Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-10-18


sroRr. We find the following extract in the
Boston Galaxy:
"The fundamental error Of or ant estors, an
error which began with the very settlement Of
the colony, was doctrine, which has since
been happily exploded. mean the necessity Of
union between church and state. To this hey
clung as the ark Of their safety. They thongh,
IT the only sure way Of founding a Girls
tian commonwealth. They maintained, that
"churcb government and civil government,
may very well stand together, it being the du-
~ OF the magistrate to take care Of matters Of
religion, and to improve his civil authority for
observing tho dulles commanded by it, They
not only tolerated the civil power in the sup
preston. OF beresy, but they demanded and
enJoined It, They preached it in the pulpit
and the synod. II was in their closet prayers,
and in their public legislation. The arm of
the civil government was constantly employed
in support of the denunciatio Of the church;
and without its forms, the inquisition existed
IN substance, with a full share Of its terrors and
ITS violence. There was, indeed, far more
caution in shedding human blood; but there
was scarcely less indulgence for human error.
For such proceedings there was not tho poor
apology, which has been sometimes suggested
that every religion, which is persecutod, be-
comes itself prosecuting, because il attacks
the religion OF which prosecuted it, not a
religion, but as a tyranny. Our ancestors
could not frame such an apology for them
selves; for no ecclesiastical tyranny attempted
ito usurp authority over the within the colony.
II bad a deeper origin, in that wretched doc
trine Of the union Of church and state, by
which christianity has been made the minister
of almost every wrong in the catalogue Of
crimes. IL has been said with as much truth
torc hx< ,,fin in..v af.In
ern divines, ." that the boasted alliance be-
tween church aud state, on which so many
encomiums have been lavishcd, seems TO have
been but little more than compact between
the priest and the magistrate to betray the
liberties of mankind, both civil and religious
To the honor Of New England be it said,
that il hero persecution obtained an early tri-
umph, here also for the first time since the
Reformation has simnli aneously proclaimed
the doctrine Of liberty Of Conscience doc
trino which, ] trust, will, by the blessing Of
God, be maintained by us and our posterity as
all hazards, and against all encroa chments.
Here, on this very spot, in Naumkcg, in tins
"bosom Of consolation, it was proclaimed by
Roger Williams in 1886; and for this, among
other grave offences, he was sentenced 10 ban
ishment. He fled to Rhode ifland; and there
in the code of laws for the colony planted by
his energp and sagacity, we read for the first
time, since Christianity ascendcd the throne of
the Caesars, tho declaration, that " conscience
should be free. and men should not be punish
I'D for worshippng God in the wav they were
persuaded he required "a declaration, which
TO the honor oc Rhode-Island, she has never
departed from, "a declaration, which puts to
Same many a realm of widor domains and lof-
tier prelensons II still shines among her laws
with an argument in IFS support in the shape
rf .,l. III k.o L..
ed in power Of thought or felicity Of express
ion. Massa chusetts max blush, that the Cath
olic colony of Lord Baltimore, and the Qua
ker, the blameless Quaker colony Of Penn,
were originally founded on the same generous
principles Of Christian right long before she
felt or acknowledged them.
While, then. we joyfully celebrate this ami
'versary, let us remember, that our forefathers
had their faults, asswell as virtues; that their
example is not always a safe pattern for our
imitation; but sometimes beacon Of solemn
warning. Let us do, not what they did, but
what with our lights and advantages they would
country. and the love Of truth. Is there any
one, who would now for moment Justify tho
exclusion Of every person from political rights
and privileges. who is not a Congrcga,ionalist
of the straitcst sect in doctrine and discipline!
Is there any one, who would exclude the Eps-
copalan, the Blptist, the Methodist, tho Qua
ker, or the Unversalist, not merely from pow
er and Christian fellowship, but from breathing
the same air, and enjoying the same sunshine,
and reapng the same Harvest, because he
walks not in the same faith. and knees not at
the same altar with himself! Is there any one,
who would bring back the by-gono penalties,
and goad on EN- Ter conscionces 10 hypocrisy or
self destruction' Is there any one, that would
t.<-lxs L. e.. Ia,
would stain the temples Of God with the blood
of martyrdom? that would cut of all the char
tiles Of human life, and in religious warfare,
arm the father against the son. the mother
against the daughter, the wife against the hus-
bandi that would bind all poserity in the fet-
ters Of his own creed, and shpwreck their con
sciences? If any such there be, whatever
badge they may wear, they are enemies to us
and our institutions. They would sap the
foundations Of our civil as well AS religious lib
critics. They would bctray us into worse than
Egyptian bondage. Of the doctrines Of such
mon, If any such there be, | would say with
the enrncstness of the apostocal oxhor'a,ior,
."Touch not, taste not, handle not" IL ever
there could be case, in which intolerance
would rise alpost into tho dignity Of a virtue,
IT would be, when its object was TO pnt down
yntolerance. No--let us cling with holy zeal
20 the Bible. and tho Bible only, as the relig-
Jon Of Protestants. Let us proclaim with Mil
ton, that "neithcr traditions, nor councils, nor
.canons Of any visible church, much less cdicts
of any civil magistrate, or civil session, but the
Scripture only, can be tho final Judge or rule
in matters Of religion, and that only in the
conscience Of epery Christian to himself.
Let US inscrbe on the walls Of our dwelling
houses, in our temples, in our halls Of legisla-
tion, in our courts Of justice, the admirable
declaration Of Queen Mary Ohe consort of
William the Third, than which n nober pre-
ccpt Of wisdom never fell from urinspired