The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-07-23
4 saasss~s E.aS.r,y.i


We have an account OF the destruction a,
Naples, by ApS0b, or a Protestant church
and of the resi- ences of a number of persons
converted to Professionalism. That the mol
which perpetrated this outrage was composed
of ignorant men and shameless women is nc
apology. 1t is not the less an outrage re.
voting to every principle of the Christian re
tiglon, and for Which there ID ph paltstion
FabAotIsA Id = crime, and vt fih1tieiash al
ways professes the extrende 81 Virtue Though
religion has no more cardinal principle thar
chAsiyss extreme religionissa - 4 genera
thing have less charity than any other people
Thpngh thssfoander Of Chsistianity wsss the
REHABILITATION Of charity, there has been a.
much Christian blood: spilled by. the Chris
tians id the name Of Chrfsdanity, as in any
other cause. The stake and ths faggow have
been al familiar In the Christian code as /,
has been in that of the. savage The rack
and I'D torture, iwhersye IL hsy have been
adopted as punishments for crime, have owed
their introductiehtp chusckass .lnaxhSi rirs,
employment has been in the service Of reli
n a9n readily asssses of r. G'iost
and religious warfare has generally more
re6nements Of cruelty than any other. Men
whose lives are o succession of outrages upon
religion, law, morality and decency. will
not hesitate to employ the bullet, the sword
and the torch to exterminate those of their
enskppo 10 fiNne froA stk1m upon nne
tssArpt sptR9!tfA of fltk soa discipline.
The mob in Naples was disgraceful affair,
saad looking at it from shiss distance We can
take in the Tbols character Of such sexhibi>
lions OF sectarian malice, whether committed
" home or sbroad. The world grows wiser
every day. ard we bslieveis iserowine more
charitable. There have been times when
Protestant churches were prohibited in many
Catholiccopneries and England has had heI
statutes prohibiting Catholic worship. These
things have changed, and the world is bepe
fitted By the change. The Church has ceased
in nearly eysry part OF the Christian world
TO be part Of the Government, and. wherey
er this has been the case, both Chureh and
Government have been benefited. State re-
hgions are an abomination, because thew are
repulsivs to the very principles 6faH religion.
Man worships God Of his own free will. or
his worship is mockery. Man cannot be
made 70 yorship idsp form, psat IN, hy
ssAsnte. a otAte religion il therefore such
an attempt TO Abridges the freedom Of men
that the Human mind viii revolt agains. it.
Worship under compulsion is farce: to At,
temptfo bseveat ,maa ! worrshippissS f,cdl i
their own way is equally i farce. and when
either of these acts is the act of the Governs
ment, or of mob, then they are outraaas.
not only upon personal rights, but upon re.
ligion itself.
In the intolerance snd madness of this 10.
norant mob at Naples all men may see an
outward manifeStssioh of that want Of char.
ity which marks the religions feelings Of so
many thousands of mankind. It was lint the
rude method Of al isnonnt and bespotted
population to coerce others to agree with
them Their impulse, as it generally i. in
all cases of religious excitement was to use
violence. How many are there Of those who
Ignore federation in religious affairs, who,
if IN the majority, would not invoke a legal
prohibuom, and that failing, jsstify a resort
to violence to suppress an Objectionable
mode of religious Worship
The human m;pd cannot be controlled or
coerced on religious questions. and those
who appeal to law or resort to violence in
order to compel men to be Christians or -
CONFORM too particular mode of extArnsl
Christian hUliness. can never succeed II has
been tried the world over and failed. and
viii fali, e It ought to fail, whenever it is
Tls5 ts nats men b.ssar r.,i.;oo,,,,,
and n hetw IN svery feiatiou Of
lite, Is td~U66s men free; and then lead the
emancipated mind to the contemplation Of
the religious obligations which he shOuld an
sumo. Teach him to tolerate the in6rmi,ies
and errou Of ethSfs BY being tolerant Is bis.
Lead him. but do not cham him; leaye him
his freedom, and unless be can be converted
n froarnan - all a. ..>.. = 80 -. = =.