The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-04


In the midst of the great excitement OF
incoming troops. the throng of visitors. and
the vast preparations which were being
made in his honor yesterday. President
Mckinley laid aside the cares of his high
office and as plain and unsssuming citi-
zen attended divine worship at the Metro
politan Methodist Episcopal Church He
occupied his accustomed pew participant
ed in the service, and listened carefully
to the sermon on THE Perfect Law of
Liberty delivered by the pastor the Rev.
DR.. Frank NJ Bristol. Mr.. Mckinley was
accompanied by his brother. Abner Nc
Kinley, and William s. Hawk, of New
York. old friend of the President and
his associate long before the present Ex-
ecutive became known to fame Two
thousand people crowded the church, one
of the largest audiences which the edifice
ever contained. and as many more were
upon the outside unable to gain admit
lance. The appearance of the President
the signal for demonstration in his
honor. which, though loyal. was mild be-
cause of the day. The crowd stood with
uncovered heads as the President entered
and he answered their greeting by bowling
and smiling
Many other distinguished persons were
alsoin the congregation, among them being
Richard Yates, Governor of Illinois. and
staff; Gov. Leslie NJ. Shaw. of Iowa. and
Governor Hum. of Delaware. Governor
Yates teiegraphed DIR. Bristol Saturday
night from Pittsburg that he and his
entire STAFF would worship on Sunday at
the Metropolitan Church, and in conse-
quence several pews We're reserved for
them. Mrs. Yates accompanied the Gov
ernor. and the most of the members of
the staff were accompanied by their
wives. There were about seventy persons
In the Illinois party. Governor Shaw was
accompanied by Mrs. Shaw and the chief
of his staff
In his sermon DIR. Bristol said
he two most potent ideas in political
science, If not in ethics, are expressed in
the words, law and liberty About
them cluster the forces and surge the
mighty movements of social histories
Though often treated as inimical one to
the other, In genius and function quite
antaSonisuic, they are nevertheless so
related that one cannot be pergectIy con-
ceived independently Of the other, nor can
their corresponding realities, Jaw and iiD-
erty, themselves long remain established
among men without their perfect inter-
dependence and cooperation. They are
twin stars in the armament of Christian
OF Its own. but uniting their influences in
the enlightenment of the world.
law without liberty is tyranny; liberty
without law is anarchy The law of lib-
erty and the liberty OF law Unite in JUS
tice, righteousness, and peace
one of the most original and signin-
cant thoughts ever contributed to ethics
is found in this utterance of the APOSTLE
James: TIE law of liberty. Jesus an
nounces this great law, which men call
liberty: Ye shall know the truth and
the truth shall make you free. Freedom
snail become the great law of life and ac-
ton. Liberty shall be the rule of society
ana nations. Bondages, slaveries, oppres-
SONS shall cease; the perfection OF the
law shall be realized In perfect liberty
But liberty has it's law, its bounus, its
obligations. its duties, its responsibilities
Obedience to the law of liberty, to the re-
qdirements and demands Of liberty, is
essential. to its enjoyment and maintsn-
ance. The checks and restraints of liberty
are as essential as its privileges and
guarantees The license of the Individual
IS menace to the peace and freedom
of society, and society or institutional
freedom is essential to individual free
dom.
The soul of man must look into this
perfect law of Ioerty and learn not only
that there is a divine power that can save
him from the despotism of the appetites,
the oppression of passion, the slavery of
sin, and make him a free man. but he
must also learn that in that freedom In
that individual sovereignty of will. he is
subject to the very law of freedom and
must obey the commands of liberty and
assume air the responsibilities which
liberty imposes upon him.
The world is slow to learn the lesson
of freedom, because it is slow to learn
the art of seIf-re straint, self-controi self
government. the law of liberty.
Mans mental deficiencies and defects
and mans moral weaknesses and spir-
itual degeneracies are all the iIlegitimate
limitations to his freedom. He lives in a
little world
of his ignorance. Any power that will
open his mental eye, any truth that will
shed its light into his darkness, any
knowledge that will unveil the glory and
mystery and possibilities of life to him
will make him more complete man.
hence a freer man. The law of liberty
then demands the opening OF the blind
eyes, the acceptance of truth. the break
ing down OF the restraints and
barriers of ignorance and super
stition. the education of the mind
the intellectual completeness of the
man. But when truth and education have
led man out into a larger world, into
more abundant life, into mental liberty,
the law of that mental liberty claims
him its subject. He is the citizen of
new kingdom, and must henceforth be
obedient TO all the laws, commands. and
inspirations of truth. If he never felt the
obligations of an educated man before it
was because he never before experienced
and enjoyed the liberty of an educated
mind. He was never before a free, eman-
cipated citizen of this world and this life
of truth. He was in bondage to ignorance
and to error and to superstition and to
fear. Now he is free, mentally free, be-
cause complete, and the perpetuation of
his freedom is conditional upon his 10y
atty to the law of liberty. to all the de-
mands, duties, responsibilities of his in
creased knowledge, his education, his
power. his mental freedom.
This man of sin, of appetite. of pas
sion, is as truly slave 10 his degeneracy
as was the impotent man by the pool or
he
the wayside. slave of his physical in
firmities He is not a whole man; he is
not morally complete man; he is
broken. deficient. hampered, enslaved
man. When by the power of the Christ
he is saved from his moral degeneracy
and receives in the regeneration of the
spirit the power of a new life he becomes
a free man; he enters upon the glorious
into the new spiritual world; old things
have passed away; all things have be-
come new; he has entered upon the ex-
perience of eternal life. But here again
liberty has its law. The kingdom of God
is a moral government and every son of
God is subject to the law of liberty, TO
the law of spiritual or moral liberty
What is the law of moral freedom? 1t
is epitomized in the life of the perfect
man, it finds it's incarnation in the Christ:
That law of liberty realized in individual
character and exemDlified in the ideal
man, the Son OF God, is love. Love is the
fulfilling of the law and the law of liber-
ty, the new commandment, is Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy soul.
mind might, and strength, ana tiny
neighbor as myself Upon this law of
liberty must society be constructed. for
society by this law is brotherhood. Upon
this law did our fathers predicate the po-
litical gospel of equality
This law of liberty is fundamental IN
Anglo-Saxon civilization. BY this law is
TO be realized the brotherhood of nations,
the federation of the world. II is the mis-
eli nf A q