Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1899-06-17
Rev DR.. Taimage Discusses a Del
ieate Subject
fepicre- seefariss Difference In tA.
nonae-Cs"ttOn~ Parents ~ 80
IT. E~I t.r~ct on the
ChtIdrea-
ICopyrlght. 1883. by Louis Kiopsch1
xg..E....-.e.. -. e..


pray thee. between me and thee. and
Oetwee my herdmen and Thy herdmen.
Is not the whole land before theeg''
Uncle and nephew. Abram and Lot.
both pious. both millionaircs. and with
such large focks Of bleatiur sheep and
lowing cattle that their hcrGmen got
into fight. perhaps about the best
pasture. OF about the best water privi-
lCgc. 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 sheih. such
controversy seemed absurd. II was
Ike two ships quarrelug 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 ilhmitable acreage. Vow"
sSid Abram. "lct us agree TO differ.
Here are the mountain districts. swept
by the tonic OF sea breeze and with
widc-rcaching prospect, and there is
the plain OF Jordan. with tropical lux
uriauce. You may have either" Lot.
who was not as rich as Abram and
might have been expected 10 take the
second choice. made the first selection.
and with modestv that must have
made Abram smile. said 60 him.
You may have 'hc rocks and the
fine prospect; viii take the valley
OF The Jordan. with ull rs luxusiance OF
cornheids. and the river 90 water the
Hocks. aud the genial climate. and the
wealth immeasurablc." 50 the con-
troversy was forever settled. and great
souled Abram carrisd out the sueycs-
tion OF the text: let there bc no
strife, / pray thee. between me and
thee. and between my herduIen and thy
hercmeu. is not the whole land be-
fore theeP'
Well In this. the last decade OF the
nineteenth century. and IN this bcauti-
fnI land. which w1s called America.
after AnaricIs Ncspucius. but should
have been called Columbia. after its
discoNerer, Columbus. We have a wealth
of religious privilege and opportunity
that positively bewild ing-churches
OF AL sorts OF crccds. and OF ali kinds OF
government. and all forms of worship.
Ind all styles OF architecture. What
opulcucc OF ecclesiastical opportanitvi
Now. while in dcsoiate regions there
may be only one church. In the opulcnt
districts OF this country there il such
profusiou that there ought 20 be no
difficulty in making "a selection No
aght about vcstmcnfs. or between htur-
eical OF nonliturgical adlcrcuts. or as
10 baptisimal modes. or handful Of
water a. compared with "a riverful. II
Ahram prefers 10 dwell on the heights.
where he can only get sprinkling
from the clouds. let him consent that
Lot have all the Jordan in which 10
imrcrse himself. Let there be no
strife. l pray thee. between me and
ihee. and between my herdmen and thy
herdmen. Is not the whole land before
thee?"
Especially is IL fortunate when
families allow angry discussion at the
breakfast or dinner or tea table as 10
which is the best church or denomina-
ton. one at one end of the table saving
he could never endure the rigid doe
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 eceleSi-
astlcism. and in the middle OF every dis
cdssson on such subjects there is a.
kindling Of indignation. and IL needs
some old Father Abram 10 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 herdmen
and thy herdmen. Is not the whole
land before thee?"
l undertake g subject never under
taken by any other pulpit, for IL is an
exceedingly delicate subject, and IL not
rightly handled might give serious Of
fense. but 1 approach IL without the
slightest trepidation. for / am sure /
have the Divine direction in the mat
ters l propose 10 present. IL l. tre-
mendOus question. asked all over
Christendom, often asked with tears
and sobs aud heart breaks and involv-
ing the peace Of families. the eternal
happiness OF many souls. In matters
OF church attendance should the wife
go with the husband. OF the husband
go with the wife?
First. remember that all the even
geiical churches have enough truth in
them 10 save the soul and prepare us for
happiness on earth and in Heaven. /
will go with you into any well-selected
theological library. and viii show you
sermons from ministers Ia all denom-