The Portland daily press., 1873-11-29

power grayitates toward iniquity, politi-
cal class working to thwart the righteous
impulses of the people, vast corporations
attacking the virtue of our public men with
formidable power. -
These evn forces will if unresisted. con-
troll the nation and make iniquity its ruling
principle, and so cause its death. What
can prevent this? Nothing but the power
| OF true citizenship. There must be
| enough citizenship which works for righte-
BUSINESS to overcome these evil tendencies
and make righteousness the ruling principle
of the nation, or the nation will die.
What are the elements of such a citizen
ship? ~ |&nT fst
l. 1t is founded on character. A righte-
GUS citizen must be a man of positive and
energetic moral character.
2. 1t makes the moral face of the charac-
ter convey itself into political action. The
| true citizen is not only a man of righteous
character but a man who makes his rlghte-
BUSINESS power in the State. How? By
following these principles.
l. That of personal responsibility for
civic action. If j by my ballot help
wicked man to office, or aid the passage of
| an unrighteous measure, my character has
received a stain.
2. That of the paramount claim of the
moral law in all national action. 1t is
| wicked for a nation as well as for an
individual to do evil that good may come.
This involves superiority to party. Aparty
| is a vehicle which a true citizen lets carry
him as far as his convictions will let him
| go, and no farther. 81
Such a citizenship an imperilled nation is
| calling upon us to render to-day. AS we
| love our country, as we love liberty, as we
| love God let us consecrate our lives to this
| source.
FIRST PARISH.
Rev. DR.. Hill took as the theme of his
Thanksgiving discourse, the "Infuence of
Christianity on Social Life" I'D Ell
He began by speaking of the comfort which
the Christian received from leaning upon
Christ; finding in His personal relations of
friendship toward John. and Peter, and Mar
| tina and Mary and Lazarus, a solace and
strength when assaied by doubts concerning
the Infnity of God, and His ability to attend
to individual wants. From this he passed to a
sketch of Bethany, and the scenery found on
the walk thither, and the probable reasons
why our Lord chose to walk out two miles at
evening to spsud the nights there. Among
those reasons was his attachment to Lazarus
and his sisters. This gives an explicit sane
tion to friendship and the duties of hospitality;
and to the use which New England people
make of their Feast of Tabernacles, in social
intercourse, and the renewal and strengthen
ing of family ties.
The family relation was, in the preachers
Judgment the most sacred of earthly relations,
and the whole social structure depended upon
its purity and integrity. All legislators at
tempted to defend it, but Christ alone gave the
only effective law, absolutely forbiddng poyg-
amy and divorce Moses came nearest to Christ
in this respect b1t he only regulated the abuses
while Jesus forbade the thing altogether; and
thus elevated woman to her proper rank, and
made the family sacred and indissoluble. The
general spirit of Christ's teaching had also an
effect on friendship aud family relations.
The heathen moralist placed virtue in courage,
valor, generosity, revenge. But Jesus forbade
revenge, ard commanded forgiveness, kind
ness, long-suffering patience. He exalted to
honor the gentle, peaceable and forgiving
qualities which heather moralists accounted
weaknesses. Moreover his precepts and exam
ample give dignityto the little offices of friend
ly intercourse and household duty. The Chris
tian need not ask great occasions for the dis
play of great virtues; he knows that the spirit
of love is the spirit of God, and gives divine
beauty to the smalles. act. 't
These are some of the modes by which
Christianity exerts benign influence on social
Life. The extent of that influence may be esti-
mated by comparing our modern communities
with ancient Greece and Rome. They had sci
ence, art, architecture, music, poetry, elo-
quence, democratic institutions everything in
short except the GOSPEL. except divinely sane
toned code of morals and religion. What was
the result of this one deficiency? Let Socra-
.tes' conversation with Aspasia, let the poems of
Catulus, and even of Virgil and Horace, let
the histories of the later Empire, let the uncov-
cred streets of Pompeii amt Herculaneum, an
swer. A corruption deeper than the imagina-
ton of modern Christian can conceive Nor
aro-.s .s'~sA uuantina eHidennes in nnr enrntrY
that the rejection of Christianity might plunge
US into the same slough.
The Science and Art of the heather civiliza-
ton were for the benefit of few; the spirit of
Christian brotherhood has scattered the doctrine
that science to be kept in esoteric circles and
redeemed from vulgar uses; and the fruits of
the change are found in free lectures, in asso-
Citations for the advancement of science, and
institutions for the diffusion of knowledge; in
engrayings, photographs, statuettes;. in labor
to every house. Look at some of these things
in detail and their character as fruits of the
diffusion CT Christian principles becomes evil
dent. The steam engine is making cheaper
clothing for the multitude, renders books and
pictures accessible to every eye carrying mails
full OF letters of affection, carrying members of
scattered families to frequent reunions And
the mail service looked at in still more detail, is
found to owe its most notable features of the
present day, bringing 1t peculiarly to the uses
OF the many, to the Christian philanthropy of
Rowland Hill and Barnabas Bates, acting dis
interestedly and directly from their conception
of Christian love.
In conclusion the preacher remarked that the
Sun of Righteousness, like the natural sun
poured its blessings upon the evil and upon the
good. AS the bIiud man lives by the fruits of
the sunlight, so those who close their eyes to
the Gospel light still continued to enjoy many
Of the rich and varied benefits which flow in
cideDtally from its beams. We should show
our gratitude for the light by opening onr heart
to 1T, and by its guidance. IDgrattude was
base sin, and what could be more ungrateful
than to ilye selfish, nnsocal useless life, in
the full light of the Gospel; with all the in
| spring words and life-eiving example of Jesus
set before us; might such ingratitude be very
far from each one of his hearers
ST. STEPHENS.
Rev Mr.. Dalton delivered sermon on the
Cuban crisis, taking as his text ST. Luke 14th
chap, 31st verse; and ROM 18th, 18Th ''What
King going to make war against another King,
sitteth not down first, and colsulteth whether
he be able" (or, as we should say, without
counting the cost'')
Our issue with Spain involves an admission
or denial of the right of Spanish officials to
capture Cuban filibuster, laden with arms,
ammunition and men, embarked on an errand
of war against government with which ours
was at peace. Much may be said on both
sides and so well said that we may safely leave
that aspect of the question to the legal advisers
of the two Governments. Through them we
shall probably get at the truth, as to what is in
ternatlonal law and obligation. But allowing
the character of the Virginins to have been un-
disputed and well known, it would be hard
case for the Spaniards if they might not seize
her, if they could, even though flying the
American flag. Siavers do that ON the coast of
Africa. yet the flag fails to save them when ov-
ertaken by a British gunboat. And how is
fraud ever to be detected and punished, if false
preteps ons are held to be u sure protection
against search and seizure. But enough of this,