St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-08-27

tHey S0lO SlOOOletu, anu were STAIN.
''Then said they unto him, say now
shibboleth; and he said sibbolcth, for
he could not franc to pronounce it
right-~ Then they took him and slew
him ut the passages of Jordan" A
very small difference, yon say, between
Gilead and Ephraim, and yet how
much intolerance about that small
difference. The lords tribes in our
timely which 1 mean the different
denominations Of Christians - some
times magnify = very small difference,
and the only difference between scUes
OF denominations to-day is the differ
ence 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 Sabbath
rams, and the Baxterians, and the
Dunlers, and the Shakers, and the
Quakers, and the Mcthodists, and til e
Episcopalians, and the Lutherans, and
the Congregationalists, and the Presby-
terians, and the Spiritualists, and a
score of other denominations of re-
liEionists, some of them founded by
very good men, some of them founded
by very eeotistic men, some of them
founded by very bad men. But as de-
mand for myself liberty Of conscience,
/ must give that same Thirty 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 q 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, and
gibbet, and hot lead down the throat,
tried to make people orthodox: but it
was discovered that you can not change
y mans belief by twisting of his head.
nor make a man see differently by put
ting IN awl through his eyes. There
is something in = mans conscience
which will hurl off the noun tain that
you throw 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 1 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 consccrated affairs
there were tides Of drunkenness and
licentiousncss such rs the world never
heard of, and the very sewers OF perdi-
tion brooke loose and flooded the
church. After awhile the printing
press was freed, and it broke the
shacklcs 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
have not any nervousness in regard to
this battle going on between truth and
error. The truth will conquer Just as
certainly rs 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 transccndental-
lists spur, let it run. Gods angels OF
wrath are in hot pursuit, and quicker
than eagles bcak clutches out a hawks
heart. Gods vengeance will tear it to
pieces.
propose to speak to you OF seoAari-
anism-its origin, its evils and its
cures There a-e those who would
make ~ think that this monster, with
horns and hoofs, is religion. shall
chase it to ITS hiding place, and drag it
out Of the caverns Of darkness, and rip
on its hide. But want to make dis
tinction between bigotry and the law
full fondncss for peculiar religious be-
liefs and forms of worship. have no
admiration for nothingarian.
In the world OF such tremendous Vi
cissitude and temptation, and with a
fore throne OF insufferable bright
ness, in day when the rocking Of the
mountains and the flaming OF the
Heavens and the npheaval Of the seas
shall be among the least OF the excite
ments, to give account for every
thought, word, action, preference and
dislike-thnt 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 displease ron. Some would
like to have . minister in gown and
bands and surplice, and others prefer
to have minister in plain citizens
apparel. Some are most impressed
when little child is presented at the
altar aud sprinklcd OF the waters OF
holy bencdiction lin the name Of the
Father, and Of the Son and OF the Holy
Ghost, and others are more impressed
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. Ono man likes no
noise in prayer. not : word, not
whisper. Another man, just = good,
prefers BY gesticulation and exclama-
ton 10 express his devotional aspirar
tons One man is just Is good as the
other. Every man fully persuaded in
his own mind
George White6eld was going over =
Quaker rather roughly for some of his
religious sentiments, and the Quaker
said: George, an Is thou art; I am
for bringing all men to the hope Of the
Gospel; therefore. il thou wilt not
quarrel with me about my broad brim,
will not quarrel with thee about thy
black R0wn. George, give me thy
hand.
In tracing ont the religion Of sec-
tarianism, or bigotry, / Ind that .
GreeA dael Of II comes from wrong edu.
cation In tho home circle There arc
psssats who Do not think \ wrong =