The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-07-29

~e~ W VIE 1OTuS OF Lne
hH'' TALhAeE' River Jordan to
cross Order was given that all
Ephraimites coming there be slain.
Bnt how could 1t be found out who
were EphraimitesP They were de-
tected by their pronunciation. Shib-
boleth was a word that stood for river
The Epraimites had a brogue Of their
own, and when they tried to say "shib-
boleth" always left out the sound of
the ST." 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 much intolerance about that
small differencel The Lords tribes in
our timely which mean the differ
ont denominations of Christians
sometimes magnify a very small diff
ference, and the only difference be-
tween scores of denominations to-day
Is the difference between shibb oleth
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 Saba
tarians, and the Baxterians, and the
Dunkers, and the Shakers, and the
Quakers, and the Me hodists, and the
Baptists, and the Episcopalians, and
the Lutherans, and the Congregation
alists, 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 demand for myself
liberty of conscience, must give that
same liberty to every other man, re-
Numbering that he no more differs
from me than i differ from him. / adj
vocate the largest liberty in all re-
hgious belief and form Of worship. In
art. in politics, in morals and in re-
ligion, let there be no gag law, no
moving of the previous question, no
intolerance.
You know that the air and the water
keep pure by constant circulation, and
i think there is tendency in religious
discussion 10 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 and
gibbet, and hot lead down the throat,
tried to make people orthodox; but it
was discovered that you cannot change
mans belief by twisting off his head,
nor make man see differently by put
ting an awl through his eyes. There
is something in mans conscience
which will hurl off the mountain that
you threw upon it, and. unsinged of
the fire. out of the Game will make
red wings on which the martyr will
mount to glory.
In that time of which speak, be-
tween the fourth and sixteenth CEN
turies, people went from the house of
God into the most appalling iniquity,
and right along by consecrated affairs
there were tides of drunkenness and
RIGHTEOUSNESS such as the world never
heard of, and the very sewers of perdi-
ton 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 large
number of bad books, and where there
was one man hostile to the Christian
religion there were 20 men ready to
advocate it; so l have not any nervous
ness 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 will only let truth
run along with it. Urged on by skep-
tics shout and transcendeut alist's
spur, let it run. Gods angels of wrath
are in hot pursuit, and quicker than
eagles beak clutches out hawks
heart, Gods vengeance will tear IL TO
pieces.
lpropose to speak to you of sectarian-
ism-its origin, its evils, and its curses.
There are those who would make us
think that this monster, with horns
and hoofs is religion, Ishall chase it
TO its hiding place, apd drag it out of
the caverns of darkness, and rip off its
hide. But want to make distinc-
ton between bigotry and the lawful
fondness for peculiar religious beliefs
and forms of worship. | have no adj
miration for nothingarian. In
a world of such tremendous vicissi-
tude and temptation, and with soul
that must after awhile stand before
throne of insufferable brightness, in
day when the rocking of the noun
tains and the flaming of the heavens
and the upheaval of the seas shall be
among the least of the excitements. TO
give account for every thought, word,
action, preferences and dislike.-that