The Republican journal., 1870-02-24
PROPOSED UNION OF CHURCH AND STATE.

PROPOSED UNION OF CHURCH AND STATE.
There is cloud gathering in our country's
horizon, which, although now no bigger than
a mans hand, threatens to over whelm us
with untold woes. 1t may be seen in the
following paragraph, clipped from the tele-
graphic news OF the day
| The association formed to secure the recognition
of Almighty God and the Christian religion in the
Constitution of the United States, has issued call
| for a national convention, at Pittsburg. March 3d.
This call is sgnified by William Strong, president
of the association; Hon. James Pollock; Rev.
Bishop Scott of the NJ. f. church; and Gen. O. 0.
| Howard.
/ United States were wise and far-seeing men.
They were not so far removed as we are
from the times of religious wars and pcTse-
cutons. They had keener sense than
which may be forgotten Of religious bigotry
and intolerance The fires Of Smithtield, the
Bells of St. Bartholomew, the bloody athe-
ism Of the French Revolution, the insanity
Of the prosecutions in Sa,em-werc all nearer
to them, and clearly seen in their apprehen-
son as dangers TO be guarded against
| They resolved that the compact which
should bind these States, and constitute,
within its sphere, the Supreme government,
should concern itself with political affairs on
ly. There was to be no required form of
belief, no establishment of religion in con-
nection with the government, no religious
test as qualification for office, no taxes save
voluntary ones for the support of religious
establishments. The religious belief of every
man was held 10 be a matter between him
self and his God, entirely free from human
| interference This idea at once took shape
in u constitutional provision that mo re-
ligious test shall ever be required rs Il quail
| tication to any office OF public trust under
| it went. But, so cautious and apprehcnsive
were our fathers, jealous of interference
in matters of conscience, and so fearful of
| oppression in this respect, that they added
an amendment respecting religious matters.
| 1t was made in the year succeeding the
adoption of the instrument itself-so soon as
to make il the work Of the same hands II
is this
Congress shall make law respecting IN
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof.
Volumes could not express the true policy
Of q country like ours better than these few
and simple words do. They declare that
consciences Of the people it governs, and
that all shall be free to worship as they
choose, while respecting the same right in
others, and the public peace
One of the strongest arguments that can
be made in favor of changing any law is that
it has not worked we'll Tried by this test
the object sought by the Association referred
to will not stand. For eighty years this
government has existed without Il national
religion. The people have been free from
religious disturbances or prosecutions. all
sects of Christianity have prospered, and
contributed to the welfare of the govern
ment which protected them. What more
can be desired?
Let the equal, Just and reasonable pro-
visions of the constitution be once disturbed,
let there be recognition therein of any form
OF religion, and the door will be opened to
innumerable contentious. disturbances, and.
if history repeats itself, to cruelty and blood
she'd 1t is thought that we saw something of
passion and fury during our late civil contest
but let the spirit of religious luminosity
and persecution be once aroused and get fair.
ly at its work among us, and we shall find
that beneath the hell of civil commotion
there is a lower deep swarning with untold
woes. From the recognition of the Christian
religion to the favoring or adoption of one of
the sects Of that religion, is but step. And
from such an alliance to forced conforma-
ton to the tenets of the favored creed, is but
another step. From thence may come again
all the woes which history has recorded as
the result of the efforts Of blind zealots to
compel men to wear the iron yokes of their
beliefs. This is small matter now, and so
have been all the contentious that have shak-
en- the world. The people of this country, if
they are wise, will adhere to the example of
the Saviour, who rendered to Caesar the
things that were Caesars and to God the
things that were Gods. This and the pre-
sent wise provisions of the Constitution,
constitute our safety.