Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-07-02
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fine audience. The pulpit and platform were
handsomely decorated with flowers, ferns
and palms and ornamental plants in pots.
The Introductory exercises were conducted
by Rev l.. G. Ware. who read the Scripture
lesson, and by Rev. Merritt llulburd, who
offered prayer The sermon was remarkably
fine even for President Buckham, as schol-
arly and thoughtful in its tone, as 1t was
useful and inspiring in its lessons. 1t held
the closest attention of the audience through
out, and all the exercises were of unusual in
tercst The sermon was rs follows:
TIE BACCALArEEATE SERMON.
..Far God hath not given US the spirit OF lear,
hut "t power.' II. Timothy l. :.
Ii WIS natural ihat the taunt implied in these
words SHOULD have been brought against Chris
tianiy IL was natural thai the Apostle Paul should
RESENT 1t. The manly virtues had mad a rch ue-
yrlnpiuent under the old Greek and Roman 'l'
lZaiIons To deny that would lee disInEenuohs
Paul WAS himself far from DENYING II. When ne
wrote IN the Greek tongue, emphasizing Inc one,
Greek word which had been the rallying cry OF
rerIau hrrolsm through eight centuries 81 history,
lin the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made u
free stand We fast :" when he warned an oincer "i
me danger of dong ANYTHING derogato-y 10 the
dignity of "A man that Is Roman :: he dld nom
age 10 ihust. which the Greek AMI the no
fsSeI taai ll.y new religion that should undertake
To siIris. iac old civilizations IN respect 10 these
virtues had before II no easy task. But Just inns
WAS the task which confronted christianity ana
from which II could not and cannot excuse iseii.
II must show Itself capable of producing. along
with all other VrlueS these essential and constitu-
emf elements OF high character. and tha' to" OF Il
purer and noilcr strain than they have reached I'M
der any other influences. or II must confess MS IN
feriory Now find that the general Judgment,
both mat of the thinking few and of the unthink-
ing many, went against christianity III Inc hrsi IN
stance ls being lacking III the manly Qualities
Tine early Christians We're accused OF Incidence, OF
apathy of a commemorative and mystic nefllciency.
liy an easy play upon words. FOR Inc name Cnris-
tians WAS substituted another Ereek worn Mnic. J.
tainted them with being "good-tor-hothihg-
This repraach WAS not forgotten AT later iime
when hrisiianl;y was assailed by CELSIUS AMI Ju-
liam. Andif we put ourselves backio the point OF
view from which the Greek philosopher ana me
Roman statesman got their first superficial estl-
mate of Christianity, We shall see now liable 'hcy
were 10 mistake It's spfii. IL docs MOI scein "
magnify the manly virtues do some of the old
nuraliies In the utterances of lis founder, IN Inc
attitude and temper Of lis earliest disciples and
representatives. the qualities II emphasizes seem 10
he OF another sort. blessed are the poor IN slir-
H. apparently the keynote of the new teaching,
sounded like commentator OF Il tame, submissive
spirit. which TO them was the essence OF all
that is despcahle And when these CHRISTIANS,
followers Of leader who instead OF fighting Tor ms
cause had submitted 10 death without resistance,
like HIM Welded 10 their prosecutors and returned
only prayers and smiles for curses and death-hlows,
the lookers-on regarded them with something OF
the feeling which have toward an animal,
which instead of resisting our attacks crouches
down in mortal terror before us and yields to MS
fate al our hands. 1t Is true that socrates, VINO IN
tins respect was Christian before Christ, had
meekly yielded his life 10 persecution Tor the truth
sake but he too was misunderstood and uhappte-
cat.il. Far more sympathy and applause were
awarded Ia that naughty stole spirit which reius-
ing weld 10 defeat soasht death from the sword
1t was a long time before the world accustomed 10
associate courage with aggression and resistance.
