Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-11-25
RESPONSIBILITY or PRIVILEGE
Duty of the United States in
the Great European War.
Preacher at Union Thanksgiving
Service snys Americas blessings
Are Her burdens under which
We should Not Faltcr.

A fair-sacd congregation attended the
union service Of the two CONGREGATIONAL,
Baptist, Methodist and Unitarian
Churches, which was held Mt 1870 O'Clock
last evening in the Unitarian Church. The
ministers from the various participating
churches shared in conducting the serv-
ice and the Rev c. c. Adams, pastor. Of
the First Church, preached n scholarly
sermon on the text, THE Responsibility
Of Privilege" In which he said that the
United States stood before the world to-
day as the leader In the work Of estab-
fishing an enduring peace and should give
new ideals to the world in the place Of
the former ones. which were really the
fundamental causes of war. An excellent
musical program was rendered and Mr.
Watermans singing OF Kiping's Recess
sional was especially good. An Offering
amounting to s96.S2 was collected, which
will be given to the Vermont branch of
the commission for the relief Of the
Belgians.
The Rev. G. j. Staples pastor Of the
Unitar ian Church. opened the service with
the Lords prayer The Rev. James s.
Braker, pastor of the First Baptist
Church. read selection of the Psalms
and the Rev. C. V. Grismer Of the Metho-
dist Church read the scripture lesson
from the fourth cnapter Of pauls Epistle
to the PHILIPPIANS. After the singing Of
the anthems 80 Clap Your Hands," by
Turner. and WARNINGS He Sendeth the
Springs" by the quartette. the Rev. I.
C. Smart Of the College Street Church led
in prayer. The offering for the relief
n Rrlpinpc W taI Ia.
which Mr. Waterman sang Kiplings
Recessional
THE SERMON.
In his Introductory remarks Mr. Adams
spoke of the fact that this is an en-
ceedingly difficult Thanksgiving on which
to preach sermon and that our blessings
are our burdens. This had caused him to
take for his text, THE Responsibility of
Privilege" which he had chosen after
reading the 4Sth verse of the 18th chapter
Of Luke and the 9th verse of the 18th
chapter of the same apostle. The text
was divided into three topics, the first of
which was ITO Whom Much Is Given"
In discussing this topic, Mr.. Adams said
that at Thanksgiving, one should count
his assets and be thankful for what God
and his friends have done for him The
great gifts of health. food. shelter and
clothing are looked upon with too much
complacency. We should be thankful for
our loved ones at home and our friends
and not hesitate to tell them so. nor
devote all of our time to the poor. bust
ness or society. which we have always
with us. He spoke of the conditions pre-
vailing In so much of the world to-day
and contrasted them with the great
blessings which the people of this coun-
try enjoy. The darkness prevailing in
Mexico, Poland crucided. Serbia with
everything lost, Belgium devastated and
Germany, Great Britain, France and
Russia with the flower of their young
men dying in multitudes on the firing
line, We're dwelt upon as against the
peace and prosperity of the United States
which has enjoyed such a wonderful har-
vest while other fields are drenched with
blood
In touching on the second topic Much
Shall Be Required" the speaker men
toned the fact that this was law of life
that more shall be required of the strong
than Of the weak. We do not realize our
privileges and the doctrine upon which
all should think on this THANKSGIVING is
that Of the privilege of plenty and peace
The third topic dealt with the use to
be made of privilege and power and was
Make to Yourself Friends by Means of
the Mammon of Unrighteousness" This,
said Mr.. Adams, illustrated another law
OF life, to use our power in n friendly
way. When the people of the world have
learned to use their power in n friendly
way, then Gods Kingdom will be realized.
But there are three great enemies to this
realization disease. famine and war The
first two have been partially subdued by
the science of man, but war still RACES
in undated fury. 1t is the duty of the
United States to brins an end to il and to
build an enduring peace. The speaker
said that he had no quarrel with tho
advocates of the various methods Of
producing an enduring peace, but the
one thing which they all seemed to over
look in their doctrines. and which in his
opinion was the only way to bring about
such a result. was to crystalline n public
and world sentiment for peace. The funda-
mental causes OF war are the world ideals
for world power which different nations
have possessed, racial hatred and COM
mercialism The United States must show
for all the souls Of earth In the place of
the ideal OF world power, solve in her
own country the great problem Of race
hatred, and In the place of the old spirit
of commercialism put the spirit of serv-
Ice and brotherhood. to animate the task
of rebuilding the shattered nations We
stand before the world to-day as leaders
particularly fitted to do this work, be-
cause of our neutrality which we should
thank God and President Wilson for pre-
serving, and because of our gifts of mil
lions to feed the hungry, clothe the
naked and shelter the homeless of the
warning nations. God has raised us up
to use His gifts in establishing sentiment
for peace and shall we fail Him as did
the people whom lie chose centuries be-
fore as leaders in world work and
suffer similar fate?
After few words from Mr. Staples con-
corning the beauty Of united sentiment
and united faith, the service closed with
! the singing of America, by all present
and the pronouncing of the benediction
by the Rev c. Y. Grsme