The Portland daily press., 1895-09-05

f1GT luSttlS arc duvttuCluGy I6f VJSlOu is
clarifying her strength is augmenting.
Having ceased to dream of all outward
sovereignty over theIstate she finds herself
clothed with increased influence and hon
or within the state. 1t may be that the
aged Pope who sits musing BIZ the Tiber,
surl ounded by the mementoes Of past
tempora rule, still dreams of day when
the church shall again gather up the
reins of power and dictate the policy OF
state But that DAY will never come in
America We are fully committed to the
separation.of church. and state But this
separation is only in order to a closer
union. The mission of the church to the
state is to be the conscience Of, the state,
not its constable. One in five Of our
population is a member of an evangeil-
cal church, one in five of our population
a striking coincidence, I need not point
out that the lists of voters and of church
members are by no means coincldent.'
For there are many church members who
are minors, and majority of all, who
are females, while, generally speaking,
our voters are males of upwards Of TWEEN
ty-one years. But after all necessary ed
locations the fact remains thatsevangelisti-
cal Christianity has great social and
political power in America. Need /
point out that all its power should al
ways be found on the side of good citi-
zenship?
This convention tonight is made up of
the representatives of the young people OF
the evangelical churches of Maine. Speak
ing to such an assembly, upon such
pregnant and important theme, I desire
that what / say shall be practical. de-.
sire that the vision of good citizenship OF
tonight should be sufficiently ideal to
imply progress, and sufficiently practical
as to make progress possible. l shall,
therefore, call your attention first to the
qualities of good citizenship and after
ward to its acts.
The first quality of good citizenship
hold to be that it should be Christian.
There needs no apology in the presence
of this audience for saying that the high
est type of citizenship il the Christian
type. If the religion Of the cross does not
make n better citizens 1t is yalueiess; Even en-
if it be considered as a preparation for
citizenship in the world to come, it still
must prepare by worthy citizenship
here and now. A POOR citizen Of New
York would not make good alderman
in the New Jerusalem. The Christian
religion forms the best foundation for an
ethical system that can be found. In our
who object to the teaching of religion
in the public schools, We have yielded al
together too much until we have nearly
unchristianized them. While there Is no
proper place in our public schools for
sectariaiism, there is place for the recog-
milton of God, the Bible, and ChIistiani-
ty Again and again has the judicial
power ruled that this is a Christian ma
ton, that our common law presupposes
Christianity.
The second quality of good citizenship
is that it be Intelligent Religion with
out education becomes superstition.
Schools and colleges must be multiplied
and access to them be made possible to
ALL nation where the people govern
must be composed.o t an intelligent peo-
pie or great disaster will result Those
who attempt to destroy the public school
system. andit substitute the narrow strife
| of ecclesiastical bodies for the broad,
generous recognition of the fatherhood
| of God and the brotherhood OF man,
should be reckoned as the enemies OF the
| Republic. But good citizenship must
not only be intelligent in the principles
| of learning, but also in the application OF
the spirit Of Christianity to quest1 ons OF
private interest and public affairs A
citizen who is both Christian and inuelli-
gent will not consider it admissible to
use a postage stamp the second time be-
cause uncancelled, while he would scorn
to take two cents from his neighbor's
Neither will he think it admissible to
loaf on the public highway when hired
by the municipality or state, while he
would labor faithfully If at work In his
A third quality of good citizenship is
that it be patriotic. The citizen should
believe in his country, love his country,
and welfare. Not, s'my country right
or wrong,'' but "my country must and
shall be Fight . is this motto. Patriot
ism is something higher and holier than
the average American politician imag-
ines. The patriot gives himself for his
country in time of peace as well as war.
Public. Office becomes indeed a pubic
bringing to justice those, .unblushing
thieves who fatten on public spoil and
municipal corruption A fourth quality
Of GOOD citizenship is that it be cosmopo-
Titan. It believes that God hath made
of one blood all nations OF men," and
while he is not an advocate OF lndiscrlmi-
nate intermingling of races, and believes
from from the evil of other nations, it is
against the vicious and depraved he leg
islates and not against nationality He
looks forward to the federation of the
nations toa world parliament What
he desires for himself of good, that de-
sires he for all men; and what he prays
that his own nation may be tnat ne
nravg all ubulOuo iAAesy NV -
frees himsel from mere provincial1sms,
and local prejudices, he thinks OF society
not as a combination of warning indl-
yiduals but as an organism yet to be per-
fected He is, therefore, ready to inquire
What are the acts of good citizenship?
First. then, good. citizenship will sup
port the church. 1t realizes that free
church is the greatest safeguard OF free
republic. It will recognize that the more
broadly the privileges and duties OF po-
iitioal power are extended, the more nee
essary becomes the diffusion OF consoient-
BUSINESS 1t demands church which un,
dertakes the government o., Of ! political
marty and fears none. Which will de-
nounc. unrighteous deals and corrupt
methods wherever and by whom ever per-
netrated Which does not attempt to
determine what party its members shall
vote for, but does determine that no man
who sells his vote or buys that OF his
neighbor. is fit for the kingdom OF God
or The church of Christ. Such church
wise in ministry, tender.in Christ like
love. and firm in the principles of righte-
business, is the mightiesttforce;,
Mr.. Bean next spoke OF the duty OF
the good citizen in supporting the state,
not eyading taxation, orssattempting to
shift the responsibility of his citizenship
dow Nlfff