Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-11-14
A FORCEFUL SERMON
~Democracy and Christianity" By Rev.
M. W. Stryker.
brilliant Argument By the President of Ham.
ilton College, Clinton, N. Y.-Pee.
pies Day Advances.

President of Hamilton College. Clinton, N.
Y, in the Brick Presbyterian Church, Sun
day morning. DR.. Stryker said:
1t is not always remembered that. on its
human side, Moses founded a republican
form OF government. 1t was to be main
tanned through popular representation: The
failure was in Israel, not in the idea. When
Samuel anointed Saul he did it under so;-
emn protest. 1t was relapse from privil.
ege. Kings were makeshift and it turned
out badly.
Seeking a sound philosophy of man and
his affairs, and distinguishing humanity
from its utensils and furniture, l would
earnestly attempt the connotation OF the
y two words which state-each in its own
way, but with the strongest mutual bear
ing-the whole hope Of mankind: Democ-
racy, Christianity. You may run out, in
their reach and width, the many PROPOSE
tions which l can now only utter, not am
pity. l have only time for the broadax
and the adj.
l used the word "mankind"-that is,
m ma - related, cousined, brothers.
of 'the whole fatherdom in heaven and
earth"-he nffirms the broad and clemen-
tai gospel theorem of the common origin,
the common opportunity. the common con.
Germ of all humanity. God hath made of
one biood"--'.ln one spirit all baptized
into one body"-such phrases characterize
the Encouragement of the world.
A unity OF privilege, duty, affections
common derivation, development and goal
the doctrine Of the essential solidarity of
man. TO affirm this is the instinct, the
Intangible purpose Of the gospel Either
ing impulse, working its way steadily, how
ever slow its stages, Or at last a sterile race
and shattered star!
Economics? 1t is the law of the world 8
housekeeping. Politics--it is mans COM
mon citizenship. Philanthropy, equity, law,
ethics, religion-these are the bonds that
transcend race and region and date. Be-
fore their scope provincialism passes into
1nsigniticance. History is the record OF
the painful but steady evolution of human
INDEPENDENTLY. Sociology is ethics.
This is the increasing purpose" of time.
vironed by his fellows. Hc is born into
and constructed for their close relation.
This is his irrevocabie constitution-the
= means toward it, better or worse, are but
bylaws. The one inevitable, the others
provisional and tentative. These are
changed and shaken, that remains. The
definition and practical ordering of this
relation. whether by means better or
worse, the assertion of partnership and
federation, in whatever degree O." wisdom
the assertion of common veal Tor woe)
this is government.
However they have Numbered, or slut.
tered, or fumbled. the experiment toward
the organizing of human life and its activ-
ties have been experiments. in search of
fair and fruitful terms under which men
may live together. Perceived or unseen,
the ends OF government are to secure the
well being OF men as men, and that must
be the best government which most eff
fectually seeks the utmost welfare of all
n u hin its cont ol-which seeks a right
and equitable society. AS a means to this
end it is strong and sacred, as means to
any other ends it is stultified.
1t concerns us, then, at once to note the
names and essential implications of the
Tor ways of getting on. together) which
men have attempted and exhibited.
Autocracy-the rule of one man, cen
tering all power in his own person and
responsible only to himself. "L'etat c'est
moi" Absoluteism-an imperfect man
cannot, perfect man would not; for
either way individually is frustrated. Des-
potism is misanthropic.
! Monarchy-which ordinarily implies
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 Technology is an anachronism and
their retention superfluous and absurd
expense.
Plutocracy is the rule of wealth-the
power of money holders. as such; It is
goes by Community of interest" by si-
lent arithmetic. does not indeed necessi-
tate, but makes possible expressions not
less actual because insidious and una
vowed. 1t has. ruined great peoples. For
community Of the interested" is widely
ty., The peoples also cannot serve God
and mammon." Plutocracy is not COM
monwcalth. Veal itself is not mere
wealth. The word wealth" begs the
question. Piutus was blind!
Oligarchy, the ''few'' in power, WIN. her
clique, bureau, machine" OF ring,
and by whatsoever means installed and toll
and virtual assumption is its odium. Its
1rresponsibiiity Is its vice. It's selfish
ness is its defeat It refuses to share.
Aristocracy, literally the rule by the
best, ideally an excellent term and thing,
practically, however, the self-slected at
their own ratins--what one has called '.the
fine irony of an entailed nobility" Here
ditary privilege tainted with pride and
superciliousness and snobbery and the dry
rot of these-a non-seguitus. still exploit
ing the many for the few, class preroga-
tive and the ron-human prescriptions OF
caste. The best" should rule in the in
terests OF what is good, but the self-styled
best, nursing their own eXciusiveness, may
become the worst.
Anarchy: Contradiction in terms! The
law OF low.essness, 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
abso,uteism of the mob!
Iheocracy = 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 nsurped by kingcraft or priestcraft
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-
sible to God. The highest law final-man
absolved from all nsurpations, and, as a
man, secured in the perfect freedom of
the largest obedience. Democracy may be
name for the mere tyranny of the multi
tude-a subservient mass a prey to passion
and to schemers who are its panderers-
fiattering while they degrade. But then
She "rule' is lost, and the demos is by
his means thwarted of his ends. Democ-
racy 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 neighbors as one. family of the highest!
'sperfect law of liberty"
Therefore, l hold both that Christianity
intends democracy, and that only in its
reality can democracy thrive or endure.
Other foundation it cannot Law. If the
Son of Man shall make the peoples free