The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-06-23

| legations they owed the state. nor did 1t
| give to them the privilege of violating the
laws of the land. On the contrary, their
| obligation to be law abiding citizens was
| enhanced, just because they were Chris
tians This is the Divine idea 1t is God s
| rule for Christian liberty. 1.-The powers
that be are ordained of Cod; and "he
| that resisteth the power, ressteth the
| ordinance of God.' 1t was Nero who was
| king when Peter urged Christians to obey
| the law. This fact gives force to MS
counsel when he says: "Honor all men.
Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor
! the King No good citizen will violate
| the law or advocate its violation, or en-
courage others to violate it.
RIGHT OF REVOLUTION.
| 1t is not necessary to discuss the right
| of revolution. That right is conceded in
certain circumstances. But that is not
| now the question. The point now is that
loyal submission to law on the part OF
every citizen is a sacred duty which is
| enioined both by Holy Scripture and
right reason. But while this Is Gods
truth, it is distasteul to many. Multi
tudes are governed by wilfulness and sell
| ishness rather than by reason and reve-
lation. INSTRUMENTATION and disrespect for
lawful authority are marked characterls-
| ties of these times. We see this in our
| own vicinity, and it as plain to be seen
in other quarters. We have been taught
| in the school of Christ. that is a manly
| thing to do honest work; but there are
thousands and tens of thousands among
| us, who would have us believe that 1t Is
manly thing to keep honest men from
working. They regard it as manly to play
| the part of 1.-THE dog in the manger," and
| neither work themselves nor permit 9TH
ers to work. That is to say, they are
| using liberty ''as a cloak of malicious
ness" They have no sympathy with the
teaching of Peter and Paul on the sub
| ject of liberty. TO act ''as the servants
| OF God" and "by love- to serve one
another" is repugnant to them.
Is not this true? And is it not pitiable?
Is there any remedy for it? Yes. An en-
| lightened Christianity is the remedy.
| Righteous laws can do much. but when
| these friends are brought into vital con-
tact with Jesus Christ they will then act
las His servants" and they will not mis-
| take liberty for license.
History teaches us that dsdain of law
full authority is both the precursor and
the sign Of a falling state. And surely
the desire to do justice between man and
and man, the desire to uproot evil, to re-
ward virtue, and to punish vice ought not
to be regarded as the exclusive privilege
and duty of any one party in the state,
or in the nation.
THE SuREST TEST.
There can be no s,irer test of the po-
litica social and religious condition Of a
people than that which permits citizens
to ignore and set at defiance the laws of
| the land; and there is no way in which
patriotism and piety can be employed
more hOnorably or more usefully than by
| endeavoring to establish respect for law
and order in every community, in every
workshop, in every place OF business, and
| in every home. Begin with the children.
| for if they be trained up in the way they
should go, they will not depart from it.
| Note also this point: AS citizens of the
| Christian commonwealth, we are under
obliga tions to each other. We are God
servants, and by love. we should serve
| one another. II this rule were observed,
| it would rid society OF some of the great
| evils that now afflict it. There would be
no clashing of interests between class and
class, between capital and labor, be-
| tween employers and employees. The
! Christian rule: "Bear ye one anothers
| burdens" has been too often ignored.
| suppose 1t is true that no nation on earth
| has had greater prosperity that this ma
| ton of ours and l suppose 1t is also
| true, that in no nation does the individual
enjoy grea ter liberty. These are blessings
| but they are blessings which have been
| abused, and if we desire to perpetuate
| these blessings we must be on our guard
| against their further abuse. 1.-THE broth
| erhood Of man" is a taking phrase, but it
| is often misleading and it Is often ig-
nored.
We say: "A mans man for a. that"
and straightway we treat him as If he
were something else than a man. In the
| treatment of their fellow-men, there Is, In
many quarters vast difference between
| their brotherhood doctrine and their
brotherhood conduct. The church of
| Christ is not entirely free from this
| fault Its brotherhood doctrine Is all
| right but some Christians fall far short
Of carrying that doctrine into practice.
| If protesting Christians do not observe
| the Golden Rule, it cannot be expected
| that men of the world will observe it,
WOULD PREVENT STRIFE.
We have good reason to believe that
mutual forbearance, mutual sympathy,
| mutual happiness and brotherly kindness
| would go far to prevent strife and Ill will.
| and to bind together in bonds OF friend
ship, employers and their employees. or
| course. the vicious and the malicious and
| the unreasoning crowd must be dealt
with in another way. They must be with
| stood to the face; and for the sake, of
lHe law dDiuils' anu ~ nv '''S'SS. ~.
| Christian liberty, they must be restrained
and punished.
| speak in this way today, because of
| local conditions, and because of threaten
| ings which, II carried out. would entail
| Widespread sufferings and loss. 10 carry
| out these threats would, In my Judgment.
| be Il monstrous abuse of power, and 1t Is
| to be hoped that those Immediately inter-
ested-the employers and the employed -
will have enough of wisdom, and enough
| of patriotism, and enough of the spirit Of
| Christ to prevent such catastrophe.
Brethren. ye have been called unto
| liberty" The liberty which Paul and
| Peter had in mind was as high above
| the common worldly idea OF liberty as
| the heaven is high above the earth. They
| had i'm mind that liberty wherewith Christ
makes His people free. They knew and
know that no man Is free who Is the slave
| of passion, or OF appetite, or of selfish
ness; that no man is free, in a Christian
sense, who Is not Christ's obedient SER
want, and whose life is out of harmony
| with the willie of God, To be free from
| the guilt and the penalty, and the power
| of sin; TO be conscious of the smile of
| God. and to have a good hope through
grace Of everlasting life-this Is the lib
| erty to which Christians are called, and
| those who enjoy this liberty will never
| use 1t for mean purpose, or as cloak
| of maliciousness; but. as the servants of
| God, they will put II to holy use-instead
| of depressing their neighbors, they VIII,
! by love serve one another.