Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1859-12-05
Would that there we've more such.

lion against the laws. and to make reli
gion an engine Of destruction to the
interest OF the country, arc among the
occurrences Of the day to be depIored
by the wise and the good. One of the
characteristics which our proccniters
sought to impress upon our form Of gov.
efnmcnt as distinctive feature. vas a
complete and entire severance between
Church aud State. They repudiated the
idea which obtained in the Old World.
that a recognition Of clerical authority
was necessary to permancncy in a pc.
llt'csl system. Our institutions are
founded upon the belief in the existence
OF one God, and that Christ. the Son OF
God, died for the salvation Of man.
Further than this general admission OF
the Divine Or gin Of Christianity. the
trainers OF our fun amental law did not
80. Ihey eschcwci scctarian infuen-
eie'in the works oflcgislation, acknowl
eas'ng the proproiety of the preccp. of
the Saviour, "to render unto Caesar the
things that are Caesars, ard unto God
Tue things that are Gods"
There IS a wide contrast between an
oggressice and deftnsice sectarianisln.
Religious liberty is one of the Blooms
bequeathed us by the Patriots of the
Revolution. The protection Of that lib
erty is inseparably connected with q
projection Of the Constitution and the
institutions of the country. A Minister
of the Gospel cannot be justly charged
with transccnding the propriety Of his
position, while exercising his personal
influence and the influence of his station
IN warding of attacks upon govern
mcnt, upon the power Of which he leans
for safety to himself and his flock. Far
different, however, is it with those who
sow the seeds of rebellion and discord-
who preach a crusade Of the Inhabitants
ofone portion Of the Union against those
Of another-who make incendiary ap-
pcals to the passions and pr,judices Of a
class, inducing and justitying robbery
and even murder-whO make treason to
the government duty to God. OF this
latter description Of men who, Sin the
livery of Heaven" do good service to
the cause of his Satanic Majesty, the
country is overrun. Such are the
Bcechers, the Whccocks, and the
Parkers of the land. But amid tie
assembly Of preachers we occasionally
find sturdy old defender Of the right
one who stands cut from the main BODY
as not Of the crowd on the back ground.
Such exceptions are cheering illustra-
tions that all virtue is not lost, nor all
true religion banished from the world.
There lives, In the far-famed city OF
brotherly love, a veteran in the service of
his Master, whose name is familiar to
the aged and the young in every sec
ton Of the Confedcracy-on one of the men
OF the olden time, who, as Minister of
God, patriot and man, will outweigh
u regiment of the babblcrs who disgrace
their profession. REV. JoHs CHAINS
BERs, of Philadelphia, on Thanksgiving
Day delivered a sermon from which We
copy the following eloquent and perth
nent extract:
"What man in this house to-day,
what man belonging to these United
States, land may the time never come
when any mortal on the footstooI of God
Almighty shall be able to say anything
else than these United States, what
man in this Nation, whether he be ma
tive or adopted citizen, is willing to see
this Union dissolved? You may say
there is no danger. / tell you, my breth
rem, there is danger, unless our pco>
pie come up to the great duty of obey
ing God Of rendering to Caesar the
things that are Caesars Sunless our pull
pits cease their clamor against the Con-
stitution and the laws-unlcss the Min
listers Of God regard their obligations
and teach the people their duty OF tidcl-
ity to Caesar and fidelity to God-unless
men cease preaching from the altar that
it is better to put into mans hand a
rifle, deathwcapon, rather than moth
ers Bible--unless we cease the agita-
ton and abuse that arrays State against
State-unless we abandon all sectional
ism, and resolve that we will adhere to
the Constitution and the laws, reform
ing that Consultation and those laws,
when necessary, by legitimate and or
Derby methods. II we move on in this
way, our Republic will remain. Ii there
is any man who would wish to see this
Nation severed, who would tear into
fragments that banner of stripes and
stars, and pluck the feathers from the
proud eagle of my country, let him fall
crushed and mangled before gazing. .
laughing, disappearing world Of crowas
and despotic sceptres. l say to-day, be-
fore the Eternal / Am, Father, Son and
Holy Ghost, land if were on the banks
Of the Potomac, standing by his vault at
Mount Vernon, would say it over the
sacred dust Of the immortal Washing
ton,) the man that would labor or would
wish tor the dissolution of the American