The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-05
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE
The Ancient Office Discussed by
Rev. Mr.. Goodfriend.
THE BEST LEGAL TALENT
Should Assist In Clothing III once in
Dignity and Power-A Priest OF
b Most High God-The Re-
ligiou OF Love.

Rev. Mr.. Goodfriend preached to a
large audience at the Emmanuel Pres
byterian church yesterday morning on
the theme. THE Ancient ONCE Of JUS
tice Of the Peace and the Spiritual
Priesthood" He said:
"Melchizedek was king OF Salem and
priest of the Most High God. He ap-
pears i'm the story of Abraham and is
mentioned also in the Psalms, where
Messiah is described as a priest forever,
after the order of M~elchizedek.' Jew
ish tradition invests him with a spirit
ual rank superior to the patriarch Abra-
ham,. He comes upon the scene and no
one knows where he comes from, with
out beginning of days or end of years
so far as his office is concerned. king of
Righteousness n peace. He is there
fore not an apparition. a myth, but a
real person, who occupied by right of
character this double office of priest and
Justice of the peace.
The office of justice of the peace is
one OF the most ancient as well as the
most honorable in the history OF man.
kind. 1t should be much more promi-
nent in our civilization. 1t should be
clothed with greater dignity and power.
1t should be occupied by men of the
best legal talent. No one should DE al
lowed TO go into litigation who has not
first appeared before q tribuna called
the Justice of the peace whose duty IL
shall be to bring about an amicable
settlement of the real or imaginary
troubles. Thousands of dollars would
thus be saved to the county and friend
ship would exist instead of enmity. 1t
Is too bad that we have allowed this i'm
portant office TO degenerate to one of
so little Importance. In many places
men who are considered unfit for BUSH
ness. but happen TO be somewhat of
politicians and therefore entitled to
some consideration from the political
party for which they labor. are nomi-
mated and elected to the Office of a JUS
tice of the peace.
THE question has often been asked,
Who was Melchizedek?' From re-
search we find that he was a sort of
umpire among the surrounding tribes.
In all inter-tribal questions he was the
supreme judge, from whose decision
there was no appeal. In this respect
II might be we'll for the nations of the
present to follow the example. Why
should civilized nations appeal to arms?
Would 1t not be better TO appeal to a
supreme court composed of representa-
tives from each nation? IL the disarm-
diiltlt " Jul NC U JUL
1T would be the browning epoch of the
worlds civilization The peace jubilee
of the world would then be Glory be
to God in the highest, and on earth
peace and good will to men,
But L come now. in the second place.
to speak of Melchizedek as a priest OF
the Most High God. Religion has ever
been the dominant thought of the
world. The priest, as well as the Judge,
has his place in the worlds civilization.
Justice n mercy are TO be INSOFAR
able. United they stand, divided they
fall. / do not believe in the union Of
church and state. but | believe that the
church is absolutely necessary To the
well-being of the state. There ought to
be in every town and city, in every
community, places. whether called
churches. temples or cathedrals, where
the people may be brought face to face
with their shortcomings. their sins, their
misdoings, n where they may be
pointed to a nobler life. At least once
in a week should the priest of religion
appeal to the best i'm man, to his con-
science. TO his heart n TO bring the
soul i'm contact with Its God. What
constitutes a true priest? Not his ordi-
nation. He may be ordained by the
highest ecclesiastical authority; he may
have the hands of bishops. cardinals
and presbyters laid upon him, but IL
bS - otNcla vi INV tAA' -
earnest heart and soul conservation he
lacks the essentials of this holy office.
The true priest is one in whose heart
beats the religion of love. II he lacks
I'm love, he may speak like a seraph, he
nay even burn at the stake for his
creed, he is not a true priest of God.
The the mission of the spiritual priest
Is to teach the great universals of re-
ligion. God is not confined to one race
or to one church. He is not a God of
the Jew only. of the Roman Catholic
only. Of the Protestant only. The love
OF God knows no fences. no boundary
lines. For the love of God is broader
than the measure of mans mind, and
the heart of the eternal is most won-
derfully kind
The spiritual priest must also dis
tinguish between the letter n the
spirit. Religion in the letter killeth,
the spirit maketh life Let the histori-
cal priest emphasize baptisms. confess
sions. ordinances, confirmation; these
things are OF value, providing they help
the soul to see God, but in themselves
amount to nothing. The spiritual life,
which Is the life of God in the soul, to
know by experience what IL Is to love
God and men. h IL Is to be conform
ed 10 his image. is true religion. Let
the Individual strive for a heaven IN
the soul. a heaven of heart purity. oil
noble thoughts. of progress in knowl-
edge in the ways of God. then shal his
life be one of melody, one of blessing
Under the teachings OF the spiritual
priest the universe becomes a shrine,
from which oracles declare TO men the
glory of God. the Mountains and hills
and valleys the unending galleries OF
paintings and statues of the skill and
architecture OF God, and death itself a
sacramento scene. the highest symbol
Of the hope OF everlasting life"