The Burke County news. [volume] (Morganton, N.C.) 1899-1901, 1899-06-30
Copyright. Louis KloEsch. lssa

ltI'St COiiIfStiC S'Cis HICIt- 1i.C
text is Genesis xiii. s: Let there be 10
strife, | pray thee, be tween Ele ald thee
and between my herdmen and thy herdmen.
Is not the whole land before thee?"
Uncle and nephew. Abram IN Lot, bot,
pious, both miliionaircs, and with such
large locks Of beating sheep and lowing
cattle that their herdmen got into a SIGHT.
perhaps about the best pasture o. abou,
the best water privilege or because the COW
OF one got hooked by the horns OF the
others. Not their poverty of opportunity.
but their wealth. was the cause Of con-
troversy between these two men. To
Abram, the glorious Old MesopotamiaA
sh-ik, such controversy seemed absurd. II
was like two ships quarrelinS for sea roon
in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. There
was Il vast reach OF country, cornteids.
vineyards, baryests and plenty OF room Ia
illimitab!e acreage. "Now,' SAYS Abram,
Set Us agree to differ. Here are the noun
tain districts, swept by the tonic sea breeze
and with wide reaching prospect, and there
is the plain OF the Jordan, with tropical
luxuriance. 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 a
modesty that must have made Abram smile
said to him:
You may have the rocks and the fine
prospect; l will take the valley OF the
- ~ Iii lS lUAO1luuC0 VI COIU
fields and the river to water the focks anI
the genial climate aud the wealth i'm
measurable" SO the controversy was
forever settled and erent-souled Abram
carried out the suggestion OF the tex.
Let there be 10 strife, I pray thee. DO.
tween ne ard thee, ald between my herd
men and t'.y Lerdmen. Is not the whole
land before thee?"
Well, in this the last decade ii the nine
teenth century and in this beautiful land,
which was called America, after Americu-
~Nespucius, but should have been called
Columbia, after its discOverer, Columbus
we have 4 wealth Of religious privilege ana
opportunity that is positively bcwilderinc.
Churches Of all sorts Of creeis and Of q,
kinds Of government and all forms Of
worship aud all styles of architecture-
what opuience OF ecclesiastical oppor.
tunity! Now. while in dcsolato regions
there may be only cue church, in the
opuleEt districts OF this country there is
such 9 p:ofusior that there ought to he no
difficulty in making n selection. No fight
about vestmcnts, or between litnrg:ca! OF
nonlitUrgica! adherents. or as to baptisnal
modes, Or n handfu OF water as compared
with q riverful. IfAbram prefers to dwe,i
on tho heights. where he can get only a
sp%rinkliEg from the clouds, let him consen,
that Lot nave all the Jordan in which to
immerse himself. Let there be 20 strife,
I pray thee. between me and thee. and be,
tween my herdsmen and thy herdamen. I:
not the whole land before thee2"
Especially is 1t unfortunate when fami-
lies allow angry discussion at the break.
fast or dining or tea table rs to which Is
the best church or denomination, one a,
one end OF tue table saying he could neve,
endure the rigid doctrines OF Presbyteri
anism, ono mt tho other end responding
that she never could stand the forms O
Episcopacy, and ono at one side OF thu
table saying he did not understand how
anybody could bear the noise in the Metho
dist church, aud another declaring all thu
BaptistS big0tS. There arc ndre 0
families hopelessly split On ecciesiasticism
and in the middle OF every discussion OF
such subjects there is q kindling Of indiy
nation, and it needs some old father AbraH
to come and put his foot on the loaded fus
before the explosion takes place md say
LET there be no strife, I pray thee, bs
tween me aud thee and between my herd
men and thy hcrdmen. Is not the Who'll
l0nd before theef"
undertake q subject never undertake.
by any other pulpit. for it is an exc-ed
tngly delicate subject, and II not right
handled might give serious oTense. but
approach It without the slightest. trerila
tion, for I am SURF l have the divine difee
ton In the matters I propose to present
It Is u tremendous question. asked all owe
Christendom. often asked With tears AN
eob3 aud heart br61ks n involving tn
peace OF families. the eternal happiness G
many souls. In matters OF church attend
ance should the vile go With the hus5au
OR the husband so with tho wife?
First. remember that nil the evange!ic;
churches have enough truth in them
save the soul aud prepare US Tor happine
on earth and in heaven. will &c with 20
into any we'll selected theological librar
and l will show you serm ons from mini
tiers in al, denominations that set forth ,na
Hs a sinner and Christ rs q deiiyerer 70
sin and sor.ow. That is tue whole Go>pe
Get that into your sou. ana YOU are !tt-
for Tue here and tho hereafter. Tacro a
differences, We admit. and some demo n