The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1891-11-02
SERMON.
REV. POWICK PRBA ACHED TO
THE JR. o. U. A. M.
UPON ITS SPECIAL INVITATION.
A Patriotic Sermon to a Patriotic
Orga izati and O Large Con-
gregation-The Bible in the
Public Schools.


The Methodist Episcopal church was
crowded to its utmost capacity Sunday
night TO hear the sermon delivered at the
request Of the Jr o. U A NJ The text
was Jeremiah % 7: Seek the peace OF
the city whittier l have caused you to be
carried away captive" Peace, in the text,
means welfare. The purpose Of the com.
mand was to teach the captives in Baby on
the duty of Patriotism. If it was the
duty of unwilling exiles to seek the welfare
Of the home of their cruel captors and to
pray for the same, much more is it the
duty of voluntary immigrants to these
hospitsble shores to do the same. Webster
defines patriotism as "the passion that aims
to serve ones country" The politician
defines it as the passion that aims to serve
ones self, or his party at the expense of his
country" Among the perils which call
for the exercise of the highest type of
patriotism is that of unrestricted immigra-
ton. Prior TO 1868 Great Britain and
Germany furnished us with s5 per cent. of
all our immigrants, now they furnish us
with only 55 per cent. At that time the
tide had not set in from Russia, Austria and
Italy. Twenty years ago these formed
only one per cent. of all we received they
now constitute 33 per cent Thus, while
we formerly received the bulk of our i'm.
migrants from the most enlightened, moral
and prosperous parts of Europe, fully one
third we are now receiving are coming
from the most degraded, ignorant, and
down-trodden parts of the earth. They
are coming faster than we can digest and
assimilate them. But what makes the
peril the more serious is the slavery to
party that often leads men to sell them
selves and their country to the devil for the
sake of the spois of office. This leads
men who are charged with the administra-
ton of law to wink at its violation to
! stultify their own convictions of right and
to outrage every moral principle. See how
| our own Borough Council was made to
cringe at the feet of few unprincipled
| politicians lest their action should ieopar.
die the party on the eve of an election.
Every self.respecting patriot would resent
any interference with religious observances,
however alien to his own, but according to
st. PauPs instructions to the church of
Rome the violation OF civil law is not a
religious privilege but resistance of the
ordinance of God that brings damnation. ."
A spirit of lswlessness is perhaps the
gravest of our perils, There is no civilized
country on the earth where law is so fla.
grantly defed as here, and for the very
reason that owing to unrestricted immgra-
ton and free ballot in the hands of pur-
chasable voters the worst elements of So
ciety are generally in control of the politics
of the land, and must pander to law
breakers in order to catch votes Our
government Of the people, by the people
and for the people has become one of the
saloon, by the saloon and for the saloon,
which holds one party in the right hand
and the other in its left He had about as
little respect for the average politician as
| one could well have, but they were exposed
to unusual temptations and it is our duty to
pray for them. The enthronement of God
in the con cience is a safeguard that in
cludes all others. Until man is so linked
to God that he can withstand such tempta.
tions he is not a Man, but Stare and un-
fit for public trust. Meanwhile, the Sab
bath and the public schools arc trusty bull
warks. No man can object TO the bible be-
ing used in them as a text book of moral
science, unless it is because his moral and
religious notions are not taught in it, And
fthey are unbiblical they are un-Amerioau,
impious and detrimental to cur civilization
1t is inconsistent to signatize the public
schools as goddess and then oppose the use
in them Of them Of the only nonsectarian
book of godlnesa we have. A religion thai
holds itself aloof from these burning ques-
tions is not that Of the bible. We need tC
apply the principles Of religion to political
as well as other questions for our religious
welfare is bound up with the welfare of the
state.
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