The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1862-04-10
Free ''Worship---Free Speech
Free Press.

.vy,A nal -s1,7tf7a 7i7TgU o.. q
Time was when, in Europe, men
had to contend earnestly and in the
face Of danger, and of death, for
their rights and liberties. The
American people are notr in gen.
eral, aware of the sutferings en-.
dured and blood shed in England
Ireland, and Scotland in, the causl
Of equal rights and real liberty
Whatever may be sad or9asserted
by the ignorant, the fact that1the
seed from which American liberty
has grown came from Europe car
not be denied. King Henry, the
iii, Queen Elizabeth and others,
whilethey professed to give.liberty
to the people and to reform the
Catholic Church, were in reality
nothing more than tyrants and the
destroyers of liberty, and murder
ers Of both Catholics and Protest
ants. Elizabeth was protected il
her tyranny by the two Acts, which
received from her something more
than Royal sanction. She .helc
two scorpions in her legal hand
that is to say, the Act of Suprem
acy, which made her Head of thC
Church, and the Act of Uniform
ity, which gave her power to try tt
force men to think alike. '.H"
The fifteenth and sixteenth cen.
turies were tho grand battle ag'
for freedom The English peopl,
we're not, however, to be trifet
with they resolved to, bccom'
free, and to establish their freedom
by refusing to remain, a Churcl
which was neither Protestant no
Catholic, but Il half-ws2 sanctuary
between freedom and bondage
between truth and errorA Dapins
the last days of Queen ElizabetT'l
reign, numbers of the best an(
ablest men in England, including
both Protestants and Catholics
were compelled to take shelter ii
Holland and other parts of the
continent Of Europe; but theil
advocacy Of real liberty had told
upon tens of thousands in the Uni
ted Kingdom, who could not sub
nit to he forced tamely to read ;
Prayer Book which was intende~
to compel all men to think and SCI
alike: consequently Catholics dice
for their faith, and the Independ
ents died contending for the free
dom of worship, which is Low S,
fully enjoyed in Holland, in the
United Kingdom, and IN America
On the Oath of August, 1862, the
Act of Uniformity compelled 1900
men of God to resign their livings
a I'd to bid u melting, touching, anC
solemn farewell to their focks.-
The excitement throughout the city
of London was intense. To that
memorable Day-St. Bartholo
news Day-we owe our glorious
liberty. Itwas the great day on
which the healthy and strong seeds
were sown, from which civil and
religious freedom, both in Europe
and America, have sprung. We
are not surprised, but we are
pleased, that the Nonconformists,
Or Congregational Independents,
of the !. United Kingdom have re-
solved to commemorate the 200th
anniversary of this day in spirit
and manner which will occupy a
page in the history of the Church,
to which the history of the world
has not furnished a parallel, for
moral beauty or spiritual grandeur.
We give bclow,a very brief extract
from the November resolutions,
and a few of the donations from
the subscription list, ,ra.,..,..., -.
NJ I.S 4+t.' - E# yi'2 ~ f'. 'i.. 10 .f'
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY NiCoN.
FERENCE, q. OF CONGREGATIONAL
1. MINISTER'S, HELD IN LONDON, Nov.
2S, 1851, and Jan. l6, 1862. -
I. This Conferepce-bein deep
ly impressed with the Christian
heroism of the 1000 Ministers of
the National Church, who, on St.
sBartholomew's Day, 1862, relin-
quished their livings, and yolunta4
rily subjected themselves to great
-privations and sptferings, rather
than give their assent and con,
sent" to what they. believed to .bei
untrue, and grateful to God for