Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-04-16

At the Wlnooski Avenue Congregational
church the two Congregational congrega-
tions united inthe service. The sermon was
by Rev. DR.. Stafford.
DR. sAFFoED's SERMON.
Psalms III, !. He that stieth IN the Heavens
shall Laugh, etc.
This Psalm describes the deliberate concerted
conrcmpiuous revolt Of people, kings and rulers
against the authority Of God. In contrast with This
heavens are not airghirl by the impotent menaces
of earth. God necGs mol 10 rise and slrd himself
for the battle. lie sits IN the cOmpOsure of his
Godhead aad pours his contempt on the madness
of human rebellion. The text declares The SO
IreD,dsy 81 moral forces orcr the dgairs Of sarth
The moral laws of God are the supreme laws OF hu-
man life and destiny. We apt 10 speak as II
moral law this life feeble force, destined TO
be- vin,lcIfrd only by the final issue of the judy
nent lay but II may be that the disclosures of that
day Will be merely vlndlcatOns of the right, but
also revelations of the power with which moral
forces have asserted themselves IN TINS llfe-
M one denies fLily the obligation OF moral law |
Nations well as men admit 1t. The world in It's |
darkest corners has never seen nation openly |
announcing itself ~ founded On ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, |
uhtcmprred by any principle Of equity or Thought |
Of justice. The sense OF duty SAID Daniel Web
stcr, .-pursaes ever. II Is omnpresent like the
deity. IL we say the darkness shall cover u,
even the darkness shall be light ABOUT US Our
obligations 10 Justice and right are with us, IN
this nfe and AT us close; and the future
shall still he surrounded by the consciousness OF
duty"
men even in their dlsObetlence to II. No nation |
undertakes avowed wickedness; but rather covers
and excuses lis wrong by some preiext of moral
motive This nation, IN IT'S dealings with the negro
and Indian and ChInaTnan, has never dared DIS
own moral principle but has always tried to Justl-
fy lis oppression by attempts TO make the wrong
seem right. The saddest feature in human history
is the decentralization which men record, In SUCH
attempts.
Whatever NAV he Cur views of the final Judgment,
II is plain that national life have no share in It's
retrIbutions. For nations the day of Judgment and
..f .ftar ono he uaf u.f hguI IN
take penalty when II commits ITS crime, though
that penalty may be long unfolding
The danger To Republic ia not in open and
gross violation of moral law; but in the growth OF
national customs which contain tae germs OF lni-
morality; IN habits coyertly destructive OF national
integrity. Without parIculariZlng these, they may
be described as the customs when tend to obscure
the obligation of the citizen 10 moral law.--such as
the political law which would compel citizen to
subordinate his conscience To- party caucus. Every
citizen should he III himself court OF hna appeal.
The Lack Of moral principle IN political acton Is
the great peril of our times.
From this follows our lack of eminent statesman
ship Men still rally TO party watchwords, which
once meant great principles, but now are meaning
less. Al present the only difference between the
two great parties Is that party Is in power and
wishes stay, and that the other Is out OF power
and wishes to get in. Political leaders use the low
Clements TO carry their ends, constituting lgno-
rance, selhshness and passion the electors TIL the
man of principle as he approaches the polls and
sees the men and methods that surround them
first breads the overthrow of popular government
and then desires II because any change would be an
Improvement. The prevailing party methods IN our
ay are simply ingenious methods for frustrating the
ends they pretend TO seek The masses must be
led by superior minds bnt the leaders Instead oil
addressing themselves TO the best motives and fac
ultes appeal To the baser qualities In men and thus
make the elective franchise degradation and
| curse. Only the phlanthroplst and patriot has
right to make politics his business. But the In
! nuence OF our most conspicuous political leaders Is
/ exercised for bad ends. Bal are exalted 10
/ office not their own merits but on the dement's
| Of their opponents. The prevailing practice OF
sinking the Ter onal character of candidates
{ &. fh.4.- III
| resentative of party IL all wrong. The man
who cannot rightly administer his own person,
| cannot be trusted II administer the nation.
