The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1898-08-20
AS TO SECTARIANISM.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Discusses It's
Origin, Evils and Benefits.
Bigotry the Child of Ignorance and Intol-
GRANGE and Hindranoe to the Tri-
umph OF the Gospel-Denom-
national Missions.

national Missions.
In the following sermon Rev. L. De-
Witt Talmage shows what sectarian-
ism really is, its origin, evil and cure
The text is:
Then said they unto him, Say now Shibbo-
leth, 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
Judges X, H., g.
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 Ephraimites coming there be slain.
But how could it be found out who
were Ephraimites? They were de-
tected by their pronunciation. Shib-
boleth was 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 sibboleth, 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 about that small
difference! The Lords tribes in our
time--by which l 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
ence between shibboleth and sibboleth.
The church Of God is divided into
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
Dunkers, and the Shakers, and the
Quakers, and the Methodists, and tn e
Episcopalians, and the Lutherans, and
the Congregationalists, and the Presby-
terians, and the Spiritualists, and
score of other denominations of re-
ligionists, 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 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
l 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, and
gibbet, and hot lead down the throat,
tried to make people orthodox: but it
was discovered that you can not 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 q mans conscience
which will hurl off the noun tain that
YOU throw upon it, and, unsinged OF
the fire, out of the fame will make red
wings on which the martyr will mount
TO glory.
In that time of which l 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 consecrated altar:
there were tides of drunkenness ant
RIGHTEOUSNESS such as the world never
heard of, and the very sewers perdi
ton brooke loose and flooded thu
church. After awhile the printing
press was freed, and it broke tn,
shacbles of the human mind. Thei
there came large number of bal
books. and where there was one NAL
hostile to the Christian religion Their
were 30 men ready to advocate it; so
have not any nervousness in regard t.
this battle going on between truth ant
error. The truth will conquer just n
certainly as that God is stronger thai
the devil. Let error run if you onl
let truth run along with it. Urged Of
by skeptics shout and transcendental
lists spur, let it run. Gods angels o
wrath are in hot pursuit, and quiclse
than eagles beak clutches out a hawk
heart. Gods vengeance will tear it t
pieces.
propose to speak to you of sectar
anism-its origin, its evils and it
cures. There are those who woul
make us think that this monster. wit
horns and hoofs, is religion. l shal
chase it to Its hiding place, and drag
out of the caverns of darkness, and ri
off it's hide. But ! want to make dis
tinction between bigotry and the law
full fondness for peculiar religious b'
liefs and forms of worship. have n
admiration for nothingarian.
In the world of such tremendous v
cissitude and temptation, and with
soul that must after awhile stand b
fore throne of insufferable brigh
ness, in day when the rocking of tn
mountains and. the flaming of til
Heavens and the upheaval of the sea
shall be among the least of the excit,