Connecticut western news., 1898-07-28
HORNS OF WORSHIP.
EVILS OF SECTARlANlSM DR. TAU
 MAGE'S THEME.

to Break Down Denominational Barriers
 The Man Who Can See Only One Side
 Win Always Be a Bigot.
 Copyright. 1898, by American Press Asso-
 ciation.1
 WASHINGTON. July 24.-In his ser mon today Dr. Talmage shows what sectarianism really is, Its origin, evils and cure. The text was Judges xii, G.: "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 notice the difference of pro- nunciation 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 great many people. The Lords people, Gilead and Ephraim, got into great fight, and Ephraim was worsted, and on the retreat came to the lords of the river Jordan to cross. Order was given that all Ephraimites coming there be slain. But how could 1t be found out who were Ephraimities? They were detected by their pronunciation. Shibboleth was word that stood for river. The Ephraimites had a brogue of their own, and when they tried 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 could not frame to pronounce it right Then they took him and slew him at the passages of Jor- dan." A very small difference, you say, between Gilead and Ephraim, and yet how much intolerance about that small differencel The Lords tribes ill our time-by which I mean the different denominations of Christians = some times magnify very small difference, and the only difference between scores of denominations today is the difference between shibboleth and sibboleth.
 The church of God Is divided into a great number of denominations. Time would fail me to. tell of the Calvinists, and the Arminians, and the Sabbata- rians, and the Baxterians, and the Dun- kers. and the Shakers, and the Quakers, and the Methodists. and the Baptists, and the Episcopalians, and the Luther anA and the Congregationalists, and the Presbyterians, 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 egotistic men. some of them founded by very bad men. But as I de- mand for myself 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 in all religious belief and form of wor- ship. In art, in politics. in morals and in religion let there be no gag law, no moving of the previous question, no persecution, no intolerance.
 Mans Conscience.
 You know that the air and the wa ter keep pure by constant circulation, and think there is a tendency in re- ligious discussion to purification and moral health. Between the fourth and sixteenth 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 1t was dis covered that you cannot change mans belief by twisting off his head, nor make man see differently by putting an awl through his eyes There is sonic thing in a mans conscience which will hurl of 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 centu- ries, people went from the house of God into the most appalling iniquity, and right along by consecrated altars there were tides of drunkenness and hoen- tiousness such as the world never heard of, and the very sewers of perdition broke loose and flooded the church. After awhile the printing 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 20 men ready to ad- vocate it, sol have not any nervousness in regard to this battle going on be- tween 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 skeptic's shout and trans cendentalist's spur, let it run. Gods angels of wrath are in hot pursuit, and quicker than eagle's beak clutches out . hawks heart Gods vengeance will tear it to pieces
 Cure For Sectarianism-
 propose to speak to you of sectarian- ism-its origin, its evils and its cures There are those who would make us think that this monster, with horns and hoofs, is religion. shall chase it to it's hiding place and drag it out of the eaverns of darkness and rip off Its hide But want to make 8 distinction be- tween hgotry and the lawful fondness for peculiar religious beliefs and forms of worship. have no admiration for nothingarian.
 In Q world of such tremendous vicis- situde and temptation and with soul that must after awhile stand before throne of insufferable brightness, in a day when the rocking of the mountains , and the flaming of the heavens and the ,upheaval of the seas shall be among the least of the settlements, to give account for every thought, word, action, prefer enoe and dislike-that man is mad who has no religious preference. But our early education, our physical tempera- ment, our mental constitution, will very much decide our form of worship.
 A 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 3 minister in plain citizens apparel Some are most impressed when little child Is presented at the altar and sprinkied of the waters of a holy bene- diction "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, " and others are more impressed when the npnitapt covnQa mn put If tho riyar bia