The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-07-03
THE AMERICAN NATION.
The Interesting and Tmelysermon
ofRey Dr.. D, A. Cunningham.
a LARGE CONGREGATION PRESENT
Attic First Presbyterian Church Yes
teFdayA Torping-Ths Patrioticsopg,
my Country IT'S OF Thee" Sung
AfseF the Sermon by tho Entire Com
gregatiop-The Scene an Impressive
One,

uyFSFAhn CuuFSut tne PRsbVtl AWE 49,
D. A. Cunningham preached an inter
esting and timely sermon before an pp-
usually large congregation, from the
text, Luke 1876, Show much owest thou
unto my Lords" on "The Nation; lts
Relations and Duties to Gods or the
One Hundred and Seventeenth anpiyer'
sary Of tho Declaration Of 1%ndepepd,
ence,"
These words, said Dr.. Cunningham,
you remember, occur in the parable
Of the Unjust Steward, 1t is not my
purpose to explain the parable, or to
enforce the lesson Of individual respon'
aibiityi but to use these words as q
standpoint from which We may take q
larger outlook upon u couptry's bless
ings, and estimate the obligation Of.
these American states to the Gospel II
surely becomes ua to do so, "a on the
approaching Fourth al July, We are to
celebrate the One Hundred and Seven
tenth anniversary OF the Declaration
Of Independence. But in order TO per-
form this duty Alright, we must first re-
count our mercies, estimate our obllga'
tions, calculate our indebtedness. How
much oWest thou unto my LordT'
What is the relation OF our nation to
God, and how much do we owe Him?
This question is all the more important
on the present occasion, not only be-
cause the answer to 1t is calculated to
deepen our gratitude and intensity our
praise; but also because it touches ono
Of the most important questions which
now occupies the public mind, and
upon the proper decision Of which
depends some OF u dearest rights as
Christians, and tondest hopes as.
patriots.
TO this inquiry, "How much owest
thou unto my Lord?" when put to the.
state or nation as a body polite,
there are many ready to an.
swer, 1--WE owe Him nothing"
The state, say they, has nothing
to do with religion; government being
o social compact, conventional in Its ori-
gin, and human in its principle, is prop
erly restricted in the sphere OF Its ope-
ration to the outward, material, andsec-
ular Interests OF It's subjects; and can,
therefore, sustain no moral relations,
and be influenced by no religious obli-
cations or considerations whatever.
Now this whole theory OF government
-making civil society o mere conven-
tional arrangement, originating in hu.
man device, Is false in its foundation
principle, and evil in its tendencies; be.
cause it loosens the ties OF human re-
aponsibility, and by ignoring God aud
His law, induces social aud political
atheism.
II the state has no right to enforce ct
least the outward observance OF the
Sabbath, the atheist may with great us-
tice complain OF the enforcement OF the
other statutes Of the decalogue against
theft, adultery and murder.
Here, then, you perceive, is O theory
OF government far reaching and revolu.
tionary in Its results. Can tbe trueP
Isit SO, that as a state and nation We
owe nothing 10 God2 Are you, az Chris
tian citizens willing to sit still and per-
nit such o principle to be forced upon
you? iii Is allowed TO prevail in n
case, az for example in regard to our
Sabbath laws, then what shall hinder
theextension Of the principletothe abo-
lition o. ourpenal code, tothe overthrow
otthe marriage relation, TO the exclu-
sion Of God and the Bible from our sys-
tenn Of public education, indeed to the
CELEBRATION Of every feature and SEM
blance Of religion from the whole CON
tour Of our political organism.
ACQUISITION involving so much, and
reaching go far, demands u serious
consideration. Let US look only at the
principles involved. To you, then, as
citizen representatives Of this state and
nation, l put the question:
"How much owest thou unto my
LordTn Or in other words, What is the
relation Of this state aud nation to God,
aud what and how much do we owe
him?
The relations Of a thing are deter
mined by its nature. To ascertain, then,
the relation Of a nation to God, we must
understand first, what q nation Is.
"a nation 10 not q nero aggregation OF
individuals, o bare collection or colloca-
tion OF men, women and children, hav-
ingno other than personal relations to
, each other, and to God"
eThere may have been" says another,
80 million, and there might have been
many millions Of men gatheredtogether
out Of all civilized lands, at the worlds
nreat.industrial exhibition at London
but that million, or these millions OF
men, were no nation" A nation pro-
petly speaking, 10 an organism, with a
unity OF existence and life distinct from
all others, and from the %individuals OF
which ii Is composed. IA ma
Zion aava tha aama authof. sis
q people permanently united to.
gether in certain relations and
by bonds Of union, as n body"
Hence q nation has both unity and per.
Bonality. This 10 recognized by the na-
tions Themselves In their dealings with
each other, and in all their sovereign
acts. A declaration Of war, ora treaty
OF peace, binds every individual Of both
nationa. Now in personal unity the
sovereignty Of nation 10 vested, and
manifeats itself In constitutions, laws,
in matters o.. peace and war, In govern.
ments and governmental acts. But
whence aro these powers Of government
deriyodH That they arc vested In, and
exercisod by the. nation az q body
polite, 10 plain; but whence do these
powers Gomez This 10 tho great ques.
ton, and Just here 10 tho point Of
divergence between tho two leading
theories Of government The ono, ID
the Christian theory tho other, the
social compact, or more properly, the
athoistical theory, for the absolute no-
CATION Of religion 10 atheism. Lot ug
consider each, Of those theories, and the
anaWhfa yvhibh theV fosbbctiVnly give "a