Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-03-23
9znPnsAncB 4nE rrxr.
Sermon By Rev J. . wilismsoc n
tbs Granite chasch.

snd CoagYe sssionsl churches we're 10 sue.]
from thei. puiriss yesterday morning % J,
some phsse Of the semrexncs question
Owing to The storm tie pastors 1t sh,
Methodist and Bsrtist churches did nc
speak on The intended subject.
At the Car sTesstionsl church the pastor
Rev. James s. Williamson took for h;,
tex, GsnesIs. 4: GAM Ny Brother.
Kveress" Mr.. Williamson said 10 sbstrsc,
Commentators the world over have bee,
pszzl<d over the story Of Cain and Abe
and have spsnt many Year, in trying !,
reconcile the stories Of the Bible. By man,
they are regarded - myths, aid they forge
thas myth 10 fact sssfxurpd BY n
ides- The words Of our ten form sh,
answer Of Cain 10 bis own conscience sf,e,
having, fbroash jesicusy, murdered hi,
brother. i can zee clearly the steps b,
which Cain was melted and spu,red on q
commit this crime and hov he broodsd owe,
bis brothers successor snd his osn failure,
until finally overcome by Jealousy he plunge,
the bnifs iato Abers bosom. A
great many people are psspis xed a.
10 God's motive repairing Them asd
seem 70 think they sre created "a
exist far their own individual pleasure
And success and are snconsctous Of ihs fac,
that they owe anything to snyone besides
themselves.
! desire to treat this subjsct nuder .l,esa
heads. The fsliscy Of inaivi4ualssns, the
divinity Of human law and the duty Of cit
zsns in enforcing that law.
indivi9uslism IL that which DAYS exefu.
1--WE regard 10 ones own personal interest.
Cain ~ss possessed Of this Characteristic.
lie said Am my brothers keeper, or Am
In this world 70 take care Of myself"
and inclined 70 the latter belief. The
individuaiist Who was born aod left On the
ground by its mother to survive and srow
~ best IL could, who was LET. perfectly in
dependent In all transactions In after life,
who in fact was left TO grow up In the let
ter and spirit Of individualism, he
would soon be persuaded Of his IN.
satisfactory and narrow character.
Tbs man who advocates indiyiduslism
denies the existsnce Of the image Of God
In his own being, chrisrs command, Love
tiny neishbor ss thyselt' csme diYsc. from,
the creative energy Of God. who crested
man - he 10 The individualist q. nrs,
glance, when he looks at the duties de volv.
ing upon him ., 8 protector Of the home,
the state and the nation, regards 'hem Il
bars to his progress. Take these duties Of
the home GU, and the result Is evi1ent in
the world today. II is told in language
which no fare man eau turn his back upon,
When We spurn these relations we deny
that there IL any diferenc. between Lin.
coin, Washington and other gyes: emanci-
pa,ors and the savage OF Central Africa.
When We do this we are untrue to our own
highest life Man 10 not born a. . man
alone but As member OF society. It is
only ~ = msn becomes part Of this sres.
organism that he has right to the
name of man. Society gives more
to the individual than the individual
gives TO society. Lock At the case taken
to make the child pure. IL is only q part
of the debt that man owes To society. All
that man IL and has comes from the benefi-
cent institution of human government,
This brings US to our second point, the
divinity Of human Law.
To thinking man q sand grain is az
much a thing Of beauty rs the Landscape
about it Of which it i, so minute part
The earth Is made up Of individual grains
OF sand. Here we begin to recognizs the
words Of our creed. The same God who ia
manifest in creative energy 10 the same one
whose presence is manifest 10 human bis
tory. Not only creation. human history,
bu, the iaiividusl is under human law
The law siger's duty is to study mans con
stnu,lon and Gods desire concerning 1t and
then legisiste along inst line. A
legislator who does not 90 this is 9
messenger of he'll iostesd Of messenger
Of heaven. Il will be dark day for this
republic when the legislators blot out for
any policy the hand OF Almighty God. As
man brings human power in line with God 3
law, so far will human law seem divine.
Whenever the lAw imposes things which a
Legislator knows Is NOT in keeping with
Gods law, he has right to rebel sgains'
sach law apd should do so.
believe that the law Of Almighty God
~ revealed in the Bible, may have no more
iofinence on me than biography of some
suoient ruler until l have enforced thai
Law Of God 10 my Own soul. SO tha law OF
the land can lay dead on the sta ta.e book
and mean nothing to the republic. We ap-
point yearly the officers who shail carry
an Illustration and am COMING
near home. Seven dsys ago a man died
IN this city. Murdered in open asyiish
and nov the question is, Why The
saloon was to blame for that murder
There are saloons in Augusts. | beiry7
there is law 70 wipe cut every saloon
but every candid man must admit that the'
are still here. Every christian man shout
stand mp and face this inlqnisy, The l4e
says tina. liquor shall not ne sbli TO an,
man. but it 10 beirg violated. | don's p,.
lieve any Other party than the ore il
power would enforce it any better. Her
il the law, here IL the saloon and here j.
the tiicer. but the law ard the officer d.
not connect. Here is Law snd vlols'ion
what are we 10 DO shout II? lay the blam,
at the door of the tifeers of the law.
have been to the chief officers ant
said 10 them, ~ am here IS
minister and want facts an
not sentiment Why is the Law not en-
forced; | receive as anssnswer that thi,
official liuds his din ,uty with the Superio.
Court. He says II srrcst man Who il
violating the law and send him before tn
court, He is given $50 and costs. pays j
and comes down town. earns it Ia ihre'
weeks and laughs st me IS pass his door
II seems to me that we want Legislation
which shall give no opportunity other thsi
to pass sentence. Make it imprisonment
fer one gear for the first offence. two year
for the second and ave years for the thir
rifsnee, with no option" | 60 TO auotae
aod make similar inquiries. telling him Ia
opinion of the one whom | have Just men
toned He answers What business +
it OF his whs. the Superior Cout
does. IL is hi, duty to bvirl
these men Up who vioiats the Law
tho court does with Them" Ism not sur
bus that is my opinion. The officer OF tn
law has no excuse. II he neglscts TO en-
force the law il does not lay with tine Chi.
tan church TO do 40, but with every in3i
vidusl citizen, Shalt he go to the ballot
box aud vote for \ man who. when elected
will turn around and laugh at the principle
;he voter hiss been trying TO secure. l.
the recent New Orleans trouble the la,
failed TO do It's duty and the citizens YER
call. upon TO act. believe there Is jus
tice sud right behind the method they pu-
sued. question IL should not have bee
one of those, had been there, who .5al
:heir muske,s and avenged their wrong,
AID think shou,t have been doing III
will of God rs much as
preach ,hs sermon. meet man
flon ont of the city who ssy, "yoa presc
in Augusta, how about the saloons there
They make laws in Augusta, how sbou
the saloons there" l have hesrl it !
much am heartily sick of IL IL II exis,
~ they say il exists IL is time the citizen
OF Augusta met it, not AZ q political pa,ty
but b. the right OF God We ak you {
,,,.., y.;,h ,,s eo~nr-ax Monday avori,