National Baptist world., 1894-09-21

How mucn less lnbOlerdHCc dCCOA-
plishes, for instance, against the Meth
odist church? For long years her min
listers were forbidden the pulplts OF
Great Britain Why was it that so
many of them preached in the fields?
Simply because they could not get IN
the churches. And the name of the
church was given in derision and as
sarcasm. The critics of the church said:
''They have no order; they have no
method in their Worship and the crit
les. therefore, in irony called them
"Methodists.
am told that in the Astor library,
New York, kept as curiosities, there are
7O7 books and pamphlets against Meth
odism. Did intolerance stop that
church? No; it is either first or secOnd
amid the denominations of Chrlsten-
dom, her missionary stations IN all
parts of the world, her men not only
! important in religious trusts, but i'm
portant also in secular trusts. Church
marching on, and the more intolerance
against it the faster it marched.
/ What did intolerance accomplish
| against the Baptist church? If laugh
| ing scorn and TRADE could have de-
| stroyed the church it would not have
to-day a disciple left. The Baptists
were hurled out of Boston in Olden
times. Those who sympathized with
them were imprisoned, and when pc
tition was offered asking leniency in
their behalf all the men who signed 1T
were indicted. Has intolerance stopped
the Baptist church? The last statistics
in regard to it showed $4,000 churches
and 10000 communicates. lntoler-
ance never put down anything.
In England law was made against
the Jew. England thrust back the
Jew and thrust down the Jew, and de-
clared that no Jew should hold official
position. What came of it? We're the
Jews destroyed? Was their religion
overthrown? No. Who became prime
minister of England? Who was next
to the throne? Who was higher than
the throne because he was counselor
and adviser? Disraeli, a Jew. What
were we celebrating in all our churches
as we'll as our synagogues only few
wears arO? The Tooth birthday ami
versary of Montefore, the great jew
ish phlanthropist. Intolerance never
yet put down anything.
But now, my friends, having shown
you the origin of bigotry or sectarlan-
ism, and having shown you the damage
it does, | want briefly to show you how
we are to war against this terrible evil,
and think we ought to begin our war
by realizing our own weakness and our
imperfections If we make SO many
mistakes in the common affairs Of life,
is it not possible that we may make
mistakes in regard to our religious al
fairs?
, Now, here is a great gospel platform.
A man came up on this side of the plat
form and says: Il don't believe in baby
sprinkling." Shall / shove him off?
Here is man coming up this side of
the platform, and he says: Il don't be-
lieve in the preservation of the saints "
, Shall I shove him off? No, l will say:
5 ''Do voa believe in the Lord Jesus as
our Saviour? Do you trust Him for time
} and eternity?" He says: "Yes." do
: YOU take Christ for time and for eterni-
= typ ''Yes" say: Come on, brother;
| one in time and one in eternity; broth
, er now. brother forever" Blessed be
5 God for a gospel platform so large
r that all who receive Christ may stand
t on it!
| think we may overthrow the severe
sectarianism and bigotry in our hearts
f and in the church also, by realizing
: that all the denominations of Chris
: tians have yielded noble institutions
= and noble men.
= Moreover, we may also over throw
t the feeling of severe sectarianlsm by
l Joining other denominations IN Chris
4 tian work | like when the spring
= time comes and the anniversary oc
casious begin and all denominations
e come upon the same platform. Tha
h overthrOws sectarianism. In thu
q Young Mems Christian associa tions, II
;. the Bible society, in the Tract society
d in the Foreign Missionary society
d shoulder to shoulder all denomina
d tiOns.
o Perhaps might forcefully illustrate
e this truth by calling your attention t.
e an incident which took place abou
h twenty wears ago. One Monday morn
II inc at about o'clock, while her 90
\ passengers were sound asleep in he
n DerthS dreaming OIL IOIuC, C1C oCCdlAC
20 Atlantic crashed into Mars Head Fiv
v souls in ten minutes landed in eternity
V. Oh. what a scene! Agonized men an
d: women running up and down tn
le gangways, and clutching for rig
Id gings, and the plunge of tn
helpless steamer, and the claspin
IS of the hands of the merciless Sc
re over the drowning and the dead, threN
is two continents into terror. But sc
ct this brave quartermaster pushing OF
is with the life line until he gets to tn
a. rock: and see these fishermen gathe1
le ing up the shipwrecked, and takln
e. them into the cabins, and wrappln
10 them in the fannels snug and warn
is and see that minister of the gospe
o. with three other men, getting into tn
lifeboat, and pushing for the wrecl
do pulling away until they saved or
ey more man, and then getting back wit
h. him to the shore. Can these men eve
wv forget that night? And can the
We ever forget their companionship
al peril, companionship in struggle, con
sir panionship in awful catastrophe an
hit rescue? Never! Never! In whatev'
,e. part Of the earth they meet, they WI
on be friends when they mention tt
he story of that night when the Atlant
10 s+r,oly Marc Head Well nv friend