The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1891-06-19
THE BATTLE OF CREEDS.
Or. TALMAGE GlvEsA LIVELY SKETCH
OF THE HERESY HUNT.

There Is nm Exciting Question In Almost
Every Observation-Disclosures the Theo'o'
CLANS Losing Temper In the Discussion
No Ono Il Bettered by 1t.
BROOKLYN, June IA. DIR. TAlmage
dealt In his sermon this morning with
the very timely topic, 1.-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 IN the subject. DR..
Talmage, however, has his own way OF
looking at all subjects, and even peo-
pie who thought they knew all that
could be said on both sides received
light from the fresh and original con-
tribution which he made to the contro-
versy. His text was taken from Prov
CRIBS XVI, H. 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. He COM
pares it to the experiment of taking a
dog by the ears. Nothing so irritates
the CANNES as to be clutched by the
Jugs. 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 ken.
nels 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 lac
Grated and torn and bitten. He that
passeth by and meddleth with strife be.
longing not to him is like one that
taketh dog by the ears"
! This is time of resounding ecclesi-
astical quarrel. Never within your
memory or mine has the air been so
fdll of missiles. The Presbyterian
church has on hand a controversy so
great that IT finds it prudent to post
pone its settlement for at least one
more year, hoping that something will
turn ip Somebody might die or a
new general assembly may have grace
70 handle the exciting questions, The
Episcopal church has cast out some re-
calcitrants, and it's digestive organs are
taxed to the utmost in trying to assimi-
late others. "Shall women preach"
"Or be sent as delegates to confer
ences2' are questions that have put
(AWany of our Methodist brethren on the
nyious seat" and the waters in some
W. great baptistries are troubled
ers
Because of the controversies through
Christendom the air is now like an
s----' --~.--.----~,.--sa s--.-+s ~ ~ ~.~I<,cl-
lien it has been steaIning 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 wait
ing for the full burst of the tempest.
! am not much of weather prophet,
but the clouds look to me mostly like
wind clouds. 1t may be big blow,
but hope it will soon be over. In re-
gard to the Battle of the Creeds, am
every day asked what think about it.
! want to make it so plain this morn
ing what think that no one will ever
ask again.
LEAVE IT TO THE JURYMEN.
Let those who are jurymen in the
case, mean those in the different &C.
clesiastical courts, have the questions
put directly before them, weigh and de-
eide. Let the rest of US keep out. The
most damaging thing on earth is reli-
gous controversy. No one ever comes
out Of it as good a man as he goes in.
Some of the ministers, in all denolni-
nations, who. before the present acer
bity we're good and kind and useful.
now seem almost swearing mad.
These brethren I notice always open
their violent meetings with prayer be-
fore devouring each other, thus saying
grace before meat. They have a moral
hydrophobia that makes us think they
have taken dog by the ears. They
never read the iInprecatory Psalms of
David with such zest as since the
Briggs and 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 good many ministers will,
through what they call liberalism, be
landed into practical infidelity, and
others, through what they call con-
servatisn, will shrink up into bigots
tight and hard as the mummies of
Egypt which got through their contro-
versies three thousand years ago.
This trouble throughout Christen-
dom was directly inspired of Satan.
He saw that too much good was being
done. Recruits we're being gathered
by hundreds of thousands to the Cos
pei standard. The victories for God
and the truth were too near together.
Too many churches were being dedi