The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-04-26

church, should address the Throne OF
Grace in prayer. John Adams, in his
letter to his wife, says he never saw o
more moving spectacle. Mr.. Dushe read
the Episcopal service Of the church Of
England and then, as if moved by the
occasion, he broke out into e4tempora.
neous prayer, and those men who were a.
bout to resort to force to obtain their
rights were moved to tears; and floods
of tears, he says, ran down the checks of
pacific Quakers, who formed part of that
interesting assembly; and depend upon
it, that where there is a spirit Of Chris
tianity,thero is spirit which rises above
form, above ceremonies, Independent of
sect or creed, aud the controversies of
clashing doctrines" That same clergy
man was afterwards appointed chaplain
Of the American Congress. lie had
such au appointment five days after the
declaration of independence.
On December 90, l776 on December
10, 1884 and on February 30, 1888 it
was resolved that two chaplains should
be appointed So far for the old Amer
lean Congress 10 not deem it out Of
place to notice one act, Of many, to show
that that Congress was not indifferent
to the religious interests of the people !;
and they were not peculiarly afraid Of
the charge of uniting church and State
On the lth of September, l777, a
! committee have consulted with DR.. ALI
son about printing an edition Of thirty
thousand Diblos. and finding that they
would be compelled to send abroad for
type and paper. with IN advance of fl0,-
PIP los, Congress voted to instruct the
Committee on Commerce to import twcn-
ty thousand Bibles from Scotland and
Holland into tho different ports of the
Uuion. The reason assigned was, that
the use Of the hool; was so universal and
important. Now, what was passing on
that day. The army Of Washington
was fighting the battle of Brandywine !;
the gallant soldiers of the Revolution
were displaying their heroic though un.
availing valor; twelve hundred soldiers
were stretched in death on the battle
field Lafayette was bleeding the
booming of the cannon was heard in the
hall where Congress was sitting-in the
hall from which Congress was soon to
be fugitive at that important hour
Congress was passing an order for i'm
porting twenty thousand Bibles and yet
we have never heard that thoy were
charged by their generation of any at
tempt to unite Church and State, or sur
passing their powers to legislato On re-
ligious matters.
There was convention assembled be-
tween the old and new forms of govern
mont. Considering the character of the
men, the work in which they wero en-.
gagged, and the results Of their labors, |
think them the most remarkable body Of
men ever assembled benjamin Frank
lin addressed that body on the subject
of employing chaplains and, certainly
Franklin will not be accused of fanati
cism in religion, or Of wish to unite
Church and State give his words as
reported by Madison.
u batcS in tie ttdcJal CoHrgafi0R, .Jilac 2S
1857.
DIR. Franklin said Mr.. President tho
small progress we have made after four
or five weeks close attendance, and con.
tinual rcasonings with each other, our
different sentiment on almost every qurs-
tion-scvoral of the last producing as
many noes as aycs-is, meihinks, mel
ancholy proof of the impcrfection of the
human understanding We, indeed
seem to feel our want of political wis
dom, Since We have been running about
in search of it. We have gone back tc
ancient history for models of govern
ment, and examined tho different forms
Of those republics which, having beer
formed with the seeds Of their own dis
solution now 10 longer exist. And we
have viewed modern States all round
Europe but find none of their constitu
tions suitable to their circumstances. -
In this situation of this assembly, crop.
ing, as it were, in the dark to Gnd po.
litical truth, and scarce able to distin
guish it when presented to us, how has
it happened, sir, that we have not hither-
to once thought of humbly applying to
the Father of lights to illuminate our
understandings In the beginning of
the contest with Great Britain, when VIC
were sensible Of danger, nc lad daIY
prayer iH this ro0UI for diciHc protoc-
nan. Our prayers, sir, were heard, and
they we're graciolslJ answered. All of
us who were ougagcd in the struggle
must have observed frequent instances
Of a surorintending Providence in our
favor To that kind Providence We owe
this happy opportunity of consulting in
peace on the means Of establishing our
future national felicity And have we
now forgotten tina, powerful friend Or
do We imagine that We 10 longer need
his assistance
II have lived. sir, long time, and
the longer live the more convincing
proofs see of this truth-ihGt COL
sorcrRS in the affairs of mcH. and il
a sparrow cannot fall to the ground with.
out His notice, is it probable that au en-
pire can rise without His aidl We
have bocn assured, sir, in the sacred
writings, that except the Lord build the
house, they labor in vain that build it,
firmly believe this and also believe
that without His coucurrin2 aid, we
shall succeed in this political building
no better than the builders of Babel
We shall be divided by our little partial
local interests, our projects will be con.
founded, and We ourselves shall become
a reproach and by word down to future
ages And. what is worse, mankind
may hereafter, from this unfortunate ip-
stance despair of establishing govern
ments by human wisdom, and leave il to
chance, war, aud conquest