The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-05-30
MEMORIAL
ADDRESS
Pastor Of Baptist Church Covers
Wide Field.

lhree=f0ld ASpeCt-kindIy UreeLiHS
for Veterans who Wore the Blue
Charity for Those who Fought I'M
der Stars and Bars-Lessons of the
Day.
The annual sermon before the mem
bers of Torbet Post, q. A. r., was
preached in the Baptist Church on sun
day night. United States flags and those
of different countries were appropriately
draped about the auditorium. About Z
o'clock heavy downpour of rain started
which was accompanied by sharp flashes
of lightning and heavy claps of thunder.
Notwithstanding this, however, the room
was we'll filled. So sharp was the light
ming that some of the old veterans were
seen to dodge; who were never known
to dodge when facing the enemy's fire.
Happy art thou, o Israel;
Who is like unto thee, a people saved
by Jehovah.
The shield of thy help,
And the sword of thy excelIency!
-Deut. 33 :29
For ye, brethren, were called for
freedom; only use not your freedom
for an occasion to the flesh, but
through love be the servants one to
another.
Galatians: 5: 13.
The Bible of every nation, says
Carlyle, is it's own history. A God at
work in any age implies a God at
work in every age. The same heart
and hand that shaped Israel of old is
calling and shaping our nation today.
To find God in any age is to find him
in every age.
Thus Cromwell, in some respects
the greatest Englishman, says: "We
are people with the stamp of God
upon us-whose appearances and pro-
vidences are not to be outmatohed by
any story The history of Israel has
surprising value and interest because
it furnishes us the key to our own ma
tional life.
1t is commonplace Of thought that
certain peoples of the past have been
chosen for great work and have
been shaped to divine ends. Israel
Greece and Rome-these are three of
the great elect, nations of the past,
whose history and work we know.
We have been set the task of settling
a continent, clearing it's forests and
discovering it's resources, unveiling
it's wealth. building it's cities and
winning self subsistence. The work
that our fathers have done in its mag
nitude and quality is the crowning
wonder of the world. But now that
we are attaining our manhood and
are standing forth as nation, it be-
comes us to ask what is our calling
among the nations of the earth, and
what we must do to make that calling
and election sure. This consideration
is all the more important because in
a sense we stand at the parting of the
ways. Never again can we live the
old instructive life, without any
clear vision or definite end. Events
which are Gods interpreters are for
cling us out of our old isolation and
are summoning US to give an account
of ourselves and of our mission. AS
we interpret our mission. so shall our
future be. "Where there is no vision
the people perish. -
ask you to consider with me the
meaning of our national calling and
the content of our American Idea.
I.
The American Idea in its historic
unfolding. Three things as I under
stand it, enter into ibis American idea
as it has been unfolding itself in his
tory
1. One element in that idea is soul
liberty To trace out the rise and
development of this idea in history is
most fascinating study but we can
not here attempt it. 1t is sufficient for
our purpose to say that soul liberty in
the sense in which we understand the
term is modern thing and is the
direct creation of the Christian spir-
it. There is no one man and no one
generation that can claim to be the
fountain head of this great idea. The
apostle Peter in his day spoke forth
q word that has awaked distant &C.
hoes: "Whetker it be right In the
sight of God to hearken unto you,
more than unto God, judge ye; but
we cannot but speak the things which
we have seen and heard. " Other men
in other ages entered into this same
spirit, and the names of Arnold, of
Bresoia and savouroralla of Wickliffe
and Huss, OF Hubmaier and Luther,
of Calvin and Williams must be had
in everlasting remembrance for their
devotion to this great idea. Perhaps
the first formal statement Of this
principle was made by the peasants OF
Germany, who in 1924 issued this
declaration of principles:
Article I. Every commune has the
right to choose it's own pastor who
ought to teach the true faith without
human additions
Article III. Every man being re-