New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-06-22

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sseriegous hands Of the dynasty Of austris. vaiea
esiumuisfes Christianity by calling sef Cnrssisn Bat
though that beneficial influence OF Christianity ne have
eheerfuy TO aekHo~edge yet 10 10 sill not 10 be dis
pued tosf the Law of Christ does vet nowhere rule the
Christian world
Montesqsieu himself whom nobody could charge TO
Be partial tor republics that desporsm Is incJ
Psrble with the Christian re son the Cns,ian
religion commands meekness and De. potsrn clams
btruy power 70 the snius and passions Of fssil
tai; and still IL IL more than 500 pears since the Cars
rsn religion became dominAnt and through that loag
| period despotism has been preSninently dominant
you can scarcely show slssle rusty democratic
republic of any power which had sabssted but for
hundred years. exercising any influence UPON
the condition Of the world Constantine, raising the
Christsn religio to Rones imperial throne did not
restore the Romans 70 their primitive virtues. Con-
stantnople became the sewer OF vice: Christian
chip did not change the despotc habits Of Kings The
Tiuses the Trsans, the Antonines appeared seldom
Christian thrones on the contrary has seen.
In the Of religion, lighted the piles of perse-
secutiop, and the blazing torches OF Roleraacs the
earth overspread with corpses OF the million victims
OF faDstcism the fields wssered with Blood the csies
wrapped in hames and empires rsvaged with unrelent
ing rage. Whyl Is Il Christian religion which caused
these deporsbe facts branding the brow OF psry de-
graded, partly outraged humanity No IL
precisely the contrary; the fact the religion OF
Christ never yet practically taken for an all over
ruling law the obedience which, outweshing every
other consideration, would have directed the policy OF
nations that fact y the OF evil ~henes the op-
preston of millions has down the EARTH snd which
makes the future OF the prouces of the feest nation
\ TO be lihe house built upon sand.
Every religion has two pars. One 10 the dogmstcs;
| the part OF worship the other Is the moral psTs
The hrs, the dogmatc part belonging 10 those mys
ferrous regons, which the of hu estandog
cannot reach because they belong To the domlnion II
belief and begins where the pminon Of knowiedge
ends-that part Of religion therefore, the dog 1at'c
one, should be Left 10 every man TO settle between
! God and his conscience ls sacred
field, whereon worldly power never should dare TO
trespas because there G has power 20 enforce Ito
will. Force murder IL make liars and hypo-
cres, but violence earth can force man to be-
heve what he does not believe. Yet the other part
OF region-the moral parts quite diterent rnat
teaches duties toward ourselves and toward ello
men IL can be therefore not indifferent TO the human
family; Il can be not Indifferent % whatever commu-
nifty, II thOse duties be fulfilled not, and nation
can With full right claim the tle Of Christian nation,
no government the tile of Christian government
which IL not founded upon the basis OF CHRISTIAN mo-
raty, aud which takes Il not for all overriding
law to fulfill the moral duties ordered by the re-
lsion of Christ toward and nations who
are but the community OF men, and toward mankind,
which is the community of nat,ons Now look 10 those
dread pages OF history stained with the blood OF mil
lions, split under the bsspnem0us protext OF religion
the interest 70 viBdieste the rights and enforce
the duties Of Christian morality, which raised the hand
of nation against nation, OF government against gov
ernmtnti No, IL the fansucism of creed and the
fury of dogmatism Nations and governments rose to
propagate their 10 worship God, and their
mode 10 believe the inscrutabe mysteries Of eternity
but nobody has yet raised finger 10 punish the saee
gious violation OF the moral laws OF Christ, no.
the duties Of Christian morality t)ward nations.
