Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1856-06-14
Communicated for the Sentinel. !
CHURCH AND STATE.

been formed to oppose their imaginary
intrigues and the whole country invoked,
in the name of America, to resist the
coming evils. The pulpit and the stump
have resounded with harangues to OPP
pose the union of Church and State, and
to such pitch of frenzy have some of
the dupes and demagogues risen, as to
riot in scenes of murder and desolation,
and boast that they were doing God and
their country service.
The union of Church and State is an
evil wisely guarded against, by the
trainers of our general and State Consti-
tutions, who were well aware of the mis-
cry always inflicted on those countries
that had adopted such connexion.
And any sect that attempts to form an
alliance between Church and State in
this country, deserves to be frowned
down by every liberty citizen. l
have often been led to think, lately, that
many of those who cry most loudly
against the Catholics, are like the thief
who runs and cries loudest of any, ''stop
thiefw
Among the thousands who attempted
to dictate to the government, in 1880,
the sunday mail law, not one was a
Catholic Priest. That attempt to con-
meet Church and State was headed by
DR.. Ely, a leading Presbyterian of Phil
adelphia.
|. Among the three thousand preachers
who attempted to overawc Congress when
debating on the passage of the Kansas.
Nebraska law, not one was Catholic
This was an attempt not only to connect
Church and State, but to destroy the
very foundation of our republican system,
which assumes that the people of each
State are competent to make laws suita-
BILE to their condition. The three thou
sand preachers say that no public lands
shall be settled, and no government
formed in them, unless the inhabitants
agree with them on the subject of slav-
cry; and they undertake to " deal dam
nation round the land" on all who dis
agree from them
The New School Presbyterians in their
convention at New York, a few weeks
ago, make the abolition doctrines a part
of their articles of faith This is attack
ing in most vital part the laws, the in
stltutlons, and the safety Of nearly one
half of the States of the Union. And
yet these men cry loudly against the
power of the Pope and pretend to pray
Gsd to stop its progress. These are the
men who 4" steal the livery Of heaven to
serve the devil"
| could cite a number of other in.
stances of the like kind but | sat dowr
to notice resolution passed at the Meth.
I odist Episcopal General Conference, helt
. lately at indianapolis. The Rev. james
Floy, editor of the National Magazine
and Tracts offered the following resolu
ton, which after some debate wa.
adopted;
} " ResolreR, That the book agents
. and tract secretary be, and they hereby
are instructed to publish in tract or book
form such anti-slavery matter as the sub
ject of slavery may demand, including
Mr.. Wesley's Thoughts on Slavery ,"
When the northern Mcthodsts, some
| years ago turned Bishop Andrews Of
Georgia out, because he would not set
his wife's negroes free, the church was
; divided into North and South. Mont
gomery County, Maryland, the county
we live in, fell to the North, SO that we
are under the jurisdiction of the Adolf
tionists, so far as the Methodist Church
/, North is concerned.
Is the institution Of slavery in Mary
land a State affair, oran affair ofreligion
to be settled by the fanatics ofthe North?
Suppose the Pope Of Rome should issue
a bull requiring all Catholics to join the
Abolition society and circulate tracts and
books dcnouncing slavery as anti
christian then we should have a right
to charge him with attempting to connect
Church and State in all places where
negro slavery exists. And is il any
better, when the Methodist Conference
does the same thing, coupled as it is with
all the fanatical monstrosities of the
North? Their agents are required to
publish such things as the subject Of
slavery may demand Now Gerrit Smith
demands one million dollars to hire one
thousand men to 90 TO Kansas and pur-
sue slavery to the death. Parson Beech
or requires christians to give rifles to kill
the pro-slayery men in the west. Some
I require such men as Chaplin, (who was
in our Jail few years ago. to steal all
the negroes they can, and others per-
suade the negroes to run away and steal
anything they can to help them along
There are various other methods fprop-
agating this new christian doctrine, but (
do not feel inclined to submit TO any Of
them, which must end, if the fanatics
have their way, in numbering men, wo-
men and children, and desolating our
country.
These agents arc also required to cir
culatc Wesley's +" Thoughts on Slavery"
What his thoughts on slavery arc, do
not know, bat ] am not disposed 10 place
them above the injunctions Of the New
and Old Testament, and the teachings Of
the apostles St. Paul instructs a dis
ciple to return slave TO his master !,
slaves are required TO be obedent 20 their
masters, and Christ himself teaches us 10
respect the laws Of the country by telling
his disciples TO- render unto Caesar the
things thatareC@sar's. And | think more
over that our revolutionary fathers were
at least as wise in political matters as
Mr.. Wesley. Now, without any disre-
spect to the Methodist church, ] say that,