, 1876-09-25

upon him, tha. tlio conyention had lcft a silcl,
aie Matters To Tug clergy In moro deliberate and
stated the exact fact Wien, Out seven
years alter in tho eleventh article Of
tho treaty with Tapoll, concluded Nov. 1, 17lD,
Il wa. said: ssAe the GoTcrnment. 81 tho
Chrtttaa religion; "a It liaa In Itself no charac-
ter of cnmty against tho lars. religion, OF tram
qatll!ty Of Musau|!nans; and ~ The said States
never have entered tntt' any, war Or net of hos-
clared by the parties that no pretoxt Arising
from relt0iow opinions snail cvcr produce \" n
tcrruptton ci Tho harmony existing between tho
In tho facc of tho deliberate silence Of tho
Constitution on thc one lnt,t, and, On the other,
Of its cxprcas prohibition Of "rcllgious test's
IN conneetioa With Office and Of a national,
.ssd Il. eqshboa S fsg0%a & % n b. + OBJ S
apartSnlar Christ1aa sect or Church, as afgainst
other Chria.iaa secis or churches only, but ''of
religion" Of any form or creed, It IS quite vain
q nse Of current religious o!'Hcryances. Thus
20 the Constitution was affixed q Christian date;
but every Jew does the same in hfs correspond
Gence, It being matter OF chronology simply.
purely cvll pnrpose.. the drst day oi tho week
Is NATURALLY mentioned as that already in ust
by The mass Of tic people. An oath is likewise
prescribed, but that ta common to at religions
HsAN hAAT bc At4hIhA1kcEEA nECiJEHlnE IL 0Il9q
peculiar belief, OF may he set aside altogether.
II desired, for i simple Affirmation.
y thus appears that Chr!stianty has not been
stitutions, With the exception of general
recognition OF Goti, and, IN tho case Of Slassa
cfusctts and New Hampshire, of certain protcs
ta1t pnosIsfopst arc similarly framed. And
Guilty Tor the schools, arising from the conscien
t!ous divisions Of ProtestaIlts md lto1nansts
remains unabatcd. The language Of our 1l!tuol
Constitution expresses the ,tpirIt uf tho fnnda
mentnl law of our cntrn nation IN tlcsB words:
"Tle free exercise and enjoyment Of religion.
profession and worship, uitfyat determination,
shall forever be g'larantccd." How Inconsistent
with this It Is to enioln officially that the public
liglons exercises approved BY part of the
pcopic only ought nut to, require a laborcd
argument to prove. The day will come when
I'll tn' u W. Ill., be M Mosttss'y a' s'1ed @ ne Tx 1y The so',
opinio, was ever entertained.
And now. In bringing this address to close,
wish to Offer as Ouc of their number, MI CARR
est word Of adyIee to those. who claim to bo
subject. 1t Is possible That majority Of you 10
not u yet agreo with the views which havcp
Tended. though many of our must Intelligent
and falr-.nnlcd brethren have adopted them,
great rapltlfty. Your dislike Of change, your
fear Of mural md religious harm; yosr idea
that, III solne way, the elyi' Stats n,llat rceo.-
nkc und promntu Christianity; your prlAc,
which shriiks from. ece1nlug to 10 compelled by
leonanata AMI unbclicyers to Withdraw tho
Bible from the hoaorcd plaee which 1t Inns SO
long held In our co1n,Un sch0ols, and your faith
in beloved md trusted lcA0cre. who hAyc cln-
qucntly depicted imaginary evils which are to
How from such d wltlulrawnl.-asl these things
conspsrc to mislcnd your Judgment BY substi-
tuition Of religious sentiment. The mistake 1t
serious, aud threatens lIarm to the ..aNsc we
love: and most solcmnly dol here protcstagainsi
Il, rruind you u Cnrisi's nwn wprs)s: MY
spiritual and ant!;Scw Testament polie,
Instruction The p!ca whci, calls in It's It'd, III
this respect, IN l,elaf Of the young, is just ~
gool III behalf Of the alult population. II 4
Prayer Into tbs schools to promote rnnrallty,
for tho sa,nu relson It TIM put them anywhere;
1t can csnpioy nc1i to circulate tho Bible IND
offer prnyer from house. to house, Or iru.a street
to street, throughout this city. I say, II tho
name of spiritual religion, to tho clyi, State,
- Let tho work OF the Church aud Ut tic Chris
TIM family nlone, and he content with provision
own work, IN os,r own way. Do not be DE-
ccivcl, my brcthroh; NJ rca1 atFcnEth is tn be
gained for Israel by "go!nE dnwn to Egypt"
for help! From tic day that the carly Churches
consented to accept tic uil Of the AtMta in pro-
moting Christianity weakness las been tic re~
that VIZ hare regaincd freedom and power. Wo
now have snapped every link but two; this Ut
connection with the public schools, and that Ut
tho exemption Of cllurch.propersy from civil
taxation. Let us not be content till we llavp
put MI end to nsl dependence OF Clrist's Church
upon tho State. -...-
but really, to play into the hands Of the Ro.lish
Hierarchy, In Its opposition to the public
schools. It gives them m argument to uso
with ther own people against tho schools by
making thcn appear scctar!au or Protestant.
Now, have no expectation Of sattatyng thu
Rolniss priesthood BY removing tho Bible from
the public schools, hecause tllcy frankly tell W
that they do not desire secular public schools,
thoroughly religious, In tlcr sense, as the curly
Now England schuola wcre III the Puritan seuse,
but want !trst to satisfy my own conscience
that We arc aetins tmpart!ally In tbs ,nnnagc-
them Of M objection. which they use, Will,
great effect, In preludici,g their people against
the American system Of conlmon schools. To
retain md strengthen that system, we must
ality. We must unite all classcs oi pa1chts III
its support, a. Ut ut interest OF equal value to
them all. Having titus reduced oEJcstLon to !ts
1owes pont' " cay ssy t. the ,t KsanisIs, s,
same educational advantages With others, With
nothing contrary to your religious fnith. The
State docs not profess To furnish eolnplcto
eaa;eatiSt'n, ; hut oy SECULAR ar, knowlcge
must furnish md pas for yourselves"
"Ah! but they will reply that you hayr now
made the schools go.sless, some one nay sus-
gest, Aud what II they DOT The charge Is ul.-
meaning and without point. 1fsnpiy uniting
torna! religious exercises a:, makss ay routiae
onlv of tt!e State but Of ordinary business, ara
OF that character. The courts, the hanks, the
insurance rompantes, tho nla1lnfactorics, the
countine.rootns, tstc professional offices, the
mGehantes' s|Iops. aro oil "gollcss"; for tho
daily eIercscs Vt nonu OF these arc opuned with
B!bls.reallng a''d prayer. Il it true, therefore,
that every Protestant and lio,nanst Eues dali,
to gud1css busIncsst Secular work may be
conducted In religious spirit and vi luor4i
principles when no religious forms arc oh
served. When VIC unite with others for SECULAR
ends, whether Of politics, business, ur eluca-
tl0n, We may not Introduce our peculiar relIgtuu.
worship, IS they may not Introduce theirs; aud
In this omission neither class viii! be falso to IT,
talth.. It the Bible Society applies to the Board
Of Directors Ut bank for subscription thu
boarl !s not "Kodlcss," nor ID it dcspser Of
ff3FI mi. t& tkn, T.