The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1863-07-22
For the Cadiz Sentinel,
"RendcF umtO Cte. ar the things
tEInI are CIesar'S, and untO God
the things that are GODS
REV. A. A. ABBOTT:

the things that are GODS
To REV. A. A. ABBOTT:
SIR.-After reading your political
sermon as published in the Steuben
Vile Herald, | find its teachings so diff
fcrent from those Of the Bible that
cannot refrain from making a few com.
ments thereon. The Bible teaches us
to Glove our enemies, bless them that
curse you, pray for them that despite.
fully use you -''peace on earth and
good will to man, and above all tc
have charity, for without charity we
are as sounding brass and u tink-
ling eymbal." Now, sir, does your
sermon inculcate these Heaven born
principles? Does it not rather teach
strife, hatred and i'll VIII, between man
and man, and even between the mem
bers of your own church, engendering
sectional views of the science Of gov
ernment, and instituting at the very
foot Of the altar secular discussions
about the power Of Presidents and
Kings, when the only power we should
recognize there is the ''dvine right
of the Saviour of mankind.
If | understand you correctly, you
hold that the Administrators Of the
Government are "the powers that bo"
and ''are ordained Of God,' and that
the sovereignty of the nation, the peo-
pie, are bound to obey them in all
things or reap to themselves "damna-
ton. Now, sir, may not you and
those entertaining such views be un~
der ''delusion?" May not your un-
dorstandings be so "darkened' that
having eyes ye cannot see, and hay
ing ears, ye cannot hear?'
But let us consider this matter
briefly and fairly. In order to arrive
at correct conclusions, | think it is ne
cessary both in religion and politics
to refer back to first principles; and
referring back to those principles, |
take as my starting point, as regards
both religion and government, the
declaration Of "liim who spake as
never man spake" when asked which
was the greatest of the command
ments. His answer was: The first
is, And thou shalt love the Lord thy
Gol,'" &c. The seconds Ike, name
ly, this, "Thou shalt love thy neigh
Dor as thyself." Upon these two
hang all the law and the prophets
Here We have the whole duty Of man
brought within anarrow compass; and
hence the Fundamental principle ofa}l
legitimate government is the protec-
ton Of man against wrong from his
neighbor, and the creation and prcser-
walton of the sentiment Of mutual aF-
foction and confidence. Our Govern
ment undoubtedly approXimatcs more
nearly to the principle enunciated than
any government ever devised by man,
(the opinion of fanatics to the contrary
notwithstandinS.) This principle, this
government based thereon, are the
''powors that be" ana are ordained of
God" and whoever knowingly violates
the government and its provisions are
REBELS and should be punished accor-
dinghy, from the President UP to the
most humble sovereign in the nation.
say UP to the most humble of our cit
izens; for | hold that the PEOPLE are
SOVEREIGN, and from them flow all
subordinate political powers (absolutc
power is of God) through "thc funda-
lnentalrule by which state or nation
isgovcrned." In our case that ''rulc"
is the Constitution Of the Union as
ratified by the States, and it should
be the rule Of action for all. a.
But you, sir, appear to hold to the
doctrine that the agent, the President,
is greater than the principal, the peo-
pie, and that theagent should be obey
cd in all things, even to the violation
of his delegated powers. Toillustrate
the fallacy Of your theory: Suppose
you should require Of your congrega-
ton to violate one or all of the ten
commandments, wauld they be bound
to obey because you are an ordained
preacher of the gospel? No more is
the people bound to support an order
Of the President in violation Of the
Constitution of the United States. -
God is the source of all true power
and yet he has left it to mans free
will either to obey or disobey his laws,
thereby receiving either happiness or
, misery according to his works; and
now let me ask you candidly has not
man in the exercise Of that free will,
religiously and politically, abandoned
first principles, and gone estray after
such false Gods as the "Almighty
dollar" "Ambition," Ejaculation, -
"Avarice," "Falsehood," "Fanati-
cism" and the "IIigher law or "Hu-
man reason" OF this Higher law
doctrine, none knows better than your
self, in view of the history of the past,
that it means-inhdelity
and as soon as, by its operation, the
sentiment of Religion isremoycd from
a people or nation, then the gratifi-
cation Of their animal passions and de-
sires is the only incentive to ac ion,
and the worst of crimes in the cata,
logue have been committed to CRAFTY
such desires. In proof look at the
crucifxion Of Christ himself, for bias
phemy and TREASON! Look at the
"Reign OF Terror in France! The