Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-12-30

/ y
resolution in consonance with these pre- /
ceplsf The yeriest school boy knows they
afe on the CONTRARY, the very prayer
fc sN Aiah Jesus objects is the one you pro-
pose the Senate. You pray not in your
cl6se but you do pray ,Uhsre you may be
! ON, pray not in secretss but
you do pray in the high places where men
may see you. Verify say unto you, you
have your reward! And again, does not
every Senator know, that the greater part
ofthe prayers we had last winter and which
we will have this, are mere idle repetitions,
learned from books and pronounced for
form sake, as the liturgy of the particular
church may direct? Do they not, like the
heather, think that they may be heard for
their much speaking. | for one cannot but
think, that in my opinion, the resolution
proposes what the word of God just read
forbids, and it substitutes an anti-christian
public prayer, for the effective prayer, hon
est, secret prayer of the devoted christian;
and | should think, that was harm enough
to make every one oppose it.
But again: is there no harm in Initiating
foreign customs, with which the rulers Of
Europe clothe themselves, to tyranize over
the people? Must we, like the kings of the
old world, be prayed for? Can we not
pray for ourselves9 The people are the
rulers here, but in the prayers last winter,
and this winter, you will hear the President
of the United States, and, in downward
tendency, perhaps, ultimately the people,
prayed for. Why not commence with the
people2 Just so was it with the prayers in
the churches Of Germany. They COM
menced with the king and ended with the
people. Last winter did the prayer used
to hear, as boy in the churches of Ger
many, recur to my mind, for the prayer |
heard here were but the repetitions Of those
ofthe hired chaplains of Germany, chang
ing only the President and the Governor
for the word King; and here as well as
there, they pray for all others in authority.
Oh, it makes me feel bad to think that this
Jfree people is to- be shackled and chained,
gradually, by the same process by which
the English and the French and the Ger
man were enslaved. Gradual there was
the progress-gradual will it be here, for
it is not all at once people can be fetter-
cd. The same chains, which, if tried to
be loaded upon people ut once, they
would spurn, sometimes they bear by grad
ual impositions. Would that America, the
land ofmy adopted home, would take warn.
ing by the example of my native land, land
beware to bear violations of the great prin-
ciples of our government, put upon us un
der the garb Of religion. The ministers o.
}, the different denominations formerly off
, ciated in the penitentiary gratuitously. Dc
, they do SO yet? No. A chaplain had te
be elected, and pail, in violation of our fun
dumental law, out of the peoples money
The same way they commence here
First gratis, next some remuneration, q.
= last year, by permitting them the use of th'
State Library, and, ultimately, paid chap
} lains. Why do they not yet pray will
the convics ofthe penitentiary? and why
| are they so willing to pray here? For thu
: life of me, know of but one reason, ant
. that is in the text of the portion of tht
> Scripture | have read. Here in the Sen
: ate Chamber, they are seen Of men, while il
$ the gloomy cell ofthe convict, no one see
them except the eye of the living God, whit
: seeth in secret.
: But have strong hopes that the people
[ will not be deceived. Let us look at one
strange fact connected with this question
s 1t is, that none Of those four men, that hav
: offered prayer resolutions, have ever beel
{ re elected by the people. Two senator
/. and two representatives have already beef
made to bite the dust, for their anti-repub
4 lican warfare upon the rights Of consci
ence of their fellow members. The peo
, pie look at the kernel, and not at the shell
They want religious heart, and not re
ligious exterior. The democratic people
= want man who follows the great leading
Y principles of the Christian religion, psrtec
equality among men, as brethren Of tn
It same family. That is the religion of th'
:, democracy, and it is the religion Of Christ
t Respect for the rights Of others, and free
Q dom ofreligion from all communicating in
Auences alone will preserve religion in it
J. purity. Connect religion with state al
fairs, and you have connection beneficial
. to neither party, and injurious to both.-
Governments will corrupt religion, and
: : corrupted religion will ultimately subvert
: free government This is the unerrin
y lesson Of past history. The friends oftru
o religion--of the purity of its minsters,wi]
, keep it from the communicating influence c
: political bodies; for religion is always tn
il purest when it is least connected with gov
ernment.
+ These are the reasons, frankly statet
ID honestly entertained, and firmly sustaine'
II until shown their erroneousness, that hav
. actuated me in this discussion. Whatevt
| have said, has been forced from me,
II consequence Of the resolution before us.
lr need not add, that, asking freedom Of OPT