Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-07-03
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVfNES sun
DAY SERMON.
Subject: The Battle of Creeds.n

that taketh q dog BY the eurs."-Prover6s
XVI, II.
Solomon here deplores the habit of -1,sr-
ing In between contestants; OF taking part
IN tne antagonIsms of Others: of joining in
ngEts which they ought TO shuu They do
no good TO others and get damage for them
selves. He compares it to the experiment of
taking dog by the ears Nothing so irri.
Iates CANNES as 10 be cIutched by the Jugs
Take them by the back of the neck and lift
Chem and 1t does not seem to hurt or offend:
put 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 controversies that are not
yours and you will get lacerated and torn
and bitten. He that passeth by and med
Qietn with strife belonging not to him is like
one that taketh dog by the ears
1nls Is the time OF resembling ecclesiastical
quarrel. Never within your memory or
NINE has the air been so full of missiles.
Inc Presbyterian Church has on hand a con.
troVersy so great that 1T finds it prudent to
postpone It's settlement for at least one mora
year, hoping that something will turn IN
Somebody m ght die or new general assem-
oiy may have grace to handle the exciting
questions. The Episcopal Church has cast
out some recalcitrants, and its digestive Or
gans are taxed to the utmost in trying to as
simulate others. 'Shall women Dreachg'
''Or be sent as delegates to conferences
are questions that have put many Of
our Methodist brethren on the sanxions
seat" And the waters in some of the oreat
tapestries are troubled waters Because of
the controversies throughout Christendom
the air is now like an August afternoon
ABOUT nVe O'Clock, when it has been steaming
I .I an gay ana clouds are gathering, and
tnere are lions of thunder with grlmblinp
voices and flashing eyes coming forth from
cnelr cloudy LARS. and people are waiting
Tor thu full burst OF the tempest am not
nhucn OF weather prophet, but the clouds
look to me mostly like wind clouds. 1t may
De big blow, but l hope it will soon be
over. In regard to the Battle of the Creeds.
am every day asked about it. I want to
make it SO plain this morning what think
Chat no one will ever ask again
Leu tnose who are jurymen in the case-I
mean those who in the different ecclesiasti-
cal courts nave the questions put directly
before them-weigh and decide. Let the rest
or us keep out. The most damaging thing
on earth is religious controversy. No one
ever comes cut Of it as good a man as he
goes IN. Some Of the ministers in all de-
nominations who before the present acerbitv
were good and kind and useful, now seem al
most swearing mad. These brethren notice
always open their violent meetings with
prayer before devOuring each other, thus
saying race before meat. They have moral
nyufophobla that makes us think they have
taken dog by the ears. They never read
the mprecatOry Psalms of David with such
zest as since the Briggs and Newton and
MacIueary and Bridgman and Brooks cues
tons got into full swing. May the rams of
Inc ns sheeptoid soon have their horns sawed
OH BEFORE the controversies are settled
good many ministers will, through what thew !
can liberalism, be landed into practical in !
ndeuty, ana others through what thew call |
conservatism will shrink up into bigots tight
and hard as the mummies of Egypt which !
got through their controversies three thou |
sand years ago.
Inns trouble throughout Christendom
vas directly inspired by Satan He saw
that too much good was being done. Re- |
crults were being gathered by hundreds Of |
thousands to the Gospel standard. The |
victories Tor God and the truth were too |
near together. Too many churches were
being dedicated. Too many ministers were
oelng ordained. Too many philanthropies
Were being fostered. Too many souls were
Delng saved. 1t had been a dull time in the |
netner world, and the arrivals were too few. |
90 satan one day rose upon his throne and |
SAID, lie powers Of darkness, hearm And |
an up ana down the caverns the cry was, |
hear Hear" Satan said: There is that !
american Board of Commissioners for For |
elgn missions. 1t must either be dem olished !
OF crippled, or the first thing you know they |
Will have all nations brought to God. ApoI- |
y on the Younger! You go up to Andover
ana get the professors to discussing whether |
The heather can be saved without the Cos |
pei. Divert them from the work of missions |
and get them in angry convention in |
a room at Youngs Hotel, Boston. and |
by the time they adjourn the cause of |
foreign missions will be gloriously and !
magnltcentiy injured. Diabolus the Youn-
ger! You go up and get Union Theological
seminary OF New York and the general |
assembly of the Presbyterian Church at De-
trolt at swords points and diverted from the
"ork OF making earnest ministers OF religion
and turn that old Presbyterian Church
winch has been keeping us out OF customers |
iof hundreds OF years. into splendid pam
aemonlum on a small scale. Abaddon the !
4hlrd! on go up and assault that old EDis-
copal Church, which has been storming the
heavens for centuries with the sublimest
prayers that were ever uttered-churcn of !
BISHOP Leighton, Bishop White and Bishop
MclIVaue, and get that denomination discuss |
ing men instead of discussing the eternities
a baddon the Fourth, You 90 uD to that old |
Methodist Church. which has through her
revival, sent millions to heaven which we
would otherwise have added to OH. Do,,l,
unn; the church of Wesley and Matthew
simpson, against which we have an eS,4ciaI
erudge, and get them so absorbed in discuss-
III : whether women shall take part in her
conference that they shall not have so much
tlme to discuss how many sons and dau1b+ore
She will take to glory
hat anaZeS me most is that all naonIe
90 not see that the entire movement at this
- - III oFel Chrlstendom Is satanic. Many
OF the internal attacks are Sly and hidden
ana strategic and SO ingenious thst thew
are not easily discovered. But here is 2
Doid and uncovered attempt OF the powers
o. darNness to split up the churches, to oct
~ to take each other by the throat
70 make religion a laughing stock of earth
aud he'll, to leave the Bible with no more
reSrect or authenticity than an old almanac
u loS2, which told what would be the
mango q weather six months ahead and