Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1894-09-14
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
rIIK BROOKLYN DIvINE's SUM-
DAY SERMON.
Subject: Communion of saints

.
Then they took him and slew HIM at the pas
saces Of Jordan. Judges xii, G.
Do you notice tire difference Of pronuncla,
tion between shihholeth and sihbolrth? A
very small AMI uninipOrtant difference. YOU
say. And vet that difference WAS the differ.
ence between IN" and death for great MANY
/ people. The Lords people. Gilead aud
EphrEim. got into greut fight, and Eph
rain WAS worsted and on the retrent came
| TO the lords ofthe river jordan to cross. Or.
der was given that all Ephraimites coming
| there be slain. But how could II be founi
out who were Ephramites? They were de.
/ tected by their pronunciation. Shibboleth
! was word that stood for river.
The Ephraimitps had broSue Of their
/ own, and when they tried to sny "shih.
boleth' always left out the sound OF the
"h." When II was asked that they say shib.
/ boleth, they said sibboleth and We're slain.
Then said they unto him. say now shib.
boleth, and he said sibhoeth, for he could
not frame TO pronounce 1t right. Then they
took him and slew him Mt the passages OF
/ Jordan" very small difference, you say,
between Gilead and Ep%raim, and yet how
much intolerance about that small differ
cree! The Lords tribes In our timely
which | mean the different denominations
/ OF Christians sometimes magnify very
/ small difference. and the only difference be-
tween scores OF dcnominati )ns to-day Is tho
! difference between shIbboleth and sibboleth.
/ The church of God Is divided into a great
number OF denominations Time would TAIL
/ me TO tell OF the Caivinists and the Armini-
ans, and the Sabhatnrans, and the Baxteri
ans. and the Dunkers. and the Shakers, and
the Quakers, and the Methodists and tho
Baptists. and the Episcopaliurs. and tho
Lutnernns and the Congregationalists. and
the Presbyterans. and the Spritualists, and
n score OF other denominations OF religion
lists, some OF them founded 10y VERY good
men, some OF them founded by very ego
tistic men. some OF them founded by very bad
men. But as demand for mys II liberty OF
conscience | must give that same liberty to
every other man, remembering that he no
more differs from me than differ from him
. | advocate the largest liberty III all religious
belief and form Of worship. In art, in poll
tics, in morals and in religion let there be
no gag law, no moving OF the previous ques-
ton, no persecution, no intolerance.
You know That the air aud the water keep
purely constant circulation, and | think
there IL n tendency in religious discussion
TO publication and moral health. Between
the fourth and the sixteenth centuries tho
church proposed to make people think
Alright 10y prohibiting discussion anil lev
strong censorship Of the press aud rack AMI
gibbet and hot lead down the throat tried to
make prOpl" orthodox. but 1t was discovered
TINT you cannot change IA mans belief by
twisting OIL his head nor make n man see
differently 10y putting an awl through his
eyes. Their" is something in mans con-
science which will hurl or the mountain
that YOU threw upon II. and, unsinGei of the
/ fire, out o. the lame will make rci wings
on which the martyr will mount TO glory.
In that time Of which | speak. between the
fourth and sixteenth centuries, people went
/ from the house Of God into the most az.
palling intquity. and right along by con
secrate1 affairs there We're tides OF drunken
1 ness AMI RIGHTEOUSNESS such rs the world
/ never heard OF, and the very sewers OF per
/ dition broke loose and flooded the church.
After awhile the printing press was freed.
ami II broke the shackleS OF the human
mind. Then thee came u large numoer OF
BAD books. and where there WAS one man
hostile to the Christian religion there were
twenty men ready to advocate 1t, so |
have not any nervousness In regard to this
/ battle going on between tru', I'd error
me truth Will conquer Just rs &. Ct I'ny ns
that God IL stronger than the devil Let
error run ifyou only let truth run along with
Il. Urged on by skeptics shout md tran-
'cendentalsts spur, let II run. Gods angels
/ d wrath are In hot pursuit. aui qu!ckcrthan
eagles bcak clutches out hawks heart
TO Is v"ngeanc" will tear II to pieces
/ propose TO speak to you OF scctarlanism
Its origin, its evils and its cures. There
are those who wouli make u think that
/ this monster, with horns and hOo's Is re-
ligion. ! shall chase 1t to its hiding p aco
and drag II out OF the caverns OF darkness
and rip of its hide. But | want to make a
distinction between bicotry aud the lawful
londness for peculiar religious beliefs and
lorms OF worship. have no admiration for
anothingarian.
In n world Of such tremendous vrissitu 10
and temptation. and with soul that must
/ after awhile stand before n throne OF In
siderable brightness, In day when tho
/ rocking OF the mountains and the flaming OF
the heavens AMI the uparaval OF the s.as
I shall be among the least OF the excitcments,
10 give account tor every thou sht. word,
action, preference and dislike. thar man is
mad who has no religious preference. but
our early education, our physical temp"ra-
ment our mental constitution, will very
much decide our form Of worship.
style OF psalmody that may please me
may displease YOU. Some would like to have
a minister in gown and bands and surplice,
and others prefer TO have u minister In plain
citizens apparel. Some are most impressed
when little child Is presented ut tho altar
and sprinkled OF the waters OF holy benz
diction ''in the name OF tho Father, and Of
the Son, and OF the Holy Ghost, 4" and others
.
up out OF the river, his garments dripping
with the waters OF u baptism which signifies
the washing away OF sin. Let either have
his own way. Ono man likes no noise in
prayer not word, not u whisper. Another
man. just as good. prefers by gcsticulation
and exclamation to express his devotional
aspirations. One is just ms good rs the other.
Every man FULLY persuaded in his own
! mind"
George ,Whitohold was going over n
Quaker rather roughly for some OF his re-.
ligious sentiments, and the Quaker said
"George, | am rs thou art. am for bring
ing all men to the hope OF the gospel. There
fore II thou will not quarrel with mo about
my broad brim, | will not quarrel with thee
about thy black gown. George, give mo thy
hand"
In tracing out the religion OF sactartanlsm
| or biyotry | find that Il great denl OF II comes
from wrong education I'm Tho home circle.
There are parents who do not think 1t wrong
TO caricature and jeer tho peculiar forms o.
religion in the world and denounce othel
| sccts and other denominations. Ii is very
| often the case that that kind OF education
acts Just opposite to what was expected, nnc
the children grow up, and after awhile *
and see for themselves, and looking in thos'
churches and finding that the people ar'
| good there, and they love God and keep Ht
commandments, BY natural reaction thoy x,
| and Join those very churches. could men
! ton the names of prominent ministers OF thu
| gospel who spent thOir whole life lombard
Ing other denominations, nnd who lived &c
see their children preach the gospel in those
! very denominations. But II is often tho case
that bigotry starts in household, and thai
the subject Of it.never RECEIVERS. There ART
tens OF thousands OF bigots ten years old.
' think sectarianism and bigotry also
r.se from too great prominence OF any on'
denomination in n community. All the othef
denominations arc wrong, and his denomt
nation Is right because his denomination Is
the most wealthy, or the most popular, OF
the most influential, and II Is "our" church,
and 'our' religious organization, and "our"
choir. and tour" minister, and the man
! losses his bend and wnnts other denomIna.