, 1876-09-25

,rll for tss 6tst thing that err happened fo hs
. ron. j, erendene" ss On sta;c supp"rs @ Il threw
them wholly IN their own resources an,t on
God" Autobiography, vnl. l., p. a4. Thus
sometimes Religion has OCCASION to cxclan:
"save me from my frlenasr'
arc blinded 10 i rramt principle by the supposeI
advantage wcl, an existing rracicc brings 70
their ca,so, nnd these hcrettss, nntcliososs. anu
justlcu In tho eafe, hnvc their eyes opened first
10 the rt,rrcct It1ra- II wAs by all outside pres
1urc aul the protest of agxrcTetl mtn2rtics
That ehc Protestant Clristfan Church wns led to
ana tint a paFt Of 1t ha. eeaaed 10 advocate ths
untm nf Churel, and State; both uf which
aneient tnstitutunswcrc once regarded as ncrca-
sary to tic interests Of religion, hnt arc now
evangelical brcthcrn, therefore,. not to n''l
another historic instance uf Il similar error, thus
bringing needless o,tlum on the ministry aud
tho Church. For the attempt to u,aintaln
Tic protests 81 parents whore religious Ideas nre
thereby nssallcl, will certainly prove failurc,
for II Is tnscd on no safe md sclf+consittcnt
principle Which will abide discussion, anil Il is
az tu tho relation of the Stato to religion. Tic
layn,cn will scperatc OH 1t fronl tito elcrgymcnn,
It tho latter still insist ,puh 1t, mad it will
ss;sH ssnay ant1 lose md y SIT stsF fy aysr fsay satty
can convince of few greater morti'sca-
tio1,s and injuries to the Christian cause t11an
to hive It titus n.a1,iicslly put In tto wrong,
through what will appear to the world to bc the
That was the mischief In Connecticut, In the
struggle described by DR.. Becclier. Tic great
majority Of the cllurches OF tlnt ssatc wero
Congregational, nt,d did not wish to fclilqutsli
their superior legal advantages by chR1ge In
tic Constitution and the lMws IN favor Ut the
cQilallty uf all religious denominations. Tho
Democrats espouscd the other side, aud under
their standard all the 1nalcontcnts, religious
fact whlrii only confirmed tho Congregational
ministers Of tho time IN their self-rghseDus
crrur. The autobiography OF Dr.. Bccclcr says
a., p. BOY: "The Democracy, rs II rntc, In
clltieta nearly nil tho mihor sects, bestaes tue
sabbasll-breakere, rum-scllng, tlppl!ng folA,
infdcls, aul rutsscuif generally, mud made
dcatl-sct upon. the standing uEdur." The sns..
fortune mid disgrace wcrc that tile mnj1rtty Of
the churches aud ministers wtfc dclclldtiG tllo
wrong principle III tho nainc Of God and re-
licioN AInl their defeat In such an unnecessary
issuc cntailca evil consequences, which arc tct
tn tl!nt State to tho present 'INy. l warn you,
Willingly, but not the less really, at once VI
crime and blundcr--of u crime against tho
equal rights of others, yelled from your sight
though il bu by pluus Intentions, md bf1ndcr
Gs re1aras your own future position aud III
hucnGe.
Let us drop these secular crutchcs Of civil
support, anil Unite III genuine spiritual rolfry
which rests God u causc OH Ills own chosen In
strumcntalitics fs,r religious work,-the fnlnity
init tho Church. Having removed from out of
the way OF thu ltnbul,eyUr tho irritation caused
by any seeming attempt to forro our religion
up0n htul, or upon Ills children. Let us thu lnorn
spirit of luye, urging upon Ills attention the
hiool-bought salvation Ut Jesus Christ Let
lis En,iltpIy our churches, build our Mouiy
md sanlsey tabcrnaclcs,' ,plant our mission
every unurangelizrtl negturlluol, untIl tic
Gospel shall le brought to every door, unl Its
benefits shall be Offered to every ,na,1, woina1,
md rhd, nut tn the !la,ir Of the cvi Stutc, but
Christians 70 he ngallt, us f}r. Dcecllcs sal{,
" thrown wholly IN their own RESOURCES aild Oh
Coil" Let the lNcrcascd schsc of responsibility
make III more earnest tn effort m9re importn.
ut Him who suld, "My Kingdom Is not of this
wUrll.n
SERMON III THE REV. JAMES MACLAU01lL1H.
The Rev. Jut,rs A1acLaughl!n, of the Scotch
Presbyterian Church, yesterday iuotning ugaiu
took hold Of the question Of tho Bible in tho
public srhouls, t!eyoting the most Of bis SER
non to review and criticism Of tho opinion Of
Ernst Frusslng OH the subject, US CLEANED
from an interview with that gentleman pub
lslIel III thcae columns sevcrnl months ago.
lie ilaA no sympathy with Mr.. Prl!ssng'a
ltas. and regarded the Bible as the greatest
educator VI the worlu. Its banIshn.cnt from
the public schools WAS victory fur fn'idellty,
a,M 1n!ilclily was rs ,nuch to bc feared at
rupery. liz snw nothing but beauty and lletl
moral tcaehing ~ the Blble,-notl!ng but
vr.nc, purity, equity, nntl truth, md the Idea
of Mr, rr,lsstnE tint tho civilization Vi the
times hutl elevated society al,ovu its morul
plane was, to hiln, rrrpnsterous. 1t was trtu
The Bihle abounsicsl with btusEnply antl hlstor:
Ical facts, and here and there might he found
scnir.ircs Which n prualsh tastu would rather
suppress than express. To- ,these, even, y, the
% Kat tley uctcd u, Tic elgnal Oh thc
.uniscn reef. and were II warning against
wi luing. The faults ot thu good 1hgn II the
Bible brought to thclu train u calanlttcs antl
,owhcrr could It Lc found that the Dible upheld
the wrung. i touch to Improve would thur 1t:
Love WAS It's source and fulhitnent, and IL stood
Iorth US 1nnn's true mud abiding guido 10 pros
pcrlty and peace. The highest civilization WI.
the c1e,npIlllrnt!on Of Bible preccpts, and In
proportion us these were received and observed,
&c sa.d, tocicty took rink In the scalo Of pro-
trc6slYc humanity.