The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-07-06
MISSION OF THE REPUBLIC
FROM THE STANDPOINT or THE
CHRISTIAN MINISTRY.

An Able Sermon Preached Mt Davenport
Church Yesterday by Rev. Mr.. Meserve--
The True Ideal of Liberty-The Impor-
tanco of Character More Valuable Than
Knowledge.
In Davenport Congregational church
yesterday morning Rev. Mr.. Meserve
preached q fine sermon on the topic,
1.-THE Mission of the Republic from the
Standpoint of the Christian Ministry"
He spoke of various great principles
| adhered to by our republic, among
them that which declares that there
shall be no more European possessions
on this hemisphere than there already
are, and another which advocates the
placing Of all English speaking Amer
| leans under one flag.
Mr.. Meserve said that he said amen
to each of these principles, looking at
| them in high sense and not from a
| selfish standpoint.
America for Americans should be
! our motto, but perhaps we should add
''all English-s speaking North America
under one flag" and, furthermore per-
| haps, we should add mot only North
| America, but all the isles of the sea
and all the countries adjacent to our
| shores as to be especially under our
| care"
A few years ago one of our great
| statesmen advocated the policy of rec
iprocity, but there are difficulties in the
way. There is selfishness, and we do
not realize that while God gave us tenn
| pers, He at the same time gave us Wills
| to control our tempers. We should
| sustain to adjacent countries, because
! oe our greatness and Christianity, the
/ alation of a mother to her children.
/ More especially are we to observe the
great Christian law of nations in ask
| ing all who have not to participate In
and share with us in our privileges.
In doing this we will set good exam
pie before all the nations.
Formerly in Fourth Of July orations
| the speaker gave voice to oratory alone,
| but Of late years many independence
| day orations have been filled with sense
| and the orators begin to realize the re
sponsibility of this country.
The true political idea is the idea OF
| liberty. The anarchist says he wants
| to be free, but he wants freedom
4 like that of the wild beast in the jun
| giles. 1t differs in no way from the
| idea that sto the victor belongs the
spoils,'' and In science that the strong
! est survive" God don't rule the world
on these principles. True liberty is the
liberty of a man to be man, and not
| license to prey upon his fellow men
| No other idea of liberty can or ever
will be accepted in this country. To bf
free man in this country must be
| righteously free in this Interpretation
of the word
Mr.. Meserve then turned to the ethi-
! cal side Of his topic, and said that thu
! educator of these days has something
| else to do besides to impart knowledge
/ We want to secure before knowledge
i character which is the basis of liberty
in this country and in AN others. Be
4 fore all other claims to distinction Y
! the state comes character. In societ.
i 1t is the same. The doors Of society
will be opened wide to the man OF ire
proacf1abte character, whether he haV'
money and blood or not.
In the church the chief work Is tn
building and forming of Christian char
aeter. Let us have character, sans
character will worship according to II
own ideals
Mr.. Meserve in the course of his tall
said that he had never heard so littl
profanity on the streets Of this city o.
a holiday as he heard last Saturday
Continuing, he said that the ideal 9
man is every day an honest man a
well as a free man. He then showes
how the idea Of a man being humble
and willing to humble himself did no
conflict with the idea of liberty, ant
then spoke of the value Of good natur
in the contact of nations as in the as
ISOLATION of men Good nature restinl
on American patience is a good rule TO
the nations to follow. The Christian
patience idea even with Turkey woul'
conquer if followed according to Chris
tan ideals. The mission of our repub
lie is to be first an asylum and after