'
Of Christian morals her enemies have not complained: but that these
morals have been postponed, neglected, forgotten, in the disputes
over abstruse doctrines, over ceremonies, and over no-ceremonies;
that men who were all fully agreed in their definition of goodness,
and what a good man should be and do, have denounced each other
concerning matters which had no influence whatsoever to practical
morality, till the ungodly cried, 'See how these Christians hate one
another! See how they waste their time in disputing concerning the
accidents of the bread of life, forgetful that thousands were
perishing round them for want of any bread of life at all!'
My friends, these things are true; and have been true for centuries.
Let us not try to forget them by denouncing them as the utterances of
the malevolent and the unbelieving. Let us rather imitate the wise
man who said, that he was always grateful to his critics, for,
however unjust their attacks, they were certain to attack, and
therefore to show him, his weakest points. And here is our weakest
point; namely, in our unhappy divisions--which are the fruits of
self-will and self-conceit, and of the vain attempt to do that which
God incarnate has told us we cannot do--to part the wheat from the
tares.
We cannot part them.
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