Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1858-07-30

ysa 1s ssa
but this only illustrates another great truth
viz: '.That human progress is only the pu]
ling of an endless chain suspended from tn
throne of God; the links of which are inf
mite in number. and can be grasped by th
human hand only one at a time."
IS This principle of the inviolability of tn,
rights Of conscience, necessarily sewers th,
inViolability of ali the acknowledged natura
rights of man; those which have reference
TO his d.ties To himself and to his fellow
rers as well rs those which he owes directl,
TO God. Ths principle cIaims for US the
sight of cbeyins God, when commanded te
do justice and love lAercy in our dealing:
with eur fellow men. This priRciPie give.
US the right to follow our own conscience, in
performing these duties, AID these laws oI
our land, (if any there BED which forbid ual
carrying out the great law of love to our fel-
low men, must be Held by us just as the Pu,
ritans regarded the compromise estabffsfed
by Queen Elizabeth. s-9 ,.,-.-.-s
Ii We are compelled by law 10 ttaetple
upon the natural rights of ethers, we mus
DE- violence to our own consciences in obey
| ing such laws, .sHe that loyeth not Els
brother whom he hath seen, how can he love
God whom he hath not seen.'' This Puri
tan principle then involves the poritiesf equal.
:ty of all men, Our absolute rights grow
out of our moral constitution. Ii so then
TIE absolute rights of all are ihe sa,iis.
Political equality is rothfng else THAI tse
full enjoyment of those absolute rights
which arise out OF our moral constitution
God gaze to each this moral constitution,
hence any infringement apch the r.sslifs which
grow out of this, unless those rights have
beef forfeited by crime, is forbidden by di:
vine authority. ass s@.-..--..s-
Here then we see something OF the e1-
tent of that principle laid down by the Pu.
ritans and drawn by them directly from the
Word of God.
We may learn from the following quota
tion, how the Puritans understood their own
great principle in Its bearing upon the rights
of conscience
"Liberty of conscience said one of their
earliest organs, sis the natural right of every
mamie that will look back en- past times,
and examine into the causes of subver-
sion and devastation Of States and countries,
will find it owing to the tyranny of princes
and the persecution of priests. The minis
ters of the established church say that if we
tolerate one sect we must tolerate all. This
is true. They have as good right to their
eonsciences as to their clothes, or estates
No opinions or sentiments are cognizable
by the magistrates any furthur than they are
inconsistent witk the power Of civil govern
ment.'
The tendency OF tllis Puritan principle
was to a pure SYSTEM of republican govern
nrent. AS I have said, I do not s0ppose that
they fully understood this. They did not
seem to be seeking a fePnbffeaf form ct gov
efnhhe!t, but only liberty of consciencei or
freedom from that control which the State
wonld exert over their religious de9osFons.-
But if the Slate could not control this there
would necessarily follow a sepa ration of
Church and State: If then the Church and
State be separated and political equality be
established, then necessarily follows a re-
publican form of government. Equal toler-
alton in religion, and equal enjoyment of all
natural rights, are Inconsistent with the Sc
crecy, and power, and oppression which seem
to be necessary to the existence of monarchy
and aris:ocracy.
That the Puritans were slow to discern
the tendencies of the principles they laid
down, and that they did not thus act for the
pupose of overthrowing their form of gov
ernment,i is evident from what they said them
selves:
''Although (said they to Elizabeth) her
Majesty be incensed against US, as if we
would obey no laws, we take the lord of
Heaven and Earth to witness that we ac-
knowledge, from the bottom OF our hearts,
her Majesty to be our lawful Queen, placed
over US for our good; and we give God our
most humble and hearty thanks tor her hap
py government; and both in public and pri-
Yale we constantly pray for her prosperity
We renounce ali foreign power, and ac-
her Majesty's supreHfacy to be
lawful and just. We detest all error and
heresy. Yetwe desire that her Majesty will
not hink Us disobedieHt, seeing we suffer
ourselves to be displaced rather than yield to
some things required. Our bodies and goods
and all we have are in her Majesty's hands;
only our souls we reserve TO our God, who is
able to save and condemn us.''
And even long after this after they had en-
oyed republican government for some time,
the Colony of Massachusetts salnted Charles
Ff on his restoration, with this loyal address:
ITO enjoy our liberty, ana to walk accord
ing to the faith and order of The Gospel, was
The cause of as transptanting o6fsefyes with
our wives, our little ones, and our substance,
choosing the pure christian worship, with a
good conscience, in this remote wilderness;
-ather than the pleasures of England with
Submissions to the ingpostiors of tire hietat-
shy TO which we could not yield without en-
Evil conscience. We are not sedisiogs to- the
of Caesar"
We see then that our Republic did NOT |
grow out of desire for a republican form Of
but from desire to enjoy the !
natural rights, which God had guaranteed to |
hem, and which rights they learned that |
hey possessed from the study of the Bible.
To enjoy the rights of conscience then
ed the Purilans to seek an asylum in this
and. Once here and in the enjoyment of
hese feelings, that principle OF freedom,
which they had imbibed from the Word of /
sod, developed more and more, applying it.
self to one after another Of the natural
rights of man; until The time at las, came,
TheD 4De people feit, tHas u they SuueEsd
aeafios they had right to representation.
Thus they were led along, until they regar-
led themselves as called upon by God to
hrow off that tyranny, which had been SO
ong depriving them Of their rights. Hence
he Revolution followed, and the establish
ng OF that American Independence which
We have SO long enjoyed.
| need not say that all this has been
touchsafed 10 US, under the kind hand OF
God, and that 10 him our hearts of unfeign-
ID gratitude should rise. Blessings SO great
md SO glorious as these we lhis day enjoy,
nust call forth thanks FROM every feeling