The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-12-10

that-sthefe was none other than th
name ofGod (which they might b
bound. I And, asremarked inthe be
ginning, it's a qualification to know
that whilst our Constitution ignore
Gods existence, our executive ruler
acknowledge his existence over thei
official signatGress d 7NA
And, is it net possible that thi
Hem ission of God $ existence in our
Constitution, which VIC recognize N
tho supreme law of the land, is ont
cause of our not recognizing God il
our legislative enactments. Wo moi
only left God out Of the account il
bur Constitution, but @e left himJou
tof the account in odr national acts
This nation dared to defy God, so fal
Las to lay its strong hand on a race
pthatit regarded as inferior, and bound
| chat race in the most degrading sla,
very, Some thought slavery right
others thought icwr6ng Ono Of ouI
most comprehensive statesmen, a res
ident of a slave state, and himself II
slave owner, in speaking on this sub
.ject, said, he trembIed for our coun
try when he remembered there is a
lust God, who would hear and avengt
the cries Of the Oppressed.
Thcso words were prophetic. Du
ring the long years of rebellion this
nation suffered as few nations have
suffered, until finally the oppressed
were permitted to go! FREQ. This war
was rot an accident the destruction
Of slavery was not an accident, These
things no more happenod by chance,
than the destruction of Pharaoh and
his host, in the Rcd Sea, was worl;
of chance. The sorrow for the bFavc
dead, the tears and cries, the flame and
smoke, and death Shrek from a hun
'qrcd rent and torn battle fields were
only 80 many tongues speaking in
tones that we could not ignore, "Know
ye that the Lord he is God" , -
Bat not only on this point were
laws enacted in definance of God,
other sins have boen connived at, by
the onactments of our national and
state lawmakers. Intcmperancc,
Sabbath breaking, Righteousness po
litical corruption, all,theso and much
more have received encouragement
either direct, or indirect, from our
laws or law'maIers In all these
things wo practically said, there is no
God TO call US to an account as a ma
ton tor our sins, and therefore we
VIII follow tho lmaginings Of our own
CYL hearts, ao ... ....
We had forgotten that whatever
punishment nation receives for its
SINS it receives in this world. Ma.
tons, as such, do not have an cxis,
tcnco in future state, hence their ac.
counts with God must be settled here
individuals havo an existence in n
future state; and they may escape
final punishment until they enter
upon that state, but not SO With ma
tioDs, thoy are punished here, either
by being sorely scourged by Gods
wrathiul providence, or by bcne en-.
tirely destroyed. And to day, we
thank Almighty God, that although
uo has so soroIy punished rs for our
sins, IIo has not DESTROYED us. We
will do we'll if as a nation we rive
heed to tho warnings of tho past
which 80 plainly say: "Know ye that
the Lord hc is Cod" ...
The second point is The necessjiv
If recoqniyeinq God as the Creator and
Pfescrrer Of nations. .Is
"lt is lie that hath made us and
not we ourselves; we arc Ills peonle
and tho sheep of His pasture" is the
language of tho text.
And this point il also worry CLEARLY
embodied in tho proclamation of onr
Executives ..f'. ......
If il is true that thorc il n God who
Is the Supreme Ruler of all thinrs
then wo must recognize Him as the
Creator and Presorv YER of all thincs
And right here nations and ipdividn.
ais arc strangely skcpticaI We arc
ready enough to recornize God "a thc.
Creator and .presoryer of material
things, of animal and Vegetable exis.
tepcc we will ever saw with Aha
author of revelations. that NOT n
sparrow falls to the cround withont
Ills notice md the very hairs NJ onr
head are all numbered bnt when il
comes to nations and national Erc
wo DENY Gods Agency cntircIv and
va seom TO think t6ov nrc Eronrbt
into existence and preserved bv soma
,pency outside of and inJonon1cnt Of
God And that agency we seem 70
regard as belonging to- tho poJjtjcjon
Bv this term | do not moan S1tssm,n
Far he II from mo 10 dctroct froo, tho
praise duo, tho Iruo. unsoIGsh S,atos