Connecticut western news., 1898-07-28

says, "That field of clover is the sweet est" come in between them and say: "Stop this quarrel. If you like that field of clover best. go there; if you like this field of clover best, go there. but let me tell you that that. hive which gets the most honey is the best hivep' So come out between the churches of the Lord Jesus Christ. One denomina- tion of Christians says, "That field of Christian doctrine is best" and another says, 'This field of Christian doctrine Is the best !" We'll, say, Ego where you get the most honey" That is the best church which gets the most honey of Christian grace for the heart and the most honey of Christian usefulness for the life
 Besides that, if you want to build up any denomination, you will never build it up by trying to pull some other down. Intolerance never put anything down. How much has intolerance accom- plished, for instance, against the Meth odist church? For long years her minis try were forbidden the pulpits of Great Britain. Why was it that so many of them preached in the fields? Simply be- cause they could not get in the churches. And the name of the church was given In derision and as sarcasm. The critics of the church said, "They have no or der; they have no method in the wor- ship" and the critics, therefore, in irony, called them "Methodists
 Euttlitv of Intolerance.
 am told that in Astor library, New York, kept as ouriosities there are 707 books and pamphlets against Metho- dism. Did intolerance stop that church? No, it is either first or second amid the denominations of Christendcm, her mis- sionary stations in all parts of the world, her men not only important in religious trusts but important also in secular trusts Church marching on and the more intolerance against it the faster it marched.
 What did intolerance accomplish against the Baptist church? If laughing scorn and tirade could have destroyed the church, it would not have today disciple left. The Baptists were hurled out of Boston in olden times. Those who sympathized with them were im- prisoned, and when petition was offer ed asking leniency in their behalf all the men who signed it were indicted. Has intolerance stopped the Baptist church? The last statistics in regard to It showed A, 900 churches and 4, 4,000,- 900 communicants. Intolerance never put down anything.
 In England law was made against the Jew. England thrust back the Jew and thrust down the Jew and declared that no Jew should hold official posi- tion. What came of it? Were the Jews destroyed? Was their religion over bhrown2- No. Who became prime min ister of England? Who was next to the throne? Who was higher than the throne because he was counselor and adviser? Disraeli, a Jew. What were we celebrating in all our churches as we'll as synagogues only few years ago? The one hundredth birthday of Montefiore, the great Jewish philan- thropist. Intolerance never yet put down anything.
 
 you the origin of bigotry or seotarian- ism and having shown you the damage it does, l want briefly to show you how we are to war against this terrible evil, and l think we ought to begin our war by realizing our own weakness and our imperfections. If we make so many mistakes in the common affairs of life, is it not possible that we may make mistakes in regard to our religious affairs? Shall we take a man by the throat or by the collar because he can- not see religious truths just as we doa In the light of eternity it will be found out, I think, there was something wrong in all our creeds, and something right In all our breeds, but since we may make mistakes in regard to things of the world do not let us be so egotis- tic and so puffed up as to have an idea that we cannot make any mistake in re- gard to religious theories And then think we will do great deal to over throw the sectarianism from our heart, and the sectarianism from the world, by chiefly enlarging in those things in which we agree rather than those on which we differ.
 Move Into Line.
 Now, here Is greater gospel plat form. A man comes up on this side of the platform and says, 1T don't believe in baby sprinkling." Shall shove him off? Here is man coming up on this side of the platform, and he says, II don't believe in the perseverance of the saints" Shall I shove him off No. I will say: "Do you believe in the Lord Jesus as your Saviour? Do you trust him for time and for eternity?" He says, Yes" Do you take Christ for time and for eternity2'' Yes" I say, "Come on. brother; one in time and one in eternity brother now, brother forever" Blessed be God for gospel platform so large that all who receive Christ may stand on 1t
 1 think we may overthrow the severe sectarianism and bigotry in our hearts and in the church also by realizing that all the denominations of Christians have yielded noble institutions and noble men. There is nothing that so stirs my soul as this thought. One denomination yielded Robert Hall and an Adoniram Judson; another yielded Latimer and Melville; another yielded John Wes- ley and the blessed Summerield. while our own denomination yielded John Knox and the Alexanders-men of whom the world was not worthy Now, say, if we are honest and fair minded men, when we come up in the presence of such churches and such denomina- tions. although they may be different