The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-12-12


many 10 the greatest power OF continental Eu
rope. Her schools and universities are far gu
!. peror to those OF any Catholic nation; an
the scientists and metapby sicisns OF German
rank among the most learned and able that th
world has produced. But the life OF the gres
middle Glars and OF the peasantry Of German
, is not to be compared with that Of the averag
citizens OF the Northern States OF our countr
in the comforts Of living and the grade of il
civilization. Why not? Because German Prot
estaniism Is largely Journalism and rtualisu
The American Christian entering tie houses o
worship IN Germany finds cold and drsarinss
IN temperature and app arance, and heartiess
ness and formality prevalent in the worship
There are spiritual, earnest Christians In Ger
many, but there are far more OF her people who
have forms OF goodness without the power
thereof. Passing over to England and Scot
land, we find great improvement in the genera
condition OF the people and far more OF rsa
religious devotion and spiritual worship. Yet
IN England We learn much of the restitution OF
the English lsborers and the comfortIess life
OF the English poor, -notwithstsnding the fact
that England is the richest country in the world
And Il We look back to the power that under
lies her civilization we find again. Joined with
much real Christian conservation and zeal, a
vast amount OF ritualism and Journalism and
bondage to old and oppressive ideas OF the
privileges OF aristocraey AMI the preroga-
tives OF an established Church. England has
many things in her history and in her present
power and civilization in which her citizens may
take Just and patriotic pride, and which should
receive the admiring recognition OF their kins-
men who look to the same ancestry with them
and use the same mother tongue in peech and
literature. But England must put away the
remains OF feudalism contained in her aristo-
cratic system and her establishment Of Church.
Danish her imposing rituasm, and bring her
people to nearer and more spiritual worship
before her masses will be blessed with the full
comfort and intelligence and happiness OF the
nation whose God is the Lord.
Our survey Of protested Christian nations
now brings US home to our own land. And In
speaking Of the position and condition of this
country and'of her people, would avoid any
attempts at eulogy, but seek with all candor to
recognize our blessings that we may bring
Thanksgiving to God for them, and learn onr
faults and failures that we may confess them.
and turning from the faults correct the fail
ures. Our country stands to-day as the repYe-
sentative Pr otestant Christian nation OF the
world. The people of Europe, Asia and Africa
and Of the Isles Of the sea look to America for
their ideal OF the Christian religion and OF
Christian civilization. The United States has
a moral power over all nations and continents
far superior to that Of any other nation. The
military power OF Great Britain is far more
widely see and more immediately feared over
the world than that of this country. for we do
not send troops and fleets to every corner OF
the world. But China and Japan and other
heather nations yield to tue moral power of
America, through diplomacy, what they do not
yield to the imposing demonstrations OF Brit |
ANS military forces.
This influence OF the United States over all |
other nations is due 10 part to her great re-
sources but far more to the nature o. her gov
ornment and the characteristics OF her people,
Has the gospel OF Christ anything to do with
bur government and the characteristics of the
American people? l need not repeat the story
of the settlement OF America aud the founding
'f the nation. need not tell OF the pilgrims
'f New England and the Dutch Prote stants OF
ew Amsterdam, which became New York. and
he Quaker colonists of Pennsylvania, and the
english ccnformists of Virginia and the French
Iugenots OF the Carollnas. ( need not tell
Why they came to- the new world, or what ideas
y religion and Of state and Of freedom and of
Intelligence they brought with them. 1 need
lot show how those ideas were crystalized into
he free and democratic governments OF the col
mics, and developed into the republican States
'hlch united to resist tyranny and becsme1s
alton. l need not explain how the very es- ,
ence Of the Gospel which the colonists 30 {
rized was formulated into the Declaration OF !
and gave character, strength and 1
liability to the Consultation Of the United [
tates.
These things may be mentioned but not de- I
,rbed, and need not be to any who have ever
lad the outlines Of the history of cur country. {
writer's, whether themselves evan t
ecal or not, admit that the religion Of the s
urltans gave the impulse to the education and
tellIgence OF the American people, and gave '
'rm and character to the American nationality. O
is because the Lord was the God of our fore 4
'thers that we as people have been born to {
10 inheritance OF freedom and intelligence and b
'ppiness. II the religion OF the founders of i
nation can be attributed to the nation in az y
r years, then our present prosperity and well n
re verify the Psalmist's declaration, Blessed q
the nation whose God ia the Lord, and the d
'ople whom He hath chosen for His own IN q
,ritance.' n
But now we must inquire to what extent we Il
Q really Christian people at this time. Is Y