Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-05-28
alHE PARTY CESAR

Party Cassari' was preached in the
r. Presbyteriau Church at Dover, on |
N Sunday evening, May 18th, by the Rev.
Joseph b. Turner His text was Mat
thew xii, 81: Render therefore unto
/, CAESAR the things that are C@sar'e. and
n unto God the things that are Gods. =
The sermon follows;
'The political atmosphere OF Judea |
= when these words were spoken was
heated. The Jews chafed under the
Roman jurisdiction. They never forgot
their ancient Independence they mover
20 ceased to hope for its return. Taking
e advantage Of this feeling, the Sad
~ ducees and Herodians laid aside for the
" moment their bitter antagoniams-and
not for any patriotic reasons, but sill-
"a, ply TO destroy his influence with the
n, peopie. they united in q scheme to en-
-. trap the Lord In public place and
I" before crowd OF people, they put to
' him the crafty question, Is il lawful
j 20 pay tribute TO Caesar, or is it notY'
y 1t was very skilfu artifice. 1t seemed
a. to put Jesus in precarious position.
III II He says pay tribute the people
'ay will regard Him as coward, a rene
n, eade, traitor to Israel. II He says
III do not pay, his enemies can charge
u. Him with being traitor to the Roman
y, government, and say now. as they said
~ later to PLATE, This man is an enemy
n, to Caesar. Jesus knew what was in
~ their minds, and, by way OF reply, He
!. asked for coin on which the image
: ! and the name of the emperor was
~ stamped II was the undeniable evil
,.,es dence Of jewish subsection; and look
~ ing his questioners full in the face, He
I, asks, Whose is this image and super
4. scriptionP They admit that II is
q Caesars, and SO confess their political
i, dependence. Then, he says, that
AZ being the case Render to Caesar what
"a belongs to Caesar. and to God what be-
n longs to God. He met their tempta-
n tion by laying down an eternal prin-
N ciple. Give Cesar his own. Give God
NJ His own. Rights never conflict.
y Duties never Conflict. Righteousness
d has no Inconsistencies. Civil govern
4, ment imposes obligations whose dis
Il charge Tod comments. But God has
rights which Caesar must never be per
mitted to usurp. l wish to make an
application OF this principle. 1t may
seem to you novel application. Per-
j haps it is. Nevertheless. it is needed
4 application, and one that is legitimate
4 and timely. There ia in our political
life, as 1t has developed in the United
States OF America, new power claim
ing precedence. comparatively new
Caesar 10 claiming as his right things
that belong to God alone. The cry
upon many lips is, The party, right
or wrong. Party is the new Caesar.
Party is the thing that is supreme
that is binding many eyes to righteous.
ness; that is preventing the study and
solution to .weighty problems upon
which individual and national well.
being depend. Party binds even good
inen hand and foot, and puts gags 10
their mouths, and makes them believe
that they are somehow recreant II they
do not uphold this Caesar in all, and
through al. Party and party influences
and manipulators have persuaded many
+, men OF good judgment in matters out
side OF Caesars immediate domain,
that their party affiliations - which
ought to be nothing more than an easy
alliance. to be cast of on proper occa-
sions as easily as man pulls off his
overcoat--are bonds OF steel which
they cannot break without committing
treaehery and disloyalty. So this Casal
walks over the prostrate forms of these
men; or with their active aid, o.
silent consent, pursues 10 course o.
fraud and Generalization. As to his
composition, this Caesar is practically
4 combination of comparatively small
m. number OF men, In the State or Nation
ace, forming sort of close corporation
xino These men have, most OF them, oni
* a, single Interior end in view-their owl
~ !; sten advantages. In order that they MAJ
n ,,ase et power, and keen it, they must maxi
nra go 49,, profession Of faith. So this O
\, ba ,,,rabu estion is taken up, platform il
M Az 80 ucted, and all the elaborate
vast;aats cry which century OF self
Inishing the aas 'I ~ Is az once pu
ya snd vai,,,lue. People are persuaded to be
,,,ia,,as as hat the salvation Of the countr,
,v;th Is upon the decision of this o
sigbt ~ ~ econdary question, or the election
I tha othas or that man. They are made i
n t;n 20 h,,,e that that sublime product q
eaen+ sro co. and eternity, called history,
II natal, by party bosses, and by tn
'lnaIass in land National committees. Me
At AZ ~ Eight chat anything is praise
n,,Ia;nt 10 which will build up the on
INV did I'D pull down the other. Wit
IN the oatto, ,isar truth and reason, honest
icos AZ ariotism and philanthropy al
,clsred +sb, count Party success is til
reatened IN 30 be attained by all, and an
ev ,yara fa,,nS The petty end justifies I'll
.iyata ;ndividu ihod OF whatever kind ii ma
nd,s first al, if false prophets in politIl
m than d;racto set up golden calf, as the
"a colieetions bne in Delaware, you must ia
bo himself hand worship tho calf, or
inf nj an aarI;, traitor to the party.
- =. - Se.iN he ronGllarad a m altar ~ j,