THIS is what the Rev. T. De Witt Talmage says of his new church, as reported by the Christian Nation of October 30:—
“It will have a font for Baptists, Methodists will sing in it with a voice of thunder, there will be a cross over the pulpit, and a cross upon the very tower itself. There will be preached a religion as wide as heaven and as good as God. The only things saved from the wreck of our church are the silver communion chalices. It is an omen. We will be in communion henceforth with the whole universe. Our church can’t be sectarian. Somebody asked me the other day if, with a very large new church, I could fill it with my voice, and I said: My dear good soul, I have been wearing myself out for sixteen years in trying to hold my voice in. It is said that Satan burned our church. If so, he will find it the poorest job he ever did.”
We do not impugn the motives of Mr. Talmage, but a religion “as good as God” cannot be in communion with the universe. A religion which fellowships everything cannot fellowship God. Under the taking terms, Fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man, and kindred expressions, is cloaked every iniquity and heresy that ever disgraced the church. It is the duty of the church to labor, sacrifice, deny self, for all classes and peoples, but it is an affront to God to fellowship unholy error. There is, it is true, much bigotry in the world; there ought to be some loyalty to God.