There IL much speaking about the separation of
Church and State, and yer, close examination, We
shall that there end there Ia scarcely Que sin
Gle Government entirely free from the direct indirect
influence Of one other religious denomination scarce
" one which would not at least bear prcdilecifOn,
not countensnce with favor one another creed-out
crsed and always creed The mysteries OF dcgmatis n
and The OF worship enter into these considers
tons they into the politics. and turn tho
scales OF hatred and affection but certainly there not
than
OF which would have been regulated by that law Of
morality which our Saviour has promulgated the
eternsl law Of God, which snail be ooeyed In all tins
relations Of But you say, OF the direct or
indirect gsmaon of Church and State proved 30 be
dangerous 10 nations In Christian aud for Christian
times because IL affected the individual rights OF men,
and among them, the dearest Of all, the liberty OF
conscience and the freedom of thought Well, OF
this danger at least the future of your country
IL free because here. least In this your happy land
religious liberty exists fssr institutions left power
TO your Government interfere with the religion OF
your citizens Here every man Ia Tree to worship God
rs he choosesto do.
And that is true and Ii s great glory Of your coun,
try that II Ia true tits fact which entities to the hope
that our nation will revive the Law OF Christ even on
earth However the guaranty which your Constitution
affords religious liberty is but negative parg of
ChTisian government There are besides that positive
duties TO be fulfilled. He who does violence % the
conscience of man. has but the negative merit Of man.
doing no wrong; bu! he who does not murder does
not steal and does not coyet Whist his neighbours IT, but
by not stealing, numbering, not cOvetng what our
neighbours is, old yet no positive good man who
does murder has not yet occasion 70 tbs title Of yir
tuous man. And here IL precisely the Infinite merit OF
the Christian religion. While Moses la the Of
tire Almighty God ordered but negative DEGREES toward
feow.men, the Christian religion commands positive
virtue Its divine inunctions not performed by no,
doing wrong; desires US to do good. The doctrine
of Jesus Christ Is sublime in s majestic simplicity.
Thou shalt love God above ALL and love thy neghbOr
IS thou lowest myself"
This sublime doctrine Is the religion Of love. Ills the
religion of charity Though speak with the tongues
-. nd
ing brass and tnsliDs cymbsls Though have the GIT
ofpropheoy and understand s mysteries and all know
ledge and have all faith that could remove noun
tsins and have not charity, am nothing And though
bestOw all my goods To feed tbs poor and give my
body TO be burned and have not charity, IL prodteh
me nothing" Thus speaks the LORD aud thus speak
lDg be gives me law 10 unit, unto 0'p Sas IL 1Ss
pane Ct Him who gave this law 10 humanity, 70 build
up the eternal bliss and temporal happiness OF man
Kind In the Of that Eternal Legislator AK u la
that Charity In that undameDt tai law OF Christianity any
limit Of distinction drawn 10 man la MS power and
man In bis natural capacity Is Il but aaw for man
where be s aope and do but little goodi Ia is no
law where two are together, and can DO more
90, q no law wben millions are togethert Am
In my personal sdversites "a my aged mother In her
helpless desoation my homeless siAtes whom you
fes d today that they may work 10 morrow are we
your neighbOrs, unto whom you de as you would |
Others in similar position DO unto yoursslff Aud Is
every one Of my down-troddeR people neighbor to
every one Of you but all my people collectively, Is II
not neiahboT 20 YOU Add Is my nation not neigh
Dor 20 your nationi Is my down.trodden land neigh
Dor 70 your dOwntrodden lsno On my God, men
speak Of the Christian religion and style themselves
Christians al yet make distinction between virtue
In private life and virtue In public e n II the divine
law u Charity would have been given only FOR certain
small relations and not for all the relations between
men and men,
"There he il again. with his eternal complaints about
his cOuntry's wrongs may perhaps somebody remark;
This assembly Of charity assembled 10 ease MS
private woes Of family aud there he Is again speaking Of
bis country's vroDgs, and slluding u our Foreign
policy about which be knows views 10 be divided
Thus may be charged
Nv "privaie family woes" But all my woes and all
the woes Of my family, concentrated In tue unwsr
rantsble oppression Of my issherlAnd You are an
assembly OF charity, IL 10 true; and the Almiga
" may requite you for H. but being charitable
assembly can you bsme me that the nllal snd
maternal devotion Of my heart, 10 taxing win
gratitude the balm Of consolation wEis44 your
ebsriry pours into the bleeding wounds OF tanlly