The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-11-27


real HARVEST hens. How III must have In
spirAd their heArta with gratitude as they
their present prosperity and
privileges with the dark days Of their
fathers. $A@
ii snaeostea 'by this fsa.s IL Tabslaneles
tho feast of the inRatharing ri. the q
the year. II was observed iR Holland 70
early m the autumn of l67G. III l6Ob the
Pilgrim church exiled from England vent
when IL ssnt of the Mayhower colony, n,
Now England, aMd5After3th tho flfst harvest, ~
the cplonists 1T Plymouth Rock, tn 1921 the
8rcople Waro assembled together that they
might rejoice IN q more special manner
Az oarly a. 1923, In July day Of fasting
and prayer was appointed on acoount8of
drc.th. RAin came while they were. pray
Ing. and the governor appointed I day of
thanksgiving, which Waa observed with ro-
liaious services. The Massachusetts Bay
colsny had official thanksgiving days ~
1858, 1884, 1857, 1888 and 1893 and aoms-
Later tho form 81 recon- mendation indi-
catos that II had become IN q
nual custom In New England. During
the presidency Of Washington and Madison
by request OF congress- special thalksgiy-
ing days were recon- rinnded TOR the
ton Of ths constitution and for peace. But
the obssrvanoo Of this festival was mainly
confined 10 Now England till the time Of
ths sciyil war when, In 1852 and 1868, Pr0si-s
dent Lincoln recommended special thanks
giving for victory and In 1863 and in 1864
issued q national proclamation Tor the. Oh Oh
ssryance* Of thiz feast, and since TINT time
auotl 4 proclamation has been issued
nually BY the president, governors, mayors,B
and custom has Rxed the last Thursday ! q
Noysmbcr az the time. T'hs setting Of the
text. Ibis is one Of the many events Of the
third day OF Passion week. This was
Christ's last working day, 50 to speak--the
last Of his public mission 70 Israel; the last
call 10 ii to national repentance. .Ihs DAY
befoIc they, the chief priests, soribea and
elders, had Witnessed with irnpotent rage
the sxpulsion5 Of their traffic nonee from
the templs. and their jealousy was
infiamed Nv the hpsannas Of the children
upon his triumphal entry into the city. The
teachings and influence Of Christ was :
growing danger, and while they dared not
directly IL oppose him, they endcavored 70
to BY attnokinR him 50 40 to turn popular
feeling against him. Cownrdice and Gun
ming marked their procedure. First they
~teaoner. He referred them to John the
Baptist whom ali men connted = prophes
indeed. If they recognized the Baptist aS
a prophet il inspired not only the authori-:
zation OF Jesus' mission, but the dnty TO
belieye on him. They ioigned 5gnoraIcs
dAA Snl1bt@ ~
with them. Having failed 80 bring him
into collision with the scclesiastics, they
endsavored to bring into collision with the
civil authorities. Prior to their put
ting this test question, Christ W
parable had taught them how Thy
sequent and awful destruction that would
come upon them. Now they come with
'.Tsll us therefore what thinkest thou2 Is,
ii lawful to give a tribute unto Caesar Or
not?' Yhore came with those disciples OF
judaism some Herodians who were Working
to promote intimacy with Rome at Jnd ueea
The scspter had departed from 2 and
they should have suspected that Shiloh had
come. These Jews claimed to be Of the seed
of Abraham and maintained that they
should not be under bondage to any man
who was not of their v nation or religion.
l1his question Of taxes was one Of 1nextin-
Ruishabls interest. to the Jews. The Jewish
law recognized taxes as freq gifts for relig-
ious purposes only. They felt sure that hls
answer would be either injurious to tile
rights Of the church or hurtful to Cesar.
If he should say it is lawful, 1t would
incense the people and blast all his preton-
sions to be the Messiah. If ho should not,
that he perverted the nation and then
arouse against him the fury Of tie Romans:
tt was whether the right Of coinage implied
the right Of taxation. Many maintained
that to pay tribute to Caesar was TO virtually
own his% authority, and SO to disown that o.
Jehovah. This was an instance in whlcl
strong political feelings were blended with
religious fanatioisms and history records
many simple movements. Christ said show
me the tribute money. They bring him {
piscs; Whose image and superscriptlon i
Ihia?'' .'Cassar's,,' they say. He ID king
this fact they had acknowledged. Yon ale
in the relation Of subjects to Caesar and
havs admitted it; now do your duty a. such.
He did not say whether or not the rule q
Rome was right OF should be permanent
H. does not say today whether tariff O
n INTO the powers that be, honor the king
speak not evil Of the ruler Of thy people
render tribute to whom tribute 10 due, zeal
TO whom fear, honor to whom honor.
The tsaohing Of the text. Christ left hit
questioners whore he found then, for his
Christian religion is no enemy to civil gov
ernment. Our duty to God does not in.
terfere with our civil obligations, but they
are not to be put into competition Will
each other. Duty to God includes our dnt,
to state and the sum Of all our duty is en-
man of God is bound to obey, maintain
and defend the laws Of the land, which
the necessity Of the maintenance Of civi
order demands. Rendering to God thu
things that are Gods puts the only jus
metss and bounds to civil obligation. Cmsa1
had no right to lay his hand upon (
man and b. material force intervene be-
tween the soul and God. The indapendenc.
Of religious faith and tho proper Subsection
to those in authority j. the divine source Q:
the greatest progress ever made. #g
David said: Blessed ls the nation whose
God is the Lord; and the paople whom he
hath chosen for his Inheritance
Those who came to Christ we're Of Israel
God's chosen people, but they were acting
the part or an enemy, rejecting God in tn
person Of his son, thereby bringing upo1
themselves swift destruction. The answer
was a call 10 them to honor God for tn
gift of his son and to magnify him IN thel
life and worship. They were dishonorinf
God. whom they protested to honor, by re.
iecting Christ, and unless they repentet
ruin was inevitable. Flow earnest and sol
emn must have been our Lords manner
for this was hia last public day with hi
own people TO whom he had como and b,
whom hs was being rejected to the yer.
last. No wonder lie wept over this people
for He know how hard it would 60 will
thsn as nntion and as individuals. u
eternity if not in time. Let Us not neRlec
Il - s-I1 - E%h VA 1913 ny. A. No.