Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-06-19

The BATTLE OF CREEDS
DR.. TALMAGE GIVES A SKETCH
OF THE HERESY HUNT.
There Is an Exciting Question In Almost
Every Denomination Are the Theo-
iogtnns Losing Temper in the Dis
cussion?-No One Is Bothered by It.
DR.. Talmage dealt in this sermon last
sunday sun with the very timely topic,
The Battle of Crceds." His text was
taken from Proverbs XVI, II, HE that
passeth by and meddleth with strife be-
longing not to himis like one that taketh
dog by the ears"
Solomon here deplores the habit of
rushing in between contestants, of taking
part in the antagonism of others, of join
Ing in fights which they ought to shun.
They do no good to others and get dam
age for themselves. He compares it to
the experiment of taking dog by the
ears. Nothing so irritates 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;
out you take the dog by the ear and he
VIII take you with his teeth. In all the
history of kennels no intelligent or spiri-
ted dog will stand that. s:Now," says
solomon, ''you so into quarrels or con-
troversies that are not yours and you
VIII get lacerated and torn and bitten.
He that passeth by and meddleth with
strife belonging not to him is like one
that taketh a dog by the ears"
This is time of resounding ecclesias-
tlcal quarrel. Never within your men,
ory or mine has the air been so full of
missiles. The Presbyterian church has on
hand controversy so great that it finds it
prudent to postpone its settlement Tor at
least one more year, hoping that some
die or new general assembly may have
grace to handle the exciting questions
The Episcopal church has cast out some
recalcitrants. and its digestive organs
are taxed to the utmost in trying to as
simulate others. ''Shall women preach?''
cor be sent as delegates to conferences"
are questions that have put many of our
Methodist brethren on the anxious
SSssoS oAAA oAAS W0VCAS all SOflO VI Uuo
great baptistries are troubled waters
Because of the controversies through
out Christendom the air is now like an
August afternoon about o'clock when it
has been steaming hot all day, and
clouds are gathering, and there are lions
of thunder with grumbling voices and
flashing eyes coming forth from their
cloudy lars, and people are waiting for
the full burstof the tempest. I am not
so much of a weather prophet, but the
clouds look to me mostly like wind
clouds. 1t may be big blow, but l
hope it will soon be over. In regard to
the Battle of the Creeds, 1 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 case,
l mean those in tlA different ecclesias.
tical courts, have the questions put di.
rectly before them, weigh and decide.
Let the rest of us keep out. The most
damaging thing on earth is religious con
| trOverSy. No one ever comes out of it as
good a man as he goes in. Some of the
ministers, in all denominations, who, be
fore the present acerbity were good ant
kind and useful, now seem almost swear
| ing mad
These brethren notice always epe
their violent meetings with prayer befor
deveuring each other, thus saying grac
before meat They have a moral hydro
phobia that makes US think they have
taken a dog by the ears. They never
read the imprecatory Psalms of DaviC
with such zest as since the Briggs and
Newton and MacQueary and Bridgmar
and Brooks questions got into full swing
May the rams of the sheepfold soon have
their horns sawed off. Before the con
troversies are settled a good many minis
tiers will, through what they call liber
alism, be landed into practical infidelitY
and others, through what they call con.
servatism, will shrink mp into bigots
tight and hard as the mummies of Egypt
which got through their controversies
three thousand years ago.
This trouble throughout Christendom
was directly inspired of Satan. He saw
that too much good was being done. Re
cruits were being gathered by hundreds
of thousands to the gospel standard. The
victories for God and the truth were toe
near together. Too many churches were
being dedicated. Too many ministers
were being ordained. Too many philan-
thropies were being fostered. Too many
souls were being saved. 1t had been a
dull time in the neither world, and the ar
rivals were too few.
So Satan rose one day upon his throne
and said, eye powers of darkness. heart"
And all up and down the caverns the cry
was, ''Hcar! Heart Satan said: "There
is that American Board of Commission
ers for Foreign Missions. Unjust either
be demolished or crippled, or the first
thing you know they will have all nations
brought to God. Apollyon the Younger!
You go up to Andover and get the Pro
fessors to discussing whether the heather
can be saved without the Gospel. Divert
them from the work of missions and get
them in angry convention in room at
Youn9's hotel, Boston, and by the time
they adjourn the cause of Foreign Mis-
slons will be gloriously and efficiently
injured. Diabolus the Younger! You go
up and get the Union Theological Sem
mary. of New York, and the General AS
sembly of the Presbyterian Church, at
Detroit at swords points and diverted
from the work of making earnest minis
tiers Of religion, and turn that old Pres
byteran church, which has been keeping
ne ont Of customers for hI,nC,rnHS of