Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-06-16

Sions Deplored.
copyright. Louis Klopsch. 1891
WASHINGTON, June lin this ser
mon DR.. Talmage discusses a topic
which will interest domestic circles
everywhere. The text is Genesis xiii, s.
'Let there be no strife, l 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 Let,
both pious. both millionaires, and with
such large hocks of bleating sheep and
| lowing cattle that their herdmen got
into fight, perhaps about the best pas
ture or about the best water privilege
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 Mesoposamian gheik, such contro-
versy seemed absurd. 1t was like two
ships quarreling for sea room in the
middle of the Atlantic ocean. There
was vast reach Of country, cornhelds,
vineyards, harvests and plenty of room
i'll illimitable acreage. 'Now, says
Abram, "let Us agree TO differ. Here
are the mountain 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 selec-
tion 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
cornfelds and the river to water the
fiocks and the genial climate and the
wealth immeasurable. So the contro-
versy. was forever settled and great
souled Abram carried out the sugges-
ton of the text: "Let there be no
strife, l pray thee, between me and
thee, and between my herdmen and thy
herdmen. Is not the whole land before
thee2"
Well, IN this the last decade of the
nineteenth century and in this beau
sifui 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 opportu nifty
that is 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
profusion that there ought to be no
difficulty in making selection. No
fight about vestments, or between litur
gical or nonliturgical adherents, or
as to baptismal modes, or handful of
water as compared with riverful. If
Abram prefers to dwell on the heights,
where he can get only sprinkling from
the clouds, let him consent that Lot
have all the Jordan in which to i'm
merse himself. "Let there be no strife,
I pray thee, between me and thee and
between my herdmen and thy herdmen
Is not the whole land before thee?''
Angry Discussion Deplored.
Especially is it unfortunate when
families allow angry discussion at the
breakfast or dining or tea table as to
which is the best church or denomina-
tion, 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,
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 ecclesiasti-
cism, and in the middle of every discus
sion on such subjects there is 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, l pray thee, between me and thee
and between my herdmen and thy herd
men. Is not the whole land before |
thee2'
| undertake subject never under
taken by any other pulpit for tits an
exceedingly delicate subject, and if |
not rightly handled might give serious
offense. but l approach it without the |
slightest trepidaticn. for l am sure l
have the divine direction in the mat |
ters l propose to present. 1t is tre
mendous question, asked all over Chris
tendon, often asked with tears and |
sobs and heart breaks and involving the |
peace of families, the eternal happi-
ness of many souls. In matters of |
rhurch attendance should the wife go
with the husband or the husband go
with the wife?
First, remember that all the evan
gelical churches have enough truth in
Them to save the soul and prepare us
Tor happiness on earth and in heaven
| will go with you into any well Sc
lected theological library, and l will.
show you sermons from ministers in all
denominations that set forth man as a
sinner and Christ as deliverer from
sin and sorrow That is the whole gos-
pei Get that into your soul and you
are fitted for the here and the here
after. There are differences, we admit,
and some denominations we like better
than others. But suppose three or four
Of us make solemn agreement to meet
each other week from now in Chicago
on important business, and one gees by