, 1877-03-24
The stale in ills Relation 20
Religion.
by OLIVER JOHNSON.
From TIE Christian Register.

itViStI Ol Jan. OlU) We SOu.ul w N'ui-
Onstrate the fallacy Of the assumption
that the State is endowed with the at
tributes and responsibilities of personal
ity, and therefore bound to make con
tessOn of its belief in God. in the inspi
ration of the Bible, and in Christ as the
rghtful ruler of nations. The way IS
now open to consider the actual reln-
tions OF the American State to religion,
For definition of these we look neither
to the Jewish nor the Christion Scrip
lures, nor to the disquisitions OF polit'
iCal philosophers, nor yet again to the
speCulations Of theologians, but to the
Constitution. Turning to thnt, what do
we find ? That the government under
which we live is a theocacy, established
by a specific command from Heaven,
holding organic and official relations
with God, and receiving authority and
inspiration from himf On the contrary,
we find it to be Il purely hYman insti;u
tion, founded in the name of and deriv
ing its authority from 1--WE, the people
Of the United States" AMI acting
through agents and by means which
they, in the exercise OF their selfassum
ed sovereignty prescribe. There is no
attempt to define the character Of God
or the duties men owe to HIM; no ref.
erence to Divine revelation or to the
authority of any sacred book; no as
sumption of right to point out way
of salvation by Christ from sin and he'll
no assertion of the superiority Of one
system OF religion over another . no fa-
yor shown to Christians more than to
Jews, Mohammeduns or Infdcls; no
presentation Of any religious creed or
body Of divinity whatever; and no hint
OF purpose to have anything to do
with the realm of spiritual truths or the
relations of men to "a future lite. The
aim, purpose and sphere OF the govern
ment are AS purely secular as those Of "A
bank, railway or mandatory. How
plain aud simple, and yet how compre.
hensive, ARE the words: I'VE, the people
of the United States, in order to form
more perfect union, establish justice, en-.
sure domestic tranquility, provide tor
the common defense, promote the gen.
eral welfare, and secure the blessings of
liberty to ourselves and our postcrity,
do ordain and establish this Constitution
for the United States OF America "
Here is no hint OF God to be wor.
SHIPPED and obeyed, of an atoning sacri
flee for sin, Of heaven to be lost, or u
hell to be stunned. The objects set
forth relate exclusively to this world, to
the things that are seen and temporal,
not to those that are unseen and eternal.
So much for the preamble. Advancing
from this to the frame. work OF the gov.
ernment, to the distribution of its vari-
Gus powers and functions, and to the
means and agencies provided for the at
tanment Of its objects, we find the in
strument, in every article and section,
bearing the same stamp of secularism.
The powers Of Congress, of the Execu-
tive, of the Judiciary, relate exclusively
to temporal and worldly interests, the
Importance of which is scarcely affected
by any question relating to another life.
The laws to be enacted and enforced are
to operate only in this world, and the
penalties which follow their violation
are material and secular. The whole
system rests at last upon physical force,
the power to make war, to organize mr.
mics and navies. Surely these are not
spiritual or religious powers and agen-
cies. Men are not persuaded to- love
God, to accept Christ as Savior, or to
fit themselves for heaven, by threats of
imprisonment, by the fear Of constable,
or by the terrors of powder and ball !!
The weapons OF Christianity, says Paul,
"are not caruaI, but spiritual;" ana in
saying he gave an unanswerable reason
for a complete and perpetual divorce OF
the Church rom the State. The sphere
of religion lies above and beyond the
domain ot civil government. The NOR.
ality required by the State is secular
morality, by no means identical with