The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1845-08-07

seems 0HsA ~ Al W1t 80 ENs ElGn MAsA
have ElpEsms Huls. and laks 81 EVIL and
galisiral aaaiFs undeT Is eouu0l. In he
kESl q thess eases Ne sheuld hare eiihsF
> Esiigi0ns eaaablkAmeul win . rlsEgy
and paid by lks sszies q an m
snd exleEminadng religious per-
serunon. In he lasf we should have N
ecclesiastical gnnny far mere dEesdfal
and debasing than any politlcal domination
lhat ever afflicted and humblsd me family
q man. Religion would Al onoe lose is
benign and heavenly character. and become
. poor, polluted worldly hing. The by
pOihesis on which we now reason leads
inevitably 10 these results. Admit il and
there il no escape from them.
But sdopl my position. that religion
and civil government operate In spheres
entirely different. and Il Is easy 20 see how
religion may exist in al iis freedom and
force. without giving any umhnge what
ever 70 civil society. Every man has a
natural right 70 pursue his happiness in
the way that appears best 70 hlm. prOvid-
ed he do not interfere with the happiness
Of others. And civil society Is bound ac-
cording 10 The terms Of the association 10
protect him in the enjoyment Of that night.
Now IL any number Of individuals believe
haiti win be for their happiness 70 asso-
ciaie for The promotion Of religion among
themselves, they have perfect right to do
50, il religion does not interfere with the
civil and political arrangements ofthecom-
muniiy 70 which they belong. And that
community according 10 The terms Of the
social contract, is bound 10 afford prOiec-
ton TO their persons in this pursuit Of hap
piness. But if the system Of religion
adopted by this association, does interfere
with afTairs Of state or matters OF civil po-
lily, then the state has a right as was said,
10 inisrpose and restrain this religious So
cieiy. Al any rate, il has right 10 say
thai the socieiy is departing from It's own
principles as religious institution. But,
doubtless, il never was the intention OfJe-
sus Christ and his inspired Apostles, that
there should be collisions 0f this kind be-
tween the church and the state. For this
reason they entirely abslained from inter-
meddling with all affairs ofworldly policy:
that is, as they came for the express pur-
pose Of teaching religion, they determined
10 be religious teachers and nothing else.
Ought not the ministers Of religion 10 fol-
low their examplei + g..
l do not pretend that the teachers Of re
lIgion, by sustaining that Office give up
their rights as citizens. But when they
assert their rights as citizens, they do not
appear as teachers Of religion. They
depart from their official character, and
guoad hoe are only citizens. What say
then is, that a man as a teacher Of religion
has no right to NEEDLE with any thing but
religion. And If he loves his Office as he
ought, and desires to do good in il, he will
wave his rights as citizen, whenever the
assertion Of them will interfere with his
proper influence as a religious teacher.
Again; one ran sea.aaly read the Nasp
Testament without ad2iring the consum-
mate wisdom and prudence Of ihe frs,
teachers of Christianity. Indeed | do not
see how any one who receives the gospel
in its PLAIN obvious meaning, can deny TO
the founder Of this religion the attribute Of
infinite knowledge. lie perfectly under
stood the nature ofhis religion, that il is a
voluntary service rendered to God under
the influence Of reason and conviction: il
can be nothing else. The only force
which it has, is the force ofnuth. Iiope-
rates as moral cause, gradually and i'm
perceptibly producing its appropriate ef-
fecls. Our Saviour knew that il would be
SO, and so he intended that it should be.
He. who could command winds and waves,
could by word, have overthrown the
whole system Of heather idolatry and su.
perstition, and established his own religion
in its stead. But it did not seem good un-
to his wisdom, to perform this work OF
power. 1t is right that our feeble minds
should bow before him, and adore his inf
mite understanding. But in medItating on
this subject, the truly intelligent canno,
but recollect, that all great and sudden
changes in the condition Of man are, TO say
the least, extremely hazardous. This re-
mark applies with peculiar force to sudden
political revolutions. Such events never
have taken place without confusion and
wretchedness, desolation and death in the
most fearful forms. The American and
French revolutions placedin contrast afford
instruction on this subject, of which all
ought to take advantage. The Americans
were born free; they had been long accus-
toned TO enjoy the rights Of citizens, and 10
be governed by laws. There was diffused
among them degree Of intelligence, there
was power of public opinion, and tone
Of moral feeling, which prepared them for
self-go"ernment. The French on the con.
trary, were political slaves, and had been
long accustomed to be governed by mas.
ter. The yoke was thrown off, and there
was at once a disruption of all the ties
which bound society together. No Ian
guage can describe the horrors of that
dreadful period of anarchy and murder.
In the complicated machine of a free
government, there are ten thousand springs