Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-07-06
THE CONTRIBUTION or CAL
. VINISM TO CIVIC LIBERTY.
Paper Read by Rev. F. w. Gregg Of Gaffney, at the
Meeting of South Carolina Presbytery, Held in
Easley. April 18th, 1902

honor and glory they were ABOUT 10
strike q blow-or to receive one.
When God Is King In the hearts OF
men, 1t Is an evil day for the throne
that is founded upon unrighteousness.
1t is a day Of reckoning for the man
who. claims some inherent personal
right to tread down his fellowmen.
And Calvinism led men back to the
first century and taught them to place
this crown upon the brow OF the Mes
stab King, and when 1t did that, 1t
dethroned kings and unshackled COM
men men,.
n. Another contribution to the phil
osophy Of life was the Equality OF
men in all their natural rights.
al. IF Jehovah was the one supreme
ruleEI then all men alike were HIS
ruotstool-equals in all their natural
rights. None had any right over an
other except that given him by the
King for the purpose of carrying OUT
the will Of the King. All alike were
sinful! erring men. There are great
differences among men, by reason OF
different endowment opportunity,
skills ETC., but these are all accidental
of life, not the essence thereof. II you
occupy position Of superiority today
1t Is because you, or some one LOT
you, has earned that position--it has
been paid for, 1t is an acquired right
You have no natural right that does
not belong equally to every other man
as well. 1t was this thought that In
spired the Scottish poet when ne
wrote, "a mans a man for a. that, and
a. that" g s. Il
%. You see at once that this thought
would upset the theories Of all NOM
archies, aristocracies, castles, etc, Tor
they are founded upon the assumption
that some men have rights inherent
and natural over their fellowman. 1t
doesn't upset all authority for the
acquired right Is heartily recognized,
but the claim to superior, natural right
is always resisted.
8. Again in this you have the foun-
dation for constitutional government.
The magistrate was Of God. The dan
ger to government was In sinful
Liberty-love in the heart
Of man was also from God. Man loves
his rights. Now when the magistrate
and all classes and conditions Of men
come together a large number of In
terests are brought together on ground
where It would be easy to have a clash.
The adjustment of these rights, one
to another, Ia constitutional govern
ment. 1t stands between the magisI
trate's absolute power, and mans
personal liberties. 1t keeps govern
ment from becoming despotsrn, and
liberty from becoming lawlessness.
This thought has left its mark In the
great protestant governments Of the
world in the institutions which CORES
pond to our house Of representatives,
or the English parliament. In these
bodies the rights and liberties Of all the
people are supposed to have q voice
In the making of the laws Of the land.
4. And this Is the thought that
stirs the power of initiative In men. A
man Is a man among his equals. His
Is the right and the responsibility to
see what needs doing and to do It.
Any other system would make the In
ferior wait upon the superior to make
every start. This puts hope and op-
portunity with all their inspiration
within reach Of every one. Herein lies
the modern "Laymen's Movement"
one of the best specimens Of fruit that
the old stock Of Calvinism has yet
brought forth, to prove not only that
there is still life in the old tree; but
that maybe her best fruit is yet to
come.
Such a movement could never have
taken place in the church OF Rome.
Her people follow the leading Of the
priests, and would never dare even
to suggest leading the priests.
III. Calvinism substituted "intelli-
gent obedience" to properly constitut-
ed authority in place Of blind obedi-
ence" to establish authority.
Its first great principle Of Gods
Kingship made the question of au-
one Of prime consideration In
all human government. A human
king had to show his credentials. He
was the agent Of God, and must show
the finger marks of his commission, or
have that commission rejected. 1t re-
uuires but a glance over the history
Of the Middle Ages to see the dlHer-
ence here in point Of view. During all
that time the great masses Of the peo-
pie thought not for themselves at all.
They followed like dumb driven cat
tie" in the way pointed out for them.
But after the reformation the question
Of authority was settled before allegi-
ance was given.
What result?
/. It exploded the theory that the
King can do no wrong" He was held
and responsible. This
perhaps found its EXTREMIST applica-
ton when Charles II lost his head for
insisting on his authority to tyrannize
over the rights Of his subjects.
2. This inevitably led to popular
It required intelligence to apply this
Men grew to desire to stu
dy the science of government. Intel
ligence was then an asset Of liberty,
and a. very necessary one. Popular
ignorance Is the tool Of tyrants and
Superstitions and preju-
dices in the hands Of unscrupulous
men are powerful levers, and with
them tyrants have crushed the hearts
and the hopes Of men. Education dis
arms them. You cannot oppress an
intelligent people beyond a certain
point.
And so you find that the reformation
went hand in hand with the spread Of
learning. Her effort was to put the
masses Of the people in position to
exercise wisdom and judgment for
1t translated the Bible
and scattered it everywhere. proclaim
ing it to be good for the people, while
Rome followed her up trying to burn