St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-01-12
Divinity of the Ballot.

Extracts from Sermon Preached in the First
Congregational Church, Washington, d. c.,
on Thanksgiving Day, by j. E. Rankin,
| D.. ID.
ACTS 1, 24-"And they prayed and said, Thou,
| Lord, which knOwest the hearts of all men, show
whether of these two thou hast chosen"
Thomas jefferson says he got his first
idea of a republican form of govern
ment from attending the meetings of
a self-governing, Congregational
church. Here was a self-gOverning
church about to draw lots for new
officer, and believing that the dispOsing
of the lot is of the Lord, that the act
was al appeal to God for guidance in
their choice, they preceded it with this
prayer: "Thou, Lord, which knOwest
the hearts of all men, show lis whether
of these two thou hast chosen" Doubt
less, if there had been more prayer
previous to the recent national election,
there would be less difficulty in dis
covering who is legally elected; if
there had been more anxiety to know
whom God had chosen, there would
have been less bribery and fraud and
intimidation for it is not like Him to
select his candidates after that method,
though sometimes men are mad enough
to do it.
| suppose it is perfectly competent
for all Christians still to pray the prayer
of the text: That Gods chosen may yet
be found and duly inaugurated.
There was an old maXim-divinity
did so hedge king, that the king could
do no wrong. This, with kingship
itself, we have pretty thoroughly re-
pudiated. At any rate, if we take
common rumOr for our guide, there is
almost no wrong of which our rulers are
not guilty-at least our outgoing ones.
1t would appear that there is almost
nothing too improbable, too unworthy,
too infamous, fol some portion of the
American people to attribute to those
in authority over them that, under
whatever obligations they may have
been to such men in the past-Obliga-
tions that never can be cancelled OF
computed that, however much they
may have idolized them and glorified
in their achievements that, however
much they may have looked to them
- for protection and deliverance when
property, life, and country itself were
at stake; when once the peril is over
: and
Grin: :visaged war hath smoOthed his wrinklet
'front.'
!. they are content to let their faults live
in brass, and to write their virtues il
7. water. Of course, after we have duly
l. stoned them, we mean to build then
- sepulchres.
The old maxim, the king can do ne
: wrong, was of public rather than pri
vate Interpretation, and had in it thil
element of truth 1t was a blind, al
ignorant, a superstitious, if you please
T. but still genuine recognition of thu
- principle, that in all kingship, in al
rightful sovereignty of man over man
there is something of God, something
divine: or, as the apostle has it, tina
- there is 'no power but of Cod" ant
that ''the powers that be are ordained
of God.n 1t is of this divine elemen
y in human government, and especial,
. in the American Government, in Othe
words of this divinity of the ballot, tina
| shall speak this morning.
.s AS employed by demagogues, | d.
not believe in the maxim: "The vOic,
of the people, the voice of God" TIL,
voice of the people has too often put t.
death the benefactors of the people
ry once asked for the release of Barabba
and the crucifixion of the Son of God
:, But there is a sense in which it is true
- w
constitutional forms, has given its voic
fol ruler, that ruler is of God tina
ruler is ordained of God and to den,
,e. this, is treason to the first principles o
'r a free government. The nation ma
have made a great mistake, may hav
taken a man for reputed and not rea
- qualities, may have been imposed upo
by politicians, through bOught-up eau
cuses and conventions, the man chose
NAV be the representative of part
VT that could have elected no one else
a party which has betrayed the country
but if he has been fairly elected, if b
be the honest choice of the majority G
- the people, he is also the choice of Goo
God knows how to use him for ''ther
"a is no power but of God, and the power
that be are ordained of God )" and
popular election is the American metho
of determining who are the power
that be.
1t is not true that God always intend
a nation to have rulers such as the bes
men of the nation think they need. ID
sst disciplines nations, as He discipline
men, and they need it as much as mel
for they are only men aggregated
When He gave the children of lsrae
Saul, the son OF hlsI, ne uiu no' Siv
Is. them such ruler as Samuel woul
Nv have selected; He gave them king i
om His wrath, because they had rejecte
Him. When the citizens of natio
: are left free to select their own ruler
those rulers will usually be as good &
J.. they deserve; they will be represents
,en tive men. The citizens of nation wi
secure such rulers as they take I'll
pains and precautiOn to secure-suc
as represent the average Intelligent
and morality and virtue of the peop
Y who vote for them. The city of Ne
York is as well ruled to-day as it d.
the serves to be; and so, also, as to th'
EN- n matter, is the state; for the city is I'll
emit state, just as Paris is France: Whe
ice the majority of the people of Franz
!. aaSt thair hallats for NanOleOn III.