Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-07-29
FORMS OF WORSHIP.
EVILS OF SEcTARlANlSM DR.. TAL-
MAGe'S THEME.

Free Religious Discussion Has Tendency
TO Break Down Denominational Barriers.
The Man Who Can See Only One Side
VIII Always BE Bigot.
| Copyright, 1S9S. by American Press Asso-
ciatiOn.l
WASHINGTON, July 24-In his SER
mon today DR.. Talmage shows what
sectarianism really is, its origin, evils
and cure. The text was Judges xii, 8:
Then said they unto him, Say now
shibbolcth, and nc said sibboleth, for
he could not frame to pronounce it right.
Then they took him and slew him at the
passages Of Jordan. "
DO You notice tho difference.of pro-
nunciatiOn between shibboleth and sib-
boleth: a very small and unimportant
difference, you say. And yet that diff
ference was the difference between life
and death for great many people. The
Lords people, Gilead and Ephraim,
got into great fight, and Ephraim was
worsted and on the retreat 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 Ephraimities; They
were detected by their pronunciation.
Shibboleth was a word that stood for
river TheEphraimites had a brogue Of
their own, and when they tried to say
'shibboleth" always left out the sound
of the III. When it was asked that
they say shibboleth, they said sibboleth,
and were slain. "Thcn 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 Jor-
dan. " y very small difference, you say,
between Gilead and Ephraim, and yet
how much intolerance about that small
diiIerencel The Lords tribes in our
timo-by which mean the different
denominations Of Christians - some
times magnify a very small difference,
and the only difference between scores
OF denominations today is the difference
between shibbolcth 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 Sabbata-
rians, and the Baxterians, and the Dun
kers, and the Shakers, and the Quakers,
and the Methodists, and the Baptists,
and the Episcopalians, and the Luther
ans, and the Congregationalists and |
the Presbyterians, and the Spiritualists, !
and a score of other denominations of |
rcligionists some Of them founded by /
very good men. some of them founded |
by very cgOtistic men, some Of them /
founded by very bad men. But as l de-
mand for myself liberty Of conscience l
must give that same liberty to every |
other man, remembering that he no |
more differs from me than differ from |
him. l advocate the largest liberty i'll |
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.
Mans Conscience.
You know that the air and the wa
ter keep pure by constant circulation,
and | think there Is tendency i'll re-
ligious discussion to publication and
moral health. Between the fourth and
sixteenth centuries the church proposed
to make people think Alright by prohib.
iting discussion, and by strong censor
ship Of the press and rack and gibbet
and hot lead down the throat tried TO
make people orthodox. hut it was dis
covered that you cannot change mans
belief by twisting off his head, nor
make a man see differently by putting
an awl through his eyes. There is some
thing in a mans conscience which will
hurl off the mountain that you threw
upon it, and unsinged Of the fire out Of
the fame will make led wings on
which the martyr will mount to glory.
In that time Of which | speak, be-
tween the fourth and sixteenth centu-
rics, people went from the house of God
into the most appalling iniquity, and
right along by conseCrated affairs there
were tides of drunkenness and licen-
tiousness such as the world never heard
Of, and the very sewers of perditiOn
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 a large
number Of bad books, and where there
was one man hostile to the Christian
religion there were 20 men ready to ad-
vocate it,, 50 have not any nervousness
in regard to this battle going on be-
tween truth and error. The truth will
conquer Just as certainly as 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 trans I
spur, let it run. Gods
angels Of wrath are in hot pursuit, and
quicker than eagles beak clutches out
a hawks heart Gods vengeance will
tear it to pieces.
Cure For Sectarlanism.
1 propose to speak to you of sectarian-
ism-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 it out Of the
cayerns of darkness aud rip off its hide.
But | want to make distinction be-
tween bigotry and the lawful fondness
tor peculiar religious beliefs and forms
Of worship. have no admiration for a
In q world of such tremendous vicis-
situde and temptation and with a soul
that must after awhile stand before a
throne of insufferable brightness, in a
day when the rocking of the mourtains
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, prefer