The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-09-06
CHURCH AND STATE,

The telegraph one day last week brought
US the intelligence that "John Bright, in a
letter accepting the Birmingham nomination,
says that the disestablishment and disendow-
ment OF the Irish Church would strengthen
both the cause of Christianity and the Consti-
tuition Of the country" We do not call atten-
ton to this as an utterance remarkable in the
fact of its coming from John Bright, the chief
OF the Liberal party in England, and as being,
as such, an expression of one of those prin-
clples the steady advancement of which.
| during late years, has made every friend of
liberty and progress rejoice but simply take
1t as one example Of sentiments now daily
uttered IN England, which century since
would have been deemed reasonable in the
highest degree. Yes, England is at length
waking from her lethargy of centuries. With
a singular faulty, she has advanced step bv
step in the march of civilization but has as
steadily left one blot upon her fair fame one
series OF impolitic, unjust and oppressive laws
upon her statute books. The military GOV.
eminent of ireland and the miserable condi-
tor OF the people there growing out of that
government, were the necessary concomitants
OF the endeavor to force upon whole people
a religion distasteful to them originally be-
cause of its variance with their long es-
tabhshed ideas and rendered more obnoxious
by the manner in which its yotaries tried
to obtain converts; and this desire and en-
deayor to make newly conquered people
conform to the religion of their conauerors.
as an indispensable element of loyalty. arose
from those provisions in the British Consti-
tuition which Il Ind church and state so
closely together that not to belong to the one
was to be traitor to the other Taking their
cue from the fierce anaticism of Spain. so
well illustrated to them by Mary their queen
and Philip her husband, the legislators of
England, when once more ruled by a prin-
cess OF their own faith, sought by the very
means which, in others they had so execrated.
to make that faith universal and perpetual in |
the British Isles. How we'll such legislation |
succeeded is to-day demonstrated by the per- |
sistent adherence ofthe population of Ireland
to the faith of their fathers by the existence |
In Scotland of the Free Kirk, by the rapid |
growth OF Methodism in England, and by the
boldly avowed sentiments of such leaders in
British politics as John Bright, that further
forced union of church and state in ireland
will weaken both the cause of Christianity and
he Constitution of the country-and we
.hink so too. But we wish Mr.. Bright
had gone further and included England
n his assertion. If he had. our
Endorsement of him would have been the
learter. That the mass of Englishmen are
Ittached to their church we think is beyond
ioubt, but it must even to them prove a
lever-tailing source of irritation to think how
ften the VOWS winch they solemufy ana earn
silly take, are by others assumed legally and
arelessly as way to power and a means of
dvancement. With Jew for prime minis |
er, and with the record of many an infidel
aving occupied as high position, it is high
inc that England should wake to the alb
urdity of longer forced union of those
'hich God has already divorced. Piety can
ever be created by test oaths, nor attach :
lent to a church by inficting penalties for
on-attendance on it The early history of :
hristianity we think fully demonstrated the
ltilty OF force as means of obtaining con-
'rmation with any faith having no other g
aims upon the mind and heart S