Norwich bulletin., 1917-11-30
EPISCOPAL CHURCHES
 HOLD UNION SERVICE.
Timely Sermon Preached by Arehdea con Brown Thanksgiving Morning.

Timely Sermon Preached by Archdea-
 con Brown Thanksgiving Morning.
 The congregations of Christ and Trinity Episcopal churches held union Thanksgiving service in Christ church on Thursday morning with large attendance. The sermon was preached by Archdeacon J. E1dred Brown, rector of Trinity Episcopal church, who took as his text I Theso- lonians 5: IS, Tn everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
 To be thankful in everything, said Archdeacon Brown, allows of no eEE- ception. It is to be thankful in ti-le and circumstance of war and circum- stance of peace. Let us then consider together this naming some of the things in this war for which we have reason to be thankful And first I name the fact that we are, as coun- try, in this war.
 It is, believe, a great reason for thankfulness that we have taken our stand with the nations which have long been fighting our battle. fighting for the preservation not only of lib erty and democracy but of everything we have and cherish. We who have blessings of freedom and democracy certainly have no desire to exchange them for the tyrannies of deSpotlsm
 
 But there is much more involved in this struggle than a mere change in government, much as that might mean to free peoples. On the surface this war is mighty effort on the part ef Germany to extend its boundaries and dominate the world.
 But, essentially, it is a war of might against right, of the flesh against the spirit. of an outworn and discarded philosophy of life against all the hu- inC of niX vii
 Looking back over the pages of human history. we see how slowly man has crept up out of savagery and bru- tality unto the requirements and hu- man virtues of our day It has been long and a hard climb, but it has also been a successful climb. For as men has reached higher rungs of the ladder he has clung to them and pre- served his gains. For, all along the line, the work has been not of man alone but of God. who has moved and inspired him.
 Man has by no means as yet reach ed anywhere near the top of the lad der But at least he has learned to Nay in proportion as he mounts the ladder he looks with horror on the thought of going back to the lower rounds which he once accounted safe and good.
 It is this feeling, I believe which explains the horror with which Ger man ruthlessness has inspired the world.
 whe nthe despotism is one that is characterized by such horrors and cruelties as have attended the path of the German army and navy where they have gone, we may we'll stand amazed and aghast- And in taking our stand against this effort we can thankfully believe and say that we taking our stand with God as we know Him.
 But another reason for thanLfulness in this war. In the providence of God we have been privileged to swell in land of great natural resources. By the. same providential ordering there has fallen to our lot the great privi- lege of serving and feeding that part of the world which has borne the brunt of the worlds defense against bar suffered most from the horrors and cruelties of this war. And surely we have reason to be thankful not only for the call and the opportunity, not only for our own preservation from the horrors so many of those other peoples have had to suffer, but also for the resources which, through the blessing of God and the willing CO., with a little sacrifice on our part, to supply both our own and their nec4is.
 Is it wholly a matter of chance that our corn crop this year is half a bil- lion bushels in excess of an average crop and our potato crop a hundred million bushels more than the average, and that the same rate of increase ap- plies to practically all other food crops? Nay. with every call to duty, provided there be only the willing America has been summoned to the duty of feeding her allies and millions Of starving and destitute among the suffering peoples of Europe and Asia. Our people have freely offered them selves for this great service and God has amply provided us with the means Compared with the sacrifices these other peoples have had to make, our own are. as yet, trivial Let us be thankful that we have been privileged with so glorious an opportunity.
 Yet another reason for thankfulness is the fact that we have been able to take our part in this war wit hso little disturbance and so little ran cor or hatred. We may be thankful again that we have entered this war simply as a matter of principle and that we are determined to conduct our part of it, so far as may be, in clean and knightly fashion. Never did . na- ton take more pains to surround it's soldiers and sailors with a clean and environment. It is an worthy ambition not only to have our bravely against the external enemy. but just as brave1y against the ene- mics of lust. hate and drink which may assai1 them from within.
 Finally, as believe. we have req son to be thankful that this war, so long threatened and prepared for by Germany, has come about. That of course, may seem strange and incred- Ible But let me explain. As we know now from incontestable proofs, the world has unremittingly for many years, been cherishing viper within it's bosom: a viper which all the time It was wearing the appearance of a love and accepting the worlds fa- vor, was preparing to strike the world ! mortal blow. Now. isn't it better and safer. for the world that the viper should come out and strike it's blow, however severe and deadly? Isn't it better that the world should have its eyes opened to a system of deceit and espionage. which in the interests of zne nation, preys upon all it's inner most secrets? Surely I need go no further. And if the dove we have been .herishing is at heart 2 serpent and Is preparing secretly to strfke ua sure