Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-02-26

in the hands of the friends of Freedom
~ | am to answer the question, Has ,Rel-
gion anything to do with Politics a,
The consideration Of this al Dor
tant, growing out Of the fact,
prevails somewhat extensively n It'd ns Hag:
that religion has nothing to do With ihis aalles
that religion and politics are two distinct things,
and should not be mingled or mixed up to-
gether,' as men have frequently remarked to me-
Now if the above sentiment be true we should
ascertain that fact, and the two things should
be kept separate And if it be false, we GER
tainly should be anxious to learn that fact lest
its balefu influence should sap the foundation of
this government, and ultimately prove destruc.
tive to lis as a nation. Let us, therefore, an
proach the question with that degree of candot
which its Importance demands, that we may as
certain the truth in relation to it, Should, then,
religion have any thing to do with politics
l. | answer it should or the human family
should have nothing to do with politics. Man,
universal man, is under obligation to be reli-
gious in all that he does and any act that he
cannot perform in religious manner, he is
bound to leave uDdone This will abundantly
appear from the following scripture I Cor 10:
81; Whether, therefore, ye eat. or drink, or
whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."-
To glorify God is most certainly religious act
But this text requires that we glorify him in ev-
cry act of our lives. Consequently, it requires
that we be religious in all that we do. We are
to be religious in eating and drinking-the most
simple and harmless part Of our history And if
we are under obligation to be religious in these
most simple acts, we certainly should be in the
more important ones, But a question may be
started here How can we glorify God in eat
ing, &c. | answer, when we seat ourselves at
our tables, spread with the bounties Of our Hea-
venly Father, we should remember the hand that
feeds us, and offer to the great Giver all our
mercies the gratitude due to His name for the
blessings he is daily scattering in our pathway
and then devote the strength we derive from our
food in advancing his kingdom on earth. But a.
gain; " Whatsoever ye dO, do ALL to the glory
of God" To conform our lives to this require
ment, we must not only gorify God in preach
ing, praying, attending meetings, and such like
duties, but we must glorfy him, also, in every
placedl; and even when we 60 to the ballot-box,
we must not forget to gloriiy him there 1.-THE
question should be asked, =" How can we glorfy
Him there :" answer, by voting for such char
acers, and ONLY such, as lie has revealed in
His Bible he would have rule the nations of the
earth
9 That religion has something to do with
| y,Jn c-o, t,o hat ,bo
law of benevoence covers mans entire life, and
he is under obligation to yield obedience to it
every moment Of his being. To put forth an act
that is in obedience to that law, is assuredly
religious act To put forth one thai is in viola
ton Of that law, is an irreligious act Now,
see not why man cannot obey, OF disObsy, that
law as absolutely in the act of uoting, as in his
deal with his fellow-beings, or in any other act
of his career.
Is it, or is it not possible for this nation to
enact laws that are malevolent in their nature
This, probably, none will pretend to deny
! If, then, we can have laws that are malevolent,
what must be the character of the act that max
es the law! | affirm that it must be malevolent
also. And if malevolent, it is an act that viola
! ICo thC III" vi ooH"NoiohCo' anu HeuOe 10 du IT.
religious act. But what is the act that snakes
law in this nation! 1t is the act of VOTING
Conseq lently, man may be benevolent ma
levolent in voting or, in other words, religious
or irrcligious, which most certainly settles the
question that religion has something to do with
politics.
3Thc end to be accomplished By politics is
purely religious end. 1t is
,ub;cb God nronoeos 70 occ 11 z=s az