Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-02-21
GOD M THR CONSTITUTION.

y which separates Church and State a
= failures. 1t is not strange that tn,
II should have this lack of faith. for II
6 system is an experiment which Of
r government alone of all the COVER
ments of the world is trying. 1t
# not strange that many should thin
= that religious liberty is slicentiousnes
= and that a State without a Sta
: religion is a goddess State, and Is vi
e tually an expression of eontempt ft
religion for in all ages of the worl,
States, whether pagan or Christian
have taken charge of the religion I
their citizens.
In starting this as the conviction {
these movers, we give full considers
ton TO their disclaimers and explans
tions. In spite OF all these, no plail
reason can be given for Inserting il
the Constitution an acknowledgment
of a spiritual authority in our govern
ment that does not mean a declara-
tion of religious duties on the part o.
the State which make the State ,
Church, with the power and the duty
to enforce religious observance. anc
to disqualify and disfanehise thosf
who do not subscribe to what the
State lays down in purely spiritual
matters.
The extent to which this amend.
ment is designed to enter into the
law of the land is declared in the call
for the convention, which lays down
these:
l. A nation is the creature of God.
.. 1t is clothed with the authority
derived from God.
3. 1t owes allegiance to Jesus Christ.
the appointed ruler of nations.
i. 1t is subject to the authority of
the Bible, the special revelation of
moral law.
From these is drawn the following
conclusion:
In constituting and administering
its government, then, a nation Is
under obligations to toacknowledge God
as the author of its existence and the
source of its authority, Jesus Christ
as its ruler, and the Bible as the foun.
tain of its laws and the supreme rule
of its conduct
These movers labor under the
mistake of suppOsing that anything
which they believe to be true Is a
proper thing to be put into the Con-
stitntion. When they affirm this
source of existence and authority, and
this allegiance, and this authority of
the Bible as rule of conduct, thew
find very few to dispute. The proper
of all this is that ali men
should make Christian morality and
Christian duty the rule of their con-
duct in public affairs, and thus should |
make religion the higher law Of politI- |
eal action. But their conclusion is |
hat because what they declare is |
ruth, it should be put into the |
Constitution, and thereby be made
,oercive law.
Their religious zeal is greater than
heir knowledge of constitutions law.
The Constitution is not platform of
distract declarations, nor is it creed
which people are to assent to, but
o make the law of their conduct
ccording as they can hold. 1t is a
'Ody of fundamental law for the
overDment of the country. It is
nade to be carried into effect by the
oYernment, by legislative, judicial.
nd executive administration. This
eclaration of spiritual authority is to
e a mere mocksry of God, or it is to
ave the same force as all other parts
this fundamental law, and it is to
e carried into effect by the same in
God and religion are not abstrac-
ons. They have their written law,
le Bible. These declarations mean 6
if they have any meaning-that the
ible shall be the law of the govern !
ient, by which all our laws are to be :
sted, and which our courts are
1und to administer. Now to say the
ible is sufficient rule of faith and q
'aetlce, and to say that it shall be 5
ade the law of our government, are i
70 widely different things. The first j
a declaration that all Christians o
bscribe to. The second is what very
W of them will accept. Our laws '
e to be administered by the ordinary q
firm human agencies. Do we desire 0
put the divine law into their hands 9
define and execute? y
Human nature will remain as it was G
fore. No miraculous change will al
wrought by this declaration. The
vernment will continue to be
ministered by men of ordinary
ssions, such as are elected by the
erage intelligence and virtue, and
e average ignorance and corruption
the voting population. Vicious oI
So, and ignorance, and corruption 70
II continue to be powers in the body h,
lite the same as before, and these a,
IL continue 10 elect Legislators, ex- h
and judges of their own br
I. The cOnsummation will be that ve
piritual authority will be created to M
administered By a low order of fo
itical instrumeptalities, and men eli
i find that they have foolishiy M
ted with their freedom of con- fir
enee, and instead of the law of God I
re set up very bare human con- on
rance to rule over them. mi
DO intelligent people think that tn
at they have seen Of the nature of i
'ular government-a thing which / s
not rise higher than the average Ios
diligence and virtue of the voting
sses-is such thing as they would {
to confer spiritual authority upon? the
they really think religious liberty fin
,oOr thing that they would part era
b 1t so basely? Instead OF eleYat- Tn
our politics by dragging religious tbt
into them, they will ma
; down TO the level of our politics. tai
ven in the individual affairs of ant
4ion, men do not treat it as an a /;
ract element which is to execute fou
If. They associate themselves and the
D organizations to interpret its law ha,
to carry it into the life. fin,
State religion cannot be a mere atoI
ractiOn IT must have form and / -,
-essioD and eorporeal existence. Th,
tate religiOn-that is, the declara- cop
ofspiritual authority and spiritual In
es in the State-must have State Al
rch to define it. In fact, the State
t be the Church. These agitators
an amendment to confer religi- I
power and duties on the State are EliC
how cheaply they are whC
osing 10 barter away the priceless for
of religious liberty. But they sent
see that they are laying down be |
rines which will make it neces- IF
to keep the political machine in thin
; own hands, in order to save gett
own religious liberties, and thus whe
they are periIing the rights of erue
cience upon the chances of butt
lcal control.-Cin. Gazette. It,"
habi
e ,JeLOish Messenger has an arti- ;n1
pom plstlnSuVe Jpdaism," IN kno'
i paragraph - fhev
1 has formed US to be peculiar lem
e, distinct from all others in our q TT
Gus duties. But here this dis Kind