could recognize an equal, possibly higher type OF
II, in fortiIude. The human mind could moi theh
appreciate the ausicre glory OF suffering Nor does
christianity IN our own time entirely escape inns
suspicion OF being mild and innocent instead OF
being commanding and forceful. II man were
sought for Il position of great daring and enter
Prise To he commander OF an army or OF an ex-
plorlnr expedition i'll the northern seas fey that
IL woud not be deemed essential TO choose if1nan
vino a Christian rather than an unbelleVer or
indifferent la order 10 make sure that ne pos
sessed these high qualities And again what means
this notion. unquesionably lurking IN great mum
her Of minds that great intellectual force Is
something allen 10 Christianity, or If not alien, yet
out of place. not wanted, troublesome rather than
helpful. Not 10 speak OF the fear when ATTENDS
man of great ygUr and originality, lest ne 10 some
damage 10 religion If within the church. Is II mol
the popular ju gnent that such man VIII 1nu MS
hitting place elsewhere, while the best
OF the church must be found among the moderate
and the loCe. Regret il AS We may. the 1act that
the church Is largely made up OF men OF orui-
nary intellectual gifts. and that So many superior
men are outside and aliagOnlsfc, must OF hecess-
{, do something 10 divorce III the public MIMI the
idea Of religion from the idea Of high Intelligence
and thus expose Christianity 10 the susplcloh Oh
intellectual Inferority. There are lew things more
irving 10 a man who thinks that his reilgloh IS
based on CONVICTION. few things that so drive Nun
to examine again and again the grounds oil MS
faith as To see so many professional men. so many
business men of large ability, so many men OF eA-
celleni Judgment and unillpeachable good sense III
all other relations. standing apart from the ehris
iIan church. eyeing II. as II were. askhhce, Will
holding from II Thai ony sincere respect which Is
evidenced hy seli-commitial and cooperation;
Would II or would il not he far 10 understand
Them meaning aud vel ont OF iol
the feelings of Others refrainlng from saying; -
regard religion something III anu good ior chill
rem. for women. Tor sentimental AID eueniihale
men think enough OF II TO give 10 II my money,
my public countenance, my bodily attehuahce- out
not enough 10 give 10 II my all III al OF coh'icuon'
affection, lrilUl.
Now either Christianity deserves inat supreme
respect and devotion which men give TO power
which wholly OvermasferS and dominates theln or
II Is failure aud an llpostlon u II IS MOI every
thing. IL nothing. Talk not oil rs sanitary inuu-
cnce on minds vi certain order. or o! It's tenuei-
CIV to foster certain alnable virtues. or OF lis Whoe-
some social restraints. II If cannot compel your
respect, II Will not accept your patronage II II
does not meet the needs Of oil minds anu all minds
equally; II II does not foster every virtue eqiAIis
and TO the utmost If II does mol ernOhe and em-
power society well as restrain u Christianity
has not the power II claims SHOW ipe some phil
osophy, or some social or MORAL system which IS
adapted to produce any one OF the virtues ~ uier
perfection han Christianity can produce II, aai
will acknowledge Christianity to he failure. ant
these virtues uOw under consideration convince
ANY candid man thai tie Christian religion does
not succeed III making men rs Efave boih physie
cally and morall,, - resolufe N she rsset,on VI
will-power. as deRant OF opposition ana herol. ~
resistance. when need arises, ~ some DINER tneoy
of human life does, then he Is bound 10 transfer
MS allegiance 10 that other system Whatever !. may
be-berause, whatever Other virtues ne may nave
Or not have. without these he Is something less
than Il man. II God has ~, given US IN the COS.
lei the SPIRIT CT power and OF h sonnd mimi, pul
of fear let US by ;all means hetake ourselves 10
some pagan SHRINE or some philosopher grow,
where We may at least learn 10 be men even II We
cannot aspire 10 be angels or gods. ,,
II should not, therefore. surprise Us tna thls
most ihoroGgi-gong eXpOunder VI the CHRISTIAN
faith. and al the same time this bravest and man
Hest Of men, should assert, as ne does WIN spin.
