The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-08-20

the worst Of curses. .fct'q 9aSa9 %" i
He gives US rulers to protect US from the
lawless and wicked. We ought to Thank
him for them. We are bound to pray, for
them.
Sd. We ought to obey our rulers.
By this I mean that we ought to obey
them in those things which belong to civil
government. Civil government has no
right to interfere with conscience. But we
live under . government so mild and gentle
in its sway, that the right Of conscience il.
always respected. II meD set themselves
up to disobey their rulers what is the conse
quence "The Magistrate must not, bear
the sword iI vain" A conflict ensues,-
Confusion and riot will spread. What
tongue can tell the result in such Q case ?
Go view the. hundred Thousand graves
where sleep the young and brave of our
land go view the desolations in the track
of armies /; 60 listen to the groans that burst
from the stricken fathers heart and hear
the widow as she weeps and will not be
comforted listen to the cries Of the wound
ed and dying as they rise from, hundred
battlefields, and then attempt to tell the
consequences Of q refusal to obey the ruler
of your country. Men, animated by this
spirit Of disobedience have spread bloodshed
and confusion over the fairest land Of earth.
They have imperiled every interest of hu-
manity. They have disregarded the most
solemn oaths Of fidelity to their county
They have for brief period established q
despotic tyrrany over part Of our country
which finds parallel in the reign Of Me-
70, Herod. Bloody Mary" or Robes
pierre. The interests ST humanity, the in
terests of posterity, and above all the cause
of Christ demands that these men be fore
ed to obey the powers that be. Let no one
say that this mere politics. fit is, tits
the politics that Paul and Peter preached in
much stronger language.
The christian must denounce wickedness.
Beware my friends of those who stir up riot
and opposition to law in our country. /
have no objection to the largest liberty oi
speech and action consistent with submis-
sion to lawful authority. But it is . mis-
take to suppore that men have right Use
even their tongues as they please. You
have no right to slander your neighbor with
your tongue you have no right to bias.
pheme God with it, and no right to preach
treason with it.
The mob spirit of opposition to lawful au-
thority, recently manifested in some parts
Of the loyal States. renders these remarks
all the more pertinent. Now if christians
would preserve their religious as well as
civil liberties they must remember their du.
ties to their civil rulers. There is no ty-
rant so much to be dreaded as the mob II
is the most reckless. ungovernable, fend-
dish thing that ever drenched land in
blood care not what may be our opin-
ions of governmental measures. the very
least that can be demanded of US Is that we
we obey our laws This is the teaching
of Peter, of Paul and of Christ.
4th. We are bound to render an active
support to our rulers.
The command to give tribute to Caesar
implies this The denunciations which
Paul and Peter heap on the heads of the re.
bellous, proves that we should aid our ru-
lers, when they WELD the sword to subdue
them. There are times when do nothing
is crime. If an assassin aims dagger q,
the wife of your bosom, will you not at.
tempt to arrest the blow? Ifyou make no
effort to protect her, you share the guilt oi
her murder you are false to your marriage
vows. And when armed treason assaila
your country. and seeks to destroy the Low.
ed institutions Of your fathers, you are false
to your duty as citizen, you are unworthy
of your country il you do not support your
Government. Your name viii be reproach
to your children's children, if you take the
part Of treason in this day Of trial. lam
not ignorant Of the ingenious excuses for
refusing to support our government bnt
affirm without fear of successful contradio.
ton, that the Pharisees who opposed pay
ing tribute to Ceasar, could prodace far
stronger argument for their course, than
any man, or set of men can bring forward
for refusing support to our government now.
Nero may fiddle while Rome burns, but let
the sons of America be up and In earnest
when the flames Of civil war are raging.
But we are also told in this text to Rem.
der to God tho things that are Gods.
Here many things might be mentioned -
We will however confine our attention "a
one duty to God. select the duty appro.
pirate to the day on which we have met.
We ought to render thanks to God
for National msrciss. II is indeed
q day Of calamity, trouble. rebuke and bias
phemy but it is also day Of mercies.
1st Let us be thankful that we are moi
suffering under defeat. We still exist as
\ a.