The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-29
SERVICES IN CALVARY.
The First Congregational Church
Joins in Thanks and Praise.

and the First Congregational churches
have united in Thanksgiving services.
Tais wear the united congregation met in
Calvary Church and DR.. c. o. Brown of
the First Church preached the sermon.
Or. Hemphiil conducted the other parts
of the service. The music was by the Cal
vary Church choir.
Dr. Browns text was Psalms xvi:6, Yea,
l Have Goodly Heritage
with the eye of poet" said he, ''Da-
vid saw not only natures face, but her
heart: with the soul of worshiper he
looked through nature to natures God.
To him the blessings of the material world
were not fatherless.
If we should bring to this hour his
spirit a new meaning would clothe our
vast territorial expanse and our mountains
would rise with new grandeur. Il David
could sing with rapture OF his land OF linn
tied territory and mild aspect, how ought
We to sing the land. whose limits are the
seas which invite commerce, but discourage
INVASION Here are maiesties OF natural
scenery such as David never dreamed OF,
and the American who spends money to
see Europe before seeing his own country
ought to be taxed for his lack of patriot
ism.
But bigness is not greatness. Greece
was greater than Persia, for she had
Homer and Socrates, Euripides and Peri
cles Palestine has contributed more to
the permanent forces OF the world than the
whole Roman empire besides.
''But view our land as the arena of vast
proyidences, and how 1t enrlches the
thought of our heritage. Here for ages
the possibilities OF empire were in waiting
fertile soil. which was not titled; for
ests, not utilized; rivers, which bore no
commerce; mountains unsuGg, whose
grandeur should yet inspire the finest
genius OF poetry and art. These waiting
resources were the vast ana silent prophecy
OF a new order. They were waiting the
dawn OF a new era. Was the psalmist's
heritage rich in historic memories? So is
ours.
This continent was discovered IN q
providential time. Its discovery was like
the coming OF the printing press, inst as
paper was ready for ii; or like Franklin
and Morse Prometheus-like, with the
heavenly fire just as the iron industry was
ready for it.
'Feudalism had run its course. Civil
liberty had come to the birth in England.
Religious liberty had lighted its torch in
Germany God was ready to bring hither
people having in their right hand re-
ligious liberty, III their left civil liberty;
in their hearts the words OF him who
said, Call no man master-au We are
brethren. Here there was no despotism
to overcome; here no Jealous eyes of
church or State; here an open field for the
Development OF q new civilization"
Two lines OF reflection were drawn, one
on present liberties, the other showing the
long procession of kings and queens who
had opposed the march OF liberty. The
progress of liberty and the various foun
tains from which il had come we're pointed
out.
There in Florence a few years was
Savonarola. Florence, with her classical
revival, but her cynical heart, would hear
the new preacher. and San Marco rocked
beneath his seer-like denunciation OF her
sins. They burned him, of course, but
not till he had given Florence kind of
republican government; not till he had
said, The people are the only source of
political power'-a great sentiment, which
is perpetuated in the words OF our great
charter, Governments derive their Just
powers from the consent OF the governed.
Lock in upon that scene at Worms.
Kings and court are there, Bishops and
Archbishops. Martin Luther speaks there
a word as immortal as the soul of liberty.
At that hour the German Reformation
was assured and free America became pos
sible. At that hour God explained why
Columbus did not discover America till
1892. That scene is part OF our 'goodly
heritage for while Saxony gave Luther
birth, only America has incarnated his
spirit IN her constitution. William the
Silent was the father of the Dutch repub-
lie. That was the rock on which the Span
ish power broke. The Dutch repu bic
meant for liberty what Marathon meant
to the civilization of Europe.
at was the civil power which embodied
what Luther taught Its rise diverted the
resources of Spain from colonlZlng New
York. Its rise sent the liberties of the
Netherlands instead OF the Spanish inquis-
ition to the mouth OF the Hudson. There
the noblest achievements of William the
Silent have come into our liberties and our
heritage. So of Div er Cromwell who en-
bodied Puritan principles and carried them
TO victory at Marston Moor. America
realized them in permanent laws in which
the spirit of Cromwell lives forever. Thus
out of the heart or the greatest religious
struggles of the centuries our liberties were
born.
"Ours is a religious heritage. II was the
broader conception of religious and civil
liberty which gave the Seer of Florence his
vision; it was the vision of free faith
which cheered Luther. Holland was per-
secuted-that was what made William the
Silent. America inherited the rich results
OF great thinking and great conflict. With
Europe. Gods people, bringing Gods day,
Gods church and Gods book, the three
pillars on which, as Professor Schaff said,
our Republic. is built.
"Oh when [ reflect on the evils of the
old order l cry out with David, L have a
goodly heritage We ought to be thank
ful for golden harvests, for slowly return
ing commercial prosperity, for peace
throughout our borders. But what are
even these great blessings compared with
the vast blessing of liberty? Our fore
fathers preferred this land with liberty.
when there were no golden harvests. but
only black shores; when peace and pros
perity refused TO come; when Indians
furked by every pathway; when TIE Brit
ish army came TO demand its tribute of
blood from Bunker Hill TO Yorktown.
What we need to-day is new view of
the moral and spiritual source of our lib
critics and new estimate of their priceless
worth. We need to see that il liberty is
to live we must protect the free religious
life which gave 1t birth and which alone
makes it possible.
Revived Americanism is sign of our
times. We are saying with emphasis that
one country at a time ought TO be enough
for any loyal Americana That if any man
likes any other country better he had
better go to that country. But to shout