The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-15
BATTLE OF THE CREEDS.
TALMAGE breaches ON A TOPIC
OF TIE HOUR.

Churches I1keneo TO 7Ope tHol
Taketh the Dog by the Ears"-The
Great Controversies Among the
Episcopalians and Presbyterians.
BROOKLYN, n. Y, June l4.-Dr. Talmage
dealt in his sermon this morning with the
very timely topic, the battle of creeds.
After so long and exhaustive a discussion
In clerical circles and in the secular press
there seemed nothing more to be said on
the subject. DIR. Talmage, however, has
his own way OF looking at all subjects, and
even people who thought they knew all
that could be said on both sides received
light from the fresh and original contribu-
kion which he made to the controversy.
His text was taken from Proverbs, xvi,
n: HE that pssseth by and meddleth with
strife belonging not to him is like one that
taketh dog by the ears"
Solomon here deplores the habit of rush
ing In between contestants, OF taking part
IN the antagonisms of others, of joining in
fights which they ought to shun. They do
good to others and get damage Tor them
selves. He compares it to- the experiment
of taking dog by the ears. Nothing so
[rritates the CANNES as to be clutched by
the Tugs 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 quarrels or contro-
versies that are not yours and you will get
Iacerated and torn, and bitten. He that
passeth by and meddleth with strife be-
longing not to him is like one that taketh a
dog by the ears"
This is a time of resembling ecclesiastical
quarrel. Never within your memory or
mine has the air been 80 full of missiles.
The Presbyterian church has on hand a
controversy 30 great that it finds it prudent
10 postpone its settlement for at least one
more year, hoping that something will turn
MP. Somebody might die or a new general
assembly may have grace to handle the ex-
citing questions The Episcopal church has
cast out some recaloitrants, and its digestive
organs are taxed to the utmost in trying to
assimilate others "Shall women preachr
"Or be sent as delegates to conterenceP' are
questions that have put many of our
Methodist brethren on the anxious seat"
And the waters in some Of the great bap-
kistries are troubled waters. Because of the
controversies throughout Christendom the
air is now like an August afternoon about
O'Clock, when 1t has been steamlng hot
all day, and clouds are gathering. and there
are lions of thunder with grumbling voices
and flashing eyes coming forth from their
cloudy lairs, and people are waiting for the
full burst of the tempest l am not much
Of weather prophet, but the clouds look to
me mostly like wind clouds. 1t may be a
big blow, but l hope it will soon be over
In regard to the Battle of the Creeds, am
every day asked what think about it.
want to make it SO plain this morning what
think that no one will ever..ask again.
Let those who are jurymen in the csse,
mean those who in the different ecclesi-
Rstical courts have the questions put directly
before them, weigh and decide. Let the
rest of us keep out. The most damaging
thing on earth is religious controversy. No
one ever comes out of it as good a man as
he goes in. Some of the ministers, in all
denominations, who, before the present
acerbity were good and kind and useful,
now seem almost swearing mad. These
brethren notice always open their violent
meetings with prayer before devouring
each other, thus saying grace before meat
They have d moral hydrophobia that
makes us think they have taken dog by
the ears They never read the imprecatory
psalms of David with such Zest as since the
Briggs aud Newton and MacQueary and
Bridgman and Brooks questions got into
Full swing. May the rams of the sheepfold
soon have their horns sawed off. Before
the controversies are settled, a good many
ministers will. through what they call lib
sralism, be landed into practical infidelity,
and Others through what they call
conservatism, will shrink up into
bigots tight and hard as the mummies of
Egypt which got through their controver-
sizes three thousand years ago.
This trouble throughout Christendom was
directly inspired of Satan. He saw that
too much good was being done. Recruits
were being gathered by hundreds of thou
sands to the gospel standard. The victories
for God and the truth were too near to-
gether. Too many churches were being
dedicated. Too many ministers were being
ordained. Too many philanthropies were
being fostered. Too many souls were being
saved. 1t had been dull time in the
neither world, and the arrivals were too
few. So Satan one day rose up on his
throne and said: Eye powers of darkness,
hearp' And all up and down the caverns
the cry was: Hear hearp Satan
s sad; board n'rs of Commissioners aaas Ami for
foreign missions. 1t must either be demol.
lshed or crippled, or the first thing you
know they will have all nations brought to
God. Apollyon the Youngerl You go ur
10 Andover and get the professors discuss
ing whether the heather can be saved with.
out the Gospel. Divert them from the
work of missions and get them in angry
convention in room at Young's hotel, Bos-
BON, and by the time they adjourn the cause
Of foreign missions will be gloriously and
magnihcently injured. DiaboIus the
Youngerl You 60 up and get the Unior
theological seminary of New York and the
general assembly of the Presbyterian church
at Detroit at swords points and diverted
from the work of making earnest minister
Of religion, and turn that old Presby
terrain church, which has been keeping
us out of customers for hundreds of year.
into a splendid pandemonium on a small
scale. Abaddon the Third You go up and
assault that old Episcopal church, which
has been storming the heavens for centuries
with the sublimest prayers that were ever
1ttered-church of Bishop Leighton, BIshor
White and Bishop McIlvaine, aud get tina
denomination discussing men instead o
discussing the eternities. Abaddon tn
Fourth! You 60 up to that old Methods
church, which has, through her revivals
sent millions to heaven, which we woult
otherwise have added to our popula
hon, the church of Wesley an,
Matthew Simpson, against which W
have an especial grudge, anC
get them SO absorbed in discussing whethe
women shall take part in her conference
that they shall not have so much time :
discuss how many sons and daughters sh
will take to glory"
What amazes me most is that all peopl
DO not see that the entire movement at tn
time all over Christendom is satanic. Man,
Of the Internal attacks are sly and hidde