The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-06-28


startling ouestiors: "What knowest thou,
o wife, whether thou shalt save thy hus.
band? Or how knowest thou, o man,
whether thou shalt save thy wife?" The
dearest sacrifice on the part G. the one Is
cheap IL 1t rescue tke other. Better 80 to
the smallest. weakest, most Insignificant
church on earth and be copartners In
eternal bliss than pass your earthly mem
bersnIp in most gorSeously attractive
church while your companion stays out
side OF evangelical privilege. Better
have the drowning saved by a SEQ" I,;,s or
sloor than let him or her 60 down Whlle
you sail BY in the Gllded cabins OF Ma
jestic or Campania..
Second remark: IL both of the married
uples be Christians, but one Is so natur'
ally constructed that 1t Is Impossible tc
enjoy the services o. a particular denom-
ination, and the other Is not so sectarlan
or punctilious, let the one less particular
so with the other who Is very particular
As for myself, fee! as much at nome IN
one denomination OF evangelical Christians
as another, and I think must have been
born very near the line. like the solemn
roll OF the Episcopal liturgy, and like tha
spontaneity OF the Methodists and like
the i'm portance given to the ordinance OF
baptism by the Baptlsts and like the free
dom OF the Congregatlonaltsts and l ike
the government and the sublime doctrine
OF the Presbyterians and like many OF the
others Just as muchfas any nave men
toned and I could happily live and preacn
and die and be buried from any OF tnem
But others are born with d liking so stout.
80 unbeading, so inexorabe for some de.
nomination tnat 1t is q positive necessity
they have the advantage OF that one. Wha'
thew we're intended to be In ecclesiasttclsm
was written In the sides OF their cradle, II
the father and mother had eyes keen
enough to see 1t. They would not stop
CRYING until they had putin their hands as
q plaything a Westminster Catechlsm Oh
the 1hirty-nine Articles. The whole cur.
rent OF their temperament and thought
and character runs into one sect OF reliS
ionists as naturally as the james hlperlntc
the chesapeake. 1. would bs torture ia
such persons to be anywhere OUTSIDE OF
that one church.
Now. let the wife or husband who is not
90 constructed sacrifice the milder prefer.
snce for the one more inhe1ibte and rlgor.
ous. Let the grapevine follow the rugos-
tiles and sinuosities of the cak or hickory.
Abram, the richer in aocks OF Christian
grace, should say to Lot, who Is built on q
smaller scale: Let there be no strife, l
pray thee, between me and thee aud be.
tween my herdmen and thy herdmen. Is
can be edited and happy anywhere, 90
with your companion to the church to
which he or@he must go or be mjsetabia.
Remurd the third: II both the married
couple are very strong in their sectarlun-
ism. let them attend the different churches
preferred. It is not necessary that you
attend the same church. Religion Is be-
tween your conscience and your God.
Like Abram and Lot, agree to diff
Col bhoth
come out OF your home together and one
goes one way and the other the
other, heartily wish each other good
sermon and time Of profitable devotion,
and when you meet again at the MONDAY
repast let 1t be evident, each to each, and
to your children, and to the hired help,
that YOU have both been on the Mount OF
TRANSPORTATION, although you went up by
different paths, ana that you have Dota
been fed by the bread OF life, though
kneaded by different hands In different
trays and baked In difere1t ovens. but
how about the chlidren2" l am often
asked by scores OF parents. Let them also
make their own cAolee, They Will grow
up with reverence tor both the denomina.
tions represented by father and mother II
you, by holy lives, commend those de-
nominations. II the father Lives the bet
ter life, they will have the more favorable
opinion OF his denomination. II the
mother lives the better LIE, tEey will have
the more favorable opinion OF her demon.
inatlon. And some day both the parents
will, for at least one service, 80 to the
same church. The nelghbors will say, i
wonder what Is going on to-day, Tor saw
our peighbor and bis wife, who always go
to different churches, going arm IN arm to
the same sanctuary" :
Well, will tell you what has brought
them together, arm ip arm, to the same
altar, Something very important has hap
pened. Their son ID to-day uniting with
the church. He is standing in the aisle,
taking the vows OF u Christian. He had
been Somewhat wayward, and gave father
and mother O good deal OF anxiety, but
their prayers have been answered In his
conversion, and as he stands In the aisle
and the minister OF religion says, "Do you
consecrate yourself to the God who mads
aud redeemed you and do you promise to
serve Him all your days?" and with manly
voice he answers, II do" there is IN April
shower In the pew where father and
mother sit and rainbow OF Joy which
nrches both their souls, that makes all dill
ferences OF creed inanitesimal. And the
daughter who had been very worldly and
guy and thoughtless, puts her life on the
altar of conservation, and rs the sunlight
of that Sabbath streams through the
church window and fails upon her brow
and cheek, she looks like their other dGugh-
tor, whose face was tlluminsd with the
brightness OF another world on the day
when the Lord took her into His heavenly
keeping years ago.
I should not wonder, II, after all, these
parents pass the evening OF their lille In
tt @ sume church, oil differences OF church
preference overcome by the Joy OF Deing
In the house Of God where their children
,rs prepared for usefulness aud heaven.
Bit I can give you recipe for running
ycur children. Angrily contend In the
household that your church Is right and
the church OF your companion Is wrong.
Bring sneer and carlcature to emphasize
your opinions, and your children will
make u p their minds TINT religion Is sham,
and they will have none Of 1t. In the
northeast storm Of domestic controversy
the rose OF Sharon and rhe lily OF the valley
will not grow. Fight about apostolic
succession, fight about election and free
agency, fight about baptism. fight about
the bishoprlc, fight about gown and sur
plice, and the religious prospects OF your
children will be left dead on the field. YOU
will be as unfortunate rs Charles, Duke OF
Burgundy, who in battle lost diamond
the value Of Il kingdom, for in your fight
you will lose the jewel OF salvation for your
entire ho lsehold. This Is nothing against
the advocacy Of your own religious theo.
rtes. Use all forcibls argument, bring all
telling illustration, array all denonstratlVs
facts, but let here be no acerbity, no sting
ing retort, no mean insinuatton, no super
ciliousness, as though all others were
wrong and you iniallibly right.