Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1898-09-02
AS TO SECTARIANISM.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Discusses Its
Origin, Evils and Benefits.
Blgotry the Child OF Ignorance and Intol-
srance and Hlndrance to the Tri-
umph of the Gospei-Donom-
national Missions,

In the following sermon Rev. I. De-
Witt TalmaSc shows what sectaran-
ism really is, its origin, evil and cure,
The text is:
Then said they unto him, Say now Shibbo-
leth, and he said Sbboleth; for he could not
frame to pronounce it right Then they took
him and slew him at the passages OF Jordan
Judges x, H., @
Do you notice the difference of pro-
nunciation between shibboleth and
sibboleth? A very small and unim-
portant difference, you say. And yet,
that difference was the difference be-
tween life and death for great many
people. The Lords people, Gilead and
Ephraim, got into 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 Ephraimtes coming there be slain.
But how could it be found out who
were Ephraimites? They were de-
tected by their pronunciation. Shib-
bolcth was a word that stood for river.
The Ephraimites had 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 sibbolcth, for
he could not frame to pronounce 1T
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
much intolerance abont that small
difference! The Lords tribes in our
time-by which | mean the different
denominations of Christians - some
times magnify very small difference,
and the only difference between scores
OF denominations to-day is the differ
epce 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 Armiuians, and the sabbath
rams, and the Blxterians, and the
Dunkers, and the Shakers, and the
Qualxers, and the Methodists, and tn e
Episcopaians, and the Lutherans, and
the Congregationalists, and the Presby-
terians, and the Spritualists, and a
score of other denominations of re-
ligionists, some of them founded by
very good men, some of them founded
by very cgotistic men, some of them
founded by very bad men. But as de-
mand for myself liberty Of conscience,
must give that same librty 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.
You know that the air and the water
keep pure by constant circulation, and
think there is tendency in religious
; discussion to publication and moral
health. Between the fourth and the
: sixteenth centuries the church pro
posed to make people think Alright By
prohibiting discussion. and by strong
censorship of the press, and rack, anc
gibbet, and hot lead down the throat
tried to make people orthodox: but il
, was discovered that you can not change
, mans belief by twisting off his head
nor make a man see differently by put
) ting an awl through his eyes. There
is something in mans conscienc,
| which will hurl off the mountain tha
) you throw upon it, and, unsingcd o
, the fire, out of the flame will make rec
+ wings on which the martyr will noun
to glory.
In that time OF which | speak, be
, tween the fourth and sixteenth centu
ries, people went from the house o
| God into the most appalling iniquity
a and right along by consecrated altar
! there were tides OF drunkenness an,
! licentiousness such as the world neve
heard OF, and the very sewers of perdi
tion brooke loose and flooded th
. church. After awhile the printing
press was freed, and it broke til
: shacltles of the human mind. The
there came large number Of ba
books, and where there was one ma
hostile to the Christian religion ther
were 20 men ready to advocate it; so
u have not any nervousness in regard Il
: this battle going on between truth an
i error. The truth will conquer just a
@ certainly as that God is stronger tha
4 the devil. Let error run if you onl
}. let truth run along with it. Urged o
C by skeptic's shout and transcendenta
= lists spur, let it run. Gods angels {
n wrath are in hot pursuit, and quicke
c than eagles beak clutches out hawk
heart. Gods vengeance will tear it
pieces.
propose to speak to you of sectar
d unism-its origin, its evils and i
n cures. There are those who woul
Il make us think that this monster, wit
e horns and hoofs, is religion. sha
e chase it to Its hiding place, and drag
r out of the caverns OF darkness, and ri
II off its hide. But | want TO make di
" tinction between bgotry and the lav
r ful fondncss for peculiar religious b
:. hcfs and forms of worship. have I
. admiration for nothingarian.
!, In the world of such tremendous v
Il cissitude and temptation, and with
;. soul that must after awhile stand b
, fore throne OF insuiferable brigh
;, ness, in q day when the rocking Of Il
:, mountains and the flaming of ii
= Heavens and the upheaval of the SCI
~ shall be among the least of the excit
V ments, to give account for ever
- thought, word, action, preference ar
y dislke-that man is mad who has !
u religious preference. But our ear
= education, our physical Temperament
u our mental constitution, will vel
;. much decide our form Of worship.
u "a style OF psalmody that may plea
j. me may displease you. Some wou
+ like to have minister in gown al