Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-07-10

! nfeliioWu the earth, and which makes IN,
! future Of the proudcst, of the ifccst nation
/ TO be like mouse built upon slnd
! Every religion has two psrts One is the
! dogmulical the part of worship; the Other
lis tho moral part. The first, the dogmalc
| part belonging to those mysterious regions
which tie arm of human understanding
cannot reach, hccause they belong to the
dominion Of belief and HAT hcalns where
the dominion of knowledge cnds-tlat part
of religion, therefore, the dogmaiic one
should be lett to every man to settle hciwccu
God and his own conscience. Il is n sacred
field, whereun worldly power never should
dare TO trcspass, because there il has 10
power 10 enforce lis will. Force can nur-
dcr it can make liars aud hypocfiies, but no
violence on earth can force Il man to believe
what he does not believe. Yet the other
part of rciieiun-the moral parts quite
different. That teaches duties towards our
selves and towards our Glow.men.
1t can be- therefore not Indifferent 10 the
hQylnn family; il cau hc not indifferent 20
whaievcp community, il those duties he full
flied or not, aud no nation can, with full
right, claim the title of Christian nation,
no government the title oi n Christian gov
cruiucnt, which is not founded on the basis
of Christian morality, aud which takes il
not for an all overruiug law TO fulfil the
moral duiics ordered hy the religion OF Christ
toward men and nations, who are but the
community of men, aud toward mankind,
which is the community Of nations. Now,
look to those dread pngeS of history, stained
with the blood of millions, split under the
hlasphenuus pretcXt of religion; was it the
interest 10 yindcaio the rights aud enforce
the duties of Christian morality which raised,
the hand of nation against nation Of govern
mcut against government? No, il wns the
iunaiirisn Of creed and tic fury of dogma
tism
Nations and governments rose to propO-
gate their manner To worship God, aud their
own mode TO believe the iusrrulabc mystcr
les Of eternity. Int nobody has yet raised n
finger to punish the sacrllegious violation of
the moral laws Of Christ, nobody ever stirred
10 claim the ft,filmcut of the duties Of
Christian morality towards nations. There
is much speaking about the separation Of
Church aud State, and yet on close eXami-
nation, we shall see that there was, and there
is, scarcely one single government entirely
free from the direct or Indirect influence of
one or other religious denomination, scarcely
one which would not ut least bear n prcdil-
cction, If not countennnce with favor, one or
unollc: creed-bnt creed, aud always creed.
The mysteries of dugtnatsm, aud the man
ners OF worship enter into these considera-
tlOns, they enter even into the politics, and
turn the scales of hatred and affection but
certainly there is not one single nation, not
one single government, the policy of which
would ever have been regulated 10y that law
Of morality which our Saviour has promul-
gated ms the eternal law of God which shall
he obeyGd in all tile relations Of men 10 men.
But you say the direct or indirect ntnalgn-
nation of Church and State proved TO be
dangerous 10 nations in Christian and for
Christian times, because il affected the indl-
vldunl rights of men, and among them, the
dearest of all, the liberty of conscience aud
the freedom OF thought. Well, of this dam
ger at least the future of your country is
free; because here, at least, in this, your
happy lund religious liberty exists. Your
institutions luii no power 10 your govern
ncnt to interfere with the religion OF your
citizens. Here every man is free TO worship
God rs he chooses 10 DO.
And that is true, and it is a great glory of
your country thut il is true. II is fact
which entities TO the hope that your nation
will revive the law OF Christ even on earth.
However, the guaranty which your consiitu-
ton uilhrds To religious liberty is but neg
alive part of n Christian government There
are, besides that, positive duties to he itl-
filled. lie who does no violence 10 tie con-
science of man, has but the negative merit
of man, doing no wrong but as he who
does not murder, does not steal, aud does
not covet what his neighhor's is, but by not
stealing, not numbering, not covetng what
our neighbours is, we did yet no positive
good u man who does not murder has not
yet occasion 10 the title of virluous man,
Aud here is precisely the Infinite merit of
the Christian religion. While Moses, IN the
name of the Almighty God, ordered hut
negative decrecs toward icllow-inen, the
Christian religion conunnds positive virtue.
lis divine inlunctous are not performed 10y
not doing wrong; it desires us to do good
The doctrine of Jesus Christ is sublime IN
It's majestic simplicity. "Thon shalt love
God above ALL aud love thy neighbor us thou
lowest ihyscli."
This sublime doctrine is the religion OF
love. 1t is the religion Of charity. "Though
! speak with the tongues of angels, aud have
not charity, am become ns sounding brass
and lnklmg cymbals. Though ] have The
gilt of prophecy, and understand all mysle-
ries aud all knowledge, aud have all faith, so
tlint could remove mountains, and have not
charity am nothing. Aud though bestow
all my goods to feed the poor and give my
body 10 be burned, aud have not charity, II
proiielh me nothing" Thus speaks the
Lord, and thus speaking he gives the law
"Do unto others as thou desrest others 10
do unto thee" Now, in the name of Him
who gave this law to humanity, 10 build up
the eternal bliss aud temporal happiness OF
mankind, in the name of that Eternal Legls-
lator, ask, is in tha; charity, in that iuhda-
mental law of Christianity, any llmlt OF dis
tinclion drawn in man in his power, aud man
in his natural capacity? Is il but law for
man where he is alone, and can do but
little good Is it not law more where two
are together, and can do more good no law
more when millions are together' An