Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-10-25
SECTARIANISM.
DR.. 1almage Discusses It's Origin
It's Evils, and It's Cures.
de Advocates the Largest Liberty in Reli-
gious Belief = Intolerance Between
Seots Denounced-The Church of
God Never Intended as
War Barrack.

sermon through the press. Communion
Of Saints, the text chosen being Judge,
IL. vi:
Then said they unto him. say now shibbo
leth; and he said Sibboleth; for he could mo-
frame to pronounce it right. Then they tool
him and slew him at the passages OF Jordan
Do you notice the difference of pro.
nuciation between shibboleth and sib-
boleth? A very small and unimportant
difference you say And yet that diff
ference was the difference between
life and death for a great many peo-
pie. The Lords people, Gilead and
Ephraim, got into a great fight and
Ephraim was worsted, and on the re-
treat came to the fords of the river
Jordan to cross Orders We're given
that all Ephraimites coming there be
slain. But how could it be found ont
who were Ephraimites? They were de-
tected by their pronunciation Shib-
boleth was word that stood for river
The Ephraimites who had to say
"shibboleth" always left out the sound
OF the "h." When it was asked that
they say shibboleth they said sibboleth
and were slain. "Then said they unto
him, say now shibboleth, and he said
sibboleth, for he cold not frame TO pro-
nounee it right. Then they took him
and they slew him at the passages of
Jordan" A very small difference, you
say, between Gilead and Ephraim, and
vet how much intolerance about that
small difference! The Lords tribes in
our timely which | mean the differ
ent denominations 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 Calvinists, and
the Arminians, and the Sabbatarians
the Baxterians, and the Dunkers, and
the Shakers and the Quakers, and the
Methodists, and the Baptists, and the
Episcopalians, and the Lutherans, and
the ongregationalists, and the Pres
byterians, and the Spiritualists, and a
score of other denominations of relig-
ionists, some of them founded by very
egotistic men. some of them founded
by very bad men. But as demand for
myself liberty of conscience, / must
give that same liberty to every other
man, remembering that he no more diff
fers from me than differ from him.
advocate 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, no
moving of the previous question, no
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 six
tenth centuries the church proposed
to make people think Alright by prohib-
iting discussion, and by strong censor
ship of the press, and rack, and gibbet, |
and hot lead down the throat, tried to |
make people orthodox; but it was dis
covered that you canot change mans !
belief by twisting off his head, nor
make man see differently by putting
an anvil through his eyes. There is
something in man conscience which !
will hurl off the mountain that you
threw upon it, and, unsinged of the
FIRE. out of the flame will make red
wings on which the martyr will mount
to glory.
In that time of which l speak, be-
tween the fourth and sixteenth cen
turies people went from the house of
God into the most appalling iniquity,
and right along by conseerated affairs
there We're tides of drunkenness and
RIGHTEOUSNESS such as the world never
heard Of, and the very sewers of perdi-
tion broke loose and flooded the church.
After while the printing press was
freed, and it broke the shackles of the
human mind. Then there came large
number of bad books, and where there
was one man hostile to the Christian
religion, there were twenty men ready
70 advocate it; so ! have not any
nervousness in regard to this battle
gong on between Truth and Error.
Inc truth will conquer just as certainly
a mat God is stronger than the devil.
Let Error run if You only let truth run
along with it. Urged on by skeptic's
shout and transcendentalist's spur, let
y run. God 5 angels of wrath are in
not pursuit and quicker than eagles
oeak clutches out hawks heart,
GODS vengeance will tear it to pieces.
propose to speak toyou of sectarian-
lsIn-its origin. its evils and its cures.
there are those who would make us
tnlnk that this monster. with horns
and hoofs. is religion. | shall chase it
2 rs hiding place, and drag it out of
.he caverns of darkness, and rip off its
NICE But / want to make a distinc-
non between bigotry and the lawful
for peculiar religious beliefs
ana forms of worship. ] have no adj
Mlratlon for a nothingarian.
n a world of such tremendous vicis-
s !. and temptation, and with a soul
ina must after awhile stand before the
.hrone of insufferable brightness. in a l
Jay when the rocking of the mountains
ana the flaming of the heavens and the l
upheaval of the seas shall be amongst /
'he least OF the excitements, to give ac- c
count for every thought, word. action. a
aF4l# J.