The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-06
LIBERTY AGAINST LICENSE.
Sermon Preached by Rev. J. Albert
ROndthaler at Tabernacle Church.
The Importance Of Strict Observance Of the
Sabbath and obedience to Divine Will
Independence Day Celebrations.

Rev J. Albert Rondthaler, pastor of Taber-
nacle Church. preached his last sermon yester-
day, prior to his summer vacation. During the
time of his absence from the city the church will
be closed unless special announcement Of serv-
ices is made by the session. The morning dis
course yesterday was apropos to the season and
contained some pertinent reflections on the ques-
ton of liberty and license. The text was from
Psalms cxix, As: "And l will walk at liberty for
| seek Thy precepts." He said:
Yesterday was the great red-letter day in our
national calendar. Each recurrence of it stirs
mind and heart to high sentiments of patriotism
This Fourth of July of ours is day Consecrated
to the commemoration of great deeds performed
for great ends. Because of it the word Liberty
has new meanings in this nineteenth century,
new powers and accomplishments, such as were
but the widest dreams of the centuries before.
God bless this day. Let us say that of it heartily
upon its return each year. God keep its
achievements and the high things that have
come from it fresh ard green in the memories of
this people.
We have queer sort of way of celebrating it
with racket, and noise, and hubbub. But even
the small boy has learned something amid the
izz AMI bang of his fre-cracker and toy pistol
The powder has burnt his finger and, perhaps,
singed his eyebrows. But he must be altogether
a stupid sort of boy if somewhere in the day
| the question of the meaning of all this fuss and
feathers has not occurred to him. And he must
be boy altogether unworthy OF the land of his
birth if there has not burned into his heart and
life some great thoughts of high deeds and heroic
living So say say, however queer ne?
Independence Day, let us keep it up
until common sense shall teach US a better way
Consecrated to the great principles of civil
liberty and the equality of man, it is worthy Of
all that can be and is said about it.
Yesterday then, was Independence Day, noisy
with iubation, string with martial music and
the tramp of holiday soldiery, exuberant exhil-
arating to many tired workman and pentup
housewife. And toe day the quiet Sabbath has
succeeded, in all its surroundings in sweet con-
trast to yesterdays noise and buster. Yet the
two days are not so far apart as the outward
manifestations seem to indicate; for this Chris
tian Sunday, with its lessons and its gospel, has
made the gospel of the 4th Of July a possible
thing Joseph Cook says Il am no fanatic,
hope, as to Sunday; but look abroad over the
mass of popular freedom in the world, and it
does not seem to me accidental that Switzerland
Scotland, England and the United States, the
countries which best observe Sunday, constitute
almost the entire map of safe popular govern
rnent."
And then as to the one prominent personality
that rises again with clearness aud distinction
on every Christian Sabbath, the first day Of the
week. Were it not for the life and deeds, the
heroism and sacrifice of Him who came to pro-
claim release to the captiveS and to set at liberty
| them that are bruised there never would have
come time when the necessity would have been
borne In upon men to declare that ali men are
| born, and of right ought to be- free and equal.
1t was this gospel declaration that God is no
respecter Of persons" and the gospel restriction:
BE not ye called rabbi, l. O. master, for one is
your Master Christ, and all We are brethren"
1t is such like germ sown into the great field Of
humanity that produced in the end the Switzer-
bund of Switzerland the Magma Charta of Eng
land, the Declaration of Freedom of Scotland and
the Declaration of independence of these United
States. 1t was Chrsts command, loose him
and let him CO." that has made emancipation
proclamations practical thing.
thankless world boasts that the word Glib
erty" has been originated by its own wisdom and
evolved through its own force
If that be so, why does this word obtain only
in those lands whore the name of Jesus is taught
| as the only king and potentatel Rome, it is
| true, was once republic; but it was republic
| of caste distinction, of patrcians and plebeians,
| and slaves. No heather nation produces the
| free government of Christian civilization. The
world of prejudice complains that Christianity
stands in the way of the progress of liberty, that
that it confines thought. Can that be a narrow
life which ever and always tends toward the
| infnite2 And that is Chrstanitys missionl
| Does it hamper action Ito obey God rather
| than mans" And that is the fiber of Christianity.
Does 1t conne thought to be directed to the things
that are true and honest, just and pure, lovely
| and Of good reports A noted English skeptic OBJ
jects to Christianity, counting it foe tofreedom,
| becauseit commands obedience, asupreme virtue.
| But how can it be forgotten that obedience to
God" and resistance to tyrants," are insepa-
rable both in fact and principle! Why, even the
heather Seneca taught 'obey God. that is liber-
| ty," and Voltaire, however, the other side may
claim him, when he was blessing Franklin's
| grandson, pronounced the two words, God and
and Liberty" And Froude says of the Scotch
Commons: 1.-THE fear of God in them left no
room for the fear of any other thing" The poor
| clay which, generation earlier, the naughty
| baron would have trodden into slime, had been
heated red hot in the furnace of new
faith. Let the eye of thankless world refuse
| to read the proclamation of liberty in the di-
vine message of the gospel, the whole volume
repudiates its rash assertions of having origi-
| mated this word At the base, along the front,
on the summit of the majestic edifce raised by
| the Christian, there shines the word at viii CHI
degraded humanity rejoices-iberty.
Language has, perhaps only few larger
of all that is free and unconfine6. And love is a
| larger word, for it can live and thrive when
there is yet the cruel grinding of servitude.
And faith is larger word, for it may go where
there are yet thraldoms and bondage. 1t may
| soothe and quiet when shackles yet bind it may
brighten when damp dungeon cells shut out the
light. Faith can make the captive sing:
"Stone walls do not prison make,
Nor iron bars a cage"
But next to these, God '1ove" and 'tfaith "
liberty is the largest word spoken in human
language, 1t is the outgrowth of these larger
words To say anything less than that is to
cheaper the Declaration of Independence and
to dishonor the noblest blood that men have shed
in its support and defense. To say that
liberty is only one among a mass of words, and
not one among the princes in the kingdom of
language is to make emancipation procamations
a mere political trick, instead of the finger of
God.
Be fair; give honor to whom honor is due.
Let Him who first spoke this word with clear en-
| phasis have full credit. Down through the CEN
turies ring the words of Jesus Christ: IF the
Son shall make you free, We shall be free indeed
Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free" | said that liberty is based on
| God, and faith, and love. Let add this, too:
| that liberty draws her whole dignity and value
| from her union with ohedienca tCha innulse of