The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-01-29
IhR GhurchI

We are 6eslrous, nay we make it our study,
TO say and DO nothing which shall weaken, in
any way, the religious spirit of our land-fOr on
that we muststand, else shall we surely perish.
Yet no man looking abroad, or at home, can
fail to see that the Church, in many respects, is
not only falling behind outdoor workers, but
neglecting, sadly neglecting, matters of moment
matters which will concern US all now and
hereafter. Whence SO many benevolent socie-
ties Why the Sons Of Temperance. and
so many benevolent institutions called into exis-
tsnce7 Do We not all knOw-must not every
man admit-if the Church did its whole duty,
that il would embrace necessarily all the ends
which these societies propose to reach, and be,
in itself, the temple Of peace, temperance, be-
nevOlence, Of a living and true brotherhood
To stimulate its ministers and professors to this
high endeavor-to make them aspire after
power which will clothe the lOOPed raggedness Of
poverty and pauPerism, and roll back the tide of
crime that swels up, thresteningly, against
every household; we speak TO them, in our hum
bic way, with directness and earnest anxiety.
There are thousands among who judge re-
ligion BY those who profess it. There are hun
dreds Of thousands who, when they see mem
bers Of the Church, doing, or not doing, feel as
If they were privileged to act as they act What
responsibility. How careful all religious men
should be to meet it! Yet who among them
brsvsly lives up to the standard our Saviour set,
and honestly bids the world follow it.
As oneexamPle, take the action Of the Church
on the sacred rite Of marriage.
This is a divine institution. So we are taught;
90 most Of US believe. Yet here we are with
thousands Of human beings among Us who do not,
and who cannot, think this, or act upon it, sim
ply because they are not welded by the sacred
sanction Of the law. Suppose from sfar of,
some good missionary should write US, that he
lsbOred among people who had unbridled lust,,
who cared not for wife or daughter so these lusts
were gratifed, how the blood would come TO our
cheeks. and our hearts beat, as we should an
nOunce this fearful immortality Yet here
right at home-the poor slaves stand, exposed TO
this very immortality, and not achurch protests,
not christian body says manfully to people and
legislature, "this must not be. legalize their
marriages, and let not licentiousness spread,
soDsecrate among them home ties, and let them
no. be cruelty and brutally broken!~
A strong writer referring to this point, says
"Not long ago Europe and the whole Chris-
tan world rung with indignation al the outrage
ssid 10 be offered, by the Russian government, TO
some Polish nuns who were torn from their
home, driven from place to place, brutality beat
en-. and veKed with continual torments. BE the
story false or true the Of men tingied at the
tale But not one Of the nuns was SOLD. Those
wrongs committed against a few defenceless wO-
men are doubled, trebled in America, and here
continually applied TO thousands Of American
wsmen. This is no fiction a plain fact, and
notorious; but whose ears Jingle Is it worse
70 abuse few white women in Russia, than
nation Of black women in America Is that
worse for a European than this for the demo-
cratic Republicans Of America The truth
must be spoken; the voice Of the Bondman's
blood cries out to God against US; His justice
shall make reply. How can America ask mer-
cy, who has never shown il there
Now, putting aside for a mOment the view
presented by this writer, and admitting that
Slavery is to continue, yet, seeing that licsn-
tioDsness prevails among colored people, and
that the refusal to legslize marriages is one
Of IL, the question arises, "Cculd the Church
effect a change in this respect % Who doubts
TT Who does not knoD that it could nj
the great churches Of the State were 70 say it
ts declare, as they might truly, that the law Of
God, and TIE true interests Of man demanded
such change, not single session Of the Legisa-
ture would Pass by, without having the necessa-
~ law passed. What must the world saw. how
must On-lOekers feel, and think, and act, when
they witness men Of God-his protesting SER
vants.-not only not protesting against this
wrong, but negleoting, eOldly and deliberately
neglscting, to exert power which would remedy
&. II Is this conviction which makes the vri.
ter, quoted above, declare, that the voice of the
bendsmAn's blood cries out against us''
Another eramPls-cOnsidsr the separation Of
snilisa