Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1899-07-21
TALKS ON BIGOTRY.
Rev DR.. Talmage Discusses Del
icate Subject.
DeplOres Sectarlan Difference In the
Homc-CRutlOns Parents as to
Its EVIL Eject on the
Children.
copyright, 1899, by Louis Klopschl
Washington,

a topic which will interest domestic
circles everywhere. The text is Gene
sis xiii, s.: "Let there be no strife, |
pray thee, between me and thee, and
between my herdmen and thy herdmen.
Is not the whole land before thee?"
Uncle and nephew, Abram and Lot,
both pious, both millionaires, and with
such large focks of bleating sheep and
lowing cattle that their herdmen got
into a fight, perhaps about the best
pasture, or about the best water privi-
lege, or because the cow of one got
hooked by the horns of the other. Not
their poverty of opportunity, but their
wealth, was the cause of controversy
between these two men. To Abram, the
glorious old Mesopotamian sheik, such
controversy seemed absurd. 1t was
like two ships quarreling for sea room
In the middle of the Atlantic ocean.
There was vast reach of country, corn
fields, vineyards, harvests and plenty
Of room in illimitable acreage. "Now,"
said Abram, "let us agree to differ
Here are the mountain districts, swept
by the tonic of sea breeze and with
wide-reaching prospect, and there is
the plain of Jordan, with tropical lux
uriance. You may have either" Lot,
who was not as rich as Abram and
might have been expected to take the
second choice, made the first selection,
and with modesty that must have
made Abram smile, said to him:
you may have the rocks and the
fine prospect; | will take the valley
of the Jordan, with all its luXuriance of
cornfields, and>the river to water the
hocks, and the genial climate, and the
wealth immeasurable." So the con-
troyersy was forever settled, and great
souled Abram carried out the sugges-
ton of the text: "Let there be no
strife, | pray thee, between me and
thee, and between my herdmen and thy
herdmen. Is not the whole land be-
fore thee?"
Well, in this, the last decade of the
nineteenth century, and in this beauti-
full land, which was called America,
after Americus Vespucius, but should
have been called Columbia, after its
discoverer, Columbus, we have wealth
of religious privilege and opportunity
that positively bewildering-churches
of all sorts of creeds, and of all kinds of
government, and all forms of worship,
and all styles of architecture. What
opulence of ecclesiastical opportunity!
Now, while in desolate regions there
may be only one church, in the opulent
districts of this country there is such a
profusion that there ought to be no
difficulty in making a selection. No
fight about vestments, or between litur-
gical or nonliturgical adherents, or as
TO baptisimal modes, or handful of
water as compared with riverful If
Abram prefers to dwell on the heights,
where he can only get sprinkling
from the clouds, let him consent that
Lot have all the Jordan in which to
immerse himself. "Let there be no
strife, | pray thee, between me and
thee, and between my herdmen and thy
herdmen. Is not the whole land before
thee?"
Especially is it fortunate when
families allow angry discussion at the
breakfast or dinner or tea table as to
which is the best church or denomina-
ton, one at one end of the table saying
he could never endure the rigid doc
trines of Presbyterianism, one at the
other end responding that she never
could stand the forms of Episcopacy
and one at one side of the table saying
he did not understand how anybody
could bear the noise in the Methodist
church, and another declaring all the
Baptists bigots. There are hundreds
of families hopelessly split on ecclesi
asticism, and in the middle of every dis
cussion on such subjects there is q
kindling of indignation, and it needs
some old Father Abram to come and put
his foot on the loaded fuse before the
explosion takes place and say: "Let
there be no strife, pray thee, between
me and thee, and between my herdmer
and thy herdmen. Is not the whole
land before thee?'
l undertake subject never under
taken by any other pulpit, for it is al
exceedingly delicate subject, and if moi
rightly handled might give serious Of
fense, but l approach it without tn,
slightest trepidation, for | am sure
have the Divine direction in the mat
ters propose TO present. 1t is ire
mendous question. asked all ovel
Christendom, often asked with tearl
and sobs and heartbreaks and involv
ing the peace of families, the eterna
happiness of many souls. In matters
OF church attendance should the wifi,
go with the husband, or the HUSBAND
go with the wife?
First, remember that all the even
gelical churches have enough truth il
= them to save the soul and prepare us fo
happiness on earth and in Heaven.
= will go with you into any well-selectet
: theological library, and will show 70,
sermons from ministers in all demon
nations that set forth man as SHINE
and Christ as deliverer from sin ant
, sorrow. That is the whole Gospel. Ge
: that into your soul, and you are fitte,
for the here and the hereafter. Their
are differences, we admit, and some de
nominations we like better than Others
But suppose three or four of us max
solemn agreement to meet each on i'm
portant business, and one goes by tn
New York Central railroad, another b,
the Erie railroad, another by the Penn
sylvania railroad, another by the Bal
: timore & Ohio railroad. One goes thi
way because the mountains are grand
sr, another takes this betsuse the car