Delaware gazette and state journal., 1897-06-17

Feel about it, ibis gentlHmRn told him
thore was cabinut maker in Bedford
wbo had made an imitation OF the chair
and so Mr.. Baynrd had him make an
other. He expressed hia belief that ii
could find no better resting place than
10 the hands of those to whom he
gladly gave it. In London be found n
the owner telling how it was found.
And then Mr.. Bayard went to
friend who has large library and saw
there an original copy OF the first
edition of Pilgrims Progress But
few OF these are In existence. One pur
chased by, the British Museum cost 20
pounds, A little while after that Mr..
Bayard met an old Scotch bookseller ID
London where he learned that u fac
slmile of the hook could probably be
secured for few shillngs. A copy was
secured and except the paper is rot SO
stained and the type is palmer, 1t
might have come from John Bunyan's
hands 230 years ago.
Now my friends and ueighbors,' -
continued the speaker, "these very
small things are none the less very elo.
quent aud they are land marks in that
Pilgrims Progress in which sou and
to.day are joining. We arc part of
the great procession that moves on in
eyitabiy and it is well for US to stop
sometimes and look at the inilestones
OF history. BY such articles as this we
realize huw the world is progressing;
how the world has progressed from
cruelty to federation and Justice Such
things as the imprisonment of men for
such tbiugs as he was charged with
would be impossible in any land where
lus -. .sa1s IL L
chair, the writ and the little book are
signs Of progtess We can tell what we
h One lesson which Mr.. Bayard drew
was that there can be no reform with
ou. struggle or hardship and that re-
form must comu from within and not
from without; that by conscience alone
is the man sustained In his action ana
the reward for his suffering will be the
counsciousnesa of his obedience to that
inward monitor. He held that a man
cannot transfer his conscience; he tcan
not act through deputy; each man at
his own peril must disobey and each
man at the cost OF sacrifice can execute.
In our own time the call for mans adj
herence to his own conscience ia as
grent IL not greater than before. II the
times of Bunyan demanded the out
spoken voice OF very man. the voice
of the times in which we live demands
it equally or even more. 1t may be
that the penalty is changed: it may be
that yon cannot be shut away from
wife and children and household, but
it may be that there are penalties for
the man who follows bis conscience to
whatever ground contrary course may
be urged. Yet even with the light,
tyranny may be fostered iI the permit
ting OF combinations. The courage to
stand against these combinations is
just as great as when John Bunyan sat
down in that upcom Portable chair and
wrote the hook, impelled by thought.
Mr.. Bayard referred to the two totally
different great men who lived in the
seventeenth century, John Bunyan and
John Milton, and from that he held
that wa may learn that conscience and
intellect are given to each with impos.
sibility to transfer. 1t shows that
through individual minds the Creator
of the world sheds bis light upon man
kind. Let no man suppose, that though
puor, and illiterate, and apparently
powerless that it may not be through
him that the voice of God may come to
men. working to bring about the king
dom for which We pray. This is the
reason that the tyranny of men is fatal
to the plan and will of God. He has
made His creatures separate and dis.
tiput. He has chosen TO make them az
individuals and men aud to think as
individuals and not as machines He
often does His work through humble
ones. 1t was because the soul of Bun
yam was driven into itself and into its
inmost recesses that he wrote. 1t may
be that pleasures and worldly interests
would have prevented carrying out such
q work.
Referring to the gifts Mr.. Bayard
said he thought what gave chem value
to him would give them value to the
Baptists. After quoting from Bunyan's
writings he embodied the sentiment
therein expressed in presenting the
gifts, saying that he hoped the book
and their beada and heart be laid
together 1a EBit3l4Bs
The congregation warmly applauded
the address.
The gifts were received OF behalf OF
the Bsptists of Wilmington by DR..
Cook, who made a most felicitous ad-
dress. lie thought the reason Bunyan
was honored by the great and high was
not because he was great preacher,
although hs was the Spurgeon of his
tnJs bot bcIuubO VI LIS RFbdt
merit, but il he was endeared to all
lovers of liberty it was because of his
suffering for conscience sake. for
principle. lie suffered for all, Jews
and Christians, Protestants and Catho-
lies, Non ConformistH and Churchmen.
He would not accept his liberty if that
carried with it the loss of the principle.
81 lie was fighting for us" said the
doctor; he suffered that We might be
free.' He died In 1858 the year of the
great Revolution when the Stuarts
were driven from the throne.
DIR. Cook thought there could be no
better place for the mementUes than in
Delaware, whose land is not stained
with the blood aof martyrs and whose
laws have always recognized the divine
right of inen. noIast
In eloquent words Dr. Cook expressed
the houor conferred hy Mr.. Bayar'i, in
that through hisomultiplicity OF duties |
ami social and business engagements |
while abroad he thought of the Baptists |
of Wilmington and sought out these
gifts. lie expressed appreciation of |
Mr.. Bayard's kind thoughtfuluess and |
the gratitude of the people,
The Rev. Mr.. Briggs, accepted the
gifts on hehalf OF the Second Baptist
Church and expressed his feelings aud
those of the people in the three words,
honor, duty and inspiration; honor.
Tint Mr. Rayard had pon farrad npon