The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1894-09-21
TALMAGE's SERMON.
A Discourse on the Origin and Evils
of Sectarianism.
There IL Good I'm Denominatlonal Differ
ence, Because 10 Denotes Liberty Of
Conscience - Bigotry the
Bane OF All Sects.


boieth; and he said SibboIeth; for he could
not frame 70 pronounce Il right Then they
took him. and slew him at the passages Of Jor-
aan.-JuGkes XII, O.
Do you notice the difference of pro-
nunciation between shibboleth and sib-
bOleth? A very small and unimport-
ant difference, you say. And yet, that
difference was the difference between
life and death for great many people.
The Lords people, Gilead 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 Ephramites? They were de-
tected by their pronunciation. Shib-
bOleth was a word that stood for river.
The Ephraimites had brogue of their
own, and when they tried to say ''Shib-
boleth" always left out the sound of
the ''h." When it was asked that they
say shibboleth, they said sibboleth,
and were slain. "Then they said un-
to 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" A very small difference, you
say, between Gilead and Ephraim, and
vet how much intolerance about the
small difference! The Lords tribes in
our timely which mean the differ
ent denominations of Christians-some-
times magnify a 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
great number of denominations. Time
would fail me to tell of the Calvinists,
and the Arminians, and the Sabbatari-
ans, and the Baxterians, and the Dun
kers, and the Shakers, and the Quak
ers, and the Methodists, and the Bap-
lists, and the Episcopalians, and the
Lutherans, and the COngregationalists
and the Presbyterians, and the Spirit
ualists, and a score of other denOmina-
tions of religionists, some of them
founded by very good men, some of
them founded by very bad men. But
as j demand for myself liberty of con
science, must give that same liberty
to every other man, remembering that
he no more differs from me than / diff
fer from him. I advocate the largest
liberty in all religious belief and form
Of worship. In art, in politics, in NOR
ais, and in religion, let there be no gag
law, no moving of the previous ques-
ton, no persecution, no intolerance.
propose to speak to you of sectar-
ianism-its origin, its evils, and its
cures. There are those who would
make us think that this monster, with
horns and hoofs, is religion. l shall
chase it TO its hiding-place, and drag it
ont of the caverns of darkness, and rip
off its hide But l want to make a
distinction between bigotry and the
lawful fondness for peculiar religious
beliefs and forms of worship. l have
no admiration for Nottingham.
A style of psalmody that may please
me may displease you. Some would
like to have minister in gown and
bands and surplice, md others prefer
to have minister in plain citizens APP
parel. Some are most impressed when
a little child is presented. at the altar
and sprinkled of the waters of a holy
benediction sin the name of the Fa-
Their, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost" and others are more impressed
when the penitent comes up out of the
river, his garments dripping with the
waters of baptism which signifies the
washing away of sin. Let either have
his own way. One man likes no noise
in prayer, not a word, not a whisper.
Another man, just as good, prefers by
pesticuiatiOn and exclamation to eX-
press his devotional aspirations. One
is Just as good as the other. Every
man fully persuaded in his own mind. :"
In tracing out the religion of sec
tarianism or bigOtry, / find that great
deal of it comes from wrong education
in the home circle. There are parents
who do not think it wrong to carica-
ture and jeer the peculiar forms of re-
Iigion in the world, and denounce other
sects and other denominations. 1t is
very often the case that that kind of
education acts just opposite to what
was expected, and the children grow
up, and, after awhile, 60 and see for
themselves; and, looking in those
churches, and finding that the peo-
pie are good there, and they love
God and keep His commandments, by
natural reaction they go and join those
very chuches. / could mention the
names of prominent ministers of the
Gospel who spent their whole life bonn
harding other denominations, and who
lived to see their children preach the
Gospel in those very denominations
But it is often the case that bigotry
starts in a household, and that the
subject of it never RECEIVERS. There are
tens of thousands of bigots ten years
old.
I think sectarianism and bigotry also
rise from too great prominence of any
one denomination in community. All
the other denominations are wrong,
and his denomination is right, because
his denomination is the most wealthy,
or the most popular, or the most in
fIuential, and il is ''our" church, and
''our" religious organization, and
''our" choir. and 'our" minister. and
the man losses his head, and wants
other denominations to know their
places. 1t is great deal bet
ter IN any community when
the great denominations of Christians
arc about equal in power, marching
side by side for the worlds conquest.
Mere outside prosperity, mere worldly
power, is no evidence that the church
Is acceptable to God. Better a barn
with Christ in the manger than a
cathedral with magnificent harmonies
rolling through the long-drawn aisle,
and an angel from Heaven in the pull
pit. if there be no Christ in the chancel,
and no Christian the robes. Bigotry is
often the child of ignorance.
YOu seldom find a man with large in