The current MAXIM tina; success Is the greatest
| of political virtues, l. corruptng power IN our
people. In order that we may not lose some cleo
| lion we make shameful surrender of our manhood.
| Right and wrong IN partnership VIII always MS
| carry for the wrong will BE- sure to secure the
! lager share of the income. II is degraded con-
cepilon of public Office. tnat regards II merely as
| position OF profit to the holder. Men should never
| I've pensioned with public office The chief mean
ing of Official position should be duty and respon-
| sibIty. not reward The use OF the executive
| patronage for party ends takes the moral siSni-
| canoe out OF public ONCE, when mus become NOT
These IDEAS and pract ices have their ground in 4
low moral tone throughout society. II the republic
Is 10 be saved, there must he work of reformation
| going through the land and beginning in personal
! life. For publication and Strengthening oil prl-
| waite citizenship IN godliness let US ever pray
AT THE UNITARIAN CHURCH
the sermon was preached by the pastor, Rev.
l.. c. Ware The following is an abstract
of the discourse:
Jeremiah vi. 5: Be- thou Instructed o Jerusalem,
| lest my soul depart from thee.
These words are the text of an ancient sermon
| which hold IN nv hand. preached nemorai-
DUN says, Ia l,,O for the general fast OF April
/ 5th of that year, IN Bradford Mass. The quaint
Old document Is numbered Island how many
more were written and preached, and this the only
/ remainder 1t makes II minister ihoughtful-sen-
/ al m his reminds
let SAID To the skull-"Where are now his sermons,
his points. his doctrines and his appeals. Not IN
humorous the thoughts that arse, but mlngllng
| sighi and smiles. Let hope That out OF this
| Bradford ministers writings and preIchIngs some
| good arose-that his hearers gained something OF
| truth and loyalty TO God and man. Though most
sermons belong 10 the literature which the world
willingly lets die let Us believe they have accom-
pllshed some good. EbeneZer Siinihs was pastor
Of the church of Bradford IN l,1O-but who knows
Ehenezer Slmms: lie Is the shadow OF very OBJ
scure thing. There Is nothing new under the sun
and this FaSt-tlay sermon of 100 Is very applca-
BILE 10 the Fast Day Of lssy. An eminent preacher
once said that there were, after all, only half a
dozen subjects to preach about. We must put
these things in all their various lights and hope that
something may come home To rhe hearts anu con-
selehcss oi INC pyope % ne mini ihat mas been
done Is the thing thai Will be done and II Is 50 IN
preaching. In substance and spirit TINS Old ser,
is applicable 10 TODAY. Ii has the quaint Old
division INTO heads and sub-heads and the mn
prOyemeni" Al The close. 4 cut-and-dried theology
yervadcs II. giving II not tnc scent OF the rose but
The Odor of the drIest dust. Formal, staid and
technical rs Were the preachers OF that time what
would they think of their successors of to-day.
They were al least pectIbie many OF ours are
sensational blathcrskitrs. Then the mind III rells-
iou| matters moved IL letters Of the closest creed
though there Were one or two forewarnings of the
grand swapping OF chains which came about i half
century later hen Claiming arose.
The difference between this Old preaching and
the new Is nTst III Its form, amounting 10 iOrnlaty
and second theology which sounds ike an echo,
with something uneInuy about It. and not Ike Inc
voice of living man. In the first place this old
|
on Fast Day-man's alienation from God on ac-
gresson and fasting have been IN close connection
In the second place II TO he noted that IN the text
is JfrgSaiet that Is addressed 1t Is the city, The
community the political body Sure are ministers
10 take up on Fast Day public evils and private
wrong dOingS, and how they act and react on each
other. In THIS old sermon the minister prays that
the affairs Of the government may he regulated,
under Gods blessing that the wicked men among
His Majesty's cUunselloTs may be removed, anu men
that delight in cruelty and blood that Justice may
he administered to ali offenders and that peace and
prosperity may prevail and he laInents that
pride, luxury and intemperanee abound; that We
have 80 little public spirit and that We are so IN
ready To attempt anything Tor the pubic good
The fast Is hardly fast until II shall Voice this
the dread ard hope Of Christian PATRIOTISM. In
the lines have read signs out the patriot wish
This minister had 10 wall before he could see that
the peace and liberty of THIS people We're % De
gained only by IRE and blood Blood, indeed haii
already been shed and tins year saw North made
the chief of King Georges cOunsclors and Hutch
mson Governor Of Massachusetts. lie lamenrIngly
refers 10 the lack Of public spirit The public good
can NOT be advanced by private wrong This lack
of H. and these vices ami injusilces OF private per-
sons are against the righteousness bN WHICH hi-
tIou Is advanced.
Religious, prudent sober industrious. temper
ate are the word, which catch my eye aS glance
over the pages of this old sermon. Ihese are me
things that promote the welfare Of the people. He
SPEAKS OF these degenerate days. II is oar days
thai are regarded IL degenerate and perhaps the
marx Of dr.rnrracy al both dates Is that We are
very critical about The religious state OF Others and
not so about our own. search out the evil OF
] me pyyu htarf m a