The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-04
AE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
THE NATIONS INDEPENDENCE DAY.
IN HISTORICAL SERMON,
Delivered by Edward Everett Hale, ID.
D., Pastor of south congregational
Church, Boston, Mass.

It was little before the reign of James
/ began that the word independent" came
into the English language. And this was
because the English people wanted to ex-
press what we mean by independence"
Just at that time, and among the people
who made that statement, this Nation of
ours was born. There stood in the edge of
Nottinghamshire, not far from the old high
road as You ride from Scotland TO London,
manor house of the Archbishop of York
Oddly enough, it happened that James, the
Scotch King, when he rode to London from
Edinburg to take possession of his new
crown, saw the place and took fancy
to it.
Oddly enough, I say, for at that very
time, wholly without the knowledge of the
King. and with as little knowledge Of the
archbishop, there was secretly meeting. on
every Lords day. q. handful of Christian
people of the neighborhood who had chosen
to form here an Independent church. 1t
was formed on the principle that, whether
ordained to the priesthood or not ali Gods
children had duties to Him and TO His king
DOM and that whenever a company of
them chose to come together for worship
and communion they were a church of
Christ and had every right and every priv
ilege which any church of Christ could
have. The Greek Church had not more The
Church Of Rome had not more. No church
had more.
That little company was soon driven out
of England. But they and theirs became
the Independent Congregation of Leyden
in Holland, and, after the voyage of the
Mayfower, the Independent Congregation
of Plymouth. John Robinson was their
minister in Europe, a man Of piety, sense
and learning. He never came to America
William Brewster, printer, who did come
became what they called the teaching elder
or minister here. He had no ordination but
what they gave him by their own appoint
ment. He is, therefore, a typical person.
being the first person who did the duty of
clergyman in Massachusetts yet claiming
no authority for that service but such as
the congregation to which he ministered
could give him.
Now, as matter of history, these people
claimed that this is just what would have
happened in the early churches in the DAYS
of Paul and Peter and John. have not the
slightest doubt that they are right in their
claim. 1t is conceded by the farest author
tiles. They and theirs had to argue great
deal as to the historical question. We and
ours do not have to targue that question
the world that where Gods spirit is, there
is right and power. And one of the things
which we owe to them is our cool habit of
doing the right thing without caring for
precedent. So we do not look for the prece-
dents in the first century. If we did look
for them, we should find them.
These are the men who invented the
words independents and independently"
They were not dependent on the Archbishop
of York or the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Not they!-they were independent Their
church was an Independent church. So that
word came into the English language.
1t would be an admirable study for any
young man or young woman who reads
these words to see how independence in re-
ligion brought into each of the American
States the habit of home rule
Whatever the claim OF the crown of
England or the pretense of it's governors,
the people of America have from the be-
ginning, ruled themselves. [ am fond of
saying that the feudal system never lasted
more than half an hour, with any man,
after he had landed on the American shore
And 1t may be well for every boy who fires
a cracker on Independence day or the dav
AFTER 1t, to recollect seriously that he owes
the very word to the brave men and women
who left the patronage and protection of
the ecclesiastics to seek God for them
selves.
This may be said by Christians of what
ever communion in America 1t ia the
pride OF every church in America that
whatever be the form of its ritual or of the
exteriors of its ecclesiastical government. II
has really the control of its own affairs
The people who contribute for the building
of the edifce, the people who paw the ex.
penses of its management, are really the
people who direct that management, under
whatever form. Very naturally. as the DIFF
rerent States or commemorative arranged
their institutions. they took from the
simple institutions Of their churches the
habits Of democracy.
/ have been told by gentlemen well ac-
quainted with the new Christian establish
ments in Turkey, whether in Europe or in
Asia, that the same result has been seen
there If men meet to direct the order
OF religious service, the person who is to
preach, and the charities OF the church
aThey begin to think that it might be well
4 TO govern the village in which thew are
IL is by no accident, then, that in manv
parts of America. even 80 this generation
the word church has translated itself
into the word Injecting house." and that
the place where the congregation meet 10
worship God on Sunday is the place where
they meet on Monday to choose their town
officers, their governor, or their president
One hundred years ago the Able Cen
ty, a distinguished French scholar of that
time, now long since forgotten, published
an essay on The Result of the Discovery
OF America by Europe" At the very end
OF his paper he says (writing in 1880: The
independence of the Anglo Americans is
the event most likely to accelerate the rev.
olution which is TO renew the happiness OF
the world. In the bosom of this new nation
are the treasures which are to renew the
world. He names the relief TO crowded
Europe as one Of the blessings which are to
come TO mankind. The emancipation of
slaves. the end of conquest, universal
peace, the conversion of the world to Chris
tianity. are others. All these are to spring
from the freedom, truth, honor. and. in
general the virtue of three millions of
Americans, and he finds nothing else for
them TO spring from.
He was perfectly right. These Il. rec mil
lion people, in thirteen States Which are
and OF right ought to be. independent"
had no gold or silver in their mines. They
had no diamonds rubies for crowns
They had no sugars or spices for com
merce. As he says. they had their virtues
AND Icy had little more.