The daily union., 1854-01-01

aal Union The following statement includes all that
~ has dose and lef undone upon this subject:
Tbs people OF The Uned States are ch'isn4" psop<
ras they s,. and. by Immense majority. seeys al the
ms oi the adoption OF the constitution In the lorna
,,on OF general government admonshcd by history
iAsy determined thai they would nsas create an ss.ao
,ousl aid and support The churches and ministers oi
ii organizations; employ or pay. or pension any
,nnister OF religion, for The purpose OF supporting aud
xtsndng which is lbe proper business OF the Church
and that no religious test should be required quan
cation ior any public trust oihce This is what they
resolved not 10 do
Pn, whsl they resolved 10 do and what they did, was
bis: For the sake not primarily OF religion out ot ihe
State from wise regard 10 its prosperity and peinahsnes
hey facog aised the Christianity oil ihe iand
,hey in effect, proclaimed themselves Christian Stale
they believed needtul coalition oi national we'll oeng
Thai the God o: the Bible, IN whose hands are ~. oes
MES of nations should be recognised and honofeu ihen
entirely severed from The Church. the State fet Tree 70
bring lie Christianity TO the AID OF is prosperity
precisely The same manner and on tbe same Phcss'
that she is free to secure and pay Tor the au OF he
sciences and arts. which, IN her Judgment contribute 70
her strength and welidte. !.
With this distinction borne IN mind we can ieaoy ex-
plan all the conduct OF foefathers during, and sub
seuuent TO- The revolution; and see how they were. al
lhs same time. keep the Church and State sep.
arate and Yet uphold and sometimes employ the coul-
mon Christianity of all the churches Tor the benefit 0i
Lei US look more particularly INTO tbe action Of the
State reference 10 Christianity and shall perceive
the Justice OF these observations.
When we look back upon the first meeting OF the first
Continental Congress- in this city, in September. l774 we
perceve that it crisis oil momentous interest in hu-
man affairs Among that "coection O! the greatest men
upon this contlnent"ss John Adams described them
there clear perception Of The peril and responsible
ties of their position and OF vast results, tor veal OF
wo which depended upon their deliberations Denounced
fsbes. coming up from feeble and sparse populations
organize resistance against mighty empire, hey
paused before they entered upon their work. tonvoke the
blessing OF Him, without whom there could have been
neither strength, nor wisdom. nor succefs.
Congress met the 3lh Of February. On the oth II
was sresolved that Rev Mr. Duche DO desired to open
the Congress on The following morning win prayers
Among the earliest uterances OF fha freedom, wnich
came from Christianity. the voice OF acknowledg'
meDt aud prayer the God from whom u came so M
teresling affecting, and instructive was the scene which
Expressed the spirit in which the struggle for ndepend
ence was be conducted that venture upon Its descp-
The scene has been described by the FIRST President,
Adams !. Mr.. Duch6 appeared" says MIR Adam,, /" with
his clerk and his ponthcas, and read several prayers
jn ihe established form. and then read the collect (he
means the Psayr) for the 7h day Of September. which
was the thirty. fifth Psalm You mus, remember this
was the nexi morning aier we bad beard OF the hOr.
nbe rumor OF the cannonade OF Roslon. never saw q
greater effect upon audience II seemed Heaven
had ordained that Psalm to be read On that morning.
oAiter this Mr. DucLS, Unexpectedly 10 every body.
struck out into extemporary prayer, which filled the
q ve
copaan as he is DR.. Cooper himself prayed with
such ervor, such ardor. such eanestness and pahos
and in language elegant and uhme for America, fol
for the province of Massachusetts Bay, and
especially for the town OF Boston. 1t had excellent
effect upon everybody here"
Among the papers OF Charles Thompson. Secretary o
Congress, prayer was found which Purports to have
been The one ased that occasion. manuscript copy
Of this prayer PR served in the library OF Congress
is sing ulay suitable to The OCCASION and cannot see
sufc,ent to doubt its genuneness IN the fact tina
contains specific petition for Massachusetts Bay and
Boston. Mr. Duch6 may have gtyemi II 10 Mr. Thompson
as il coAposed and the petitions for Massachusetts
may have been those into which he ttrnes ont, udai
the impnse OF the moment Some OF The sentences 81
this solemn prayer recall most vvid The perls OF ina
y.na. n N trri-
ins which pervaded The ssenby in The midst OF which
offered. As tnose fathers o The rcpabhc bowed
their heads before God these were some OF the ervd
words which their hesrs went upward to his throne
"Oh Lord! cur Heavenly Father. King Of Kings and
Lord Of Lords who dost thy throne behold all the
twecIs apon esr,n, and reignest with power supreme
N~unr~S~-.led all kingdoms. empires, and gov.
tnmentslook down with mercy, we beseecn Thee. on
these American Sale., who have fed Thee from the
rod Of the opessor, and torown themselves on Thy gra
cious pro eeon desiring henceorh 10 be dependent
only upon Thee To Thee they have appealed Tor the
nghteoueness of their 10 Thee do they look or
that conntenance and support which Thou alone cansi
give Take them. therefore, Heavenly Father, under
Thy nuturng care Give them wisdom in council and
vaor The field Defeat the malicious designs of
cruel aoversaries Convince them OF the unrighsousness
Of their cause; and il they persist in their sangunary
ing their bearis, consran tnem 10 drop the weapons
Of from their unnerved hands in the day OF battle.
This solemn religious Inauguration of the revolution
was followed by several other acts OF simar character
and significant of The same mind and purpose. Among
them were the appointment OF two chaplains 10 Con-
gress. the Recommendation OF The edition of the Bible
printed by Robert Aitkn TO the people OF the United
States and the appointment OF days OF lasting and prayer
10 Almighty God Thus did the representatives of tht
United States aud honor the God OF the Bible,
In all this proceeding the part OF Congress we see
distinct recognition OF the common Christianity OF hs
confederation. In our next number shall iha
what begun in the confederation WAS carried
completed under the constitution.
WAsHlscTor, ID. c. e. w. b.