Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-07-08
FIRST CHURCH.
Enduring Peace the Right Coal of His

fcuCc the hIRnt NsOUi Him
torical Development, Says DIR. Atkins.
The order of worship for religious
services, issued by the terccntonary
commission, was carried out. with a
few minor exceptions at the First
Church Sunday morning. The pas
toral PRAYER was offered by the Rev.
f. G. Guthrie. and the Rev c. c. At
kins d. D.. # Detroit, Mich, preached
the sermon.
Mr. Atkins took his text from the
second chapter OF tho Epistle of 81.
Paul to the Ephes!nns. verses IA to l6.
inclusive:
'For He is our peace, who hath
made both one and hath broken down
the middle wall of partition between
us.
Having abolished in His flesh the
enmity, even the law Of command
ments contained In ordinances: for to
make in Himself of twain one new
man. so making peace;
And that lie might reconcile both
unto God in ono body by the cross,
having slain the cn,nity thereby"
Mr.. Atkins said tina, by this utter
ance ST. Paul showed a noble and en-
during peace to be tho right goal OF
all historical development. and that
this peace could only he brought about
through the unity Of tho highest Chris
tianity He then went on to say. in
part:
The victory OF truth is the only real
aud enduring one that we may look
forward to: it Ia through and by this
victory that tho ultimate goal Of the
social process will be reached. This
truth is syrbo!izcd by the "r-ss Of
Christ and is cxemplihed by the Chris
fian principle operating in society.
The same unfolding Of the will OF
Gcd IS shown in the minor historical
process which has gon, on in the
Champlain valley since It's discovery
II has been through continuous strife.
up to the present day that the peace
which we enjoy has come to its fru-
itfon. and the greater peace which is to
como will be brought about in the
saw way. Peoples and politics. ideas
and races, have traglcally met here
and worked out their d-stinics as
much as anywhere in the world, But
out of each strife and each contest
has come some new and better thing,
some definite step toward the consum-
nation OF the process.
Samuel de Champla!n brought into tho
valley the old end the Just dawn'ng Eu-
ropean orders. the feudal md the Indus
trial. The old order Of distinction and
privileges had It's representatives as we'll
m the now one OF reconciliation and
equality It was essentially the meeting
Of privilege and opportunity, and out Of
tho union and amalgamation Of the two
came, triumphant, the newer democracy.
There was no chance In the world for
man who could not justify his existence.
1t Is claimed that out OF tho 18th century
philosophy were born our political and
social ideals, but this is not true, they
were the children OF conditions here. The
capacity which was already inherent in
tho races. and especially In the Anglo
Saxon, was brought out ard developed in
tho new environment, and n new elorin-
cation Of work was ono OF the products,
Through the darkness OF thu bloody
struggles with the Indians and the enau-
Ing petty wars we cannot always SEQ
clearly tho theological thread, but Is 1t
not possible to think that the disappear
ance OF the red man served the purpose
Of the establishment Of tho kingdom OF
Ood7 A still deeper ana moro significant
strife cnme between tho Latin and tho
AnElo-Saxon; between them the old
struggle OF Europe was renewed. Their
, conceptions OF government. society and
religion were al radically different and
Il was only necessary for tlem to come
In contact for war to be precipitated.
The triumph Of our people was fore
ordained. In that we had the finer and
higher Inheritance OF customs and insti-
tutions. and tho kingdom OF God was
again served by our victory, A moral
imperative, stronger than any other force
In tho world. lies behind all these glacial
Vnove1Ranta Of society. These great move