Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-10-15
SATURDAY. OCTOBER Is, 1851.
COMMUNICATED.

unified BIZ the temperament of my mind. And
if | were to appear before the public in the COL
umns of a newspaper at ail-whiIh is an erceed-
ingly rare occurrence-It is not because love 10
be thus exposed, but because | love truth: and
when, according 10 my Judgment. that is assail-
ed; my conscience would hardly Justify mel not
standing forth ia its defence. But if YOU think, that,
the discussion into which, with an amicable DISPOSE
ton, Old Times 81 have entered, will lead tic results
uufriendly to the public peace, or Improbable tore
ligion:-or if you suppose. that the discussion
can be better conducted, by any OF those, vino
according to your intimation, seem to feel a de-
sire to enter the kiSts:-tho' perfectly willing to
proceed, | am at the same time, always ready to
retire.
For xhat | have been induced to regard as the
religion of the Bible, l have certainly a very
sirong attachment: & until something mauifsstly
better, can be substituted inits place, would thank
no nan for an attempt to make II less. If mia
take not, the heart oil .sOld Times will responds
to the same sentiment; and perhaps a friendly
interchange Of views and feelings. as to what that
religion is-the influence which it ~oughtto exert
and the best mode of giving to it a more ex-
tensive prevalency and pOwer,-whlle 1t might
afford a few moments OF interest or amusement
to the public, would at the same time, have the
effect aimed by the Gospel. e. OF making US
think more kindly Of one another.
With the preliminary remarks, | shall now pro-
coed to give some Of wy views about Church and
State: taking due notice. as | pass along, OF the
observations and quotations, with which the pub
lie have been favored from the pen of Old Times,
in the Gazette. In ancient Greece and
Rome. there was an alliance between the
Church and State from the very first. Religion,
or pagan idolatry, was in a great measure, the
creature of the State. 1t arose under its auspices
WAS established by its taps-sustained and per-
pe,uated by its p nal enaciaents 1t there was
any courting in the Ease, it was on the part
Of the State. Aud | think it would not a lit
tie puzzle "Old Tunes" or any one else toprove
that such was not the fact, when the Christian
Church became Involved with the State. The
difficulty inIeed, seems TO have been partially
conceded already. BY the question"does 1t matter
which commenced the courtship:' 1t does mat
ter something. as ! design to shew. But more
of this by aud bv. Before the accession OF Con
~stantine to the Empire. in sos. both the Christian
Religion and Christian Church were out-tatced.
The laws denounced death, both to the one and
the other. And how in such circumstances as
these, when the axe. the stake, and the amphl-
theatre, were all put in requislton Tor their de-
struction-how the Church could have arrived
at a considerable degree OF arbitrary p0t0er,"
asserted in the citation from the Ency. Brit, let
those acquainted with the early history OF eccie-
~siastical matters Judge! l do not pretend to qnes-
ton the accuracy of the quotation, or the
truth of the sentiment which it conveys, tho L
have not been able to find it: but canpOt help en-
PERTAINING some suspicion, that the "aro'trary pow
er" here referred to has respect to something We
ry different from domination in political and State
~,nnLers: for if it do not, l EN- pretty we'll assur-
red. thst it can hardly be sustained by any scrap
of ~profane history ever deemed authentic. a
Church OH. Laved, by the laws OF the State, to
exercise ..arbitrary power over the laws OF the
State. has ON It's lace so much the appearance OF a
SollclSm, as 10 StaIte an o'"'
must | think produce some sPasmod'c affections
before it be swallowed, even by those who are IN
the habit of swallowing every thing But to pro-
coed. When Constantine, by profession Chris
tan, assumed the reins Of Empire. did the Church
farm and court, and t7ater, in order to obtain
%poli,ical ascendancys Does even Gibbon (who by
the way, in Church matters, no candid man re-
CARDS as authority dare to assert thus much IN
pia,n languagea That Constantine courfsa' and
aanersd the Church. opened his arms wide to Iu-
v;,e her to his embrace-and his hands to enrich
her with his imperial muniicence; until corruPt-
ted by his mistaken Kindness she became at last,
Ike Mar pagan predecessor. a valuable engine oil
IS,ste DoHey,--isa an impression made on my mind