemed nothing more
to y SAID on the subject. DR.. Talmage,
b ,t'cver, has his own way OF looking at
all subjects, and ever. people who thought
they knew all that could be said on both
sidcs received light from T., sshe fresh and
original contribution which he made to
the controversy. His text was taken
from Proverbs XVI, II. HE that
., Passcth by and meddleth with strife be-
longing not to him is like one that taketh
a deg by the ears"
Solomon here deplores the habit of
rushing in between contestants of taking
part in the antagonisms of others. Of
joining in fights which they ought to
shun. They do no good to others and
get damage for themselves. He compares
1T to the experiment of taking dog by
the cars. Nothing so irritates the cam
ines as to be clutched by the lugs. Take
them by the back Of the neck and lift
them and it does not seem to hurt or
offend, but you take the dog by the ear,
and he will take you with his teeth. In
all the history Of kennels no intelligent
or spirited dog will stand that. Now"
says Solomon, ''You go into quarrcls or
controversies that are not yours and you
will get lacerated and torn and bitten.
lie that passeth by and meddleth with
strife belonging not to him is like one
that takcth dog by the eaIs.'"
THIS is THE AGE OF CONTROVERSY.
This is a time of resounding ecclesias-
itical quarrel. Never within your men,
Iory or mlnc has the air been 80 full of
missiles. The Presbyterian church has
on hand a controversy so great that 1t
f1nds it prudent to postpone its settle
ment tor at least one more year, hoping
that something will turn up. Somebody
might die Or new general assembly
may have grace to handle the exciting
questions. The Episcopal church has
cast out some recalcitrants, and its
Edlgestive organs are taxed to the ut
tmost III trying to assimilate others.
! ''Shall women preach?" "Or be sent as
delegates to conferences" are questions
that have put many of our Methodist
brethren on the ''anXious seat" And
The waters in some Of the great baptistries
are troubled waters. Because of the
controversies throughout Christendom
the air is now like an August afterno N
agout O'Clock, when it has been steam
ing hot all day. and clouds are gathering,
and there are lions of thunder with
grumbling voices and flashing eyes COM
ing forth from their cloudy lairs, and
people arc waiting for the full burst of
the tempest. l am not much of a
weather prophet, but the clouds look to
me mostly like wind clouds. 1t NAV be q
big. blow, but hope it will soon be over.
In regard to the Battle of the Creeds, I
am every day asked what 1 think about
II. want to make it so plain this morn
ing what think that no one will ever
ask again.
Let those who are iurymen in The
CASE mean those who in the different
ecclesiastica. courts have, the questions
put directly before thenl-weigh and de.
eide. Let the rest of us keep out. The
most damaging thing On earth is religious
controversy. No one ever comes out
OF 1t as good man as he goes in. Some
OF the ministers in all denominations
who before the present acerbity were
good and kind and useful, now seems al
most swearing mad. These brethren l
notice always open their violent meet
lngs with prayer before devouring each
other, thus saying grace before meat.
They have moral hydrophobia that
makes us think they have taken dog by
the ears. They never readthe lmprecatory
Psalms of David with such zest as since
the Briggs and Newton and MacQucary
and Bridgman and Brooks questions got
into full swing. May the rams Of the
sheepfold soon have their horns sawed
eli! Before the controversies are scttl-
ed good many ministers will, through
what they call liberalism, be landed into
practical infdelity, and others through
what they call conservatism will shrink
up into bigots tight and hard as the
mummies of Egypt which got through
their controversies three thousand years
ago.
SATAN STIRRED 1T UP.
This trouble throughout Chr.stendom
was directly inspired by Satan. He saw
that too much good was being done.
1ecCiuto "Clc uciuS SuCllcIcu ny uttu-
dreds of thousands to the Gospel stand
ard. The victories of God and the truth
were too near together. Too many
churches were being dedicated. Too
many ministers were being ordained.
Toe many philanthropies were being
lostered. Too many souls were being
saved. 1t had been a dull time in the
neither world, and the arrivals were too
few. So Satan one day rose upon his
throne and said, ''Ye powers OF dark.
ness, heart" And all up and down the
caverns the cry was, Hear! Hcarv'
satan said: 'There Is that American
Board of Commissioners for Foreign
Missions. IL must either be demolished
or crippled, or the first thing you know
: they will have all nations brought to
God. Apollyon the Younger! You 20
up to Andover and get the professors 10
discussing whether the heathen can be
saved without the Gospel. Divert them
from the work of missions and get them