Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-02-04
Gen. Cas- on Religious Liberty.

ETERNITY The note Proong
Of GLORY 10 IHI LORD"
Gen. Cass on Religious Liberty.
On the 81 ult., in the L. S. Senate, Mr..
Cass presented memorial Of the Baptist
Churches Of Maryland, praying that meas
ures be taken to secure to Americans
abroad liberty Of conscience. He accom-
panied the presentation with the following
liberal and eloquent remarks:
have been requested to present the Pc
tition which 1 send to the Clerks table
from the Maryland Baptist Union Associa-
ton, and to move It's reference to the ap-
propriate committee. lido this with pleas
ure, not only from regard to the motives
and position Of those who make this ap-
plicstion, but also because l heartily concur
with them in tie importance Of the object,
and in the prcpriety Of calling the attention
Of the government to it; an otjec: dear to
Us and to the world in its consequences
now and hereafter. This body Of pious
and intelligent Christians an1iously desire
the freedom Of religious worship for their
countrymen wherever the accidents Of life
may carry them.
And it is not strange that this sentiment
should be strongly felt and strongly ex-
pressed in this land of gospel liberty.
But it is strange that in this age of the
world, and this day Of intellectual advance
ment, any obstable should be interposed
by any government in Christendom, to
prevent the believers il TIE faith Of Jesus
from following the dictates Of their own
conscience, and while rendering unto Cs-
sar the things that are Cassar's, prohibit
them from rendering unto God the things
that are Gods agreeably to their own con-
victions Of the injuuctions Of His divine
word. l concede fully with the signers Of
this petition, that the best of all freedom
is the freedom Of conscience, and that
there is no tyranny so revolving as that
which tyrannizes over the mind.
We have a right to be heard in such an
appeal as this, for we have tried the great
experiment-an experiment no longer, for
1t has become e1pericnce-of the entire
separation of Church and State, and have
shown that unrestricted freedom Of worship
is not only the best for the political inter-
ests of country, but best for the true in
terests of religion itself Unfortunately
the errors of dark ages have not yet Who'll
ly yielded to the progress Of truth, and in
many countries the civil authority impious-
ly undertakes to exclude any form Of reli-
gion but its own, and non-conformity is
not all want Of conformity to the will of
God, but the offence Of preferring the d.
vine will to that of the ruler.
| Hun an presumption has never gone far
ther than in the erection Of a standard Of
faith with which all must agree, OF be sub.
ject to the penalties Of the governmen.
here, and to the recommendations Of the
Church hereafter. So far as regards the
profession Of particular doctrine as a
necessary qualification for Office, howeve,
we may lament its presumption and injus
tice, We have no national cause Of complain
as that is question of internal policy
: And nothing better illustrates the SLOW
progress Of truth in those old countries
where it has many interests and prejudice
to encounter, than the fact that even il
; England, with all her real claims to free
+ dom and intelligence, Jew to this da
&c can not occupy seat in Parliament viii
l. out taking an cath BY which he abjure
1t lis own faith and the religion Of his for
v fathers.
II But We have right to expect from Il
81 comfy of al friendly nations, that Amer
I" can citizen. be permitted to enjoy liber'
Of worship wherever they may 60. The
., is not the slightest reasonable objection
'. such demand. 1t ought not, indeed,
n, be necessary, for this unworthy system
- intolerance has not the least foundation
-. reason or religion 1t is mere relic
t.stas;sn, converting the religion Of