New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-11-29
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PEOPLE.

A SERMON BY THE REV. DR.. CBEtFER.
TExROmsns 1881 The powers that be ordained Of God
DR.. CHEEyER's object was 70 demonstrate The re.
sponsibilities resting on the people Of the United
States at the present tine for the righteous adminis
traiion Of the Government, as gift committed to
them of God, for Gods PURPOSES Of mercy 10 man
HID ani 4avre especially 70 show osroasbiiisy
in regard to the jus, and right Of the power
in sweeping away from existence the great cause Of
the rebellion, and Of all our crimes and miserIes-
Slavery. lie said that at this Anniversary OF public
and private gratitude 10 God for bis mereies, had
I'll our accustomed reasons, aud many more, for
thanksgiving and praise. And amid the convui-
sous and oalamiies Of Secession OlsunOD, treason,
and the vast crimes accompanying and following re-
belhOn on such scale although these things were
beyoud question tn judgments Of God against us
BECAUSE Of the sanction Of that very sin Of Slavery
which bad brought these evils upon us, yet viewed
in another hgnt, the war itself, though the worst OF
al wars OWL and fratriGdi1, WAS the greatest Of
ALI Gods merciee for orr Government, coontTy and
people. If we would but 90 receive and improve il.
This great opportunity is mercifuly granted Of God,
and Is in fact the opportunity OF national Iegenep-
ton and salvation, the opportunity OF refrigeration
according to the law OF righteousness, and not
merely Of reunion or reconstruction rs before, with
Slavery az a central element, which might God for
bid for separation tnd war were better than that
but the opportunity Of resurrection and traDsfgura-
ton into higher life and indestrucii)le unity, the
old cole Of disunicn, CINE, aud evil, being cast
out and the law Of sin and death conquered and
abolished 10 be replaced by the law Of freedom and
life the law Of the spirit Of life in Christ Jesus. II
wss an opportunity in which God offered us back
again our oTigiupl power as people over our own
Government, which bad been fast passing from our
hands, and The Government itself becoming an oil
gurchcal deepotism, which il would room have been
impossible 10 shake of. IL was an opportunity in
which God called upon the people 10 obey him as a
people and 10 act the sovereigns under bis rule
with the Government belonging to them for bin,
committed 10 them for BIN, and they themselves
responsible for its righteous administration.
lie should therefore apply the whole train Of in
straclon contained in the great passage in regard
the nature and purposes Of Gods ordinance Of hui
man government to our own form OF Government,
and the Kramer Of God institution of it for us aud
our respor sibiiies tor the keeping Of it, and espe
oially for its right administration in lime Of
like the present, the responsibility Of the Govern
men, 70 the people and 10 God, as Wei as Of the
people 10 the Government and to God. lie traced
IRON The passage the following truths: fret that
human government Is Of divine origin ard sanction,
second the good # mankind, their virtue and hap
pDesf the OBJECT for which il s ordained third, tie
ground and duty OF obedience-be is the minister Of
God 10 them fOT good-a religious duty toward God,
for justice, beDevOlenoe and usefulness, subsection
for conscience sake toward God; fourth, the duty
Of dsobedence, on the same grounds, il the powers
that he were turned against God, snd the grounds
Of such disObedieDce III q conscience toward God;
fifth, the rule Tor tho Cove nlnent as for indi-
vidnals, and the responsibility of the Government
TO the people and TO God, aud the restrictions
aud respOnsi ilitIes traced in the different
branches Of the Government, especially the Ju.
dicary. The question before us now, was this,
Whether tie Government bcnceforward should be-
long 10 the ople, for God, or to donineering oil
garchy, holding and ADJ III. tering its power for
Themselves, and maintaining that power by means OF
injustice and fraud upon the people. The question
in recaId 20 tLis war was not merely whether Ssy-
cry should be abolished, bat whether our own liber
Ties and true life as nation should be abolished or
sustained. If we would do justly by the slaves, and
give them their rghis, God would give us ours, but
not otherwise; for lis rule was, If ye have not
been faithful in that which il another man's who
shall give you that which il your ownl'