National Baptist world., 1894-09-21
COMMUNION OF SAINTS.
DR.. Talmage on the Origin and Evils
Of Sectarianism.
He Recognizes the Good in Denominations
Because He Believes in the Liberty
of Conscience-Bigotry Is the
Bane OF All Sects.

AdLeSG SUBJECT Sclecteu Dy ReV. 4. De-
Witt Talmage for his sermon to the
public through the press, the text be-
ing from Judges xii. 6: ''Then said they
unto him: Say now Shibboleth; and he
said Sibboleth, for he could not frame
to pronounce it right Then they took
him and slew him at the passages Of
Jordan" Following is the sermon:
Do you notice the difference of pro-
nunciation between shibboleth and sib-
boleth? A very small and and unim-
portant difference, you say. And yet
that difference was the difference be-
tween life and death for great many
people. The Lords people, Gilead and
Ephraim, got into a great fight, and
Ephraim was worsted and on the retreat
came to the fOrds of the river Jordan
to cross. Order was given that all
Ephraimites coming there be slain.
But how could it be found out who were
Ephraimites? They were detected by
their pronunciation. Shibboleth was
word that stood for river.
The Ephraimites had a brogue of
their own, and when they tried to say
t'shibboleth" always left out the sound
Of the ''h" When it was asked that
they say shibboleth, they said sibbo-
Ieth, and were slain. "Then they said
unto him, say now shibboleth; and he
said sibboleth, for he could not frame
and slew him at the passages of Jor-
dan" A very small difference, you
saw, between Gilead and Ephraim, and
yet how much intolerance about that
small difference! The Lords tribes in
our time-by which | mean the differ
ent denomination Of Christians-some-
times magnify very small difference,
and the only difference between scores
of denominations to-day is the differ
ence between shibboleth and sibboleth.
The church Of God is divided into a
great number Of denominations Time
would fail me to tell Of the Calvinists,
and the Arminians, and the Sabbath
rians, and the Baxterians. and the Dunk
ers, and the Shakers, and the Quakers,
and the Methodists, and the Baptists,
and the Episcopalians, and the Luther
ans, and the CongregatiOnalists, and
the Presbyterians, and the Spiritual
lists, and a score Of other denomina-
tions Of religionists, some OF them
founded by very good men, some OF
them founded by very egotistic men,
some Of them founded by very bad
men, But as | demand for myself lib
erty Of conscience, must give that
same liberty to every other man, re-
membering that he no more differs
from me than differ from him. | ad-
vocate the largest liberty in all re-
ligious belief and form of worship. In
art. in politics, in morals, and in re-
ligion, let there be no gag law, nc
moving Of the previous question, nc
persecution, no intolerance.
You know that the air and the water
keep pure by constant circulation, and
think there is a tendency in religious
discussion to publication and moral
health. Between the fourth and the
sixteenth centuries the church pro
posed to make people think Alright by
prohibiting discussion, and by strong
censorship Of the press, and rack, anc
gibbet, and hot lead down the throat
tried to make people orthodox; but i
was discovered that you cannot change
a mans belief by twisting off his head
nor make a man see different by put
ting an awl through his eyes There
is something in a mans conscience
which will hurl off the mountain tina
you throw upon it, and, unsinged Q
the fire, out Of the flame will make ret
wings on which the martyr will noun
to glory.
I propose to speak to you of sectari
anism-its origin, its evils, and it
cures. There are those who wOul
make us think that this monster, wit
horns and hoofs. is religion. | shal
chase it to its hiding place, and drag
out Of the cavern Of darkness, and ri
off its hide. But | want to make dis
tinction between bigotry and Lawful
fondness for peculiar religious belief
and forms Of worship. | have no &C
miration for nothingarian.
In world Of such tremendous vici
situde and temptation, and with a sol
that must after while stand before
throne Of insufferab BILE brightness, in
day when the rocking of the mountain
and the flaming Of the heavens and tn
npheaving of the seas shall be anon
the least of the excitements, to give a.
count for every thought, word, actor
preference, and dislike-that man
mad who has no religious preferenc
But our early education, our physic;
temperament, our mental constitution
will very much decide our form {
worship.
A style Of psalmody that may plea:
me may displease you. Some woul
like to have minister in gown ar
bands and surplice, and others pref
to have a minister in plain citizens a
parel. Some are most impressed whe
. little child is presented at the alt;
and sprinkled of the waters of ho
benediction sin the name of tt
Father, and of the Son, and of Il
Holy Ghost" and others are more IL
pressed when the penitent comes l
out Of the river, his garments drippir
with the waters of baptism whie
signifies the washing away of 81
Let either have his own way. On
man likes no noise in praye
not word, not whisper. Anoth
man, just as good, prefers by gesticul
ton and exclamation to express
devotional aspirations. One is just
good as the other. Every man full
persuaded in his own mind"
In tracing out the religion OF sect
rianism or bigotry, find that gre
1oal Of ~ oaronc fron, xvroDcr ad11cati