Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-05-25

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Nany ont al the house and some init, have ex'
,rasseS ,sorat that this course had not been =
,donted. But the feeling seems TO be that' al.
Ier me paper has been introduced, 1t must DO
passed. that is to cay, in these questions Oh eA
Oediency, the expediency that introduces pa
Der on this subject, az 1t were, movea me yeos
ous question on all other expediencies, ana ne
cessarily brings direct vote on the main oueS-
tion. :, u. =,
Perhaps all this may be well. Be 1t wise. OF
unwise, will not complain. Inc expeoieuvy
of dong or not dolDga particular thibg ~, III
The natnre of the case, one Of those things
which must be left for every man to decide lor
himself in the fear of Cod And there am
content to leave IL. For myself, am bouna IN
candor to say that object to the paper on
higher grounds than expediency. o3leos "
this paper on several grounds Of principle; anu
lat. / believe you cannot paes this paper WIN
out violating the Constitution OF the ffespyte- |
rian Church. Ch. XXI. ; iv. reads-"Synods
and councils are to handle or conclude hosn'pg
but that which ia ecclesiastical, and are hos "
intermeddls with civil affairs which concern
the commonwealth, unless by way Oh nuupio
petition in cases extraordinary; or oy way VI
advice for satisfaction OF conscience' u Mey
be tbereunto required BY the ciVh magls.ra.e.
are 10 handle and conclude nothing but things
eccleeiasticsl, except in Two case: let Churon
courts NAV humbly petition in cases exlraordi.
nary. Cd, Church courts solve questions oi
coincidence proposed by the civil magistrate
All other handling and concluding by synods
and councils is prohibited as intermeddiing WIN
civil affairs
The condition of the country 10 certainly o
case extraordinary; but this paper is not peu'
tion-it does not therefore come under the nsst
execution. Civil government has not asked
apy court ecclesiastical, certainly not This court
for advice for satisfaction Of conscience. ,"The
National Government has not asked you II IL 10
its solemn duty TO preserve OF Whatever cost
the National Union and Constitution, 70 main
tain the laws in their supremacy, to crush ioIce
} by force" The fact is, the Nationai Sovern
, mept seems to have had no scruplee OF con-
. science on the subject that required satisiao'
tion The General Government, as the events
of the pact year plainly imply, are altogether
satis6ed In conscience, and as they do not ask
your adyice--as you are not required by the
civil magistrate for advice for "sGtisiaotion OF
conscience"-this paper does not come under the
second exception. - D.
do not see how the Assembly can get over
the constitutional objection that lies against the
: paper before us. Will il be pretended that this
paper does not handle and conclude civil analrf
= which concern the commonwealth ls II moi
, handling aud a concluding "civil affair
= which concerns the commonwealth, y when you
declare, as this paper does, that |. is the clear
and solemn duty of the National government
, to preserve at whatever cost the National Union
u and Constitution-do you not handle something
and conclude something in this declaration
), and ia not that something civil AFFAIR." The
question ia not whether your conclusien is wise
and good, but whether under this clause oil the
Church's constitution, and with this distinct
= prohibition before your face, you have righ
TO utter your conclusion, however wise or gooo
Would not the way of this Assembly TO adopt
this paper be much clearer II this clause did mol
= existf Or will some Que fall back upon the
practice Of the Church, and say that this CLAUSE
|, of the Constitution has received practically
different iuterpretstion-Sill precedentsbe oitec
/ of what other Assemblies have done? Modera
tor, this might do for our New School brethren
they might say it with consistency; but we car
! not. We have repndiated receiving the con
. fession for substance Of doctrine" And We al
> know that thirty odd years of acquiescence II
the plan of union did not save II in 1887. The
principle was then settled definitely, and settled
. finally, that no amount Of precsdents can make
. that constitutional which is not constitutional
And urge this to me iusuperAble objection, tC
large part of this paper as aet forth under heac
No. l. .5.r
! Again, Moderator, l object most earnestly
and from principles of conscience, to what seemI
. to me the foundation upon which this papel
. rests, to Wit; That the Church Of Christ, al
such, owes allegiance to civil government
This doctrine was, as far as can see, most dis
! tinctly announced in the deliverance OF las
= = year Ii is not formally announced in this pa
= per, and in that respect like this paper To-
p better than do the resolutions OF the last AS
!, sembly. We hAve made some progress in tht
, year, in which rejoice. We are not told thi
!, year, In plain and unmistakable terms, thRtiti u
: the duty of the Church Of Jesus Christ, as such
= y to uphold and maintain the Federal Govern
y mept. There ia no formal profession of allie
= glance on the part Of the Church Of Christ h
y the civil government. Still IL seems to mi
that this thought underlies the paper. II crop
!, out in such expressions as 'loyal churches
J "loyal Pfesbyteries and Synods."
Moderator, / stand here to say that this ia
. great error which can never, never admit
= Sir, the Church, as such, owes Glle0ianes only
! the Lord Jesus Chyist; his kingdom 10 the Onl
= KINGDOM she 10 bound TO uphold; his Word Is u
onlv constitution that che recognizes as duthoJitO
the, or is al liberty TO interpret. The citize
= owes allegiance TO the State. The citizen
:. bound to uphold and maintain the civil govern
!, ment. The Constitution Of the State binds Il
4 citizen. The citizen, by becoming q Christian
A comes into no new relations to the State. HI
10 christianity binds him with solemn obligation
to do his duties as q citizen, but does not chang
them. And il does seem to me that the teri
D, loyal, as applied 10 tho relation in which th
ofI Church of Christ stands to the State, Ia misaI
piled. The Church Is the Bride Of the Lami
" tho bride-tho Wife--is loyal to her husband,
her Lord. ask any husband in this house ho
e. he would feel If any one should say his vii
ID was loyal to another, care not who that 9TH
at be-and how Would he feel II his wife shou
D. say it Of herself7 Moderator, If you pass th
I'd paper, beg ::ycu TO omit that word, 'lest v
to provoke the Lord to jealousy" While as ci
izens we are so earnest in rendering to Cesar q
that he may lawfully CLAIM, let US not forget
a, a Church that "the,e Is another King, one j
"a sus," to Whom-to whom only-lhe ChurC
n owes any allegiance. / wish not, however,
" be misunderstood on this subject Ia deDyir
4 that the Church, as sncb, owes allegiance 4
q. any government on earth--tO any king, potei
a. tate or President, hold that every citizen owl
h allegiance to government, and that allegiance
"a OF divine obligation.
,o Moderator, there is yet another objectic
81 which / have TO this paper, that Is 10 me vel
"A grave and serious. And il is, that it goes Il
~ more sharply and definitely and confidently in
ID the precise merits and exact state of guilt il
o. volved ID the present civil agitation than thin
AZ church court ehould 60 Moderator, no or
" could be more thoroughly aware than am I
Al the exceeding delicacy, and | may add-coI
a. sidering the state Of the public mind-daDger,
70 the ground that am now treadng. Isolemnl
NJ declare in the eight OF God, before whom | sha
e. stand in judgment, that as far as know n
=, 49,, knarI r,g nnlv nh;aof In aauin0 whak / nj