The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-06-19

all true men and christians. The oovernro.,
has right to expect obedience and sur,..,
from such, not simply because they are cit
zens, but because they are christian cit;vo..
Nor DO they in giving this support, pecessa,i
~ " dabbe in the dirty pool of politics. NJ,
become fiery factious partizans. To sust.i,
lawfully constituted civil authority is one os
the fundamental principles of the christian svv
TEN. The people are to be taught under tho
sacred sanctions of religion, that it is their
duty to obey the powers that be-" as an Or.
dinance Of God. And besides this the nros.
ont struggle involves principles which IN.
derlie and constitute the base of christian o;r
ilization. 1t is the conflict of systems. Il
is the inalienable rights of humanity on the one
hand, and the hoary aristocracies nd desvot.
lsms which have oppressed the race, on the
other. Freedom is the stake. Freedom az
right equally of all men. Freedom personal
civil, political and religious
These being the facts, can there be any
question as to what should be the position and
action of the church On which side she
should array herself Or can she innocentlv
told her hands and look indiferently on, while
the nation struggles, as in death graphic.
with the most gigantic, vndictive and relent-
less revolt, perhaps, ever witnessed in the civ.
ilized world No, verify. To our mind her
duty is clear and unmistakable. Not only are
individual christians called upon to act, but the
churches in their organized form, should con.
tribute the influence of their u1aited strength.
their efforts and their prayeTs-in support
Of the government In their ecclesiastical as
sembhes, from their puIpits, and through their
presses, they should utter their unqualified
condemnation Of the system of Slavery, and
thus assume a position they ever should have
occupied. In the same capacity, and through
the same agencies, they should fully endorse
all the necessary measures adopted by the
government, for the vigorous aud successful.
prosecution of the war. They should hearth
ly second the emancipation proclamation of
the President, not only by formal assent to
its rightfulness, but by prompt appropria-
ton OF their resources, 10 devsing means by
which the highest good OF the millions who,
by Its humane provisions are raised from the
condition Of vassas to that of freemen, may be
secured. Nor should they rest satisfied until
the manaccs of oppression are struck frcm the
last bondman in the land
We are aware that to all this it may be OBJ.
jected, that these are political matters with
which the church should never intermeddle.
This has been The cry from the commence
ment, and through its influence the church has
been betrayed into the mistaken policy Of
leaving these things to the management of de-
signing politicians and demagogues, until the
evil has eliminated in the present disastrous
war. Let her now arise and shake herself
from the dust that has blinded her. and put
on her strength. Let her show to the world
that whatever effects the interests of legitimate
government and humanity is a matter of in
terest to her that the church is an integral
part of every government established by God,
for the regulation of society that while the
civil governments bound protect the church
in the exercise of her Legitimate rights, the
church 10 hound IN tho otbor bond RI sustain