The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-11-29
Thanksgiving Sermon.

he Congregational and Methodist
societies met in the Congregational
church on Thanksgiving day, and lis
tened, with marked attention, to q very
learned and impressive discourse by
Kew. Mr.. Bailey of the Methodist
Church.
His subject was, Government its
Nature, Necessity, Duty and Design. -
Text, Rom, 1871, For there is no pow
er but Of GOD: the powers that be are
ordained of God
]. In defining Government, lac char
acteriZed ii as the capitalization of le-
gal rectitude, the visible throne and
manifestation ofauthority = theap-
plication ofthe principles of Justice 4. >.
1t Il that divinely compounded fixity of
form and ordinance, of constitution and
written and applied statute of which
natural right is the volatile essence y
1t combines both the elements of the
Ruler and of the servant. Its like the
atmosphere-of universal diffusion and
yet of individual and personal and i'm
partial application and use.
.. As to its Necessity that arises
out Of the differences and inequalities,
which exists between different classes
and orders of society. From these inc
qualities arises the manifold antago-
nisms OF life. pom persons of low en-
dowments and of brutal passions there
must be imposed restraint, while the
weak and defenceless are to be protec-
ted. such motives must be addressed
to all these classes as will prove effect
ual. II men were SO pure and so highly
cultivated rs to be law unto themselv-
eS,government were unnecessary but
that is far from being the case. hence
II must be enforced upon such
3. The Duty and Design of Govern
inent IS, ITO secure TO each and all of its
subjects the true exercise of the largest
liberty to tighten life's burdens, to
free from letters the aspirations o f the
human soul to protect all in what they
naturally POSSESS. 1t is not to invest
capital with monopoly nor to fix by
law the rates of wages and work; nor
give Its sanction to oppressive combi-
nations. From no man takes any right
upon no man confers any. at simply
is to keep the natural channels unOb-
structed not to devise new ones. nor
enlarge, nor diminish those in exis-
tence. 1t is to honor the rights of man.
as man. 1t Is not to make men, but to
take them and defend as such. Law and
humanity should be the same i'm its es-
timation. A just government then
will be found merely responsive to the
demands of humanity, and its laws are
exact photograph of the image of hui
man character. The human constitu-
ton and the law it enfolds, is the frame
work to which the fabric of govern
ment is attached and on which build
ed. II written constitutions are true to
man as such, they are well if not, they
are worse than any. But if they are,
you must keep them so these are the
two conditions which justify such a
constitution.
The preacher then deduced certain
lessons from the foregoing.
And, First. That legislatures should
lie well Informed with respect to the
rights of man. as such.
Second, That they should possess
and cultivate Il profound reverence and
affection for mankind, and should,ever
be governed by the golden rule
Therefore all things, whatsoever We
would that men should do TO you, do
ye even so to them"
Third, These two points best serve to
show how far and In what way we have
departed from the true object and de-
sign OF government They show us the
cause and occasion OF our great national
crimes committed towards the African
and Indian, and which we are some
what In danger of toward the Chinese.
Two things are indispensable to all
right Observation-Disclosures love to
God and equal love to man.
Fourth, We separate politics from
Christianity at our own peril. Those
whom we elect as our Representatives
and rulers in all grades of office, should
have deep and abiding reverence for
the Creator and the created and when
ever this IL ignored in our elections, we
give another turn to the instrument by
which we seuttle the ship. In all hu-
man administration we are to initiate
the divine, and in order to do this, our
administrators must be embued and
governed by the divine virtues Chris
tianity is calculated and designed to
confer and implant. Thus iaith-a
practical living faith In God must be
had and cherished. Such faith rem
ders man humane, and leads to respect
for and Difference to human rights for.
ION piety humanity is built" The pu-
ritanic idea, which Is the correct one.
10 embodied In the school and meeting
house. We need intellection and de.
votion. There should be devotion In
the school and instruction at the meet
Ing; but, especially, nowadays the