The Arizona sentinel., 1886-11-20
VIRTUE OF OBEDIENCE.
The Need of Subordination in Every Con
 dition of Human Life.

The Need of SubordinatiOn in Every Con dltiOn of Human Life.
 must rank obedience with the vir-
 ues when it is willing and free; for then
 1t is an acknowledgment, reverence, a
 sense of justice and right. Submission
 IS not obedience; for obedience is a loyal
 observance of authority, which is vir
 tue; but submission is a yielding to
 force, which is servitude. ''Many are
 in obedience from necessity rather than from love-" says a-Kempis; and he con tinues: 'These take it amiss and replne
 for small cause; nor will they acquire
 freedom of mind unless they yield them
 selves to God with the whole heart. " Herein plainly is set forth the difference between the obedience which is virtuous allegiance, and the submission which is abasement. Obedience is the being drawn by excellence; submission is the being constrained by force. Now habit of uplooking and gladness in the same, so that we are happy when excellence is at hand to which we can pay deference-this is a very virtuous state of mind, and like other vir- tues it has great powers. For this 1t is which enables men to act in the best way together, and to combine themselves in orders, and in such ranks as can march easily and quietly to an end. For without grades, powers, su
 periority, subordinatiOn, what can come but disorder and defeat? have heard of a factory full of good workmen. with tools and all equipments, which never theless could not hold its business but failed lamentably. Now, it was CO., operative factory. and I was tod it failed for lack of discipline, because, all the men being on level, each would be a captain, which speedily turned the same as having no captain; and they wrought as little as the body would if 1t were all head, with no hands nor feet to serve. These poor men had learned not the virture of obedience, being still in the opinion that deference was sub jection.
 Their failure shows that need of sub ordination, which is the same as true co-working, each in his place, with the meaning of his place granted. Also it shows what liberty is; for what is fail ure in any thing but subjection thereto? For if we fail in any affair it is be- cause we master not the matter, but the matter overpowers us; which is to say that we become not free. Hence, an unruly, mutinous refractory spirit is loss of liberty. Obedience is freedom; that is, power and mastery over coHdi- tons instead of bondage thereto. Free man touches the secret of Roman great ness when he says: ''At Rome in the best days of Rome every man knew both how to command and how to obey" These are but the two sides of our face. He can not command who can not obey, and whoso loves to obey has gone far in commanding, and in manner leader in his own place, living freely and strongly. When closely considered, there is no right or means of command except from God, and authority is obedience; and whoso obeys another's virtue pays his obedience to God. In fine, to obey what deserves obedience is Liberty and joy; but to be compelled to comply because we will not, is bondage and pain. Wherefore it seems there may be a kind of enforcement of lib- erty which has the a r of tyranny if it be not closely examined. Wherever some gather to act together, even if only two or three, each must either command or obey. And it is a question whether there be not al ways a hidden issue of authority, though it r.se not to an open Thou shalt" But if one command, thls is not to do as one will witho ut reason, but to obey law, either law of nature or wider law of men, which is the sanction of the command. There fore, as I have said, commanding is first obeying, and any writ or mandate to others which comes not by obedi- ence to somewhat higher, and to en- force the higher, is tyranny, Where fore, it is only the obedient nature which can lay hold of authority to com mand. But the obedient nature will enjoy obedience and find great quiet and peace in it. Whence comes this paradox: "Who ought to command? The one who wishes it not.'' Nay, I will say there ought to be even q pride of obedience; it is a virtue worthy of honest satisfaction. And this surely it will be, for being lofty as a virtue, it is also pleasure by humility and peace ableness of spirit. Wherefore, what parent rears children in obedience pre- pares for them both power and pleasure. Says a-Kempis: No man safely goeth abroad who loveth not to rest at home; no man safely talketh but he who loveth to hold his peace: no man safely ruleth but he who loveth to be subject; no man safely commandeth but he who loveth to obey, ,"-,St. Louis Globe Democrat.