The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1898-07-29
TALNIAGE'S SERMON.
SECTARiANISM, THE SUBJECT.
LAST SUNDAY.
From Judges XII, q, as Follows; Say
Now shibboIeth and He Said sibbo-
leth-Then They Took Him and Slew
Him at tho Passages of the Jordan.

difference was the difference between
life and death for a great many peo-
pie. 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 Ephraimites coming there be slain.
But how could it be found out who
were Ephraimites? They were de-
tected by their pronunciation. Shibbo-
leth was a word that stood for river
The Ephraimites had brogue OF their
own, and when they tried to say "shlD-
boleth" always left out the sound OF
the "h." When 1t was asked that they
say shibboleth they said sibboleth, and
were slain. "Then said they unto him,
say now shibboleth; and he said sibbo-
leth, for he could not frame to pro-
nounce 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 difference! The Lords tribes In
our timely which l mean the diner
emit denominations OF Christians
sometimes magnify a very small differ
ence, and the only difference between
scores of denominations to-day is the
difference between shibboleth and SID
boleth.
The Church of God is divided into
great number Of denominations. Time
would fail me to tell of the Calvanists'
and the Arminians, and the Sabbatar-
ians. and the Baxterians, and the
Dunkers. and the Shakers, and the
Quakers, and the Methodists, and the
Baptists, and the Episcopalians, ana
the Lutherans, and the Congregational
lists. and the Presbyterians, and the
spiritualists. and a score OF other de-
nominations 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 l demand for myself I'D
erty Of conscience, / must give tha'
same liberty to every other man, re-
Wondering that he no more differs
from me than differ from him. adj
vocate the largest liberty in all rellg'
ious belief and form OF worship. In
art. in politics, In morals, and In re-
ligion, let there be no gag-law. no NOV
ing OF the previous question. no perse
cution, no intolerance.
I propose to speak to you OF sec
= tarianism-its origin, its evils, and 1T
cures. There are those who woult
make us think that this monster, Will
horns and hoofs. is religion. / shall
chase Il to its hiding-place, and drag
ont of the caverns OF darkness, ant
rim off its hide. But l want to mako
distinction between bigotry and tn
; lawful fondness for peculiar religion
beliefs and forms of worship. / hav
@ no admiration for a Nottingham.
In a world of such tremendous vi
n cissitude and temptation, and with
= soul that must after awhile stand be
fore a throne of insufferable bright
ness. in a day when the rocking OF tn
mountains and the flaming OF tn
heavens and the upheaval OF the sea
shall be among the least OF the excite
ments, to give account for ever
thought, word, action, preference, an
dislike-that man is mad who has n
religious preference. But our earl
education, our physical Temperament
our mental constitution, will very niue
decide our form of worship.
A style of psalmody that may plea:
me may displease you. Some wou
like to have a minister in gown ar
nd nfh nrpf
to have a minister in plain citizen
apparel. Some are most impress'
when a little child is presented at Il
altar and sprinkled of the waters of
holy benediction Gin the name of Il
Father, and Of the Son, and Of Il
Hey Ghost" and others are more In
pressed when the penitent comes |
out of the river, his garments drippil
with the waters of a baptism whit
signifies the washing away of sin. l.
either have his own way. One m;
likes no noise in prayer, not a wor
not a whisper. Another man, just
good, prefers by gesticulation and e
clamation, to express his devotion
- aspirations. One is just as good
= the other. Every man fully persua
; ed in his own mind"
George Whitefield was going over
Quaker rather roughly for some of
religious sentiments, and the Quak
said George, am as thou art; ! 9
for bringing all men to the hope
the Gospel; therefore, IL thou will r
quarrel with me about my broad bri
, ; will not quarrel with thee about t
J black gown. George, give me
!, hand"
In tracing out the religion OF secti
} ianism, or bigotry, / find that a grt
deal OF 1t comes from wrong educati
S in the home circle. There are parei
e who do not think 1t wrong to caricatl
]. } and jeer the peculiar forms OF religi
i in the world, and denounce other sc
n and other denominations. 1t is VI
often the case that that kind OF edu
tlon acts just opposite to what '
R. expected, and the children grow
= and, after awhile, go and see for the
. selves; and, looking in those church