Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1903-11-12
A FORCEFUL SERMON
"Democracy and Christianity" By Rev
. N. w. Stryker.
Brilliant Argument By the President Of Ham
ilton College, Clinton, N. Y-Peo.
PIES Day Advances.


President of Hamilton College, Clinton, N
Y, in the Brick Presby yterian Church, Sun
day morning. DR.. Stryker said:
1t is not always remembered that, on 1T
human side, Moses founded republican
form of government. 1t was to be main
tanned through popular representation. Thl
failure was in Israel, not in the idea. Whel
Samuel anointed Saul he did it under sol
emn protest. 1t was relapse from prvil
ege. Kings were a makeshift and 1t turned
out badly.
Seeking sound philosophy of man ant
his affairs, and distinguishing humanit,
earnestly attempt the connotation of th'
two words which state-each in its owl
way, but with the strongest mutual bear
ing-the whole hope of mankind: Democ
racy, Christianity. You may run out, il
their reach and width, the many PROPOSE
tions which | can now only utter, not am
plify. have only time for the broada,
and the adj.
! used the word mankind is
mankined - related, cousined, brothers
When Paul, the apostle, speaks (litcrally
of "the whole fatherdom IN heaven ant
carth"-he atiirms the broad and cemen
tai gospel theorem OF the common origin
TIE common opportunity, the common con
Germ of all humanity God hath made o
one blood"-"In one spirit all baptized
into one body"-such phrases characterize
this whole new covenant and contemplate
the Encouragement of the world.
A unity of privilege, duty, Affection;
common derivation, development and goa
the doctrine of the essential solidarity o
man. To affirm this is the instinct, The
infrangib!e purpose of the gospel Either
this mutually, this cohesive and integral
ing impulse working its way steadily, how
ever slow its stages, or at last sterile ract
and n shattered star!
Economics? 1t is the law of the world!
housekeeping. Pohtics--it is mans com
mon citizenship. Philanthropy, equity, law
ethics, religion thesc are the bonds thai
transcend race and region and date. BE
fore their scope provlnciaiism passes int
insiguiticancG. History is the record o.
the painful bat steady evolution of human
unity-homogeneity. Sociology ia ethics.
This is the increasing purpose OF time
Mans nature involves society. He is en-
vironed by his fellows. lie is born into
and constructed for their close relation
This is his rrcvocable constitution--thC
means toward it, better OF worse, are bat
bylaws. The one inevitable, the other,
provisional and tentative, These ART
changed and shaken, that remains. The
definition aud practical ordering OF thi;
relation, whether by means better OF
worse, the assertion Of partnership and
federation, in whatever degree of wisdom
the assertion OF common veal tor WoeI
this Is government.
However they have bundcred. or slut
tered, or fumbled, the experiment toward
the organizing of human life and its actlyi
ties have been experiments in search oi
fair and fruitful terms under which men
may live together. Perceived or unseen
the ends of government are to secure thS
well being OF mon as men, and that must
be the best government which most eli
fectually seeks the utmost welfare of al
within its contrnl-which seeks right
and equtab,G society. rs a means to this
end it is strong and sacred, as a means 10
any other ends it is stulttied.
1t concerns us, then, at once to note the
names and essential implications OF the
several schemes and forms OF government
Tor ways OF getting on togethcr) which
men have attempted and exhibited
Autocracy-thc rule of one man. cen.
tcring all power in, his own person and
responsible only to himself 'I'ctat r'cst
moi" Absoluteism-an imperfect man
cannot, n perfect man would not; for
either way individually is frustrated. Dcs'
potism is misanthropic.
Monarchy-which ordinarily implies a
degree of consent and delegation of pow.
er, and has wide limits according as the
subjects have great or small influence.
The forms of monarchy are not inconsis.
tent with real popular power, only then
their tcrminoogy IS an anachronjsm and
their retention a superHuous and absurd
expense .,
power of money holders as such. 1t is
ephtla and eubvnrsiNn pf mon That II
goes by community OF interest" by 81.
lent arithmetic, does not indeed necessi.
tate, but ma kes possible expressions not
less actual because insidous and una
vowed. 1t has ruined great peoples. For
Community of the interested is widely
diverse from the interest OF the communi-
ty. The peoples also cannot serve God
and mammon." Putocracy is not com.
monwealth. Veal itself is not mere
wealth. The word wealth begs the
question. Plutus was bind!
Olgarchy; the few in power, VIII her
q clique, bureau, machine" or ring,
and by whatsoever means installed and to!,
Grated Its seiectness and separateness
and virtual assumption is its odium. Its
lrresponsibility is its vice. Its selfish
ness is its defeat. 1t refuses to share
Aristocracy, literally the rue by the
best, ideally an excellent term and thing,
practically, however, the sef-clected at
their own rating-what one has called "the
fine irony OF an entailed nobility Here.
ditary privilege tainted with pride and
superciliousness and snobhery and the dry
rot OF these-a non-sequtus, still exploit
ing the many for the few, class preroga-
tive and the non-human prescriptions of
caste. The best should rule in the in
terests of what is good, but the self-styled
best, nursing their own eXclusiveness, may
become the worst.
Anarchy! Contradiction in terms! The
law OF lowcssness, the rule of caprice and
all violence, denying authority in that
license which is the parody and ruin of
true liberty! Freedom crushed under the
absoluteism Of the mob!
Theocracy = the reign of God, actual
while God is God, truly realized in univer
sal recognition of Him "the first and the
last and the living one;" but never dele
gated to any vicegerent, installed in the
common consent of free consciences and
when rsurped by kingcraft or prestcraft
the basest perversion of the highest truth
Democracy: Self-government by the
people. The dignity of the people is the
intention of their Creator. He who is the
source of this self-rule, is also its only Sc
curity. Each man with, not apart from,
every other, directly and jointly respon-
SIDE 10 uOu Inc nlHnest law nna.-lnan
absolved from all usurpations. and, as a
man. secured in the perfect freedom of
the largest obedience. Democracy may be
a name for the mere tyranny of the multi
tude-a subservient mass prey to passion
and to schemers who are its panderers-
fattering while they degrade. But then
the rule" is lost, and the demos is by
his means thwarted of his ends. Democ-
lacy is ideal when it meets all the con-
ditions of total responsibility to God
when in the high peerage of that loyalty
of creature to Creator all neighbors love
all neghbors as one family of the highest!
Love, vertical aud lateral, is its law--the
perfect law of liberty"
Therefore, ! hold both that Christianity
intends democracy, and that only in its
reality can democracy thrive or endure
Other foundation it cannot lay. If the
Son of Man shall make the peoples free
they shall be free indeed. and not other
wise. His autonomy is theirs His vaiu,
alton exalts them. His rights secure
theirs. In Him, who is all in all, they are
complete.