Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-06-19
THE BATTLE OF CREEDS.
DR.. TALMAOE PHILOSOPHERS
ON THE PRESENT SITUATION.
He Says the Ministers should Go
10 work and Teach the simple Cos
pei and Avoid Hsir-SpIitting-Son Some
Timely Christian Advice.

|
taken from Proverbs 90 II: "He that
passeth by and meddleth with strife
belonging not to him is like one that
taketh dog by the ears"
Solomon here deplores the habit OF
rushing in between contestants, of TAX
ing 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 lie com
pares it to the experiment of taking n
dog by the ears Nothing SO irritates
the CANNES as to be clutched by the
lugs. Take them by the back
of the neck and lift them and it does
not seem to hunt or offend, but you
take the dog by rhe 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
controversies that are not yours and
you will get laceratcd and torn, and
bitten. He that passeth by and med
dleth with strife belonging not TO him
is like one that taketh dog by the
| ears ,"
This is time of resembling ecclesias-
teal quarrel. Never within your mem
DRY or mine has the air been so full of
missiles. The Presbyterian Church has
on hand a controversy SO great that it
finds il prudent TO postpone its settle
ment for at !, as one more year, hoping
| that something will turn up. The
| Episcopal Church has cast out some re-
calcitrants. "Shall women preach?"
''Or be sent as delegates to Confer
ence?" 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 Christondom
the air is now like an August afternoon
about o'clock when il has been steam
! ing hot all day, and clouds are gather
ing, 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.
Let those who are jurymen in the
case, | mean those who in the different
ecclesiastical courts have the questions
put directly before them, weigh and
decide.
This trouble throughout Christendom.
was directly inspired by Satan. He saw
that too much good was being done.
Recruits were being gathered by hun
dreds of thousands to the Gospel stand
ard. The victories for God and the
truth were too near together. Too
many churches were being dedicated.
Too many ministers were being or
dained. Too many philanthropies were
being fostered. Too many souls were
being saved.
What amazes me most is that all peo-
pie do not see that the entire movement
a. a -
tanic. Many of the internal attacks are
sly and hidden and strategic and so in
genious that they are not easily discov-
cred. But here is bold and uncov-
cred attempt of the powers of dark
ness TO split up the churches, to
get ministers to take each other
by the throat, to make religion laugh
ing stock of earth and hell, to leave
the Bible with no more respect or
authenticity than an old almanac of
1922, which told what would be the
change of weather six months ahead
and in what quarter of the moon it is
best to plant turnips. In word, the
effort is to stop the evangelization of
the world.
Now, what part shall you and take
in this controversy which fills all Chris
tendon with clangor? My advice is:
Take no part. In time of riot all may
ors of cities advise citizens to stay at
home or in their places of business and
in this time of religious riot advise
you to go about your regular work for
God. You, n man only five or six feet
high, ought not try to wade an ocean a
thousand feet deep. My own expert
ence has been vivid.
Creeds have there uses, but just now
the church is creeded to death. The
young men entering the ministry are
going to be launched in the thickest fog
that ever settled on the coasts.
You see, God knew as much when he
made the Bible as he knows now. He
has not learned single thing in six
thousand years. He knew at the start
that the human race would go wrong
and that would be the best means of
its restoration and redemption.
And the law which was thun-
dered on Mount Sinai, from whose tops
had the two tables of stone in yonder
wall transported, is the perfect law.
And the gospel which Christ announced
while dying on that Mount from which
/ brought that stone in yonder wall
and which Paul preached on that hill
from which / brought yonder granite,
is the Gospel that is going to save the
world. Young man, put on that Cos
pei armor! No other sword will tri-
umph like that. No other shield will
protect like that. No other helmet
will glance off the battle-axes like that.
Now, what is the simple fact that
you in the pew and Sabbath school
class and reformatory association and
we in the pulpits have to deal with?
1t is this that Gold has somewhere,
and it matters not where, but
somewhere, provided that a great
heaven, great for quietness for those
who want quiet, great for vast as
semblage for those who like multitudes,
great for architecture for those who
like architecture, great for beautiful
landscape for those who like beautiful
landscape, great for music for those
who like music, great for pro-
cessions for those who like
armies on white horses and great for
anything that one especially desires in
such n rapturous dominion; and
thrOuph the dOiOors of One xyho xvaS