Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1898-07-28
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
SECTARiANISM. THE SUBJECT.
LAST SUNDAY.
From Judges XII, @, as Follows: Say
Now shibboieth and He Said sibbo-
leth-Then They Took Him and Slew
Him at the Passages of the Jordan.


nunciation between shibboleth and sib-
boleth? A very small and unimport-
ant difference, you say. And yet, that
difference was the difference between
life and death for a great many peo-
pie. The Lords people, Gilead and
Epnraim, 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 Ephraimites? They were de-
tected by their pronunciation. ShibDo-
leth was word that stood for river.
The Ephraimites had a brogue OF their
own, and when they tried to say "shib-
boleth" always left out the sound of
the ''h." When 1t was asked that they
say shlbboleth 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 1t right. Then they took him
and slew him at the passages or 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 differ
ent denominations of Christians
sometimes magnify very small differ
ence, and the only difference between
scores Of denominations to-day is the
difference between shibboleth and sib-
boleth.
The Church of God is divided into a
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, and
the Lutherans, and the Congregational
lists, and the Presbyterians, and the
Spiritualists, and a score Of other de-
nominations of religionlsts, 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 lib
erty of conscience, / must give that
same liberty to every other man. re-
Numbering that he no more differs
from me than l differ from him. | ad-
vocate the largest liberty in all relig-
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 its
cures. There are those who would
make us think that this monster, with
horns and hoofs, is religion. / shall
chase it to its hiding-place, and drag 1t
out of the caverns of darkness, and
rip off its hide But / want to make
distinction between bigotry and the
lawful fondness for peculiar religious
beliefs and forms of worship. ! have
no admiration for a Nottingham.
In world Of such tremendous vi
cissitude and temptation, and with a
soul that must after awhile stand be-
fore a throne Of insufferable bright
ness, 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 excite
ments, to give account for every
thought word, action, preference, and
dislike-that man is mad who has no
religious preference. But our early
education, our physical temperament.
our mental constitution, will very much
decide our form Of worship.
A style of psalmody that may please
me may dsplease you. Some would
like to have a minister in gown and
bands and surplice, and others prefer
to have a minister in plain citizens
apparel. Some are most impressed
when a little child is presented at the
altar and sprinkled of the waters Of a
holy benediction Gin the name of the
Father, and OF the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost" and others are more i'm
pressed when the penitent comes up
out of the river, his garments dripping
with the waters of baptism which
signifies the washing away of sin. Let
either have his own way. One man
likes no noise in prayer, not a word
not whisper. Another man, just as
| BOOu, pItlciS ny ana eA-
clamation, to express his devotional
aspirations. One is just as good as
the other Every man fully persuad-
ed in his own mind"
George Whitefeld was going over a
Quaker rather roughly for some OF his
religious sentiments, and the Quaker
said: George, I am as thou art; am
for bringing all men to the hope OF
the Gospel; therefore, IL thou will not
quarrel with me about my broad brim,
will not quarrel with thee about thy
black gown. George, give me thy
hand"
In tracing out the religion of sectar-
ianism, or bigotry, / find that a great
deal OF II comes from wrong education
In the home circle There are parents
who do not think 1t wrong to caricature
and jeer the peculiar forms OF religion
In the world, and denounce other sec,s
and other denominations. II is very
often the case that that kind OF educa-
tion acts just opposite to what was
| expectpd and the children grou, an