Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-04-16
INCREASE OF CRIME, DECLINE OF RELIGION
And THE CaUSE THEREOF,

AND IHE CaUSE THERE0F.
1t is und"ub edIy true that crime has increas
ed at e;sl two foId, in nearly nll the State. il
The last five y.ak. During the same period
Christianity, in most of the old States has beef
1t pe. feet slands,ill. In The city Of New York
We are reliably informed, there are not go nan,
Christian commul9cants outside of the Catholi,
church, as lhercryen len vearS ago and almost
every where else tht .ume or similar results are
shown by und"uldsd statistics. and admitted By
the highest authority in the churches.
S"melhIng haaI.produred these results; and
there can be no Harm, we think. in inquirinq
what i, is. II Christianity really possesses the
LeauIes and virtues that are attributed To it.
and vice is reaIlyethe hideous monster the m"r.
alsls and poets taye painted it-how comes il
that Christianity IL declining and vice increas.
ing? As cisizrnss il not as Christians, We have
right lu AK thiAsaueslisn; for the community
and The stale aresaik Interested / il. IL il
our right to an>wtr:it, als, if We ARE willing 10
submit our aIsweFt0 the scrutiny I'D criticism,
Of both tho poli.isa aud tine religious commu"i.
lies.
We say, then,sin the exercise of this right
that The present dePlOrable stats of things, can
BE- attributed, wilIperfuu' justice, " This single
fact, that for 'heisl ten years the cos anl ten-
deDcy in the moraEnid religious world has been,
TO an abandonmSh Of those inslrumpnlalilirs
pointed onl in The Sacred Scriptures us sffording
remedies und realfainls for The vices of The
world; aud rrIiillrs, in their stead. upon e,,-
ercive rnncln,rnIsSflo be- enforced by severe and
sometimes ubhorrs0t penalties. In other words.
the tendency, harsbfen TO abandon the effective
Influences of o,hsRli and resort to the ma.
chil,ery of g"vernIaent to accomplish whatever
scelred desirable iItbe matter Of moral improve
Inent H.-
beauties and sleadfaat pleasures "f Christianity
when he told usAat The 'ay of the transgres-
sor wa. hard, @Afe-A Ahe way Of the believer
was pleasant and iaeerIul-wlen he warned his
hearers from lI,ssIiares and pitfalls OF the
world, against ihAeihs that most EASILY bcset
them, against in9isranre aud bigolry, against
"ppre.>i"lls of lhs th,or, against lying and cita
ing, ana against PRIZE and cxtor.i"n: when he
called upon all 10 Iiye vr,uuus and lrave virIu.
GUS exanrplrs-,1iKa out into the highways and
by ways in seanItSf. lhe down trodden-to
preach c"ll.olaliup The afflicted, repentance 10
the wrung-do-ri aailh! 10 the freble-to at
tend to lhr silk, s ihn IN prison, feed the
hungry, and clolilHe naked-tO be kind, yen.
tie aud .iucrrtss alnd. lnen, rather than
drive them, awfl Mugs TO remember that
all were the cs,hidsa common Father. In
Ihuss lines ws lta ih.,
and their ihflleHsts gentle but powerful, was
felt evrrywn.rs-in every ciiy aud village, l"
evcry neiy iyhborhoud, in every dwelling. Then,
every community, every famiIy,-nay, the Stale
i,,elf-uwed debt Of gratitude to these BARRIERS
against vice.
How is it now? The temperance societies.
and nearly all their colemp"rary organization.
in The work Of reform, are dead, aud their old
.upporlers ure weary aud w"rn with five years
crusade against inteInpernnce and lis accompnny-
ing vices through The political ch"nnels. They
have been trying The machinery "f government
-,hr Maine Law Notwithstanding Tor dun.
rrors, and bulls and bars-iearnimS /" hate and
rur,e their enemies and w"uirri Y, sometimes
we suppose, why God did not annihilate every.
body and everything which did not yield pracea-
bly to their mandates
Aud lh- new madness has gone into the
church. The minister has BECOME u politician,
and lold Us who nnd what to vote for. III The
muruiuu we had the Maine Law; in the after
noon. anli.Nebr,ska und Tho Wmol Provso;
and in III. evening, knnw-N thinsisn. This,
We admit, has not been true Ut every church ahd
every mi,i,ler. Sunle denominations have kept
themselves out of lhs wnirlp,ml and in Others,
,I,rr. have been many noble instances OF /" re-.
fus.I to exchange religion for politics. Never
rheIes. enough has brcn Witnessed TO sicken
aud disgust The community, and L" produce The
results To which We nave already referred. The
prccrp,s OF Christianity has been v"ted Obsolete.
WI y wundcrs that crime has Increased! WIN"
wouo,fs that vice furnishes! Who wonders
that murder follows murder! H"w far think
vou, reader, would The fame and influence OF
Christianity have reached if It's founder had
l,prnt his time in Know Nothing lodges. and III
rxhorling The people lo Vote ior Ills or that
political party? /, il reasona blr to expect ti'a;
The world i'll grow better 20 long as the Polc'l
roslruul, aud the reiormvra Mere ady"cale OF
chains aud duugeons!-Pr"v. (R. H. Post.