The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-09-10
TABERNACLE PULPIT.
TALMAGE ON THE COMMUNION
OF SAINTS
The sectarian Bigot Gets n scathIng
DenuncIation-Trath and Error Now
On TriaI-Causs OF Intolerance
LLberality Coming.

BRooKLY-g, N. Y. Sept e.-Rev. DR..
{ Talmage. who is now in Australis
whence he will shortly sail for Ceylon
and India has selected as the subject
for to-day's sermon through the press,
Communion of Saints" the text
chosen being Judges s2:vI, ''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"
Do you know the difference Of pro-
nunciation between shibboIeth and
slbboleth2 A very small und unim-
portant difference. you say. And yet,
that difference was the difference be.
tween life and death of a great many
people. 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. Order was given that
all Ephraimites coming there be
slain But how could it be found
out who were Ephra imites2
They were detected by their pro-
nunciation- 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 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 - A very
small difference, you say, between
Gilead and Ephraim. and yet how
oh TIL ii
ference! The Lords tribes in our
tlme-by which 1 mean the different
denominations of Christians-sOme-
times magnify very small difference.
and the only difference between scores
of denomina tons to-day is the differ
ence between shibboIet tn and 81 bbo-
leth
The church Of God is divided into a
great mum Der of denominations Time
would fail me to tell Of the CaIvinists
and the Arminians, and the Sab
batarIaus and 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 Congre-
gatiOnalists. and the Pres by terianE,
and the Spiritualists, and a score of
other denominations of religionists.
some of them founded by very good
men. some of them founded by very
egotis men, some of them founded
by very bad men. But as I demand
for myself liberty of conscience
must give that same liberty to every
other man. rememb boring that he no
more differs from me than I differ
from him 1 advocate the largest lib
erty in all religious belief and form
of worship In art. in politics. in
morals. and in religion, let there be
no gag law, no moving of the previous
question, no perse cution, no intoler-
ance.
You know that the air and the
water keep pure by constant circula-
ton. and I think there is tendency
in religious discussion to purifica ton
and moral health. Between the
fourth and sixteenth centuries the
church proposed to make people think
Alright by prohibiting discussion, and
by strong censorship of the press. and
rack. and gibbet and hot lead down
the throat tried to make people or
thodox; but it was discovered that
you can not change a mans belief by
twisting of his head. nor make a man
see differently by putting an awl
through his eyes There is something
in a mans 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 I speak be-
tween the fourth and sixteenth CEN
turtles, people went from the house Of
God into the most appalling iniquity
and right along by consecrated affairs
there were tides of drunkenness and
licen tiousness such as the world never
heard of, and the very sewers of per
dition broke loose and flooded the
church. After awhile the prin ting
press was freed. and it broke the
shackles of the human mind. Then
there came a large number of bad
books, and where there was one man
hostile to the Christian religion. there
were twenty men ready to advocate
it: so I have not any nervousness in
regard to this battle going on between
Truth and Error The truth will
conquer just as certainly as that God
is stronger than the devil Let Error
run If you only let Truth run along
with it Urged on by scePtic's shout
and transcenden talist's spur, let it
run, Gods angels of wrath are in hot
pursuit, and quicker than eagles beak
clutches out a hawks heart, Gods
vengeance will tear it to pieces
propose to speak to you Of sec
tarianism-its origin. its evils, and its
cures There are those who would
make as think that this monster. with
horns and hoofs. is religion ! shall
chase it to its hiding place, and drag
it out of the caverns Of darkness and
rip of its hide But 7 want to make
a distinction between bigOtry and the
lawful fondness for peculiar religious