Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-10-30
Sermon Preached in the FRS. Baptist
Church on Sunday Evening Last by
Rev. DR.. E. L. Jackson.

Of the sermon delivered by the Rev
DR.. Z. B. Jackson at the First Baptist
Z church on Sunday evening last, at the
memorial service held by Alexandria
Council, Order of F'raternal Ameri-
cans:
"Render unto Caesar the things
that are Caesars and unto God the
things that are Gods. Matt. 22:21.
s believe that the violation of the
principle contained in the text has
brought upon the world an innumer-
able multitude of evils. The great
American Republic was set up rest
ing sQrarely upon the truth contained
in the words Of my text There
were many who felt that it was only
an experiment which could never
survive the traditions vf Old world
government. So enemies Of foreign
birth, came and it was suspected
.kat the hyphenated 'rand of citizen
ship was claiming the pol'ric;,: re-
wards. 1t resolved itself into a con-
test for healthy Amer!canism, about
he middle of the 10Th century, and
out of this contest was born the
"Ordcr of FrateInal Americans"
Blood was shed in the defense Of the
American flag and thus this new or
der received its baptism.
| want you to see that the order
has stood for the great principle of
liberty all through the intervening
years OF our history, and, victory is
not yet in sight for ''eternal vigilance
is the price of liberty :.
/. The Order Stands for Civil
Liberty. a.
The history of the union of church
and state has caused the corruption
of the church, and likewise the cor
ruption of the State. Martin Luther,
first of all since New Testament days,
saw the state as a God-appointed,
independent power The people
We're to be, after the Revolution, the
masters of their own destiny-the
rover OF the Ring was gone forever. |
Bu. there were ways by which the
will of the people could be defeated,
lv designing men, and at least One
famous political organization OF our
day in New York city, that flies the
black flag, was then organized. The
State thus becomes the tool OF un-
scrupulous buccaneers. You lifted
your voice against such un-Ameril-
canism at critical time. The glor-
ious Constitution was written by
men who seemed raised up for that
purpose-it was to be the street
anchor Of our liberties But';men who
call themselves Americans have
taken an iron7clad oath to obey some
other authority than the state. Your
order has never tried to exercise any
privileges that were opposed ito this
most "wonderful instrument ever
sprung from the brain of man" There
is no liberty, where, law is not res
rectcd and you have always stood by
the Great Courts of Our Country.
We have anarchists in our country.
m the |. W. VS., and they give aid
to the enemy. The extraordinary
draft laws recently enacted must
nave the backing of every true citi-
zen. The great Democracy Of Rus
sia is struggling. for life because
respect for law there is so slight.
You. Stand for the Flag-Shiffler in
Philadelphia, at the time of your
beginnings, died by an alien shot
with the flag in his hand. You will
not permit the glorious emblem of
our liberties to be desecrated,' You
will not permit it to be used as a
trade mark. You want, not dollar
diplomacy" but the diplomacy Of
honor and national self-respect. You
demand instead Of an autocracy or
oligarchv, under whatever guise, the
right of the entire people to rule
themselves.
>. The Or.ic STAINS for Intellectual
Liberty.
The repression Of individual thought
never accomplished anything whole
! .ome-We may cause Galileo to re.
cant BY the thumbscrews, but the
truth be discovered is the same. A
man has been Given by God His Owr
Thinking Machine. and neither the
state or the church has any right tc
tamper with i. But for the great
thinkers like. Washington. Jefferson
and Madison, there would have beer
no progress in government. You be
lieye that every boy has right t.
I.xoaa ~, Traioe5 Thinkinu Tha