The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1909-09-30

inspiration and Joy to draw upon the
historic past for lessons and lnsrira-
ton and then to apply its truths and
lessons 20 the needs OF the hour.
american citizenship must never
lose sight of the fact that back of
Plymouth rock. that back of our
ideals and institutions, that hack of
civil and jural rights, that back of
this republic with its tremendous
greatness and equally tremendous
responsibilities, lay the great Re-
formation, that remarkable Protes-
tant revival that shook old senile
Europe from centre to circumser-
an ignorant and stupid priestcraft
backed up by the insolence of Papal
intolerance, bigotry and craft
If there had been no Reformation.
no Luther, no Knox, no Prince of
Orange, no Oliver Cromwell, there
never would have been Plymouth
rock" and an American republic. 1t
required the bravery, the sacrifices,
the persecution and the undying and
unconquerable faith of our fol- efath-
ers to lay the foundations of Pro"
testant republic. A new world with
its possibilities, was as severe a
blow to religious and civil and jural
intolerance as was the Reformation.
1t was, this ointment and with such
men as | have mentioned that God
in his wise providence immortalized
the work of the Reformation and
crystalized religious and political
liberty into a pyramid of national
unity. This grand continent of North
America without the spirit of the Re-
formation, without the genius of our
heaven-born God-sanctioned Protes-
tantism, would have become another
Mexico, or Cuba, or South America,
with their inquisitions, ignorance
and brutality.
And now let us inquire what power
or influence was it that lay behind
the German Reformation which
shook Europe and laid the founda-
ton of Professionalism. From whence
the convictions which gave us such
moral giants that arose and defied
the combined power of Catholic
France, Italy, Spain and Austria,
with their Alvas, Phillips. Charles
V. and Leo x? Convictions which
gave to Europe such men AS Luther,
Crammer Tyndal, Coverdale and
electric shocks leaped from the
hearts and lives of these men, thrill
ing Europe, quickening humanity,
giving course and rev character to
history and changing nations; giving
liberty to states and a new era to
humanity. Convictions which crossed
continent and raised a new insig-
MIA of liberty and rewrote a grander
Magma Charter of human rights than
ever the barons of King John dream
ed at Rinnamead. From where
those convictions which made men
moral giants; made men Of deep re-
ligious life, men of Bibles and Sab
baths, who solved the problem of
self-government and laid the foun-
dations of q representative govern
ment which commands the attention
and respect of the nations of the
earth.
These convictions were founded
upon belief that God had spoken to
man in terms of righteousness, JUS
tice and truth. That the government
of the world was moral and God had
written and transcribed His attri-
butes of law and justice and love
upon every atom of the universe;
that God had revealed his character
in revelation and had raised up His
prophets and seers to sound the
tocsin:
righteousness exalleth a nation.
Sin is reproach to any people"
This was the source Of their con-
victions and the power of their in
spiration. They believed in God, in
Christ as Gods only begotten Son, in
Truth, revealed in Grace, in their
Bibles, in the Christian Sabbath, in
a Christian State, In national and
social and individual Righteousness.
They stood upon something. They
believed something. They lived for
something. They accomplished some
Continued on Page Three.)