The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-09-19
ne SEES EVERY SIDE
DR.. Talmsge's Eloquent Plea TOR Christian
To!ersitop.

has selected as the subject for today;
sermon through the press Communion
of Saints, ," the text chosen being Judges
xii, 6. 'sThen said they unto hlua, Say
now shibboleth, and ne said sibboleth
for he could not frame to pronounce It,
right. Then they took him and slew
him at the passages of Jordan"
Do YOU notice Inc difference OF pro
nupciation between shibb0)eth aud slo
boleth? A very small and un!mportant
difference, you say. And yet that dlt'
terence was the difference between LIE
and death for great many people. Ihe
LORDS people, Gilead and Ephralm, sot
into a great fight, and Ephralm was
gorsted, and on the retrest came to the
fords of the river Jordan to cross. Or
der was given that al Ephraimites com
ing there be slain. But how could 1t be
found out who were Ephaimltes? They
were detected by their pronunciation.
Shibboleth was a word that stood fol
river.
The Ephrsirites had brogue OF their
own, and when they tried to say "shlo'
boleth always left out the sound OF the
ssb,n When il was asked that they say
shibboleth they said sibboleth anti were
slain. ssrhen said they unto him, Say
now shibboleth, and he said slbboleth,
for he could not frame to pronounce II
right. Then they took him and slew him
at the passages Of Jordan" A very
small difference, you say, between Gi.
lead and Ephraina, and yet how much
intolerance about that small difference!
The Lords tribes in our time-by WINCH
mean the different denominations Ol
Christians-sometimes magnify a very
small difference, and the only difference
between scores of denominations today
is the difference between shibboleth anc
sibboleth.
The church of God is divided into
great number of denominations. Time
would fall me to tell of the Calvinists,
and the Arminians, and the Sabbatarl
ans, and the Baxterians, and the Dunk
ers, and the Shakers, aud the Qaakers,
and the Methodists, and the Baptlsts
and the EpiscopaliaDs, and the Luther
ans, and the Congregatjonaists, and the
Presbyterians and the Spiritualsts
and score Of other de-
nominations of religionists, some O.
them founded by very good men, soms
of them founded by very egotistic luen,
some of them founded by very bad men
But as I demand for myself liberty o
conscience l oust give that same liberty
to eVery other man, remembering thai
no 40 more differs from me than difel
from him. I advocate the largest llbsr
ty III all religious belief and form Of wor
ship. In art, in politics, in morals ant
in religion let there be no gag law, nt
moving of the preVions question. no per
secution, no intolerance.
You know that the air and the watel
keep pure by constant circulation, and
think thsre is a tendency in religious
discussion to publication and mora
health. Between the fourth and th'
sixteenth centuries the church proposed
tomake people think Alright by prohibit
ing discussion, and by strong censorship
of the press and rack and gibbet and ho
lead down the throat tried to make peo
pie orthodox, but it was discovered tina
you cannot change mans belief b,
twisting of his head nor make a mai
see differently by putting an aWl througI
his eyes. There is something il man
conscierce which will hurl eff the noun
tain that you threw upon it, and, IN
singed of the fire, cut Of the lame vii
make red wings on which the marty
will mount to glory.
In that time (which I speak, hetWeel
the fourth and sixteenth centuries, peo
pie went from the house Of God into th
most appalling iniquity, and right alon!
BY consecrated altars there were tides O
drunkenness and RIGHTEOUSNESS such a
the world never heard of, and the yer,
sewers of perditlon broke loose an,
flooded the church, After awhile tn
printing press was freed. and it brok
the shackles of the human mind. Thel
there came large number Of bad book
and where there was one man hostile t
the Christian religion there were 20 me-
ready to advocate it. So have not an,
nervousness in regard to this battle 60
ing on between truth aad error. Tn
truth will conquer just as certainly a
that God is stronger than the devil. LIE
error run if yon only let truth run alon
with it. Urged on by skeptic's shou
and transcendentalist's spur, let it rur
Gods angels Of wrath are in hot pur
suit, and quicker than eagles bea
clutches out a hawks heart Gods ven
geance will tear it to pieces.
I propose 10 speak to you ofsectariar
isn-lts origin, its evils and its cures
There arethose whosswould make Us thin
that this monster, with herns and hoot
Is religion. I shall chase 1t to its hldin
place and drag it out of the caverns Q
darkness and rip Of its hide. But l wan
to make distinction between blgotr
and the lowful tondness for peculiar re
ligious belief and forms of worship.
have no admiration for nothingarian.
In world ofsuch tremendous vIcissl
tude and temptation, and with soul tha
must after awhile stand before thron
of insufferable brightness, IN day Whe'
the rocking Of the mountains, and th
U9mlQS vi LAO ACE1NCASS c1AN GiiO - pAASGA'
al of the seas shall be among the leas
of the excitements, to give account 10
every thought, word, action, pleferenc
and dislike, that man IS mad wko has n
religious preference. But our early ed
ucation, our physical temperament, GU
mental constitution, will very much de
eide our form Of worship.
Astyle of psalmody that may pleas
me may displease you. Some wcuI
ike to have minister in gown and ban
and surplice, and others prefer to hav
minister in plain citizens apparel
Some are more Impressed when littl
child is presented at the altar and aprin
kled the waters OF holy benedictiol
sln the name Of the Father and Of th
Son, and of the Holy Ghost" and 9th
ers are more impressed when the peui
tent comes up out Of the river, his gar
ments dripping with the waters OF
baptism, which signifies the Washin
away of sin. Let either have his oW