warmth that God hath not given US the sltit OF
fear. The hrIstian spirit Is NOT the humorous,
spirit, th2i IIIs ASK leave 10 he anu 10 nave
AN opinion and express II, aal that Is always apollo
gZlng for presuiaing 10 occupy -pace anu coh-
,ulle time III the universe OF being. !he scrip
lure speaks commendlagly OF the broken Aeart
II would lie nearer the truth 10 say iha sP1ahs
gently, eucOuragIngly 10 the broken heart IL Is
broken-down stubhOrnness not broken-dGND reso-
lufenesi thai II rominend5. The best eNeinplnch-
tons OF IN. Christian temper are not hroAei-spr-
tied but hlgh-sprited men. fauI himself was
broken down on his way 10 Damascus. lie leii
there IN the highway his Jewish obdlracy anu
hate. But all through b,S Christian career he WAS
one of the most hlgh-spirlie Q! men, Withstand
ing Peter 10 his face because he WAS ~ re plaheu
giving place by subsection To certain medueFs no
not for M hour hurting his nercc wrath upon Inc
High Prizes! Tor his unwarranied assault AMI theh
apOloglzng only u large-ininded gentleman
would. for an uninten.Ional aflront To the sacred
Ofce and amid al ihe irlhls and prosecutions OF
thirty years anliuatIng has own AMI ms followers
zeal by martial strains worthy oil the famous sol
der poet OF the Sparians. There have been men,
there have been Christian scci5, whose latoflte
language III Their devotional exercises abouhdeu IN
self-ls plTageiaeuI, ChliacieriZlng them as we,
~ WORMS Of the dust, d5 nothing anu less imam
nothing. This language came from sincere de-
sire 10 eNalt God N their niIds VI their own ex-
pense. But when other men toGE tlein al Their
word when King Charles and Iaud and tlsver-
houss treated them as though they were worms OF
the dust these Others found them and they found
themselves by no ready L. he irainpled on.
Not To the pHIlians despite their language had
God gwen The spirit of fear nor 10 the Covenant
ers, 10 the Ilngnenois, nor u The errnhutiefs
nor to any others who have learned IL the school
of Christ 10 br at once humble anu pfoHd. Ifue
religion In subduing men does not crush theiii-
There Is no terrorism In the Gospel Fear cfouches
under the sccprc ot the law beneath the shelter
ing WINGS oil the Gospel II has no abiding place.
There i message Of fear 10 men but IL Is 10 men
vino Will NOT have this man to reign over them, tls
man whose yoke Is easy and whose burden Is light
Fear units men lot RECEIVING the Gospel IL IS sell
iish suspicious, resentiui. Ngt until II mas been
replaced by faith. which Is open he-rtei- syilpa-
thctIc, scli-abandoning, can line chrlsian lie be
GIN. When the humorous soul, covering III Inc
shadow OF It's guilt cries out Nv nat must | 10 10 De
saved 2" the Irst thing the Gospel does Tor nm Is
10 hclttcD HIN. 10 give HIM Il manly confidence,
not IN himself but Ia another Drawer and stronger
than he, his leader and c4pilin; believe on inc
Lord Jesu, Christ and thou shalt bc saved 50 II
WAS with Paul himself. When he tel down tfeni-
bling aId I-tuulsh,d and erred out IN his teiror,
the word 10 MN, AMI
feet Hry should Il man be grOvclllng IN the
tarll iuu are i lilau and no worm 1 ana he
a ml.u anI - ami do It mans work. And 81 all
through the scriptures mi religion represented
as d,lycIaucc from fear from the fear al man
which brngeth snare, from The fear % htath,
which subjects 10 bondage IRON Il fearful looking
for of Judgment aud merry indignation which blasts
hope IN the soul and makes Inc soul itself dHindle
into abject serVity. Whut spectaclcs has i per
verified Christianity exhibited 10 the world Of whole
peoples KEPT IN a low condition OF vitality by the
depressing influences OF "a religion, which appralin.
0n,y lear, has iOst"reI iimid dependent, chil' =
ish character. When rriiguGs ctusadcs. ana au-
los ia lie and grottOcs oi the damned are The most
! conspicuous public expressions OF the -plrii OF
religion. there be sure to nnd people who though
| naturally mgh-sprIir,!. have been 50 reduced III
their intellectual aud moral zone that they are the
easy victims oi hoih secular and ecclesiastical "
ranny Surely That IL a spurious religion which
entering INTO 4 soul full Ut daring and enthusiasm,
/ rushing with cagcrncss MO The battle OF NE,
prompts IL halt and Stfkr It's CoinIs AMI 20 sofllS
aud sue for peace and live thenccfprih an uLirf-
ing surely there Is more ia the Christian rclig
ION than is dreamed Of by those who laud II mainly
| for restraining hn teLgp.ss, aud making Youths
| sober and men scdlte and woncH phetlent anu
| keeping society within the due bounds Vi .-T aud
| order The essence Of religion Is not restraint
the ultimate ann OF Christianity - not like that oi
! buddhism, equilibrium aDd iepose God main NOT
/ gwen us the spirlt OF Tear .
] But Of power. God hath gwen "a Inc spiIii VI
| power. Jesus Of Nazareth stands ior power, Us