The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-06-10

popular sense, and when speak of "prieetboodn
| ute IL eimply because do not believe that In
the whole Christian Church there is such
thing as q "Priest.n priest presupposes the
Offering and the sacrifice; and since Jesus
Christ gave himself up a willing and living
tRcri6Ce and became the High Priest all priestly
Office has ceased. priest Is one that offers
sacrifice. Jesus Christ has offered, and by that
one Offering has perfected forever this great
business. So that in reality / do not
rC coguize such thing as a priest on the face
OF the earth in connection with the Christian
religion. There is no such thing, and chal-
rom this @ Bbie that there is sny % such u thnS D
the Christian Church as priest. They cannot
be unless they offer sacrifice. If you have a
wicked priesthood, or a wicked ministry, they
will make bad and wicked people. IT the
ministers of this country become iceutious and
dssipated, and go over to vice, the influence
upon the people would be most powerful. Bad
and wicked people will make bad and wicked
rulers, so that we are otentmes in a very un-
happy condition.
LAWS MUST BE RBLIGIoUsLY oBEYED.
The Apostle says;-"Whosoeve therefore re-
sisteth the power resisteih the ordinance of
God.n They rise up against the Government.
The very first thing that God did was to lay
down rules and regulations for the government
of Adam, just as this material world is governed
by great principles and laws, and they are most
important. God has established principles of
government l do not say that all the Govern
ments OF the world are in accordance with the
appointments of God, but if you, as Christian
In the dominions of the world, you ere to respect
the civil authority. You are not to resist them,
and "they that resist them shall receive to
themselves damnation." You must treat the
rulels with respect in so far as they live up to
the rules that govern them and the oaths they
have taken, which they are bound to respect.
OUR PEOPLE DEPRAvED BY BAD RULERS.
Thirty or forty years ego, my brethren, then
much younger man than am now, saw and
believed th at which have lived to see fulfilled,
that the vicious abuse of official men was de-
praving the American people. Then the very
pulpit itself spoke out in language that ought
never to have been brought into it, and helped
to lead the people to be abusive of rulers. And
what has been the consequence? Why now it
is almost as much a. mans character Is worth
to become an official man, and that is one rea-
son why you have so many bad men in official
positions. man of refined feeling is not will
ing to have himself torn to fragments by vicious
and bad men. The Apostle says, "Rulers ought
to be q terror to ev-doers, and an encourage
ment to the good" Rulers are not to be a terror
to good works or good deeds, but they are to
evil. The statement is most clearly what, in
reality, should be the character of rulers.
THE MAGISTRATE MUST BE JUST AND FEAR GOD.
God has not left us in the dark on this subject.
If we would only consult Jehovah, we would
find ourselves always supplied with information.
II you turn to the 23d chapter of the second
book of Samuel, you will find one of the richest
and most beautiful passages in the Bible:-
Now these be the last words of David. David
the son OF Jesse said, and the man l0bo t1ds
raised up on high, the anointed of the God of
Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel said,
The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his
word lCdS in my tongue. The God of Israel
said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that
ruleth over men must be just, ruling In the
fear of God.'
Now, from the Gar of Russia to the much
more exalted position of President of this
nation, there should be just such men, and the
object of the law of the civilized world should
be to put men of the most unblemished charac-
these nQsit1ODS lnauUurate
tain the uprghtness of the people.
Every ruler i'm the fear of God shall be as
the light of the morning. Now listen to this
when the sun riseth, even morning without
clouds as the tender grass springeth out of the
earth by clear shining after rain. Although
my house be not so with God, yet He hath made
with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all
things, and sure for this is all my salv alton
and all my desire, although He make it not to
grow" Here, then, you have the statemen
from God as to the character OF these men.
ARE OUR RULERS RELIGIOUS?
Is this the character of our rulers? say is
this 3? and when speak mean all in authority,
high and low, in everygrelatlon OF life; II they
are connected with us they are identified with
the intelligence, with the comfort. with the
peace with the morals, with the present and the
future OF the nation. Have we such men
Arc they the men? Do thieves, and burglars,
and incendaries, and murderers stand in dread
| of the authorities? When the official man is
| seen in the street, does he make the bad man
! quail or does he feel perfectly comfora ole, and
| with a slight whisper can he calm all that OFF,
| cial tempest and go on his way rejoicing?
THE EASTERN MAGISTRATES.
All, brethren, whispering is the trouble. This
| is one of the reasons why iniquity is flooding
this land to-day. / remember mentioning from
this pulpit year ago statement made 10 me
BY the Rev. Walter Cotton, Chaplain in the
| Navy, and for many years editor of the NOrU
American and United STATES Gazette paper o.
this city. He told me, brethren, that in the
city OF Constantinople you might set washtut
full of dollars at your door, and let it stay there
until the morning, and there was not Turk
that would take asiXpence-or leave your dry
goods outside of your door, leave anything out
true The Koran is not better religion thar
the religion OF the Bible.n He replied, "Not a
all, sir; not at all.n "Well, how is it?i ''Why'
said he, "siT, a Turk knows, just as well as hC
knows that he has head upon his shoulders
that if he taxes that which does not belong t
him, or il he violates the Law OF the munici
pality, he is as certain as there is a sun in th
heavens above him of being caught and pun
ished." 1t is the certainty of punishment IL 4
the certainty of the fuldlmenJ OF the law that il
the reason.
JUSTICE IN CoNsTANTIEoPLE.
At that very time and in that very converse
tion he mentioned q case to me of French
lawyer that had just settled in ConstantinOple
who came into court one morning to defend 8
client who had been arrested for a violation o.
the law; and he arose to speak. The Judge OF
the bench, and the court, perfectly satisfied
that the man was guilty, sand to the gentleman
OF the bar "Wait until we have decided the case
and we will hear what you have to say In thu
natter He took his seat and as soon as the
facts were stated and the man condemned anC
ordered away tor punishment, he said to him
Now, SIT, we are ready to hear you" Tier
was no playing upon the judges and rhe Jury
for that is the secret of 1t. Let every man II
lnls community feel let every man In thi